Local government – you’re losing. And for those who know me, you know how much it pains me to say this. Elizabeth Hughes.
Let’s face it – you are certainly not player of the day. And frankly, I’m not even sure you deserve the participation award.
Not that you’re wrong; in fact quite the opposite. The ideological challenges, the analysis, the facts, the logic, the thoughtfulness and the kaupapa – it is all there. But the cut-through and the sentiment is failing.
Why?
Because you’re not taking the lead from big Government and talking about councils as if they were business units.
You need to be focusing on economic stuff: productive outputs, restructuring your resources and questioning your consumption baskets. Tabulating every cost, demonstrating your parsimony, and delivering on income and investment portfolios. You need a competitive mindset; to be singular of purpose and laser focused.
And, very importantly, you also need a savvy marketing pitch.
Persuasive words that get cut-through
Ask any Nigerian Prince and they will tell you – success comes from being believable. So, hat’s off to the big Government of New Zealand. They are most definitely on their game in the war of words.
And in case you need reminding about how this game is played …
• keep it super simple (“what I’m saying to you very clearly is…”)
• focus on soundbites (impactful headlines are less than seven words)
• use cliches (see above)
• be repetitive (“what I’m saying to you very clearly is…”)
• repeat the word “consistently” (so your repetitions are consistent)
• use loosely worded reckons (no-one will fact check on the day)
• use metaphors that illustrate your point (even better if you are standing in it)
• pitch to your existing customers (think of it as a loyalty scheme)
• never answer a direct question directly (explaining is losing)
• patronise and mock (e.g., use words like “dumb” and “wasteful”)
• double down on all of the above.
You have been told. And, you also really need to stop spending money on extravagant non-basics. For clarity, the following are the basics*:
• potholes
• roads (for cars)
• streets (for cars)
• “resilience” (for cars)
• curbs and culverts (to make it safer for cars)
• boat ramps (for cars)
• pipes (not the skateboard ones)
• streetlights (not decorative ones)
• tunnels or bridges (love these)
• noxious weeds
• stop banks
• parks with grass and shrubs (you can add trees if it is in a neighbourhood that pays higher rates)
• anything for poos and wees
• transfer stations (as long as you don’t do naff education stuff about recycling)
• sports fields (marginal)
• normal playgrounds (accessible playgrounds go beyond “basic”).
If you want a library, museum, theatre, pool, botanic garden, aviary, native reserve or art gallery you need to prove you have secured at least 90 percent funding from user fees, sponsorships, donations or koha before you may proceed.
At this stage it is not clear whether a zoo would be considered a white elephant or not.
On the definitely “not basic laundry list” are cycle lanes, bike racks, art installations, hanging baskets, bench seats, wharves (unless needing access by cars), speed humps, community events (e.g., Christmas parades), and any support to kapa haka groups, youth events, the homeless, children, the aged, the infirm, the disabled, and the unemployed.
But seriously, the most important strategy (and one that might require a bit of getting your heads around) is to speak up, and to mobilise the voices of those who will be most affected by the changes that are being heralded.
Local government, you have let your good, needed, and hugely important mahi go unnoticed and misunderstood for too long. And when big government decided to use its words to attack all the baddies out there – local government was a sitting duck.
I’m sorry to say – but most ordinary people are quietly thrilled to see local government getting the bash. Because they really don’t like you. Nor do they trust you or value you. Most people do not find you relevant or meaningful in their lives.
And this is where the real problem lies.
Not only are you losing the battle, you are perilously close to losing the war. You have to find some well-chosen words of your own and encourage your communities to see what is happening here and to speak up for what they want.
How about you all agree on some key messages, show a bit of leadership and courage on behalf of your communities (and salvage some dignity)? Some starters…
• Yes, rates are a stupid way to fund what councils do for and on behalf of communities – how about we work constructively to fix the funding model?
• If big Government returned the GST paid to them by ratepayers (who are paying a tax on a tax), councils would be at least $1 billion better off.
• Councils exist to serve 100 percent of their citizens. Should participation in local decision-making only be available to those who pay rates?
• If councils don’t do/deliver/fund/support [insert the thing here], who will do this instead?
• How is “revenue capping how much a council can spend on noncore activities” demonstrating localism and devolution? (And is non-core the same as basic?)
• Does “supporting local economic development” include investment in facilities that attract people to our town/city? Or is it paving the way for more vehicles in our neighbourhoods to move at faster speeds?
• And lastly – please would big Government publish a list of “the basics” so we are all clear about what their laundry list looks like.
Be on the offence, stick to the key messages, keep it simple, be repetitive, be consistent and aim well.
And as a final word…
Big government doesn’t do neighbourhoods and communities. You do. And neighbourhoods and communities are where local really, really, really matters.
Focus on building the goodwill of the people who benefit from the investment your council already makes and in the things you already do.
Putting out carefully crafted media releases and doing generic monthly emails will not connect you with the people you serve.
You have to tell them – at source – relentlessly and consistently – what is happening in their street, their neighbourhood and their community. Promote the why, what, when and how much it costs. Use your facilities, your assets and your works-in-progress to consistently inform and communicate what you are doing.
This is where you can do much better right now – and without breaking the bank. Be relevant, be seen, be heard.
At the end of the day, communities (people) either want local decision-making and self-determination, or they don’t.
And if they want councils to be a business enterprise delivering only “the basics”, then they will let their voices be heard.
But, don’t let the first time the people in your communities hear about this choice be framed by big government’s marketing armoury. This is your job now.
You cannot win the war of words with the sound of crickets.
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*Apologies, I haven’t fact checked “basics” with big Government so this list is based on indicative evidence only i.e., “where the justification for council activities has rested solely on the four well-beings, my expectation is that councils will cease these activities” – Cabinet paper 23 August 2024.
Note: very helpfully the same Cabinet paper suggests big Government will tell local government how to “modernise their communication”. Excellent. Can’t wait to be handed some crayons for that.