Online help for mayors, councillors
‘‘They want a resource that allows them to participate straight away.’’ Stuart Crosby LGNZ president
Local government is moving into the modern age with an online training platform.
The new kona platform from Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) launched online this week, and is available to 1600 elected members across the country in a free trial. Eventually it will be offered as a paid service to councils and community boards.
LGNZ was seeing growing demand for guidance from elected representatives, many of whom were new to the job, chief executive Susan Freeman-Greene said.
Last year’s local body elections saw the highest turnover of mayors since LGNZ started keeping records in 1989, with 45% of mayors changing. Many representatives, including Wellington mayor Tory Whanau, are new to local government.
kona covers the basics and goes right through to topics like climate change, emergency management and Three Waters reforms.
LGNZ president and former Tauranga mayor Stuart Crosby said there were no dumb questions, but newly elected councillors often felt ‘‘intimidated’’ by their more experienced colleagues.
‘‘People do feel as though, if I ask this, what will they think of me? They want a resource that allows them to participate straight away, professionally, in the council.’’
The old training system generally involved many councillors travelling to a city and having a kind of convention, which was expensive and time-consuming.
Porirua mayor Anita Baker – who last year suggested councillors should sit regular exams to show they were competent – was pleased to see the new platform.
‘‘It’s a great platform for councillors and mayors to learn and keep updated, being able to use it anytime is helpful,’’ she said.
Freeman-Greene said LGNZ would add new modules to kona.
‘‘The need from members is really increased because of the growing complexity of the role.’’
Eight-term mayor Wayne Guppy, in Upper Hutt, said that in his experience, some councillors came in with uncertainty about their role on council. ‘‘They think they’re going to be managers, not governors.’’