Viewpoint – Empowering local boards

With it being an election year I am receiving queries asking what is the difference between the role of a Local Board member compared to that of a councillor?

Local Boards are elected to provide governance at a local level. They enable democratic decision-making by, and on behalf of, communities within their local board area. Local Boards have the rewarding ability to spend local rates locally for local needs. The role of the councillor differs, requiring a focus on Auckland-wide strategic decisions, and working to make the most of the council’s ability to deliver across Auckland.

The Rodney district has nine elected Local Board members (part-time roles) and one councillor (full-time role). All are elected to work and serve the best interests of the ratepayers who elected them, rather than for the best interests of Auckland Council – which frequently requires them to challenge the bureaucracy.

A current hot topic is the Rodney Local Board proposal to enlarge a roosting area for shorebirds in Snells Beach. This would involve removing a 90-metre stretch of a popular coastal walkway. The proposal has gone out for public feedback (MM, Jan 17). The Rodney board has always had decision-making responsibility over local reserves and parks, including the Snells Beach pathway. Along with that responsibility comes accountability.

Another example of what the Local Board does is support community groups, landowners, volunteers and schools to manage pest plants, animals and pathogens, from Puhoi to Wellsford. The Board helps to carry out native planting and stream restoration work in our parks, reserves and on public land.

Local Boards also support people to work together for a better way of life, provide local community facilities, forward plan township growth, ensure transport networks are accessible, as well as help local groups protect the environment. This is also about spending local rates locally.

I have been working closely with the Mayor to drive changes allowing Local Boards to spend even more of the rates collected, locally. As a result, the Rodney Local Board gets a significant increase in its budget to invest back in to building local community facilities.

With the imminent restructuring of Auckland Transport coming back under direct control of Auckland Council, the goal is to devolve specific transport functions to local boards. This includes giving local boards, and thus also local communities, greater say over transport issues such as local parking policies, setting of local speed limits and approval of interventions on the roads, such as speedbumps and pedestrian crossings.

If elected members get any of these decisions wrong they can be elected out of office and held accountable by the ratepayer. For example, at the moment the Auckland Transport Board of Directors cannot be held accountable by the ratepayer and removed from their job if they get it wrong.
With these greater future responsibilities will also come greater accountability – which democratically, will be a significant improvement upon how the Supercity has been running to date.