- By Laura Kvigstad, Auckland Council reporter – Funded by New Zealand on Air
A proposal by Howick ward councillor Maurice Williamson to consult the public about reducing the number of Howick Local Board members has been voted down.
Auckland Council is currently undertaking its representation review looking at matters such as the number of elected representatives or ward boundaries.
At the council’s governing body meeting on June 27, councillors supported the initial proposal for representation which will go out for public consultation.
One part of the proposal is to increase the Howick Local Board from nine members to 11.
Williamson put forward an amendment to the material proposing to consult the public on reducing the number of Howick Local Board members down to seven.
“It is to go out for consultation,” he said.
“I don’t think it’s the end of the world and if I am proven wrong then I will apologise that I didn’t read my community properly.”
Councillor Julie Fairey was concerned the Howick Local Board didn’t have a chance to formally meet and discuss the proposal.
“We have been through a process on this over several months and yet this morning is the first time it’s been raised,” she said.
“We could have worked through this issue at the working party and I guess my question is why wasn’t that done?”
Williamson said he’d spoken with various ratepayer groups in the Howick ward and only recently came to the conclusion the public would not support more elected representatives.
“We have got more elected representatives than the whole of the country has in Wellington and so advocating for more seems to be wrong.”
The New Zealand Parliament is comprised of 123 MPs compared to the Howick Local Board’s nine elected members so it’s unclear what Williamson was referring to.
Councillors were divided between believing he would best know his community and the issue of process with the local board not having been consulted.
Williamson said he’d discussed the proposal with the Howick Local Board chair (Damian Light) who he said saw merit in not increasing the number of local board members.
Councillor Richard Hills challenged Williamson and said an evidence-based process was important.
“I checked in with the local board. They don’t support this direction.
“Those members, if reduced to seven, would have double the numbers of residents that the local board members in my area have.”
Councillor Greg Sayers acknowledged the public sentiment to have fewer elected members.
“It just hasn’t gone through that due process and opportunity for input – to my mind it kind of undermines that democratic process,” Sayers said.
Deputy mayor Desley Simpson supported the amendment despite saying it was controversial.
“I don’t know that it’s the right answer but I am happy for you to take a controversial thing for your area, at your request, to your people and ask for their feedback,” Simpson said.
The amendment was lost eight votes to nine with three abstentions.
The Times has contacted Howick Local Board chairperson Damian Light for comment.
- Disclosure: Howick Local Board deputy chairperson Bo Burns is the owner of the Times.
