Phil Goff was sworn in for a second term as Auckland Mayor tonight. Photo / Herald
Phil Goff was sworn in for a second term as Auckland Mayor tonight. Photo / Herald
Auckland Mayor Phil Goff is planning to appoint a councillor to each of the council-controlled organisations, which are in his sights for a big shake-up in his second term.
The five CCOs are on notice they could be abolished or downsized in an independent review Goff is setting up to clip their wings and make them more responsive to communities.
The tough message to the unelected directors of the CCO and senior executives, who earn salaries of up to $775,000 and banked $1.1 million in bonuses last year, was set out in a speech by Goff tonight at the swearing-in ceremony for the new governing body.
The ceremony took place, like it has for the previous three terms of the Super City, in the great hall at the Auckland Town Hall.
It was full of ceremony, pomp and a strong multicultural beat, including performances by Drums of the Pacific, Chinese Blossom Art Troupe, Auckland City Scoundrels, Sistema Aotearoa and Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra.
Goff greeted guests, including family members of councillors, his own family, Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta, Local Board members, members of the Independent Maori Statutory Board and members of the diplomatic corps in several languages.
He was sworn in by council chief executive Stephen Town, followed by the 20 councillors, including four new faces - all former Local Board chairs - Pippa Coom (Waitemata and Gulf), Angela Dalton (Manurewa-Papakura), Shane Henderson (Waitakere) and Tracy Mulholland (Whau).
Then came his speech, only hours after it was announced Roger MacDonald, the chief executive of the CCO Panuku Development Auckland had resigned.
MacDonald had hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons, among them a helicopter trip to the Bay of Islands and a fat pay rise approved by the board.
It is understood Goff had lost confidence in MacDonald long before today.
Phil Goff's speech came on the same day Panuku chief executive Roger MacDonald resigned. Photo / Panuku
Goff said a key priority for council in his second term is to ensure the CCOs - which deliver 75 per cent of council services - are responsive and accountable to Aucklanders.
He is proposing a CCO oversight committee to interrogate the organisations on their plans and activities, and plans to have a senior councillor at board meetings and workshops with speaking but not voting rights.
Legislation prevents councillors sitting on the CCO boards with voting rights with the exception of Auckland Transport, where two councillors are allowed.
One of Goff's first acts as Mayor in 2016 was to effectively sack the two councillors on the AT board - Mike Lee and Chris Fletcher.
Goff said after consultation with councillors he will shortly appoint an independent review panel to "comprehensively" review how CCOs operate.
"Terms of reference will include whether CCO functions, in part of whole, would be better carried out in house or at arm's length," he said.
Goff said one of his new priorities will be climate change, saying he plans a new committee focused on environment and climate change and all relevant council policies reporting on their impact on carbon emissions.
