KEY POINTS:
The Hon Peter Salmon, QC, has taken the job of fixing the city he loves.
He has sailed small yachts with his children on the Waitemata Harbour, argued and won the battle to build the Sky Tower for Brierleys and spent nine years as a High Court judge.
"Perhaps I'm a bit of a masochist," says the 72-year-old, when asked what attracted him to the daunting job of restructuring Auckland's complex web of local government.
Justice Salmon will lead the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Auckland with former public servant Dame Margaret Bazley and David Shand, who headed the inquiry into soaring rates. The trio combine a powerful mix of skills. Justice Salmon has a legal background with extensive experience in in resource management issues. Dame Margaret is the ultimate public servant and Mr Shand brings financial skills honed at the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
Justice Salmon, who was born in Auckland, raised in Whangarei, and returned to the City of Sails to go to university and has stayed ever since, is a passionate Aucklander.
"I love Auckland. It has possibly the most wonderful harbour in the world, it has wonderful geography with the volcanic cones."
Justice Salmon says the chance to make a contribution towards the future of Auckland is what attracted him to the Royal Commission, which has a year to hear the views of people and report to the Government.
He says it would be premature to share his thoughts on how the commission will run. But he is pleased the Royal Commission's terms of reference are broad with the objective of coming up with the best form of governance for Auckland.
"One of the things I will be very interested in doing is finding out what types of governance work in other comparable cities in the world."
Asked if he thought Aucklanders wanted change, Justice Salmon said the low voter turnout at the local body elections suggested not.
"But on the other hand I have got the impression over my years talking to people and listening to what they have to say that there is a mood for change. There is a mood that would suggest what Aucklanders want is the form of governance that best presents Auckland as an important city in the Pacific and in the world."
