The party dominating Auckland City politics has confirmed it wants to extend its reach around the region for the super city elections.
Auckland's former mayor Dick Hubbard says he is considering running for the new council because he's worried that the right-leaning Citizens and Ratepayers Party which currently controls Auckland City has its eye on the super-city.
Mr Hubbard was mayor for one term until 2007. He believes if the party were successful in next year's elections, it would be bad news for the rest of the region.
He says the Auckland City Council lacks a community spirit that other councils, such as Manakau and Waitakere, have worked hard to foster.
Citizens and Ratepayers have the majority on the Auckland City Council, and its president John Slater says preparations are already well under way for next year.
But he says Mr Hubbard's fear the Auckland City culture will take over in the new council are unfounded.
He says the group will be chosing candidates that reflect the different areas of the region.
