He kōrero mō te Tira Kāwana About the Governing Body

The Governing Body is a decision-making group, made up of the mayor and 20 ward councillors.

Auckland Council’s governance is shared between the Governing Body and 21 local boards.

The Governing Body focuses on Auckland-wide, strategic decisions, making the most of the council’s size and ability to deliver across Auckland.

The Governing Body is responsible for:

• setting rates and bylaws
• borrowing money or buying or selling not considered in the long-term plan (LTP) spend
• preparing and adopting the 10-year budget, annual budget (annual plan) and annual report
• selecting a chief executive for Auckland Council
• approving any policies that the Local Government Act 2002 requires the council to consult on as part of the long-term plan or policies needed for running local government
• approving a salary and employment policy for council staff.

The Governing Body is also in charge of:

• making decisions about Auckland’s City and Regional Deal and keeping track of how it is carried out
• deciding which non-regulatory activities are managed by the Governing Body and which are handled by local boards
• approving a draft bylaw before it goes out to consultation
• decisions the council must make under the Local Electoral Act 2001, including selecting the electoral officer
• approving or making changes to the committee terms of reference, standing orders and code of conduct
• making decisions and overseeing issues relating to co-governance arrangements and groups, including Te Poari o Kaipātiki ki Kaipara, Tūpuna Maunga Authority and Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Reserves Board
• managing the council's relationship with Hokura (Independent Māori Statutory Board) including how we handle funding and appoint people to committees
• making sure that climate change and its financial, social, environmental and cultural impacts on the Auckland Council Group are included in governance and considered when making decisions
• supervising the work of all Governing Body committees.