NZPI Annual Conference

What is the ideal split between Central Government and Local Government in terms of managing the challenges faced by our communities, our cities and our nation?

The Panel for the Review into the Future for Local Government released its final report in June – He piki tūranga, he piki kōtuku, which includes a package of recommendations to support local government to play a critical role in building place-based resilience that supports communities through the times ahead.

The last few years have seen a shift towards more Central Government control; notably in areas such as Three Waters and the introduction of new national policy statements on freshwater management, urban development and highly productive land. There are mixed views on the efficiency and effectiveness of more Central Government influence on the day-to-day operation of Local Government. What is the right balance between a clear, local voice and centrally driven efficiency? What part does planning play in this change and how do we need to adapt to the changing needs of our communities?

Much is being said about co-governance, Māori in decision making and Tino Rangatiratanga in the public discourse. Decision makers need to have the skills, knowledge and confidence to understand the bigger picture.

We seek to explore the following questions:

• when decisions consider and apply tikanga Māori, mātauranga Māori, the exercise of kaitiakitanga, and giving effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, who represents (or speaks for) Māori at a national, regional and local level in those decisions?
• who is Māori?
• is there a place for Tino Rangatiratanga in Aotearoa New Zealand’s resource management system? Should Tino Rangatiratanga retain a place in a contemporary society and, if so, what are the barriers in our resource management system, and within our profession, that hinder Tino Rangatiratanga?

Planners, policy makers and resource management practitioners need to be prepared and responsive to national directions, giving effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and implementation of settlement legislation.

We want to foster positive and inclusive dialogue and seek abstracts that address the above questions, including abstracts on the:

1. Operation and challenges of existing co-governance models in Aotearoa New Zealand, including potential practical expressions outlining how to make co-governance work at a national, regional and/or localised level in the management of our natural and physical resources
2. Both existing application of Māori in decision-making, and opportunities and challenges with Māori in decision-making in a future resource management system
3. Consideration of Tino Rangatiratanga in contemporary society

In recent years Aotearoa New Zealand has experienced droughts which have left towns and cities with very little water, as well as severe rain events and cyclones that have overwhelmed infrastructure and left communities cut off and landscapes devastated. So, how do we work better together to plan for the effects of climate change without leaving anyone behind? How do we make sure the right land use happens in the right place? Should we be ‘red-zoning’ areas of the country? How do we plan infrastructure in the face of uncertainty? And who foots the bill?

How does who we are affect how we plan? Who has the right to plan for our diverse communities?

To be a planner is to have the power to shape the spaces around us, and part of our role is to make these spaces safe for all. But is it possible to create spaces for communities we are not a part of? Can non-Māori truly plan for Māori spaces? Should one gender be planning spaces that will predominately be used by other genders? How can we work together to create places that work for us all? This sub-theme responds to global calls for more diverse workforces which reflect the communities they serve.