Special Issue
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Volume 12 – Issue 4 – November 2016 SPECIAL ISSUE Local Government Local Authority Turnout – what’s the story New Public Management’s Impact on Mike Reid 3 Capital Cities E-voting Eventually? Online voting in Richard Norman 47 (local) elections Auckland Council: is it too big to last? Christine Cheyne 10 Grant Duncan 54 Do We Underestimate the Political Strength Strategies for Managing Infrastructure Risk: of New Zealand’s Local Government? an update Jean Drage 17 Frances Sullivan 60 Local Councils and Public Consultation: Do Denser Urban Areas Save on Infrastructure? extending the reach of democracy Evidence from New Zealand territorial authorities Jenny Ombler, Marie Russell and Graciela Rivera-Muñoz 20 Matt Adams and Ralph Chapman 63 The Poll Provisions and Local Government Reform The Resource Legislation Amendment Bill, the in Western Australia Productivity Commission Report and the Future Chris Berry 28 of Planning for the Environment in New Zealand Community Governance Sir Geoffrey Palmer QC 71 Peter McKinlay 36 Local Government Funding: facing the issues The Need for Localist Reforms Claudia Scott 77 Jason Krupp 42 Editorial Note Local government in New Zealand exists within a “local government’s time has come”. fairly well-defined narrative. New Zealand is the Jenny Ombler, Marie Russell, and Graciela most centralised nation within the OECD. Central Rivera-Muñoz outline some fascinating New Zealand Volume 12 – Issue 4 – November 2016 government is by far the dominant partner in the cases of participation not only being encouraged, but Policy Quarterly (PQ) is targeted at readers central-local relationship and recent innovations succeeding in producing a number of benefits both in the public sector, including politicians and in local government have tended towards further intended and unforeseen, while Chris Berry looks at their staff, public servants and a wide variety centralisation, such as the amalgamation into the impact of referenda on our colleagues in Western of professions, together with others interested Auckland’s Super-City. Australia. in public issues. Its length and style are While there is, without doubt, some truth to A number of papers examine the issue of sub- intended to make the journal accessible to busy readers. this narrative, it is only part of the story and there national governance starting with Peter McKinlay’s Submissions: The journal welcomes is more that needs to be discussed in terms of local introduction to the concept of community governance contributions of about 4,000 words, written government and its role. and discussion on some of the innovations in on any topic relating to governance, public This includes recognising the genuinely innovative engagement that exist below the local level. This is policy and management. Articles submitted approaches that can be found in just about every followed by a paper from Jason Krupp which offers will be peer reviewed. Please submit articles us a broader view and looks at constitutional and to the Editor: [email protected]. local authority in the country, often at the community Although issues will not usually have single level and frequently undertaken without any great contractual resolutions to central-local relations, themes, special issues may be published from public acclaim. More thought needs to be given to looking to see in what ways each approach could time to time on specific or general themes, the legal and constitutional foundations of local benefit the power and autonomy of local councils. perhaps to mark significant events. In such government, along with the normative debate as to On the question of how cities are governed and cases, and on other occasions, contributions what the ideal balance between central and local perform, Richard Norman addresses the evolution may be invited from particular people. Subscriptions: The journal is available in PDF should be. And more attention needs to be paid to of Wellington over the last three decades, both in format on the Institute for Governance and the way in which engagement and participation is terms of its growth into digital and cultural markets Policy Studies (IGPS) website: http://igps. fostered in local areas so that any lessons learned but also the way in which it has been driven by New victoria.ac.nz/publications/publications/list/10. can be applied nationally. Public Management sensibilities. Grant Duncan then Readers who wish to receive it by email Consequently we are delighted to publish this looks at Auckland and asks whether it is too big to should register as PQ subscribers igps@vuw. Special Issue of Policy Quarterly which addresses fail; he asks whether or not it represents an apex ac.nz. This service is free. For all subscription and membership these issues and many more. in centralising forces, or whether there is still some enquiries please e-mail [email protected] or IGPS has long had an interest in local government. further distance to go. post to Institute for Government and Policy In 2015 it launched its ‘National Dialogue’ on local We also offer a number of papers on urbanisation Studies, P.O. Box 600, Wellington. and community governance, which not only collected and infrastructure. Frances Sullivan looks at Electronic Access: The IGPS directs the thoughts of many of the leading commentators the risks associated with infrastructure in New interested individuals to its website: www.igps.victoria.ac.nz where details of the in the field, but also collated the latest research Zealand and offers some thoughts on strategic risk Institute’s publications and upcoming events from around the world. We were also delighted to management that could be used to mitigate against can be found. welcome international experts such as Tina Nabatchi them. Matt Adams and Ralph Chapman investigate Permission: In the interest of promoting and Liz Richardson to Wellington and Auckland. the links between infrastructure costs and urban debate and wider dissemination, the Promoting research and stimulating informed debate density, concluding that denser, more compact IGPS encourages use of all or part of the about local government is also a priority for Local areas show in cost-efficiencies in roads and water papers appearing in PQ, where there is no element of commercial gain. Appropriate Government New Zealand (LGNZ). Although local supply. Sir Geoffrey Palmer looks at the Resource acknowledgement of both author and source government has been providing essential public Management Act. Interestingly he lays blame for its should be made in all cases. The IGPS services in New Zealand for the last 175 years it is perceived failures at the doors of both central and retains copyright. Please direct requests still poorly understood. This issue is a step towards local governments and finishes with an important for permission to reprint articles from this filling this gap and LGNZ is pleased to acknowledge contribution on the subject of local government’s publication to [email protected]. Editor: Jonathan Boston the IGPS for taking the initiative. (lack of) constitutional status. Finally, the question Guest Editors: Michael Macaulay and This issue of Policy Quarterly, therefore, reflects of how infrastructure and local government as a Mike Reid a long standing commitment to promoting debate and whole should be funded is addressed in Claudia Editorial Board: Guy Beatson, Roger Blakeley, research into New Zealand local government, and we Scott’s paper on local government funding, which David Bromell, Jo Cribb, Valentina Dinica, believe that the breadth and depth of the articles highlights the importance of providing councils with Gerald Minnee, Anneliese Parkin, Mike Reid here offer a vital window into debates old and new. additional revenue options to incentivise growth. and Andrea Schollmann ISSN: 2324-1098 (Print) Mike Reid’s paper on turnout which incorporates Taken together we hope that these articles provide ISSN: 2324-1101 (Online) data from the recent 2016 local authority elections, a stimulating set of discussions that cut to the heart Volume 12, Issue 4 – November 2016 is the first of a suite of papers concerned with the of many debates happening right now in the local Copy Editor: Rachel Barrowman nature and quality of our local democracy and government sector. We also hope, more importantly, Design & Layout: Aleck Yee opportunities for participation. Following this theme that they will provide a firm foundation upon which Cover photography: Aleck Yee Production: Alltex Design Christine Cheyne addresses the possible use of we can build. In a time of great uncertainty for the Proof Reader: Vic Lipski e-voting; charting the discussions so far, the risks future of global democracy, we believe that many involved and what the future might hold for this form great ideas can be found at the local level. of electoral participation. Further, Jean Drage offers us a compelling argument on the Local Government Michael Macaulay and Act 2002 Amendment Bill (No 2) and argues that the Mike Reid huge number of responses to it demonstrates that Mike Reid Local Authority Turnout what’s the was headed with an item titled ‘What’s wrong with local government and can it be fixed?’ The article suggested that the public are disengaged, that trust and confidence in local politicians was low story? and that there was a growing democratic deficit (Edwards, 2016a). A week later, in an opinion piece in the New Zealand While the recent local authority elections attracted their Herald, Edwards provided his own ideas for solving this problem and observed fair share of media headlines, the dominant narrative, as in that ‘local government appears headed previous elections, was one of declining turnout and whether towards an existential crisis’ (Edwards, 2016b). or not local government has a future. Little was heard about Public concerns about the future of local democracy, let alone proclamations the nature of the role councils play in their towns, cities and about its impending doom, aren’t new.