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Role of council and committees

Overview | Auckland City Council | Committees

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Overview

The Auckland City Council is New Zealand's largest territorial authority under the Local Government Act 2002.

It is responsible for over 401,000 residents and its jurisdiction covers 595km², including the Hauraki Gulf islands. The council comprises a mayor and 19 councillors, who are elected every three years.

The mayor is elected to represent the entire city, while each councillor represents one of the seven wards in the city. Each ward also has one or two community boards, made up of one or more councillors and elected board members.

The council generally focuses on issues from a city-wide perspective, while community boards deal with local matters.

Auckland City Council

The role of the elected council is to make policy on

• setting major policy (including strategic, annual and district plans, long-term financial strategies and funding policies
• appointing and monitoring the performance of the chief executive
• approving contracts over $1 million
• determining the council's committee structure, membership and delegations
• iwi relationships.

It makes decisions on matters that are not delegated to committees or Auckland City staff. Council meetings are scheduled twice a month, except during the January recess.

Committees

The elected council delegates responsibility for some of its functions to standing committees. These committees deal with finance and property, planning, community development, works and transport. They generally meet once a month.

Councillors are appointed to committees. They make decisions on city-wide issues and activities and to plan policy on delegated fields of activity. A field of activity is a specific activity or function, which the committee has responsibility for.

Committee membership consists of a chair, appointed councillors and a city council general manager is assigned to each committee to provide advice and information on legislative requirements, delegated powers, and council policy. Democracy Services group also assigns a democracy adviser to each committee to provide advice and administrative support.

Council and committee structure

Council

Major committees

Arts, Culture and Recreation

City Development

Community Services

Finance and Strategy

Transport

Smaller committees

Audit and Risk

Performance monitoring

Regional governance

Events subcommittee

Boards

Art Gallery Enterprise Board

Zoo Enterprise Board

Appointments to groups outside Auckland City Council

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Art Gallery Enterprise Board

Art Gallery manager		Chris Saines
Chair		Councillor Raffills
Members		Councillor Millar Councillor Moyle
Delegations		General governance of the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki including: policy review monitoring of financial performance strategic development.
Related information		Agendas and minutes | Mayor and councillor contact details

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Updated May 2008