Along a fault-line

de Jean Drage, Jeff McNeill, Christine Cheyne

Local government in New Zealand is experiencing major upheaval. The creation of an urban unitary council for Auckland, the overthrow of elected representation for the Canterbury region, and other instances of intrusion of central government power into local councils (e.g for managing earthquake recovery and the Rugby World Cup) indicate a seismic shift in the foundations of local government in New Zealand. A major review announced in 2011 signals an imminent shakeup of this tier of government. These developments demand robust analysis and innovative responses. This collection addresses fundamental questions about what the appropriate structure and role of local government should be in contemporary New Zealand. Who should decide about the local in our lives? Should Auckland Council be the model for other parts of the country? What is the future for regions? New Zealand’s leading local government scholars provide a context for and tease out the underlying themes that make New Zealand’s local government distinctive. This book will inform decision-makers, scholars and students and those with an interest in the level of government that most directly affects our daily lives.