The Prime Minister’s remarks at the LGNZ SuperLocal Conference reveal a concerning disconnection from the realities faced by local communities across New Zealand. While ‘getting back to basics’ is critical and something we have signalled in our Long Term Plan, the proposal to remove councils’ responsibility for the wellbeing of their communities ignores the complex, intertwined nature of local governance.
Councils are not just responsible for roads and rubbish; they are the frontline of social and community development. The "four wellbeings" – social, economic, environmental, and cultural – are at the core of what it means to foster healthy, vibrant communities. By removing these provisions, the Government is disregarding the broader needs of our people, leaving councils ill-equipped to address the challenges of inequality, social isolation, and climate change.
The idea that councils should solely focus on physical infrastructure and leave social issues to central government is not only short-sighted but shows a fundamental misunderstanding of local governance. It is councils who know their communities best, and it is councils who are uniquely positioned to provide the services and support that go beyond simply filling potholes.
The Prime Minister’s approach also ignores the reality that ratepayers expect more than the bare minimum. They want communities that are supported and nurtured, where social services are integrated with infrastructure development. This narrow focus on cost-cutting risks leaving many behind, particularly our most vulnerable.
Our communities deserve more than a stripped-back version of local government. They deserve councils that are empowered to address the full spectrum of issues their residents face, from social wellbeing to climate resilience. We also do not need or want the level of control that central government are proposing. The Prime Minister’s speech may speak to fiscal prudence, but it fails to recognise the essential role councils play in the everyday lives of Kiwis. It is vital that councils remain equipped to deliver not just the basics but also the social and environmental outcomes that our communities need to thrive.
Removing social responsibility from councils is a step backward for New Zealand. For the wellbeing of our communities, we need a government that understands and supports the full scope of what local councils do.
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6moThe problem right now Bob Vansickle is that the service providers know all about it already (it's "nice" to have third parties confirm what we already know of course) but no one has been helping them for the better part of three years, as they fight to survive simultaneous with trying to maintain relationships with jobseekers and employers. It's wonderful to have ODEN, CLO, Maytree, and First Work coming out with these reports in 2024, but does anyone care? The evidence I see so far, is that there's just not much appetite to take this on - so many of our networks (even those where we pay fees to be a part of them) just carry on pumping out happy stories. That has really compounded the feelings of despair for those in the sector.