Governance statement | Hamilton City Council

Hamilton City Council’s Local Governance Statement provides information on:

the ways the public can influence local democratic processes
the key processes through which Council engages with residents
how Council makes decisions, and how citizens can influence these.

Local Governance Statements are required by the Local Government Act 2002.

Functions and responsibilities

Our Long-Term Plan sets out the activities and services we intend to provide to meet the city's needs.

Policies, bylaws and legislation

Our rights, obligations and responsibilities are set out in statutes, regulations and bylaws. To fulfil its purpose, Hamilton City Council exercises powers and carries out its responsibilities through:

local government legislation (which applies to Hamilton City Council, including local legislation)
local bylaws (made by Hamilton Council).

Management structure

The Local Government Act 2002 requires the Council to employ a Chief Executive whose responsibilities include employing other staff on behalf of Council, implementing Council decisions and providing advice to Council.

Under the Local Government Act 2002, the Chief Executive is the only person who may lawfully give instructions to a staff member. Any complaint about individual staff members should be directed to the Chief Executive, not to Elected Members.

Our Chief Executive, Mr Lance Vervoort, can be reached on 07 838 6492 or by email ceo@hcc.govt.nz.

Council management is organised into eight groups. The core functions of each group and the key contacts can be found under our management structure section.

Equal employment opportunities policy

Hamilton City Council is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunities. We seek to ensure there are no barriers present which discriminate against people on the grounds of sex, age, marital status, religious or ethical beliefs, colour, race or national origins, disability, political opinion, employment status, family status and sexual orientation. All employment-related decisions are made on the basis of merit.

Policy and planning documents

We have a number of strategic and planning documents that provide information on our functions, goals, and how we plan to achieve them.

Consultation policies

Partnering with Maaori

Our partnerships with Maaori

Representation, and the electoral system and processes

Members' roles and conduct

Governance structure, membership and delegations

Meeting processes

Agendas and minutes
Council and committee meeting processes
Speaking at meetings and presenting petitions
Meetings calendar
Live web stream and archived footage
Standing orders (set of procedures for conducting meetings)

Contact an elected member

Contact the Mayor or a Councillor.

Official information requests

Official requests for information can be made by all members of the public under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (LGOIMA) and the Privacy Act 1993.