6.1. The Commission shares the enthusiasm that all New Zealanders have for their country, and that Aucklanders have for their city. The task given to us by our terms of reference is to make recommendations for Auckland’s governance that will assist in bettering the life of all New Zealanders by making Auckland and New Zealand a more prosperous and desirable place in which to live, work, and play.
6.2. Throughout this process, the Commission has been concerned to ensure that our recommendations are directed not only to problem solving – identifying and addressing current inadequacies in Auckland’s governance arrangements – but also, and more importantly, to pinpointing what we all want for the future, and the changes needed to close the gap between where Auckland is now and where it needs to be.
6.3. The Commission’s terms of reference record the enormous changes that will be faced over the next 100 years, brought about by global economic, environmental, and political forces. In earlier chapters we have examined the Auckland of today, described Auckland’s current local government arrangements and their evolution, and speculated about what the future might hold for Auckland.
6.4. The Commission’s vision for Auckland is, then, based on a thorough understanding of where Auckland currently stands, and where Auckland’s strongest prospects for the future lie. Auckland must sustain and build on its existing strengths to prepare and position itself to meet the challenges this century will bring. Central to this is the realisation that economic, social, cultural, and environmental well-beings are inextricably linked and must be addressed in an integrated way.
6.5. This chapter describes the Commission’s vision for Auckland, with the four following chapters exploring in more detail what it means for Auckland to succeed economically, environmentally, socially, and culturally. In Parts 4 and 5 of this report, we consider what changes to governance arrangements should be made to support the realisation of this vision.
6.6. The eight existing councils in Auckland have defined eight different “visions” for their communities, focused, variously, on the environment, lifestyle and liveability, prosperity, and being the “First City of the Pacific”. The Commission anticipates that an important initial job of the new Auckland Council we are recommending will be to identify a unified vision for Auckland, which takes into account local diversity, but has an overall direction to which all Aucklanders can subscribe. The vision should be included in the Auckland Council’s spatial plan, and progress towards its attainment should be recorded in the annual “State of the Region” address by the Mayor of Auckland.1 The Commission is convinced of the importance of strong leadership in making this vision become a reality.
6.7. We also think it important that Auckland define itself, and its distinguishing characteristics, in relation to the rest of the world. Given Auckland’s geographic location and small size relative to many international cities, being noticed on the global stage will always be a challenge. Defining a clear identity and conveying it consistently and effectively is probably the best way of being heard. Vision and identity can often be encapsulated in a sentence, for example “Absolutely, Positively Wellington”. Auckland needs to record its identity in this way. By recognising that Auckland is in direct competition for talent and investment with Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane, as the Commission believes it is, it is possible to create a baseline for measuring and reporting progress. As an ambitious goal, for example, we would like to see Auckland displace Melbourne as the world’s most liveable city within 10 years.
6.8. We have recorded below some of the main directions we see for Auckland. These directions are based on the characteristics of a successful Auckland identified by the Commission in Chapter 1, including
6.9. In order to progress this vision, it is necessary to understand the connections between the urban challenges that Auckland faces. Environmental and social goals can no longer be seen as being in competition with economic goals, but must all be viewed as part of an integrated strategy essential to Auckland’s prosperity. Greater wealth accompanied by increasing income gaps or environmental degradation is not a path to
Located on an isthmus bounded by two oceans, Auckland looks seaward from its harbour-front central business district, from the beaches of the bay-side suburbs, and from the islands of the Hauraki Gulf. On land, a modern urban environment is interspersed with ancient volcanic cones, tracts of lush native forest, and rural communities. It is a stunning place to live.
The Commission sees Auckland as a unique international city in the Asia-Pacific region, able to compete successfully with Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane for people and investment.
High liveability is, and will remain, a valued feature. Quality of life is central to Auckland’s ability to attract and retain talented people, and to deliver significant investment and prosperity to New Zealand. This city needs to build on this as follows:
The Commission believes an integrated and sustainable approach to Auckland’s inevitable growth is essential. The city’s expansion and its infrastructure development must be actively and effectively managed. Fine urban design should complement Auckland’s magnificent natural setting. Auckland’s environmental assets and its communities should be managed and protected in a responsible way.
This vision is about prosperity, people, and place – Auckland can have it all.long-term success. This is particularly true for a region like Auckland where liveability is such a key asset in attracting and retaining business, investment, and talented people.
6.10. Chapters 1 and 2 identify that Auckland has potential to contribute more to the national economy, and foreshadows how local government might assist in ensuring this is achieved.
6.11. We are conscious that the return to strong economic growth will not be achieved in local and central government offices. However, government can, through its policy settings and activities, create an enabling environment for economic recovery to occur.
6.12. In this regard, Auckland’s local government should set high standards for itself. We envisage focused, efficient, and productive local government that ensures public spending is directed to the best possible use, funding high-quality services, achieving value for money, and demonstrating and measuring performance in a transparent way. In the current economic environment, businesses and ratepayers do not need unjustified rates increases or overly onerous and costly regulatory compliance costs.
6.13. In partnership with central government and the region’s businesses, Auckland’s local government must act with urgency to do what it can to support Auckland’s economy and the well-being of its residents in the short term, while maintaining a clear focus on shifting Auckland’s businesses to a higher level of productivity and competitiveness for the long term. Improving Auckland’s infrastructure, particularly the development of an ultra-fast broadband network, has the potential to do this, as does a carefully planned and executed Rugby World Cup event in 2011.
6.14. Auckland’s local governance structures must be capable of supporting and enhancing the local businesses and communities that provide the foundation of Auckland’s prosperity. At the same time they must also be capable of addressing pan-Auckland economic development issues, including regional tourist promotion, implementation of an Auckland brand, improvements to key infrastructure networks, and rationalising duplicative and sometimes conflicting regulatory requirements. Currently, fragmented lines of responsibility between regional and local government undercut the ability of Auckland to perform nationally and internationally as an effective city-region.
6.15. A narrowly focused approach to prosperity has particular danger for Auckland. Lack of attention to preserving the natural environment or maintaining core social standards can undermine liveability, in particular the clean, green, safe characteristics that attract many to the city. One of the region’s biggest assets is the quality of life it offers its citizens. A mild climate, beautiful harbours, beaches, and islands offer the sort of recreational opportunities other large cities envy. The concept of kaitiakitanga, or guardianship over natural and community treasures and resources, embodies the approach we believe necessary to safeguard the natural assets that underpin the lifestyle Aucklanders hold dear.
6.16. Auckland, and local government, can be justly proud of its achievements in protecting the environment in the past 20 years. The region’s waterways are less polluted, drinking water continues to be amongst the best in the world, the Auckland Regional Council in particular has added regularly to our stock of parks and green spaces, and there have been significant advances in the way we manage waste.
6.17. We must now refocus to protect and enhance our urban environment. We need to do more with our central city and waterfront area, which have a critical gateway function for Auckland. There is also an urgent need to put in place measures that will ensure that the quality of Auckland’s buildings and urban spaces is significantly improved and that we properly preserve existing built and archaeological heritage. For too long, Auckland has had to put up with substandard design and development. We must do better.
6.18. Auckland needs to be smarter about planning to manage growth. Auckland’s sprawl cannot continue. It compromises productive rural land, and a widely dispersed population is more expensive to service, particularly in terms of providing core infrastructure over large distances. Auckland now has the opportunity to provide for a more efficient urban form, with potential flow-on benefits such as increased productivity and lower costs of doing business.
6.19. One ongoing environmental consideration is the predicted effects of global warming. Climate change, resulting in changing temperatures and sea levels, will have consequences for Auckland. These need to be planned for now to ensure they can be successfully managed in future.
6.20. Auckland must address its areas of financial and social deprivation, which constrain the growth of individual citizens, their families/whānau2 and the wider community, and place a heavy burden on health and social services. As President Obama said in his inaugural address, success depends on our “ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart – not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good”.3
6.21. Economic and social well-being are highly interdependent. For example, a successful, healthy, skilled workforce requires adequate and stable housing, efficient and accessible transport options, a safe environment, access to healthcare and education, recreation opportunities, and a sense of connection. People who are more highly qualified will be more productive, better able to respond to new challenges and more likely to support a growing economy. In turn, a growing economy creates employment, economic resources, and social connectedness that contribute to better health, education, and housing outcomes.
6.22. The connections between cultural, social, and economic well-being are also important – for example, strengthened cultural identity for Māori is critical for improving social and economic outcomes, while Māori as mana whenua4 have a critical role as kaitiaki5 over their people and the environment.
6.23. We have concluded that local government in Auckland needs to do more to promote social well-being as required by the Local Government Act 2002. While central government has primary responsibility for social well-being policy, funding, and service delivery, all local government activities impact significantly on social well-being, and local government has an important role to play. It has however, muddled along in the absence of clarity about its role, and important opportunities to promote social well-being have largely been missed. For example, good public transport options are particularly critical for accessing employment, yet the areas of Auckland that have the worst public transport are those with the highest incidence of social deprivation.6 The powers of council to contribute to improved social well-being need to be fully understood and realised.
6.24. Accordingly, in our view the solution has two key strands. Local and central government must be knitted into a structure that facilitates shared decision making and accountability. Given the amount of government money being spent on social issues in Auckland, it seems unlikely that the challenge of reversing entrenched problems lies with resource shortages. Rather, and particularly in the current economic environment, priority must be placed on ensuring that resources are applied where the greatest needs lie, and where the greatest gains can be achieved. Promoting social well-being must also be given greater priority and woven into all council activities such as planning and provision of infrastructure.
6.25. Culture is the fourth dimension of well-being that councils are required to promote under the Local Government Act 2002.7 As noted in the report of the External Advisory Committee on Cities and Communities in Canada,
Culture is both a set of objects (art, music, theatre, buildings) and a set of processes. Culture is not just the pictures and books produced by regions and communities or nations; it is also their beliefs, their behaviour and how they develop and express them.8
6.26. For Auckland, cultural well-being has a particular resonance because of its diverse population. Diversity is a source of strength, bringing innovation, skills, and vibrancy to the city.
6.27. A thriving city attracts and retains people, and supports them to actively and constructively participate in city life. Local government policies, regulations, and services can influence people’s choices to come to, or remain in, a region. Students, for example, may be attracted to a particular educational institution for academic reasons, but may choose to stay in that city for lifestyle and career opportunities. Where people choose to live is strongly influenced by social well-being and cultural issues: safety; social cohesion; the richness of arts and culture; services for families, children, and the elderly; educational opportunities; and recreational possibilities.
6.28. We wish Auckland to see itself as a diverse and creative city, one to which people in all walks of life are attracted, and one in which they see themselves and their values and interests reflected. To achieve this Auckland needs strong local government leadership in support of diversity and a regional, coordinated, and strategic approach to managing cultural and recreational issues and assets.
6.29. What Auckland needs most is a change of attitude. It needs to set its sights high and believe that it can achieve long-term success.
6.30. Auckland needs to change the way that it sees itself. It needs to articulate its common ground – what it values for the region now and into the future. Defining a common vision and designing regional government to implement it will enable Auckland to move forward together towards the infrastructure, the economic prosperity, the kind of society and environment it wants.
6.31. The connection citizens feel to Auckland’s communities needs to be nurtured. Instead of expending energy on turf battles, we would like local councils to turn their energies to promoting and reflecting the diversity of their people – shaping their places in a way that builds the vibrant, supportive communities that are confident and welcoming to newcomers.
6.32. Auckland needs to change the way that it serves the New Zealand economy. Compared with many other international cities, Auckland does not contribute as much as it could to national income. Lowering regulatory costs for business, improving infrastructure, and promoting innovation will make Aucklanders more productive, improving the way they service the rest of New Zealand, and increasing their contribution to national income. Together we need to reinvigorate our city, and local government has an important part to play in that process.
6.33. The way local government in Auckland interacts with central government needs to change and transform, to make Auckland a shared project. The Commission’s starting point is that all tiers of government – central, Auckland-wide, and local – have shared responsibility for the long-term development of Auckland. Each tier has distinct, but interlinked, roles to play. Describing the roles for each tier, and the common threads that run between, is at the heart of this report. The Commission has sought to achieve for the future a clearer role definition and clearer connection between central and Auckland local government.
Auckland needs an overarching vision for the region uniting Aucklanders to achieve prosperity for all, quality of place and lifestyle, and enhanced well-being for the region’s diverse and growing population.
6A The Auckland Council should include a vision for the region in its spatial plan.9
6B The Mayor of Auckland’s annual “State of the Region” address should describe progress towards the attainment of the vision.10
1. The spatial plan and mayor’s annual state of the region address are outlined in Chapters 24 (Planning) and 19 (Leadership) respectively.
2. Whānau – family, blood relatives.
3. President Barack Obama, inaugural address delivered 21 January 2009, transcript available at www.whitehouse.gov/blog/inaugural-address/.
4. Mana whenua – local Māori with ancestral ties to the land.
5. Kaitiaki – guardian, caretaker.
6. These issues are discussed further in Chapter 9, “Promoting Social Well-Being”, pp. 229–230.
7. Local Government Act 2002, section 10(b).
8. External Advisory Committee on Cities and Communities, From Restless Communities to Resilient Places: Building A Stronger Future For All Canadians, Final Report of the External Advisory Committee on Cities and Communities, June 2006, p. xvi.
9. See Recommendation 14A on the establishment of the Auckland Council and Recommendation 24A on the development of a spatial plan.
10. See Recommendation 19B.
| Home | Help | Disclaimer & Copyright | Contact us | newzealand.govt.nz |