Palmerston North city councillor Orphee Mickalad: Local government still faces uncertain future

Palmerston North city councillor Orphee Mickalad says the council is keenly attuned to shifts in the landscape. Photo / Kevin Bills Media

OPINION

Over the past few years, local government has had to deal with several changes, notably the reforms of the Resource Management Act, the Affordable Water reforms (formerly known as Three Waters) and the Future for Local Government review.

In this wave of reform, our sector is going through a period of transition, filled with reviews, alterations and shifts that extend over the next decade.

These changes are reshaping the political and legal landscape, so it is important for us to understand what they are and what they mean.

The post-election uncertainty about these reforms has stalled some of the work by councils.

For more than three decades, the RMA has served as a bedrock of environmental regulation. However, with escalating environmental challenges and societal demands, the act has struggled to achieve what it was set up to do.

Challenges including responses to population growth and housing demand, the effects of climate change and the ongoing demand for protection of our natural environments have all contributed to the need for reform of the RMA.

The outgoing Government announced in February 2021 that the RMA would be repealed and replaced with three acts.

However, the incoming National-led Government has pledged to undo these reforms and introduce a fast-track consenting regime.

The Affordable Water reforms are refocused on the affordability of water services. The main change since reform was first proposed is that the number of water service entities will increase from four to 10.

National announced in February that it would replace Affordable Water with a Local Water Done Well plan, which it says will provide stronger government oversight, including requiring councils to put aside money for water infrastructure.

Whatever changes happen in this space, we do not know precisely what it will mean for our city’s $496 million wastewater treatment upgrade.

The review into the future of local government explored how councils can maintain and improve the wellbeing of New Zealanders.

The panel released its final report in June. It concluded the relationship between local and central government needs a reset, describing a marginalisation of local government by successive governments.

It recommended a four-year local electoral term, adopting the single transferable vote electoral system as the nationwide method for local elections and lowering the voting age for local elections to 16.

As locally elected representatives, we view these changes not as a challenge but as an opportunity to maintain and deliver better outcomes for the communities we serve, by embedding local government’s purpose and wellbeing focus.

While it is business as usual for us, we are keenly attuned to the shifts in the landscape, anticipating their impact on our council processes and timelines.

Although it is too soon to foresee exactly how these changes will pan out, we have our fingers on the pulse as we continuously plan and shape the city’s future.

Orphee Mickalad is a Palmerston North city councillor.