Jane Nees BOP Regional Councillor www.janenees.co.nz

The Minister of Local Government, Hon Paula Bennett, gave a very clear message to the local government sector at its conference last week.

She thinks we should call time on the debates about how many mayors we have. We should be focusing on doing thing differently – the right things being done in the right way. She feels the lack of consistency in rules, structures and funding mechanisms across the country is concerning and there needs to be a very strong focus on expenditure control.

She said that people are assuming that change is off the table because of resistance in Wellington and Northland, and the referendum being held in Hawke's Bay, but this is not so. She called for change as it is not in the best interest of New Zealand for local government to stay as we are. She has said she will not legislate for large scale change, but long-term sustainable growth for all New Zealanders is what matters. Therefore she feels change is necessary.

Her position is that it is crucial that local government starts looking at growth across regions and seeking structures that strategically support this. As a result, she said the Government and the Local Government Commission will work with each region to develop structures (eg Council Controlled Organisations) that link up crucial services such as transport, water, and economic development. She acknowledged that one solution will not fit all, so the Local Government Commission will be looking at a range of options for each region and she will not be afraid to legislate for change at this scale.

The Bay of Plenty has a good track record of working collaboratively, and is already doing work on how we can deliver water, wastewater and transport infrastructure more efficiently and cost effectively across the region in the future. This Local Government Futures work is being led by the mayors, chair and CEO of Bay of Plenty local government. What is critical is that this work progress while not diverting our attention from delivering the best outcomes for our communities in the interim. And it is worth remembering that our local communities should be the ones whose views count. So watch this space!

If you have views on this or any other issue, you can email me at [email protected] or ring me on 07 579 5150.