Category: New Zealand Issues
OPINION: Is the Government Letting the Foxes Guard the Henhouse with Infrastructure Spending?
May 5, 2026 | Asset Sales, Cities and Regions, Contractors, Core Services, Council Debt, Council Finances, Council Funding, Council Spending, Global Warming, Government Organisations, High-density Housing, Hostile Architecture, Incoming Legislation, Infrastructure, Law and Legislation, Local Government Reform, Managed Retreat, New Zealand Issues, Opinion, Parliament, Professional Managerial Class, Property Rights, Rates Increases, Regulations, Road Pricing and Congestion Charges, Smart Cities (+ 20-minute Cities), Surveillance, Three Waters, Toll Roads, Transport and Roading, Water Meters
OPINION: A Failure of Education and a Failure of Governance
Dec 4, 2025 | Cities and Regions, Consultation, Core Services, Council Finances, Council Funding, Council Meetings, Council Spending, Elections, Fixing Councils Series, Global Warming, Government Organisations, Incoming Legislation, Law and Legislation, Local Government Reform, New Zealand Issues, Opinion, Parliament, Professional Managerial Class, Rates Increases
OPINION: Regional Council Reforms Should Focus on Reducing Bureaucracy not Reducing Democracy
Dec 4, 2025 | Amalgamation, Cities and Regions, Consultation, Contractors, Core Services, Council Finances, Council Funding, Council Meetings, Council Spending, Elections, Incoming Legislation, Law and Legislation, Local Government Reform, New Zealand Issues, Opinion, Parliament, Professional Managerial Class, Rates Increases
OPINION: The End of Regional Councils?
Dec 4, 2025 | Amalgamation, Building Consent, Cities and Regions, Consultation, Core Services, Council Spending, Government Organisations, Hamilton City, Housing supply, Incoming Legislation, Infrastructure, Law and Legislation, Local Government Reform, Mode Shift, New Zealand Issues, Opinion, Parliament, Professional Managerial Class, Property Rights, Regulations, Resource Management Act (RMA), Safety and Well-being
Newsroom article: “Ratepayers rout mayors who imposed big rises”
Oct 31, 2025 | Asset Sales, Buller District, Core Services, Council Finances, Council Funding, Council Spending, Dunedin City, Elections, Far North District, Greater Wellington Region, Hamilton 2025, Hamilton City, Infrastructure, LGNZ, Local Government Reform, New Zealand Issues, News, Opinion, Rates Increases, Three Waters, Waikato Region, Waipa District, Wellington 2025, Wellington City, Whanganui District
OPINION: LGNZ is Confusing Myth and Truth (Part 2)
Sep 3, 2025 | Auckland City, Climate Change and Weather, Core Services, Council Debt, Council Finances, Council Funding, Council Spending, Global Agendas, Global Warming, Hamilton City, Hostile Architecture, Incoming Legislation, International, International Organisation, Internet of Things, Kaipara District, Law and Legislation, LGNZ, Mode Shift, New Zealand Issues, Opinion, Parliament, Professional Managerial Class, Property Rights, Protest, Rates Increases, Regulations, Road Pricing and Congestion Charges, Smart Cities (+ 20-minute Cities), Surveillance, Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), Traffic Calming, Transport and Roading, UN 2030 Agenda, United Nations, Water Meters, WEF, Wellington City
New Zealand Issues
PopularBOP Times Article: Tauranga raised pedestrian crossing ripped out after vibration issues, returned to original design
Nov 2, 2024 | Council Spending, Hostile Architecture, New Zealand Issues, News, Tauranga City, Traffic Calming, Transport and Roading
Summary A raised pedestrian crossing in the Matua suburb of Tauranga is being removed and replaced...
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OPINION: LGNZ is Confusing Myth and Truth (Part 1)
Jul 31, 2025 | Arts and Cultural, Auckland City, Core Services, Council Debt, Council Funding, Council Spending, Hamilton City, Hostile Architecture, Incoming Legislation, Law and Legislation, LGFA, LGNZ, New Zealand Issues, Official Information Act, Opinion, Parliament, Protest, Rates Increases, Rubbish, Sports and Events, Three Waters, Traffic Calming, Transport and Roading, Water Meters, Wellington City, Whanganui District
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What is “Learned Helplessness”?
Feb 26, 2025 | Article, New Zealand Issues, Overview, Taking Action
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New Zealand Issues
LatestOPEN LETTER: John McDonald’s A Request for Ministerial Intervention Regarding the IAWAI Water Company
Jun 27, 2026 | Amalgamation, Contractors, Core Services, Council Debt, Council Finances, Council Funding, Government Organisations, Hamilton City, Information Sheets, Law and Legislation, Local Government Reform, New Zealand Issues, Open Letters, Opinion, Rates Increases, Three Waters, Waikato District, Waikato Region, Water Meters
John McDonald (CityWatch NZ editor) supplies a copy of his open letter to the Minister of Local...
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OPINION: Is the Government Letting the Foxes Guard the Henhouse with Infrastructure Spending?
May 5, 2026 | Asset Sales, Cities and Regions, Contractors, Core Services, Council Debt, Council Finances, Council Funding, Council Spending, Global Warming, Government Organisations, High-density Housing, Hostile Architecture, Incoming Legislation, Infrastructure, Law and Legislation, Local Government Reform, Managed Retreat, New Zealand Issues, Opinion, Parliament, Professional Managerial Class, Property Rights, Rates Increases, Regulations, Road Pricing and Congestion Charges, Smart Cities (+ 20-minute Cities), Surveillance, Three Waters, Toll Roads, Transport and Roading, Water Meters
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Additional Posts
Consultation Closes 27 February 2026: “Inquiry into the 2025 Local Elections”
Feb 23, 2026 | Auckland 2025, Auckland City, Buller District, Christchurch 2025, Christchurch City, Cities, Cities and Regions, Consultation, Contractors, Direct Democracy, Dunedin 2025, Dunedin City, Elections, Far North District, Freedom of Expression, Government Organisations, Greater Wellington Region, Hamilton 2025, Hamilton City, Hutt City, Invercargill City, Kaipara District, Kapiti Coast District, Law and Legislation, Nelson City, New Plymouth District, New Zealand Issues, News, Palmerston North City, Parliament, Porirua City, Rangitīkei District, Regions, Regulations, Taking Action, Tauranga City, Upper Hutt City, Waikato Region, Waipa District, Wellington 2025, Wellington City, Whanganui District
CONSULTATIONS CLOSE 11.59pm on Friday 27 February 2026 for the “Inquiry into the 2025 Local...
Read MoreConsultation Closes 08 January 2026: “Building and Construction Sector” Amendment Bills
Dec 11, 2025 | Auckland City, Building Consent, Buller District, Christchurch City, Cities, Cities and Regions, Code of Conduct complaints, Consultation, Contractors, Core Services, Data-driven, Dunedin City, Far North District, Freedom of Expression, Government Organisations, Greater Wellington Region, Hamilton City, Housing supply, Hutt City, Incoming Legislation, Infrastructure, Invercargill City, Kaipara District, Kapiti Coast District, Law and Legislation, Local Government Reform, Nelson City, New Plymouth District, New Zealand Issues, News, Palmerston North City, Parliament, Porirua City, Rangitīkei District, Regions, Regulations, Resource Management Act (RMA), Smart Cities (+ 20-minute Cities), Surveillance, Taking Action, Tauranga City, Upper Hutt City, Waikato Region, Waipa District, Whanganui District
CONSULTATIONS CLOSE 11.59pm on Thursday 08 January 2026 for two “Building and Construction Sector”...
Read MoreConsultation Closes on 20 January 2026: “Simplifying Local Government” Proposed Reforms of Regional Councils
Dec 4, 2025 | Amalgamation, Article, Buller District, Christchurch City, Cities, Consultation, Core Services, Council Finances, Council Meetings, Dunedin City, Elections, Far North District, Government Organisations, Greater Wellington Region, Hamilton City, Hutt City, Incoming Legislation, Invercargill City, Kaipara District, Kapiti Coast District, Law and Legislation, Local Government Reform, New Plymouth District, New Zealand Issues, News, Palmerston North City, Parliament, Porirua City, Public Transport, Rail, Rangitīkei District, Regions, Regulations, Resource Management Act (RMA), Tauranga City, Upper Hutt City, Waikato Region, Waipa District, Wellington City, Whanganui District
Summary On 25 November 2025, the Minister of Local Government Simon Watts and Minster of RMA...
Read MoreOPINION: Calling the C-word in the Police cover-up scandal
Dec 4, 2025 | Article, Corruption, Court case, Crime, Government Organisations, Law and Legislation, New Zealand Issues, News, Opinion, Parliament, Professional Managerial Class, Regulations, Social problems
[Originally published 17 November 2025 on the Democracy Project ] By Bryce Edwards (Political...
Read MoreConsultation Closes 08 January 2026: “Land Transport (Revenue) Amendment Bill”
Dec 4, 2025 | Auckland City, Buller District, Christchurch City, Cities, Cities and Regions, Consultation, Core Services, Council Funding, Council Spending, Data-driven, Dunedin City, Far North District, Global Agendas, Greater Wellington Region, Hamilton City, Hutt City, Incoming Legislation, Infrastructure, Internet of Things, Invercargill City, Kaipara District, Kapiti Coast District, Law and Legislation, Local Government Reform, Nelson City, New Plymouth District, New Zealand Issues, News, Palmerston North City, Porirua City, Rangitīkei District, Regions, Regulations, Road Pricing and Congestion Charges, Smart Cities (+ 20-minute Cities), Surveillance, Taking Action, Tauranga City, Toll Roads, Transport and Roading, Upper Hutt City, Voting Record, Waikato Region, Waipa District, Whanganui District
Summary The Land Transport (Revenue) Amendment Bill passed its first reading on 18 November 2025,...
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