2010: Auckland Governance

Overview:

On 11 March 2010 the Local Government Commission released its final decisions on the boundaries and representation arrangements for the new Auckland Council.

The Local Government (Tamaki Makaurau Reorganisation) Act 2009 established a single authority for the Auckland Region - the Auckland Council - elected in October 2010. The Auckland Council took over from the former local authorities in the Auckland Region.

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

Some of the things the Act provided for were -

• the Auckland Council to include a mayor and 20 members elected from wards
• single member wards for the rural area of Rodney District and the area of Franklin District 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 required the Local Government Commission to determine -

• the boundaries of Auckland
• the number, boundaries and names of wards for electing the 20 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.

Time line Summary: