Future focus to Local Government New Zealand conference

New Zealand is poised for a period of enormous change in the coming 30 years and initiatives to tackle the major shifts will be launched at the Local Government New Zealand 2016 Conference this weekend.

Over the next three decades New Zealand communities will have to adapt to significant economic, social, cultural and environmental changes. Whether it’s coping with increased urbanisation and what this means for cities and regions, responding to climate change or caring for our environment, big challenges lie ahead.

LGNZ’s 2050 Challenge: future proofing Kiwi Communities discussion paper has been developed to generate discussion about how the country prepares for significant changes.

Sparked by LGNZ’s Young Elected Members Committee, the paper outlines the major challenges facing local communities and calls for those communities to work with their councils to help develop strategies for an uncertain future.

LGNZ will also launch Planning Our Future, an eight point action plan for reform of the resource management system with a focus on improving decision-making and placing greater value on natural eco-systems.

The plan was developed following a review of the current system by a “blue skies” reference group chaired by Otago Regional Council Chair Stephen Woodhead, who is also Chair of LGNZ’s Regional Sector and its Environmental Policy Advisory Group. LGNZ released the discussion document in December 2015.

You can read more about the reference group and the discussion document online.

Key aims of the action plan are to integrate resource management decision-making across domains and enhance the strategic connection between central and local government; ensure resource management decisions grounded in evidence, transparent and able to be scrutinised; and create a system designed to deliver better decisions and create economic incentives to encourage greater environmental stewardship.

LGNZ President Lawrence Yule says the 2050 Challenge and the proposed changes to the resource management system are important pieces of work.

“It is vital that as a society we address these issues now, because significant changes are underway and the way we live today may not be how we live tomorrow,” Mr Yule says.

“Local government has a critical role to play in planning for the long-term prosperity of our communities, so it is right that local government lead these discussions.”

The 2050 Challenge: future proofing Kiwi Communities discussion paper will be released on 25 July, and the Planning Our Future document on26 July.

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