Manukau leaders have wide range of experience

A mixture of seasoned councillors and new faces will take leadership roles in the new Manukau City Council governance structure agreed to by the council on Tuesday night (30 October 2007).

Improved council leadership, accountability and responsiveness are key elements of the reorganisation which has done away with monthly committee meetings, replacing them with more frequent meetings of the council as a “committee of the whole.”

Mayor of Manukau Len Brown says he is very pleased with the balance of elected members taking leadership roles throughout the council.

“There is a great deal of talent, passion and commitment in this council, in the new members and those who have held office before. Their skills will support the changes we have made, which are of real significance to the way the council will govern the affairs of the city.”

The major change has been to do away with monthly working committees and replace them with more frequent meetings of the council-as-a-whole, to be known as the Policy and Activities Committee, which will meet once a week for three weeks out of every month. This new committee will be chaired by Cr Colleen Brown, who is entering her third term on the council.

“Like all of the new leadership positions in council, Colleen was elected unanimously and has a strong mandate from me and her colleagues in this pivotal role,” Mr Brown says.

Cr Brown says, “This new structure is an opportunity for us as councillors to be much more productive in setting the scene and the agenda for council. It will allow councillors to drive through some of their passions for the city and to work much more closely with council officers in the development of policy.”

Working closely with the new Policy and Activities Committee will be five new leadership positions in council known as portfolio leaders, whose responsibilities will include being the public representative of council in their areas of responsibility, and working with staff in their areas of policy development. Portfolio areas, which align with the council’s Long Term Council Community Plan and its Annual Plan, are: City Form and Environment, Safe City, Transport, Community Services and Thriving Economy.

Cr Brown says she is looking forward to developing a close relationship with the new Portfolio Leaders to develop what she calls a “matrix” approach to city governance that will help the council assess, prioritise and address, the needs of the city and its people.

Mayor Len Brown says this across-the-board approach is crucial.

“This reorganisation recognises that it is no longer possible for elected members to govern Manukau under the old part time model. The new political structure reflects a stronger commitment of time from our councillors, working with me to move Manukau forward,” he says.

Some specialist committees have been retained or created to deal with areas such as community grants, Treaty of Waitangi, hearings, accountability and risk.

The committees and their chairs are:

Policy and Activities Committee, Cr Colleen Brown
Grants and events Funding Sub-committee, Cr Gary Troup
Environmental Hearings Committee, Cr Anne Candy
Accountability and Performance Committee, Cr Jamie-Lee Ross
Audit and Risk sub-committee, Cr Maggie Burrill
Te Tiriti o Waitangi Committee, Cr Alf Filipaina.


The new Portfolio Leaders will be:

City Form and Environment, Cr Sharon Stewart
Safe City, Cr Dick Quax
Transport, Cr David Collings
Community Services (including Leisure and Recreation), Cr John Walker
Thriving Economy, Cr Arthur Anae
Innovative Council (Corporate Business), Cr Bob Wichman
Regional Sustainable Development, Mayor Len Brown and Deputy Mayor Cr Su’a William Sio.


There will also be a Tenders Panel to consider major contracts; this will be chaired by Cr Sylvia Taylor.