What does this event cover
Changes to the purpose of local government and the introduction of a statutory list of core services are now in effect. So, what do they mean in practice for your council?
While some aspects of the reforms may look familiar to those who have been in the sector for a while, the legislative, policy and operating environment has changed. This isn’t simply a return to the way things worked previously.
This practical webinar will help you unpack the changes and understand how they should influence your council’s decision-making, service delivery and planning.
We’ll explore:
- why parliament changed the purpose of local government and introduced a statutory list of core services
- how the changes fit alongside other parts of the Government’s local government programme, including proposed rate-capping
- what is different from previous changes to the purpose of local government
- how the new purpose relates to cost-effectiveness, and how your council can demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of its decisions and actions
- what the core services obligation requires and how your council can demonstrate it is meeting that obligation
- what the changes mean for services that aren’t included in the statutory list
- what your council needs to consider as it develops its 2027 Long-Term Plan.
You’ll leave with a clearer understanding of the new requirements and the practical questions your organisation should be working through now.
Who should attend?
This is a webinar for anyone working in a local authority who wants to understand how the change in the purpose of local government, and the statutory definition of a list of core services affect what the council does and how the council does it.
The webinar will be of particular interest to senior leaders in all local authorities, finance staff, corporate planners, policy and legal staff.
Elected members are welcome.
Programme overview
Your facilitators and guest speakers
Jonathan Salter
Jonathan is widely regarded as New Zealand’s leading expert on the structures, powers, processes, and funding of local authorities, advocating for the sector’s interests through periods of dramatic reform and on specific major projects for over 35 years. Jonathan primarily acts for local authorities and their organisations, but also for those dealing with, or regulating for, local government. He is sought out by private sector and governmental bodies looking to work with local authorities.
From a deep understanding of statutory and political contexts, Jonathan advises on local authority major projects, litigation, and reforms; lobbying, drafting, and promoting legislation, and judicial review proceedings. He regularly advises, and, as required mediates, in governance and restructuring matters, and provides new council inductions and governance training.
Jonathan frequently leads legal teams dealing with complex commercial initiatives within a local government context.
Jonathan was a legal adviser and peer reviewer for SGS Reports to the Ministry for the Environment on “Mechanisms for managing urban change”, and a legal adviser on Local Government Know How projects on rating and local authority decision making. He was the principal legal adviser to Local Government New Zealand and Taituarā (the Society of Local Government Managers).
Jonathan was the principal author of Brookers Guide to the Local Government Act 2002 and Thomsons Local Government Law in New Zealand. He also authored several papers on the National Transition Committee for Local Government Reform – A New Century for Local Government.
Raymond Horan
Raymond re-joined Taituarā in June 2014 as Sector Improvement Manager, before commencing his current role as Chief Advisor at Taituarā. He has spent most of the last 20 years in local government related roles, most recently with the Department of Internal Affairs.
He describes his job as two-thirds providing assistance to the local government sector and one-third providing advice to central government on local government matters. His ambition is to help develop a Local Government Act that doesn’t require changes every 18 months. He asks that you wish him well with this task.
