Councillor quits 'too urban' C&R

Des Morrison. Photo / NZPA

Auckland councillor Des Morrison has resigned from Communities & Residents, saying the right-leaning ticket is too urban-centric and he wants to focus on rural issues before retiring at next year's local elections.

"I'm not as close to C&R as I was," said Mr Morrison, the Franklin councillor and chairman of the rural advisory panel.

He said he was still working with C&R but wanted to use his last year to focus on key issues for the rural sector.

The resignation of Mr Morrison, a popular figure on the council, is a blow for C&R, which has struggled since the first Super City elections, winning only five seats on the 20-strong Auckland Council.

In June this year, the ticket that ran the Auckland City Council for most of its 74 years, changed its Citizens & Ratepayers name to Communities and Residents to broaden its appeal.

C&R leader Christine Fletcher said Mr Morrison had made a valuable contribution and had worked with the ticket to select a new C&R candidate for Franklin - local board member, Orere farmer Bill Cashmore.

The resignation of Mr Morrison highlights the failure of C&R to work with right-leaning independents, such as Cameron Brewer, Calum Penrose and Sharon Stewart, to build a united opposition against Mayor Len Brown's left-leaning majority.