Super City will think small - Key

Prime Minister John Key has given an assurance that small grass-roots projects will not fall victim to the Auckland Super City structure.

It followed concerns raised yesterday by Paula Bennett, the Minister of Social Development, that "real grass-roots" projects funded by local councils could be jeopardised under the new structure of local boards.

Mr Key said the Government was still working out the powers and roles the new boards would have. However, Ms Bennett had raised a "legitimate debate" and would have an active role in determining the functions the local boards would have.

"I think she's right to say it's important that those local boards can represent community interests when it comes to social issues."

Yesterday, Labour leader Phil Goff also began to chip at another of the contentious aspects of the Government's plans, coming out in favour of Maori seats on the Auckland Council.

Mr Goff had previously refused to say what his party's stance on the Maori seats in the council were.

Yesterday, he said he still had concerns about the royal commission's proposal for two mana whenua seats to be appointed by an advisory forum of local iwi. However, he was "relaxed" about elected seats.

"We do have Maori seats at the national level. If that would help Maori people participate in local government while retaining the principle of one person, one vote, we would not have major objections to that."

Mr Key said further details on roles of local boards were expected "soon".

Funding for local boards to carry out small local projects was likely to come from the Auckland Council by way of a "bilateral" agreement between each board and the council.

Any funding formula had to be fair between local boards, while allowing them the flexibility to focus on areas of concern to their communities.

"There is a different flavour around Auckland. Some communities have a stronger view on law-and-order issues, for instance, others have a stronger view on beautification, others around graffiti. Making sure we preserve what people think is very important in their local community is very important to the Government and we are going to make sure that happens."

He said much of the criticism of the Government's plans was targeted at the powers and responsibilities the local boards would have and he expected select committee submitters to make their views clear.

Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia dismissed Mr Goff's statement of support for the Maori seats as politically expedient.

She said it should be up to mana whenua to decide how they wanted to be represented.

Mr Goff said Labour's main objections to the Government's proposal was the inclusion of "at large" councillors, and the decision not to install six local councils.

He said Ms Bennett's concerns showed National's MPs were facing criticism from the general public over its proposal to instead set up 20 to 30 local boards which, he said, would be "a total irrelevancy". Labour supported a structure of six or 12 "quite strong local councils" under the region-wide Auckland Council.