2017 Media Releases

The findings of the climate change adaptation report released today confirm Local Government New Zealand’s longstanding policy and advocacy position that there is an urgent need for strong joint action to minimise the risks to the natural and built environment, the economy, and communities as a result of climate change. 

Local Government New Zealand says the first round of the Tourism Infrastructure Fund will help some councils meet the infrastructure challenges posed by booming tourism numbers. 

Local Government New Zealand says sustainable and sufficient funding source for tourism infrastructure is vital and strongly supports a visitor levy as an equitable option for achieving this.

Local Government New Zealand says the second report of the Havelock North Drinking Water Inquiry is a helpful addition to the ongoing debate about the state of New Zealand’s water quality and water infrastructure. It makes many suggestions for change but does not address the implementation costs associated with some of its suggestions.

Enhancing trade in education and the primary industries will feature as key discussion points at next month’s New Zealand China Mayoral Forum. 

Following a successful first year of the CouncilMARK™ local government excellence programme further councils have already signed up to begin the process. 

Tourism will feature as one of the key discussion points at next month’s New Zealand China Mayoral Forum.

Local Government New Zealand says funding growth infrastructure is the highest priority for councils and welcomes the Government’s plans to review local government costs and revenue. 

Chinese Mayors representing around 80 million citizens will gather in Wellington on 3-4 December for talks with their Kiwi counterparts.

A local government leaders’ water declaration has been launched to further reiterate the sector’s commitment to lifting water quality and call on the new Government for greater action. 

Local Government New Zealand congratulates the incoming Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and welcomes the new Labour-led government.

The second round of council assessments through the local government excellence programme CouncilMARK™ have been released and include the programme’s first AA rating.

The Independent Assessment Board which oversees the local government excellence programme CouncilMARK™ has today released the second set of council assessments and ratings.

Local Government New Zealand congratulates supermarket chains Progressive Enterprises and Foodstuffs for their decisive action on single use plastic bags. 

Understanding and improving our waterways requires high quality information and communities can now access the latest on their rivers, lakes and streams thanks to fresh data now available.

Local government is calling for an incoming government to act quickly on climate change to ensure New Zealand communities are well prepared for rising sea levels and greater storm frequency. 

New “league tables” released by the Taxpayers Union provide useful data but reaching meaningful conclusions by comparing councils is difficult, Local Government New Zealand says. 

A national body incorporating both public and private interests to oversee New Zealand’s work to protect and improve our biodiversity could ensure efforts are coordinated and as effective as possible, regional and unitary councils say.

Local Government New Zealand welcomes the release of the Labour Party’s School Leavers' Toolkit, which includes a promise to introduce driving classes to all high school students.

Local Government New Zealand welcomes the release this morning of the Productivity Commission’s low emissions economy issues paper as another step towards greater action on climate change.

Local Government New Zealand acknowledges the latest set of changes to the National Policy Statement on Freshwater Management announced today as a significant step forward for providing better water management.

Local Government New Zealand agrees with the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment’s statement today that climate change is the “ultimate intergenerational issue” and requires a cross-party response that will outlive governments. 

A Hutt City Council project to transform recreational and educational opportunities for young people, has won the Fulton Hogan EXCELLENCE Award for Community Engagement.

The staggering success of West Coast Regional Council’s new “Untamed natural wilderness” brand has now seen it win in the Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) EXCELLENCE Awards.

Speeding up the time it takes to get contractors onto roading work is one of the key successes of the Waikato District Alliance, winner of the Chorus EXCELLENCE Award for Best Practice in Infrastructure at the LGNZ EXCELLENCE Awards last night. 

The environmental gains that can be made over the long term and through the dedication of many have reaped rewards for Palmerston North City Council.

Napier City Council’s City Vision: Small City Big Ideas project is a winner in the LGNZ EXCELLENCE Awards, topping the Creative New Zealand EXCELLENCE Award for Best Creative Place category.

Turning Rotorua into a globally recognised destination for mountain bikers has paid dividends for the city and surrounds in many ways. 

Local Government New Zealand is delighted to award Lawrence Yule the Department of Internal Affairs EXCELLENCE Award for Outstanding Contribution to Local Government. 

Local government has today elected a new Local Government New Zealand President, Dave Cull, to replace Lawrence Yule who steps down after nine years in the role. 

Climate change poses one of the biggest threats to New Zealand’s way of life in the years to come and will require coherent, consistent and joint action across central and local government, Local Government New Zealand says.

Changes to the way we fund infrastructure, improvements to our risk and resilience and new ways of protecting New Zealand’s water are outlined in the Local Government New Zealand election manifesto, released today.

LGNZ President Lawrence Yule's opening address to the 2017 LGNZ Conference

The local government sector will voted on four issues when it gathers for its annual AGM in Auckland on Tuesday 25 July.  There is a focus on litter legislation, local government funding, cat management and health in this year’s remits. 

Local Government New Zealand is urging an incoming government to commit to a collaborative approach and urgent action to manage the risks posed to New Zealand communities from extreme weather and seismic events. 

Local Government New Zealand has today sent a letter to Associate Minister for the Environment Hon Scott Simpson calling for the Government to introduce a levy on single use plastic bags.

Local Government New Zealand congratulates the first councils to have been assessed through the local government excellence programme, CouncilMARK™.

The Independent Assessment Board which oversees the new local government excellence programme CouncilMARK™ has today released the first set of council assessments and grades. 

Local Government New Zealand says the announcement of the projects to be funded through the $1 billion Housing Infrastructure Fund signals an important step in helping councils manage their growth. 

Kiwis are becoming increasingly aware of the important role local government plays in the performance of the country as a whole, new research commissioned by Local Government New Zealand shows.

New Zealand First’s Campaign for the Regions which was launched yesterday contains a number of commitments Local Government New Zealand welcomes. 

A new National Environmental Standard to deal with New Zealand’s millions of waste tyres is an excellent step towards reducing the harmful impacts of used tyres.

New Zealand’s infrastructure is at a crossroads and needs to be a key focus in the upcoming election, Local Government New Zealand says. 

A Hutt City Council project to transform recreational and educational opportunities for young people in Taita is a finalist in the Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) EXCELLENCE Awards.

An innovative approach to reviewing Moturoa/Rabbit Island’s reserve management plan (RMP) has made Tasman District Council a finalist in the Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) EXCELLENCE Awards. 

A high-end glossy magazine produced by Thames-Coromandel District Council each summer to engage with absentee ratepayers is a finalist in the Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) EXCELLENCE Awards. 

An innovative approach by Waikato Regional Council to improving water quality in the Waikato and Waipa Rivers is a finalist in the Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) EXCELLENCE Awards.

A Waikato District Council project to reclaim public spaces for community use, using the diverse skills of knitting circles and prisoners, is a finalist in the Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) EXCELLENCE Awards.

A partnership between Environment Southland and major dairy industry players to support farmers needing to improve effluent management practices is a finalist in the Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) EXCELLENCE Awards.

A 16-year project partnering Palmerston North City Council with the community to establish green corridors of native plants from the Tararua Ranges through to Palmerston North City and the Manawatū River is a finalist in the Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) EXCELLENCE Awards.

An intensive blitz on invasive weed velvetleaf by Waikato Regional Council is a finalist in the Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) EXCELLENCE Awards. 

The country’s largest roading alliance, set up by Waikato District Council and dramatically improving response times, is a finalist in the Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) EXCELLENCE Awards.

A new 24 million litre reservoir that boosts Hamilton’s ability to cope with emergencies is a finalist in the Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) EXCELLENCE Awards.

A new Papakainga housing development policy, opening the way for utilisation of Māori land, has seen Hastings District Council named a finalist in the 2017 Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) EXCELLENCE Awards.

An updated economic development strategy combining a strong international focus with community consultation and alignment with council planning processes has made Hauraki District Council a finalist in the Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) EXCELLENCE Awards.

A highly successful strategy to make Rotorua a globally recognised mountain bike destination is a finalist in the Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) EXCELLENCE Awards.

The staggering success of West Coast Regional Council’s new “Untamed natural wilderness” brand has made it a finalist in the Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) EXCELLENCE Awards.

Creation of New Zealand’s largest fully consented and development-ready industrial park has made Selwyn District Council a finalist in the Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) EXCELLENCE Awards.

Napier City Council’s City Vision: Small City Big Ideas project is a finalist in the Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) EXCELLENCE Awards.

From a weed blitz to mountain biking and innovative economic strategy, finalists in the 2017 Local Government New Zealand EXCELLENCE Awards span a broad range of outstanding council leadership initiatives. 

An early morning roading report provided to thousands of motorists during winter months by Queenstown Lakes District Council is a finalist in the Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) EXCELLENCE Awards.

A Freshwater Symposium hosted by Local Government New Zealand last week showed there is a strong platform for improving freshwater quality in New Zealand.

New Zealand’s infrastructure, community resilience and how we respond to increasing impacts on our environment will be key areas of focus for local government in the coming three years. 

Local Government New Zealand welcomes the Health Committee’s report on the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Bill and looks forward to its progress through Parliament.

Local Government New Zealand says the report into the Havelock North water contamination inquiry released yesterday makes an important contribution to water management practice in New Zealand.

Local Government New Zealand says the Tourism Infrastructure Fund of $102m over four years announced today is a welcome contribution towards meeting the country’s tourism infrastructure needs.

The Productivity Commission’s new report into New Zealand’s urban planning system which highlights the need for councils in high growth areas to have access to more tools to fund infrastructure is spot on, Local Government New Zealand says.

Local Government New Zealand is delighted to be hosting the second New Zealand China Mayoral Forum in Wellington this year, following the successful inaugural event of 2015. 

With the busy tourism period coming to an end, Nelson’s temporary inner city freedom camping areas are due to close on 1 April 2017.

Local Government New Zealand has launched a new piece of work to create a comprehensive framework that brings freshwater issues and water infrastructure into a coherent policy.

The full extent of the infrastructure investment needed so communities can keep up with unprecedented tourism growth has been highlighted through a recent survey of local government.

A new policy group to advise local government on the big issues facing communities nationwide will bring together a diverse and capable team.

A new approach to water policy is needed to ensure community expectations and government standards can be better met, Local Government New Zealand says.

A commitment from the Government for more police for rural and provincial New Zealand will help alleviate pressures small communities have been facing from a shortage of police staff.

Housing is one of the most significant issues facing New Zealanders and Local Government New Zealand agrees with ACT Party leader David Seymour that new approaches are needed to ensure better outcomes for Kiwis. 

Federated Farmers adding its voice to the call for more central government funding for tourism infrastructure is welcomed by Local Government New Zealand. 

Upper Harbour Local Board is encouraging residents to explore their blue backyard this summer.

Local Government New Zealand welcomes the Government’s proposals to ban products containing plastic microbeads and hopes it signals a new approach to removing plastics from the environment.