Policy innovation

Public policy – the ‘why and the what’ of central and local government actions – is a major shape of your environment.

Whether you are a business or a community organisation (or even a council or a state equity) public policy is a major source of both opportunity and threat.

We are skilled in helping clients make the most of the public policy environment, seeking out and using the opportunities in existing and emerging policy settings or identifying and promoting policy changes that will help achieve your objectives.

We can help you by:

• Making the relevant legislative and regulatory connections.
• Using our analytical and project management skills to take ideas from concept to implementation.
• Transferring knowledge. We pride ourselves on leaving clients with a good understanding of the work we have done for you, so you can carry it forward.
• Ultimately, developing policy initiatives that work for you and your key stakeholders.

Feature project: Rates Postponement Scheme

In 2002 government changed the law in respect of rates postponement. As a result, local authorities are now able to adopt whatever policy they wish (subject to public consultation) for postponement of rates on residential properties instead of being restricted to postponing rates only when ratepayers can prove hardship.

This creates the potential for councils to offer older ratepayers the choice of paying now or postponing their rates until the sale of the property or death. The potential benefits both for councils and for ratepayers are considerable.

Working for a consortium of six councils, we have developed and implemented a rates postponement scheme that both protects councils and ratepayers as a whole and provides a cost-effective service for older ratepayers. The project is a good illustration of our ability to manage complexity. Implementation has required, amongst other things, obtaining changes to related legislation and dealing with actuarial services, insurance, counselling, the impact on mortgagees and a number of other difficulties that needed to be resolved before the scheme could be fully operational.

As a means for relieving the burden on older ratepayers this innovative New Zealand-developed scheme is capable of being adopted by local authorities throughout the country.

For full information see the Rates Postponement Scheme website