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Local Government New Zealand is pleased to be associated with this DecisionMaker Guide to Local Government. Ensuring people understand how local government functions is an important way of increasing interest in the way that collective decisions are made at the local level and of building and strengthening our common citizenship.
For too long, local government has been the "Cinderella" when it comes to serious scholarship. Things that councils do are often taken for granted and not fully understood or appreciated, certainly not by younger citizens. The actions and policies that councils take and adopt to ensure basic services are provided so our communities can live together in safety and with minimum nuisance are seldom noticed except when they go wrong. So it is timely that this publication should become available to redress the balance and build a better appreciation of the role local government plays.
Local government is becoming increasingly important. The ability of our communities to attract investment and grow to enable them to provide services to their citizens depends to a large degree on the quality of local leadership and the mix of services that is provided. Cities and districts don't exist in isolation. To provide a good quality of life, councils need to be learning institutions, critically evaluating their performance and building on the successful practice of councils and communities throughout the world.
It is an exciting time to be in this sector, as either a political leader or a professional member of staff. Councillors and mayors are grappling with complex issues to do with the environment, the economy and the cultural lives of their citizens. A new set of skills is required. Similarly the range of professional opportunities has also increased, whether in the area of recreation, modern libraries, environmental protection or policy advice.
This publication paints a picture of a sector that faces exciting and rewarding challenges and that deserves recognition for being at the cutting edge of international practice.
Basil Morrison
President
Local Government New Zealand