For Immediate Release

Coalition welcomes Carter’s Super City comments

The Community Coalition for Auckland- Voices of Tamaki Makaurau has welcomed the comments by Associate Minister John Carter, drawing back from the ‘super city’ term.

‘We hope that at last this is recognition that the people of Auckland have spoken up very clearly about their feeling s on the extreme centralisation implied by the super city model,’ stated Tony Mayow, spokesperson for the Coalition, which has been campaigning against the government’s plans.

‘Our experience talking to hundreds of people is that there is universal rejection of the current model.  We don’t oppose the concept of a single Auckland City Council.  That makes sense.

‘What people are rejecting is the proposed second tier – 20 or 30 powerless non-funded local boards.  There is a lot that is working in Auckland. People don’t want to see the baby being thrown out with the bath water.  They want to keep the best of the current local government arrangements in Auckland and build on them.

The Coalition and other groups have been amazed at the response to their campaigns to get submissions in.

‘There is no doubt that, had we had a bit more time, the government would have been swamped in a tide of submissions, and even given the compressed time frame, we’re confident the communities of Auckland have spoken up.’

The Coalition is now planning the next phase of its campaign, working with groups across Auckland.

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