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In a young raw city once known as "the wild west" on account of its feuding politicians, Harry O'Rourke has been regarded as a safe pair of hands.
As top local government manager he has had to ride reforms which trimmed Waitemata County into Waitemata City (which had
Tim Shadbolt as its last mayor) and which in 1989 created Waitakere City by merging four West Auckland councils.
A lot of ideas for improving life in the west have come across his desk.
"Ideas are stimulating. To some you say, that won't work; to others you say, let's get on with it," said Mr O'Rourke. "Tim [Shadbolt] had ideas, some practical, some not, but I didn't have any problem working with him."
Neither has he had a problem with "a whole pile of ideas" from Bob Harvey, now in his sixth term as Waitakere Mayor and who, as a marketing consultant, ran the Shadbolt election campaign.
"Bob has great visions and it's been a challenge to make them come to fruition."
Mr O'Rourke has had ideas, too, which he persuaded the council to approve.
One of these was to lay New Lynn Railway Station in a trench when the Western line is double-tracked. That will prevent traffic queues forming at a notorious level crossing as trains run more often.
He has earned a reputation as a stickler for the safety of the city's 200,000 people during his eight years as council chief executive.
When power companies suggested councils could help them through a supply squeeze by dimming street lights, Mr O'Rourke quickly declined: "Public safety is not negotiable. It's not right to put people in unsafe situations," he said.
He also makes no apologies for controversies over rigorous policing of swimming pool fencing and truck loads of concrete dumped into a treacherous stream swimming hole. Children First and Safe City are concepts he has applied to all council actions. It's in his nature.
At 16 he joined the volunteer coastguard and was its youngest rescue boat skipper.
Active in the sport of judo for 45 years, he is NZ Judo Federation president and president of the Commonwealth Judo Association.
When he retires from the council next month, Mr O'Rourke will be reconfirmed as Auckland regional Civil Defence controller. He helped create the civil defence network in West Auckland and to revitalise its rural fire-fighting force. The council's new $1 million civil defence headquarters will be used for the big exercise on March 13-14 - preparing for a volcanic eruption.
Keeping his services for the wider community is welcomed by senior city councillors Janet Clews and Derek Battersby.
"Harry has been a safe pair of hands and retires at the top of his profession," they said.
Mayor Harvey says Mr O'Rourke has "a keen sense of operational expertise, married with strategic thinking, that has helped this city move forward dramatically".
