Mayor needs more clout - Goff

Phil Goff. Photo / Herald on Sunday

The mayor of the Super City should be invited to participate at Cabinet level in Government decisions affecting Auckland, says Labour leader Phil Goff.

"I want to see the Auckland mayor involved in the process before a decision is taken and foisted on Auckland," the Labour leader said last night.

Mr Goff was speaking ahead of a speech at the Mt Albert Memorial Hall today where he will outline Labour's vision for Auckland with particular attention on the Super City.

The previous Labour Government set up the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance, which last year recommended a Super City structure.

The National-led Government, under Local Government Minister and Act leader Rodney Hide, subsequently made a number of changes to the royal commission's recommendations.

The Government has faced widespread criticism over its model and the process of melding eight councils into a single council.

Mr Goff acknowledged that changes had to be made in Auckland, the country's only international city, but would use his speech to focus on three areas where Labour would makes changes to the Super City.

He is expected to announce that Labour would repeal the third and final piece of Super City legislation that "forces" three council-controlled organisations (CCOs) on Auckland for transport, water and waterfront development.

At present, councils decide what services should be provided by CCOs.

In the case of the Super City, the Government is legislating for three CCOs that will be run by unelected directors at arm's length from the Auckland Council.

Mr Goff will also address plans for 21 local boards under the Auckland Council. There was not much evidence, he said, of the principal of subsidiarity - that is, decisions are best made at the local level unless there is good reason not to.

The third area he will address was a concern in the background about the privatisation of Auckland assets.

Mr Goff said the royal commission had a vision of a partnership between central and local government, and he did not have a lot of confidence that partnership meant anything other than Wellington telling Auckland what to do.

"I want to promote the concept that the new Auckland mayor ought to be invited on a regular basis to participate at a Cabinet committee level in Wellington if there are issues around Auckland," he said.

In February, pro-Government Auckland Chamber of Commerce chief executive Michael Barnett said there was a growing perception that the Super City reforms were being imposed by Wellington.