​Local Government New Zealand and New Zealand initiative Localism Symposium:
The Importance of Localism
28.02.19
Honourable Lianne Dalziel Mayor of Christchurch
 
I was really pleased to be asked to provide some initial thoughts on the importance of localism prior to the release of the NZ Initiative report and the LGNZ Discussion Document. It was great to be able to have an advance look at that, because it has really helped me understand why the public debate on localism is not as well advanced or even understood as it should be. 
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It was the opening chapter which made me open my eyes to what should have been obvious. 

I preface what I am going to say by referencing the unique experience of a city that has had a considerable sum of money spent on it by central government. And therein lies the rub.

A localism approach would not have me saying central government spent money on us. I would be saying central government invested with us in the decisions we jointly made with our communities. Sadly that was not to be.

So here’s my ‘aha’ slide. The NZ Initiative report reminds us that we pay central government taxes usually by stealth – not in any shifty sense of the word, but just that we don’t notice it – PAYE and GST are all but invisible to us. Paying tax to local government on the other hand is much more visible. And what’s more central government bolts 15% on top of the rates bill for themselves with the assertion that rates are not taxes, they are payments for goods and services. Yeah right. Receiving a rates bill every quarter is the reminder that we are paying the council for many of the things that we pretty much take for granted. The invoice doesn’t remind us what we are paying for.

Local government touches our lives every day. From flushing the toilet, to turning on the shower, to filling the jug, to putting out the rubbish, to walking on footpaths and driving on roads, to enjoying the public parks and gardens…the list goes on.  People don’t always connect their rates to what they pay for.

And then we are reminded that local government gets to do some of the government’s work for them while paying for the privilege.

Dog registration and microchipping, fencing of swimming pools….(that list goes on too).

And central government also gives us ineffective tools – Local Alcohol Plans are meaningless as against the government’s failure to address the real issues that are proven to reduce alcohol related harm – especially the price. And when people engage and they get nowhere – they don’t come back!

And of course when local councils invest in economic growth activities that increase tourism or investment, none of the benefits come back to local government – any increase in GST revenue for example goes straight to the Treasury coffers.

There was a strong reaction to the detailed report put together by our local economic development agency on the nett level of government expenditure on the city’s recovery, which of course was considerably less than the headline sums. It was very much a ‘how dare you’ response.

The irony, as the NZ Initiative points out, is that the average New Zealander pays much more tax to central government than to local government, but it is the local rates they can see, and it is the annual average rate of increase that splashes itself across the headlines of the local papers.

To quote the report:
“This stylised sketch of New Zealand local government shows an unpopular tier of government operating in a highly centralised country. Local government is mostly not well understood and often disliked.”
Welcome to my world - a world I chose when I left central government to take up the Mayoralty in Christchurch.

I am as frustrated by the misconceptions and misunderstanding that surrounds local government as is any other who has not had the benefit of a central government background.

But at least with that background I can see how central government shifts responsibility for action, without providing any mechanisms for funding these roles. There are things that should be paid for by property taxes and development contributions, the costs of infrastructure for one, but there are many things we do and do well at the local level that needs government to rethink the funding for. I am pleased the Productivity Commission has this in its sights, and I hope it is resolved. Because there is more we could do, better than a centralised government agency, which could produce better outcomes for our cities, towns and the nation as a whole.

At the end of my time in central government I talked about the importance of building resilience at the local level as the only real mechanism to future proof the nation – this has only strengthened in my time in this role. For me localism is dependent on building resilience – and that starts at the community level.

In my valedictory speech I said:
“Although I began my time here when the Government was dismantling the underpinnings of the welfare State, I leave here in the firm belief that the answer to that is not to continue to reinstate what cannot survive the turning of a political tide. It is debilitating to any Government to have to spend its first term in office fixing what has been done. The solution is to build a resilient nation, a nation of communities that are resilient to the ebb and flow of political change, by becoming more self-reliant and self-sufficient but also resilient to the emergent challenges that we can no longer predict with any certainty. From welfare State to resilient nation is how I describe my journey of discovery.”

I say this because there will be many that will disagree with a Hayek inspired thesis on competition as being the driver for localism.  The truth is that competition, particularly when it is driven by the profit motive, can encourage short termism.

My thesis is that true resilience can only come from an investment in the long game – in other words sacrificing short term profit gains for long term resilience is not a sacrifice, it’s an investment in the future.
Christchurch knows this better than anywhere else.  The next slide speaks volumes.
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The strengthening of sub-stations and resilience planning undertaken by the council owned lines company, Orion, is a real example of a proactive approach to resilience. After the earthquakes, we can see the impact on a strengthened substation alongside one they had previously given to the local scouting association. This was part of a $6M investment that protected over $60M worth of assets, but more importantly meant power was not off for 3 months or more.  I ask myself the question whether a focus on immediate returns and incentives around the annual bottom line would have seen this investment approved, even with reports that identified the potential seismic risk we faced.

The same applies to building community connections – social capital is at the heart of resilient communities – as well we know in Christchurch.
I will come back to that but first I want to invite you to look at a summary of the “Localism 10 reasons why”.  I’m letting the first four go.  Never underestimate the capacity of local government to mirror the failings of central government especially when it comes to silos. You’d think Christchurch which has seen the benefits of the silos come tumbling down after the earthquake, would have a powerful incentive not to rebuild them. President Donald Trump doesn’t have a patch on public service default settings when it comes to building walls.

1. strengthens allocative efficiency
2. ensures services reflect local diversity
3. provides a check on the potential misuse of public power
4. solves the problem of public service silos
5. promotes innovation
6. strengthens resilience
7. leads to better local government
8. incentivises councils to invest in economic well-being
9. empowers our cities to achieve their economic, social and cultural potential
10. reduces the cost of government
    
    

I’ve highlighted innovation, resilience and empowerment – all of which lead to better local government creating the right incentives for investment and as a result reducing the overall cost of government.

I fully agree that we in local government have an obligation to ensure that the investments we make are cost effective. But so should central government. The NZ Initiative has highlighted the reality that the performance of local government is measured in a much more up front and personal way than would ever be applied to central government. And the truth is we can engage and respond better because we are closer to the action. As I said there is work that is currently done by central government when delivery would so much better and cost effective at the local level.

The report reinforces the fact that there is a clear relationship between localism and local government voter turnout. This makes sense. The higher the relevance, the greater the incentive for participation.

This again was evident in the immediate aftermath of the earthquakes.
Share an idea was a campaign by the Council to ask residents what they wanted to see in their city. 10,000 people turned up – 106,000 ideas were submitted. The project was an overwhelming success, and to this day is used as an exemplar of civic engagement and activation. The council received an international award for co-creation.

Unfortunately central government decided to override the process with a 100 day blueprint developed behind closed doors and veiled in confidentiality agreements.

Co-creation became a hollow promise when decision-making left the local intiative behind.

Localism encourages innovation by creating opportunities to try out different approaches, and which engage the community directly.

This means towns and cities have the opportunity to experiment and “try things out”, learning from the experience in a way that central government cannot. And this builds resilience. Communities regain their sense of capacity – we really can do things for ourselves.

This was our experience in Christchurch when the decision was taken to establish a government department to run the city’s recovery.  When the department was wound up, all of the soft infrastructure they had created disappeared, and in some instances, as a city, we had to start again. Strong local relationships and fully engaged networks are the foundation stone for any post disaster environment. They can be built on and made stronger, and, more importantly, they don’t disappear.

If we look at the groups that self-organised and engaged in innovative and creative problem solving in the wake of the earthquakes, there is no way you wouldn’t want to harness that energy and capability in the running of the city. When people have an opportunity to genuinely contribute, they come up with amazing initiatives to help themselves and each other across the city - life in vacant spaces, student volunteer army, gapfiller to name but a few. The Ministry of Awesome became a catalyst for the bringing creativity to the fore and creating a way that people could work together in innovative ways.  Strong community groups that already existed did the same – Lyttleton Project, Aranui Community Trust….

The social capital that is built when engaging communities in their own future planning decisions, creates deeper bonds and makes them even more able to withstand future shocks and stresses.  This is what resilience is all about – social capital.

One of my favourite books is If Mayors Ruled the World. I usually get a laugh when I say that, but Benjamin Barber’s theme is contained in the sub-title - Dysfunctional Nations, Rising Cities. As we all know, the challenges that come with pandemics, terrorism, a global financial crisis or climate change don’t respect lines on a map that create the borders between countries.  It is at the local level, that we can develop the capacity to prepare for and resist the impact of such events – and that is why it is cities that are pioneering the work on resilience.

And urban pragmatism can trump national ideology – just look at the reaction of major US cities in response to the United States’ withdrawal from the Paris Accord.

So this brings us back to the theme for today.  For me it’s all about trust. It is the essential ingredient that forms the glue between people, groups, communities and their relationships with governments – be they local or national.

We forget, however, that trust is a two way street.  Governments – both central and local – need to trust the people too.

I worry that communities have ceded their authority and their capacity to act to governments – I pay my taxes and my rates – so that’s someone else’s job now.

Our experience in Christchurch saw communities empowered as they proved their competence to act, and on the flip side, communities became frustrated and disillusioned when they were excluded.
So where does the capacity to build trust lie – the Beehive or the local town hall.

So I end with a picture from my local supermarket. They stopped me to talk about a pothole. The t-shirt explains localism better than I ever could. “Let me drop everything and work on your problem”.
 

​Mihi,
I too acknowledge all the dignitaries who have gathered here today and all the people who have come to see our Town Hall. 

Can I also acknowledge everyone who is here that was associated with the then six metropolitan territorial local authorities who collaborated on the building of the Town Hall – Christchurch City Council, Paparua and Heathcote County Councils, Riccarton and Lyttelton Borough Councils, and Waimairi District Council. 

When the Christchurch Town Hall was originally opened on 30 Sept 1972, a small booklet was published - it was called A Dream Come True - the Christchurch Town Hall by WJA Brittenden. 

It describes the extraordinary partnership between the architects, Miles Warren & Maurice Mahoney. And it details their work from sketches worked on together at Church Bay, through to the over 300 pages of the detailed work that was submitted. No Computer Assisted Design back then. 

And it speaks to the incredible attention to detail to get the acoustics right - making adjustments to the plans as they went along - the work of Harold Marshall finding its way into a list of the top ten acoustic venues in the world. I was never confident that we could replicate this in a modern building, and if we could whether we could afford it.

We are so fortunate to have Sir Miles Warren, family members of Maurice Mahoney and Sir Harold Marshall here today. 

And I must too acknowledge members of the Hay family - Sir James Hay played an extraordinary role leading the Christchurch Town Hall Promotions Committee for many years. They set fundraising targets that they continued to exceed. His contribution was second to none and it was said the project would never have been achieved without him. 

And Sir Hamish Hay who chaired the Council’s Town Hall Committee played an enormously important leadership role as well. His grandson sent me a copy of the programme from the original opening yesterday. I brought it with me so he could feel a part of today as well. 

I remember coming to an open day event like today, when we queued and filed through this extraordinary building. I was was just 12 years old. I remember looking at the Pat Hanly mural and thinking it was the most amazing thing I had ever seen. It has remained a powerful memory ever since. 

The reason that I look back on this day is because the earthquakes have caused us to lose much of our heritage. A few months ago I opened a new building, Turanga, our central city library that is so much more than a library. It speaks to the future. Today we honour the past, with modern technology ensuring that it too will stand the test of time.

On that note can I acknowledge the Hawkins team that has lead the project with more than 70 other companies and a diverse workforce from many countries involved in repairing the extensive damage and restoring the valuable heritage features of our Town Hall. 

The last three years has seen significant work both inside and underneath the Town Hall. It has been strengthened to 100 per cent of the New Building Standard. In addition there have been significant improvements, which create a much better layout and flow, much better use of the function rooms that now take full advantage of the outlook across Victoria Square and we are looking forward to the completion of the James Hay Theatre which will have improved acoustics, retractable seats and other features that will enable many more options for use. And lastly we are also looking forward to the completion of what will be a purpose built home for the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra. 

The result is a building that retains all its original character and style, but is stronger and better equipped to again play its role at the heart of our civic and cultural life - citizenship ceremonies, graduations, fundraising balls, conferences and of course concerts.

Today the memories will flood back as you come through the doors to the foyer, enter the magnificent Douglas Lilburn Auditorium, see the Avon, Victoria and Limes Rooms. Gaze at the very 70s Pat Hanly mural and visit the James Hay Theatre, which is not yet completed, but you’ll get a taste of what’s to come.

And you’ll also get to appreciate the acoustics of the auditorium again with a selection of musical acts playing during the open days. Many of the performers are returning to the Auditorium for the first time in eight years. 

I thought I would end with a reflection on the decision to restore our Christchurch Town Hall. I found a quote in the booklet I referred to:

“For all our virtues, we citizens of Greater Christchurch have our foibles, not the least noticeable of which is a penchant (those who don’t care for us might even define it as a mania) for arguing the pros and cons of civic developments to a point where progress is slowed or even halted. Examples of projects over which differences of opinion, ranging from polite disagreement to bitter wrangling, have occurred are almost legion. Among them are the siting of roads, railways, tunnels, ports, canals, statues, memorials, sports facilities, an art gallery, a floral clock - and Town Halls. If this is democracy at work, then the magnificent Town Hall which this booklet commemorates is surely the most democratic town hall in the world.” 

When the next chapter is written, it will record the history of the decision to restore our Town Hall after the damage wrought by the February 22 earthquake and it will record the events of this re-opening. And those of you who have come today will be part of that history, and new memories will be created.
And I am sure you will agree we made the right decision. 

Tena koutou, tena koutou tena ra tatou katoa. 


Can I now invite Sir Miles Warren, Maurice Mahoney’s great grandchildren Guss & Conor, and Sir Harold Marshall to join me as we cut the ribbon and open the doors 

Civic Earthquake Memorial Service 22 February 2019
E nga mana e nga reo e rau rangatira ma tenei te mihi kia koutou i te kaupapa o te ra tena koutou tena koutou kia ora tatou katoa
E nga manuhiri o nga hau e wha
E nga waka o nga tai e wha
Nau mai taute mai
 
Greetings and welcome to everyone gathered here today – to our visitors who have travelled from the four winds, to all who represent the four oceans, welcome to this place.  Thank you to Dr Te Maire Tau – Upoko, Ngai Tūāhuriri, for his words of greeting.
 
Hon Dr Megan Woods, Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration
HE Mr Norikazu SUZUKI - Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs,
Members of Parliament: Hon Ruth Dyson, Hon Gerry Brownlee & Poto Williams
Mayor Winton Dalley, Hurunui District and David Ayers, Waimakariri District
Sir Bob and Lady Parker
Councillors
 
Members of the Diplomatic & Consular Corps, Representatives of the Emergency Services, the families and friends of those whose names are engraved on this memorial and everyone who has gathered today - I welcome you to this place. 
 
May I in particular acknowledge the Quake Families Trust, as I welcome you here on their behalf as well.
 
This is the place where we gather on the 22nd February to remember those whose lives were lost, to ensure that they live on, not only in the memories of those who loved and knew them well, but also in our collective memory as a city.  We also remember those who were seriously injured, and all those who were affected and who carry the scars of the trauma they have experienced.  And we remember all those who came to help us in so many ways.
 
Today’s theme is ‘caring for each other’. It seems so appropriate when the experience of the earthquake, alongside the tragic loss of life, traumatic injury and loss of homes, was this extraordinary sense of coming together - reaching out - caring for each other. 
 
Forged in tragedy the bonds that were formed that day and in the days, weeks, months and years that have followed will never be broken. 
 
And so it is that 8 years on from that fateful day we come together at this time, in this place, to remember, to share our sorrow, to record our gratitude to those who came to our aid and to care for each other once more.
 
No reira tena koutou, tena koutou, tena ra tatou katoa.

​E te whare e tu nei, tena koe
E te papa ki waho tena koe
E nga mate, haere, haere, haere
E nga mana, e nga reo, e nga iwi o te motu, e nga iwi nga hau e wha
tena koutou, tena koutou, tena ra tatou katoa   
           
I acknowledge and greet the house, the land, those who have gone before, the prestige of the occasion, the voices, the people of this area and the people who have come from the directions of the four winds.
 
I acknowledge the special guests who have come to support this occasion.
 
Members of Parliament Hon. Ruth Dyson, MP and Eugenie Sage, MP
 
Councillors Andrew Turner, Jimmy Chen, Yani Johanson and David East
 
Mary Richardson, the director of the office of the Chief Executive of the city council
 
Dr. Surinder  & Mrs Achna Tandon, President of the Multicultural Association
 
 
I wish to thank Te Hapu o Ngati Wheke again for their manaakitanga.  You have again made us feel very welcome and made this a special day for us all.
           
I particularly welcome the 30 candidates, representing 11 different nationalities, who leave the marae this afternoon as New Zealand Citizens.
 
I know that this is a very important milestone in your lives.  It was poignant to read some of your stories in the paper this morning. The sense of relief that refuge is available so far from the place you were once not frightened to call home and the sense of opportunity that came with finding a place in the world you could freely choose to make your home.
 
Holding a Citizenship Ceremony on the Marae on Waitangi Day has become a tradition over the years and one that I truly value.  It is both an honour and a privilege.
 
May I welcome all the family and friends who have joined us on this special day to support you.  The fact that you are here is meaningful to the candidates – thank you on their behalf for your support on this special day.
 
And now we come to the official part of the ceremony.

 
Before we hear a message from the Department of Internal Affairs, may I be the first to officially congratulate you as New Zealand citizens.
 
I hope you will always remember this occasion.
 
As I said before the fact that you are gaining citizenship on Waitangi Day makes this even more significant, as it is today that we reflect on our bi-cultural nationhood that has enabled us to celebrate the diversity of our multi-cultural society that we have become.
 
Last year I was asked by the City Library to write what Waitangi Day meant for me so that they could share the message with the children who were learning about the Treaty of Waitangi, our founding document. 
 
It caused me to reflect on my own experience.  I said when I was a child we didn't learn anything about the Treaty at school.  As an adult I became ashamed at how little I knew.  We didn't know how to pronounce the names or even know the meaning of the places where we grew up or in my case one of the schools I went to.  Papanui (where I grew up) means a large piece of land and Waimairi (my first school) reflects listless or peaceful water by the trees – they say still waters run deep, so a good name for a school. 
 
I went on to say that I was pleased that young people today learn about our shared history with Maori, good and bad, and not just the history of the European settlors.
 
The Treaty in modern times has served as the basis for resolving grievances that arose when its principles were not honoured.  Every settlement begins with a statement of the facts (gleaned from a consideration of all the evidence by the Waitangi Tribunal) and an apology for the wrong that has been done. 
 
It is easy to explain to children the importance of people owning up and saying sorry when they have done wrong.  In this case the wrong was done by the Crown, which lives on in the form of the Executive arm of government, which is why the apology is recorded in the Act of Parliament that confirms the settlement.
 
I have been reflecting on the importance of owning up and saying sorry.  During my time in Parliament, the government acknowledged two non-Treaty historic wrongs and apologised for them.  The first was 13 years ago when the Prime Minister apologised for the poll tax and other discriminatory practices that were applied only to the Chinese migrants, many of whom originally came to mine for gold.
 
The second was to apologise for New Zealand's early administration of Samoa covering the influenza epidemic of 1918, the shooting of unarmed Mau protesters by New Zealand police in 1929 and the banishing of matai (chiefs) from their homes. The apology was delivered by the Prime Minister in Samoa on the occasion of their 40th Anniversary of independence.
 
At the end of 2013 we reflected on the life of Nelson Mandela and his gift to his nation of truth and reconciliation. 
 
It was a nation’s chance for restorative justice – the chance to speak the truth, acknowledge what had been done, own up and take responsibility for personal actions, whether directed or otherwise, and to express sorrow and regret – a genuine apology for the wrongs that have been committed against others.
 
Recording the history – laying down the truth - and apologising for wrongdoing is at the heart of our Treaty settlement process here in New Zealand.
 
It is a firm foundation for building enduring relationships and creating unity and today we commemorate 175 years since the signing of that Treaty began.
 
As I mentioned before we read of two stories in the paper this morning. Every one of you has your own story about what has brought you here.  It is the culmination of those stories that adds another chapter to our history book as a nation.
 
Each one of us or our ancestors made a journey to make Aotearoa New Zealand home - by waka, by ship or by plane - it is that journey that we all have in common and that is one of the foundation stones of our nation. Sharing the stories of our journeys that brought us here enables us to build understanding which also builds enduring relationships and creates unity.
 
That is why being here at Rapaki Marae on Waitangi day is so poignant. 
 
In Maori you will hear the expression tūrangawaewae literally ‘a place to stand’. A place where we feel especially empowered and connected - our foundation, our place in the world, our home.
 
Some of you have had to give up your citizenship of your place of birth in order to take up citizenship here.  Let me say that as new citizens none of you severs your ties with your home of birth; you bring your language, your culture and your history with you and you nurture them in your children. 
 
And we, the wider community, are all enriched by your experience and you gain another home – a place where you can stand tall and proud – as a citizen.
 
Congratulations to each of you.  I wish you well on the next stage of your journey.
 
Ngā mihi nui me te aroha nui.  Congratulations and best wishes. Kia ora, kia kaha.  Go well and be strong. No reira tena koutou, tena koutou, tena ra tatou katoa.