Election 2014 - Party Policies - Local Government

4th Jul 14, 5:14pm by Scott Palmer

Local Government

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Reinstate the four wellbeings (social, environmental, cultural and economic) into the purpose of local government as originally specified in the 2002 Local Government Act.
Retain the power of general competence conferred to local government in the 2002 Local Government Act.
Develop national policy statements and national environmental standards under the Resource Management Act to provide better policy guidance to local government, promote national consistency and help reduce plan preparation costs.
Uphold the principle of no taxation without representation by calling new elections rather than replacing elected councillors with appointed commissioners.
Ensure that amalgamation of councils is decided by a referendum and require the majority support of voters in each affected local authority area before an amalgamation may proceed. (more here)

Restore and renew authority and responsibility to democratically elected local government and empower the communities that local governments represent.
Restore the right of communities to be fully consulted before services are contracted out or privatised.
Restore full democracy to Canterbury Region, Christchurch City Council and other affected regions.
Restore the power to Auckland Council to decide on its own structures for the delivery of transport and roading services, on which CCOs it retains, affirmation of the roles of Pacific, Ethnic and others, and on land use and housing planning and provision.
Introduce options of online voting and private disability appropriate voting in addition to postal voting in all local authority elections. (more here)

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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)

National is creating a Rates Reduction Taskforce in partnership with local government to work closely with the public to weed out pedantic and unnecessary rules that frustrate property owners and councils.
National will consult the public on the future of Environment Canterbury, and will propose a range of options from a return to full elections, to a mixed model of elected and appointed members.
Consider the report of the Online Voting Working Party on local body elections.
Require more upfront, clear decisions to be made in plans to reduce the need for consent-by consent-planning so communities can move ahead with certainty.
Require councils to publish fixed fees for many consents and report on consent charges and costs. (more here)

Encourage communities of interest to explore the feasibility of merging some local body entities in the interests of getting better value for money for ratepayers.
Improve the promotion of the rates rebate scheme, consider alternatives for the administration of the scheme to improve access and take-up, annually index both the rates rebate and the income thresholds against average rates increases, and consider extensions to the eligibility in relation to occupiers of retirement homes, papakainga etc
Ensure that there is one single voting mechanism across all local authorities - be it simple plurality or Single Transferable Vote (STV) to limit voter confusion.
Ensure that there is one single voting mechanism across all local authorities - be it simple plurality or Single Transferable Vote (STV) to limit voter confusion.
Examine the findings of the Royal Commission into the Governance of Auckland and act on recommendations which will lead to better co-ordination and harmonization of planning and development of facilities for the greater region. (more here)

Reduce the number of Territorial Authorities where practical by incentivising local government councils to work together.
Incentivise the increased use of shared services amongst Local Authorities.
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.
Conduct regular reviews of the Resource Management Act's operation, and ensure that local authorities are given the necessary resources and administrative support to carry out their statutory role.
Progressively align the electoral boundaries for all other elected bodies, such as District Health Boards, with those of Regional Councils. (more here)

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4 Comments

by waymad | 26th Jul 14, 9:56pm 1406368588

I note that the Greens wish to "Reinstate the four wellbeings (social, environmental, cultural and economic)".

Wheeee....let the unrestrained Spending of OPM Resume!!!!

I'd like to see a Ratepayer-funded series of Events in Awkland, to celebrate the day, soon to arrive, when every Median Homeowner will be a Median Millionaire!

Then, of course we'll be rich enough to actually do something about - er - the environment or whatever the Greens are always wittering on aboot.

Won't we?

by cowboy | 27th Jul 14, 8:24am 1406406261

That's the four well-beings. since they've put economic activity in last place I wonder how they're going to pay for the other three.... Oh lets skip to the "business" policies for Green...oh there are no Green businesses (policies?).... Isn't that just proof of the pudding.

I'd love a beautiful park like countryside, sparkling rivers, flower along the well mantained roads, PV and Solar H/W on every house, rubbish picked up, tagging keep to a few areas. A variety of cultural experiences (but none shoved down my throat in my own Kiwi homeland). A literature and plays and musicians sponsored for frequent regular open events.

I'd love it.... but the question for me, and for every person, is who pays. I'd also love a ferrari, 364 days holiday a year, good health and no cavities...and a pony.

by notaneconomist | 27th Jul 14, 8:33am 1406406829

Reinstating the four wellbeings.....without stating who's wellbeing they are really protecting is hogswash!......What about the right to make a living, protecting the constitutional arrangements that make up Individual Rights........a lack of balance = no integrity and honesty !!!

Now how about all the Political parties having to have Resource Consents before they can implement Policy.

by Kumbel | 27th Jul 14, 9:51am 1406411479

I always love checking out who "gets" local government and who doesn't.

The Greens don't. The four well-beings? Snort.

Mixed report for Maori and NZ First but I will give both a pass mark.

Maori get a bonus mark for knowing a really obscure clause in the LGA that requires membership of libraries to be free but is silent on borrowing charges. They appear to mess it up by mentioning regional councils who don't operate libraries (unless they mean unitary councils).

Top marks to NZ First for their policy on promoting the rates rebate scheme. Although the scheme has no financial impact on councils it does mean extra work so there is no good reason for them to promote the scheme properly.

Marks off for encouraging amalgamation (Kumbels Law: council efficiency and effectiveness varies inversely to size) and more marks off for caring about voting methods (the public doesn't vote for councils anymore so who cares what method you use).