PSA Media Release
June 4, 2009
For Immediate Use

Resignation of Richard Worth adds pressure to creation of super city

“The resignation of Richard Worth as Internal Affairs Minister adds a further pressure to the government’s plan to create a ‘super city’ in Auckland in just 17 months,” says Public Service Association national secretary Richard Wagstaff.

The Department of Internal Affairs has overall responsibility for merging Auckland’s eight councils into a single council by October 31 next year.

“Creating the ‘super city’ in such a short time frame is a massive job,” says Richard Wagstaff.

“We’re concerned that a hard job just became even harder with Richard Worth’s resignation.”

“He was the Minister for the government department responsible for creating a city covering a third of the country’s population.”

“Now we have Maurice Williamson stepping in as a fill-in Internal Affairs Minister while John Key works out who will take over the portfolio on a permanent basis.”

“And all the while the clock is ticking on the creation of a new city covering 1.4 million New Zealanders.”

“We say Richard Worth’s resignation provides an opportunity for the government to pause, take a breath and think about the impact that its current ‘super city’ plan will have.”

“Its current plan involves cutting a large number of local government workers who provide essential services like clean water, waste removal and roading.”

“Cutting a significant number of skilled and experienced workers will seriously undermine essential services that a third of the population relies on.”

“It will also lengthen the dole queue at a time when 115,000 New Zealanders are already out of work and the government is forecasting unemployment to rise to 179,000 by September next year.”

“We urge the government to retain Auckland’s local government workforce until the ‘super city’ is established to ensure Aucklanders continue to receive essential services.”

“This is what the Royal Commission recommended but the government rejected.”

“Richard Worth’s resignation also provides an opportunity for the government to stop and listen to the concerns Aucklanders are expressing about creating a single council for the whole Auckland region,” says Richard Wagstaff.

ENDS

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