LETTERS: Councillors' last spend | Auckland Opinion | Local Voices from Auckland, New Zealand

Compliments again to The Aucklander and the New Zealand Herald for your extensive and wide-ranging coverage of the horrible future which faces our region.
As the reality of a super city draws closer with each day, the name of the game is beating the deadline - whether that means a big "fire sale" of properties by councillors or ramming through the final decisions on the boundaries and number of local wards.
The most frustrating and undemocratic of all, is the short-fuse approval by Local Government Minister Rodney Hide of the Auckland Transition Agency's recommendations involving Council-Controlled Organisations.
These entities will carry out their varied and largely privatised functions behind closed doors and without any accountability to the mayor of an enlarged Auckland or the new council. Most of all, the ordinary citizens are left in the dark, speechless, angry and questioning whether democracy really exists in this country.
So far, we've been left out of the political process and treated as irrelevant by those who purportedly represent us. It is time for the people to stand up as one, make their voices heard and tell our elected officials as well as too many appointed ones who've been calling the shots that "it doesn't work this way". You listen to the will of the people, start making some changes now or think seriously about the worst possible consequences of failing to heed the wishes of the electorate.
Tom Mahoney
Titirangi

Yes, after being the poor cousin of North Shore City through George Wood's mayoralty (and earlier), the Harbour Ward is finally getting a range of much sought after projects, brought forward.
It is true that some councillors from other wards did not turn up for crucial meetings and are now complaining. The attendance records are available. The same councillors did not propose projects for their wards even though multiple meetings on this issue have been held since October 2009. Those councillors that turned up for work were successful in proposing projects.
However, most projects are only being brought forward a few years from their Long Term Council Community Plan budgets. This sale of the defunct NSC Holdings and the expenditure on much needed community assets will also save the city from increased debt in future years.
All projects have to follow a strict process of being legal, gaining ATA approval and surviving reports through committees. The projects will then be added to the Annual Plan for public consideration.
The initiation of projects needed to fit criteria of being able to be started within a few months and completed within two years. In addition, they had to be new capital community assets and not operational items.
All councils must be looking to getting their cities into shape before amalgamation into the 'super city' and North Shore is no different. Surplus assets must be invested back into the community and struggling communities need to be supported.
Dr Grant Gillon
Councillor
North Shore City