By EUGENE BOWEN Local Government New Zealand chief executive

Our monitoring of media and references to local government in September would indicate a significant proportion of local government reporting relates to amalgamation. Geographically, the coverage ranges from the South Island to the Far North.

The Central Government Auckland Local Government Forum in August was the first direct engagement between cabinet and a single local government entity. The forum is based on LGNZ’s own Central Government Local Government Forum and its creation was a pre election commitment by the National party.

The agenda for the two events differs in that the LGNZ event relates to national issues and concerns, points of principle and regulation while the Auckland discussion is about Auckland specifics and how the future form of the city might unfold.

I have spoken frequently recently about an “engagement deficit” that the creation of Auckland Council has produced for the rest of local government. Putting it another way, how does the rest of local government bulk up to have a strategic planning dialogue with central government, the largest provider of infrastructure, social services and drivers of development.

It’s important that we define the problem and the problem is not “should small councils exist?” or “should local democracy be in the hands and the power of communities?” These are givens. A better question might be – “who might speak for councils and communities in a manageable working dialogue between partners in central and local government?”

Auckland Council is one not yet fully proven solution to this question. Other alternatives include strategic alliances and shared services. In an ideal world a leading contender for shared services would be the strategy and planning functions of councils to enable joined up cross-boundary thinking which in turn would enable strategic thinking for regions across New Zealand.

There are some encouraging signs, Auckland has reached out to its neighbours above and below and these regions are working towards an Upper North Island Strategic Alliance (UNISA). A question I would put to you, and one which LGNZ is happy to take a supportive role is – “how does the lower North Island and how does the South Island have a future-focused dialogue with government which focuses on working solutions for regional growth?”

LGNZ stands for some core principles. Local councils are answerable to communities not central government. Local councils need the tools and the authority to represent the aspirations of their communities. Any nationwide solution is usually over-engineered in half the places where it is applied – there can be no one size fits all solutions

To overstate the case “not one council less” could be the mantra for our small and large councils but if we stop there we risk our future potential and I believe we put at risk our future existence.

LGNZ will continue to encourage the discussion, which should not be from vested interests within councils. Rather it should focus on what other sort of regulatory and asset management structures will best ensure the survival of our smallest members, those most at risk from their dependency on rates to fund their existence.

(This article was first published in the September edition of the LGNZ publication QR. It is re-produced here with permission of LGNZ).