Hamilton City Council has put forward a comprehensive set of recommendations for the next phase of local government reform, that would improve outcomes for communities across the country.
Council submitted its white paper on local government reform, Metropolitan growth needs metropolitan governance, to the Ministry of Cities, Environment, Regions, and Transport last week.
The paper is based on Hamilton’s experience of the Head Start pathway, which resulted in Elected Members opting not to join or submit an amalgamation proposal in favour of charting a more robust route to reform.
That route starts with the white paper, however, the issues it raises and solutions it proposes won’t be news to anyone who’s been close to Hamilton’s campaign of reform advocacy over many years.
Hamilton Mayor Tim Macindoe said the city has been resolute in its thinking on how to address metropolitan challenges over multiple political terms.
“Growth works best when the rules reflect reality,” he said. “The systems we rely on should recognise how people live, work and move across our region.
“If we want more homes, jobs and infrastructure, we need tools designed to deliver them.”
At its core is the case that New Zealand’s metropolitan areas (the wider urban territories connected to the likes of Hamilton, Tauranga, Wellington, Christchurch, and Queenstown) require greater attention through the reform process, and that governance, funding and legislative settings should reflect their unique opportunities and challenges.
“[Metropolitan areas] accommodate a disproportionate share of population growth, housing demand, economic activity, infrastructure investment and transport movements, while supporting large, complex urban systems that operate across administrative boundaries,” the paper states.
The report identifies seven key matters for further consideration:
- Evidence and implementation
- Regional council functions
- Financial implications
- Metropolitan governance and growth management
- Treaty settlement arrangements and Maaori participation
- Governance and representation
- Process safeguards and participation.
In relation to the financial implications, the paper specifically calls out the costs borne by cities anchoring metropolitan areas to provide for the growth mandated by central government.
“Communities that accommodate growth should not be financially disadvantaged by doing so.”
The cost of growth, in particular debt accrued to fund the necessary infrastructure, has been a key challenge for cities and neighbouring councils to reconcile through the reform process.
“Reform pathways that appeared to provide the strongest response to metropolitan growth pressures did not attract broad regional support. Equally, proposals that accommodated regional interests did not deliver the same level of metropolitan integration.”
Specific mention is also made of the increased economic development and productivity opportunities a metropolitan focus affords, given the share of commercial and industrial activity driven within these corridors.
The report reserves comment on the pending central government decision for Hamilton’s reform future. However, Mayor Macindoe is adamant that opting out of Head Start proposals does not mean Council would accept being ring-fenced from discussions.
“Decisions about the region's future cannot be made without Hamilton at the table, and any future governance model must recognise the city's central role in the Waikato region’s success. That's why Hamilton is continuing to advocate strongly to central government to ensure we have a decisive voice in shaping the best possible outcome for our city, our region and the communities we serve.”
Read the white paper here.