KEY POINTS:
Community boards fear grassroots democracy is under attack after council staff told them not to appoint planning, tree and signs spokespeople until a review of their powers is completed next year.
But democracy services group manager Christine Watson said council staff had no intention of consulting community boards about the future of their planning roles.
"It's an internal review on how Auckland City runs its regulatory processes. It's not a governance issue. It's a management issue, and no, you wouldn't consult community boards on management issues," she said.
Community boards see the issue differently. Some are ignoring the instructions, saying they do not want to leave their communities "unguarded" over summer from the likes of developers wanting to cut down trees.
"It is dumbing down the community boards," said Maungakiekie Community Board chairwoman Bridget Graham. "If you dumb down your community board then you disenfranchise your community."
Eastern Bays Community Board chairman Colin Davis said the roles of tree, signs and planning spokespeople were part of a board's legal responsibility to advocate on behalf of the local community.
He and Bridget Graham said their boards were ignoring the directive and appointing spokespeople at the earliest opportunity.
"We have a mandate from our community," Mr Davis said.
The boards already feel bruised after Deputy Mayor David Hay slashed their pay 20 per cent but left his own ratepayer-funded salary of $86,803 untouched in a pay review for councillors and community board members.
Mr Hay said he was unaware of any move to chip away at community boards.
Graeme Easte, who was chairman of the Western Bays Community Board before being elected to the city council last month, said the staff instructions would cut boards out of key roles for up to six months.
He said the boards did not have the power to say "yes" or "no" on planning and tree issues but had the chance to provide a local perspective into the decision-making process.
Western Bays was the first board to appoint spokespeople on Wednesday.
Asked if the boards would continue to have the same amount of input into planning, trees and signs, Ms Watson said "No".
"If it was working 100 per cent we wouldn't change it."
The new council, under Mayor John Banks, has already reduced the role of councillors sitting on consent hearings.
Applicants pay twice as much for independent commissioners. In the last financial year, 15 such commissioners sat on 122 hearings at a cost of $513,070, on an hourly rate of $150. Thirty-five councillors and community board members sat on 402 hearings at a cost of $127,550 on an hourly rate of $68, or $85 for chairing a hearing.
