NIKKI KAYE (National—Auckland Central) : Auckland is an incredibly gifted city, with a third of New Zealand’s population and a unique and diverse people and geography. Auckland has the stunning Hauraki Gulf, many bayside beaches, and New Zealand’s largest business district. How we better engage with people who are younger and of different ethnicities will be very important in the future. The reform of Auckland’s local government will help us put a structure in place that will help deliver this engagement.
Despite Auckland’s gift in nature, there has been concern about the governance arrangements in Auckland for the last 50 years. In the past there have been attempts to fix this, such as the establishment of the Auckland Regional Authority in 1963, and the amalgamation and the establishment of the Auckland Regional Council in the 1980s. However, none of these initiatives managed to provide solutions to the fragmentation and incoherence in Auckland local government. We may be the fifth best city in the world, but we are ranked 43rd in terms of infrastructure. As the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance said, the governance arrangements in Auckland have led to competing leadership, duplication of facilities, complex and fragmented decision-making processes, and weak accountability. The royal commission heard about the endlessly increasing rates, suffocating red tape, transport bottlenecks, delayed development, and lost opportunities. The Local Government (Auckland Council) Bill will give Auckland, the mayor, councillors, and local boards the power and structure to fix these problems.
To members of the House who say we should wait, consult, and do endless referendums, I say that there has been an 18-month process with over 3,500 submissions to the royal commission, followed by 2,500 submissions from Aucklanders to the Auckland Governance Legislation Committee. Aucklanders have had the opportunity to have their say for over 2 years. At what point does one say that we have had enough consultation and should get on with it? That is the feeling that I am getting from Auckland’s local government staff, who are waiting for job certainty. That is the feeling that I am getting from some local body politicians who are already out there campaigning. That is the feeling I am getting from the people of Auckland who want the world-class city that they hear so much about, but that they have never had.
The royal commission agreed with the Government about moving quickly when it challenged the Government to make changes in time for elections little over a year from now. We will achieve those changes. This bill is the beginning of a process that will lead to better connections across the region, better value from rates and central government funding, better community control of what matters in Auckland’s neighbourhoods, and better decision-making on the key issues affecting Auckland’s and New Zealand’s future.
We have been focused on two simple goals: delivering effective regional governance on regional matters, and delivering strong local representation. As a result of the submissions, there have been significant changes to the legislation. Some of the most significant changes have been in the area of local boards to ensure strong local representation. We have significantly beefed up the powers of local boards, ensuring that they have the power to really represent their communities. The mentality of the past of patch protection is one of the reasons that local government is being improved. Under this bill, local boards will get real authority to deliver to their communities. We propose 20 to 30 local boards because we believe in grassroots democracy. This structure will better enhance and protect the community voice. The local boards will be small enough to account for the future population growth of Auckland. Local boards will develop local board plans to reflect the priorities and preferences of their communities for council services and facilities. The local boards will be able to use these plans to establish agreements with the governing bodies.
Many submitters came to the Auckland Governance Legislation Committee and made the point that with greater functions and powers, there needs to be adequate funding for local boards to deliver for their communities. The select committee has listened. As a result, the boards will have funding and control of their budgets that will enable them to function appropriately and effectively for their communities. The local boards will have responsibilities for making decisions on local issues, and will be able to reflect the particular character and preferences of their communities. I am pleased that the communities of Waiheke and Great Barrier Island have been guaranteed local boards, as islands in the Hauraki Gulf are surrounded by water and are clearly communities of interest.
Inevitably, the boundary decisions will be some of the most contentious, as we heard during the select committee process. There were more representations from the people of Rodney, and the Government listened to those representations and responded. Now, in response to the wishes of the residents of Rodney, the entire area of Rodney will fall within the Auckland Council.
Finally, the Auckland Council will be able to provide leadership and deliver core services across the region efficiently and effectively. The mayor and councillors will make decisions on Auckland-wide matters, including resource management, building code requirements, public health, and civil defence arrangements. We are delivering for Auckland on what they have missed out on for the last 50 years. A strong regional entity will help deliver the transport system that Aucklanders want. It will help deliver better regional, environmental, arts, and disability strategies across the region.
I acknowledge the many Aucklanders who submitted as part of this process, and the officials who supported our select committee. I am proud to be part of the Government making a historic change for Auckland. This is the beginning of a new era in Auckland—one strong city with many diverse villages.
(Second Speech)
NIKKI KAYE (National—Auckland Central) : First of all, I acknowledge John Carter and also the Hon Rodney Hide for the leadership and consistent position that they have taken on this bill. The first point I will make is to say that tonight we are hearing a phoney war in Parliament. The reason we are hearing that phoney war is that the Labour Party has committed to one unitary authority—yes, that is what those members believe in; that is what they have argued for at many different stages throughout the progress of this legislation through this House—but when we come to the issue of local boards, we see members on the other side of the Chamber slip-sliding away. We have seen those members argue for six local entities. We have seen them argue for six to 12 local entities. Then we saw a press release from Mr Twyford arguing that there should be from 10 to 12 local entities. Now in the legislation we have seen them arguing for 14 to 20 local entities. We have seen the Labour members consistently slip-sliding on their position on Auckland governance.
It is no wonder we are seeing a real difference between two parties: the National Party, which has consistently said it wants one unitary authority and 20 to 30 local boards; and the Labour Party, which is confused and has said it wants anywhere from six to 20. But the real story is that Labour supports one unitary authority. The real story is that Labour actually supports the number of local boards that is similar to what National supports. So what are Labour members debating here this evening? It is very difficult for Aucklanders listening this evening to find out, because those members believe in one regional entity; they believe in 20 local boards. So what are they here arguing? We will have 12 hours of debate from a party that believes in one regional entity. Labour members believe in 20 local boards. So what are they here arguing? We will have 12 hours of debate from Labour members—they will talk about everything but those two things. They will talk about everything except having one strong regional entity, because they believe in it; and having 20 local boards, because they believe in it.
We will hear arguments about everything else, but I tell the Aucklanders who are listening tonight that Labour supports what National is supporting this evening. Labour supports this legislation. I challenge any Labour member to get on his or her feet tonight and argue against a unitary authority and against 20 local boards. They will not do it, because they absolutely support this legislation this evening.
The other point I make, which has been made by many other members tonight, is that the members of the select committee turned up and listened. They did not agree with everything that was submitted but they have shifted their position, and both Ministers have acknowledged that this evening. We have seen a shifting, a change in position. There are now no councillors “at large”—many people submitted against that and we listened. There is now no split in the boundary in terms of Rodney, because we listened. There are now much stronger powers for the functions of boards, because we listened. There is now decent funding for those local boards, because we listened. So what we have here this evening are strong local entities that will be able to finally deliver for their communities, and a strong regional entity for Auckland.
The Labour Party does not disagree with that. That is the key thing we are debating this evening, so what we will hear from that side of the Chamber is everything but those two core matters, which are integral to the future of Auckland and to the hundreds and thousands of young people in Auckland who want to finally be connected to their communities. And that is why members on the other side of the Chamber could not turn up and vote against it. That is why they slipped from six to 20 in terms of the number of local boards. They would not turn up and vote against strong, grassroots democracy. They could not turn up to this Chamber and say they would not give the people of Mount Albert a local board. They could not say they would not give the people of Papakura a local board. They were not going to do that, and that is why they slipped so much.
I am pleased to stand and support this bill. I am pleased to be here at a historic moment in Auckland’s history when we are finally delivering the unitary authority that the royal commission agreed with and that the Labour Party agrees with. I am also pleased to be supporting many local boards that will be able to deliver for their communities—finally—in Auckland.
The other point I make concerns the tremendous contributions of Simon Bridges, Jackie Blue, and Tau Henare to that select committee. They are outstanding members of the committee.
(Third Speech)
NIKKI KAYE: I acknowledge the contribution from Simon Bridges, Tau Henare, and Jackie Blue. I also acknowledge the contribution from the other side of the Chamber. I acknowledge at this point that the minority report from the Labour Party actually backs up everything I have just said. Labour members will not oppose one unitary authority. There is no opposition to it anywhere in the minority report, because they absolutely support it. In the minority report, they show that they have shifted significantly—from six to 12 local boards, to 14 to 20 local boards, and we could end up in a position where both major parties agree on that number of local boards for communities in Auckland.
So the people listening tonight can take out these messages from the debate. The first is that the Government has listened. We have listened in the area of “at large” councillors. We have listened in the area of the boundaries for Rodney. We have listened in the area of stronger functions and powers for local boards. We have listened in the area of providing decent funding for those local boards. But people listening can take this second message. The Labour Party is here to waste Parliament’s time for the next 12 hours and talk about a bill that it actually supports. I look forward to 2011 and to getting around the communities and talking to them about the fact that the Labour Party supported this legislation. This legislation will finally deliver a strong regional entity for Auckland, for the communities and the young people who want to be involved in their communities. It will finally deliver the public transport system we have always wanted. I am pleased to support this legislation, and I am pleased to support a Government that is making decisions, unlike the Labour Party, which will not make decisions. National is in Government today because we are prepared to make the hard calls and we are prepared to deliver for the people of Auckland.
