Simplifying local government – nonsense
By Elizabeth Hughes, strategy and policy delivery expert. ‘The time has come,’ the Walrus said, ‘To talk of many things; Of shoes – and ships...
Category : National Politics
Reform and the reality of regional delivery
Amalgamation is a lot more complex than simply joining with neighbouring councils. As structures change, there can be no gaps in delivery and no loss...
Our way or the highway
The Government, through RMA Reform and Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop and Local Government Minister Simon Watts, has given councils a three-month ‘Head Start’ ultimatum to...
A political perspective
As we head towards the election three interconnected difficulties shape voter sentiment, writes Dr Muriel Newman, from the NZCPR. Original comment abridged. A deepening cost‑of‑living...
Our Chicken Little Syndrome
Have we become paranoid over our historically tempestuous weather, asks Alan Titchall, reviewing the drama around the storms in April (2026) Cyclone Vaianu last month,...
Defending local democracy
The Buller District Council’s submission on the Simplifying Local Government reform proposal exemplifies why a central government ‘one-solution-to-fit-them-all’ won’t work. Buller District Council Mayor Chris...
On the subject of reform
It’s clear that local government has reached a turning point. Reform is no longer theoretical, it’s happening, and in many respects it’s long overdue, writes...
A logical district merger
Image: Diagram of possible Unitary Authority boundary. Bill Foster, Chair of the Northern Action Group, explains the reasoning behind merging the Kaipara District with North...
Government knows best
Regional councils have worked for almost four decades, but now the Government, in its second year of office, has decided, “local government has lost the...
Government sets consent expectations
Chris Bishop, the Minister for RMA Reform, along with the Ministers for Agriculture and the Environment, has sent clear expectations to all regional and unitary...