Describing his Auckland Super City as “bold, decisive and radical”, Local Government Minister Rodney Hide told guests at the New Zealand Herald’s business luncheon on Monday he had no doubt that Doug McKay, the new chief executive officer of the region-wide council, would deliver a service-driven culture.

“Aucklanders from the household to the board room can now confidently anticipate a council driven by the real desire to be helpful and co-operative,” he said.

Speaking to Gulf News after a tense press conference in which he had refused to comment on the legality or legitimacy of claims by mayoral candidate John Banks that he could deliver a mixed water rate for the region, the minister said the powers of local boards would rest on Aucklanders’ ability to choose the right candidates in next month’s election.

Local board powers, he said, would be generated within the ‘culture’ of the new Super City. “There is only so much you can do with legislation. It will depend on which people are elected.”

Announcing the composition and leaders of the board of the CCOs which will run most of Auckland’s services and the city’s $4 billion in assets, the minister also took an opportunity to remind guests that, “For nigh on a hundred years Aucklanders have been complaining about an inadequate transport system and waterfront development among others. In short, complaining about a dysfunctional city where feudal bickering has stymied progress and waiting for someone to fix the problem.

 “Well, to fix the problem we have done what no government has been prepared to do.

 “We have been bold, decisive, and yes, radical,” he said.

Over lunch, Mr Hide had unveiled a plan to drop Auckland’s water supply charges to a uniform $1.30 next July. He later assured journalists “hand-on-heart” that the huge drop was a result of figures generated by Watercare (which did not get a new board) and represented a taste of the economies possible with the Super City amalgamation. However, he had no figures for wastewater charges for the region which will not be reset until the following year, after next October’s general elections.
Chief executive officer Doug McKay acknowledged the enormous task of the Super City for which there had been few precedents – Fonterra was the nearest equivalent ­– and said the initial task was to ensure operational stability and he hoped that on Day One people would notice no change.

The city would have to address policies and strategies for its new, significantly rural hinterlands and local boards would be its “access to the communities”, he said.

• Liz Waters