Regional councils are asking the government to invest heavily in infrastructure, as many areas feel the pace of development isn't keeping up with demand.
Local Government New Zealand president and Dunedin mayor Dave Cull. Photo: RNZ
Both Labour and New Zealand First promised better development outside the main centres during the election campaign.
Local Government New Zealand president and Dunedin mayor Dave Cull told Morning Report he wanted to see more investment in infrastructure - especially in places with smaller ratepayer bases.
"As the country grows, population-wise and in terms of visitors, we desperately need to be funding more infrastructure and at the moment local government doesn't have adequate funding lines to do that."
"It might be tourism infrastructure, it might be new waste water plants it might be infrastructure for new residential developments" - Dave Cull
For example, he said communities in Mackenzie, the West Coast and Gisborne needed their waste water plants to be renewed to deal with increasing tourist numbers.