Local government reform: your handy 101
There’s big change a-comin’ and we’ll need to have our say. Local government nerd powers are here to help!
“Local government is broken” “the system is poked” “it’s such a cluster*$%”– we all know (and many share) these feelings about New Zealand’s local government system. So it’s good that it’s all being looked at and all shook up.
What’s it all about though?
Gwynn Compton is a local government nerd, train enthusiast, historian and current Kāpiti Coast District Councillor (qualifications in descending order of awesomeness as far as we’re concerned). And he’s launched Aotearoa’s FIRST EVER podcast dedicated wholly to local government: it’s called Local Aotearoa.
Compton is a good explainer and is nice and neutral about most stuff – except where he really isn’t, and flags it for lolz.
Your editor listened to the whole first ep (in two parts (cooking dinner and washing up), and can report it was a really good rundown.
If you want to skip to a particular bit, here’s the main sections:
- Background on Gwynn and what’s brought him to podcasting on LG reform – first 8 minutes or so
- History of Aotearoa’s local government from pre-European times to today – 8:00-14:00ish
- Whistle-stop tour of current LG setup 14:00- 23:00
- Three Waters reform – 23:00
- Climate Adaptation Act – 33:20
- Review of Local Government – 35:00
- Timing for all of it – 34:00
Hooray for people helping us understand our plumbing of power – and what tools are being wielded to replumb it.
Podcast homepage – and on Podbean
Banner image: Upper Hutt City Council
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