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...
Tag : New Zealand local government reform
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...
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...
Reflecting on a long career in local government
Image: Paula Southgate and her husband Greg Forsyth at the Peacocke Bridge blessing ceremony in September 2024. Twenty-four years ago, when I stood for election, I...