Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ)

One of the key things we do at LGNZ is supporting our members. That includes their mental health, and tools to deal with the spike in harassment and abuse they are dealing with. For example, earlier this year, we held an online meeting for elected members with police and NetSafe, to equip them with tools to manage the abuse they receive. We’re also in regular communications about this issue with our members to support them through these awful challenges– ones they shouldn’t have to deal with in the first place. We also offer free and confidential counselling sessions to all our members, as well as a number of support resources. So if you’re an elected member after any of these services, please reach out to us – or ask your council team for more info.

Can we build it? Yes, we can. We're backing the Government’s proposed reforms allowing building professionals to self-certify low-risk residential projects —because who doesn’t love cutting through red tape? LGNZ President Sam Broughton says this could streamline building consents, as long as strong checks keep things safe for councils and homeowners. The Government’s plans include safeguards to prevent defects and provide clear options for resolving issues, which we see as crucial. Ensuring long-term security over indemnity insurance is vital so councils aren’t left with unexpected costs. We look forward to working with the Government on the next steps.

Community Board member, Dr. Will Flavell says he’s blown away to receive the Young Elected Members award. As deputy chair of the Henderson-Massey Local Board, he’s passionate about bringing more Māori, Pasifika, and young voices to the table. When he first ran back in 2013, he noticed less diversity in local government. Now, in his fourth term, he’s stoked to see more young Māori and Pacific leaders getting involved. For Flavell, this award isn’t just about him—it’s a nod to other young people, especially Māori and Pasifika, to jump in and make a difference. “Young people aren’t just the leaders of tomorrow; they’re the leaders of now,” he says.

The news is out: rates are going up across the country. This is partly because everything is way more expensive for councils, which we’ve talked about already. But there are also other factors – a big one being decisions made by central government. Why? Here’s a brief overview of how costs are passed from central government, to local government, to ratepayers: – Central government decides to change a policy or reform an act in a way that creates more work. This could involve adding new roles and responsibilities; new or stronger standards; reducing/removing central gov funding for services that councils need to pick up; or restrictions on ways councils can recover fees (e.g. fees/fines). – For example, a 2016 Act about earthquake-prone buildings meant councils were required to check and rate buildings on how earthquake-prone they are. This isn’t bad in itself (safety first!), but... – Because local government is closer to these issues, they often get given all these extra jobs (like checking the buildings, assigning ratings, issuing notices, etc.) – The clincher: most of the time, they aren’t given any more funding or resources to do all the new jobs they’re legally required to do. And these jobs are expensive! And time-consuming! And need people power! So... – Because councils don’t have many funding tools (AKA ways to make money) beyond rates, to pay for all the new work they have to do, they have to rise these rates. – Which only puts more pressure on you, the ratepayer. It’s important to note that councils don’t want it to be like this. But when they’re given a chunk of new work by central government without any funding to do this work (the technical term is ‘unfunded mandates’), they’re stuck between a rock and a hard place. The system is broken. Stay tuned for ways we can fix it.

Every three years, local election voting papers are delivered to letterboxes across the country. But with voter turnout dropping year after year, many in local government are worried about the future of local democracy. So what are we doing about it? In June, we set up an Electoral Reform Working Group to tackle some key questions: Why is voter turnout falling? How can we make voting easier? What’s stopping people from voting? Is it time to move away from postal voting? Would four-year terms give better results for communities? Is the orange voting man actually the Pak’nSave mascot in orange? Okay, maybe not that last one, but the rest are part of the group’s important work to make sure we have a strong and active local democracy. In the coming weeks, we’ll unpack some key themes. LGNZ’s working group has just released an issues paper (you can check it out here: https://ow.ly/BFvZ50TR9z9), and over the next few weeks, they’ll be talking to councils and the public to gather feedback and build support for reform.

Ah, chains. Not just reserved for your favourite rapper. Mayors also get the honour of weighing their clavicles down with a symbolic string of heavy metal. Why? In a nutshell: England. The style of government we have in New Zealand is largely imported from the United Kingdom’s Westminster system. This system includes, but is not limited to, having things like: elections, constituencies, and a Cabinet (the government type, not the place you hide all your miscellaneous junk). Another thing this system imported? Mayoral chains. It’s a historical British custom that dates back to Medieval times, when they were known as a ‘livery collar’ (livery meaning a uniform worn by servants and officials. Not something with a liver-like quality). And it turns out these Mayoral chains are quite the hot property. In December 1977, burglars snuck into the Mayor of Nelson’s office and stole his chains, along with other essential items like liquor, Christmas presents and a fire extinguisher. Worry not, though – the chains were later recovered, hidden somewhat inexplicably in the wall of a house. More recently, in 2015 it was reported that Auckland Council didn’t want to share details of then-Mayor Len Brown’s office – for fear of risking the security of his chains. And while we understand the desire for people to get their hands on these precious metals, we only condone one way of attaining them. Standing for Mayor.

Mayor Rehette Stoltz, member of the Electoral Reform Group joined Mike Hosking on Breakfast to discuss the review of local body elections, which is being conducted in response to low voter turnout. The review explores potential changes to the current system to make it more accessible and engaging for voters. This could include simplifying the voting process and increasing efforts to inform and motivate the public to participate. Mayor Stoltz emphasised that local government plays a critical role in shaping communities and that higher voter engagement is essential to reflect the needs and interests of the people. https://lnkd.in/gEq-kHdv

Mayor Nick Smith, Chair of the Electoral Reform Group, spoke with Q&A about the voting challenges affecting local government. Voter turnout in council elections has been dropping for years, so LGNZ is starting a conversation about how to turn that around. A Local Electoral Reform Issues paper will be released on Thursday 24 October. Over the next few months, the Electoral Reform Group will ask for input from councils and the public to gather support for making positive changes. https://lnkd.in/gFXmMhwt

And just like that, the YEM hui draws to a close. The final day was full of energy with engaging workshops covering topics like rallying community support, getting local issues noticed nationally and loads more. They also heard from two guest MPs, ACT’s Cameron Luxton and Green’s Lan Pham, who sparked lively discussions with their different viewpoints on key issues. The hui wrapped up with a panel featuring LGNZ President Sam Broughton, Councillor Raiha Bell from Manawatū District Council, former Christchurch City Council Community Board Member Alexandra Davids, and Oscar Bloom, Chairperson of the Christchurch West Melton Water Zone Committee. They talked about ways to support young leaders in the community and the importance of mentorship. The day will wrap with a final dinner, where the Young Elected Member of the Year will be announced. A big thank you to Creative New Zealand New Zealand for their support of this hui.

Our Young Elected Members Hui hit the road yesterday for a jam-packed day of hands-on learning. Kicking things off at Little Andromeda Theatre, they soaked up some top-notch insights on how councils can step up and empower communities to drive real, lasting change. Next stop— Te Ara Ātea in Selwyn—the ultimate trifecta of library, art gallery, and community hub, all in one epic space. Back in Ōtautahi, our yemmies visited the Tagata Moana Trust, where they were blown away by the incredible work being done to uplift and support Christchurch’s Pacific community. Their final stop was at Richmond Community Gardens, where they got a close-up look at how a once-abandoned area is being transformed into a thriving hub for sustainability and community-led projects.