Local Government
Local Government
Participatory democracy requires that decisions be
made at the lowest practicable level. For too long local
bodies have been concerned with just drains, roads
and footpaths. We think they should be equally
concerned with the wider social needs of the
community which have to date been left to a distant
bureaucracy.
Acquisition of new powers by local government is
required especially in the social field, with a
consequent reduction in the functions and size of
central government
(see “Government
Reform’).
Decentralisation
of the control of housing, health,
welfare and education
to regional bodies will ensure
that these services would react more readily to local
needs and that those directly affected by such services
will have a greater
say in their management.
Organisation
There
are 670 local bodies
and ad hoc authorities
in
New Zealand. The boundaries
for most have been
drawn
on historical
bases
which
are now well out of
date. Powers and duties often overlap, and there is an
absence of any coherent planning and coordination.
The Values Party would
e Support
the rationalisation
of local bedies
into Regional
Councils,
District or City Councils and Community Councils as envisaged in the
Local Government
Act, 1974.
e Encourage the establishment of ward systems for those city and
district councils where such a system does not already exist.
e Bring Harbour Boards under the control of regional government.
e Abolish the ratepayers’ poll, so that the only qualification for voting
at local body elections
becomes
a residential
one.
Finance
Almost all local body revenues are raised by a system of
rating on property. This system is an archaic remnant
of the Land Taxes which were the source of practically
all government
revenue
in colonial
days.
Rates
are
inequitable for the following reasons:
- unlike income tax, rates are not paid according to
means. They are paid according to the value of the
land and this may increase with inflation, changes of
zoning and so on, while the occupier’'s income may
not increase
at all;
- although every citizen uses the amenities provided
by local bodies, not all citizens pay rates. Generally
rates do not take account of the number of people
living on a property.
The Values Party would
e Abolish rates on residential property and substitute a local income
tax set by regional and city or district councils and collected by central
government concurrently with national income tax.
This means
of collecting
local body
revenues
would
have the following advantages
over the existing rating
system:
it would be paid according to means. Those on low
incomes, especially pensioners, would pay a great
deal less than they now pay in rates;
the burden of local body finance would fall on all
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Community
We see local authorities as the most important means
of fostering a sense of community and a feeling of
involvement, which is lacking in our society at the
present time.
The Values Party would
e Develop a National Recreation Plan to determine local, regional and
national responsibilities.
e Encourage
local
authorities
to
set
up
community
centres
in
consultation with local community councils providing such facilities as
advice bureaux; day care centres, sports and cultural amenities;
homework centres, offices for Family Planning, Plunket and a
community based policeman, a hall and meeting rooms.
e Encourage local authorities to employ community social workers
who would work in the field in close liaison with community advice
bureaux and existing social welfare agencies.
e Encourage local authorities to set up branch offices in local
communities with specialist staff in attendance, at least on a part-time
basis.
e Encourage local authorities to give employees the opportunity to
spend working time [one day a month, for example] on community
service.
e Encourage local authorities to pay a fulltime salary to mayors and
committee chairmen where necessary, and pay an adequate honor-
arjum to councillors to enable a wider cross-section of the community
to stand for office.
e Encourage local authorities to publicise meetings and agenda
widely.
e Require Public Notices to be written in easily understandable
language.
o Encourage local authorities to prepare with public participation a
full register of objects, buildings and sites of historic, scientific,
architectural
or environmental
value and to budget for the
maintenance or gradual acquisition of property on this register.
The profit motive of private land developers has
proved to be inconsistent with the interests of the
community. The activities of these developers have
resulted in “scorched earth” subdivisions designed to
reap the best monetary return for the developer rather
than develop a congenial environment for those who
will live there.
Natural
amenities
are frequently
totally
destroyed in the interests of the developer.
Giving sole power to regional and local government
will ensure development
of subdivisions
in the interest
of the people who will live in them. It will also result in
cheaper section costs by avoiding the situation where
rural land prices soar on a change
of zoning, since local
bodies would be able to purchase
land at the rural
valuation.
The Values Party would
e Encourage
local authorities
to update
building
ordinances
to allow
more flexibility in the use of materials and construction methods, and
to enable the construction of groups of dwellings on a “community”
concept with common facilities.
e Require mayors, councillors and those standing for office to make
full disclosure of relevant financial interests.
¢ Provide a major increase
in financial
support
to local bodies for the
construction of sewage treatment
plants.
e Encourage
local authorities
to amend
bylaws to permit
the use of
properly serviced septic tanks where it is environmentally sound to do
SO.
e Allow local residents’ associations to appear before the Town and
Country Planning Appeal Board in order to object to proposals.
¢ Make the Town and Country Act binding on the Crown.