Auckland Governance

Feedback sought on proposals

The Local Government Commission has released its proposals on the boundaries and representation arrangements for the new Auckland Council.

• Media release - Local Government Commission proposes new boundaries for Auckland .pdf (53kb)*
• Media release - New southern boundary proposed for Auckland .pdf (56kb)*

The Commission is now seeking feedback on its proposals and inviting suggestions that will improve the proposed arrangements.I

More information on submitting feedback to the Commission's proposals.

Legislation

The Local Government (Tamaki Makaurau Reorganisation) Act 2009 establishes a single unitary authority for the Auckland Region - the Auckland Council - to be elected in October 2010. The Auckland Council will take over from the existing local authorities in the Auckland Region.

The Local Government (Auckland Council) Act 2009 sets out details on the structure, functions, duties and powers of the Auckland Council. It also requires the Local Government Commission to determine the representation arrangements for the council and a second tier governance structure of local boards. These boards will share decision-making with the Auckland Council.

Some of the things the Act provides for are -

• the Auckland Council to include a mayor and 20 members elected from wards
• single member wards for the rural area of Rodney and the area of Franklin remaining in Auckland
• between 20 and 30 local boards but with scope for the Local Government Commission to go outside this range
• local boards to have between 4 and 9 members
• Great Barrier and Waiheke to each have a local board.

The Act requires the Local Government Commission to determine -

• the boundaries of Auckland
• the number, boundaries and names of wards for electing the members on the Auckland Council
• the number, boundaries and names of the local board areas
• the number of members on the local boards and whether any of those members will be elected from subdivisions of local board areas.

A third Bill dealing with transition issues for the Auckland Council is to be introduced in Parliament later this year.

Local Government Commission's tasks, approach and timelines

The Local Government Commission is required to complete its tasks by 1 March 2010. Here is an outline of the Commission's tasks, approach and timelines (74K) a further, more detailed paper on its approach (151k) including identification of communities of interest and criteria for assessing proposals (174k).

Further resources -

• the report of the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance which proposed a new structure of local government for the Auckland Region
• the Government's response to the Royal Commission report.
• Statistics about the Auckland Region outlining the main characteristics of the Auckland Region's population
• Auckland maps on-line.
• Map of the southern boundry of Auckland as provided for in the Local Government (Auckland Council) Act 2009 - WARNING! Large File (3mb)*