Government-council balance is out of whack
Successive governments have fuelled New Zealand’s population growth, but although happy to reap the tax benefits, have given very little consideration to the infrastructure costs imposed by loose immigration settings.
With the general election over, it’s about time Newzealand had a conversation about the future.
No, not the inevitable 100-day plan orhowthe ministerial portfolios are divvied up, but about local government.
Given that local government occupies a rather conflicted position innewzealand’s psyche— aswe utterly rely on it but don’t always appreciate it — this will be adifficult conversation. However, it’s onewe need to have.
Local authorities are the tier of government closest to the people, andweall rely on them in order to live our lives on an everyday basis. Be it roads, water, libraries, planning, placemaking, economic development or environmental protection, the measure of success iswe largely don’t even notice these services.
It is onlywhen things go wrong that the public pays attention. That’s absolutely appropriate, but even then it’s important to look athowthings go wrong.
If a single council gets something wrong or awheel comes off, it’s on the council, and fair cop. At thesame time, if we’re seeing thesamerear driver’s side wheelcomeoff due to thesame failing lug nut— i.e. the sameproblem playing out across the country— it’s a strong sign the problem hasmore to do with the system than any individual council.
Let’s take a look atsome of the issues that featured highly in the election, particularly as they relate to local government: infrastructure deficits, housing, climate change, three waters and freshwater. All these problems are playing out across the country, which is a clear signwehave a problem with the system.
The difficult conversation we, as Local Governmentnewzealand, want to have with the incoming Government ishowdowefix the system local government operates in?
The first step is realisingnew Zealand can’t continue to operate with two government systems failing to work cohesively together. The decisionsmadeby central government affect local councils across the spectrum of its briefs, and vice versa, often with perverse effects.
Take immigration. Successive governments have fuellednewzealand’s population growth, but although happy to reap the tax benefits, have given very little consideration to the infrastructure costs imposed by loose immigration settings. The result is local government’s ability to deal with growth issues has failed to keep pace.
Whether releasing land, incentivising growth or funding and developing infrastructure or providing social housing, the rules under which local government toils have not been adjusted to match.
Simply, the balance is out of whack.
Toattempt to findsomebalance, weneed to think of government in Newzealand as a single system, where top-down decision-making and resourcing meets bottom-up experience and democratic— or community— direction. Weknow this works because in the rare instances innewzealand’s history where it has been tried, it has delivered well. .
Take the Covid-19 crisis as an example. The necessity to put aside our differences in the face the pandemic meantwerolledupour collective sleeves and got on with furloughing 5million Kiwis in their homesfor close to two months.
Byteamingup through the levels of lockdown, both tiers of government ensured essential lifeline services such as our drinking water, rubbish collection and wastewater services continued, while the vulnerable inour communities got the targeted care they needed.
Once out of lockdown, hearing the infrastructure-led recovery call from central government, councils have worked to ensure they’re contributing by bringing their investment programmes forward, or by providing regulatory services that enable development.
So, back to the difficult conversation about the future of local government. Whycan’twe have acovid-like partnership that delivers fornewzealanders all the time? This isn’t about amalgamation or re-drawing the council boundary lines, buthowwemeaningfully work together to deliver our respective strengths.
This is somethingwetouched on in THELGNZ2020 General Election Manifesto on lgnz.co.nz, which called for an appropriate balance between local and central decisionmaking, somethinglgnzcalls “democratic well-being”.
It will take major compromise— and a genuine focus on understanding each other’s strengths— fromcentral government, but also from councils. Change is always uncomfortable but we’reupfor it. Is central government and, evenmore importantly, is the public ready to have this difficult conversation?