New Zealand’s local government has been through a significant period of change in the last three decades, change that has seen this tier of government restructured, reformed and refocused.  Today, our local councils are charged with managing large corporations and ensuring all infrastructure if developed and maintained in a sustainable way.  At the same time, they have to promote community well-being and engage local communities in consultation around long-term planning and significant decision-making under the umbrella of enhancing local democracy.
Along with a substantial increase in workload, those elected to represent their communities on local councils now juggle a range of roles and competing interests.  They need a range of skills as leaders and regulators; they need an understanding of policy development, planning, financial and legal processes, and resource management; and they need to work within the governance-management model.  Further, they need to stay connected to their communities, to know the local issues and to be the community’s voice on council.
A Balancing Act: Decision-Making and Representation in New Zealand’s Local Government considers the debate that has arisen over recent years about the role of councillors in local government and argues for the representative role to be strengthened.
The author, Dr Jean Drage, has both taught and researched local government and politics for a number of years.  She has published two books on representation and participation in New Zealand’s local government.