Auckland Council Bill reported back
The report by the Select Committee is here.
Key points:
- All 20 Councillors to be elected from wards
- Issue of Maori Seats one for the Auckland Council and voters to decide in future
- FPP confirmed as electoral system for 2010 elections
- campaign spending cap to be in third bill
- Mayor can set committee structure, committee chairs and deputy mayor
- Mayor’s office budget to be 0.2% of total Council, up to $3 million a year to allow for independent advisors
- rural northern area of Rodney District to become part of Kaipara District
- southern boundary unchanged
- two rural single-member wards, and the other 18 councillors to come from wards with LGC to determine how many are multi-member and single-member.
- Number of local boards remains at 20 – 30. LGC to determine boundaries, and electoral subdivisions of a board if any.
- Each board to have 4 to 9 members
- local board boundaries to coincide with ward boundaries where possible
- 10% tolerance for boundaries in terms of voters/representative
- Great Barrier Island And Waiheke Island guaranteed local boards
- decision on nature and level of services provided should be made by local boards except where decision on an Auckland wide basis will be better.
- boards expected to be responsible for libraries, swimming pools, parks, rec centres, community halls, funding of local groups and local bylaws etc
- can not be on both Council and a local board
I am pleased the Committee/Government has given local boards much greater powers, and the principle of subsidiarity. Also pleased at large seats have been deleted.
Labour has a minority report. They want:
- Maori Seats
- More Councillors – 25 instead of 20
- Fewer local boards (making local boards less local)
- Maximum two members per ward
- Mayor only to nominate Deputy Mayor and Committee Chairs, not appoint them
- STV for all elections
- Pacific and Asian advisory boards to be enshrined in legislation
- Wants to keep all of Rodney in the new Council and extend southern boundary to Waikato River
I have previously blogged on Maori Seats. Not too worried about 25 vs 20 for size of Council. I am puzzled that after arguing for more local involvement they want fewer local boards, meaning residents will have less of a local connection to them.