AUCKLANDERS REJECT GOVERNMENT PROCESS ON SUPERCITY

PRESS RELEASE
Embargoed until 6am Thursday 20 May 2010

The Our Auckland referendum results show a massive 96% of respondents do not approve of the way the Government is setting up the new Auckland Council. 95% do not think that enough attention has been paid to the wishes of Aucklanders and 94% do not think the Government has officially asked them what kind of Auckland they want.

Our Auckland spokesperson Mels Barton says that this shows how disenfranchised Aucklanders are from the decisions being made about their city. “The Government has lost the support of Aucklanders for these changes by throwing away the Royal Commission's recommendations, ignoring submissions and bulldozing ahead with unpopular plans too quickly and without proper consultation or consideration. They have no mandate from Aucklanders for the Government model that is being proposed.”

In addition, 92% did not want traditional council services like water, transport, economic development and tourism and events to be operated by corporate, unelected CCOs, and 92% would not give their permission for CCOs to take charge of Auckland's most important assets.

95% thought that there should be a binding referendum of Aucklanders before significant assets like water, ports, airport shares, museums and stadia were sold or privatised.

90% wanted decisions about issues that affect their neighbourhood to be made by their Local Board, and 85% did not think it was fair that Local Boards could not make decisions and bylaws, but only make recommendations to the Auckland Council.

Mels Barton says “People want local decisions to be made locally and for their assets to be controlled by democratically elected representatives, not by corporate CCOs. They have lost trust to the point that they want a binding referendum before key decisions affecting these assets are made. If the Government wants to win back Aucklanders then they need to start listening and give democratic control back to the city.”

“Slowing down the process of change by allowing the newly elected Council and Mayor to make decisions on what CCOs to set up and who should be on their boards would be a good start. Enabling Local Boards to be effective by giving them the power to make decisions and bylaws, along with realistic funding and resourcing, would restore some confidence that local voices will be heard.”

56% agreed that there should be dedicated seats for Maori on the Auckland Council and 67% agreed that there should be permanent Ethnic and Pacific Advisory Panels, as recommended by the Royal Commission.

88% thought that people living on the fringe of Auckland should be asked whether they wanted to be part of the new Auckland structure. Of those who responded only 17% came from Rodney, Franklin, Papakura or the Gulf Islands, with 81% coming from the metropolitan cities of Auckland, North Shore, Waitakere and Manukau.

Around 51% of people voted online and 49% via post or ballot box, with ballot boxes placed in every library in the Auckland Region apart from Franklin, where libraries are not council-run.

Mels Barton says the results show huge interest from all demographics, with particularly high counts recorded from the ballot boxes placed in Panmure Library and Mt Wellington's Riverside (Taha Awa) Community Centre, and the majority of the postal votes being from older people. “We even had one envelope with 19 votes from Epsom, Rodney Hide's electorate, all opposing the Government's process. So people from every walk of life are unhappy with the way this is being handled - and that must send a strong message to the Government to listen and take action to change things, while they still can. It's not too late to make the new Auckland into a democratic city, not a corporate one, and have an Auckland Council that all Aucklanders can feel part of and proud of.”

The total number of valid votes cast in 8 days was 8973.