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Local Government Stories - Page 16

Kiwi Stories

Local Government stories

Ashburton’s new freight hub to move trucks off highway
Supply Chain

Ashburton’s new freight hub to move trucks off highway

The hub is expected to take 40,000 truck movements a year off Mid Canterbury roads and cut freight emissions by 70%.

By Staff Writer • 3 min read • Fri, 26th Apr 2024
Wellington Council rejects panel and pushes for more housing
Sustainability

Wellington Council rejects panel and pushes for more housing

If approved by ministers, the revised District Plan could open more sites for housing and upzone rail corridors across Wellington.

By Michael Curreen • 4 min read • Fri, 15th Mar 2024
Waste-to-energy plant for Auckland's rubbish moves closer
Climate change

Waste-to-energy plant for Auckland's rubbish moves closer

Support is growing for a proposed GBP £570 million Kaipara incinerator that could burn Auckland and Northland rubbish and power 165,000 homes by 2028.

By Susan Botting • 4 min read • Sun, 10th Mar 2024
New law to bypass resource consents sets off alarm bells
Massey University

New law to bypass resource consents sets off alarm bells

Experts warn the proposed fast-track regime could cut community input and leave major projects with weaker environmental scrutiny.

By Staff Writer • 6 min read • Wed, 6th Mar 2024
How Graduated Density Zoning could deliver more housing
National Party

How Graduated Density Zoning could deliver more housing

Could ease the housing shortage by letting developers build higher on larger merged sites, even as councils opt out of existing upzoning rules.

By Michael Curreen • 6 min read • Tue, 5th Mar 2024
Government transport plan: ideological, unbalanced and petty
Auckland Transport

Government transport plan: ideological, unbalanced and petty

Critics warn the draft plan will worsen congestion and emissions by prioritising highways over public transport, walking and cycling.

By Staff Writer • 9 min read • Tue, 5th Mar 2024
Is our aversion to debt holding us back?
Taxation

Is our aversion to debt holding us back?

Record demand for New Zealand government bonds suggests ministers could borrow cheaply to tackle a $100 billion infrastructure gap.

By Staff Writer • 15 min read • Mon, 26th Feb 2024
Councils mulling options after plug pulled on Three Waters Reform
Auckland Council

Councils mulling options after plug pulled on Three Waters Reform

Councils must decide whether to keep water services in-house or form regional CCOs, as new laws could reshape debt and rates bills.

By Staff Writer • 10 min read • Fri, 23rd Feb 2024
Lessons from Cyclone Gabrielle
Risk & Compliance

Lessons from Cyclone Gabrielle

Stronger planning rules are still needed to stop homes being built on land prone to landslides and coastal erosion after Cyclone Gabrielle.

By Michael Curreen • 6 min read • Fri, 16th Feb 2024
Axing Auckland fuel tax highlights lack of long-term transport plan
Auckland Council

Axing Auckland fuel tax highlights lack of long-term transport plan

Auckland faces a funding gap for bus, rail and road safety projects after the government scrapped a tax set to raise NZ$1.5 billion.

By Staff Writer • 7 min read • Fri, 16th Feb 2024
Public support a user-pays approach to infrastructure
Auckland Transport

Public support a user-pays approach to infrastructure

Nearly three-quarters of New Zealanders back user-based charging for electricity and water, giving councils cover to seek new funding tools.

By Staff Writer • 5 min read • Mon, 12th Feb 2024
Local infrastructure funding model ‘unsustainable’
Public Sector

Local infrastructure funding model ‘unsustainable’

Councils face double-digit rate rises as New Zealand’s infrastructure backlog deepens, with leaders warning the current funding model is unsustainable.

By Staff Writer • 3 min read • Tue, 19th Dec 2023
Water quality goals ‘extremely challenging’
Northland

Water quality goals ‘extremely challenging’

Three-quarters of Aotearoa’s land is adding too much E. coli to waterways, with farms facing the biggest cuts to meet national targets.

By Staff Writer • 6 min read • Thu, 30th Nov 2023
Waikato Regional Council achieves digital modernisation with Infor
Data Analytics

Waikato Regional Council achieves digital modernisation with Infor

Waikato Regional Council propels into digital age with transition to cloud-based Infor CloudSuite Public Sector.

By Tom Raynel • 3 min read • Wed, 29th Nov 2023
Could NZ take a Texas approach to MDRS?
New Zealand Labour Party

Could NZ take a Texas approach to MDRS?

A Houston-style street vote could let homeowners opt out locally, easing resistance to higher-density housing rules across New Zealand.

By Michael Curreen • 8 min read • Fri, 24th Nov 2023
Transportation of dangerous goods a rising concern in the US
Supply Chain

Transportation of dangerous goods a rising concern in the US

Recent rail incidents have heightened calls for clearer US rules and closer industry-government cooperation on hazardous materials safety.

By Michael Curreen • 5 min read • Tue, 21st Nov 2023

Stories from Other Regions

Local Government stories

UK councils show worrying laxity in AI usage policies
Artificial Intelligence

UK councils show worrying laxity in AI usage policies

FOI data reveal a 'shocking' laxity among UK councils in regulating workplace Artificial Intelligence (AI) usage, with three-quarters lacking usage policies and over a third permitting AI use without policy.

By Catherine Knowles • 3 min read • Wed, 28th Feb 2024
Jennifer Anderson appointed as CIO of UK Infrastructure Bank
Fintech

Jennifer Anderson appointed as CIO of UK Infrastructure Bank

Tech veteran Jennifer Anderson joins UK Infrastructure Bank as CIO, promising to leverage her two-decade experience for the bank's digital initiatives and sustainable economic growth.

By Sean Mitchell • 2 min read • Fri, 9th Feb 2024