Local government and governance in Aotearoa New Zealand

Abstract

This chapter briefly describes local government arrangements in Aotearoa-New Zealand such as its purpose, structure, and finance arrangements since the 1989 reforms. It also provides an overview of some salient issues. Unique to New Zealand is the relationship between local government and Māori, an area that is continuing to develop. In New Zealand, local government is subservient to central government, with no constitutional protections: the central-local government relationship, and prospects for more localism are canvassed. There have been four shifts in the purpose of local government since 1989, mirroring the dominant political values of the central government of the day. The chapter concludes with a look at elections, including their timing, management, electoral systems, turnout, and a (surprising) lack of political party involvement.