Komiti Tātari me te Mātai Raru Tūpono /

Audit and Risk Committee

 

OPEN MINUTES

 

 

 

Minutes of an extraordinary meeting of the Audit and Risk Committee held in the Board Room, Ground Floor, Auckland Town Hall, 305 Queen Street, Auckland on Wednesday, 14 October 2020 at 8.41am.

 

present

 

Chairperson

Sue Sheldon, CNZM

 

Members

Deputy Mayor Cr Bill Cashmore

 

 

Paul Conder, CA

 

 

Cr Shane Henderson

 

 

Bruce Robertson

 

 

ABSENT

 

Member

Deputy Chairperson Cr Daniel Newman

 

 

Ex-officio

Mayor Hon Phil Goff, CNZM, JP

 

 

 

IMSB Chair David Taipari

 

 

 

 

IN ATTENDANCE

 

 

Greg Schollum, Deputy Auditor-General

 

 

Athol Graham, Audit Director, Audit New Zealand

 

 

Andrea Reeves, Assistant Auditor-General, Local Government

 

 

Karen MacKenzie, Audit Director, Audit New Zealand

 

 

 

 


Audit and Risk Committee

14 October 2020

 

 

 

Note:   The following members were in attendance by electronic link at the commencement of the meeting: Chairperson S Sheldon and Member B Robertson.

 

1          Apologies

  

Resolution number AUD/2020/74

MOVED by Chairperson S Sheldon, seconded by Member P Conder:  

That the Audit and Risk Committee:

a)         accept the apologies from Deputy Chairperson Cr D Newman for absence, IMSB Chair D Taipari for absence and Mayor P Goff for absence on council business.

CARRIED

 

2          Declaration of Interest

 

There were no declarations of interest.

 

 

3          Petitions

 

There were no petitions.

 

 

4          Public Input

 

There was no public input.

 

 

5          Local Board Input

 

There was no local board input.

 

 

6          Extraordinary Business

 

There was no extraordinary business.

 

 

7

Significant forecasting assumptions for the Long-term Plan 2021-2031

 

 

 

Resolution number AUD/2020/75

MOVED by Chairperson S Sheldon, seconded by Deputy Mayor Cr BC Cashmore:  

That the Audit and Risk Committee:

a)      note that the extent of the impacts of the disruption from the COVID-19 situation remain highly uncertain and therefore the financial implications for the council group are also highly uncertain

b)      agree to advise the Finance and Performance Committee that the methodology used to develop the COVID-19 related significant forecasting assumptions for the LTP 2021-2031 is complete, reasonable and supportable given the uncertainty.

CARRIED

 

 

 

 

8

Preparation of Auckland Council Group's draft annual report 2019/2020 and draft summary annual report 2019/2020

 

 

 

Resolution number AUD/2020/76

MOVED by Chairperson S Sheldon, seconded by Cr S Henderson:  

That the Audit and Risk Committee:

a)      note that there are no significant outstanding issues relating to the process for the preparation of the draft Auckland Council Annual Report 2019/2020 and the draft Auckland Council Summary Annual Report 2019/2020

b)      note the draft Auckland Council Annual Report 2019/2020 and the draft Auckland Council Summary Annual Report 2019/2020 will be discussed later in this meeting in confidence.

CARRIED

 

 

 

9          Consideration of Extraordinary Items

 

 

 

There was no consideration of extraordinary items.   

 

 

 

10        Procedural motion to exclude the public

Resolution number AUD/2020/77

MOVED by Chairperson S Sheldon, seconded by Deputy Mayor BC Cashmore:  

That the Audit and Risk Committee:

a)      exclude the public from the following part(s) of the proceedings of this meeting.

b)      agree that Greg Schollum, Deputy Auditor-General, Office of the Auditor-General, Athol Graham, Audit Director, Audit New Zealand, Andrea Reeves, Assistant Auditor-General, Local Government and Karen MacKenzie, Audit Director, Audit New Zealand be permitted to remain for all of the confidential items after the public has been excluded because of their knowledge of matters which will help the Audit and Risk Committee in its decision-making.

The general subject of each matter to be considered while the public is excluded, the reason for passing this resolution in relation to each matter, and the specific grounds under section 48(1) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 for the passing of this resolution follows.

This resolution is made in reliance on section 48(1)(a) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 and the particular interest or interests protected by section 6 or section 7 of that Act which would be prejudiced by the holding of the whole or relevant part of the proceedings of the meeting in public, as follows:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

C1       CONFIDENTIAL: Recommendation of Auckland Council's draft annual report 2019/2020 and summary annual report 2019/2020

Reason for passing this resolution in relation to each matter

Particular interest(s) protected (where applicable)

Ground(s) under section 48(1) for the passing of this resolution

The public conduct of the part of the meeting would be likely to result in the disclosure of information for which good reason for withholding exists under section 7.

s7(2)(h) - The withholding of the information is necessary to enable the local authority to carry out, without prejudice or disadvantage, commercial activities.

In particular, the report contains financial information that forms part of the Auckland Council Group Annual Report 2019/2020 and can only be made public following the release of the annual report to the NZX on 30 October 2020.

s48(1)(a)

The public conduct of the part of the meeting would be likely to result in the disclosure of information for which good reason for withholding exists under section 7.

 

C2       CONFIDENTIAL: Office of the Auditor-General and Audit New Zealand briefing

Reason for passing this resolution in relation to each matter

Particular interest(s) protected (where applicable)

Ground(s) under section 48(1) for the passing of this resolution

The public conduct of the part of the meeting would be likely to result in the disclosure of information for which good reason for withholding exists under section 7.

s7(2)(h) - The withholding of the information is necessary to enable the local authority to carry out, without prejudice or disadvantage, commercial activities.

In particular, the report from the Office of the Auditor-General and Audit New Zealand contains information regarding the annual report and financial results of the Auckland Council Group and Auckland Council as at 30 June 2020.

s48(1)(a)

The public conduct of the part of the meeting would be likely to result in the disclosure of information for which good reason for withholding exists under section 7.

 

The text of these resolutions is made available to the public who are present at the meeting and form part of the minutes of the meeting.

CARRIED

 

 

9.05am            The public was excluded.

 

 

Resolutions in relation to the confidential items are recorded in the confidential section of these minutes and are not publicly available.

 

 

9.50am            The public was re-admitted.

 


 

restatementS

 

It was resolved while the public was excluded:

 

C1

CONFIDENTIAL: Recommendation of Auckland Council's draft annual report 2019/2020 and summary annual report 2019/2020

 

Resolution number AUD/2020/78

MOVED by Chairperson S Sheldon, seconded by Member P Conder:  

That the Audit and Risk Committee:

a)      note the updated draft fraud questionnaire 2019/2020 responses as Attachment A and recommend management provide it to Audit New Zealand

b)      recommend the draft Auckland Council Annual Report 2019/2020 and the Auckland Council Summary Annual Report 2019/2020 to the Governing Body for adoption, noting that these annual reports are still subject to finalisation of disclosure items, clearance of all performance measures, final management review and receipt of the Independent Auditor’s Report

c)      agree any significant changes to the draft Auckland Council Annual Report 2019/2020 and the Auckland Council Summary Annual Report 2019/2020 be notified and approved by the Audit and Risk Committee chair and the acting group chief financial officer prior to the Governing Body meeting on 29 October 2020

d)      agree that the decisions be restated in the open minutes, but the draft Auckland Council Annual Report 2019/2020 and the draft Auckland Council Summary Annual Report 2019/2020 remain confidential.

 

 

C2

CONFIDENTIAL: Office of the Auditor-General and Audit New Zealand briefing

 

Resolution number AUD/2020/79

MOVED by Chairperson S Sheldon, seconded by Deputy Mayor Cr BC Cashmore:  

That the Audit and Risk Committee:

a)      receive the information provided by the Auditor-General’s representatives Deputy Auditor-General Greg Schollum, Assistant Auditor-General – Local Government Andrea Reeves, Audit New Zealand Audit Director Athol Graham and Audit New Zealand Audit Director Karen MacKenzie, and thank them for their attendance

b)      agree that the report and attachments will remain confidential, but the decisions be restated in the open minutes.

 

9.50am                                               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 Audit and Risk Committee HELD ON

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

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