July 25, 2022
Tiriti to fore in local government review
The role and involvement of iwi, hapū and Māori in local government are set to be strengthened after October’s elections.
Delegates to the Local Government New Zealand conference in Palmerston North were given a preview by review panel members, Jim Palmer and Penny Hulse on what’s likely to be in its draft report due for release in mid-October.
Mr Palmers says the place of Te Tiriti o Waitangi needs to be more explicitly stated within the system of local government.
The panel will also recommend changes to strengthen local democracy, attract and support a greater diversity of representation, and allow communities to play a more active role in decisions through the use of deliberative and representative democracy processes.
It’s also considering a call for lowering the voting age to 16 years.