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...
Category : Politics
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...
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,...
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,...
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...
Local Water Done Well or not?
If you think you understand water treatment, think again, says Iain Rabbitts, who has over 25 years’ experience in the water services industry. In principle,...
A lesson in hazard landscapes
Photo: NZ Defence Force. Cyclone Gabrielle left more than physical devastation in its wake. It also prompted difficult legal questions about risk, responsibility and the...
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...