Labour promises big changes to Super City set-up

Labour will return power to local communities under the Super City when it becomes the Government, says leader Phil Goff.

In a speech yesterday entitled The Future of Auckland, Mr Goff promised several changes to "fix the mess" the Government was imposing on the region.

"The fundamental difference we will make is we will trust Auckland more, and work with Auckland to sort out the balance between the Super Council, the local boards and the organisations that control assets like water and transport," he said.

About 300 people filled the Mt Albert War Memorial Hall to hear the Labour leader outline changes to the "Key-Hide" corporate model for the Super City.

Labour would legislate the powers and functions of the 21 local boards, allow the Auckland Council to decide what functions would be run by council-controlled organisations, and ensure a binding referendum before strategic assets could be sold.

Mr Goff said Labour would also review the ward boundaries, talk to communities about whether they wanted single or multi-member wards and invite the Auckland mayor to participate at Cabinet committee level in Government decisions affecting the region.

Having a Minister for Auckland was another possibility.

The changes reflect concerns in the community over the Government's Super City reforms, which have been criticised for creating a "corporate city, not a democratic city".

Mr Goff's speech was delivered ahead of the final stages of the third and final piece of Super City legislation that, among other things, locks Aucklanders out of decisions affecting their greatest jewels, including the waterfront and transport.

The bill, due to be passed into law in June, is silent on the functions of local boards and repeals the requirement to hold a referendum before shares in the Ports of Auckland can be sold.

Mr Goff said Labour had set up the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance because it was plain that changes was needed to the way the region was run.

But he said when the National Government received the report of the commission, it did not see Auckland as a community but as a corporation.

The Government rammed through the first Super City bill under urgency, dropped the royal commission's recommendations for Maori seats in the second bill after Local Government Minister Rodney Hide threatened to resign, and set up powerful council-controlled organisations in the third bill, he said.

Mr Goff said three-quarters of the Auckland Council rates would be spent by a hand-picked "clique of cronies" running CCOs behind a veil of commercial secrecy with no public meetings, no agenda or minutes published.

"The elected mayor will simply be a figurehead and the CCO board of directors will be more important than elected councillors.

"What's more, the dream of Auckland being able to speak with one voice will be gone. The Government's plan replaces eight councils with one and seven [CCO] companies."

Mr Goff said the CCOs were being set up to be sold or, in the case of water infrastructure, turned over to private companies for up to 35 years.

GOFF TEAM'S PLANS

*Legislate powers and functions of local boards.

*Let Auckland Council decide services to be run by council-controlled organisations.

*Provide for binding referendums before strategic assets can be sold.

*Review ward boundaries.

*Talk to communities about single or multi-member wards.

*Involve Auckland Mayor in Government decisions affecting Auckland.