Max Baxter
AMONG the first items of business for local councils this year is submissions on the Future for Local Government Review.
Public submissions on the review panel draft report close on February 28.
While Ōtorohanga mayor Max Baxter sees a world of opportunity in the review, he has reservations, driven in part by the Three Waters experience.
“Obviously there’s been a massive amount of change and reform put on local government in recent times and there has been push back,” Max said.
“The push back is understandable and validated as well through lack of negotiation, consultation, and obviously the lack of local government control – local decisions being taken away from us.
“If we look at that from another angle, taking it all on board, and these changes are all absolutely real – the Resource Management Act reform is going to have a massive impact on us. And the future for local government going forward from there, is about where local government is to be in 30 years’ time.”
The release of the draft report in October was the second milestone in a two-year process which was requested by local government.
It does not represent government policy. Central government agreed to support the process and funded the review and its five-member panel.
Max views local government as being the facilitator of change.
“Local government doesn’t have to have delivery of a particular service or product, but it needs to be there as a conduit between your funding mechanism and your local delivery,” he said.
“I think there is a world of opportunity we have seen in – and we will keep on using the example, Mayors Task Force For Jobs (MTFJ), as an example of what can be done.
“The issue we have going forward is local government can only be effective if central government embraces the changes and opportunities as well.” There would remain a level of scepticism from local government until they saw what the Government would accept.
Max had the opportunity to deliver his advice about the MTFJ model to Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta and Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni in early December.
“I said to them both, MTFJ was a good example of what can be achieved with local government and central government co-operation, but it’s not an exemplar.
“An exemplar is when we co-design a model,” he said. Otherwise, the councils would be fronting up each year for a contestable funding round.
“So there has to be a huge element of trust imposed on local government from central government for us to have a high performing high trust model,” The issue with local government was all the councils had to be on the same page, he said.
“But if we are going to go to the government saying we need to be delivering mental health or we need to be delivering housing within our own rohe, then you need to be able to give us the funding to be able to perform that.
“Then it goes down to the issue with government, funding is one size fits all.” Local government had to work collaboratively to ensure councils got the best out of government, he said.
Added to the mix was the high possibility of a change of government in 2023. Officials in the Department of Internal Affairs should not be making the decisions, Max said.
But changes of government meant fundamental working relationships had to be done.
“The issue we have with National is they think Local Government New Zealand is already in bed with Labour,” he said.
“The most frustrating thing with local government is whether we have a red or a blue lens on it, we have to work with whoever is in power. The real challenge is you have to work with what’s in front of you on any particular day.”
Jim Palmer, chair of the Future for Local Government Review Panel, said significant change was needed and fundamentally different and new ways of thinking and working were imperative.
He said the review provided a ‘once-in-a-generation’ opportunity for New Zealanders to reimagine their future and think about how local government should evolve over the next 30 years and beyond.
“We need to rebuild trust and confidence in local democracy where people can meaningfully contribute to decision-making,” he said.
“We need councils championing and activating wellbeing, drawing on their resources, influence, and proximity to communities.
“We need local and central government thinking and acting differently about opportunities and possibilities – they must be willing to innovate, value and trust others, and to use their collective resources and strengths for the benefit of communities.”
Five key shifts were needed to make the change: strengthened local democracy; authentic relationships with hapu/iwi and Māori; a focus on wellbeing; genuine partnership between central and local government; and more equitable funding. In addition, system design and stewardship would also need reconsideration.
