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Holman to challenge Hucker for Watercare role
December 9, 2002

North Shore City Council believes Auckland's smaller councils need more say over Watercare Services Ltd, the region's water supplier. This is one of the reasons it wants to replace the current chairperson of the political steering group with one of its own councillors.

At its meeting last Friday (December 6), the council voted to nominate Tony Holman, chairperson of North Shore City's strategy and finance committee, to challenge Auckland City's Bruce Hucker for the chair of the Watercare Services Shareholders Representative Group (SRG).

The SRG comprises representatives from six local authorities across the Auckland region. Its roles are to act as the co-ordinating body for the shareholding councils in appointing directors to the Watercare board and to influence the company's activities through the annual discussions on the Statement of Corporate Intent.

North Shore City owns 11.5 per cent* of Watercare Services and its two representatives will now be Councillors Gary Holmes and Tony Holman. Councillor Joel Cayford stepped aside to pave the way for Councillor Holman to be nominated to challenge for the SRG chair. Councillors Cayford and Holman have been their council's representatives since 1998.

Tony Holman chaired the board of Watercare Services from February 1995 until October that year when he had to resign because he was elected to the North Shore City Council. The Local Government Act prohibits councillors from being directors of Watercare Services Ltd.

Councillor Holman says he has allowed his name to go forward because he is aware of dissatisfaction with the current situation expressed by some representatives of other councils on the SRG.

"There are a number of quite serious matters which the SRG needs to seriously address," he says.

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