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...
Tag : Simon Watts
The three f’s of amalgamation
After several false starts, it seems as though the Wellington region’s local governments are to amalgamate. What form this takes is still uncertain, but it...
Why good governance matters
Each council triennium we seem to have at least one council that maintains its place on our newspaper front pages for all the wrong reasons,...
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...
Views on revamped three waters reform
Photo: The boundaries of the ten water services entities. By Alan Titchall. A wolf now dressed up as a lamb? Most councils and observers remain...