'Mr Fixit' supplants sacked Rodney council

By WAYNE THOMPSON

Auckland's "Mr Fixit" has been called in to run the dysfunctional Rodney District Council, which was sacked yesterday by Minister of Local Government Sandra Lee.

Management consultant Grant Kirby, aged 54, has in his 30 years in local government been Auckland City Council's troubleshooter, but from today he takes the place of Rodney's mayor and 12 councillors.

In appointing him Rodney commissioner, Sandra Lee said she was accepting the "compelling" recommendations of a ministerial inquiry into the council. The cabinet had endorsed the appointment at yesterday's meeting.

Mr Kirby was not a replacement for local democracy, she said. "It is a holding measure until fresh elections can be held by March next year."

Since March 21, the council has limped on with barely a quorum of seven members after Mayor Doug Armstrong and six councillors resigned in the hope of prompting early elections.

The remaining councillors had planned to hold a byelection for the mayoralty on June 24 and to appoint people to fill the five council vacancies. Sandra Lee said she would have to introduce legislation next month to stop the process for filling vacancies.

The legislation would also enable the council elected next March to have an extended term running until the October 2004 local body elections, instead of the next scheduled triennial local body elections in October next year.

Rodney MP Dr Lockwood Smith, who attended the minister's press briefing in Orewa, said National would support the necessary law change.

Mr Kirby's job description is to put right the deficiencies identified by the ministerial review authority. He will take on the political, administrative and legal roles of the councillors and work alongside the council's general manager of 26 years, Brian Sharplin.

Asked last night how he proposed to take the place of 13 councillors, Mr Kirby said: "You have to have a good ear for what the community is saying. Councillors are no longer active and the community's voice does change and it needs to be heard."

He said he aimed to let people have their say by getting a good communities network going. A forum would allow the public to know what was happening in place of the present council meetings.

Mr Kirby said he would attend his first briefing session this afternoon with council staff and councillors.

Since retiring in 1993 as director of area operations for the Auckland City Council, Mr Kirby has headed the group responsible for ensuring the downtown and Viaduct Harbour redevelopment projects went smoothly.

As part-time manager of the Museum of Transport and Technology since 1994, he has seen the museum achieve regional funding.

Other troubleshooting tasks have included the Auckland Art Gallery, the Auckland War Memorial Museum and the Aotea Centre.

Reaction from councillors who are without jobs was largely one of relief that an 18-month term of turmoil was over.

Acting Mayor Arnold Gosling said: "The council asked for the review so we have to be satisfied with what the minister says."

He said Mr Sharplin and the council's staff had everything in order, so he did not see any problems with the council's annual plan and rates demands coming out on time.

Councillor Ross Meurant was triumphant. When he came to the council 18 months ago it was a "Yes, Minister" sort of place, he said. The chief executive did what he liked and the elected representatives deluded themselves. "We have shaken the cage hard enough to dislodge the unhealthy culture that existed - long before I got here."

Former councillor Murray Sampson said Mr Meurant had not had any real effect on the council system, except for making things highly difficult for staff who had done nothing wrong. Mr Meurant had done democracy in Rodney no good because he had destroyed the council, Mr Sampson said.

Former Mayor Doug Armstrong said: "Well done minister. Good decision."

The president of the Orewa Residents and Ratepayers Association, John Drury, said there were 26 ratepayers' groups in Rodney who were keen to meet the commissioner on Saturday and give him their ideas.