Hubbard and Harvey shake on regional co-operation

Bob Harvey

The Auckland region has a new political club after the mayors of Auckland and Waitakere signed a memorandum of understanding to work together on a number of local and regional issues.

Other councils may be invited to join but Auckland and Waitakere hold a veto to reject any council they do not want.

Auckland City Mayor Dick Hubbard and Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey rejected the suggestion they were breaking away from other councils and regional bodies to promote their own political and policy agendas, saying the agreement was all about working closer together on projects of joint interest such as the western motorway ring route and rail electrification.

Mr Hubbard said political forums such as the Mayoral Forum, which he chairs, had no teeth and it would be a travesty if the two cities advocated different ideas on important issues such as the Western motorway.

"Co-operation between councils has been a little sporadic but from now on it will be much closer. Fragmentation is Auckland's achilles heel," Mr Hubbard said.

Mr Harvey said the agreement set a benchmark to genuinely work together on issues such as funding, transport, recycling and movie-making.

"It means two cities can go to the Government and talk sensibly about what we want.

"There is no suggestion that we won't involve the other cities. We want other the cities to join."

Mr Hubbard said there was scope for rationalisation of local government in Auckland.