KEY POINTS:
Having a Mayor of Auckland with executive powers is something the Royal Commission of Inquiry on Auckland Governance would like to hear more about, says chairman Peter Salmon, QC.
Mr Salmon said the London model that gives the mayor wide powers to tackle the big issues and become the clear figurehead had been referred to at public hearings. So too had the Brisbane model with a Lord Mayor and a Cabinet-like structure.
Public hearings are complete in six of the seven territorial local authorities, and Mr Salmon told the Herald that the commission was impressed at the interest being taken by submitters and the way people felt passionately about the future of Auckland.
The commission begins eight days of hearings in central Auckland tomorrow. The Auckland City Council, Auckland Regional Council, business and lobby groups are expected to focus more on regional governance and issues like an Auckland mayor with executive powers.
One group that has already advocated Auckland follow London and have a mayor with executive powers to implement his or her policies is the North Shore Sector Leaders, a lobby group made up of local leaders from business, education, sporting and art groups.
Mr Salmon said an executive mayor had not been tried in New Zealand but it was a model of interest to the commission.
The commission has a deadline of December 1 to recommend a form of local body governance that will serve Auckland for the foreseeable future.
Mr Salmon said the hardest decision for the commission was whether to keep the present territorial authorities and, if so, whether to strengthen community boards.
Another option was to follow the model of the Auckland Regional Council and, slightly differently, the Auckland City Council, Committee for Auckland and various others by replacing the territorial councils with a larger number of smaller councils.
Mr Salmon said while the size of units of local government had been debated, it was important for the commission to have a clear view of the functions of local government. The form would follow from that.
"There is a general acceptance among territorial authorities of the need for stronger regional decision-making, and that is good. And certainly that is a view that many members of the public hold as well."
However, Mr Salmon stressed it would be wrong to think the commission would necessarily make recommendations based on popular support for an issue.
" ... We have got to decide what is best based on all the information we get and it may coincide with a majority view on a particular topic and on other occasions it might not," he said.
