Media Releases

Investing in our future - 2007 Local Government New Zealand Conference

All media are invited to attend Local Government New Zealand’s annual conference, Investing in our future, 15-18 July 2007, The Dunedin Centre, Dunedin.

All media are invited to attend Local Government New Zealand’s annual conference, Investing in our future, 15-18 July 2007, The Dunedin Centre, Dunedin.

An excellent range of international and local speakers will cover key issues affecting local government, including funding, the role of local government, sustainability and climate change. Media representatives are welcome to attend the main and workshop sessions. 

This year we’re fortunate to have Sir Michael Lyons, Chairman of the BBC and strategic advisor to the British Government, as a keynote speaker, Sir Michael will be discussing the final report of the independent "Lyons Inquiry" into the role and funding of local government in the United Kingdom. 

Other conference highlights include:

  • the official opening of the conference by Hon. Mark Burton, Minister of Local Government
  • Sherri Torjman, Vice-President of the Caledon Institute of Social Policy, Ottawa, Canada, discussing building strong and healthy communities
  • Rob White, Chief Executive of the New Zealand Wine Company, discussing climate change and sustainable business
  • David Shand, Chair of the Independent Rating Inquiry discussing progress on the Local Government Rates Inquiry
  • an address from John Key, the Leader of the Opposition
  • an address from Hon. David Benson-Pope, Minister for the Environment.

Over 550 delegates will be attending the conference, including elected members and officials from local and central government, private sector leaders and stakeholders with an interest in local government. 

For a full conference programme refer to: http://www.lgnz.co.nz/events/conference/2007/.   The website will be kept up-to-date during the conference with media releases and presentations. A fuller description of the keynote speakers follows.


Information on keynote speakers

Sir Michael Lyons
Sir Michael Lyons is Chairman of the BBC and acts as strategic adviser to Government and a range of public and private sector organisations.  He recently completed the final report of the independent "Lyons Inquiry" into the role and funding of local government commissioned by the Chancellor of the Exchequor. Place-shaping: a shared ambition for the future of local government was published in March 2007, following two interim reports in December 2005 and May 2006 (http://www.webarchive.org.uk/pan/15454/20070428/www.lyonsinquiry.org.uk/index.html).

Sir Michael is also chairman of the English Cities Fund - a £100 million pound fund to promote institutional investment in urban regeneration that was established by English Partnerships, Legal and General, and AMEC Developments plc. He is a non-executive Director of three companies: Mouchel Parkman Group plc, a rapidly growing company specialising in managed services; Wragge and Co., the prominent Birmingham-based solicitors, and SQW group, which specialises in consultancy and innovation centres. He chairs the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and is a Governor of the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Sherri Torjman
Sherri Torjman is Vice-President of the Caledon Institute of Social Policy, based in Ottawa, Canada. The Institute is a social policy think-tank which seeks to inform and influence public opinion and to foster public discussion on poverty and social policy. It also develops and promotes concrete, practicable proposals for the reform of social programs at all levels of government.

Sherri is the author of the book Shared Space: The Communities Agenda and of many Caledon reports covering topics that include the social role of local government, the social dimension of sustainable development, innovation and community economic development, welfare reform, disability income and supports, employment policy and social spending.

David Shand
David Shand is the Chairperson of the Independent Inquiry into Local Government Rates. He has extensive international financial experience, most recently for over eight years as a public financial management specialist at both the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

David also worked on public sector reform with the OECD from 1993-97. Prior to that he held a number of senior positions in state and federal government in Australia, including Deputy Secretary of the Victorian Treasury and Queensland Public Service Commissioner.

Rob White
Rob White is Chief Executive Officer at The New Zealand Wine Company, which produces the Grove Mill and Sanctuary Wines. He has an extensive management and marketing background in several agriculture and food-based industries in New Zealand and Australia.

Rob is committed to sustainable business development and in 2006 announced that, through a pioneering sustainability programme, The New Zealand Wine Company was the first carboNZero® certified winery in the world.

Contact details for Conference

All conference sessions on Monday and Tuesday are open to media. All delegates, including the media, must register on arrival and wear their designated name badge.

Keynote speakers, Local Government New Zealand’s President and National Councillors will be available for interviews daily during breaks. 

To organise an interview please contact: 

 Chris House     021 1220063    chris.house@lgnz.co.nz  or
 Kirsty Anderson 029 9241202  kirsty.anderson@lgnz.co.nz 

Ends

Local Government New Zealand is the national voice of all 85 councils of New Zealand.

10 July 2007