350 Aotearoa was asked to give an oral submission to the Governance and Administration Select Committee on Wednesday 15 October 2025. The following is Lisa’s submission notes on the Local Government (Systems Improvement) Amendment Bill.
I am going to have to read my notes today – only getting two days notice to present to the committee is a whole new level of last minute. But I am happy to be speaking to you about this Bill nonetheless.
I will take our written submission as read and so I’d like to expand upon a few key ideas around the role of local government and what climate action means at a local council level.
[Lisa intro]
Climate change action has never been in a better place at local government level than in the last five years.
After decades of continuous pressure from clued up staff, councillors, and community members, most councils around the country have changed their narratives about climate change from apprehension and doubt, to instead a steady determination that local government can and should be taking a leading role in supporting community climate action.
However, this proposed Bill aims to stymie climate progress in the name of “getting back to basics”.
Back to basics as proposed in this Bill is a naive dream in a world filled with ever more disturbing climate change realities.
Getting “back to basics” should really mean delivering on community good by creating spaces for community to thrive and supporting local initiatives. Councils supporting community good look like…
– Libraries full of young people learning about the world.
– Safe, affordable and accessible housing for all
– Refugees welcomed and with access to local support services
– Support for food banks and kai rescue organisations
– Accessible and affordable public transport
We would like to highlight that using this Bill to remove the four wellbeings mandate will seriously limit the amount of strategic, forward planning councils can do, especially for issues like climate change.
As I have noted, many councils are taking climate change seriously. They know the science, they know how their area will be impacted. They can see with their own eyes and own council budget how it is already being impacted.
They have plans and work programmes already in place and they are providing the support needed to empower their communities to take action. Each time there is a massive storm or flooding event on the news I wonder how much worse it was due to climate change. Luckily we have awesome climate scientists who can work that out for us. They do not paint a pretty picture.
Council funding for community climate change initiatives does not come under the core services as proposed by this Bill. However, climate change funding provided to communities can have a wide range of positive impacts. We mentioned two examples in our written submission.
Firstly, funding for community projects which aim to increase the number of trees in our urban spaces. Increasing tree numbers is great for wildlife and for reducing temperatures in city/town areas during hot summer months. In a changing climate we are going to need all the help we can get to reduce the temperatures in our towns and cities to prevent the climate induced heat related deaths and infrastructure failures that are sweeping through other places across the world. By reducing community climate funding, the Bill would take away a council’s ability to support this important work which will only cost our communities in the long run.
Secondly, Community owned energy has the dual benefit of increasing local electricity resilience and providing clean energy to local households. Over 110,000 households cannot afford to keep their homes warm, with Māori and Pacific families hit hardest. Energy is a basic necessity – everyone deserves affordable, clean power. This Bill would reduce councils ability to support local initiatives which seek to increase community owned energy generation. Why would we want to make it harder for our communities to become more resilient?
For the rest of this oral submission I’d like to highlight a few more crucial examples of local climate action that this Bill threatens.
These are just two examples. There is so much councils can and are already doing to support local level climate action. Localised climate impacts need local solutions. We can adapt to the changes heading our way using local people, local infrastructure, local knowledge.
Councils currently have the opportunity to reduce current inequities that will be exacerbated by climate change. They need to plan for the dual challenges of pressures on existing infrastructure from population growth and worsening climate impacts, while balancing the needs of the community, including those who are living in poverty or struggling to meet their daily needs today. Climate action means adjusting the ways our communities currently live, work, and play. Councils have the opportunity to build more resilient and fair communities if they are allowed to act now.
Councils can help embed principles of a circular economy into our cities, towns, and districts. They can play a role in supporting waste education initiatives, such as kai rescue organisations, that aim to keep organic waste out of landfills to reduce methane emissions, and they can also support pilot projects which aim to reduce building and infrastructure waste. These types of projects are not seen as basics, but they are a crucial part of local climate action.
By centring climate change as a decision making priority, councils can design how we move around our cities, towns, and districts using less climate-harming emissions. Through planning they can create accessible, safe areas where people can access most of their everyday needs in a short walk, cycle or local public transport trip, allowing them to rely less on motor vehicles.
Councils can help communities to protect native biodiversity through climate solutions and to protect our local natural environments from current and future climate change-exacerbated hazards (floods, droughts, heavy precipitation events, strong wind, landslides, heat stress, wildfires). They can support community projects that both enhance the capacity of the natural environment to sequester carbon and also protect indigenous biodiversity from the impacts of climate change.
And there are many many more examples of local climate action that councils can and should be allowed to help facilitate.
As an organisation, we would not support any law change that would take away a council’s ability to do this important work.
Lastly I would like to touch on how the Bill represents a continuation of attacks against Te Tiriti of Waitangi and te ao Māori – specifically by the proposed removal of the requirement to consider tikanga Māori knowledge when appointing directors of council-controlled organisations.
This change would reverse the last decades worth of progress towards honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi in local decision-making.
The current Central Government has led a coordinated and sustained attack on our countries treaty foundations in both policies and mindsets. For instance, instead of recognising the ongoing legacies of colonisation, they pretend everyone starts from an equal playing field. Instead of enabling landback and environmental protection policies which would enable Māori to uphold kaitiaki responsibilities in their rohe, they prioritise plundering the taiao for profit. Instead of enabling mana Māori motuhake in health, they make Māori fit into Pākehā-centric systems.
The changes in this bill are yet another continuation of that attack. We should instead be commending local councils for FINALLY increasing their commitment to partnering with mana whenua and honouring te ao Māori perspectives in decision-making.
I was stoked to see my local Carterton Council in rural Wairarapa pick up on this point in their submission on this Bill. The tiny rural town of Carterton would certainly not be considered a super woke or progressive hotbed so the following quote I’m about to read from their submission is particularly poignant.
“Cultural engagement is a strength that enriches our community, enhances local governance, and builds trust with all residents. Ensuring that council-controlled organisation appointments reflect these perspectives strengthens our ability to deliver outcomes that are inclusive, equitable, and culturally informed. Supporting and embedding tikanga Māori practices in governance helps all councils contribute to a more connected, resilient, and vibrant Aotearoa.”
The Carterton District Councils submission goes on to say that…
“Local communities are, at their essence, made up of people and the relationships between them. Councils exist to act on behalf of their communities. Local infrastructure, public services, and regulatory functions are only a part of what communities’ value. No-one writes home to say the taps work, the toilets flush, or the road was smooth. We remember and value aspects of our community that goes beyond core services – tourism, shopping, parks, libraries and playgrounds. Our communities are diverse, with unique interests and needs, and local government’s role should remain in service to the collective priorities of the people it represents.”
A useful reminder that even councils think that their mandate now extends far beyond roads and pipes. Please let them continue their business as usual work to keep our communities thriving.
Thank you for the opportunity to once again submit on this Bill. We ask you do not recommend it proceeds through the Parliamentary process.