Our submission is:

1. The proposed Supercity should assume the functions of the ARC.


2. It should subsume the existing 7 component Councils and Community Boards, as Wards of the Supercity.

   Minor adjustments to boundaries, staff, and functions should be made progressively. This would retain existing facilities, operations, accountability, local knowledge and resources, with minimal disruption¹.



3. The present "at large" ARC election of Councillors for the Supercity should persist, plus representation from the component Council/Wards.


4. The single Rate, on whatever basis, preferably decided by poll, should be apportioned between the City and the components on an ad valorem basis.


5. The current plan to re-jig 7 into 6 is unnecessary, impracticable, unwanted, undemocratic, expensive and wasteful. It will be next to impossible to implement, or to unwind. The massive disruption and consequential chaos will resolve nothing. Nor will it go away until properly resolved along the lines of the successful ARA which was dismantled because of its success!

Unpopular with 1/3 of N.Z's population, and with Local Government, the disaster will become apparent about the same time as the next General Election looms (2011). It will be suicidal for the Government and at the expense of Auckland. Opponents of this simple, proven plan who are alleged to have a secret agenda of divide and rule (as previously) will have to explain their perfidy².

1. The Submission
   
   • The Key
   • The Implications
   • World Bank Direction
     http://indymedia.org.nz/newswire/display/74956/
     
     
2. Integral Appendices:
   1. Appendix 1
      • A Short History of this Association
        
      • Since 1896, and before.
      • By 1982, the democratic adoption Land Value Rating by poll, in 90% of municipalities, raising 80% of revenue.
        
      • The reasons for its universal adoption being denied, the right to the poll being withdrawn and the trend reversed..
      • World Bank influence
        
        
   2. Appendix 2:
      • Rates Relief:
        • Submission to the Rates Enquiry Committee.
          
        • Response to the Committee's Report.
          
   
   
   3. Appendix 3
      • Sundry Significant Reports

The sorry saga cited herein borders on a constitutional travesty which hopefully the Royal Commission will help to redress in Auckland.

[2. Extract from the submission:]

A THE SUBMISSION

The original ARA should be re-instituted, in substance if not in name, and the present Councils largely subsumed by it.

The ARA became so successful it was dismantled because of a perceived political threat to autocratic Central Government.

That perception was wrong. Regional Government whilst a creature of statute should be an integral partner of Central Government The core functions of each should be prescribed, and implemented by both accordingly, in cooperation, not in isolation; the macro/micro administration of the infrastructure, not an agency for social agendai³. Social well-being will flow from integrated infrastructure.

A core function of Regional Government is the coordinated reticulation of roads, rails, pipes, wires and the like; the provision and management of ports, airports, and any other natural monopoly, for private operators paying a competitive market rental, licence or fee where appropriate; contractors, of course; i.e monopoly profits where there is competition, or a marginal cost, whichever is appropriate.

4 [ARC = Auckland Regional Council; ARA = Auckland Regional Authority]