Senior transport roles left off Super City proposal

The Auckland Super City will begin business of November 1 without a transport job in the management team.

Transport is the most pressing issue facing Auckland, but the agency designing the Super City has left it off the list of 29 senior jobs at the Auckland Council.

The Auckland Transition Agency has not put transport with three direct reports to the chief executive and the word "transport" does not appear in advertisements for 25 tier 3 positions for the Auckland Council.

This means there will be no one at management level to oversee the mega-transport agency responsible for all roading and public transport matters and a $650 million budget consuming 54 per cent of council rates.

Hundreds of council staff will move to the transport council-controlled organisation, Auckland Transport, but it is unclear how many will remain at the Auckland Council to devise strategy and monitor Auckland Transport.

Auckland Regional Council chairman Mike Lee yesterday accused the agency and Transport Minister Steven Joyce of "surgically removing" transport from democratic control.

"Roads and transport have always been the bread and butter of local government and to completely purge that of democratic influence is a formula for dissension and problems further down the track," he said.

Business columnist Rod Oram, in a Sunday Star-Times column, has criticised the Government's "weak and woolly" designs for CCOs and denying the Auckland Council adequate powers to set strategy and make them sufficiently accountable.

The Auckland Transition Agency has created senior strategy jobs at Auckland Council for property and economic development, both of which functions have their owns CCOs.

Last night, Mr Joyce said the Auckland Council would be responsible for transport strategy and funding under existing legislation, but responsibility for the organisational structure to undertake these functions rested with the Auckland Transition Agency.

The agency's executive director, Mark Ford, who is being paid up to $594,000, refused to answer questions on the matter.

Instead, the agency's communication manager Clive Nelson issued a statement saying transport would sit under the chief planning officer in the area of regional strategy, community and cultural policy - and be tied up with land use and environmental strategies.

THE CCO DEBATE

* Seven council-controlled organisations are planned for the Super City.
* The CCOs will be run by unelected directors at arm's length from the council.
* More than 75 per cent of council services will be delivered by CCOs.
* Critics say the model will create a "corporate city, not a democratic city".
* Supporters says the CCOs will be accountable to the council and get things done.