Is the Auckland Property CCO (ACPL)planning to dispose of property assets ‘surplus to requirements’? Public Watchdogs Lisa Prager and Penny Bright will ask the ACPL Board the HARD questions on Thursday 12 May 9.30am!

10 May 2011

Emma Wheeler
EA
Auckland Council Property Ltd
CEO
David Rankin

‘OPEN LETTER’

Dear Emma,

Thank you for confirming my 10 minutes  ‘speaking rights’ to address the ‘Public Forum’ of the  upcoming Auckland Council Property Ltd (ACPL) meeting to be held on:

Thursday 12 May 2011
9.30am,
Bancorp Offices,
Qantas House,
Level 11,
191 Queen Street,
Auckland City.

The subject matter of my ‘deputation’,  will include:

1) As a publicly-acknowledged ‘anti-corruption’ campaigner, having attended two internationally significant ‘anti-corruption’ conferences, I am concerned at the apparent lack of structural openness, transparency and accountability in the ACPL ‘framework’.

a) Where is a publicly-available ‘Register of Interests’ for the unelected Board of ACPL CCO appointees and staff responsible for property and procurement?

(How can ‘conflicts of interest’ be avoided if ‘interests’ are not declared beforehand?

Do any unelected Board of ACPL appointees and staff responsible for property and procurement, have links with property developers, business associates/investors/

individuals who could take pecuniary advantage of such connections?)

b) What audit processes have been established by the Auckland Council, to ensure ‘Council control’ over this ACPL ‘Council Controlled Organisation’, in order to prevent the above-mentioned potential ‘conflicts of interest’ ?

c) What audit processes are/have been carried out by ‘independent statutory third party ‘Public Watchdogs such as the Office of the Auditor-General (OAG) to double-check that there are ‘open, transparent and accountable’ processes in place to help prevent such potential ‘conflicts of interest’?

d) Has the ACPL entered into contracts with the private sector for any goods or services?

e) Is there a central ‘Register of Contracts’, publicly-available, which details for public scrutiny: the name of the consultant/contractor; the scope, term and value of the contract?

f) How many staff employed by the ACPL are ‘in-house’ employees as opposed to ‘contracted’, or ‘temporary’ employees, and how much money is being spent on each category?

g) j) Where is the publicly-available ‘list’ of ALL property administered by the ACPL, with the following information?

i)   Property name.
ii)  Physical street address.
iii) Property history (how did it become a ‘council’ property – ie: was it BEQUESTED,
and if so – for what purpose).
iv) Who is currently using this property and for what purpose.
v)  If property is unused – for how long has this been the case.

h) What is the mechanism by which it is decided which Auckland Council ‘properties’ are deemed ‘surplus to requirements’?

i) Given that ALL Auckland Council property assets are supposedly owned by citizens and ratepayers of the Auckland region – by what process do we ‘the public’ ‘have a say’ in determining which Auckland Council ‘properties’ are deemed ‘surplus to requirements’?

j) What is the ‘consultation’ process  that is/will be carried out by the ACPL with  citizens and ratepayers of the Auckland region before ANY Auckland Council property assets are sold?

Yours sincerely,

Penny Bright
Judicially recognised ‘Public Watchdog’ on Metrowater, water and
Auckland regional governance matters.
‘World Water Warrior’ – NZ attendee at World Water Forum Kyoto 2003.

Auckland Mayoral candidate 2010.
Botany by-election candidate 2011
Howick by-election candidate 2011

‘Anti-corruption campaigner’
Attendee: Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference (Brisbane) 2009
Attendee: Transparency International 14th Anti-Corruption Conference
(Bangkok) 2010

Ph (09) 846 9825
021 211 4 127
https://waterpressure.wordpress.com

www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz
www.stopthesupercity.org.nz
www.stopprivatisation.org.nz