Auckland Mayor Len Brown has constituted a Business Advisory Panel to help achieve his objective of promoting the City as a destination for businesses and investors, while simultaneously addressing the concerns of the business community.
The 31-member Panel boasts of who is who in the City’s business. Among them are
Chief Executives of Auckland Airport (Simon Moutter), Auckland Chamber of Commerce (Michael Barnett), Employers & Manufacturers’ Association (Alasdair Thompson), Fletcher Construction (Jonathan Ling), Radio Tarana (Managing Director Robert Khan), Sky City (Nigel Morrison), Smith & Caughey (Chairman Tony Coughey) and Vector (Simon McKenzie), to mention a few.
Mr Khan is the only Member of the Panel of Sub-Continent origin.
He said the Panel will carry the ‘Voice of the Business Community’ to the Mayor and the Councillors and promote policies and programmes to augment economic growth and development.
Chairman Cameron Brewer (who is also a Councillor) hoped that the Panel will be proactive, transparent and strengthen the Auckland City Council.
At his first meeting, he sought the advice of his colleagues on policies, bylaws, economic development strategy and pending issues.
“One thing that is not good for business or continuity is the fact that this is the sixth mayoral administration Auckland has had in 13 years. It is a very tough political marketplace and if this Council cannot deliver on the promises of amalgamation, then it too will be a one-term administration,” he said.
Mr Brewer was forthright in his comments, saying that among the promises made to Aucklanders were streamlined administration with efficiency and productivity at its core, economies of scale in procurement, operational expenditure and capital works delivery and rate increases at the rate of inflation.
“If the new Auckland Council has not delivered some marked improvements on doing business in Auckland, then we have not delivered the core promises of amalgamation,” he said.
We are not sure if the average Aucklander would be able to bear another rate increase but businesses certainly await a friendlier administration with the removal of the oppressive Resource Management Act.
