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Date:
Time:
Meeting Room:
Venue:
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Thursday 25 September
2025
10.00am
Reception Lounge
Auckland Town Hall
301-305 Queen Street
Auckland
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Tira Hautū / Governing Body
OPEN MINUTE
ITEM ATTACHMENTS
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ITEM TABLE OF
CONTENTS PAGE
12 Auckland
Council's submission on the Local Government (Auckland Council) (Transport
Governance) Amendment Bill
A. 25
September 2025, Governing Body: Item 12 - Auckland Council's submission
on the Local Government (Auckland Council) (Transport Governance) Amendment
Bill, Local Board Feedback 3
16 Summary
of Governing Body and Committee information memoranda and briefings (including
the Forward Work Programme) - 25 September 2025
A. 25
September 2025, Governing Body: item 16 - Summary of Governing Body and
Committee information memoranda and briefings (including the Forward Work
Programme) - 25 September 2025, End of Term Committee Reports 81
18 Chief
Executive and Group Chief Financial Officer Update
A. 25
September 2025, Governing Body: Item 18 - Chief Executive and Group Chief
Financial Officer Update, monthly Dashboard August 2025 93
19 Valedictory
Speeches
A. 25
September 2025, Governing Body: Item 10 - Valedictory Speeches, Speech -
Cr A Dalton 99
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Governing Body
25 September 2025
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Valedictory Speech – Angela Dalton
Mr Mayor, Councillors, colleagues, friends,
Eighteen years ago, I stepped into the world of local
government with a simple but powerful intention: to serve. To serve communities
often unheard. To bring lived experience into rooms where decisions are made.
And to help shape a Council that reflects the people it represents — in
all their diversity, strength, and potential.
It has been the privilege of a lifetime.
When I gave my maiden speech to this Governing Body, I
spoke about shared governance, the importance of our Local Boards, the need for
stronger relationships with Māori, and the value of women in leadership. I
believed then — as I still do now — that inclusive leadership is
not just an ideal, it’s a necessity. I also spoke of my intention to be
pragmatic, forensic, occasionally disruptive — and hopefully not too
frustrating.
I’d like to think I’ve stayed true to that
promise.
Over these 18 years — from before the Super City,
through roles as Local Board Chair, Deputy Chair, and Councillor — I have
seen the machinery of Council from many angles. I’ve seen what works, and
what doesn’t. I’ve watched as good intentions sometimes collided
with operational complexity, and I’ve worked hard to ask the right
questions — especially when those policies risked unintended consequences
for our communities.
I have always believed that good governance starts with
listening — really listening — to the people we serve. I have
always believed that our Local Boards should be empowered as true partners in
shared decision-making. That our Māori communities deserve not just
engagement but real influence. That communities in the south are just as
entitled to investment, dignity, and opportunity as any other part of Auckland.
And I have always believed that women — especially
women with lived experience — must have a seat at the table, not to
replace men, but to stand shoulder to shoulder, bringing balance, insight, and
a different kind of strength.
My journey in local government has not been without its
challenges. It never is. But I have stood with integrity, held fast to my
values, and made decisions that I believed would improve lives —
especially for those whose voices are too often left out of the conversation.
To the people of Manurewa and Papakura: thank you. Thank
you for your trust, your honesty, and your unwavering belief that local
government can be a force for good. Your mandate has always anchored me, and it
always will.
To my colleagues past and present — thank you for
the shared efforts, the respectful debate, and the moments of laughter along
the way. We may not have always agreed, but we showed up, did the work, and
strove for something bigger than ourselves.
To the Council staff, thank you for your advice, your
professionalism, and for putting up with my forensic line of questioning over
the years. You’ve helped me do my job better — and that matters.
As I step away from this formal role, I do so with
gratitude, with pride, and with the firm belief that leadership doesn’t
end with a title. I’ll continue to champion equity, inclusion, and
courageous conversations — just in new ways. Supporting others. Coaching.
Mentoring. Continuing the work — just with a different lens.
Because the work is never finished. And neither am I.
Finally, I want to leave you with the same words I used
to close my very first speech here:
If we are to have an Auckland that is truly inclusive,
that starts right here — with leadership that is inclusive.
We are, and we always will be, stronger together.
Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou katoa.
