Auckland Council has named the inaugural board for the reformed Auckland Transport following a transitional period.
The new Auckland Transport, still a council-controlled organisation, is now Auckland’s public transport delivery organisation. Three members of the transition board will continue to the inaugural board, Andrew Ritchie (chair), Robert Clarke and Adrienne Young-Cooper.
Auckland Council has also appointed Lyndon Leabourn (pictured) to the board, who will commence from 1 October, the first day of Auckland Transport’s singular focus on public transport delivery.
Mr Leabourn is a Chartered Accountant and Bachelor of Management Studies graduate from the University of Waikato. He has more than 20 years’ experience in New Zealand’s passenger transport sector, complemented by senior commercial and financial experience in the UK.
From 2006 to 2024, he was Managing Director and Shareholder of a family-owned passenger transport business operating north of Auckland where he led significant business growth, secured major contracts, acquired and integrated complementary businesses, modernised the fleet and improved operational performance, the Council said in a statement.
Mayor Wayne Brown, who sat on the selection panel that recommended the appointments, says it marks a positive start for the board.
“I’ve been clear from the start that to fix Auckland’s transport, we need a high-quality public transport service and an efficient, reliable network, with strong oversight from the Auckland Transport board and councillors,” said the Mayor.
“We’ve selected a board with the skills and experience, who understand the industry, to drive the performance of this organisation.
“With the strong start made by the transformational City Rail Link, the focus now is on maintaining this momentum and growing patronage on public transport to get the full value of this investment and deliver good outcomes better, cheaper and faster for Aucklanders.”
The appointment was confirmed by the Appointments and Performance Review committee at its meeting on 17 September 2026. The committee is responsible for appointments to the boards of council-controlled organisations, in accordance with the council’s Appointment and Remuneration Policy for Board Members of Council Organisations and the Local Government Act.
A further appointment is expected to be announced shortly, which will bring the board up to its full complement of five members.
