Auckland Local Government Leaders Reception

May I begin by greeting everyone in the languages of the realm of New Zealand, in English, Maori, Cook Island Maori, Niuean, Tokelauan and New Zealand Sign Language.   Greetings, Kia Ora, Kia Orana, Fakalofa Lahi Atu, Taloha Ni and as it is the evening (Sign)

May I specifically greet you: Hon Rodney Hide, Minister of Local Government; Hon Peter Salmon, QC, Chief Commissioner of the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance and your fellow commissioners Dame Margaret Bazley and David Shand; Current and former leaders of local and regional government and of Auckland's District Health Boards; ladies and gentlemen.

Thank you for accepting the invitation from my wife Susan and I to attend this reception for Auckland local government leaders here at Government House in Auckland this evening.

I would like to take a brief opportunity to comment on your roles as local leaders in the Auckland region and on the importance of that leadership in the months and years ahead.

As you will all know only too well, local and regional councils are "creatures of statute".  In a legal sense, they only exist because Parliament has, by law, allowed their creation and has delegated, to them, certain powers and functions.

That, of course, is the narrow legal definition. The reality for most New Zealanders, however, is that local government is more than just "rats, rates and rubbish".  As elected bodies, local and regional government not only derives legitimacy from legislation, but also from meeting genuine community expectations and local needs.  Good local government, as it has been said, is about building stronger communities.

In delegating considerable functions and powers to local and regional government, Parliament also requires that communities are thoroughly consulted and that ratepayers' monies are always spent effectively and efficiently. 

Parliament has also delegated to the Executive the power to dissolve councils and appoint commissioners in cases of gross mismanagement or dysfunction.  It is a testament of the strength of local and regional government in New Zealand that those powers have been used only rarely.  The reality is that where communities are dissatisfied with their council, voters have exercised their democratic right and elected new councillors at the triennial elections.

But increasingly, central and local government are working together as partners, such as through the Central Local Government Forum.  This is a recognition that each has much to offer the other, resulting in better outcomes for the community.

The position of District Health Boards, of course, is different from local and regional government, in that they are Crown entities and part of the State Sector.  While boards are responsible to the Minister of Health for services and expenditure, as organisations that are primarily locally elected, DHBs and their members have also considerable responsibilities to the communities you serve.  In that, you share similar obligations to local government. It was for this reason that a decision was taken to include you in the chemistry of this event today.

The matter of local and regional government in Auckland has been the subject of much debate over many years.  Last year, the former government requested that I establish a Royal Commission to investigate the governance of Auckland and it was with great pleasure, because of their expertise, that I appointed Hon Peter Salmon, Dame Margaret Bazley and David Shand as commissioners to investigate the issues.  Pleasure seems to be the correct word, because each of you has had in previous chapters of your lives, specific experience of what is called for.

From what I have read in the media and on the Commission's website, the Commission appears to have done a pretty thorough job. I am advised that more than 550 oral submissions have been heard over 27 days of hearings and hui and that more than 3500 written submissions have been received.  I understand the members have also visited Melbourne, Brisbane, Vancouver, Toronto, and London to investigate governance approaches in those cities.

I can assure you that I have no greater insight than anyone else as to what the commissioners might recommend when they present their report to me at the end of March next year.  But from what I know of all three commissioners, I am sure their report will be thoroughly researched and will make well reasoned recommendations.

It will, of course, be up to Mr Hide as Minister of Local Government and his fellow ministers to decide how to respond to the Royal Commission's report.  Again, I have no insight into what might be the thinking in that quarter.  It is not any role of mine to become involved or to publicly proffer an opinion on any particular course of action.

But whatever course of action is proposed, may I urge you all to work together for the best interests of the Auckland region and of the nation.  When local government was last reformed in 1989 and Auckland had more 40 councils and special purpose authorities, several lessons were learned. 

The leaders of some councils that were to be merged, despite some personal reservations about the Local Government Commission's decisions, decided to work together to ensure the best outcome for their communities.  Those councils have invariably been models of success since that time.  Other mergers were less harmonious and it was several years before those councils could establish themselves on a firm footing and get on with their core responsibilities.

The issues involved in Auckland's governance are too important for dissension.  My challenge to you as Auckland's leaders is to work with the Government to move forward on whatever decisions it decides to make for the best interests of the people of Auckland.  As the commissioners noted in their Open Letter to the community when they began their work: "To ensure a strong future for New Zealand as well as for Auckland, the issue of Auckland's local government arrangements is of vital importance. When Auckland thrives, New Zealand thrives."

And on that note, I will close in New Zealand's first language Maori, by offering everyone greetings and wishing you all good health and fortitude in your endeavours. No reira, tena koutou, tena koutou, kia ora, kia kaha, tena koutou katoa.