KEY POINTS:
Waiheke Island is a drop dead gorgeous adolescent daughter everyone wants a piece of, the Royal Commission of Inquiry on Auckland Governance heard yesterday.
Larissa Wallin, who has lived on the island for four years and considers it home, said Waiheke had the opportunity to become a self-sufficient adult - sustainable, eco-friendly and a showpiece for Auckland and the world.
"But this takes the right decisions now," the 38-year-old told the commissioners, retired High Court judge Peter Salmon, QC, former public servant Dame Margaret Bazley and David Shand, who headed the inquiry into rates.
After listening to more than 550 submitters, starting in Papakura two months ago, the commission wound up public hearings on Waiheke yesterday.
Now comes the next phase of reading volumes of material, further research and visiting a number of overseas cities before reaching a series of recommendations to reshape local government in Auckland for the next 50 years.
There has been almost universal consensus for a strengthened regional body and greater decision-making powers at a local level, but the hardest decision facing the commission is whether to keep the middle tier of city and district councils and, if so, in what form.
Mr Salmon opened the hearing at the Piritahi community marae by saying the commission was aware how islanders valued the special characteristics and beauty of Waiheke and the desire of the community to make local decisions.
That came through loud and clear from more than 30 submitters.
Tony Sears, speaking on behalf of the Waiheke Community Board, said: "If ever there was a compelling example of a community of interest, Waiheke is it."
He said that regardless of the model arrived at by the commission, Waiheke would not tolerate anything that stopped the island representing itself.
"We may be a smaller community of interest than, say, Avondale or Manurewa, but we as a community make up for that in local pride, passion and community spirit," Mr Sears said.
Elizabeth Waters, who owns the Gulf News, said that messy as local democracy appeared, it was real and produced results - not a one-dimensional product of a "communications and marketing" department.
This was a dig at Auckland City Council, of which Waiheke is part, and which came in for plenty of stick from submitters.
Pita Rikys called the council "abominable, remote, bungling, expensive, politically and socio-economically biased".
And John Stansfield said: "Our community has been routinely ignored in what might be described as the McDonaldisation of local government.
"There is a feeling and an experience that we are forever being dumbed down so that our views and aspirations fit those of the city," said Mr Stansfield, who is married to Hauraki Gulf Islands councillor Denise Roche.
Submitters, including Mr Rikys, who chairs the Waiheke Island community planning group, also expressed concern about the trend towards disengagement of community-based plans for the management of the Hauraki Gulf.
Brian Griffiths, of Hauraki Islands Forest and Bird, said the gulf was of national importance.
It should be managed by the regional Hauraki Gulf Forum in conjunction with local community conservation forums.
