The Department of Internal Affairs

localcouncils.govt.nz

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Local Government in New Zealand - Local Councils

 

Kids voting fun classroom activity

localccouncilsillustrated

Local Council Illustrated

The purpose of this activity is to describe the range of everyday activities and services that councils perform.

Start with asking children what they think about their community – where they live and what they think might be important. Think about their street where their home is, roads, the shops, where they go to school etc. Encourage children to identify what they think councils are responsible for. This activity is a great ice-breaker for kicking off the Kidsvoting programme.

Some of the responsibilities councils manage in the poster include:

    • planning for the future well-being in your community
    • maintain local parks and playgrounds
    • manage libraries and museums
    • ensure there is clean and safe drinking water coming out of your taps
    • sewage and water treatment works
    • resource management through land-use and development – e.g. subdivision / development projects / consents for wind turbine projects
    • run road and rail networks buses and trains in your region
    • animal control, building control – e.g. wheelchair access, environmental health and liquor licensing in restaurants, bars
    • collection, recycling and disposal of solid waste
    • biodiversity, pest and reserve management
    • cultural activities and quality of life values like safety and fun - e.g. dragon boat festivals, cafes, - creating places where people can work, play and enjoy living
    • sports facilities
    • port and harbour management
    • flood control – e.g. stopbanks.

To finish the exercise, you could then recap on which of these issues / matters are important for the children in their communities and how voting could influence these decisions.


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