New ward leaves island candidates facing the future

DIANA WORTHY

Waiheke Community Board members are waiting for details over pay and powers in the wake of the Local Government Commission’s recent announcement about wards and boundaries.

The announcement by commissioners Sue Piper, Grant Kirby and Gwen Bull on Thursday saw little change for the Gulf from original proposals.

Waiheke and Great Barrier will each have a five-member local board and residents will be part of the new Waitemata and Gulf ward of 79,300 people, which includes Auckland’s Central Business District (CBD).

The CBD will also get a five-member board.

There will be 20 councillors for the new Auckland Council, with none permitted to sit on boards as is present practice.

The commission has increased the overall numbers of new local boards from 19 to 21 and has made efforts to make representation fairer than the original draft suggested.

Now Waiheke Community Board members are looking to the future and considering whether they will want to stand for re-election.

Nearly all of them say they want to see what the Remuneration Authority proposes over pay levels – with news due some time this June – and what powers the new boards are likely to get from the Auckland Transition Agency.

That will not be known until August, with potential candidates getting two months at the most to prepare for October elections.

Auckland City Council councillor Denise Roche is the only Waiheke Community Board member who definitely knows what she will be doing.

“I’ll be standing for the Local Board.”

She believes the first year of the supercity is going to be crucial as local boards prepare for a struggle between Council Controlled Organisations (CCOs) to get as much local decision-making powers as possible.

She says she would like to see Local Board candidates campaigning on what they think will be the crucial issues for inclusion in three-year plan local boards have to sign in their first six months.

“It will give voters a really clear idea of whom and what they are voting for, and it will make it easier for the board to determine its priorities.”

The rest of the community board members are remaining cautious about their plans – although Eileen Evans thinks she is more likely to stand than not.

Nobilangelo Ceramalus says people have already asked him to stand again but it will depend on what delegations the transition agency hands out, what happens over CCOs, and what the pay is like.

“In short, it will depend on whether our local board has its hands and feet tied or whether it really can serve the community to the hilt.”

Board deputy chairman Herb Romaniuk is also going to take his time to make a decision, for similar reasons.

He says he needs to see what the supercity is designing for local boards in terms of responsibilities and pay so he is keeping his options open.

“It’s been my privilege to have served the community for the past six years and I hope I’ve been of some use.”

The biggest surprise, though, comes from board chairman Tony Sears who declared last year he would not be standing again.

Like most of the other board members, he is also keen to see what happens over powers and pay before he, too, puts his hands up.

He thinks it is vital boards are awarded real powers and responsibilities, enough pay to attract good candidates to stand, and genuine support from council for its elected representatives.

But he says he will have to think hard about whether he can devote the time required, take on the bigger responsibilities, and live on the pay.

“I’ve been scratching my head and wracking my brains. I don’t want to put pressure on others to stand if I’m not going to do it myself.”

- Waiheke Marketplace