NZFirst to Campaign on Disestablishment of Auckland Council’s ‘Independent Māori Statutory Board’

New Zealand First has today announced a campaign policy to disestablish the unelected Auckland Council Independent Māori Statutory Board (IMSB).

A member’s bill has been written and introduced, which will be campaigned on, that will see this unelected body that has exercised significant influence over council decision making since the creation of the Auckland Super City in 2010.

The amalgamation of Auckland’s multiple councils was intended to deliver stronger representation, lower costs, and more efficient governance.  Instead, it has produced a large and increasingly remote bureaucracy in which key decisions are shaped by unelected officials, parallel governance structures, and statutory bodies that are not accountable to ratepayers.

Although originally established to provide advice, its statutory documents and appointments have become embedded across council planning, funding, procurement, and performance systems.

Aucklanders were never asked whether they agreed to fund or empower a parallel governance system within their council.  Ratepayers now pay millions of dollars annually to support IMSB operations, including $3.5 million last year alone, despite having no ability to elect or remove its members.  This has contributed to a growing democratic deficit at a time when Aucklanders face rising rates, increasing debt, and reductions in core services.

The removal of the IMSB will ensure that those who influence public spending and public decision making are directly accountable to the public.  It does not prevent Auckland Council from engaging with Māori or recognising their interests, rather it ensures that such engagement occurs within democratically accountable structures.

The policy as written will allow for orderly transition of the IMSB’s functions, property, and obligations back to Auckland Council.

It will ensure continuity of council operations while restoring transparency, accountability, and public trust.