Super City aims for switch to be seamless

Public toilets will keep flushing and the latest crime thrillers will be available at libraries with the switch over to the Auckland Super City.

At least, that is the goal of Mark Ford, executive chairman of the Auckland Transition Agency tasked with rolling eight councils into one by November next year.

"We cannot allow a hiatus on day one," Mr Ford said.

He was commenting on a stocktake of community services, which found the councils employ 2200 staff and spend $360 million a year running libraries, parks, arts, culture and recreation facilities, stadiums, events, pensioner housing and other services.

The councils also spend more than $350 million on capital projects and dish out grants worth more than $70 million to community groups.

To address funding concerns by community groups in the move to the Super City, the agency has requested councils provide grants until June 2012.

Colin Dale, the former chief executive of Manukau City overseeing community services for the agency, said services were the heart and soul of local government and what Auckland was all about.

Mr Dale said it was too early to say how the functions, service levels and responsibility for community services would be split between the Super Auckland Council and 20 to 30 local boards.

The agency is waiting for guidelines from the Government on how to allocate initial functions and funding to the local boards. Another option is for community services to be taken out of the hands of politicians and run by a council-controlled organisation.

Mr Ford said when it comes to operating cultural, sporting and other facilities, there was unlikely to be much change for staff, although there could be changes at management and governance level.