Brown said Leggat’s experience had him well-placed to help improve Auckland’s public transport.
“It is no simple task, and I look forward to working with him to fix Auckland,” Brown said.
Leggat takes over as chair of the board from February 1 next year.
He has served on boards for more than 10 years, and worked in finance before that.
His board experience includes Waterfront Auckland and then Eke Panuku. He also currently chairs Westhaven Marina Ltd, so is familiar with Auckland Council process, Brown said.
Leggat has also had positions with Tourism New Zealand, Education New Zealand, NZ Post, NZ Cycle Trail, and Snow Sports NZ.
The appointment was approved by the Performance and Appointments Committee on December 12.
The committee is responsible for appointments to the boards of council-controlled organisations, in accordance with the council’s Appointment and Remuneration Policy for Board Members and the Local Government Act.
Leggat takes over from Mark Darrow, who served as acting chair of AT’s board for a short period until a fulltime chair could be found.
It comes as Brown late last month announced new plans for transport in the city.
Top of his list was a $50 per week fares cap on all buses, trains and ferries in the inner harbour.
“This will cut costs for regular commuters, as well as [encourage] regular users to use public transport for more of their journeys,” Brown says.
The cost at current rates will be $1.3 million a year.
The idea is one of several proposals that forms part of the mayor’s new draft Long Term Plan (LTP), which includes a 10-year budget.
While catching the bus or train will be cheaper for some people, widespread cuts are proposed to services and spending. AT, which accounts for 37 per cent of the budget, is particularly hard-hit.
