Viewpoint – Collective approach

The dust has now settled on a rather turbulent and controversial period for Auckland Council which saw the introduction of the 10 Year Budget. On reflection the Hibiscus Coast hasn’t fared too badly – our rates, on average, have not changed too much with half our suburbs actually experiencing a decrease (in marked contrast to other parts of Auckland where ratepayers have received big increases).

Project-wise, significant sums of money are budgeted across the spectrum in transport, recreation and community facilities, earlier forebodings of ‘geographic favouritism’ not really materialising in a reduced spending cap which, ironically enough, has had to be somewhat fairer in sharing projects around the Auckland region. That’s not to say that there’s still not plenty to be done, especially in the transport field, but even there slow progress is being made – with the bus and ferry services, Penlink and Whangaparaoa Road. It’s certainly not at the pace we would want (or is required) but it is happening.

Despite this I suspect many people still harbour a sense of dissatisfaction over the direction of the Super City (an unease entirely justified in a number of areas). At the moment real leadership is confined to small but disproportionately influential groups across the council organisation – political, bureaucratic and corporate. In my view public confidence will only be restored through collective leadership that genuinely involves all Auckland’s varied communities.

If you want to see how this works in practice, look no further than our own communities. Around the Hibiscus Coast you will see any number of people providing this kind of leadership. They ‘walk the talk’ with their families, clubs, churches, schools and businesses, inspiring and uplifting others by what they do and who they are. They are invariably open, honest and involve others in decision-making.

And if you look yet further around the Coast you’ll see examples of the foresight, generosity and competence of earlier generations and their collective leaderships. The Stanmore Bay Pool & Leisure Centre was initially a controversial project back in the late 80s that was driven by the likes of Brian Smith and others who could see the future community need and had it built with no impact on rates. Similarly, when the council of the day wanted to pump barely treated sewerage out into a number of Coast beaches, people united under the leadership of Bill Subritsky to protect the environment, with 5000 famously turning up to one rally on Stanmore Bay beach. In the end they got the modern sewerage system required, not just the cheapest and most convenient for their distant masters of the day.

When leadership at the civic level coincides with the leadership out in the community an irresistible force is created.

No one can exist in a vacuum – they need the help of others and especially in an entity as big as the Auckland Council. That’s where good leadership will listen and learn – secure in the belief that most communities can solve their own problems and make adequate provision for their future if they are allowed to (and within reasonable budgets).

My hope therefore is that there will soon be the recognition that things have to change, public confidence regained, the good and bad openly acknowledged and a genuinely collective leadership embraced to replace that structure imposed by central government – one that has since been rejected by other parts of NZ, most notably the Wellington region itself.