Len Brown writes on 'the Auckland disease' and future relations with Wellington.
Auckland's inability to agree is notorious. In Wellington and elsewhere, it's known as the "Auckland disease".
We have seen it afflict issues like Queens Wharf, Auckland's rail network, Trevor Mallard's putative waterfront stadium. All of us - Aucklanders, the region's leaders, prime ministers and their ministers, the business community - have been driven to despair.
Fixing the "Auckland disease" was the major driver for the Government's push to create the Super City in the region.
But sorting out our governance structure by merging eight organisations into one council is only part of the solution. We also need to reinvent the relationship between the new Auckland Council, its mayor and the Government.
The idea of allowing the new Auckland super mayor to attend Cabinet committee meetings considering Auckland issues has been raised and is a novel one worthy of debate.
In reality, the relationship needs to go much further than just the occasional meeting between the mayor and ministers. It needs to include engagement with the Government in a range of ways, on a regular basis and up here in Auckland.
Infrastructure will be a crucial area for regular engagement.
The new mayor and council will be developing a spatial plan for Auckland. Out of that will flow the transport vision.
These will need backing from Aucklanders. Once completed, they will provide a blueprint for getting Auckland moving in one direction.
Wellington will have no excuse for not knowing what Auckland intends. It will be in black and white in our key strategy documents.
When the Prime Minister next wants to build a party central on the Auckland waterfront, not only will he be able to talk to a single mayor and council, but he will be able to work out beforehand whether it fits in with Auckland's blueprint. If he and his ministers are talking to us regularly - through, say, an Auckland-government infrastructure forum - they would already have a clear idea of the region's direction and requirements, and they could provide some input to it.
Wellington must not think it can impose its plans on us. It must work with us, understanding our strategy and long-term plan for turning Auckland into the best city in the Pacific.
One area where I want to see a particular focus is on social policy. There are a host of non-government agencies which are delivering important projects for both councils and government agencies - programmes such as emergency housing, youth training, anti-graffiti and safer communities.
There needs to be a close and formal ongoing relationship between social service ministers, the mayor and council, and non-government organisations (NGOs).
Take, for example, Sir John Walker's Field of Dreams programme. This programme has a simple vision - to have all the young people in Manukau active in sport and recreation.
The idea is that this will help provide the focus to enable young people to reach their full potential.
I would like to see the vision of this programme expanded across the new Super City (ultimately, it would be good to see it across the entire country).
To succeed, it requires council, schools, sports clubs and other community organisations to be working together. If more central government funding is allocated, then a number of government agencies would need to be part of the programme's management.
Replicate this across a myriad social programmes, and it soon becomes obvious why we need a close and ongoing partnership between the council and the Government.
That relationship needs to encompass other areas - infrastructure, as I've discussed, and economic development. A more harmonious relationship would greatly improve the chances of the council and the Government talking with one voice when it comes to ranking the top priorities for infrastructure, whether it is a new section of motorway, another harbour crossing, the broadband rollout, or new investment in public transport.
None of this is wishful thinking. If I am elected Auckland's new mayor, I would want to seize the opportunity presented by the establishment of the new council to revitalise the relationship between Auckland and central government.
Other regions might want similar relationships, which I would encourage too. But I think most would acknowledge that because of Auckland's size, if we do perform well, all of New Zealand shares in the benefits.
Len Brown is Mayor of Manukau City and a contender for the new Auckland Super City mayoralty.
