Category: Professional Managerial Class

OPINION: NZ’s $2.5 billion shoddy building bill: how to fix the ‘build now, fix later’ culture

Mar 3, 2026 | Building Consent, Contractors, Government Organisations, High-density Housing, Housing supply, Incoming Legislation, Law and Legislation, Local Government Reform, New Zealand Issues, News, Opinion, Parliament, Professional Managerial Class, Regulations, Social problems

OPINION: NZ is slowly slipping on the global corruption index. Is it time for an anti-corruption agency?

Feb 27, 2026 | Article, Corruption, Government Organisations, International, International Organisation, Law and Legislation, New Zealand Issues, News, Opinion, Parliament, Professional Managerial Class, Regulations, Social problems

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

LGNZ holds annual conference and engages in propaganda war with Taxpayers’ Union

Jul 31, 2025 | Buller District, Christchurch City, Council Finances, Council Funding, Council Meetings, Council Spending, Dunedin City, Far North District, Greater Wellington Region, Hamilton City, Hutt City, Incoming Legislation, Invercargill City, Kapiti Coast District, LGNZ, Local Government Reform, Nelson City, New Plymouth District, New Zealand Issues, News, Opinion, Palmerston North City, Petitions, Porirua City, Professional Managerial Class, Protest, Rangitīkei District, Rates Increases, Taking Action, Tauranga City, Upper Hutt City, Voting Record, Waikato Region, Waipa District, Wellington City, Whanganui District

Why are Councils Leaving LGNZ?

Jul 31, 2025 | Article, Cities, Climate Change and Weather, Council Finances, Council Meetings, Council Spending, Global Agendas, Global Warming, Government Organisations, LGNZ, Local Government Reform, New Zealand Issues, News, Opinion, Professional Managerial Class, Regions, Taking Action, Voting Record

OPINION: Gold-plated White Elephants

Mar 30, 2025 | Auckland City, Contractors, Council Debt, Council Finances, Council Funding, Council Spending, Hamilton City, Law and Legislation, LGFA, Local Government Reform, Mode Shift, New Zealand Issues, Opinion, Professional Managerial Class, Traffic Calming, Transport and Roading

OPINION: Consult or Insult?

Mar 23, 2025 | Consultation, Council Meetings, Hamilton City, Law and Legislation, Local Government Reform, Mode Shift, Opinion, Professional Managerial Class, Taking Action, Traffic Calming, Transport and Roading

OPINION: Eager Beavers Beat Government Experts

Feb 28, 2025 | Consultation, Government Organisations, Law and Legislation, Local Government Reform, New Zealand Issues, News, Opinion, Professional Managerial Class, Regulations, Resource Management Act (RMA), Taking Action

Professional Managerial Class

OPINION: Gold-plated White Elephants

By Andrew Bydder, Hamilton City Councillor Imagine a gold-plated Rolls Royce for $1m. NZTA offers...

Professional Managerial Class

OPINION: NZ’s $2.5 billion shoddy building bill: how to fix the ‘build now, fix later’ culture

[Originally published 02 February 2026 on The Conversation] By Mark Kirby, Construction Industry...

Additional Posts

OPINION: How to Fix Councils

Jan 30, 2025 | Building Consent, Cities and Regions, Core Services, Council Debt, Council Finances, Council Funding, Council Spending, Elections, Hamilton City, LGFA, LGNZ, Local Government Reform, New Zealand Issues, Open Letters, Opinion, Overview, Professional Managerial Class, Rates Increases, Resource Management Act (RMA), Three Waters, Transport and Roading

A guide to help concerned citizens organise for the next election By Andrew Bydder, Hamilton City...

OPINION: Building on Weak Foundations

Oct 25, 2024 | Auckland City, Hamilton City, High-density Housing, New Zealand Issues, Opinion, Professional Managerial Class

By Andrew Bydder, Hamilton City Councillor Last week, Kainga Ora (Housing New Zealand) proudly...

OPINION: Councils are Out of Control

Sep 26, 2024 | Auckland City, Code of Conduct complaints, Council Finances, Council Spending, Freedom of Expression, Hamilton City, Local Government Reform, New Zealand Issues, Open Letters, Opinion, Professional Managerial Class, Three Waters, Wellington City

By Andrew Bydder, Hamilton City Councillor Councils are out of control. Not just Hamilton City,...

OPINION: The Slippery Slope is a Strategy, not a Fallacy

Sep 3, 2024 | Article, Auckland City, Council Funding, Council Spending, Hamilton City, Incoming Legislation, Internet of Things, Mode Shift, New Zealand Issues, Opinion, Professional Managerial Class, Road Pricing and Congestion Charges, Smart Cities (+ 20-minute Cities), Surveillance, Taking Action, Tauranga City, Transport and Roading, Wellington City

By John McDonald (CityWatch NZ Editor and 2024 Hamilton East Ward By-election Candidate) With the...

Democracy Project Article: When unelected officials dominate the local democratic process

Jul 25, 2024 | Article, Asset Sales, Auckland City, Christchurch City, Cities and Regions, Code of Conduct complaints, Council Finances, Council Meetings, Council Spending, Freedom of Expression, Global Agendas, Law and Legislation, Local Government Reform, New Zealand Issues, News, Opinion, Overview, Professional Managerial Class, Tauranga City, Tauranga City Council Election 2024, Wellington City

Summary Bryce Edwards (Political Analyst and Director of the Democracy Project) provides a...

CITYWATCH NZ

Category: Professional Managerial Class

OPINION: A Failure of Education and a Failure of Governance

OPINION: Regional Council Reforms Should Focus on Reducing Bureaucracy not Reducing Democracy

OPINION: LGNZ is Confusing Myth and Truth (Part 2)

LGNZ holds annual conference and engages in propaganda war with Taxpayers’ Union

Why are Councils Leaving LGNZ?

OPINION: Gold-plated White Elephants

OPINION: Consult or Insult?

OPINION: Eager Beavers Beat Government Experts

Professional Managerial Class

OPINION: Gold-plated White Elephants

OPINION: The Illusion of Power: How Local Govt Bureaucrats Overawe Democratically-Elected Councillors

Why are Councils Leaving LGNZ?

Who is Taituarā (SOLGM)?

LGNZ holds annual conference and engages in propaganda war with Taxpayers’ Union

OPINION: Luxon Nails Councils

OPINION: LGNZ is Confusing Myth and Truth (Part 2)

Articles covering PM Luxon’s speech to LGNZ (August 2024)

Professional Managerial Class

OPINION: A Failure of Education and a Failure of Governance

OPINION: Regional Council Reforms Should Focus on Reducing Bureaucracy not Reducing Democracy

CANDIDATE OPINION: John McDonald

OPINION: LGNZ is Confusing Myth and Truth (Part 2)

Additional Posts

OPINION: Building on Weak Foundations

OPINION: Councils are Out of Control

OPINION: The Slippery Slope is a Strategy, not a Fallacy

Democracy Project Article: When unelected officials dominate the local democratic process

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