Central government has announced a major programme aimed at simplifying how local government works across Aotearoa New Zealand. Their view is that councils are having to work through layers of rules, duplicated processes, and slow decision making that make it harder to plan for growth and deliver the services people rely on.
As a council we agree that there is too much duplication and a moved to lesser complexity would likely increase affordability – a clear focus from the community.
You may have seen in the news, the high-level proposals released by the Government, but the detail will be worked through over the coming months. Agencies, councils and communities will be asked for input as the work develops.
These proposals are still at an early stage. They sit alongside wider resource management reforms that will be introduced to Parliament soon, along with rate capping legislation and changes in the Building Act space also. For now, the Government has outlined two major changes it wants to explore as part of its long term plan to simplify how local government works. In simple terms, these include shifting more planning functions away from regional councils and reviewing how local government is structured so responsibilities are clearer.
For now, the key message is that the system is complex, and any changes will take time. Our role as a council is to stay close to the process, understand what the opportunities for our district are, and to keep our communities informed.
You can read more here: https://www.dia.govt.nz/simplifying-local-government
