'Better to be in the tent' of Local Government New Zealand, says Christchurch mayor
Friday, 24 March 2023
Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger says he’s disappointed Auckland has pulled out of Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ), saying “it is better to be in the tent”.
On Thursday, Auckland mayor Wayne Brown used his casting vote for the first time to pull Auckland Council out of the sector group.
His decision came shortly after he recalled a conference where, according to Brown, 800 local government members were “getting pissed and dancing”. Brown said this offered no value to ratepayers.
But Brown’s decision to completely cut ties with LGNZ – saving about $400,000 a year in membership and conference costs – has not been backed by his South Island compatriot Mauger.
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“I am disappointed to hear that Auckland’s pulled out of LGNZ,” the Christchurch mayor said in a statement.
“I had some reservations about LGNZ myself, but I think it is better to be in the tent and try to change it,” he said.
These comments mark an apparent change of view for Mauger. He voted for Christchurch City Council to leave LGNZ in December 2021 over its handling of Three Waters.
Mauger said at the time he wanted to teach LGNZ not to upset its customers. The bid to leave was ultimately unsuccessful as it did not gather majority support.
Mauger has since become a member of LGNZ's national council.
While Mauger may have had a change of heart, councillors Sam MacDonald and Jake McLellan – who led the bid for Christchurch City Council to depart – have not.
MacDonald said on Friday he was yet to see value from LGNZ, saying: “I still carry the dismay from the treason they committed to councils over Three Waters”.
LGNZ was in the firing line at the time due to an agreement it signed with the Government, which said if the Government forced councils into Three Waters, LGNZ would not “actively oppose” it (though it may express disappointment).
MacDonald said he now expected discussions “over the coming weeks” about Christchurch City Council’s position and whether LGNZ had changed.
“If not I suspect it’ll come back to the [council] table.”
McLellan said Auckland’s decision was a wake-up call for LGNZ.
“There are real questions about the value LGNZ offers and whether or not Christchurch's interests could be better represented through other means,” he said.
Across the South Island, other mayors were happy to stay in LGNZ.
Selwyn mayor Sam Broughton, who is deputy president of LGNZ, said he was disappointed Auckland had left.
Waimakariri mayor Dan Gordon said he saw the broader value of LGNZ, but it must accurately represent local government and ratepayer views.
“The best way I can do this is to have a seat at the table,” he said.
Dunedin mayor Jules Radich said: “It’s better to reform and repair the organisation than disintegrate it.”
Buller mayor Jamie Cleine said some councils were naive to how lobbying works in central government.
“A fragmented and divided sector will not achieve as much as a united one,” he said.
Cleine said his council got huge value from its membership through policy advice and professional development.
Grey district mayor Tania Gibson said her council has been unhappy with LGNZ and she wondered how viable the organisation would be without Auckland.
While the council did look at leaving LGNZ last year, it stayed for policy advice resources and funding, Gibson said.
She said she had stopped travelling to LGNZ meetings this year as it was a cost to ratepayers and what she got out of the meetings was “minimal”.
Timaru mayor Nigel Bowen said he was not surprised to see Brown leaving LGNZ.
Bowen said some votes in the organisation were swayed by population, so with Auckland out 'there's a lot of benefit for all the other players'.
Bowen's council left LGNZ last term over Three Waters, but has since rejoined. He said the council would review its membership each year.
He was not yet 100% convinced he was benefitting from being a member, he said.