Two of the seven remits for the Local Government NZ (LGNZ) conference will not be supported by Waitomo District Council's (WDC) delegate - mayor John Robertson.
WDC does not support a remit calling for LGNZ to become involved in civics education. Photo: Photo / 123RF
The remits not being supported by WDC are the ones calling for LGNZ to become involved in civics education, and for local government to become involved in the Work and Income New Zealand accommodation supplement review.
Councillors agreed with mayor John Roberston's comment to keep out of the civics issue and let the education curriculum deal with it.
The remit proposed by Hamilton City Council was for LGNZ to advocate for provision of central government funding to enable councils to engage in civics education for high school children.
Councillor Sue Smith said a lot was being asked of schools at present and that could be a reason for delaying it if civics did come into the education system.
"I don't think it's a good time now to ask for this to happen," she said.
There were other programmes local government already used to help senior students and the council already supported civics education through support for the youth council, she said.
"Being slightly cynical, if you don't put it on the list now, it won't be attended to for another 10 years," councillor Phil Brodie said.
"I couldn't think of a reason to say: 'No I'm not supporting it', I couldn't think of a reason to push it.
"I don't think councils should formerly get involved in this," the mayor said.
The other remit he will vote against at the 2021 LGNZ AGM and Conference in Blenheim from 15-17 July is the Work and Income remit proposed by Queenstown Lakes District Council.
It suggests LGNZ work with the Government to conduct an urgent review of Work and Income's Accommodation Supplement system zones in partnership with territorial authorities and to schedule an ongoing two-yearly review of Work and Income as system zones in partnership with local councils.
"This is something central government does, setting accommodation supplements; this is quite a way out of what we do," Robertson said.
WDC will support remits on tree protection, the rating value of forestry land, promoting local government elections, setting carbon emission standards and removing council liability for Kainga Ora building consents.
The tree protection remit calls on LGNZ to use the RMA reform process and advocate for the repeal of provisions added to the RMA, and restore the right of councils to adopt and enforce local tree protection policies.
The forestry land rating remit calls for the valuer general to change the law to allow councils to rate forestry land. Current law restricted rates on forestry land to its unimproved value.
"I think this is one we should support," Robertson said.
"It is topical in our area as well. Gisborne council has done a paper on this, and pointed out forestry land has a lower value and therefore forestry blocks not getting rated as much as Gisborne thinks they should - and we know at harvest time our roads can suffer considerably."
The local government elections remit proposed by Palmerston North City Council is to remove the power chief executives hold under the Local Government Act for "facilitating and fostering representative and substantial elector participation in elections and polls held under the Local Electoral Act 2001" and replace it with the Electoral Commission.
Waitomo will also support Palmerston North's carbon emission standards and targets remit proposing LGNZ work with central government to develop emission inventory standards for use by local authorities in setting science-based emission reduction targets.
Waikato District Council's remit seeking indemnity from any claims brought against a council regarding building consent functions carried out by Consentium is also supported.
Consentium is a division of Kāinga Ora and provides it with building compliance services, including consenting, inspecting, and certification.
That remit wants LGNZ to work with the Government to either obtain legal indemnity from the Crown in favour of all councils, and/or to implement a warranty scheme, for any civil liability claim brought against a council with regards to building consent functions carried out by Consentium, as the costs should not be borne by ratepayers.
"It's clearly an issue in Waikato, so that's a 'yes'," Robertson said.
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