KEY POINTS:
The Auckland City Council is keeping open the option of handing over control of swimming pools, libraries, parks and the zoo to businesspeople to run along commercial lines.
Mayor John Banks and Citizens & Ratepayers last night rejected a proposal by City Vision-Labour councillors to remove a list of community services from a holding company.
Labour councillor Leila Boyle said the council should "put people's minds at rest" by ruling out community assets and services.
But deputy Mayor and C&R leader David Hay said councillors were not elected to manage assets. Manukau City Council had put its leisure facilities, including free swimming pools, into a holding company, he said.
Council officers sent out shockwaves last week when they floated the idea of replacing elected councillors with businesspeople to run a raft of community services.
In a surprise move, officers expanded the idea for a "holding company" to manage the council's interests in Auckland Airport and Westhaven Marina to include swimming pools, libraries and the zoo.
They believe professional, business-focused directors would bring better governance and a stronger commercial focus.
They also suggested the holding company could be used to get around the Local Government Act, which stipulates councils can borrow money only in New Zealand dollars. Finance committee general manager Andrew McKenzie said this would give the council access to foreign currency.
C&R councillor and finance committee chairman Doug Armstrong said nothing could be ruled out, but believed core social services and assets would not be moved into a holding company. He said no assets could be moved without public consultation.
Mr Banks said the holding company itself would be subject to public consultation.
