Royal Commission on Auckland Governance meet with Franklin District Council

The Franklin District Council office in Pukekohe was the first port of call for the Commissioners who make up the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance, as they started a series of meetings with all of the seven authorities in the region. These meetings will be followed by a call for submissions from the public in early March and will close after 6 weeks. Public hearings (some most probably held locally) will be held in May-June, before the Royal Commission presents its recommendations to the Government by the end of the year.

The Government has asked the Royal Commission to advise it on how the Auckland Region should be governed in the future. This means everything is on the table: from do nothing, to one big super city and everything in between.

The three Commissioners (Peter Salmon, Dame Margaret Bazley and David Shand) met with: Mayor Mark Ball, Councillors Lynch and Rennie, CEO Sally Davis and Director Strategy and Policy, Chris Worth for about 1½ hours on Tuesday 22 January.

Following the meeting Council, Mayor Mark Ball said: “We had a very open and wide-ranging discussion about issues facing Franklin and our relationship with Auckland. The Commissioners listened to what we had to say, and asked a lot of questions. The next step in the process is for Council to clarify its position and make sure we make a strong and clear submission to the Royal Commission at the time of the hearings. It will also be very important for other groups and individuals to make submissions. Franklin’s future as an independent entity is up for debate as part of this process, so it is important that people are well informed about the issue and what is at stake. I urge you to talk to your Councillors or to me if you want some assistance.”