Councillors back all remits at Local Government New Zealand conference

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Mayor Rehette Stoltz and district councillor Aubrey Ria will represent Gisborne at this weekend’s Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) in Christchurch.

Councillors decided very quickly, in about 15 minutes, that they would support all 11 conference remits.

That pleased the Mayor who said it was not often a straightforward matter making such decisions.

The 11 remits include one that the LGNZ will engage directly with the Minister for Building and Construction to advocate for a change to the current joint and several liability framework, including examination of the MBIE policy position statement Risk, Liability and Insurance in the Building Sector.

Another one gaining GDC support was for LGNZ to advocate to central government to raise the income threshold for rates rebate eligibility to enable more low and fixed income property owners’ access to the rebate.

Council chief financial officer Pauline Foreman said the current threshold for single people was $28,000 for a $700 rebate, and for households earning $50,000, a $700 rebate.

A third remit was for LGNZ to publicly lobby all political parties to increase Crown funding for state highway and local road maintenance budgets, and a fourth, that LGNZ ensure local government elections are fully accessible by advocating to central government to make local government candidates eligible for the Election Access Fund.

Another remit, that LGNZ explore and promote options that enable councils to make greater use of co-chair arrangements for standing committees, joint committees and sub committees drew this response from the Mayor — “We already do that.”

The remits for LGNZ to advocate to central government to enable councils to determine penalties for parking infringements; and acknowledging the Government stated support for a major uplift in all urban bus networks nationwide under New Zealand’s first emission reduction plan were also supported.

Another was for LGNZ to call on the Government and Opposition parties to commit to increasing investment in public transport for rural and regional communities to support access to essential services and amenities, vibrant rural communities and just transition to a low emission transport system.

Another remit calls for  investigation into the creation of an LGNZ independent, national process to handle complaints or concerns, ensuring fairness, protection, and accountability in local government.

And another, to investigate and report to members on ways to help councils and communities that are struggling with the time frames in the Earthquake Prone Building (EPB) sections of the Building Act and council policies pertaining to priority thoroughfares.

Councillor Andy Cranston said there were buildings which seemed to have had “’an age” to be repaired.

Council could not let the matter go for another 10 years as it was a health and safety risk.

The council supported a remit calling on central government to take action to reduce council audit fees by revisiting the scope and requirements of reporting and auditing on councils; conducting a review on the practice of audit in councils and work on best practice guidance to streamline this process; and that  this review should examine whether the reporting and audit requirements of councils are consistent with the level of reporting and audit that is required of other public entities.

Over 730 mayors, chairs and chief executives are expected to attend.

Keynote speakers include Sophie Howe, the former Future Generations Commissioner for Wales, New Zealand futurist Frances Valintine and Abbas Nazari,  former Afghan refugee who fled the Taliban.