Mahurangi is entering a pivotal period and this local government election is critical. For the first time since the Supercity was created the tides are shifting towards putting greater power in the hands of local boards and communities. The centralised structure and low levels of representation in Auckland Council has come at the cost of local decision-making and nowhere is this more pronounced than here on the fringes of the region. The impact of this has echoed through Mahurangi, with the ‘city bureaucrats’ as the repeated target of community frustrations.
But as the Local Government Commission starts consultation on making changes to Auckland Council (see story p1), Mahurangi is being given a strong platform to voice these issues and lobby for change. With a new mayor, there will be the opportunity to put more decisions in the lap of communities – all the major mayoral candidates have voiced their preference for devolving more decision-making.The other factor that adds gravitas to this election is growth – it’s started and it’s coming at a rapid rate. Now is the crucial period, before the buildings go up and roads go down, for people to have a say in determining what the future of Warkworth will look like.
Making the most of these challenges and opportunities will require local representatives who will work hard for this community, understand the issues, and get in front of decision makers so these opportunities don’t pass us by. Our representatives need to be proactive – front-foot public debate on these issues, hold public meetings and get the pertinent Council staff to front up. We need to set the bar high.
And now time to reflect… With a ringside seat at nearly three years of Rodney Local Board meetings, through debates, both fervid and mundane, and the triumphs and obfuscations, it’s time to look back and add my two cents.
I’ll start with the cons. Too often this term, projects have been dreamed up in the bowels of Auckland Council offices, with eye-watering costs and dubious evidence of efficacy, only to be rubber-stamped by our Local Board. There needs to be more scrutiny and initiative. Local board members should be the impetus behind Council projects, rather than the rubber stamp at the end. They should be in a position to understand the needs of the community and the best way to address them, not Council staff.But there have also been some impressive initiatives. After grappling with the baffling costs of Council-led projects, the Board is working with the community to get things done. A recent grant to the Warkworth Lions to build a playground on the Mahurangi River bank is a pilot project of this strategy, and although the results are yet to be seen, I doubt I’ll be here in six months writing about how half of the funding has been eaten up by consultants.
The expanded grants scheme, which funds dozens of community projects, backed by volunteers, is another great initiative from this term.What’s been missing is coordination. There’s been a disconnect between the Local Board and Council – that divide needs to be bridged. Whoever the next councillor is, they need to be engaged and pushing in the same direction. Together, our representatives need to champion the big issues. A softly-softly approach, meeting with Council staffers, can only go so far. Set some ambitious goals, get people engaged and make some noise.
Time to put the pressure on…
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