Local democracy swept aside
If amalgamation weakened accountability and drove costs up in 1989, is there any reason to believe that even more heavy-handed mergers can deliver the opposite...
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And the early winners are…
Each potential coalition of councils has essentially had to outsource the work around amalgamation to a consultancy because of a lack of internal capacity and capability, write...
Democracy or autocracy?
As the Government mulls over the proposals for how councils propose to reorganise themselves under the Head Start pathway of Simplifying Local Government, we must...
Far North’s award-winning spatial plan
Image: The Nancy Northcroft Planning Practice Award winning team: Jaimee Cannon (second from left) and Jane Rennie (Boffa Miskell), Felicity Foy, Azman Reuben and Tammy...
A red card system for councils?
I hope you enjoyed the FIFA World Cup 2026 as much as I did. It is amazing how exciting, dramatic and emotional it can be watching...
All the reform, everywhere, all at once
If local government feels overwhelmed at the moment, that is because almost every lever that shapes the sector is being pulled at once, writes Gwynn...
Reform agenda: the right starting point
Success is a system where local government is a genuine partner in national development. Resourced, empowered and expected to lead, writes Nick Leggett, the Chief...
Budget 2026 – Cost of stopping and procurement
Funding announcements create direction, but they do not deliver outcomes on their own, writes Clever Buying founder Caroline Boot. Budget announcements are often read through...
Head Start is just the beginning
We are only just at the beginning of local government amalgamation in New Zealand. Head Start is not the destination, it is the starting point...
Why good governance matters
Each council triennium we seem to have at least one council that maintains its place on our newspaper front pages for all the wrong reasons,...