Secondly, many of the boundaries were redrawn in 1988 on the recommendation of the Local Government Commission. The role and structure of these local bodies have also changed substantially over the past 50 years. In the case of local councils, there has been a shift, especially during the 1980's, from a direct control of amenities and resources by the councils to the corporatisation, and in some parts, the privatisation, of resources held by the local governments, such as port facilities, health boards and electrical retailing. However, the first term of the latest Government did reintroduce district health boards, and it seems will continue to undo some of the reforms made by the previous National government. .
Local government, as witnessed by the previous statistics, is a dynamic and ever evolving process. In the next ten years, there are going to be developments and stimuli, which will create new and exciting opportunities. The first of these will be the latest instalment to the Local Government Act. Second will most likely be following international precedent and conventions that New Zealand is a party to, and a third will rely solely on which ever party is in power in the Beehive. .
The Local Government Act 2002, it seems, has led to a wide range of opinions due to the broadness of its articles. In a nutshell, the LGA makes local government more accountable to the populace by making it part of law to produce long range (i.e. 10 year) fore casts. These long-term community forecasts , essentially, ensure that councils are able to meet their costs. Much of the first section of this act involves a lot of financial jargon, etc, but essentially sets out to ensure financial stability and accountability for the citizens of the Local Authority, as well as establishes revenue sharing relationships between the Regional Council and Local governments. Other things the Act set out include a greater responsibility for local environmental controls and meeting sustainable development goals.
