Support for council four-year-term

LGNZ President Sam Broughton has welcomed public support for a local government four-year term, in what he says is a clear mandate for electoral reform.

A Curia poll, released by LGNZ today, found 65% of people in favour of a local four-year term. Specifically, 47% support a local four-year term and an additional 18% would support it if central government also had a four-year term.

“A four-year term for local government will improve productivity across councils and provide certainty on long-term decisions and projects.

“Too much time and money is wasted when things constantly get flipped upside-down election after election.

“When you look at declining voter turnout, it is clear that local democracy needs electoral reform to maintain its mandate.

“This poll suggests government should include a four-year term for local government in any proposals for a four-year parliamentary term,” Sam Broughton said.

The LGNZ Electoral Reform Working Group was formed in June, led by Nelson Mayor Dr Nick Smith.

Dr Smith says the poll shows that New Zealanders are looking for efficiency gains in councils with cost-of-living pressures and rising rates.

“They want councils spending more time doing the job and less time politicking. It is telling that support for the four-year term jumps to 65% if parliamentary elections shift to four years. New Zealanders understand the importance of the separation of council and parliamentary elections and that the terms need to be synchronised.

“New Zealand has an unusually short electoral term for both central and local government in comparison with other countries. Four years is the Goldilocks term and the optimal balance of not being too short or too long,” he says.

The Electoral Reform Group met with councils at the LGNZ SuperLocal Conference today to share its next steps. It will work with councils over the next 12 months to develop a proposal that can be taken to Government.

The four key areas of focus for the electoral reform group are:

• Increasing voter turnout
• Implementation and transition to four-year terms
• Considering the ways people can vote
• Who should administer local elections, and how they are best run

“We recognise that electoral law changes require broad support and are looking forward to engaging with New Zealanders, councils and political parties throughout the country on how we can improve local elections and governance,” Dr Smith says.