Super City set-up rules cover the toilet rolls

Auckland's councils will have to ask permission to renew contracts for everyday items such as supplies of toilet rolls until the Super City is established.

The Auckland Transition Agency will oversee the creation of the new city authority in October next year.

Among its duties will be approving council contracts worth more than $20,000 that run past June 2011.

It will also have to approve borrowing beyond June 2011 and other council financial business.

The contract level was initially set at $5000 but was to be raised last night to $20,000 after councils expressed concern.

The Auckland City Council spends more than $150,000 a year on toilet rolls for its 200 public toilets, a council staff member said.

The council's plan to award a 10-year $23 million rubbish collection contract for Waiheke Island will have to be ratified by the agency. Councillors yesterday put the decision on hold.

The powers of the transition agency are included in a bill that was expected to go through Parliament under urgency last night.

Auckland City Deputy Mayor David Hay said members of the the agency were going to be "busy boys". The rules would slow councils' decision-making systems.

"If they are not careful, all the councillors may as well go for a world trip and come back in time for the next election and let the transition agency run the show," he said.

Manukau councillors opposed to a proposed $40 million white-water rafting course said the project was null and void under the transition law.

Said councillor Dick Quax: "The bill is quite clear on a number of points which will put a stake through the heart of this ill-conceived project."

Labour and Green MPs accused the Government of ramming through the agency legislation without giving Aucklanders a say.

The agency, expected to be headed by Mark Ford, chief executive of the region's water wholesaler Watercare Services, is be announced next week.

Others tipped to be on it are Bank of New Zealand chairman John Waller and businessmen Wayne Walden and Chris Mace.

The Royal Commission on Auckland Governance said it was important the Government moved swiftly to form a transition agency.

"The size and complexity of the overall transition exercise should not be under-estimated," its report said.

The National Party has taken out a half-page advertisement in the Herald to advertise a series of public meetings by seven of its Auckland MPs and Associate Local Government Minister John Carter.

Publicly, National MPs say they are keen to inform people about the Government's "Making Auckland Greater" plan and listen to feedback on a second bill setting out the broad outline of the Super City structure.

Privately, the party is concerned at opposition in Auckland to its plans.

The second bill will go to a select committee for public submissions.