Darby puts his hand up to keep eye on transport body
Auckland councillor Chris Darby wants to become the people’s eyes and ears at Auckland Transport by going on the board of the deeply unpopular council-controlled organisation.
Darby publicly signalled the idea to mayor Phil Goff less than 24 hours after the results of the election came in.
Goff has promised a “review and reform” of the five council-controlled organisations, saying he shares concerns about whether they listen to communities and can be held accountable.
One of Goff’s first goals in his second term is to set up an independent review of the CCOs with the Government. The review will be completed within 12 months and law changes would be needed to implement reforms.
When the National Government set up the Super City in 2010, it put 75 per cent of council services in the hands of unelected CCOs. Politicians were barred from sitting on the boards, apart from AT which, because of its size, could have two seats for councillors.
Len Brown, the first Super City mayor, put councillors Chris Fletcher and Mike Lee on to the board of AT for the first two terms, but Goff ended the practice in 2016.
Darby, a member of Goff’s inner circle and chair of the planning committee, said he wants Goff to put a councillor on the board until the review is done.
“It does need a political insider and I’m probably best equipped to do that,” he said, adding there had to be a way he could report to council.
Darby has also flagged his desire to stay on as chairman of the powerful planning committee and wants to add climate change to its remit.
Goff is staying mum on who he will appoint to committees until he has spoken to councillors about their plans. Nor has he said if he will reappoint Bill Cashmore as deputy mayor.
Cashmore said he had told the mayor he would love to carry on, but if that is not politically possible he would accept that with graciousness.
Goff could choose to appoint Cashmore to a senior committee role after the retirement of Penny Hulse, who chaired the environment and community committee, and the loss of finance committee chair Ross Clow, who lost his Whau seat to Tracy Mulholland.
Deputy finance committee chairwoman Desley Simpson told the Herald she would accept the finance job if Goff offered it to her. That could present a difficulty for Goff because Simpson stood on the Communities and Residents ticket to “stop the mayor’s higher rates agenda”.
Goff has promised annual rates rises of 3.5 per cent a year this term, which Simpson voted for in the 10-year budget but could oppose when rates are debated and voted on again in the annual budget.
Daniel Newman, the Manurewa-Papakura councillor and de facto leader of the “B Team” grouping of Goff opponents, congratulated the mayor.
On Facebook Newman said he looked forward to working with Goff but took a swipe at the direction he has set for transport and climate change.
“Success is not esoteric visions of a carbon-free life or miles of dangerous cycleways that serve no one,” he said.
Instead it was dealing with rubbish, sports in parks and repairing roads and footpaths.