Auckland Mayor Phil Goff has confirmed Bill Cashmore as his deputy today - saying the Franklin councillor has a reputation for getting things done and being a straight shooter.
The farmer from the small rural coastal community of Orere at the top of the Firth of Thames is seen as solid, likeable, a good operator, loyal and capable of getting the numbers round the council table.
He replaces Len Brown's deputy of the past six years, Penny Hulse, who has not only lost the number two job but has been stripped of the powerful planning and housing roles she oversaw, such as the Unitary Plan.
Hulse, who was made chair of the environment and community committee, said she was not disappointed and it was with some relief given the heavy load of the last three years - and had the sleeves rolled up for a new job.
It is understood Hulse did not take the decision well. On social media her fellow Waitakere councillor Linda Cooper blamed Goff and the Labour Party for "unceremoniously" ditching her.
"They undermined her during the term so it was impossible for her to stand as Mayor," Cooper said.
Goff paid tribute to Hulse, saying she had carried an enormous workload on council for six years, saying she had met her responsibilities ably, competently and with enormous commitment.
As a member of the former Waitakere "eco city", Goff wants Hulse to highlight his election platform on environmental issues, saying he shared her passion for sustaining and protecting the natural environment.
The biggest winner in a streamlined committee structure announced by Goff is North Shore councillor Chris Darby, who will chair the planning committee with responsibility for the gutsy issues of planning, housing and transport. His deputy will be Maungakiekie-Tamaki and centre-right councillor Denise Lee (formerly Krum).
The other big winner is Whau councillor Ross Clow who will chair the finance and performance committee. In a move that will be welcomed by the right, Orakei councillor Desley Simpson has been appointed deputy.
Under the three main committees of the whole council, Goff has just six committees. The new structure would lead to five less formal meetings a month, up to 15 fewer reports and a saving of 25 per cent in staff and councillor's time, he said.
"Major committees have been established based on the issues that matter most to
Aucklanders, including ensuring Council and Council Controlled Organisations spend ratepayers' money responsibly and provide the service people deserve, addressing housing unaffordability and traffic congestion, and caring for our environment and communities," Goff said.
Asked about the fact two greying, white males would be running council, Goff said neither were prepared to have a sex change or change the colour of their skin.
Goff said the nine committees had a balance of gender in the deputy and chair positions, ethnically the council was not represented - "I can't change that, the electorate has made that decision" - and the decision on the deputy mayor was made on merit, the most important criteria.
In a signal that he plans to run the council more along a central government cabinet line, Goff said the structure and appointments will be reviewed after one year.
Committees of the Whole
Planning
Chair Chris Darby
Deputy Chair Denise Lee
Finance & Performance
Chair Ross Clow
Deputy Chair Desley Simpson
Environment & Community
Chair Penny Hulse
Deputy Chair Alf Filipaina
Sub Committees
Community Development & Safety
Chair Cathy Casey
Deputy Chair Efeso Collins
Member Ross Clow
Member Mike Lee
Member Daniel Newman
Member Dick Quax
Member Desley Simpson
Member Sir John Walker
Member Wayne Walker
Member John Watson
Member IMSB
Member IMSB
Strategic Procurement
Chair Mike Lee
Deputy Chair Ross Clow
Member Bill Cashmore
Member Cathy Casey
Member Linda Cooper
Member Penny Hulse
Member Daniel Newman
Member Greg Sayers
Audit & Risk
Chair Independent
Deputy Chair Greg Sayers
Member Bill Cashmore
Member Richard Hills
Member Independent
Member Independent
IMSB when Treaty and/or Maori outcome reports are presented
Committees reporting to Governing Body
Civil Defence & Emergency Management
Chair Sharon Stewart
Deputy Chair John Watson
Member Ross Clow
Member Efeso Collins
Member Richard Hills
Member Dick Quax
Member Sir John Walker
Member IMSB
Member IMSB
Appointments & Performance Review
Chair Phil Goff
Deputy Chair Christine Fletcher
Member Chris Darby
Member Richard Hills
Member Penny Hulse
Member Desley Simpson
Regulatory
Chair Linda Cooper
Deputy Chair Wayne Walker
Member Efeso Collins
Member Richard Hills
Member Daniel Newman
Member Sharon Stewart
Member John Watson
Member Dick Quax
Member IMSB
Member IMSB
Independent Panels
Chief Liaison Cathy Casey
Pacific Peoples Advisory Panel Alf Filipaina
Ethnic Peoples Advisory Panel Denise Lee
Youth Advisory Panel Efeso Collins
Rainbow Communities Advisory Panel Richard Hills
Disability Advisory Panel Sharon Stewart
Seniors Advisory Panel Linda Cooper
Auckland City Centre Advisory Board Mike Lee
Phil Goff
Rural Advisory Panel Bill Cashmore
Greg Sayers
Heritage Advisory Panel Mike Lee
Other Authorities
Hauraki Gulf Forum
Chris Darby
Richard Hills
Mike Lee
Wayne Walker
Ngati Whatua Orakei Reserves Board
Desley Simpson (Deputy Chair)
Linda Cooper
Mutukaroa Trust Board (Hamlin's Hill) Denise Lee
Treaty of Waitangi Working Party
John Watson
Auckland Domain Committee
Mike Lee
IMSB
Tipuna Maunga O Tamaki Makaurau
Chris Darby
Alf Filipaina
Aircraft Noise Community Consultative Groupp
Alf Filipaina
Denise Lee (alternate)
Auckland Town Hall Organ Trust
Desley Simpson
Friends of the Auckland Botanic Gardens
Daniel Newman
Kaipara Harbour Joint Political Committee
Greg Sayers
Kaipara-Moana Working Party
Greg Sayers
Linda Cooper
Other Appointments
Auckland Goodwill Ambassador for World Masters Games 2017
Sir John Walker
Cashmore is a second-term Franklin councillor who is seen a solid, likeable, a good operator, loyal and capable of getting the numbers around the council table - all strong attributes for a deputy mayor.
Cashmore, aged 59, is seen as a "wet National" who will fit with Goff's centrist policies.
He farms at Orere, near Kawakawa Bay, not far from where Goff has a bach. The two get along well. He is married to Lynnette and has two sons.
Cabinet Minister and Papakura MP Judith Collins has said Cashmore will bring mana, common sense and a fine intellect to the job - it was a good first move by Phil Goff, she said on Twitter yesterday.
Cashmore was a strong supporter of former Mayor Len Brown. He backed his fiscal policies, the city rail link and the Unitary Plan. He was the architect of a transport levy that propelled rates rises to 9.9 per cent in 2015.
During his first term he chaired the council's rural advisory panel, last year took over as chair of the audit and risk committee and was appointed to a political steering group for a joint council-government transport strategy for Auckland.
Cashmore's political career began when he was elected as a member of the Clevedon community board in 1991. He was chairman from 1992 to 1994.
Between 1994 and 2000 he was a member of the Auckland Regional Council Environmental Management Committee and in 2009 and 2010 he was a member of the Auckland Regional Council Rural Liaison group.
In 2010 he became the Federated Farmers executive for the Auckland Province and a representative to the Animal health board.
He was elected to the Franklin Local Board in 2010 and became deputy chair in 2011.
David Seymour, Emma Higgins, Andrew Hoggard, Grant McCallum, Phil Duncan, Cheyne Gillooly.