ANNUAL PLAN

We have started what will be the last review of our council’s annual plan. Because of the establishment of the new Auckland Council our budget for 2010/11 will cover only a four-month period, taking in the budget we committed to through our 10-year Long-term Council Community Plan agreed last year.

As ever, the city continues to grow apace with the needs and expectations of the community. There will be some changes to the projected capital development programme, in particular to reflect a desire to tidy up around our communities.

We will be addressing long-standing issues in some of our sports, art and culture clubs and organisations as well as some work within our reserves, libraries, pools and recreation centres.

MAINSTREET MAKEOVER

We are about to begin the second mainstreet makeover – this time in Old Papatoetoe.

At the time of writing, we were one commercial retailer short of the required number to start the project, which will begin with a community clean up of the Old Papatoetoe main street. Following that will be a paintover and serious spruce up of all the shops and frontages in the town.

We want this project to be community oriented, so we are calling to all staunch and proud Papatoetoe residents, that this is an opportunity to get out and do something. So when we set the date for cleaning we want all the seniors, the kids, the churches, sports clubs and community organisations present for a massive effort. It will be a great day.

THIRD BILL

We have completed and sent to Parliament, our council’s submission on the Third Bill for the establishment of the new Auckland Council.

This Bill mostly reflects on issues relating to the establishment of local boards and council controlled organisations or CCOs, as well as representation issues for Maori, Pacific and other ethnicities into the council.

We continue to feel the Government needs to be clearer in its statutory prescription for the powers and authorities of the new local boards.

When I am out in the community I am reminded how critical well-empowered and funded boards will be to give our community confidence that their townships will continue to be looked after, their concerns heard and acted on under this new Auckland structure. Invariably in my public meetings such as a recent one with the Weymouth Residents and Ratepayers, the issue is “So where will we fit in under the new council?” as well as “Who will look after us?”

Deputy Mayor Gary Troup and I will present our submission to the Select Committee, that will include this and other matters of critical commercial importance in the new council.

A number of Council Controlled Organisations (CCO’s) are being established which will in effect look after 75 per cent of the assets and monetary operation of this council.

I was recently at a Howick U3A meeting when the question came from the floor as to what sort of control we would have over CCO’s and the directors, given the commercial nature of the new council structure.

My reply was that we needed to ensure the government-appointed directors only be appointed for 12 months, and that all directors would be appointed from council after that. Secondly, we would be able to ensure good accountability through strong reporting between the CCOs, their directors and the Mayor and council through the Statement of Corporate Intent, which in effect is an agreement on the strategy, policy and direction of the CCO with the council overseeing that process.

I am not happy with the extent of the CCO development and certainly not the establishment of the Transport CCO. However, neither our council or any of the Auckland councils are in charge of this process. The Government is making its final determination. What I have constantly reiterated is that after the election in November, this matter will be back to the council and the community to finally resolve the best way forward.

PAULY FUEMANA

We recently lost musician Pauly Fuemana, at only 40 years of age. Pauly was an integral part of the Otara Millionaire’s Club (OMC) who won acclaim for their global hit single “How Bizarre”. Although he was much loved for the cheekiness, Pauly was never an over the top character but had a distinctive style. His success was and will continue to be inspirational for so many youngsters in our community. He led out into the international market, New Zealand ‘s Pacific Urban Hip Hop sound, in the most spectacular fashion. It is poignant for Pauly to ask to be farewelled at the PIC church in Newton, the original Pacific Church for Auckland – his grandparents’ church. It was a fitting farewell to one of our favourite sons.

Have a good week.