Auckland Council services review aimed at giving ratepayers 'value for money' - Goff

Thursday, 16 March 2017

Auckland Mayor Phil Goff said the council needed to be 'proactive in ensuring that we are a cost-effective organisation'.

A shake-up of Auckland Council services will give Aucklanders 'confidence that ratepayers are getting value for money', Mayor Phil Goff says.

The reviews, which will take place over the next three years, will look at all services provided by the council and council-controlled organisations (CCOs), such as Watercare and Auckland Transport.

Among the first areas to be reviewed will be water, wastewater and stormwater services, as well as domestic waste services, including refuse, recycling and inorganics.

Also included in the first tranche are organisational support, including communications and engagement activities, and investment and global partnerships.

* Proposed Auckland Council budget under scrutiny**

The reviews are being conducted under section 17A of the Local Government Act, which requires all local authorities to review the cost-effectiveness of their services every six years.

Goff said the move aimed to ensure council services 'are of high quality and deliver value for money'.

'We need to be proactive in ensuring that we are a cost-effective organisation and the first step is to assess where and how we are spending ratepayers' money.

'The review also ensures accountability of CCOs through Council to the people of Auckland.'

He said the importance of high-performing water services had been highlighted by last week's Tasman Tempest, which caused widespread flooding across Auckland.

'These are big-ticket items, these are important items.'

The reviews would be performed by independent contractors and the first would likely run for about six or seven months, Goff said.

'The best possible result that I might hope for is they say 'best practice is already happening here', but they might say 'look, you need some changes here' - they might be minor, they might be major.'

During the 2016 local body elections, Goff spoke about merging back office services, including payroll and human resources, between the council and its six CCOs.

The reviews would examine that possibility but 'there's no pre-determined outcome', he said.

All the CCOS had been advised of the reviews in a letter on December 22, in which Goff informed them he expected them to 'promote value for money'.

The review programme was expected to be approved at the Finance and Performance Committee meeting next week.

Committee chairman Councillor Ross Clow said it was the first time that a Section 17A review had been conducted 'across the Council group'.

'These reviews will be more comprehensive and extensive than formerly,' he said.

'Aucklanders should have confidence that their money is delivering the best possible outcomes.'