This week I told local government leaders point-blank that New Zealanders have serious questions about their performance.
Rapidly rising rates, a reputation for wasteful spending, restrictive planning rules holding back economic growth, and crumbling local infrastructure, have led Kiwis to question whether local government is fit for purpose.
Major projects across the country continue to get declined by local councils. Housing continues to be difficult to build. And councils continue to waste ratepayer money.
Kiwis struggling today deserve better.
Our Government is taking action.
Local Government Minister Simon Watts introduced legislation to Parliament this week to focus councils on what really matters: core services.
I told councils that it’s ok to build a local road without spending hundreds of thousands on artworks. Not everything they do has to be an architectural masterpiece.
Not everything has to win awards for being the most sustainable or the most innovative or the most beautiful.
Simplicity is smart. Complexity is costly. The only awards council projects should be winning are for cost efficiency and effectiveness.
As a government, we are getting our house in order. It’s time local government sorted theirs out, too.
Councils need to focus on the essentials and deliver value for their community.
I also talked about the major reforms underway to our planning system after thirty-three years with the failed experiment that is the RMA.
We’ve already made a series of changes to make it easier to farm and to build the infrastructure New Zealanders need, like our Fast Track law.
Once our new planning system is in place, it’ll be far easier to build roads and houses, and there’ll be less red tape for our farmers and growers.
This is how we help grow the economy, reduce the cost of living, and help Kiwis get ahead.
These changes show we’re not just talking about reform – we’re delivering it.
Chris Bishop
Spokesperson for RMA Reform
PS: If you’d like to read my whole speech, you can find it
here.
