Our 2018 work about local government

The Auditor-General’s report Our 2018 work about local government was presented to the House of Representatives today.

For councils, 2017/18 was a significant year. In addition to their annual reporting responsibilities, they were also required to complete their 2018-28 long-term plans (LTPs) and have these audited. The 2018-28 LTPs show that councils are facing many significant and often conflicting challenges that they need to plan for. Councils need to work with their communities and central government to consider and address the challenges they are facing.

All councils are responding to the need to increase their spending on renewing infrastructure. The expenditure required is often higher than in previous years because of historical underinvestment and the need to improve services to meet increased standards and community expectations. Some councils are also responding to high levels of population growth.

Councils’ 2017/18 financial information shows positive trends in investment in infrastructure. However, councils will need to maintain momentum in delivering significant capital projects to meet the levels of service they have committed to in their 2018-28 LTPs. This will require appropriate information, such as better information on the condition and performance of their critical assets, and careful planning and management over an extended period of time.

This report is also available as an epub and a one-page summary.

Submission to the Public Inquiry into the Earthquake Commission

We have made a submission to the Public Inquiry into the Earthquake Commission. You can read our submission on our website.

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