Press Release – Michael Williams, Manukau City Councillor – 2 July 2010 – 021 702 802

Inadequate Resourcing for Local Boards

Manukau City Councillor for Botany-Clevedon Michael Williams says that the Auckland Transition Agency is under-resourcing Local Boards.

The ATA is currently planning for the Howick Local Board, which at 130,000 people is the size of Hamilton or Tauranga, to share 8 staff with the Manurewa Local Board.

The roles are a Manager, a Committee Advisor, a Board Secretary, two Members Secretaries and three Local Board Policy Advisors.

Councillor Williams says that the Local Boards, which will take on roughly half of existing City Council decision-making responsibilities, will not function effectively with this number of dedicated Local Board staff.

“The location of the team is also an issue. We can’t have staff spending half the day travelling between Howick and Manurewa, it doesn’t make sense.  We need staff based in Howick/Botany, as we have now, to service the Howick Local Board.”

“For some reason, the Community Advisors, who assist the board in maintaining relationships within the community, report to a regional community development team.  That doesn’t make any sense, these people need to report to the Local Board Manager and have objectives aligned with those of the board.”

“We will also need two specialist staff to advise the board and liaise with Auckland Council Staff.  Those two areas are Parks and Planning/Roading.  With planning based in Takapuna this is essential”

“The other area of concern is communications and community engagement.  The ATA has cut the number of communications people from 120 to 60, with four serving local boards. I agree with cutting the numbers but I don’t believe we need 56 at head office.  There should be 10 out serving Local Boards, assisting with media liaison and engagement with the community.”

Councillor Williams lists the roles required for the Howick Local Board to function effectively as:  Local Board Manager, Local Board Secretary, Committee Advisor, Communications & Engagement Advisor, Member’s Secretary, Policy Advisors (2), Parks Liaison, Transport and Planning Liaison, Community Advisors (3).  That would be 12 people serving the board rather than 8 people serving two boards. His plan involves reallocation of existing staff from within the Auckland Council, not additional staff or costs.

Councillor Williams says that the Howick Local Board, with 10% of Auckland’s population, is twice the size of most boards and therefore requires greater resourcing.  He says that 12 staff between two boards would be practical where boards are smaller and close together and suggests one team of 18, based at Manukau, to service the Mangere, Otara/Papatoetoe and Manurewa Local Boards.

Manukau City Council has around 1,000 staff.

Councillor Williams says he is otherwise very happy with the Auckland Council structure being put in place by the Government and the ATA.

-ENDS-

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