- Questions published
- Reply lodged
Asked by
Tangi Utikere
Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party
Questions
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28828
What estimate, if any, has the Minister received of the value of council expenditure that may be duplicated or wasted as a result of sequencing local government reorganisation alongside resource management and water services reform?
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28831
What advice, if any, has the Minister received on the risk that councils will incur expenditure on governance arrangements or service delivery models that later require redesign as a result of reorganisation under the Head Start or backstop processes?
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28835
What is the Minister's estimate of the costs councils will incur in implementing a reorganisation proposal approved under the Head Start pathway?
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28836
What is the Minister's estimate of the costs councils will incur in developing and submitting outline proposals under the Head Start pathway?
Answered by
Hon Simon Watts
Member for North Shore · National Party · Minister of Local Government
Answer
There may be some financial implications for councils seeking to enter the Head Start pathway. To the extent the Head Start is voluntary and reflects the aspirations and preparatory work already under way among relevant councils, this should be manageable. Creating a simpler, more effective and efficient system of local government should improve the delivery of priorities such as resource management and water services reform. The Head Start pathway is designed to support delivery of the new planning system. It gives councils that are ready to move early the confidence to keep implementing the new planning system now, while shaping governance arrangements that better align over time with how the new planning system is designed to work. Delivering the new planning system remains core business for all councils, whichever pathway they choose.