KEY POINTS:
The concert chamber at the Pukekohe War Memorial Town Hall gave a historic backdrop yesterday when the Royal Commission of Inquiry on Auckland Governance began public hearings.
The hall, opened by Viscount Cobham, the Governor-General, on June 8, 1957, has hosted many important local events, but probably nothing of the scale of yesterday's event.
At stake was the future of not only Pukekohe and Franklin District but also the Auckland region, stretching 140km from Pukekohe in the south to Wellsford in the north.
But yesterday was mostly about Franklin - a largely agricultural district of 62,000 people with the prosperous town of Pukekohe at its core - and its place in the jigsaw.
On a sunny autumn day, the town square was looking its best for the three members of the royal commission.
By the hall was a marble statue commemorating World War I, a water fountain donated by a local identity and the Pukekohe Rotary Club in 1971, two large pohutukawa trees and the gleaming "Franklin - The Centre" library and arts centre opened by the Governor-General, Anand Satyanand, last August.
Inside the concert chamber, former High Court judge Peter Salmon, QC, presided over a makeshift bench in front of the stage. On either side were the two other commissioners, former public servant Dame Margaret Bazley and David Shand, who headed the inquiry into rates.
"We intend to conduct informal hearings. That means we don't intend to swear people, but assume you are all God-fearing citizens and give truthful evidence," said the chairman.
With the tone set, submitters starting voicing their opinions and, at times, shared a laugh with the commissioners at Auckland's expense.
The commissioners fired plenty of questions at submitters and, when they felt the need, called for extra information.
With decades of planning, bureaucratic and financial experiences between them, they demonstrated a sharp grasp of the issues.
Locals were pleased to have the three commissioners in their midst, instead of having to travel 50km to Auckland.
Ganges Singh, of the Counties Manukau Ethnic Council, commented it was very nice of the commissioners to come and meet people in Pukekohe.
"I hope you achieve a good result."
Said Peter Salmon: "And so do we."
