Auckland's future kicked into touch

Media statement Friday, March 9th, 2007

Auckland's future kicked into touch

The Government has misread the public's mood for major change to Auckland's local government, and the so called 'one plan' will kick the issue out beyond next year's election, the Employers & Manufacturers Association (Northern) says.

"The one plan concept won't work because nothing much will change," said Alasdair Thompson, EMA's chief executive.

"It's weak and extremely disappointing. After all the talk over the past year no real progress has been made to address Auckland's chronic dysfunction.

"The regional Sustainable Development Forum to be set up is said not to require any law change, which implies it will have no teeth.

"We are no further along in knowing how the Forum will be paid for, who will service it, where it will get its policy advice, or who its members will be.

"At this point its no more than another layer of sticking plaster with more costs attached.

"Auckland is fed up with Wellington's inability to get to grips with the public appetite for major change to local government in the country's only international scale city.

"Over the past four months EMA conducted 14 meetings attended by 1100 people all of whom, bar three, wholeheartedly demonstrated overwhelming support for a single city council with one bureaucracy to manage all infrastructural cross boundary issues for the greater Auckland region.

"The single positive thing to come from today's Mayoral Forum meeting was the admission that the 'one plan' was a first step.

"But Auckland needs a giant administrative leap to overcome council infighting, duplication and inefficiency which have become the hallmarks of local government in the city."

ENDS

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