NZ Centre for Political Research

This week's poll asks:

Do you believe that local government is in urgent need of reform?

*Sooner the better. Ridiculous salaries being paid to self glorified town clerks!! Peter

*We have far too many over paid clerks employed within our councils. Add to that the many current council members employed because of their race I beleive that a complete overhaul of the civil service including all those employed by the taxpayers of New Zealand. Mark

*Again the RMA has created a vast bureaucratic empire as has all the requirements for multiple plans, public and iwi consultations etc- similar in out of control nature to the Treaty empire. Jill

*Local councils with their cost plus mentality coupled to a healthy dose of 'Empire Building' are out of control. ' CAP 'EM, SLASH 'EM and BRING 'EM to HEEL. Peter

*We have first-hand experience of Kaipara District being in control of the Multi-Nat's rather than of themselves. It can't happen soon enough! Karen

*No special rights for any ethnic group all equal. Terry

*Absolutely! Reference the Cycling Centre of Excellence proposed for St.Peter's School near Cambridge. The pedallers requested a loan from Waikato District Council. The Council via the local press proposed a ratepayer referendum on this matter. As a result of the Local Body Reform Act 2002 this was illegal thus it became a community referendom. On this basis the community is defined as stretching from Cape Rienga to the Bluff and under which even children can vote. Pedalling people mobilised with joy in this matter which turned to surprise when the cause was outvoted approx 60% to 40%. The W.D.C. decided to ignore this and proceeded with the loan upon which the local press quoted as on a democratic basis . What a joke!. I suggest that the 2002 Act be re evaluated if not dumped. Ratepayer referenda should be required for all council spending over $2 million if not detailed in prior campaign policy. An occupational disease of local body members is an Edifice Complex which urgently requires treatment. Nothing short of that which I proposes will suffice. Peter

*Absolutely! They've forgotten who pays their salaries. Pam

*Local councils are top heavy with seat warmers, out of touch with reality. Laurie

*Local Goverment has to much power, & the Staff needs to be cut by 50% as they are non productive, it is time we as the voter took control. Geoff

*Back to basics please! Max

*There should be a sixth step to reform ie abolish the current rating system based on value of land and building, which means NOTHING. It in no way reflects ability to pay or services used (or numbers of occupiers of a property). Brian

*Urgent need of reform for local govt is an understatement. I believe that Len Brown has gone completely mad. All these percentage increases over the next years for rates is crazy. What ever happened to living within your means? My wages are not being increased by anywhere near the same percentage increases. No-one will be able to afford to live in Auckland soon. Neil

*e.g. proposed revision of dog control fees in Auckland will result in significant increases for registered responsible dog owners who incur no costs to the council. Bryan

*If nothing else we must get rid of the undemocratic maori statutory authorities. Frank

*We must curb rising cost of rates. Col

*Special considerations and extra elite representation for iwi is costing ratepayers and councils millions to the detremit of much need infrastructure. John

*Council business is now BIG business and I don't feel that our councillors are suitably qualified to run such an enterprise successfully, especially when thinking of the long term plan ie more than their 3 years. Wendy

*It's too costly (and takes too long) to get things done. Ivan

*I am concerned with the amalgamations of cities. I live in Napier and do not want to be almagamized with Hastings. Mayor Yule is starting to proceed with "unbiased studies" for such a task. The Napier City Council agreed to one of many studies yet they cry out no more. I don't think Auckland is a good example of amalgamation. Jack

*Cost of democracy at such a localised level is too high for the quantities of nmoney currently involved ... as a starting point, as there are numerous other issues to contend with. Peter

*Very much so. What an excellent summation of the situation this week! Rob

*Thanks for this article. So important! I am astounded at Interest on local council debt! Bruce

*Colour Blind Councils indeed! That also needs to apply to the national Government. Bottom line - abolish Maori parliamentary seats which are the power base for all this 'maorification of NZ' nonsense. Monica

*ABSOLUTELY - needs to de - burescratise? Paul

*It is high time for Councils to live within their means instead of rates going up and up. Truus

*Very Urgent need of Reform, they are out of control. Richard

*Tauranga Council can build walkways around coastline without any consultation with ratepayers and landowners. Don

This week's poll asks:

Do you believe that local government is in urgent need of reform?

*Removal of true local govt with formation of Auckland Council has removed democratic power from local communities. Grandiose sending requiring hugely increased borrowing needs to stop. Hopefully Nick Smith will bring legislation to bear on this within a month or two. Ross

*What other business can decide what it will spend then simply tell all the suppliers that this is what you will pay so they can then spend without restraint and without any possibility of appeal. Maurice

*The Kapiti Coast District Council is also the epitome of all the faults mentioned by Owen. Baxter

*Abolish free overseas trips and expensive meals for Mayors and Councillors. For communication use the computer. Save the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves. Mary

*Too many managers earning big money doing puffery. Christopher

*Although I would not like to see Councils restricted so they were unable to plan ahead for future population growth. Susan

*My parents own a house and small buisness on a 1012 mtr sq section in Waitomo district. Last year they payed $6194.10 in rates. $220.95 of that went to Environment Waikato which was part of the Rates up to last year but have gone seperate this year.
This is how the rates are broken down.

General Rate - $302.80
Land Transport Rate - $236.05
Land Transport Special Levie - $233.30
Uniform Annual General Charge x2 because they have shop and house on same section = $1266.00
Targeted Services Rural x2 = $74
Storm water Rural x2 = $48
Solid Waste Management x2 = $336 + $38 per load
Solid Waste Collection x2 = $640 + $3 per bag
Water Supply x2 = $2800
Trade Waste Contribution = $15
Water Supply Subsidy (for another town) = $5
Sewerage Subsidy (for another town, where they live does not have sewerage services) = $10
Environment Waikato (added to rates last year but gone seperate this year)= $220.95

I am interested to learn how much other home and buisnesses are paying in rates. My parents struggle to get the rates paid quarterly. It feels like they no sooner recover from paying the first quarter of their rates and they are hit with the next quarter to pay. Trina

*Staff numbers need to be kept in check and salaries need to have some structure, not a free-for-all-grab as in Christchurch. I am also strongly against local councils getting into the "investment" market. If they have too much money, reduce our rates. Sheila

*There needs to be more accountability and consultation. ALL rate payers should be able to vote for ALL councillors not just one or two in a "constituency". Stewart


*The situation is desperate and urgent. Get rid of Regional Councils. They have proven to be very obstructive and destructive of communities and progress. I totally support the objectives for Local Body Reform. But it is needed urgently. Very urgently. Dianna

*Limit the freedom of councils to increase cost.Finish paying for one thing before you start on another. Paul

*It's what you get after 9 years hard labor. Christopher

This week's poll asks:

Do you believe that local government is in urgent need of reform?

*Yes and the current Government, Keys dosen`t we have the tail wagging the dog. Bill

*Absolutely! Councils do not have a mandate to spent our money on anything but essential services without our consent. They are but workers using our hard earned rates. Sarah

*This is an ongoing scandal. I saw first-hand the efforts of Len Brown at Manukau and I despair for the future of Auckland. Ken

*Local government is in urgent need of abolition not reform. There are two types of local government people. Those who are in the job because it gives them the opportunity to punish others which is what they enjoy most of all and elected councillors and mayors whose greatest pleasure is gawping al them selves in the mirror. A gaggle of independent service providers would be better provided there were no user charges and the required funds came from commercial activity. K

*Indeed - similarly the rest of government. Peter

*As long as left leaning voters vote for left leaning local politicians in the hope of gaining personal benefits while not contributing directly to the rateing base, the rate payer will continue to be held to ransom. After all isin't that the socialist agenda? Take the wealth from those that generate the national wealth and support the politicians, both local and national, the public service and the bludgers. John

*The waste is criminal. They seem to have lost sight of what they are there for and seem to be spending money left right and centre on touchy feely things, especially racist nonsense. They need to get back to the basics and concentrate on our infrastructure and necessaries. B+H

*Last year it cost $75 to register my dog and this year it is $250. Last year i said to myself "what do I get for this $75 a little yellow tag and my dogs name on a list" This is just out of control but I am at a loss to know what to do other than accept this extortion. Howard

*Take a look at the Marlborough District Council - totally out of control - a multi, multi million dollar theatre the majority don't want - $62,000 to tart up a roundabout in Blenheim, continually advertising for groups to apply for funding with ratepayer money - dog rego fees with a piece of plastic in return from an anti dog council, grandiose schemes that the lowest waged area in the country cannot afford. And then there's the rascist Maori issue - what special qualifications have these people got? Get rid of them all and tell the Local Bodies to stick to their core reason for being here. Carolyn

*Councils in NZ are long overdue for serious reform. Roger

*It's not urgently needed - its desperately needed. We are drowning in a socialist tsunami of the "elite" spending our money on whims and fancies, pandering to whatever ludicrous special-interest group yells the loudest and longest. >:( Peter

*Too expensive, out of control, no longer work to a budget, do not listen to their electorate. John

*The area in local authorities which most needs reforms has to be planning and environment. Planning, especially the preparation, consulting and amendment of Annual and 10 Year Plans keeps the bulk of the staff occupied (unproductively) and in a management sense can produce little of value, especially the 10 Year Plan. In the RM area, it is often said that consents are processed without delay and without being declined in more than 90% of the cases. Logically these are consents which were not needed. A simple permit would have sufficed. Costs to the ratepayer in fees and processing costs could be reduced by 80%. Notified consents could also be reduced considerably by allowing only those with demonstrable direct impacts to be considered affected parties. Arbitration should be binding and appeals to the courts allowed. The Environment Court should be removed as its bias toward objectors is profound. The responsibility of Council staff to the ratepayer must be re-affirmed. Hiring of staff members should be given to persons who do not have an interest in replicating a bureaucracy but to finding solutions which are of value to the community. Richard

*Sooner rather than later. Chris

*I agree with stated your objectives. Helen

*Less is more (far too much waste in ridiculous levels of duplication of bureaucracy). John

*It's a repeat of the building of Babylon... Max

*Rate increases should be no more than the rate of inflation. There should be no Maori or other ethic seats on councils. Maori should not be given any special privileges by councils. Frank

*Our council is out of control. Ian

*Time for a serious dose of ratepayer focussed sanity into what has become an impregnable bureaucratic nightmare. Phil

This week's poll asks:

Do you believe that local government is in urgent need of reform?

*Councils should be employing staff, from CEO down, with the education and complementary skills to perform all the Councils basic tasks and responsibilities. Get that right and they would not need 'consultants' or 'experts'.
Most successful businesses succeed by selecting the right people for the right job and do most of their work and decision making 'in-house'. Its time for them to get back to the basics. rewarding themselves. Vic

*We, the people, have lost control of those we have elected to administer the businesses of government and councils. Until we regain control, we will have to suffer the ignominy of dictatorship by those whom we have elected and employ. Malcolm

*Time they forgot their EGOS and thought about how people are going to pat for their grandiose plans. Judith

*One of the issues that local councils have little, or any understanding of is their citizen's ability to meet the ever increasing household costs. Murray

*Being forced too comply with existing law would be a start. Peter

*The sooner the better. Royce

*The basic tenet on which local councils were founded has morphed into something similar to the enforcement gangs of vaious triads. John

*I am disgusted about chch where the mayor she the tall and broken building were to be down before September but both the councilors did not want that so they squabbled about it and government decisions cause EQc to give all the contracts to Fatchers. so we await now the decicion for goverment to put chch into receiveship so people can leave their home and go to Australia to vote in Rudd in the next election!!! Rawiri

*Local Authority Reform is indeed urgent if what ever is worthwhile in our civilization is to survive so I am happy to give whatever support my very limited resources will allow.

To be effective a reform movement will have to be all encompassing and include a rejection of the irrational that underpins the growth of Local Authority authority.

This includes the fascisms of iwism, global warming, development levees and restrictions, the education system, the health system, the welfare system, the tax system, safety cultists, petrol taxes, roading, licensing fees and all the rules, regs and laws that abrogate the freedom of the individual, private property rights and allow govt and its minions to clip the tickets to the point where the individual is enslaved.

I suggest that a template for a successful reform movement can be seen in the US republican primary campaign of Ron Paul. His message emphasizes freedom, has attracted significant numbers of dedicated young supporters and is forcing his opposition to adopt his policies. It will be interesting to see how this plays out over the next few months. Michael

*Wastage and burgeoning costs are simply unsustainable. Jerry

*Kapiti has become completely out of hand, something has to be done and quickly. Roy

*As a start point, bring back the original titles for unelected staff. They are not a business despite their whining. Helen Clarks general competence has turned into general incompetence. Graham

*Costs are spiralling out of control. The local councils are duplicating Central Government's job. Glenn

*Local govt definitely needs reform, in fact it needs something medicinal for such a serious illness! Go NZCPR. Alison

*EQUAL Hours of physical and mentally challenging WORK whether it is from the Small Self Employed Business or from Local or Central Government should be an equal PAY. Not the grossly unfair inequality that is being dished out at the moment.,EQUAL OUTPUT = EQUAL OUTPUT. Sandra

*Has been urgent for more years than I wish to remember. JOHN

*Local government has become tied up with its own bureaucracy and sense of self importance!
They need to listen more!
They need to do more!
They need to be less self serving! Andy

This week's poll asks:

Do you believe that local government is in urgent need of reform?

*Councils MUST get back to basics. Forget all the warm fuzzies of being everything to everyone. Finally if I hear Len Brown say we are making the worlds most liveable city again I will be Sick! Peter

*Well done, this review is very timely. Acton

*Our debt is far to high for our country, everyone is equal and no group should be given any priority over others. Annette & Alan

*Of course, but it must be REFORM BEFORE AMALGAMATION otherwise the same bureaucratic conditions will apply as in Owen McShane's "Lets take our Councils back". My fear is that central Government will demand amalgamation first, and leave the Status Quo. It is in their interest to do so. Brian

*The first change should be to delete any wording in the Act (or the loophole) that allows Left- Wing Len and other councillors and in fact all NZ boards, councils and organisations to have un- elected Maori to sit on any board as of right! Similarly the wording which directs councils to have, observe or make special references to the Treaty of Waitangi. Frank

*The provision of "general competence" has been taken by many if not all councils to be a blank check to undertake any adventure they believe will enhance their vision of their own importance. John

*There should be an cash incentive for low income families not to have more kids than they can afford, E.G. $10000 & free cords cut. I 15 years The Tax payer would be paying 2 Doll payments insted of 10.N.Z. IS duming down. Jim

*Just like central government, these OXYGEN THIEVES need to get back to the central tenets of government:

* Protection of life and property - this simply means street lighting and footpaths get priority over paying starving artists to design bridge ornaments.
* Improving the standard of living - because we are failing to meet the first tenet, this is simply a red herring.

When are these ignorant imbeciles going to wake up and understand that every dollar they waste has to come from someone like me?

As a suggestion, let's have a maximum service in local government of 2 terms in a person's lifetime. Then maybe we will see people in government who actually want to make a difference. Instead of the imbeciles we have now stealing from rate payers. Mark

*A Maori led petition was being presented outside the lacal supermarket demanding unelected seats for maori on the hauraki d.c.. Keith

*Local Government; especially where we live, are incompetant and greedy, increasing rates nearly every year, to shore up mistakes from their past, bad descisions. THE T.C.D.C., is one of the highest rate charging Councils in N.Z. but Whangamata still has not full, street lighting, footpaths and a shocking habit of sewerage overflow into the harbour at peak holiday periods. Linda

*We have to few business orientated people on our councils. Council is a business. Jill

*Our local council is very inefficient with it's spending and is making home ownership a burden. Billy

*There is just too much of it. Grant

*Absolutely. Any major project of the wish list nature - there are at least 2 in Whangarei, should be subject to binding referendums before they get near consultants offices. Ron

*As a former County Council Chairman I view the present state of councils as totally undemocratic. Forbes

*Some in our area T C D C are thinking along the lines of unitary councils, where we join up and divest ourselves of our regional council. Elsa

*Absolutely. They are out of control. Sonia

*Well overdue. Councils are bleeding the ratepayers. Peter

This week's poll asks:

Do you believe that local government is in urgent need of reform?

*Councils need to stick to core services only, and maintain a low debt level. Errol

*My rates bill has increased by 100% in the last nine years and for what? I wouldn't mind but the racist maoris refuse to pay their rates and continue to get away with it. John

*Rates increases are disgusting. Regional Councils should be abolished. Maori representation should be abolished. Wayne

*It's overdue. Councils should be colour-blind, no special deals for any race. Neil

*We cannot afford the local government that is foist upon us. If they stuck to the basic knitting we would all be happier! Peter

*Decisions made on power hungry councilors. Linda

*There needs to be control with the out of control spending by Mayor Spendthrift Brown Auckland City who is blowing money willy nilly and just increasing rates, and fees in other sections to recoup this spend up. Dog rego is one nasty sneaky way of getting some more funds to support his monument to himself of the rail complex that is his pet. Graham

*Councils need to learn to live within their means just like their constituents!! Ross

*Definitely. Rotorua Council is another fine example of council over spending. Then expect the rate take to cover their unforseen mistakes!!!!!!!!!!!!! Joan

*But where the hell do you start? John

*Yes, urgent reform required. Flash new Council buildings seem to be springing up throughout NZ, each districts multimillion dollar creation seemingly hell bent on ‘upstaging’ their neighbours own efforts. Council ought to remember that just like MP’s, they are put there by the ratepayers to look after the daily business of running the community in the manner that we dictate NOT the other way around! In years gone by council buildings and offices were pretty austere, staffed by hardworking, well known members of the local community, they shared vehicles amongst several departments, these days there seems to be a car for every staff member and a few more for the ‘pool’. If councillors stayed at their work stations and did the actual work they were paid for instead of attending endless hui, powhiri, karakia, photo shoots etc etc perhaps we might see some real ‘improvements’ to our towns and some value from our hard earned rates money. Tony

*Bureaucracy is running rife, Councils telling people what colour they can paint their houses etc, Where is our freedom greens are taking over local bodies by stealth. Councils take no notice of local input just keep on with their grand plan who pays their wages ?? by our rates. Wallace

*Christchurch is a classic case in point. Clive

*Auckland ratepayers are headed for a financial tragedy! Not all of us can afford to pay for Mayor Browns dreams - and I agree with you that the rates must be capped at the rate of inflation, including all the separate "rates" we have to pay - water, wastewater,etc, and let's get rid of these racially separatist "fund" commitments that we are being blackmailed to supply to Maori interests - I thought we were all Kiwis fighting TOGETHER for a better way of living in this fabulous country! Russell

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You can sign up here: http://www.nzcpr.com/petition_LOCALGOVERNMENT.php

This week's poll asks:

Do you believe that local government is in urgent need of reform?

*Councils should be spending ratepayers money on local infrastructure and should be accountable. Money is being spent on events and Maori representation without any approval from ratepayers. Peter

*Absolutely reform is needed. Local government is completely out of control. It's run by planners and staff who don't care about ratepayers. Mick

*Councils need a complete overhaul. Labour stuffed them up in 2002 and things have gone from bad to worse. Sandra

*Maori committees need to be abolished as a priority. It is ridiculous that unelected people are given so much power by councils. James

*I definitely agree that reform is a priority and it is good to see that the government appears to be moving in that direction. For once they are thinking about doing something sensible! Joyce

*Local body spending is a disgrace. They treat ratepayers like cash cows. Half the staff need to be sacked and councils - and councillors - need to be held to account! Jim

*At least the Wanganui Council used to consult with ratepayers using referenda to establish priority projects for the allocation of funding. It worked well. Why don't more councils use referenda as a matter of course? Mike