A quiz for council prospects
Welcome to election year [2022] and here’s a quiz for anyone thinking of standing. By Elizabeth Hughes. It really doesn’t seem that long ago that...
Category : Local Democracy
NEEDED – more time for a more comprehensive approach
By Linda O’Reilly, special council, Tompkins Wake. I have just taken two months off from local government, but local government itself has had no time...
So, what do you actually do all day?
By Elizabeth Hughes. You do media releases – right? You write the mayor’s [chair’s] speeches – right? You put adverts in the paper for shut...
The public knowledge gap
By Elizabeth Hughes. There are millions of ‘how to’ clips on YouTube covering everything from how to tie your shoelaces to how to make a...
Local government – from sux to skux
The Future for Local Government Initiative is an exciting opportunity that must be grasped not just by the local government sector but by all New...
Reflections on the Local Government Review Panel
By Linda O’Reilly, Partner, Brookfields. Forty-four years in and around local government in NZ is a long time, but I know many who started before...
Overdue rates relief for Maori-owned land
By Linda O’Reilly, Brookfields. The passing of the Local Government (Rating of Whenua Maori) Amendment Bill (the Bill) will come as a relief both to...
Making a sow’s ear into a pricey silk purse
Something that the LTP process highlights even more than in local government elections are the ‘delusions of relevance’ that local government operates under. By Elizabeth...
Another look at the perils of council decision-making
Another look at the perils of council decision-making By Linda O’Reilly, Brookfields. Since its enactment, the constraints on the power of general competence provided by...
The jiggery-pokery of the consultation document
By Elizabeth Hughes, Strategy & Communication. “Tell us your views. Make your voice heard. Your views matter. We want to hear what you have to...