“I care for our district and I want to see thriving communities for all peoples – and this means making difficult, thoughtful, future-focused decisions within a constrained council budget. These decisions are never black and white. Good decision-making relies on balancing competing priorities for the benefit of all.” “I have a solid understanding of local government through Community Board work, and through my time on the National Community Boards Executive Committee. We’ve been advocating for community boards to be harnessed and supported to be a more effective tool for better local decision-making.” . . . → Read More: Article: Council or bust for community board stalwart
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The other major issue is the whole funding structure for local government. Which is why I think the Government is taking a very narrow approach here. How on earth the Government thinks it could put a cap on annual rates increases without looking at the wider issue, I don’t know. And that wider issue is the fact that local councils are being asked to do more and more under their own steam, without any extra funding to make it happen. Example: the Government wants more tourists coming here, but what about the infrastructure needed to support that growth? The Government doesn’t pay for that. Local councils do. . . . → Read More: Article: John MacDonald: Capping council rates isn’t a solution “After the local body election the successful Whakatane District Council candidates will have to work together so we’re saying, ‘why wait?’ “Let’s get things started before the election and show Whakatane we can work together despite our differences.” . . . → Read More: Article: Working together despite differences 
So essentially they’ve made central government smaller, dumped a shipload of work onto ratepayer funded councils, and now they’re going to make sure councils spend ratepayers money doing the government work so said government can look good? . . . → Read More: PM Christopher Luxon open to scrapping regional councils amid RMA reform For a prime minister who is often accused of having no ideology, localism is one thing Luxon deeply believes in. “Centralism over localism doesn’t work,” he told parliament last year. He described centralisation as “a robbery of power and control from local communities.” He reiterated it in his impressively boring speech at Waitangi this year: “We, like you, believe in localism and devolution, not centralisation and control.” Localism is a belief that unites all three parties in the coalition. It’s arguably the biggest point of difference between this government and the previous Labour government, which made moves to centralise health, polytechnics, water and the public service. . . . → Read More: Christopher Luxon loves localism, until locals have the wrong opinions Many of the managerial techniques that have arrived in the public sector over the austerity years – such as results-based pay, corporate contracting, performance management or evaluation culture – have their origins in a budgetary revolution that took place in the 1960s at the US Department of Defence. In the early 1960s, Defence Secretary Robert McNamara was frustrated with being nominally in charge of budgeting but having to mediate between the seemingly arbitrary demands of military leaders for more tanks, submarines or missiles. In response, he called on the RAND Corporation, a US think tank and consultancy, to remake the Defence Department’s budgetary process to give the secretary greater capacity to plan. . . . → Read More: Despite decades of cost cutting, governments spend more than ever. How can we make sense of this? Simon Watts at the Future Proofing New Zealand forum, hosted by The Post and Infrastructure NZ, in Wellington on Wednesday. Source 19 June 2025 PDF Local Government Minister Simon Watts is “working at pace” on a rates cap model, revealing to the The Post/Infrastructure NZ Local Government Forum there are concerns about the . . . → Read More: Local Govt Minister ‘working at pace’ on rates cap model 
Māori wards and constituencies are vital to local decision-making and have many benefits for our communities. However, we have to vote in the upcoming local body elections to retain them. This two-page resource provides trustworthy information on: Why we have Māori wards and how they work The key issues now How our communities benefit from Māori wards Actions you can take to retain Māori wards . . . → Read More: Māori wards Explainer – What’s happening and what you can do Government to give itself power to override councils on housing in RMA changes Chris Bishop Source June 18, 2025 PDF The government will take back power from local councils if their decisions are going to negatively impact economic growth, development or employment. In a speech to business leaders at the Wellington Chamber of . . . → Read More: Wellington Takes Big Brother Approach To ‘Localism’ 
The broken funding model that is causing ratepayer pain needs to be fixed and it’s not simply a case of closing the library or increasing tipping charges and selling the Aquatic Centre. Ratepayers need to demand better quality decisions and choices by central government. . . . → Read More: Article: The local government funding model is broken ‒ but can be fixed Local Government New Zealand recently estimated an extra $11 billion is needed over the next seven years to meet unexpected cost increases. The credit rating agency S&P Global has downgraded 18 councils and three council-controlled organisations, and given negative outlooks to three more councils. The auditor-general reported in February that inflation has driven up the costs of construction, insurance and debt servicing. This is putting pressure on operational expenses and capital improvements at the same time as demand for council services is increasing. . . . → Read More: Article: Rates will never be enough – councils need the power to raise money in other ways New Zealand’s rising rates are primarily due to increasing costs for local councils, including infrastructure upgrades, population growth, and inflation, leading to higher rates to fund essential services and meet community needs. . . . → Read More: The Real Reasons Behind New Zealand’s Rates Increases
Yet another case of Big Brother Government in Wellington telling local councils what to do with huge costs associated and no funding – yet more of the multi-million dollar rip off that Wellington bureaucrats throw at ratepayers, who they clearly see as a bottomless ATM “Councillors have been astounded by the inflexible parameters, risks to children and others’ safety, and the potential extra costs of consultation and physical safety enhancements. Auckland Council and Auckland Transport both opposed the Government’s automatic raising of speeds back to 50 km/h but the rule came into force anyway. AT already estimated publicly the road and sign changes could cost it $25m, which the Govt refused to subsidise.” . . . → Read More: Untangling the hidden costs of driving faster past schools 
Eroding the power of Te Tiriti o Waitangi — whether explicitly or implicitly through laws such as the Regulatory Standards Bill — has serious strategic, legal, and economic consequences for Aotearoa New Zealand’s trade agreements and exposure to ISDS cases. Here’s how and why: . . . → Read More: Opinion: Regulatory Standards Bill – what you need to know. Dr Mawera Karetai
Let’s demand courage. Vision. Long-term thinking. A mayor and councillors who are eager to work together for all of us — motivated not just by managing the now, but by building a strong foundation for the future. Let’s be honest about the challenges, and clear-eyed about the kind of community we want to be. Let’s vote for leaders who can hold this nuance — honestly, logically, and compassionately. Because ultimately, the four wellbeings weren’t just policy. They were a reminder of what really matters. And whether they stay in law, they must stay in our decisions. . . . → Read More: Opinion: Yes, let’s not forget what councils really do. Becs Mackay To react to this fiscal crunch by cutting public spending – both capital investment and current – is the wrong approach macroeconomically. It risks making the problem worse: depressing growth further, and reducing tax revenues and hence the resources available to improve public services. The economy will not sufficiently grow while people sit for months on NHS waiting lists unable to work; while children from poorer backgrounds are held back from achieving their full potential at school; and while the housing market is so dysfunctional that lack of affordability prevents people taking up economic opportunities. There are other options available. . . . → Read More: The Observer view: sticking to fiscal rule will imperil Labour’s future
Our discussions shouldn’t be about debt, but about what our debt is paying for and who is benefitting from it. . . . → Read More: Opinion: The Language of Fear Talking my language and amplifying the message that Central Government needs to fully fund it’s undemocratic demands on ratepayers. . . . → Read More: Podcast: Local councils and the battle for money
In the leadup to National’s first budget I protested that the planned tax cuts were unaffordable and stood on a roundabout in my home town and let everyone know I was concerned. The support was just incredible. Soon I was joined by more and more people and we made a big noise predicting that everything that has happened was the only outcome from such disastrous policy. The Postpone The Tax Cuts Facebook Page remains a valuable historical resource recording how many people predicted the disaster that is this National led coalition government would be. . . . → Read More: Postpone The Tax Cuts Campaign – 2024
May 21 2025 “We shipped over four pallets of Wai Mānuka, which landed two weeks ago, and we’re now in discussions to manufacture and send a full container ahead of the US summer months,” Mr Harawira said. A single container of Wai Mānuka holds more product than the company has sold through New World supermarkets across New Zealand over the past 15 months. “In our original plan, we expected to ship our first container within 12 to 18 months — not as part of our second order,” Mr Harawira said. . . . → Read More: Wai Manuka launches in New York |
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