Effective local government

Local government organisations are key clients for many ACE New Zealand members. But members have reported a significant slowdown in the pipeline of work coming out of local government, particularly in relation to water infrastructure and investment.

Members are concerned about local government’s understanding of the role and value of professional services consulting, and contracts and risk that result in unfair procurement processes, onerous contract conditions, and lost opportunities for more effective commercial outcomes for clients.

We also hear a lot about onerous review processes during the consenting stage due to a lack of internal expertise in councils, inconsistent processes, and disjointed and risk-averse approaches resulting in delayed decision-making and increased costs.

There’s a significant opportunity for ACE members to work alongside local government to achieve better, more efficient and effective outcomes for New Zealanders.

With local government elections in 2025, ACE members have an opportunity to collectively communicate a clear message to candidates on the key areas they should be focusing on to maximise efficiencies and value for money in infrastructure planning and delivery.

We need elected officials to understand the importance of infrastructure programmes that are transparent, well planned, innovative and efficient mean better outcomes for their communities.

We also need elected officials to have the courage to make bold decisions about local infrastructure for the long-term prosperity of their communities.