Blog
Notes on local government issues
Community engagement: five ways to ask for feedback
Do a job badly enough and you won’t be asked to do it again. That’s a commonly held belief, but it doesn’t always work out that way. I took TERRIBLE photos during vox pop Wednesdays in my first year as a journalist at the Hamilton Press. No matter what settings I...
Climate research will support local government decisions
The complexity of climate change, as well as the unpredictable rate of change, can be overwhelming when considering how to respond to these challenges at a district or a regional level. Fortunately, the next infrastructure strategies and asset management plans...
How to write a submission that gets results
It's nearly that time of year again, when councils will be seeking feedback from the public on a wide range of plans, policies and bylaws.I've read thousands of submissions. In my experience, the most effective submissions: provide a concise summary at the...
Summer reading … with a local government twist
I love reading a book in one big gulp during the summer holidays. My favourite this year was ‘Unsheltered’ by Barbara Kingsolver. The present-day story is about a family dealing with the fall out of a number of shocks related to their family, their careers, financial...
Moving to a low carbon economy
Introduction What role will local government have in New Zealand’s progress towards a low carbon economy? In this article I reflect on some of the points raised in the Productivity Commission’s Low-emissions economy report and suggest some ways councils may contribute...
How to be a smart city
I booked a flight to Wellington and a Masterton motel. Next minute my smart phone was wishing me a great visit to the Wairarapa … it’s a little unnerving, but companies are not the only ones making increasingly smart use of technology. Wellington City Council's smart...
Advice for local government on adapting to climate change
Councils have to respond to the increasing intensity of weather events, organising civil defence responses then fixing damaged infrastructure. At the same time, they need to make a plan to help their communities adapt to the effects of rising sea levels and increasing...
Adapting to climate change: a 10 step process
Our vulnerability to higher sea levels and coastal storm events has never been clearer. It’s timely that guidance for local government on ‘Preparing for Coastal Change’ was released in December 2017 which outlines 10 steps for councils to follow in establishing a plan...
How to write an executive summary
Can you just write an executive summary? If you’ve just finished your asset management plan or infrastructure strategy this request may not exactly be music to your ears! That’s because writing an executive summary for an asset management plan or any other large...