KEY POINTS:
The National Party has agreed to support a bill requiring all of Auckland's councils to contribute funding to 11 prominent community organisations, but wants its provisions to end in 2012.
The select committee yesterday recommended the Auckland Regional Amenities Bill should pass into law, which will require all
councils within wider Auckland to pay levies of up to 2 per cent of rates revenue toward funding 11 arts, rescue, education, and community groups.
Until now, Auckland City Council has had to pay the lions' share for services in its area but also benefiting ratepayers in other areas.
National said it would continue to support the bill if a "sunset clause" of 2012 was included. It said the funding was required as an interim measure to ensure the groups could survive until any reforms suggested by the Royal Commission of Inquiry on Auckland Governance could be introduced.
However it was "bad public policy' to allow central Government edicts to override decisions by local authorities on how to spend their rates.
The bill was opposed by other councils in the area as well as various ratepayers groups who said it would push up rates when ratepayers were already struggling.
The combined councils will be hit for $12.7 million in the first year, rising to $19 million in the third year.
The committee said despite the possibility it would lead to rates increases or councils taking money away from other priorities, this was balanced by the need to ensure the groups had secure funding.
The funding will initially apply to the Auckland Observatory, Philharmonia, Regional Rescue Helicopter Trust, Auckland Theatre Company, the northern region of the Coastguard and Surf Life Saving, the Auckland Festival Trust, Watersafe Auckland, National Maritime Museum, and New Zealand Opera.
Auckland Zoo is likely to be added and the bill allows for further organisations groups to be added.
Other councils argued the Auckland Regional Council should fund the groups rather than local councils.
The select committee rejected the suggestion, saying while there were merits in the regional council taking a more active role in funding, it was outside the scope of the bill to include it.
It also rejected the ARC's request to wait until the royal commission had reported back in December, saying the groups in question needed certainty of funding immediately to ensure they could continue.
The select committee said to do so could be too late, because there was no certainty on when any recommendations from that report would be put in place.
It said a "timely solution" was needed to ensure the organisations could continue to run.
The committee recommended few changes, largely to do with the administration of the new amenities and funding boards which the bill sets up. It said the funding board should include a Maori representative.
The bill was introduced to Parliament as a private bill by Auckland Central MP Judith Tizard and is expected to receive its second reading on August 27.
