Auckland has 1.4 million people and eight councils. Cities the same size in other parts of the world have only one council. A Royal Commission of three people has had the job of deciding what to do about Auckland’s seven local councils and one regional council, the ARC, the Auckland Regional Authority. The Royal Commission has recommended only one council with one mayor. Now the government has to consider these ideas. If the government decides to have one Auckland city council, this would happen in October 2010, at the next local elections. All Aucklanders would vote for a new mayor and the new council. There would be 23 councillors.
Auckland covers a large area. It starts at Pukekohe in the south and goes as far as Wellsford in the north, 140km away. Each district has its own council like the Rodney District, North Shore, Manukau, Waitakere. However, there are many problems in Auckland with infra-structure like transport, electricity, water and sewage. With so many different councils, it is difficult to get them all to agree. That’s why one super-city might be better. However, not all mayors agree. They are worried that their own local districts will be forgotten in one super-city.