Local councils are an important contributor to the economic, social, environmental and cultural well-being of communities across the country. As such it is important to understand any issues and trends that may impact on the ability of councils to continue to deliver services in the future, and on the costs and service levels for citizens and ratepayers.
Under the Local Government Act 2002, councils are required to produce long-term council community plan (LTCCP) at least once every three years. These plans are meant to:
- describe what a council does;
- provide a long-term (ten year) focus for decision-making;
- act as a basis for accountability to the community; and
- provide an opportunity for public participation in decision-making through the process of preparing and adopting a plan.
All councils produced an LTCCP in 2006 (covering the period 2006 to 2016), and again in 2009 (covering the period 2009 to 2019).
Due to their forward-looking approach, LTCCPs can identify issues facing the sector as a whole in the future. The Department of Internal Affairs (the Department) has conducted a range of analysis and made observations based on data gathered from the 2009/19 LTCCPs. For convenience, LTCCPs are referred to in this document by the year they were produced so that 2009/19 LTCCPs become 2009 LTCCPs.
Councils provide services in different ways, depending on the nature of their constituents and a range of other factors. The intention of this report is to add value by providing a factual basis to start to identify and understand trends in the local government sector as a whole and for sector groupings.
This report is not intended to be read as a council-by-council analysis. In some cases the decisions of individual councils have been used to illustrate some of the trends observed. These examples have been identified on the basis of interpretation of text in the 2009 LTCCPs by the Department.
Looking at the sector as a whole helps to provide a more comprehensive picture of the potential issues facing local government in New Zealand. It may also assist in identifying any common factors or drivers, leading to a more informed response on the part of councils and (if appropriate) the Government, and better informed citizens and ratepayers.