Auckland City Council
Media release

17 April 2008

Council approves regional governance submission

Auckland City Council tonight approved its submission to the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance.

The submission proposes a single unitary authority for Auckland, supported by effective neighbourhood boards.

The council would provide strategic regional leadership, speaking with one clear voice for the region, and be accountable at a local level with local neighbourhood leadership, advocacy and decision making.

The council’s submission proposes local government which will make Auckland a world-class city.

Mayor of Auckland city, Hon John Banks said: “For too long Auckland’s potential, and New Zealand’s growth, has been held back by fragmented and often contradictory decision-making at Auckland’s local government level.

“Our submission to the Royal Commission on Auckland’s local governance proposes a bold plan for the region.

“We are promoting a single city with four distinct areas which will promote a strong neighbourhood focus, with emphasis on councillor accessibility, planning for local improvements and retention of grassroots neighbourhood boards for community consultation.”

Deputy Mayor David Hay, chairperson of the Regional Governance Committee, said: ”We are confident that our submission gives Auckland the best foundation for the future.

“Included in our submission is the Regional Spatial Plan which will help plan and develop Auckland’s future over the next thirty years. This means that instead of short term disparate planning by seven councils at present, there will be a single long term view on what we want Auckland to look like.

“We have also promoted the Neighbourhood Plan which will give certainty and credence to local spending and planning initiatives. This means there will be much less ad hoc decision-making at the local level, and people will know what is planned for their neighbourhood over the next three-five year timeframe.”

The submission ‘People and Place Building, Mapping out the future governance of the Auckland region’ will be available on the council’s web site.

Public hearings for the Royal Commission will be held across Auckland during May/June. The commission will then submit its report to the government on 1 December 2008.

Ends

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