Manukau Mayor cautious on transition agency

The announcement of the transition agency which will oversee the creation of the new Auckland Council has been greeted with ‘cautious enthusiasm’ by Mayor of Manukau Len Brown.

“It is unfortunate that it has taken so long for the government to make the announcement and I certainly hope it is not an indication of how protracted decisions will be going forward,” he says. “I am also disappointed that the government did not see fit to engage with the councils around their list of preferred candidates as a sign of goodwill prior to announcement.

“However, that said, the appointment of the board will at last allow the councils to get on with the business of making the transition happen.”

Mr Brown says the new agency has a mix of disciplines represented and he is particularly pleased to see that a former Mayor has been appointed.

“It is crucial that the Auckland Transition Agency hits the road running,” he says.

“The transition agency has a significant amount of work to do if the new structure is to be in place for the local government elections next year.0

“Manukau City Council will work as collaboratively as we can to get the new structure right and we look forward to working with the board members.

“In the meantime it is business as usual for us. We are currently hearing submissions on our 10 year plan, and we will continue to deliver high quality services to our local communities.”

Mr Brown says Manukau City Council is continuing to discuss the government’s proposal for Auckland governance, and will be making a submission to the select committee about its concerns.

“As a council we are particularly concerned about the number of councillors to be elected to the new council on an ‘at large’ basis as opposed to on a ‘ward’ basis; the number of local boards and their roles and functions; Maori representation; and transport issues.

“We are also encouraging our people to discuss the proposals and make their views known to the government through the select committee process.

“Auckland is going to have a single city. We don’t want to be at odds on this issue. We all need to work together, constructively and collaboratively,” says Mr Brown.