A major overhaul of NZ’s local government is underway – will it really fix what’s broken?

A major overhaul of NZ’s local government is underway – will it really fix what’s broken?

Phil Walter/Getty ImagesWith a general election looming, the largest shake-up of New Zealand’s local government system in three decades sits on the table. New Zealanders are being invited to have their say on the draft policy proposal, Simplifying Local Government, which would fundamentally reshape how councils operate. The government’s case for reform is that the status quo is inefficient, confusing to voters and “tangled in duplication, disagr…