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MOVED by Member M Carmichael, seconded by Member T
Holdgate: an amendment by way of additions to clause a) i) to
xxiii) to the original recommendation:
That
the Rodney Local Board:
a)
tuku / provide the following input to
be considered for incorporation into Auckland Council’s submission on
the Local Government (System
Improvements) Amendment Bill:
Refocusing the purpose of local government:
i)
support the purpose of
local government is “(b) to meet the current and future needs of
communities for good-quality local infrastructure, local public services, and
performance of regulatory functions in a way that is most cost-effective for
households and businesses”, and “(c) to support local economic
growth and development by fulfilling the purpose set out in paragraph
(b)”; however
ii)
express concern that the
removal of all references to the four aspects of community well-being,
provision of important public services such as, local planning and
placemaking, community development, environmental protection and restoration,
arts, waste minimisation and provision of services for youth will either go
unaddressed or will fall to central government for provision where they may
become bureaucratic, lose local responsiveness, and fail to meet specific
community needs
iii)
express concern that
environmental sustainability is not considered as priority outcomes alongside
‘cost-effectiveness’
iv)
express concern that a
‘cost-effective’ delivery focus may impact the retention of
facilities that service remote communities and provide resilience benefits,
because they may not meet cost-benefit analysis due to lower population and
usage
v)
request clarity around
what ‘network infrastructure’ includes as part of the proposed
specific core services
vi)
express concern that
‘regulatory authority’ and ‘environmental compliance
monitoring’ is not listed as part of the proposed specific core
services
vii)
request that core services be
expanded to include environmental compliance monitoring, environmental
protection and restoration, waste minimisation, arts, community development,
planning and placemaking
Making changes to measuring and publicising of
council performance:
viii) support prescribing parameters or benchmarks
for assessing whether a local authority is “performing specified
activities or groups of activities in accordance with best practice” (Clause
259 (1) (dc) ii)
ix)
support prescribing the
groups of activities that a local authority must include in its long-term
plan, annual plan, and annual report (clause 259(1)(de)), however
x)
express concern that this
does not become an exhaustive list of what can be included
xi)
express concern that rules
specifying performance measures in relation to the activities of: water
supply; sewerage and the treatment and disposal of sewage; stormwater
drainage; flood protection and control works; and the provision of roads and
footpaths is no longer mandatory, and these activities are no longer
specified (Clause 261 (b) (1a-e))
xii) request that performance measures of
activities in relation to (Clause 261 (b) (1)-(3A)) include the
requirement that local authorities adhere to the same levels of environmental
effects compliance requirements as public entities or individuals undertaking
the same activity
xiii) request that performance measure rules include
the effectiveness of local authorities in their role of environmental
compliance monitoring,
xiv) request that performance measure rules include
the effectiveness of local authorities in their role as regulatory
authorities
xv) support requiring councils to report on
contractor and consultant expenditure (Clause 32B)
xvi) request that performance measure rules address
the potential for conflicts of interests if assessments are conducted as
self-reviews
Requiring core services to be prioritised in
council spending:
xvii) express concern at the removal of the
requirement to consider “the overall impact of any allocation of
liability for revenue needs on the current and future social, economic,
environmental, and cultural well-being of the community” (Clause 101
(3) b) and instead only considering “the overall impact of any
allocation of liability for revenue needs on the community”
Introducing new council transparency and
accountability requirements:
xviii) support issuing a standardised code of conduct
and set of standing orders, both of which would be binding on all councils
xix) request that code of conduct rules address and
set consequences for untrue and unsubstantiated defamatory statements made in
public by elected members or their agents about other elected members
xx) request that code of conduct rules extend to
elected member activities which are related to or represent their role as an
elected member
Revising
regulatory requirements on councils:
xxi) support modernising public notice requirements
xxii) express concern there is no longer a
requirement that every six years “A local authority must
review the cost-effectiveness of current arrangements for meeting the needs
of communities within its district or region for good-quality local
infrastructure, local public services, and performance of regulatory
function”
xxiii) express concern at removing the requirement
for councils to consider the relevance of tikanga Māori knowledge when
appointing council-controlled organisation directors as the clause only asks
the local authority to “consider whether knowledge of tikanga
Māori may be relevant to the governance of that
council-controlled organisation” (clause 57 (3)).
CARRIED
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