11 May 2016

New report highlights need for stronger leadership in Auckland Council

The Committee for Auckland’s review of Auckland's governance 5 years on, highlights the need for stronger leadership of Auckland Council, said Auckland Mayoral candidate Phil Goff.

The Governance of Auckland: 5 Years On was released today by the Committee for Auckland. The report looked at how Auckland has fared 5 years since the restructure of governance.

“While the Committee for Auckland report highlights some of the successes of the amalgamation, it clearly points to areas where Auckland Council’s performance needs to be strengthened,” said Mr Goff.

“New Zealand can’t succeed unless Auckland succeeds. Auckland Council and central Government must have a stronger relationship to make that happen.

“As Mayor, I will work to ensure that Auckland Council’s relationship with central Government is a two-way street. At present, too often there has been inadequate alignment and engagement between the two.

“The report highlights that while the problem of geographic silos has been overcome by the amalgamation of the city. We have substituted geographic silos with functional silos involving CCOs and Council.

“CCOs need to remain operationally independent. However, they have to be integrated in terms of strategic direction. They should also be working to share common services so we eliminate waste and duplication.

“The report promotes the need for greater community participation. This can be done through ensuring that where a decision is local; local boards are given the power to make that decision.

“This report is a useful input into changes that need to be made to ensure that we have effective governance and management of Auckland,” Phil Goff said.

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