Our Auckland | Auckland News | Local News in Auckland

John Key and Rodney Hide stole Aucklanders' right to vote for the local body system they want. Grassroots crusaders, and The Aucklander, are giving it back to you, reports Edward Rooney.

If you're looking for Ground Zero, there are few more appropriate sites than this from which to drop a bombshell on the Government's radical restructure of the Auckland region.

In 1840, Acting Surveyor-General Felton Mathew used the summit of Maungawhau/Mt Eden, and several other volcanic cones, as his survey points for the new town of Auckland.

One hundred and seventy years later Mels Barton stands on the same hilltop and unveils a grassroots action plan to restore some sense of democracy to the citizens of Auckland. The plan is called "Our Auckland".

The objective is to provide a vote to the people of the region - a chance at last to give all people of this land a say on what shape their future should take.

"We already have about 20 groups that have joined together," Ms Barton says.

"These are groups from across political lines, with all sorts of original reasons for being - everything from residents and ratepayers' groups to the Waitakere Law Centre, the Auckland Women's Centre and the Weedfree Trust. Many groups you wouldn't expect to be involved, politically."

They include members of Grey Power, one of the country's most respected and influential citizen's organisations; SavePapakura.com and the Islamic Women's Council of New Zealand.

Individuals from all seven city and district council areas are on board, plus people who have been elected to those local bodies.

They say nobody has asked Aucklanders what they think, so that's what this broad coalition - with The Aucklander's support - will do.

It is acting now to send a message to John Key's Government before the final bill axeing Auckland's elected councils, and replacing them with a corporate city, goes to Parliament on May 24.

"Even those who have taken the time to write submissions and gone to talk to the select committee considering the laws setting up the new council - many of these are very experienced people with much to offer. They have been completely ignored.

"The aim of the group is to enable Aucklanders to have a say for the first time about what's happening - to let them say whether they like it or not.

"It is called 'Our Auckland' because that's it in a nutshell. It is ours because we live in it and we pay for it. We should have the right to have our say."

Tourists teem around us, marvelling in languages from far-flung places about the beauty of this vantage point. The day is overcast but the clouds are too high to threaten rain.

How lucky we people of Auckland must seem to these camera-clutching guests.

Ms Barton says she felt her luck had run out the moment she heard Local Government Minister Rodney Hide had turfed the 18-month Royal Commission of Inquiry into Auckland's council system into his rubbish bin.

"We all had issues about what the commission had recommended. We were about to dive in and digest the 800 pages when we were told Rodney Hide was releasing his plans. No one had even had time to read the commission's report at that stage. It was clear that the outcome had already been decided."

The outcome - in three Bills of Parliament at a head-reeling pace since - has left Ms Barton fielding cries from the disaffected and disillusioned.

"I have not yet met a single person who thinks it's a good idea."

Your call

Over the coming weeks, the Our Auckland movement will be running a campaign to encourage people to vote.

The Aucklander will openly and actively support the campaign. Editor Ewan McDonald explains our reasons in this week's Cover Story.

The Our Auckland campaign will provide a referendum - available to the public from May 6 - in which every citizen of the region can have their say. On that day The Aucklander will publish a ballot paper for readers to join the referendum.

Voters will also be able to participate online.

We urge everyone to take the opportunity. It's the only one you're likely to get.

See: www.ourauckland.org.nz.