FILE PHOTO
Ōtorohanga District Council is telling the Government to look to Scotland’s experience with local government reform in its submission on the draft report Review into the Future for Local Government.
“The Scottish model enables an important and desired top-down and bottom-up approach, where clear national outcomes and priorities are given effect to at a regional and local level having regard to local context,” the council chief adviser Ross McNeil said in the submission to the select committee.
Central to the Scottish model was an integrated role of local government which enabled government policy, ensured a long-term strategic approach was taken and engaged with communities on matters of local significance and priority.
The ŌDC pointed to the Government’s timing of submissions on the local government reform as highlighting a general disregard government had for local government, Ross said. It also highlighted the Governments’ general lack of understanding and willingness to see the potential for a local government/central government partnership to deliver national priorities at a community level.
“Without the full potential of a ‘joined up’ public service, there will remain an unnecessary handbrake on advancing the wellbeing of communities across Aotearoa,” Ross said.
“We believe there are sufficient resources available to achieve better wellbeing outcomes for Aotearoa/NZ, but where, how and when those resources are allocated, and most effectively applied is a function of two things – the relationship between central government and local government; and the legal systems and structures to enable local government to more effectively work with and on behalf of central government.
“The overall planning model in Scotland can be likened to a coin – on one side is the land use (resource management) infrastructure planning and on the other side is community planning.
“Together these two elements combine to enable and promote the delivery of great places and the wellbeing of people,” Ross said.
The ŌDC suggested an Aotearoa/New Zealand adaptation of the Scottish approach. It provided a useful model for the Future for Local Government review consideration, where the full potential of local government could be realised as part of a secure and meaningful all of government (local/central) and iwi/Māori partnership.
“Fundamental to a wider local government transformation is a central government that is itself willing and able to transform to realise the local well-being enabling potential of a connected public service,” Ross said.
In most comparable jurisdictions, local government had a broader role in advancing community wellbeing and a greater responsibility for the local delivery of national outcomes.
Missing was the recognition of local government in constitutional arrangements, Ross said.
“We cannot see the scale of change required in Aotearoa/NZ being successful and sustained without such statutory confidence,” he said.
“Local government must exist in its own right beyond the vagaries of any particular elected central government in power at any point in time.
“We have seen the disruption and folly when various ill-conceived government policies about the role/function of local government play-out through legislative review/reform.”
The ŌDC submission endorsed the review panel’s view around more diverse representation, training, remuneration and support for continuing to lift governance capacity.
The shift to a greater focus on people and wellbeing rather than infrastructure services, required a corresponding shift in thinking and approach.
Which was most likely to mean greater and potentially more challenging community engagement, partnership development, better understanding of Te Tiriti and te ao Māori and more – all time consuming and requiring quite a different skill set.
Submissions on the review into the Future for Local Government draft report are now closed.
