Boosting cooperation between councils:

Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Bill (No 2)

Should your local authorities work together more? Does your community need more options when it comes to reorganising the council, and should councils make greater use of joint council-controlled organisations for services?

These are some of the questions being considered by Parliament’s Local Government and Environment Committee, as they look into the Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Bill (No 2).

To help inform the committee’s recommendations to Parliament, the committee would like to hear New Zealanders views on what the bill proposals.

Chair of the Local Government and Environment Committee, Scott Simpson MP, said: “this legislation will support the Local Government Commission, local communities, and local interests to ensure better supply of service to ratepayers in a way that gives value to those ratepayers and councils. We look forward to what New Zealanders have to say.”

Among other things, the Bill looks to

• empower local authorities to better co-ordinate and integrate networks and resources across regions, particularly in regards to water and transport

• support joint governance arrangements and the greater use of joint council-controlled organisations

• allow the Local Government Commission to initiate local government reorganisation investigations

• allow local authorities to develop, refine, and consult on a range of reorganisation proposals, with the aim of securing wide public support, as well as endorsement from the Commission.

Find more detail on the bill online here.

Share your thoughts with the Local Government and Environment Committee online by midnight on 28 July 2016.

ENDS

© Scoop Media