AUCKLAND REGIONAL COUNCIL

The 'Auckland Regional Council' ('ARC') is one of the elected local government authorities of the Auckland Region. Its current chairman is Mike Lee, together with 12 other Councillors. The ARC was created as the successor of the Auckland Regional Authority.

Contents

Structure

Powers

Funding

Current Council

Subsidiary entities

References

External links

Structure

Powers

Unlike the territorial authorities of Greater Auckland, it has an umbrella function covering all the various cities and districts making up the region, but its regulatory power and funding abilities are in turn restricted to several areas including public transport, environmental protection and regional parks. The ARC is an elected body, and collects its own rates.
The ARC has been getting more involved in land use regulation, a move which has met with criticism from some politicians of the concerned Councils who normally regulate such matters.^[1] This criticism surfaced especially during a short-lived 2006 debate on further integration of the Auckland area, where many of the proposals included a proposed abolishment of the ARC, or a changed, less independent role.^[2]

Funding

Of the rates collected by the ARC, 50% go to fund public transport via its ARTA subsidiary,^[3] which is to amount to NZ$ 155 million in 2007/2008, up from 124 million in the preceding 2-year period 2006/2007.^[4] The ARC also manages 25 regional parks with 400 km² and 150 km of coastline, for which 15% of its total funding is spent.^[5] A further 19% is spent on ecological concerns, such as water quality and protecting ecosystems.^[6] Other minor percentages fund areas like 'Built Environment' (4%), 'Safety' (1%), 'Economic development' (3%) and 'Regional Leadership and community development' (8%).^[7]

Current Council

Function	Name	Constituency	Ticket
Chairman	Mike Lee	Auckland
Councillor	Christine Rose	Rodney
Councillor	Michael Barnett	Auckland
Councillor	Judith Bassett QSO	Auckland
Councillor	Bill Burrill	Manukau
Councillor	Joel Cayford	North Shore
Councillor	Sandra Coney	Waitakere
Councillor	Dianne Glenn	Franklin/Papakura
Councillor	David Hay	Auckland
Councillor	Wyn Hoadley QSO	North Shore
Councillor	Robyn Hughes	Manukau	Residents Action Movement
Councillor	Craig Little	Manukau
Councillor	Paul Walbran	Waitakere

Subsidiary entities

★ Auckland Regional Holdings (ARH) (Holding entity, owner of Ports of Auckland and other assets)

★ Auckland Regional Transport Authority (ARTA) (responsible for funding and regulating Auckland public transport)

References

1. ''John Law: Our mayors should anchor the ARC'' - ''New Zealand Herald'', Monday 06 November 2006
2. ''Supersized rates bill for super city'' - ''New Zealand Herald'', Saturday 09 September, 2006
3. ''Public transport funding gap highlighted in ARC Draft LTCCP'' - ARC press release, Sunday 27 February 2005
4. ''Transport - How we will do this'' (from the ''Summary Draft Annual Plan and amendments to the ten-year plan'' leaflet, April 2007, Page 4)
5. ''Regional parks - How we will do this'' (from the ''Summary Draft Annual Plan and amendments to the ten-year plan'' leaflet, April 2007, Page 6)
6. ''Natural environments and heritage - How we will do this'' (from the ''Summary Draft Annual Plan and amendments to the ten-year plan'' leaflet, April 2007, Page 8)
7. ''Various sections'' (from the ''Summary Draft Annual Plan and amendments to the ten-year plan'' leaflet, April 2007, Page 7-11)

External links

★ Auckland Regional Council (official website)