Council shake-up keeps co-governance – Brown

^{Mayor Brown says he has spoken with IMSB members and assured them co-governance will remain amid a council shake-up. Photo / NZME}

Tāmaki Makaurau mayor Wayne Brown has affirmed a commitment to co-governance amid a shake-up and axing of some of the council’s governing committees.

Brown axed the numbers of members on some committees and abolished others in a bid to streamline decision-making and tackle the body’s $295 million budget deficit.

One group on the chopping block was the finance committee, which the Independent Māori Statutory Board has voting rights on, while not having votes on the council as a whole.

Financial decisions will now be made by the broader voting block.

Brown says the IMSB will be given voting rights to the block on issues pertaining to finance, to ensure co-governance remains.

Mayor Brown told councillors he had spoken with IMSB members, including the board’s chair David Taipari, and they were pleased with the maintenance of co-governance standards amid the shake-up.

Brown says he will run the re-jig past lawyers to ensure it meets legal requirements and pledged to continue to meet with mana whenua to ensure Iwi representation.

The framework of three fewer committees and fewer people on the retained committees was approved by councillors.