2013-2017 AUCKLAND COUNCIL GOVERNANCE POLICY A PUBLIC VOTER POLICY DOCUMENT 16 SEPTEMBER 2013 A NEW AUCKLAND MAYORS VISION 2015. The new Auckland Council is a self-sufficient financial money making machine; raising Aucklands GDP and international rankings to unprecedented levels. Managed as a dual service provider and commercial enterprise, the new Auckland Council is a main player in the local, regional and national economies, earning enormous surplus profits that has seen the disappearance of financial poverty and high costs. Its fiscal management of its new wealth has resulted in the credit rating of the new Auckland Council been increased to AAA. Inter-regional development initiatives has added to the new wealth; creating lucrative agreements between neighbouring and distant local governments. The prudent sharing of this wealth by generous spending on core public services, widespread support of non-regulatory services, and the depositing of public dividends has heralded unheard of co-operation and satisfaction between the new Auckland Council and the majority of Aucklanders. With full employment from the international trade agreements, the Auckland Super City is declared one of the safest tourist destinations in Australasia. Aucklanders are registered as being affluent in life, home, family, work and wealth; happy citizens in a boom town. Aucklands regional environmental and recreational activities are voted as having the X factor in interactive entertainment. Public peace and safety is firmly secured; Auckland is crime and violence free. Unanimous support from Parliament and Aucklands global sister cities is at an all time high; success breeds success. And as Aucklanders settle into a new era of peace and prosperity, the new Auckland Council continues to grow from strength to strength by transforming Auckland into an economic powerhouse; joining the elite Australasian super city gold club by 2017. THE STATE OF THE AUCKLAND COUNCIL Indeed, the Auckland Council has achieved a remarkable accomplishment in merging the numerous local governments into a single council. Overall, the new structural and procedural changes have been good and provide a strong platform by which to develop Aucklands full potential. The Auckland Council CCO structure and various strategic frameworks have largely made Auckland a better city to live in and have improved its services and delivery. The Auckland Councils projects and plans are well researched and presented with sufficient detail. Despite a high number of Auckland Council officials and positions, within a framework of expansion and development policies, the high number may be optimal. As such, there is no valid reason or dire circumstance to change the Auckland Council structure or current staff organisation. Why does Auckland have such a dismal GDP then? Why does Auckland rank so badly (69 out of 85) amongst the top metropolitan cities in the world? Why is the Auckland Plan unaffordable for the Auckland Council and the ratepayers? Why is the Auckland Council spending so recklessly on credit? Where is all the rates revenue going? Why are the Auckland Council fees so incredibly expensive? Why is the Auckland Council always hostile and evasive towards Aucklanders? Why is Auckland Council fast when they want money yet slow when they have to give back money? Where are all the profits from the Auckland Council investments gone? Has anyone actively sought alternative sources of money? Has there been any action on securing exclusive trade agreements with other sister cities? Has local and regional industries been approached with innovative initiatives? What about technology industries? Has anyone seriously investigated that investment area? This fiscal disaster, lack of GDP development and an unhealthy dependence of rates revenue greatly influences the future success of the Auckland Plan. Under these circumstances, the migration of one million new Aucklanders into the region cannot be sustained. The financial pressure of this population increase instead places the entire Auckland Plan and in particular the Unitary Plan in serious jeopardy to the point that it may be unjustifiable and unworkable; as well as unaffordable. This poor financial performance and these negative flow-on effects can be attributed to the leadership of the Auckland Council Mayor and his Chief Executive. A change in both is recommended and appropriate. This change in new leadership opens the window for a change in relationship between the Auckland Council and Aucklanders, a change in our collective fortunes, and the right change for changing times. The removal of these poor performing leaders is absolutely vital to restore lost public confidence in the Auckland Council and lost trust towards its fiscal management of Aucklanders hard earned money. THE NEW LOOK AUCKLAND COUNCIL The required changes for the Auckland Council itself are minor and are designed to avoid destabilising the existing structure and organisation, disrupting the Auckland Plan, destroying the Auckland Council with debt or financially bankrupting Auckland ratepayers in the process. The changes are predominantly internal and concentrate on improving the earning power and capacity of the Council. What is needed are only minor adjustments to the core settings of the Auckland Council in order to instil the correct perception and outlook towards Aucklanders; replacing profiteering with co-operative customer service. 1. SHAPE CHANGE The current shape of the Auckland Council is that of a Square; the Local Board on the left, the Governing Body on the right, the Chief Executive and Advisory groups in the centre and the seven CCOs below. However with the high staff and position numbers, a 3D angle look reveals the Auckland Council to be more configured in a Box shape. This explains perfectly why Aucklanders are frustrated at being sent to every corner of the Box without their needs been actually addressed by anyone in particular; and why the Auckland Council cannot seem to think outside the box. The best shape for the Auckland Council is the Triangle; a 3D Pyramid. A clear leader is positioned on the apex with an expanding structure of leadership below, anchored by the CCO’S and Auckland rate-payers votes. This triangle shape facilities any need arising from any level to rise upwards; increasing the probability of having the need addressed promptly and without undue delay. 2. ATTITUDE CHANGE The out-dated bureaucratic culture of the Auckland Council towards Aucklanders will be replaced by a new family orientated culture of service if any meaningful progress is to be made. Aucklanders will be treated as employers and their complaints treated promptly. Priorities will be according to what Aucklanders need and the processes of public accountability strengthened. The lower and middle staff are under paid; this will change. They are the people who make Auckland Council tick. Their collective knowledge of the Council processes and procedures are central in addressing the finer details of change. They are the engine room of the Auckland Council and their performance is acutely influenced by how well they are valued in wages, and the impact it has on their family life. 3. ROLE CHANGE The new role of the Auckland Council is to be an ‘earner’ for Aucklanders. 4. CULTURE CHANGE The Auckland Council is managed like the Manukau City Council; too much emphasis on South Auckland at the expense of the North Shore. A higher governance culture that manages the region of Auckland without favouring one area over the others is urgently needed to overcome the current unbalanced rates problem. 5. CHANGE OF FOCUS The Mayor to be responsible in making Auckland Council a contributing, prosperous and advanced local government council that is performance, fast service delivery and profit based. Every elected Deputy Mayor and Councillor is responsible in keeping their election promises to prosper and beautify their local communities who elected them into office. 6. FORCED CHANGE The Auckland Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Chief Executives and Councillors to be bound to either resign or be dismissed from Auckland Council if a 75% majority vote of no-confidence by the Auckland voting population is cast at any given time. Every enrolled Aucklander to receive a special voting pin number that they can use to cast a single vote. Four types of votes. Yes. No. Discussion. No-Confidence. Issues in question and dates to be published in the local newspapers. 7. NEEDED CHANGE All Auckland Council financial pricings, costings and tendering process of minor and major work contracts to be open for Aucklanders to assess and review: a transparent nothing-to-hide attitude. Any unlawful activities by the Auckland Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Chief Executives or Councillor will result in an immediate stand down, and when all the facts are known, an immediate reinstatement or public vote of no-confidence. 8. FISCAL POLICY CHANGE Auckland Council needs a Chief Executive who thinks outside the Rogernomics box. 9. DUAL CHANGE All CCOs will have two roles. The first is to provide high quality service for the lowest price to Aucklanders; rates revenue to pay for running expenditure. The second is to generate profit by investing in business within its jurisdiction as a private business; surplus profits to pay for public service expansion. 10. REVIEW CHANGE. The timeline for Measure and Progress reports every three years is too long a period of time. Incremental measurements every 6 months on the Auckland Plan will ensure that any further mistakes and controversy can be avoided in the future. 11. ETHNICITY CHANGE The Auckland Council is too Maori orientated. This unbalanced relationship is clear in the Auckland Plan where comprehensive conditions are outlined for the protection and benefit of Auckland Maori but not as much detail for non-Maori. There seems be too much emphasis placed on Auckland Maori and not enough of other Aucklanders. 12. GLOBAL CHANGE The Auckland Council to establish trade links with Aucklands sister cities in Australia, China, Germany, Ireland, Japan, South Korea, USA, Taiwan and the Pacific. Adding to this list can be South Africa, Great Britain, France, Italy and Turkey. The more friends the Auckland Council makes, the more business it can generate for Aucklanders. THE NEW AUCKLAND COUNCIL CCO MODEL The Auckland Council will seek to establish international economic agreements with firstly South Korea, Taiwan, Japan and South Africa to secure Auckland new sources of finance and trade. Every agreement will be conducted through the appropriate Auckland Council CCO. The resulting increase of GDP should be matched with the rise in international metropolitan rankings, with incremental progress reports to further remove the pressures off Aucklanders and the Auckland Council. 1. All CCO appointments to be performance and service delivery based; no excuses. 2. All CCO appointments to discover and secure alternative sources of finance that does not include drawing on credit, using rates revenue or introducing higher costs. 3. All CCOs measure and progress reports on performance and service delivery to be reviewed every 3 months; not 3 years. 4. All CCOs to be established as a commercial competitor in the local economy and private sector. 5. All CCOs to increase the Upper North Island Strategic Alliance with the Mayors north and south of Auckland. 6. Appropriate CCO to foster an inter-regional food production and supply network that creates a win-win situation for all the regions involved; encouraging a new co-operation of togetherness. 7. Appropriate CCO to invest in the development and expansion of primary industry in growing GE-free food, free range agriculture, producing pure aquaculture, mineral water and forestry in the abundant Auckland region. 8. Appropriate CCO to invest in the development of eco-tourism; making Auckland a massive recreational playground. 9. Appropriate CCO to invest in developing world class astrological facilities to allow Aucklanders to see the splendour and majesty of the star constellations that guided our shared ancestry to our promised lands; Tamaki Makaurau and Aotearoa. 10. Appropriate CCO to invest in developing a regional market place and location for the major cooking and cuisine competitions in the South Pacific and Australasia. 11. Appropriate CCO to invest in the technological and film industries. 12. All Aucklanders to become fiscal shareholders of the CCOs; receiving dividends. CONCLUSION This Auckland Council Governance Policy has clarified the culture and direction of the new Auckland Council post-12 October 2013. It makes clear the new standards of performance, and further makes clear an understandable process of governance that Aucklanders can participate in rather than endure. The Auckland Council structure has been maintained in its entirety and its processes only to be simplified to create a new transparency and openness that is needed to restore the publics trust and confidence; not to mention their good will. The new responsibilities will enhance the Auckland Council decision-making process. Because of the higher standards of accountability the Auckland Council will become a better employer and be more thorough in their choice of future appointments. Most importantly, the internal political factions and stronger personalities within the Auckland Council will be forced to work together with others within a new workplace environment of performance and prosperity. This is what I will do as your new Auckland Mayor in order to break the current self-defeating cycle of debt, resentment, complaint, corruption and profiteering that does little but makes life harder for both the Auckland Council and Aucklanders alike. Yours faithfully Jesse Butler (BA/BA (Hons)/MA: Political Studies: University of Auckland) 2013 Auckland Mayoral Candidate
Posted on: Thu, 19 Sep 2013 11:13:54 +0000
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