New Zealand Local Government at the Crossroads? Reflections on the Recent Local Government Reforms

Abstract

The first new local government statute to be brought before the New Zealand parliament in almost 30 years has brought significant changes which are informed by a participatory democracy paradigm. Notwithstanding the significance of these innovations, we question the extent to which these changes can be construed as a reinvention of local government in New Zealand. It is argued that the Act expresses a model of collaboration between central and local government and communities embodied in the ideology of the ‘Third Way’, a political programme which aims to renew social democracy by including civil society as a partner in managing the economy. However, as strong as these new attributes are, the drive behind the Act must be considered an example of the centre-left being pragmatic, not of fundamental reform.