Councils make decisions affecting your daily life

Parliament is not the only form of government that makes decisions affecting your daily life. Local government decides things like how much you pay in rates, where and how big you can build, what types of businesses can operate in certain areas, the cost of rubbish collection and street parking, what library services you receive, when your street or pavement needs repairing.

There are two types of local government:

• Regional councils manage a region’s natural environment providing services such as flood protection and river management, pest control, coastal planning, public transport planning and funding, and response to natural disasters.
• Territorial authorities (district and city councils) provide local services such as footpaths and roads, water, wastewater and sewerage, rubbish collection, pools, parks and other leisure facilities, building inspection and noise control services, as well as services contributing to community wellbeing and public health.

See the information sheets ‘What is Local Government?’ and ‘How Does Local Government Work?’ at www.localcouncils.govt.nz

Having your say

You have a right and a responsibility to have a say on the plans and decisions made by local government.

In making their decisions local councils want to know what you think.  In fact, in some cases councils are required by law to consult you.  They also want to know your views on how your district, city or region will or should grow and develop in future.

Councils use formal planning processes that include opportunities for you to tell them what you think of their plans.  Keep a watch for notices in your local newspapers, council newsletters and your local library.  Many also use their own websites to invite you to share your views generally or on particular decisions.

There are also regular council meetings held throughout the year where councillors make major decisions.  You are free to attend these public meetings and there will be a set time in which you can have your say on the issues being discussed.  However, some council decisions are not made in public.  Check your local newspapers, council newsletters and local library for meeting notices.

See the information sheet ‘How Can I Influence Council Decisions?’ at www.localcouncils.govt.nz

In between these meetings councillors carry out work in committees. These committees cover areas such as transport, urban development, culture and arts.  You are also welcome to attend these meetings, which often let the public have a say.

At any time councils will listen to what you have to tell them over the phone, by email, through a website, or by letter – even if they haven’t asked for formal submissions.

Don’t know which local council to contact? The ‘local councils’ website provides links to all the councils in New Zealand: www.localcouncils.govt.nz (see the map on the home page).

What you can have a say on

Councils need to know what you think of their plans, rules and bylaws:

• Long Term Council Community Plans (LTCCP) set out a local council’s priorities for the medium to long term. Prepared every three years, they explain how the area will develop and how money will be raised and spent by council over 10 years.  Every three years councils have to ask their communities what they think is important. These community outcomes are included in the LTCCP.
• An annual plan must be prepared setting out a council’s year to year activity and plans.
• City councils and district councils must also have district plans.  These plans specifically aim to protect the environment from any negative effects of people using natural and physical resources, including land, air and water.  District plans contain rules that set out what you can and can’t do, which may affect you if you are planning building work or opening a business, for example.
• Councils also make bylaws.  These are local laws applying only to the council’s area. Bylaws can cover anything from dog ownership, building requirements, to the selling of food.  These often differ from council to council.

Community boards, district health boards and licensing trusts

Other local representatives need to know what you think:

• Community boards are set up by councils to provide a stronger link with their communities at the flax roots level. Sometimes they’re set up at the request of the community.  These boards provide more opportunities for people to have their say on council issues that affect them.
• District health boards decide how government money is to be spent on delivering health and disability services within an area.  These boards are made up of a mix of seven elected people from the community, and health and other specialists appointed by the government.  See the Ministry of Health website: www.moh.govt.nz for more information (look for the link on the home page).

• Licensing trusts are community-elected ‘boards’ that manage the selling of liquor within some areas of the country. The profits from liquor sales are invested back into the community.

Other community decision makers

Standing for a school’s board of trustees is a great way to try a community leadership position while getting involved in your child’s education.  Every state school and state-integrated school has a board of trustees to set the school’s direction and oversee how it is run.

There are many other community organisations, boards, councils and groups that need local people to take part.  These range from local interest groups, eg, residents’ associations; cultural interest groups, eg, iwi organisations; organisations supporting specific groups like older people or the disabled; to those that build a sense of community like sports, arts and culture clubs.

These organisations depend on people giving their time and effort freely both to provide services and to keep the organisations running.  You can take part in a number of ways:

Attend meetings and events.

• Help decide the representatives through voting.
• Put yourself forward to be a part of an advisory group or sub committee.
• Stand for election as a representative yourself.
• Make submissions to these groups about issues you’re concerned with.

See the Express Yourself pamphlet for ideas on how to do this.