KEY POINTS:
Nearly two out of three Auckland City voters back the push for one super council for the region.
In a Herald-DigiPoll survey taken last week, before the Government announced a royal commission of inquiry into Auckland's governance, 61.4 per cent were in favour of one Auckland authority and just 29.7 per cent opposed.
In the weeks leading to the poll, a lobby group led by the Employers and Manufacturers Association (Northern) began a high-profile advertising campaign in favour of One Auckland.
The survey's finding of support for one city authority is a strong turnaround from a similar poll last September that found voters split, with just 47.8 per cent in favour and 49.5 per cent opposed.
The EMA's chief executive, Alasdair Thompson, tried to build on his group's success with the royal commission decision by offering Prime Minister Helen Clark draft terms of reference for the inquiry.
Its 12 points begin with a call for Auckland to have a unique solution, not one copied from overseas, and a council that reduces local government operating costs by 10 per cent.
An unscientific poll on nzherald.co.nz yesterday that attracted 2240 responses found 85 per cent support for a super city.