Auckland Governance
The Rates Inquiry in 2007 was a “Whitewash.”
The commissioners never asked the hard questions like...
(a) Where is our rates money being spent?
(b) Why are consultants being paid so much?
(c) Who are the contractors and what are they paid?
(e) Is this good value for money?
The Royal Commission on Auckland Governance is looking at the future governance structure needed in Auckland, however the Royal Commission first needs to find out why a Cost / Benefit anyalis of public funds has never been done.
Did amalgamation really benefit the public or did business benefit more?
David Rankin, CEO of Auckland City Council refuses to answer our official information request which asks
OPEN LETTER / OFFICIAL INFORMATION ACT REQUEST
TO AUCKLAND CITY COUNCIL CEO DAVID RANKIN
27 August 2007
Following is a complete list of services provided by Auckland City Council.
Please provide the information which shows:
A) How much money in total Auckland City Council has spent on the provision of each of these services, each year:
a) 2001 – 2002
b) 2002 – 2003
c) 2003 – 2004
d) 2004 – 2005
e) 2005 – 2006
f) 2006 – 2007
B) Whether each of these services are operated and managed directly by:
a) Auckland City Council full-time staff.
b) Temporary staff employed on contract by Auckland City Council.
c) A combination of both.
d) For each of the above-mentioned years, the amount spent on wages and salaries for each of these services that are operated and managed directly by:
i) Auckland City Council full-time staff.
ii) Temporary staff employed on contract by Auckland City Council.
iii) A combination of both.
iv) Whether the operation and management of these services have been contracted out to the private
sector.
a) If so, which companies have these contracts.
b) What is the value of each of these contracts.
c) For how long is the term of each of these contracts.
d) Who decided which company would get these contracts.
e) When were the decisions made as to which companies would get these contracts.
E) Which of the following Boards, Committees or Subcommittees do each of these Council services come under and report to?
• Art Gallery Enterprise Board
• Assessors and Audit (sub-committee)
• City Development Committee
• Creative Communities (sub committee)
• Community Services Committee
• Finance and Corporate Business Committee
• Law and Order Committee
• Regulatory and Fixtures (sub-committee)
• Recreation and Events Committee
• Strategy and Governance Committee
• Transport Committee
• Works Committee
• Zoo Enterprise Board
The complete list of services provided by Auckland City Council, as downloaded from the Auckland City Council website is as follows:
To make it easier for officers to answer my questions I listed in Red my top 15 activities to be investigated.
1) Abandoned vehicles
2) Account customers
3) Alcohol bans
4) Animals
5) Auckland City Libraries (16)
6) Billboards
7) Brothels and commercial sex premises
8) Building consents (6)
9) Building on your property
10) Business ratepayers
11) Cemetaries
12) Community development services
13) Community noticeboards
14) Community venues
15) Compliance schedules and building WOFs (2)
16) Development contributions (10)
17) Digital GIS data
18) Disability innovations
19) Dogs (4)
20) Drainage plans
21) Environmental fines
22) Financial contributions
23) Fires
24) Food grading search
25) Food premises (5)
26) Footpaths (1)
27) Forms and brochures – property development and use
28) Garden and food waste
29) Graffiti (7)
30) Grants and funding
31) Health licenses (15)
32) Heritage
33) Land Information Memoranda (LIMs) (11)
34) Liquor licensing (8)
35) Mud and sediment runoff
36) Noise
37) Orakei Basin usage
38) Parking (2)
39) Pests
40) Pool fencing
41) Pools and recreational centres
42) Project Information Memoranda
43) Property and rates information search
44) Property information for purchase
45) Public toilets
46) Rates (13)
47) Resource consents (12)
48) Road and parking signs
49) Roads and footpaths (9)
50) Rubbish and recycling (14)