Royal Commission

Royal Commission of Inquiry into Auckland's Governance

Last year the Government announced its intention to investigate what local government arrangements will best help the Auckland region to achieve its potential. The terms of reference and membership of the Royal Commission of Inquiry on Auckland Governance (the Royal Commission) were released in October and the review process has now begun.

What is the Royal Commission?
Why is the Royal Commission happening?
Who is involved?
How do I have a say?
Final ARC Submission
Hearings process
Supporting material for hearings

What is the Royal Commission?

A Royal Commission of Inquiry is a special taskforce set up to examine and report on a matter of significant public importance or concern to the Government. Commissions offer in-depth and independent examination of issues and are used where normal channels of government or court processes would not be sufficient.

The Royal Commission is guided by the terms of reference which are set by the Government and outline the scope of the inquiry.

The Royal Commission is required to report back to the Government by 1 December 2008 with the results and recommendations of its inquiry.

Why is the Royal Commission happening?

The councils of the Auckland region have been working on a process to strengthen regional governance since September 2006. The two-phase process concluded with the release of a final report Strengthening Regional Governance - Final Report 22 June. Key elements of the final report have already been enacted, including the establishment of a Regional Sustainable Development Forum and the development of One Plan for the Auckland region.

In July 2007 Government responded, endorsing the final report as a positive first step for strengthening Auckland's regional governance, and announced its intention to establish the Royal Commission.

Who is involved?

The people appointed to the Royal Commission are:

• Hon Peter Salmon QC (Chair)
• Dame Margaret Bazley
• David Shand.

Hon Peter Salmon QC is a retired high court judge with experience in local government, environmental and resource management law. He was a founding member and first president of the Resource Management Law Association and is active as an arbitrator and mediator and in other areas of dispute resolution. He was appointed to the United Nations Panel of Arbitrators in 2004, and currently sits on the Pacific Island Courts of Appeal.

Dame Margaret Bazley has worked in the public service for many years. She has previously served as Secretary of the Ministry of Transport, Chief Executive of the Ministry of Social Policy, Director-General of Social Welfare and a Commissioner on the Commission of Inquiry into Police Conduct. She is currently Chairperson of the New Zealand Fire Service Commission and a member of the Waitangi Tribunal.

David Shand has broad international finance experience, having worked for the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and with the OECD on public sector reform issues. He has held positions at both state and federal government levels in Australia, and has been involved in local government in Wellington. Mr Shand chaired the recently completed Local Government Rates Inquiry.

How do I have a say?

The ARC has encouraged Aucklanders to engage with the Royal Commission and make their views heard.

The Royal Commission called for public submissions which closed on 22 April 2008.  To access the submissions received, or for further information visit the Royal Commission website

If you wish to discuss the Royal Commission process further, you can contact your elected representative(s).

Final ARC Submission

On Thursday 17 April 2008 the Draft ARC Submission to the Royal Commission was adopted by the Council subject to minor editorial and typographical changes and changes discussed at the meeting.

The final submission proposes a single unitary authority - the Greater Auckland Authority - with effective Community Councils as the best approach to solve Auckland's governance problems and take the region through the next 50 to 100 years.

Erratum: Any copies downloaded, or any hard copies, of the executive summary or the full version of the ARC's final submission to the Royal Commission of Inquiry, accessed before 1.30 pm on Wednesday 23 April 2008, contain a small typographical error. Please be advised this has been corrected in the documents above and all hard copies publicly available after this time.

Hearings process

The Royal Commission is currently in the process of hearing submissions, for those who wished to speak to their submission, in locations across the region. The hearings process is expected to run from early May to mid July 2008.

Supporting material for hearings

In advance of its appearance at hearings of the Royal Commission on 25 June 2008, the ARC re-examined its submission and provided the following additional material.