Archives - 2004

Local Government New Zealand Community Outcomes Project
October 2004
The focus of this project is on the community outcomes process under the new Local Government Act.  The central question is whether the outcomes process should be seen primarily as enhanced consultation, or whether it is effectively community strategic planning.  Current practice, so far, by local government tends to the first option;  international practice (eg, the local strategic partnership approach in England and Wales ) and the stance being taken by some central government agencies in New Zealand favours the latter.

For those interested in the project see the project report delivered to the project's overview committee on 12 October.  Feedback on the matters raised in the report - or other aspects of community outcomes - would be welcome.

Economic Development Update
July 2004
In July 2004, Prism3 Limited (MDL, the Institute of Public Policy at the Auckland University of Technology and the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research) completed the capability building project for locality based EDAs in the Auckland region.

One of the major outcomes from that work was the development of an innovative approach to performance measurement for EDAs.  This approach is attracting considerable interest on the part of EDAs themselves, councils (who are normally the principal funders) and government departments involved with economic development.  Prism3 Limited is currently in discussions on how best to roll out the performance measurement methodology.  As part of the roll out strategy, Peter McKinlay has accepted an invitation to speak to the Ministry of Economic Development's 2005 economic development conference.

Enquiries about the use of the methodology can be made to Peter McKinlay.

Economic Development
July 2004
Economic development continues to be an important part of our work.  With our joint venture partners, the Institute of Public Policy and the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research, we have recently completed a major capability building project for economic development agencies in the Auckland region.  The project has important implications not just for Auckland region EDAs, but for all economic development agencies.  The findings highlight the need to revisit the relationship between EDAs and funding councils, governance arrangements, and contracting practices.  There are clear gains to be had from reviewing current practice.  The project also developed a new methodology for performance measurement within EDAs.  This has very real potential.

An overview of project outcomes, prepared for use by the chair of the Auckland Regional Economic Development Association, is in our library.

Environmental Remediation
July 2004
We were recently contracted by Environment Bay of Plenty (the Bay of Plenty Regional Council ) to advise it on developing a policy framework for determining who should be responsible for meeting the cost of remediation of water quality in the Rotorua lakes.  This was a substantial project which included a review of emerging international practice in Europe , North America and Australia.  The area is an extremely complex one and the costs are high.  The report has provided EBOP with the policy framework it needs as it continues its work on determining how and by whom the cost of remediation should be funded.

We have not placed the report on our website, as it is regarded as commercially confidential.  However, enquiries can be directed to Peter McKinlay.

Local Government Finance
July 2004
Funding of local government continues to be controversial.  No one likes paying rates.  Unlike PAYE, they are a very obvious payment.  The complexity of rating systems is also difficult for many people to follow.

McKinlay Douglas is keeping a watching brief on funding issues and is maintaining close contact with developments internationally, especially with Professor Steve Martin who holds the chair of public policy and management, and is director of the Centre for Local and Regional Government Research at the Cardiff Business School, Cardiff University.  Steve is currently leading a major project for the UK's Office of the Deputy Prime Minister reviewing local government funding in England and Wales.

Local Government Act 2002: Community Outcomes
July 2004
With the support of Local Government New Zealand, a group of councils and other co-funders, we are undertaking a substantial project on the community outcomes process introduced by the Local Government Act 2002.  We regard this as one of the most significant constitutional changes, in the way New Zealand is governed, in the past twenty years.  Although commonly seen as simply enhanced public consultation, it actually offers the opportunity for a fundamentally different approach;  genuine community strategic planning, facilitated by local government, but often led by other stakeholders including the business community, the voluntary/community sector, and central government agencies.

Our preliminary assessment is that the difference between "business as usual" in public consultation, and taking a strategic approach to the community outcomes process could be as much as 2% per annum in local economic growth.

Local Government New Zealand Conference
July 2004
Peter McKinlay has been invited to make a presentation to the Making Ends Meet session at this year's local government conference.  He will be highlighting two areas where local government has the opportunity to make a real difference:

• Rates Postponement.  In this part of his presentation, Peter will provide background on the rates postponement project, under which six councils are now offering indefinite postponement of rates for people aged 65 years or over.  He will outline the rationale for this approach to rates postponement and the benefits, both for ratepayers and for the councils involved in the project.
• Trusts.  Peter will outline the benefits from using trusts and how to make sure that councils do not get caught up in too much complexity.  He will link the use of trusts to the intent of the new Local Government Act to encourage greater public involvement in democratic decision making.

Housing
March 2004
Peter McKinlay recently gave a presentation to social housing organisations from the voluntary and community sector in the Western Bay of Plenty. The theme of the presentation was the findings and recommendations from MDL’s recent report on The Role of Local Government in the Provision of Affordable Housing. The presentation was given as a "thank you" for the input social housing organisations had provided.

The presentation was based on a set of slides designed to provide an overview of the report. See the library for the presentation.

Institute of Public Administration on the New Local Government Act
February 2004
On 10 February 2004 the New Zealand Institute of Public Administration held a seminar for central government and local government "Reaping the Benefits:  Local Government Act 2002 in Practice" as part of ongoing initiatives to improve understanding of the new legislation and how central government and local government will work together.

Peter McKinlay was one of the presenters.  His presentation focused on the opportunities for innovation which the new Act presents through the changed community planning process - what amounts to the community strategic plan through community outcomes and the long term council community plan.  His paper is available in our library.

Rates Postponement
February 2004
MDL has been advising a consortium of local authorities that intend implementing a broad based rates postponement policy from 1 July 2004 taking advantage of recent legislative changes that give local authorities much more discretion in this area.

Initially, five district councils and one regional council have joined the consortium.  The immediate task is to ensure that everything is in order for implementation so that the six councils can start offering rates postponement from 1 July 2004.  Post July, the consortium councils will be encouraging other local authorities to join with the ultimate objective that every local authority in the country will have seriously considered the benefits, for their older ratepayers, of being able to choose not just how but when to pay their rates.

Housing Update
February 2004
We completed this project for Local Government New Zealand and a group of councils earlier this year.  As there has been considerable interest in the report, we have now posted this in our library.

Enquiries regarding the report can be directed to Peter McKinlay.

Housing
February 2004
MDL has just completed a report on "The Role of Local Government in the Provision of Affordable Housing."  Preparation of the report included scoping current practice and policy developments in England, Canada, Australia and the US, as well as factors influencing affordability within New Zealand.

Amongst the report's conclusions are that:

(1)  Councils now have an important role to play in developing strategies for meeting housing need within their communities.  Internationally, it is increasingly accepted that the knowledge, networks and skills required for this purpose are inherently local and regional even although central government may set the framework for affordable housing policy.

2)  At least in major metropolitan centres, and areas undergoing strong growth, provision of affordable housing may be changing from a social justice/income distribution issue to one of infrastructure - to deal with the fact that housing costs in major centres have clearly gone beyond the point of affordability for the lower paid occupational groups essential for many of the services that keep the city operating.