CIVIC CONTROL

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 256, 29 October 1929, Page 7

CIVIC CONTROL

AUCKLAND AND BRISBANE.

COUNCILLOR MAKES s COMPARISONS. I LESSONS FROM A TRIP TO ! QUEENSLAND. ~ ''In view of the fact that is considering an alteration in thf election system of its councillors, it K interesting to note that the Greater Brisbane Act provides that the council of that city shall consist of the Mayor and twenty aldermen on the ward system, one to each ward of the same area as the Parliamentary electorate," said Mr. H. Burton, a member of the Auckland City Council and Works Committee, who returned from Brisbane and Sydney by the Ulimaroa this morning. Mr. Burton went across to represent the New Zealand Federation of Master Bakers at the annual conference of Federated Master Bakers of Australia and New Zealand, which this year was held in the Queensland capital. Compared to Auckland. "Brisbane is an interesting study in civic matters," he continued, "as its size and its problems are a near parallel to Auckland. Four years ago the city within a ten-mile radius was controlled by nineteen local bodies, but when Parliament passed the City of Brisbane Act the new council controlled an area of nearly 400 square miles. This brought into being one of the largest municipallycontrolled areas within the Empire. Apart from the necessity of approval of the State Government with respect to the making of ordinances and borrowing powers, the Brisbane City Council is probably an unprecedented case of the unification of all the public activities of a modern citv.

"The council controls the tramways, electric light, power, water supply, sewerage and ferrtts. In one respect, however, I noticed that the control of traffic, both in Sydney and Brisbane, is in the hands of the police, with the result that there is no cohesion and frequent misunderstanding between the civic authorities and the police. I formed the opinion that whatever improvements may be effected by way of control in Auckland that the present method of the douncil itself doing the job is far superior to the methods of Sydney and Brisbane." Incidentally Mr. Burton mentioned that Brisbane paid its Mayor £1000 per year, and each of its aldermen £400. Necessity for Greater Auckland. "In my opinion Brisbane's experiment proves conclusively that a Greater Auckland scheme is a practical necessity/ 3 declared Mr. Burton. "A multiplicity of authorities dealing with matters which affect the community as a whole is unthinkable if Auckland is to progress on sound common-sense lines, especially in view of the fact that the library and park facilities in Auckland are naturally used by the whole community. The critics of centralised control will find Brisbane's council functioning perfectly under each separate department, namely, the deputy town clerk's department, financial, valuation, works, city architect, city planner, department of health, tramways, electric light and power, water and sewerage, and parks. The setting up of special departments such as the city architect and city planner are interesting moves, and might be well considered by the Auckland City Council as a relief to the engineering department, with a view to more efficient control." Where Auckland is Favoured. When questioned about Mr. W. E. Bush, ex-Auckland City Engineer, who vent to Brisbane some months ago, Mr. Burton said he had made good impression. Mr. Bush is engaged in the problem of a complete review of the whole of the water and sewage systems of Brisbane. His work is solely in the control of those matters and the promulgation of the scheme to adequately serve the future. "From many points .however, the Auckland ratepayer enjoys privileges not similarly enjoyed in Brisbane," said Mr. Burton. "A comparison of rates between the two cities is distinctly in favour of Auckland. Our system of library and branch library facilities is unknown in either Sydney or Brisbane, and as a matter of fact is the envy of the librarian in Sydney, who gave me" the fullest information as to the working of his own system. The chief point forced upon me. however, is that the Greater Auckland scheme houkl be one of the main planks in. Auckland's civic outlook."