Author: Dave Stewart

If you have spent about 5 minutes on the pages that are promoting the National led coalition government’s local council agenda you’ll have heard them swoon when the PM addressed the local council conference and told them his lot were going to amend the law and insist councils stopped doing things other than collecting the […]

My coalition aligned opponents are forever finding new electoral promises that they say will reduce our rates, but they never cost them. In reality they’re just regurgitating decades old neoliberal nonsense that, at the end of the day, just hands over public assets to private enterprise operators. Our holiday park, something that is central to […]

Source Author – Jack Karetai-Barrett Māori wards in New Zealand have been a big topic in local government, especially when it comes to fair representation and Te Tiriti obligations. These wards give Māori a dedicated voice in decision-making, similar to Māori electorates in Parliament. But their introduction has been controversial, with laws changing back and […]

Source Yes, it’s flat, but there’s another crucial reason why so many Christchurch residents ride – the city’s extensive network of cycle lanes. Simon Kingham’s 9km commute, from Beckenham in south Christchurch to the University of Canterbury west of the CBD, is mostly on cycle lanes. “It’s only the first 400 metres on the road, […]

Source Here’s a classic example of Wellington telling local councils what to do but not funding it. Auckland ratepayers will have to fund $4 million because of the National led coalition government’s deal with the minority ACT Party to remove Safer Speeds from around schools. With rates rises reaching eye watering levels as a result […]

There are a few big reasons I want to be involved in the local body election campaign, and I haven’t looked past the campaign itself really. There’s so much silly talk being talked, especially in Whakatane with the kind of nonsense being floated. I’ll go into those in greater detail as the campaign proper heats […]

Source It’s time for councils to have a respectful and mature conversation with central government about underfunding and undermining local democracy. Expect a call, Minister. New Local Government Minister Simon Watts. Photo: RNZ / Nick Monro New Local Government minister Simon Watts announced to councils across the country today to speak up if they are struggling or […]

Source Simeon Brown Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone The new government’s Transport Minister has pulled the brakes on dozens of council projects designed to encourage cycling, walking and use of public transport across the country, sparking confusion in local authority ranks and fury amongst cycling advocates. In a letter to local authorities Simeon Brown said he told […]

There are a few loud and vocal supporters of the National led coalition government’s plan to demolish local democracy and run our town from Wellington. The Whakatane Action Group (WAG) is one of the loudest voices in support of Wellington versus Whakatane. In today’s Beacon there is a very good example of the kind of […]