Costly, frustrating Head Start process
Image: Wellington Mayor Andrew Little. (Source: US Embassy) By Natasha Jojoa Burling A costly process Wellington City Council says the Head Start failure was a...
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Doing more with less
The goal is not to spend more, but to make every investment work harder, writes Warren and Mahoney Principal Architect Vajini Pannila. Vajini is giving a...
Important we get changes right
We’re at a critical point for the country’s infrastructure and change is on the horizon as a result of the challenges we’re facing, says Philip...
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...
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...