Local Government Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga has called for greater collaboration between local councils to meet future community needs.

'Local government is a critical building block for our national growth and prosperity. Councils manage more than $96 billion in fixed assets and provide essential infrastructure and planning for local communities.”

Minister Lotu-Iiga was addressing local government mayors, chairs, and chief executives from around the country at Local Government New Zealand's annual conference in Dunedin on Tuesday.

”The cost of infrastructure is rising much faster than ratepayers' ability to fund" says Mr Lotu-Iiga. "Councils are beginning to work towards sharing of resources to provide better services. There is an urgent need for greater collaboration across regions for more effective planning for the next 30 years." 'New Zealand works best when there is a strong relationship between central and local government. We need to continue working together to find practical solutions to support communities,” Mr Lotu-Iiga says.

The Minister encouraged the sector to work constructively with central government on the Better Local Services reforms.

'These reforms give councils new options for managing infrastructure and delivering services to their communities without needing to amalgamate. The reforms protect local democracy and encourage local decision making to meet local needs.”

SOURCE: Office of Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga