News & Media

Local Government’s Regional Sector are welcoming an announcement today of over $162 million in central government funding for 23 regional and unitary council Jobs for Nature projects, saying the strong support is an endorsement of the return on investment councils can provide for both our economy and environment.

Local Government New Zealand’s National Council has announced the creation of an LGNZ Covid Recovery Fund, which will be used to deliver free digital training to support mayors, chairs and elected members in their post-Covid decision-making.

Local Government New Zealand welcomes the announcement of 150 projects included in the $3 billion Covid Response and Recovery Fund, and highlights the $210 million investment in climate resilience and flood protection as a stand-out that is well-needed across New Zealand.

The Mayors Taskforce for Jobs (MTFJ) is excited to launch a new pilot programme that will see four rural mayors linking vulnerable youth with employment opportunities in their regions.

Local Government New Zealand is pleased to announce that it has appointed Susan Freeman-Greene to replace outgoing Chief Executive Malcolm Alexander, who announced his retirement at the beginning of 2020.

Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) has welcomed the Government’s announcement of a set of targeted tools to improve the quality of freshwater.

LGNZ welcomes the introduction of legislation this morning that will allow the Remuneration Authority to consider pay cuts for local government elected members, in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

LGNZ has welcomed Budget 2020, which allocated significant funding to a number of important initiatives from a local government perspective.  However many of the questions related to how the Government will kick start economic activity and address major challenges like climate change and housing affordability remain unanswered.

A proposal by the Local Government Funding Agency (LGFA) to lift the quantum of its debt covenants to provide more choices and capacity for member councils to raise more debt, should they choose to do so, is welcomed by LGNZ who say that it will give councils and ratepayers more options for boosting the economic recovery of their regions.

Greetings from LGNZThe COVID-19 crisis and ensuring lockdown has an created an unprecedented level of uncertainty over the last two months, and it seems that everywhere you look, change is afoot.