Auckland is a city-region under intense political pressure. Migration and development are transforming streetscapes and communities. Local government has to plan and budget for significant investments in infrastructure as the city grows, and there is no strategy that pleases all sectors of residents at once. Property owners love their rising asset wealth, but central government is under pressure to address homelessness and home affordability. The Reserve Bank and the Treasury, moreover, watch Auckland’s over-heated housing market nervously, as it poses risk to the whole economy (Makhlouf, 2016). In the midst of this, a major restructuring of Auckland’s local governance and administration has been undertaken. The formation of the Auckland Council in 2010 unified four metropolitan city councils, two and a half district councils and one regional council, comprising a large urban, rural and marine area (encompassing 4,894 sq km of land and 3,702 km of coastline and embracing 30% of New Zealand’s population). This new entity was popularly dubbed the Super City, somewhat misleadingly given that, in terms of area, the new authority is mainly rural, although its population is mainly urban-dwelling. Being formally named Auckland’s basic problem is one that many other regions would love to have: growth. But then, how do you manage it? Its population was 1,415,550 in the 2013 census, and is predicted conservatively to reach 2 million by 2033. ‘Threefifths of New Zealand’s population growth between 2013 and 2043 will be in Auckland’ (Statistics New Zealand, 2015).

Is Auckland Council now simply too big to be efficient, democratic and sustainable? Will it be branded ‘a failed experiment’? Once the unitary spatial plan has been approved and put in place, will the next step be to devolve powers to, say, ten or 12 smaller councils? Empirical evidence and public sentiment weigh against Auckland’s unified governance model. Aucklanders disapprove of it; the rest of New Zealand refuses to emulate it. This particular pendulum may have further to swing towards centralisation (meaning central government takes over some powers to shape Auckland), or it may have reached its extreme position and be on the cusp of swinging back towards a devolved model (multiple boroughs under a regional council). In the meantime, the council has to earn a better reputation with the people of Auckland, improve local engagement and participation, implement the new unitary plan and ensure financial sustainability. Its longterm fate rests in the balance.