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Local government in New Zealand is experiencing major upheaval. The creation of an urban unitary council for Auckland, the overthrow of elected representation for the Canterbury region, and other instances of intrusion of central government power into local councils (e.g for managing earthquake recovery and the Rugby World Cup) indicate a seismic shift in the foundations of local government in New Zealand. A major review announced in 2011 signals an imminent shakeup of this tier of government. These developments demand robust analysis and innovative responses. This collection addresses fundamental questions about what the appropriate structure and role of local government should be in contemporary New Zealand. Who should decide about the local in our lives? Should Auckland Council be the model for other parts of the country? What is the future for regions? New Zealand's leading local government scholars provide a context for and tease out the underlying themes that make New Zealand's local government distinctive. This book will inform decision-makers, scholars and students and those with an interest in the level of government that most directly affects our daily lives.
The changes in representation, participation, and ongoing reforms in the local government of New Zealand over the past two decades are discussed in this book. Contributors include both observers and participants in local government -- from academics and people involved in policy development to advocates for the sector and the workers themselves.
"Thye revolutionary restructuring of the [local goverrnment] system in 1989 and the introduction of complementary managerial, operational and financial reforms have invigorated local government as never before in New Zealand's history. Public participation in the annual planning process, debate over the implications of the Treaty of Waitangi, and moves to win for local government its righful place in the constitutional sun spell the end of apathy about local bodies - they can no longer be viewed merely as uncontroversial providers of mundane services. ... Special emphasis is given [in this edition] to recent history, reformed structures and processes, the people involved and their roles, and the political setting within which local bodies meet the needs of their communities. ..."--Back cover.
'Written by an impressive array of experts, this book surveys local government reforms in six advanced democracies, federal and unitary, which share a municipal legacy: Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK, and the US. . . The book has an excellent bibliography and will help open up a field heretofore noted for its insularity. Recommended.' - A.J. Ward, Choice
New Zealand's local government has been through a significant period of change in the last three decades, change that has seen this tier of government restructured, reformed and refocused. Dr Jean Drage considers the debate that has arisen over recent years about the role of councillors in local government and argues for the representative role to be strengthened.
Local Authorities Law in New Zealand is Kenneth Palmer's third treatise on the law relating to local government and local authorities. The previous treatises, published in 1978 and 1993 respectively, were highly both regarded works in their field. The new book deals with all aspects of the law affecting local authorities, it discusses and analyses the changes that have occurred in this area of the law. The commentary also encompasses significant recent events that have impacted on local authorities including the unification of the Auckland Council, and the earthquakes in Christchurch in 2010 and 2011 which gave rise to the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Act 2011. Local Authorities Law in New Zealand is an invaluable resource for lawyers, local authorities, policy advisors, students and anyone who is interested in an authoritative commentary on Local Authorities Law.
This volume with contributions by internationally renowned authors provides a comparative survey of problems in local politics and administration in Europe, Australasia and North-America.
'Structural reform has been one of the most important, and yet one of the most neglected, aspects of modern local government. This book represents the first attempt, since the early seventies, at providing a comprehensive account of both the theory and practice of structural reform in local government in developed countries. Using recent policy experience from seven different countries, the authors present seminal theoretical perspectives on structural reforms in local governance and the policy implications deriving from them. Written by well-known scholars of local government from around the world, this volume is a "must-read" for all academics, practitioners, students and policymakers.' - Giorgio Brosio, University of Turin, Italy
Democratic decentralisation through ‘conventional’ institutions of local government is facing increasing challenges, whether from financial pressures, questions of representativeness, difficult central-local relations and from a perhaps growing belief that local government has failed to realise its potential and there may be better ways of achieving societal goals. It is clear there is need to contemplate quite radical change to ensure local government becomes or remains ‘fit for purpose’. This collection of papers illustrates the way in which the role of local government is evolving in different parts of the Commonwealth and provides practical examples of new local government at work. It showcases emerging practice, and highlights success stories from new ways of working and challenges confronting local government in both developed and developing countries. New Century Local Government makes a very valuable contribution to helping understand the changing role of local government, and will ensure that practitioners are up-to-date with the most innovative initiatives in local government planning and administration.