Local Government

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• Continue pressuring Local Government to stay focused on its core role of providing vital physical infrastructure.
• Improve housing affordability by reducing the level of restrictive land use planning that councils impose on the development of property.  Restrictive land use planning is driving younger and poorer buyers out of the market by strangling land supply and pushing up the price of housing. (more here)

• Guaranteed tangata whenua participation in local governance.(more here)

• Labour will fix the super city’s democracy: enshrine powers of local boards, transition from the appointed Maori Statutory Board to elected Maori seats, repeal the law that imposes a corporatised transport agency, and review the governance and democracy laws and structures after two years.
• Labour will set up a Common Accountability Platform for Auckland – Ministers, representatives and officials of central government will agree common priorities with Auckland Mayor & Council, and ensure better, fairer alignment between Aucklanders’ voices and needs, council capabilities, national policy, and budget commitments.
• Labour will support the Auckland Council and back the clear preference for Auckland, which is the Rail Link proposal. We will provide funding, through the Land Transport Fund, for up to $1.2 billion, which equates to half of the cost of the Rail Link, on the understanding that the Auckland Council is responsible for financing the other half.
• Labour will work in partnership with Auckland Council to deliver a 15 year transport infrastructure plan for Auckland, starting with the city rail link, and including new rolling stock, station upgrades & integrated ticketing. (more here)

Not set out on their website.

• Amend the Local Government and Resource Management Acts to require robust and accountable work practices by local government when working with mana whenua.
• Establishing mana whenua statutory boards at local government.
• Introduce the RMA National Policy Statement on Māori participation, including iwi/Māori management committees and treaty representation.
• Amend Local Government Act 2002 to ensure no district, city or regional council can charge the public to take books out from their public libraries. (more here)

• Promote greater interaction, collaboration,and planning between local councils and their chief executives within a region through regular Mayoral and Chief Executive Forum.
• Continue reform of the Resource Management Act – including six-month time limits for decisions on regional-sized projects, and simplified planning processes – so councils and ratepayers have more certainty about issues that cross regional boundaries.
• Put in place the recommendations of the Controller and Auditor-General’s paper on local government reporting. (more here)

• Reduce the financial pressure on local authorities by increasing the central government's Financial Assistance Rate for the maintenance and construction of local roads up to 80% of their total cost.
• Reduce the number of Territorial Authorities by incentivising local government councils to come together.
• Require the Ministry for the Environment to take a more active role in ensuring that Regional Councils perform their environmental monitoring and enforcement responsibilities under the Resource Management Act.
• Assist poorer communities and local authorities with the improvement (or provision) of wastewater and sewerage treatment scheme facilities by expanding the Sanitary Works Subsidy Scheme and increasing the maximum financial assistance rate to 80%of total cost. (more here)