Boss given park name honour for 'great work'

Leigh Auton, Chief Executive, Manukau City Council. Photo / Supplied

Manukau City Council's chief executive will get a top honour - having a park named after him - despite losing his job to the Super City.

Leigh Auton has worked in various roles for the council, including as a town planner and in management, for 32 years.

For the past four years he has been the chief executive, but will lose that role with the advent of the Super City.

The Leigh Auton Reserve will be at the headland at Spinnaker Bay, in Beachlands.

Councillor Daniel Newman, of Manurewa, said the decision by the policy and activities committee at a meeting last week, was unanimous.

"My perspective as a councillor is that it was entirely appropriate to have it honour him," he said. "The reason why Leigh Auton has been acknowledged is that by October 31 he will have lost his job.

"He has no role in the Super City - he's gone. And [this] is a reflective acknowledgment of the great work he has done in council."

The decision to name the reserve followed a recommendation from the Clevedon Community Board.

The council has been known to acknowledge its leaders in this manner over the years, with a Barry Curtis Park and a Colin Dale Park - after the previous chief executive.

Mr Auton, who received a 9.4 per cent pay rise last November to earn $412,079, said he was humbled.

He felt that he had a "personal connection" to the site of the reserve, as he had been directly involved in the development of Spinnaker Bay.

He also acknowledged his involvement in a lot of debate within the community and said he respected the local pride.

"I also sponsored the Beachlands-Maraetai Sewage Treatment Plant project and have been actively involved in land issues in Whitford, Beachlands and Maraetai."

The decision, which was announced last Thursday, came just over two weeks before the Super City election.

The reserve will be formally opened before October 31 and a piece of public art will be commissioned for the site.

Manukau City Council will meet for the last time tomorrow.