ARC Chairman’s acceptance speech

To my fellow elected members, I thank you for the great honour and responsibility with which you have again entrusted me. And to our guests welcome and thank you very much for coming. I first of all want to acknowledge the previous chairperson of the ARC, Gwen Bull, councillors and other distinguished guests.

To the elected members of the ARC I also congratulate you all once again upon your successful elections and renewed mandates. And in turn on behalf of the elected members of the ARC, I extend my thanks to the people of the Auckland region for your confidence in us – we will not let you down.

The Auckland region is poised at a critical stage in its history and it is no secret that we collectively in local government and central government have major challenges to overcome within the Auckland region. These challenges relate specifically to providing modern infrastructure, civic amenities and services while protecting the environment of the Auckland region – a region which is growing rapidly and disproportionately to the rest of the country. Furthermore necessary infrastructure and services must be provided at an affordable price – not an easy task but one we need to achieve for we are also at the threshold of great opportunities for the Auckland region.

Since late 2004 as a result of the reforms of the Local Government (Auckland) Amendment Act, the ARC is essentially comprised of three units. The ARC itself and its two major subsidiaries, the Auckland Regional Transport Authority and Auckland Regional Holdings.

Could I turn first towards our public transport responsibilities. The ARC takes very seriously its obligations to assist ARTA in its objective to improve public transport and to combat traffic congestion. Transport takes more than half the ARC’s rates and while there have been encouraging achievements (for instance increased rail patronage and the early success of the Northern Busway which will be finished ahead of schedule completed next year), we are determined to lift our performance especially in terms of overall public transport patronage, which still lags behind other similar sized cities in New Zealand and Australia.

In terms of rail public transport – ARTA’s success in terms of patronage has been particularly encouraging. Increased rail services provided by ARTA have been strongly supported by the public, and we therefore look forward to extension of rail services to Helensville next year and to Onehunga in 2009. I would also like to acknowledge our colleagues in Ontrack for the great progress they are making in completing Project Dart, the double tracking of the western line, the upgrade of Newmarket Junction etc. But fundamental changes are needed in passenger rail technology if Auckland is to become a truly international city – a world-class city. Twice before - in the mid-1950s and again the mid-1970s Auckland was on the verge of electrifying its rail network and twice before the opportunity was lost. This time we must not fail.

I have enormous confidence that the Auckland Regional Transport Authority, working closely with our partners in central government (Ontrack) will succeed in transforming Auckland’s public transport system with fast, clean, quiet, new electric trains. I am confident also that ARTA, with the assistance of new transport legislation, more rigorous contracting and integrated ticketing, will achieve much more cost-effective and much better patronized bus services which are designed to coordinate with rail rather than competing against it. Our overall strategic objective for transport is quite simple the maximum efficient use of all transport corridors – road as well as rail.

To ensure better outcomes for the ARC’s considerable expenditure in transport while achieving better urban form and more sensible use of resources, the ARC will reconfigure its Transport Policy Committee into a Transport and Urban Development Committee, with the objective of achieving more efficient integration of land use and transport.

Our goal is a modern, compact city, as an attractive, high amenity place to live that functions efficiently, and enables people to get around easily without destroying the natural values that give Auckland its unique quality of life.

The ARC could not achieve its mission relying upon rates alone and this is why Auckland Regional Holdings is such a critical element within the ARC group. Can I say the Board of ARH led by Judith Bassett in its first three years has done a superb job managing the regional assets. The 100% buy back of Ports of Auckland into full public ownership and the detailed planning work for the Wynyard waterfront development are major achievements by any measure. We look forward to ARH with its development arm Sea+City Projects Ltd going on to achieve a superb waterfront development – a waterfront which will be an important attraction to our visitors, a catalyst for economic development but one which with its headland park and future iconic public building will also enhance the quality of life for Aucklanders.

In regard to Ports of Auckland we aspire that it not only remain by far the biggest port company in New Zealand – but also become one of the most efficient in the world. New Zealand is an island nation, and Auckland a port city, a trading city, highly dependant on importing and exporting, and merchant shipping. The ARC understands and appreciates that fact and the enormous beneficial impact the Ports of Auckland bring to the region’s economy.

Since 2005 the ARC has been given the responsibility for regional economic development and under the leadership of Michael Barnett and AucklandPlus much progress has been made in developing this role. Amongst other regional economic activities, the ARC is giving serious study to a future role in assisting the promotion of tourism and major events. We especially see great possibilities in working with the Government to actively promote within New Zealand and across the world the enormous potential of the still somnolent Hauraki Gulf Marine Park

Turning towards our core functions, the ARC will continue to strive to be a better and more efficient regulator and effective environmental protection agency. We recognise our most important role is the protection of Auckland’s uniquely beautiful environment. We will continue to discourage urban sprawl and to encourage the conservation of productive rural land.

Protecting what Aucklanders love: their coasts, open spaces, heritage areas, volcanic cones and landscapes. Better air and water quality remains a priority for the Auckland Regional Council.

Arguably the Regional Council’s most enduring and significant achievement in protecting the region’s environment is the popular regional parks network. The ARC presently manages 40,000 hectares of regional parkland in 25 regional parks, including 150 kilometres of coastline on behalf of present and future generations of Aucklanders. We are therefore committed to building on the achievements of recent times, especially over the last three years under Sandra Coney’s leadership and expanding the regional parks network while land is still available – and we recognise we are in a race against time to achieve this.

At the same time we will be more intensively managing our existing parkland to restore habitats, repair ecosystems and to return native bird and fauna species to create open sanctuaries on our parks, especially on our peninsula regional parks. The remarkable success of the Tawharanui Open Sanctuary has encouraged us to begin work on creating another open sanctuary at Shakespeare Regional Park on the Whangaparoa peninsula within the coming term.

The ARC also sees a real need for leadership in civil defence and emergency management and in the last budget the Council made provision for extra funding for this purpose and to provide an operational headquarters in Regional House. In terms of human life and property, civil defence and emergency management is a responsibility of the highest importance. We also look forward to developing a ‘One Plan’ for the region through the Regional Sustainable Development Forum. In this task and indeed in all our tasks we believe it essential to work closely with central government and with our colleagues in the territorial authorities of the Auckland region. We will also work hard to continue to build interregional co-operation with our fellow regional councils especially our neighbours in Northland and Waikato as we have over the past three years.

But our greatest priority and our number one concern is for the people of the Auckland region. We in the ARC are well aware of public disaffection with aspects of local government here in Auckland. Those concerns tend to focus on high levels of rates increases and charges and the need for councils to listen more carefully to the public. These concerns are not new and the ARC over the past three years been actively endeavouring to respond to those concerns, for instance by keeping our rates increases below 5% - and we will continue to do so.

We are mindful of the recommendations of the recent Inquiry into Local Government Rates and the pending Royal Commission into Auckland Local Government and while we will make every effort to assist the Royal Commission in any way we can at the same time we will not be distracted from getting on with the tasks at hand. In achieving our ambitious goals we will work hard to achieve within our organisation better focus, sensible prioritisation and ensure greater cost effectiveness - to enable better value for the ratepayer. It is fair to say we are united in our commitment to the ethic of public service.

Finally to return to the theme I raised at the beginning of this speech – we in the Auckland region are at the threshold of great historic achievements which will leave a lasting legacy for the people of the Auckland region. Happily those opportunities coincide with the pending Rugby World Cup in 2011 which we are determined to assist in making a success.

In order to attain those goals we in the Regional Council need to work together cohesively and collectively – as much as possible as a united council of 13. This united, collective approach should apply not only to the elected members of the council but also to management and staff. Here I would like to acknowledge the dedication and hard work of our highly competent Chief Executive Peter Winder, his management team and staff. The strategic objectives and the historical importance of our mission needs to be fully understood and shared by everyone involved in it, ARC management, the boards of ARTA and ARH and their subsidiaries, including the people on the ground who will make it happen – the park rangers, the pollution response officers, the bus drivers, the train staff and the waterfront workers.

Ladies and gentlemen with all seriousness and determination – let us begin.

Michael Lee.

For further information please contact ARC Chairman Michael Lee on 0274 943 198.