Local Government Statistical Overview
Local government promotes the well-being of local communities.
There are 85 local authorities comprising 12 regional councils and 73 territorial authorities (city and district councils). Five councils have the roles of both a territorial and a regional council, and are sometimes called unitary authorities.
Additionally, many territorial authorities also have one or more Community Boards. These boards are filled largely by election though territorial authorities have the right to appoint a minority of the members, to help represent and advise council on community views.
Local authorities vary considerably in size. At the previous Census of Population and Dwellings (March 2006) the largest regional council was Auckland Region (population 1,216,900), the smallest was West Coast Region (population 31,100). Territorial and unitary authorities ranged from 367,734 (Auckland City) to 726 (Chatham Islands). The average population for territorial authorities was 50,498 but this was skewed by several very large territorial authorities. The median population for territorial authorities was 29,645.
Local Government Finance
As of June 2008 the 85 local authorities owned assets with a combined value of $86.7 billion, and owed some $5.1 billion in liabilities (accounts payable, term debt and the like).
The “balance sheet” for local government as at 30 June 2008 shows the following in ($000)
| Assets | Liabilities and Public Equity | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash and bank deposits | 673,280 | Term debt current portion | 969,786 |
| Other current assets | 1,415,763 | Other current liabilities | 1,614,192 |
| Total current assets | 2,089,043 | Total current liabilities | 2,583,978 |
| Land and buildings | 19,812,202 | Term debt term portion | 3,144,426 |
| Other construction | 61,980,914 | Other non-current liabilities | 501,775 |
| Other fixed assets | 2,209,618 | Total Non-current (term) liabilities | 3,646,201 |
| Total fixed assets | 84,002,734 | Total liabilities | 6,230,179 |
| Investment | 7,298,156 | ||
| Other non current assets | 1,554,090 | ||
| Total non current assets | 8,852,246 | Total public equity | 88,713,845 |
| Total assets | 94,944,023 | Total liabilities and public equity | 94,944,023 |
Local Government Income
In the year ended 30 June 2008 local government received some $6.2 billion in operating income (GST exclusive). Around 58.4% of this came from rates, 12.9% from central government assistance, 5.5% percent from investments, 6.1% from fees and fines, and 17.1% from other sources.
Local Government Expenditure
At the same time local authorities spent $6.2 billion. Of this just under half went towards purchasing goods and services ($2.8 billion), 23 percent on employee costs ($1.4 billion), 20 percent on depreciation ($1.3 billion), 7 percent on grants and subsidies ($423 million) and 5 percent on interest expenses ($321 million).
The chart below shows what local government spent its money on during the year to 30 June 2008. Land transport (roads and passenger transport) made up the largest single expenditure category - accounting for just under 28 percent of operating expenditure ($1.7 billion).
Culture, Recreation, and Sport, and Governance were the next biggest categories at $1.1 billion and $1 billion, or 18.2% and 16.6%, respectively.
Membership, Elections and Governance
Regional councils, territorial and unitary authorities are all made up of elected members.
Regional Councillors elect regional council chairpersons from their own ranks at their first meeting after elections. City and district council mayors are elected by public votes for mayoral candidates in local authority elections.
Local elections are held once every three years, on the second Saturday in October. The most recent local elections were held on Saturday 13 October 2007.
All local authorities introduced postal voting during the 1990s. The average voter turnout at the 2007 territorial authority elections was 52 percent – with the highest turnout being 67 percent and the lowest 34 percent. The average voter turnout at the 2004 regional council elections was 43 percent – with the highest turnout being 57 percent and the lowest 37 percent.
Fourteen(16%) of the 85 Mayors and Chairs elected in 2007 were female.
Local authorities are largely free to set their own meeting schedules, governance structures and the like. Many councils operate one or more council committees to consider particular issues before being heard by the full council. Most councils operate on either a monthly or six-weekly meeting schedule of committee meetings. In 2004 the median number of meetings in local authorities was 36, with the highest number being 111.
