Auckland councillor hits out at Aktive's leadership as community sport dispute festers

Manurewa-Papakura ward councillor Daniel Newman has hit out at the leadership of Aktive Auckland for its part in the bitter dispute with Counties Manukau Sport. Photo/Michael Craig.

An Auckland councillor has called for the resignations of Aktive Auckland chief executive and board chairwoman following a bitter dispute that has compromised community sport in Counties Manukau.

Daniel Newman, councillor for the Manurewa/Papakura ward, alleges that sports programmes in some of Auckland's most deprived communities have been placed in limbo by what he describes as "indulgent" behaviour of Aktive chief Sarah Sandley and chair Raewyn Lovett.

"If you're [the CEO and] paid quarter of a million dollars - and I question the value of that - to lead an organisation that is about relationships, you should be able to put on your big-girl pants and get on with the job," Newman said.

When asked if $250,000 was an excessive salary for the head of a chartiable organisation, Lovett defended the figure, insisting Sandley has delivered "absolute value for money" in a challenging and important role.

"We believe she is doing a great job and feedback we get from the sector and internal staff surveys would mirror that," she said.

Newman remains far from convinced.

"When people can't make relationships work because of personalities, that is incredibly indulgent and poor leadership.

"I have absolutely no professional confidence in the CEO and the chair of Aktive. They need to step down."

Auckland Council, along with Sport NZ, is one of Aktive's key strategic partners and funders.

The Herald last month highlighted the ugly separation between Aktive - an umbrella organisation set-up to oversee Auckland's four regional sports trusts - and Counties Manukau Sport. Aktive severed ties with CMS last month and is seeking alternative partners in South Auckland.

Newman is among a group of Council officials that tried to broker a peace deal between Aktive and CMS. He said when you peel the layers back, the dispute comes down to a personality clash.

One of CMS' provisos for getting back around the negotiating table was that Sandley resign, a position many in council felt was unhelpful.

Lovett rejects the suggestion the breakdown between Aktive and CMS was due to a petty squabble, instead pointing to philosophical differences between the two organisations.

"It is wrong to classify this as a personality dispute. It's about what the priorities are for [CMS] and what the priorities are for our organisation. [CMS] have a view on how they want to deliver services and they're going pursue those and they're entitled to make that decision," she said.

"It is an emotional situation, but we do have to be careful from our point of view that it doesn't get petty and personal because that's not the way we want to go."

The longer the dispute festers the more it appears to be framed as the economically deprived South Auckland, represented by CMS, versus corporate Aktive, backed up by the privileged elite.

Aktive's leadership has received support from Sport New Zealand and one of the country's sporting boardroom specialists Sir John Wells.

Aktive is knocking on doors in South Auckland trying to find community sports providers to deliver the programmes CMS had previously been contracted for. Newman worries their plan B will be a "patchwork quilt of suppliers" creating further inefficiencies.

"Aktive is an utterly inefficient failure that leads to excessive corporate overheads, when it should be going to the deprived communities that need it most," he said.

Sandley was approached for comment on this story, but declined.

"Our Chair has responded to the opinion expressed by the councillor and there is nothing more I wish to add," she said.

The story so far:
* The Herald reveals an ugly split between government-sponsored Aktive Auckland and Counties Manukau Sport, one of the largest providers of community sport in the country.
* CMS reveal they are looking into the probity of Aktive's charitable trust status.
* Aktive receives high-level support from Sport NZ and Sir John Wells
* Anger grows in South Auckland, with support for CMS reinforced at local government level.