It must be that time again…
As regular as a royal visit, every few years the issue of local government reorganisation rears its head – and then quickly fades away. Reform is...
Category : Political Commentary
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...
Once upon a time there was a city…
Image: Manukau City Centre shopping complex in 1977. Photo by G. Reithmaier. It was the most progressive city in New Zealand. The city was young,...
Post the waters exit part two
David Hammond, Head of Consulting and Public Sectors at Tribe Executive, continues his discussion on whether water reform resolves performance pressures or redistributes them, and...
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,...
Regional councils already represent flood resilience
From national strategy to regional delivery, Dr Deon Swiggs, Chair of the Canterbury Regional Council, Chair of LGNZ Regional Sector, and Resource Management Act Commissioner,...
A relentless burden of change
Linda O’Reilly, Special Counsel at Tompkins Wake, spent much of the Christmas/New Year break doomscrolling and weather watching and came up with this perspective on...
Realities of water reform
Will the water reforms fix council metrics, or simply shift the pressure, asks David Hammond, the Head of Consulting and Public Sectors at Tribe Executive....
We need a ‘collaborative’ Parliament
It was ironic that the very week [in December 2025] former Prime Minister Sir Geoffrey Palmer lambasted Parliament and recent governments for too much rushed...