Proposal a good first step: Mayor

Proposed boundaries and political representation on the new Auckland Council and local boards are getting a mixed reception on the Shore.

Mayor Andrew Williams describes them as a good first step that with a little adjustment will provide a solid basis for strong local representation.

His main reservations are over slicing the North Shore into just two big wards.

On Friday the Local Government Commission released draft proposals that would split North Shore into two wards each with two councillors on the Auckland Council.

At present the Shore has three wards each with five councillors.

The commission also recommends three local boards on the Shore with representation varying between nine and five members.

Under the existing community board structure there are six community boards.

Mr Williams says the commission’s ward structure would create "one enormous ward of nearly 145,000 residents in the south covering Takapuna, Devonport, Glenfield and Birkenhead, and another ward of just over 120,000 residents in the north covering the Hibiscus Coast, Albany and East Coast Bays, each with two Auckland councillors elected at large".

But, this isn’t what the Shore community wants, he says.

"The clear preference of 84 percent of North Shore residents in a recent survey is for smaller wards with one councillor each, because it gives them a councillor who is directly accountable to them and has a strong mandate to advocate for their community at the top table, especially in regional decisions that will affect their local community.

"This preference can easily be accommodated by the commission in the final boundaries by aligning the wards with the local boards resulting in one ward with one councillor and one local board for Takapuna and Devonport, and one ward with one councillor and one local board for Glenfield and Birkenhead. A similar result can be achieved for the northern ward boundary divisions."

Mr Williams says the commission has listened to the views of local people who wanted local boards with sufficient size and critical mass to be effective.

The proposals are open for submissions until December 11. For more information visit www.lgc.govt.nz.

Ward and board proposals

North Shore representation proposals:

Two wards, each with two councillors on the Auckland Council.

•  Hibiscus - Albany - East Coast Bays Ward
•  North Shore Ward (Takapuna, Devonport, Glenfield, Birkenhead).

Three local boards:

•  Hibiscus-Albany-East Coast Bays (three members from each area)
•  Glenfield-Birkenhead (three members from each area)
•  Takapuna, Devonport (three members and two members respectively).

- © Fairfax NZ News