A political perspective on 2024
As a turbulent political year drew to a close in 2024, some observations can be made about the state of the various parties and some...
Author : LG magazine
Time limits for building claims
The Supreme Court has released its long-awaited decision of Beca v Wellington City Council, deciding whether the Building Act’s 10-year longstop applied to third-party contribution...
Local elections – let’s celebrate the positive
By Jean Drage. Reflecting on my contribution to LG magazine following the 2022 Local Elections, I am struck by my bleak analysis of the low...
Mayoral power and the attraction of a benevolent dictator
By Linda O’Reilly, Special Counsel at Tompkins Wake. Nigel Clark’s guest editorial in the December 2024 issue of this magazine got me thinking. The headline...
Navigating coastal erosion
Coastal erosion poses a complex challenge for local authorities, and tackling the issue calls for a multifaceted approach, including enhanced monitoring, inventory-taking, robust asset management...
Feeling it in your waters
By Elizabeth Hughes. Some would say councils are wastefully spending rates on nice-to-have pet projects instead of the basics. While councils invested $7 billion in...
Mayoral power and the attraction of a benevolent dictator
By Linda O’Reilly, Special Counsel at Tompkins Wake. Nigel Clark’s guest editorial in the December 2024 issue of Local Government magazine got me thinking. The...
Councils relieved of ‘well-being’ obligations
The Government is taking back central services from local councils, leaving them to “deliver essential services and core infrastructure”. “Earlier this year, the Prime Minister...
A call for a national standard
Image source: Bay of Plenty Regional Council. Roanna Purcaru, Project Director l Lead Engineer, Storm & Surface Water; and Jamie McNeill, Business Group Leader, Geotechnical,...
LG governance model doesn’t work
When a council needs adult supervision, something has gone seriously wrong, says Nick Clark, a senior fellow at The New Zealand Initiative. Local Government Minister...