21 August 2018

Auckland Council’s Finance and Performance Committee today approved the Statements of Intent (SOI) for five substantive council-controlled organisations (CCOs), which set the objectives and activities of each organisation for the next three years.

The SOIs for Auckland Transport, Watercare Services Limited, Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development Limited, Regional Facilities Auckland and Panuku Development Auckland Limited for 2018-2021 were all agreed at the meeting.

The committee also agreed to undertake a review of the SOI process for CCOs, while also providing shareholder feedback to Ports of Auckland Limited on its draft statement of corporate intent.

Comprehensive process
Committee chair, Councillor Desley Simpson, said that agreeing the SOI brings to conclusion a long and comprehensive process, which follows, but does not necessarily fully align with, the recently agreed 10-year Budget process.

“It is clear from the meeting that there are many strong views around the council table about the Statements of Intent,” she says.

“In particular, the committee was keen to provide Auckland Transport with further direction. It will do so through a letter outlining specific issues that have come to light post the adoption of the Regional Land Transport Plan, Auckland Plan, and 10-year Budget.

“Reaching this point is a difficult task. The SOIs are a legal requirement and provide a high-level approach from each CCO, but what I took from today is that there is appetite for the council to ensure that each of the CCOs are following through on our intentions for the next three years.

“What is even more important to us is ensuring the ongoing regular communications between the CCOs and the Governing body as to their deliverables.

“So, going forward we are signalling our intent to be more robust around our quarterly reporting process. This will complement the SOI process which will begin again shortly and allow us to hold each CCO to an ever higher level of scrutiny as would be expected by our ratepayers.”

The committee also agreed the Statements of Intent for two legacy CCOs, Community Education Trust Auckland and the Contemporary Art Foundation. It also agreed to approve the Māngere Mountain Education Trust at the October 2018 meeting.

ends

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