What is it?
Local government is the layer of government closest to where you live. While central government in Wellington makes national laws and decisions, local government handles the day-to-day services and infrastructure of your community.
If you've ever had your rubbish collected, driven on a local road, applied for a building consent, used a public swimming pool, or paid a rates bill — that was local government.
How is it structured?
New Zealand has 78 local councils, divided into three types:
Regional councils — 11 across the country, drawn roughly around river catchments. They are responsible for environmental management (rivers, air quality, coastal areas), civil defence, flood protection, biosecurity, and regional public transport planning.
Territorial authorities — 67 city and district councils covering specific towns and areas. They handle local roads, water supply, sewerage, libraries, parks, building consents, dog registration and more.
Unitary authorities — Councils that combine both roles. Auckland, Nelson, Gisborne, Marlborough, Tasman and the Chatham Islands are unitary authorities — they do the job of both a regional council and a territorial authority in their area.
Who runs it?
Local government is run by elected councilors and a mayor (or, in regional councils, a chairperson). They are voted in every three years at local body elections.
The elected councilor's set overall direction and approve major decisions. A professional chief executive and staff handle day-to-day operations.
Local body elections in NZ have historically low turnout — often under 40% — compared to general elections. This means a small proportion of residents end up choosing who runs the services that most directly affect their daily lives.
How does it get its money?
Local councils are funded primarily through rates — a charge levied on every property in their area. Rates are set annually by the council and are based on the value of your property.
Councils also receive some government funding (particularly for roads and some infrastructure), and earn income from user charges, fees and consents.
Unlike central government, councils cannot run operating deficits indefinitely. They borrow for capital projects — building a new pipe, a new bridge, a new library — but must service that debt through rates.
This is why rates keep rising: infrastructure built 30 to 50 years ago is reaching the end of its life, interest rates have risen, and the cost of replacing ageing pipes, roads and facilities is enormous.
What does it actually do?
Territorial authorities manage:
- Local roads and footpaths
- Water supply and sewerage
- Stormwater
- Rubbish and recycling collection
- Building consents and inspections
- Parks, reserves, sports grounds
- Libraries and community facilities
- Dog and animal control
- District planning (what can be built where)
Regional councils manage:
- Rivers and flood protection
- Air and water quality
- Coastal and marine environments
- Biosecurity (pests and weeds)
- Civil defence and emergency management
- Regional public transport (buses, ferries — not the vehicles themselves, but the network planning and contracts)