8.1 Role and function

 

  1. Auckland Council’s advisory panels do not have any decision-making power. In this way, the advisory panels are distinct from the council’s committees.

  2. The advisory panels’ role is to advise the council on:

    • relevant policies, plans and strategies

    • regional and strategic matters, including those dealt with by council-controlled organisations

    • any matter of particular interest or concern to their respective communities.

  3. The council has demographic and sector advisory panels.

Legislative requirements

  1. When making a decision, the council is required to take account of the diversity of the community, and the community’s interests, within its district or region [1].

  2. One of the roles of the Mayor of Auckland is to ensure there is effective engagement between Auckland Council and the people of Auckland, including those too young to vote [2]. The mayor also has the power to establish processes and mechanisms for the council to engage, whether generally or particularly (e.g. with the people of a cultural, ethnic, geographic or other community of interest) [3].

  3.  Advisory panels are one of the council’s mechanisms used to fulfil these legislative requirements.

 

 

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