Source: Radio New Zealand
Auckland Central MP Chloe Swarbrick says she would like to see more promotion of the positive things happening in the city centre. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Auckland Central MP Chloe Swarbrick says she has been frustrated for some time at Heart of the City’s chief executive Viv Beck’s negative framing of the central city, but she is unable to comment on any processes the agency or the mayor’s office have been engaged with to resolve those issues.
Heart of the City (HOTC) represents more than 15,000 businesses and receives Business Improvement District (BID) funding through a targeted rate paid by businesses.
The organisation said its chief executive Viv Beck is still employed there, after recent reports she had been stood down.
Swarbrick said she’s had a lot of engagement with Auckland mayor Wayne Brown and with Beck in the past few years about the approach taken by Beck as chief executive of HOTC, particularly in public statements.
“At the end of the day all of us who have the privilege of a media platform only get so much bandwidth and we can choose to use that bandwidth to complain about things, or to elevate these stories of those who are doing amazing things and to showcase solutions.
“And time and again I have been really clear with Viv about the fact that I felt that very limited oxygen has been spent recirculating issues, and not really talking about the incredible things that are happening in the city centre which obviously is the very role of heart of the city,” she said.
Heart of the City chief executive Viv Beck (file photo) Supplied/ Heart of the City
Swarbrick said the mayor shared her frustrations.
“As to the process that Heart of the City and/or the mayor’s office has been engaged with in order to try and resolve those…it’s not really my place to comment,” she said.
She said survey results released by HOTC in October last year, which showed that 91 percent of 100 businesses in and around Queen Street felt impacted by rough sleeping and begging, had a questionable methodology, and had a “deeply irresponsible framing” of the central city.
Asked what kind of a leader she thinks an organisation like HOTC needs, on the cusp of the City Rail Link opening, Swarbrick said people who are willing to collaborate, be innovative, and go with the grain of the abundant opportunities in the city centre.
“It’s a hugely hugely exciting time, and what that means is that everyone that holds themselves out as a leader in our central city, whether it be for Auckland or for the country as a whole, needs to be doing everything that they can to champion the amazing people who have held on by their finger nails through all of that disruption,” she said.
RNZ has approached Viv Beck for comment.
RNZ asked the mayor’s office if the mayor had written to HOTC this year to raise concerns about its governance.
A spokesperson from Wayne Brown’s office said in a statement: “The situation at Heart of the City is a matter for Heart of the City to comment on. The Mayor’s office has nothing further to add”.
“As Mayor, he will always maintain an appropriate interest in the management of ratepayer funds, including BIDs,” his office added in a subsequent statement.
Auckland mayor Wayne Brown (file photo) RNZ/Marika Khabazi
A spokesperson for HOTC’s executive committee said in a statement that at the start of this year, the committee has been committed to the improvement of governance process and practices.
The statement said a major priority is for HOTC to ensure it has council’s confidence in its ability to deliver its BID contract.
“This has meant the Committee’s focus has included relationship management, governance review, providing transparency on specific decisions that have been made and accountability for future plans”.
The spokesperson said they’ve set up an audit and finance committee for more detailed financial oversight, and is urgently updating its board and governance processes.
The statement said the agency has engaged “external special counsel” and has agreed to undertake an independent governance review.
RNZ has asked for a timeline of the actions, and whether the governance review was prompted by the committee’s own concerns, or by any concerns from the Auckland mayor.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand