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Welcome to Local Aotearoa. We’re currently in the process of experimenting with the site, so please excuse any hiccups along the way.
Welcome to Local Aotearoa. We’re currently in the process of experimenting with the site, so please excuse any hiccups along the way.
By trying to infer a link between the inclusion of the wellbeing framework in local government legislation and higher rates increases, you could be forgiven for thinking that Local Government Minister Simeon Brown was warming up to join the Welsh at the Battle of Agincourt such is the desperation of the longbow he’s drawn.
Despite overwhelming evidence that water meters are objectively one of the most cost effective ways for communities to promote more efficient water use, quickly identify and prevent water wastage, lower costs of delivering water, and buy precious time to bring new water supplies and infrastructure online, few issues make politicians duck for cover like water metering.
Vision for Wellington, the allegedly apolitical advocacy group that’s meant to be campaigning for a brighter future for Wellington City, has been caught yet again in another controversy that further erodes what little credibility the group had left and leaves lingering questions over the sincerity, and ultimately competence, of those involved.
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has finally gotten his overhaul of Auckland Transport over-the-line with Local Government and Transport Minister Simeon Brown, marking a significant win for the mayor who promised as a candidate to get rid of council-controlled organisations “as quickly as possible.”
There’s a gap in perceptions of local government between community expectations of what they think their elected representatives can do, and how much power and influence our collaborative governance model actually gives them. The executive mayoralty is often advanced as a solution, not least because it seems to address those expectations and mitigates concerns around the power of council chief executives, but is it really the answer?
In a bizarre post across his social media channels, ACT Party leader David Seymour has taken aim at Porirua City Councillor Kathleen Filo (Ngāti Toa Rangitira) for getting her council organised to oppose his Treaty Principles Bill and encouraging other councils to do likewise. But we have bad news for Seymour - local government politicians are allowed to disagree with you.
With local government it’s easy to write stories about issues in the sector, especially when it comes to problems with transparency. It’s why Wellington City Council’s award winning and transparency enhancing tool Mātai Manapori - TrackDem is such a welcome breath of fresh air, highlighting the exciting innovation that often takes place in local government but seldom gets acknowledged more broadly.
