Governing Body

 

OPEN MINUTES

 

 

 

Minutes of an extraordinary meeting of the Governing Body held in the Reception Lounge, Auckland Town Hall, 301-305 Queen Street, Auckland on Tuesday, 9 December 2014 at 1.30pm.

 

present

 

Mayor

Len Brown, JP

 

Deputy Mayor

Penny Hulse

From 1.38pm, Item 4

Councillors

Cr Anae Arthur Anae

From 1.42pm, Item 4

 

Cr Cameron Brewer

 

 

Cr Dr Cathy Casey

 

 

Cr Bill Cashmore

 

 

Cr Ross Clow

From 1.37pm, Item 4

 

Cr Linda Cooper, JP

 

 

Cr Chris Darby

 

 

Cr Hon Christine Fletcher, QSO

 

 

Cr Denise Krum

 

 

Cr Mike Lee

 

 

Cr Calum Penrose

 

 

Cr Dick Quax

From 1.33pm, Item 4

 

Cr Sharon Stewart, QSM

 

 

Cr Sir John Walker, KNZM, CBE

 

 

Cr Wayne Walker

 

 

Cr John Watson

 

 

Cr Penny Webster

 

 

Cr George Wood, CNZM

 

 

APOLOGIES

 

 

Cr Alf Filipaina

For absence

 

 

Deputy Mayor PA Hulse

For lateness

 

 

 

 


Governing Body

09 December 2014

 

 

 

1          Affirmation

 

There was no affirmation.

 

2          Apologies

 

Resolution number GB/2014/149

MOVED by Mayor LCM Brown, seconded by Cr GS Wood:  

That the Governing Body:

a)         accept the apologies from Cr AM Filipaina for absence and from Deputy Mayor PA Hulse for lateness.

 

CARRIED

 

 

3          Declaration of Interest

 

There were no declarations of interest.

 

 

4

Draft Long-term Plan 2015 - 2025 Amended CRL assumption

 

A PowerPoint presentation was provided. A copy has been placed on the official minutes and is available on the Auckland Council website as a minutes attachment.

 

 

Cr D Quax entered the meeting at 1.33 pm.

Cr RI Clow entered the meeting at 1.37 pm.

Deputy Mayor PA Hulse entered the meeting at 1.38 pm.

Cr AJ Anae entered the meeting at 1.42 pm.

Deputy Mayor PA Hulse left the meeting at 2.44 pm.

Deputy Mayor PA Hulse returned to the meeting at 3.00 pm.

 

 

Secretarial note:          Changes to the original motion were incorporated as a Chair’s                                             recommendation a) and with the agreement of the meeting under                                       recommendation b).

 

 

MOVED by Mayor LCM Brown, seconded by Cr CE Fletcher: 

That the Governing Body:

a)      approve the financial data for the Long-Term Plan 2015-2025 being updated to reflect the City Rail Link Option 2 scenario of council-funded enabling works only in years one to three of the Long-Term Plan 2015-2025 and construction commencing in 2018/19 with commensurate government funding for the following reasons:

·         The City Rail Link is the key piece of infrastructure that will unlock the growth of Auckland and needs to be delivered as soon as possible

·         The private sector is now making significant commitment tied to the success of the project and the council needs to maintain momentum

·         Government is now committed to the project, unlike in the Long-Term Plan 2012-22 – timing is subject to negotiation and achievement of targets

·         Rail patronage growth, if maintained, will achieve the government’s target by 2017/18

·         Employment growth is also tracking well but final targets will be subject to further negotiation in light of the PWC report

·         Should council be unsuccessful in convincing government to bring funding forward – this does not affect the first three years of the Long-Term Plan 2015-2025 and the Long-Term Plan 2018-28 process would provide an opportunity to accommodate any change in timing

·         The financial impact of Government funding being delayed until 2020 is easily accommodated – Council would be required to carry $416 million of additional debt in 2019/20, reducing to an additional $65 million in 2024/25.

b)         commit to ongoing collaboration with Government at both a political and executive level.

 

 

An amendment was MOVED by Cr DA Krum, seconded by Cr CE Brewer:  

That the Governing Body:

 a)    approve the financial data for the Long-Term Plan 2015-2025 being updated to reflect the City Rail Link Option 4 scenario of:

  i.   council proceeding with investigation and design, land purchases and enablement works for the next three years (total $400 million)

  ii.  construction on main works commencing in 2020/21, commensurate with government funding, and after a binding funding agreement has been concluded.

b)    support continued negotiations with the government to achieve an earlier start date for main works construction and a minimum 50% contribution by government to the entire cost of the City Rail Link project, including the cost of investigation and design, land purchases and enablement works to be incurred by Auckland Council over the next three years of the Long-Term Plan 2015-2025 .

 c)    delegate authority for these negotiations to both the political and executive level.  

A division was called for, voting on which was as follows:

For

Cr CE Brewer

Cr LA Cooper

Cr DA Krum

Against

Cr AJ Anae

Mayor LCM Brown

Cr CM Casey

Cr WB Cashmore

Cr RI Clow

Cr C Darby

Cr CE Fletcher

Deputy Mayor PA Hulse

Cr ME Lee

Cr CM Penrose

Cr D Quax

Cr SL Stewart

Cr JG Walker

Cr WD Walker

Cr J Watson

Cr MP Webster

Cr GS Wood

Abstained

 

The amendment was declared lost by 3 votes to 17.

 

 

The substantive motion was put.

Resolution number GB/2014/150

MOVED by Mayor LCM Brown, seconded by Cr CE Fletcher:   

That the Governing Body:

a)      approve the financial data for the Long-Term Plan 2015-2025 being updated to reflect the City Rail Link Option 2 scenario of council-funded enabling works only in years one to three of the Long-Term Plan 2015-2025 and construction commencing in 2018/19 with commensurate government funding for the following reasons:

·         The City Rail Link is the key piece of infrastructure that will unlock the growth of Auckland and needs to be delivered as soon as possible

·         The private sector is now making significant commitment tied to the success of the project and the council needs to maintain momentum

·         Government is now committed to the project, unlike in the Long-Term Plan 2012-22 – timing is subject to negotiation and achievement of targets

·         Rail patronage growth, if maintained, will achieve the government’s target by 2017/18

·         Employment growth is also tracking well but final targets will be subject to further negotiation in light of the PWC report

·         Should council be unsuccessful in convincing government to bring funding forward – this does not affect the first three years of the Long-Term Plan 2015-2025 and the Long-Term Plan 2018-28 process would provide an opportunity to accommodate any change in timing

·         The financial impact of Government funding being delayed until 2020 is easily accommodated – Council would be required to carry $416 million of additional debt in 2019/20, reducing to an additional $65 million in 2024/25.

b)         commit to ongoing collaboration with Government at both a political and executive level.

 

A division was called for, voting on which was as follows:

For

Cr AJ Anae

Mayor LCM Brown

Cr CM Casey

Cr WB Cashmore

Cr RI Clow

Cr C Darby

Cr CE Fletcher

Deputy Mayor PA Hulse

Cr ME Lee

Cr CM Penrose

Cr JG Walker

Cr WD Walker

Cr J Watson

Cr MP Webster

Against

Cr CE Brewer

Cr LA Cooper

Cr DA Krum

Cr D Quax

Cr SL Stewart

Cr GS Wood

Abstained

 

The motion was declared carried by 14 votes to 6.

CARRIED

 

Attachments

a     9 December 2014 - Extraordinary Governing Body - Item 4 - City Rail Link Funding Options PowerPoint

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.58 pm                                              The Chairperson thanked Members for their attendance and attention to business and declared the meeting closed.

 

CONFIRMED AS A TRUE AND CORRECT RECORD AT A MEETING OF THE Governing Body HELD ON

 

 

 

DATE:.........................................................................

 

 

 

CHAIRPERSON:........................................................