Local Government New Zealand facts for kids
Local Government New Zealand Te Kahui Kaunihera ō Aotearoa (LGNZ) is an important group in New Zealand. It's like a club for all the local councils. These councils include regional, city, and district councils. LGNZ works to represent their interests and help them do their jobs well.
How LGNZ Started
LGNZ was formed in 1988. Before that, there were two main groups for councils: the Municipal Association and the Counties Association. They decided to join together to form one big group.
In 1990, another group, the New Zealand Regional Government Association, also joined them. By 1996, this combined group officially became known as Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ).
In March 2023, the Auckland Council decided to leave LGNZ. The Mayor of Auckland, Wayne Brown, made the final decision. He thought Auckland Council could talk directly with the New Zealand Government. He also believed leaving LGNZ would save the council a lot of money. However, some councillors and the LGNZ President disagreed with this choice.
Later in May 2023, the Kaipara District Council also voted to leave LGNZ. The Mayor of Kaipara, Craig Jepson, led this decision. He felt that LGNZ was representing the government's views to councils, instead of the councils' views to the government.
What LGNZ Does
Local Government New Zealand has many important jobs. It supports local democracy and helps councils work better. They also help councils provide good services to their communities.
Councils in New Zealand own most of the roads. They also own much of the country's water and waste systems. Plus, they manage parks, sports fields, and libraries. LGNZ helps councils with rules and laws, like the Resource Management Act 1991.
LGNZ does its work through different committees. These committees focus on things like economic growth, community issues, the environment, and transport.
Being a member of LGNZ is voluntary for councils. Most of New Zealand's local councils are members. A group called the National Council sets the main plans for LGNZ. This council is made up of mayors and councillors elected from different parts of New Zealand.
The National Council has 15 members, including a president. They serve for three years. There's also a Māori Advisory Committee called Te Maruata. This committee includes Māori elected members.
LGNZ has an office in Wellington, the capital city. They hold regular meetings with the New Zealand Government. These meetings help discuss important issues for both local and central government.
LGNZ promotes several key ideas in its work:
- Local Freedom: Councils should have enough freedom to meet their community's needs.
- Local Differences: New Zealand is diverse, so one rule doesn't fit everyone. Decisions should be made locally when possible.
- Local Rules: Governments should consider how new rules affect councils and citizens. Councils should be involved when new rules are being made.
- Local Money: Councils need more ways to get funding.
- Local Buildings: The important role of local government in providing local infrastructure (like roads and water pipes) should be recognized.
- Local Democracy: Local government lets citizens choose how their needs are met. It is open and accountable to the people.
- Local Partnerships: Local government can help different parts of government work together. This helps solve local issues better.
LGNZ Excellence Awards
The LGNZ Excellence Awards started in 2014. These are yearly awards that celebrate great projects by local councils. These projects help communities in different ways.
There are four award categories:
- Environmental Well-being (helping the environment)
- Economic Well-being (helping the economy)
- Social Well-being (helping people and communities)
- Cultural Well-being (helping culture and heritage)
Councils send in applications for their projects. Judges then choose the winners.
See also
- Local Government Commission
- Territorial authorities of New Zealand
