The Local Government Business Forum has released its annual newsletter.

"2021 is proving to be a pivotal year for local government and a challenging one for the people who pay the bills," said Michael Barnett, Chair of the Forum.

"Major reforms by the Government of the Three Waters and the Resource Management Act and other centralising impulses will, if they proceed as signalled, have profound implications for what local government will look like in the future and what it does.

"The Local Government Business Forum and its individual member organisations provide central and local government with the broader business perspective on all of these and other important issues," Barnett said.

The Forum newsletter contains articles on the following issues:

-From the Chair

-State of the Gap

-Where to Now for Local Government?

-Government Sparks Winter of Discontent

-Whither Local Government?

-Fighting for the Rural Ratepayer

-Commercial Ratepayers are not a Cash Cow

-A Planning Approach that Protects our Environment and Serves our People.

-Are the RMA Reforms Going to be Worse?

-Three Waters Shakeup

-Risky Business (risk management in local government)

"I welcome feedback. Local government is crucially important to the economy and for the country as a whole and I hope our newsletter helps stimulate debate and discussion," said Mr Barnett.

The newsletter is available from the Forum’s website - https://www.localgovtforum.org.nz/newsletters/

ABOUT THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BUSINESS FORUM

The Local Government Business Forum comprises organisations that have a vital interest in the activities of local government. Its members include BusinessNZ, the Electricity Networks Association, Federated Farmers of NZ, Hospitality NZ, NZ Initiative, NZ Chambers of Commerce, Property Council NZ, and Retirement Villages Association. The Forum was established in 1994 to promote greater efficiency in local government and to contribute to the debate on policy issues affecting it.

© Scoop Media