Wednesday 8 September 2010
It is 8 days until the ballot papers start arriving in the letter boxes and 31 days until ‘D’ day decision day on 09th October.
Two thirds of Auckland's city services will be run by Council Controlled Organisations. CCO’s are seven business units set up by the Government to run about 75 percent of the council services. Water, waterfront development and transport will all be governed by CCOs. A further four CCOs are being established to run council investments; economic development; tourism and events; and major regional facilities and property holdings. The Auckland Transport CCO will have a budget of more than half the total rates take – or $650 million and will replace the nine separate existing transport entities across the city.Citizens and Ratepayers are adamant the people of Auckland control CCO’s. The Local Boards are the representatives of the community, it’s imperative then that the Local Boards are strong enough to stand up to these CCO’s, we must ensure that we are not dictated to by these organisations, but rather they facilitate the wishes of the people of Auckland. This means ‘can-do, will-do’ individuals must work collaboratively and for the interests of the people. This will be essential until the roles and responsibilities of both the Boards and CCO’s are ironed out. Voters need to know their Board members can cut through the bureaucratic red tape to establish workable practical strategies moving forward. The Boards must have their eyes on the big vision while delivering on the essential basics.
Rodney Hide has already chosen CCO Directors and Chairs. There are however provisions for additional Directors appointed by the Local Boards. On the one hand I can see the practicality of the CCO’s being chosen before 01 November when the new Council comes in. On the other hand it gives the impression that the people of Auckland and the Local Boards will have no say or control over the organisations and what they do. This must not happen. The people must be in control of their City.
According to earlier reports, Auckland Council will have the right to discard the council controlled organisations, though possibly not the transport CCO. Mr Hide had said while the Government will appoint the founding members of the board it will leave one or two positions on the board vacant for the new council to appoint when it comes into being on November 1.
In a NZ Herald Local Government Minister Rodney Hide added that the Auckland Council will have total control of the CCOs, appointing the chair and deputies of each, including Auckland Transport.
“It’s the council that is in total charge,” said Mr Hide.
“On day one the council can fire the CCO board and appoint their own board members.
“That to me makes it very clear in legislation that it’s the council that will have the future of Auckland in its own hands.” Added Hide.
Public meetings of the CCOs will also have to be held in ‘public’.
Auckland mayor John Banks said public meetings would help ensure transparency.
“The best local government is local decisions being made in a transparent way. I’m all for having meetings in public. There’s not much in local government that is secret, given the use of ratepayers money,” he said.
The Local Government (Auckland Law Reform) Bill is the third and final one that completes the legislative framework for the reform of Auckland governance and is currently going through its remaining parliamentary stages.
The changes do not allow for the privatisation of Watercare and any assets owned by Watercare would have to revert to the council if it decided it did not want Watercare to be the water and wastewater service provider after 2015. Only Auckland Transport is being set up as a statutory CCO, requiring an act of Parliament to disband it.
In a NZ Herald Local Government Minister Rodney Hide added that the Auckland Council will have total control of the CCOs, appointing the chair and deputies of each, including Auckland Transport.
“It’s the council that is in total charge,” said Mr Hide.
“On day one the council can fire the CCO board and appoint their own board members.
“That to me makes it very clear in legislation that it’s the council that will have the future of Auckland in its own hands.” Added Hide.
Public meetings of the CCOs will also have to be held in ‘public’.
Auckland mayor John Banks said public meetings would help ensure transparency.
“The best local government is local decisions being made in a transparent way. I’m all for having meetings in public. There’s not much in local government that is secret, given the use of ratepayers money,” he said.
The Local Government (Auckland Law Reform) Bill is the third and final one that completes the legislative framework for the reform of Auckland governance and is currently going through its remaining parliamentary stages.
The changes do not allow for the privatisation of Watercare and any assets owned by Watercare would have to revert to the council if it decided it did not want Watercare to be the water and wastewater service provider after 2015. Only Auckland Transport is being set up as a statutory CCO, requiring an act of Parliament to disband it.
The appointments are for a term of between one and three years. Each director will be paid between $35,000 - $52,000 per year, deputy chairs will receive between $43,750
The new directors and chairs of the CCOs take up their positions 01 November and are as follows:
The new directors and chairs of the CCOs take up their positions 01 November and are as follows:
Auckland Transport Chairman: Mark Ford - executive chairman of the Auckland Transition Agency and former Watercare chief executive. Deputy chair: Philippa Dunphy. Other directors: Rabin Rabindran, Dr Ian Parton, Paul Lockey.
Auckland Waterfront Development Agency Chairman: Bob Harvey - long-serving Mayor of Waitakere City. Deputy chair: Adrienne Young Cooper. Other directors: Kerry Stotter, Ngarimu Blair, Terry Kayes.
Auckland Council Property Chairman: Sir John Wells - businessman, Rugby New Zealand 2011 director. Deputy chair: Richard Aitken. Other directors: Anne Blackburn, Peter Wall, Tuku Morgan.
Regional Facilities Auckland Chairman: Sir Don McKinnon - former Deputy Prime Minister and Commonwealth Secretary-General. Deputy chair: Dame Jenny Gibbs. Other directors: Hugh Burrett, Peter Stubbs, Derek Dallow, Rukumoana Tira Marie Schaafhausen.
Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development Chairman: Dave McConnell - McConnell Group managing director and Committee for Auckland director. Deputy chair: Peter Drummond. Other directors: Norm Thompson, John Law, Vivien Bridgewater.
(SOURCE NZ Herald)
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