KEY POINTS:
The hands-on approach of elected officials is linked to North Shore City Council's failure to process many resource consents within statutory deadlines, says a critique of the council's decision-making system.
But councillors yesterday reacted angrily to a suggestion that they cut costs and delays by streamlining the chain of decision makers, starting with community board members.
"This is a deliberate attempt to divert community board members away from having an important input into local projects and issues," said Councillor Grant Gillon, who is a council appointee on the Birkenhead-Northcote board.
He won unanimous support for a motion of support for elected community board members and councillors being commissioners on Resource Management Act (RMA) hearings.
However, the review's suggestions for the country's third-biggest processor of resource consents will be further discussed at a workshop in August.
Council general manager of environmental services Alison Geddes said the purpose of the council-commissioned review was to "stimulate healthy debate"on the method of handling about 2000 consents a year.
"It varies between different councils as it's up to the council to decide how they are going to deliver."
The reviewer, independent consultant planner Karen Bell, says the North Shore has more elected officials involved in planning decisions than most other councils.
At least 80 people - in committees, community boards and on council staff - have roles in the council's highly developed system of delegation of RMA functions and powers.
Those with powers include 15 elected members on the council's regulatory committee and full council, 24 members of community boards, 20 independent commissioners, who have planning or other expertise, the chief executive officer, the general manager of planning and 15 staff.
About 70 per cent of all resource consent decisions are made by non-elected officials.
However, Ms Bell says the object is a decision that is fair and consistent across the city and that treats applicants in a similar and even handed manner. "This can present challenges due to the large number of people who hold delegated decision roles and the manner in which local separate and unlinked community boards can make decisions on similar types of consents."
A Government survey of 2005 and 2006 shows North Shore processed, within the statutory time, 57 per cent of notified land use applications, 71 per cent of limited notified and 66 per cent of non-notified.
Ms Bell says the council's target is 90 per cent, although businesses and the community may expect every consent to be processed on time.
Under the system, community board commissioners hear and determine all resource consents of local significance apart from those dealt with by staff.
Plans of city wide significance (and objections to community board decisions) go to the council's regulatory committee, which may also appoint independent commissioners.
Ms Bell suggests the role of community board members be "redefined" in RMA matters. Instead, the council can appoint a single committee, which can co-opt board members whenever it is felt their local knowledge will be useful to a case.
There is also a high level of internal council cost with the level of administrative support required for local meetings and hearings.
RESOURCE CONSENTS
* 2000 applications a year
* $20 million cost, mostly passed on to applicants
* 80 people have power in deciding applications
* 30 per cent are elected officials
* 65 per cent of all consents are processed within statutory deadlines.
