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The Auckland Mayor’s call for more empowered local boards would only work if they received adequate staff support and funding, according to Rodney elected members. Speaking at their meeting on March 20, they said current systems were complex, impractical and needed to be made easier, such as giving members more time to review policy and plan proposals.
As an example, Warkworth member Michelle Carmichael said reading and coming up with feedback recommendations on just two private plan change proposals had used up the same hours as a full-time job, when board membership was only supposed to be a part-time role.
In feedback to Auckland Council, members said they needed sufficient staff and strategic advice to help with this and called for a pay review for board members.
“Current demands on members who have delegations such as resource consent feedback put too much strain on our current role paid as ‘part-time’. This type of additional demand means that board members may not be as effective in all aspects of their role on behalf of their communities, due to time constraints from needing other employment for income,” they said.
“The geographical size of our board area also increases the time it takes to fulfil our role, due to longer travel times to attend meetings, community events or visit areas with community concerns.
“If total members were increased, or all board positions were full-time, then fairer representation may be achieved.”
Members said they supported sufficient resourcing and greater decision making and/or accountability over local board funding, but only if a reasonable budget was made available to maintain current assets and services. They added that they had already experienced lower staffing levels, which put undue strain on local board staff and hindered them getting timely access to information.
