Summary

  • Internal Affairs has released its first set of council performance information which can be downloaded at https://www.dia.govt.nz/local-government-performance-metrics
  • In December 2024, the then Minister for Local Government Simeon Brown promised to release council performance information before the 2025 local government elections.
  • The first information release from Internal Affairs focuses on limited demographic and financial information about councils. This information helps some comparisons to be made between councils.
  • Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) has responded to the release claiming that “the metrics only provide part of the story” and that “Key local context is also important; is the council high growth or inundated with tourists”.
  • Most of the released council performance information was already publicly available in published council plans, though there is value in a centralised location for obtaining the data to rapidly make comparisons between councils.
  • The first set of council performance metrics is missing some of the key information that Local Government Minister Simeon Brown was expecting in December 2024, such as “amount of rates levied per unit”, “forecast change in rates over the next 10 years”, “forecast change in rates over the next 10 years”, “percentage change in council debt since the previous year”, and “road condition”.
  • The ratepayersreport.nz website run by the Taxpayers’ Union has had more detailed (and arguably more useful) information, including scope for making comparisons, than this new Internal Affairs information webpage.

Quotes

” The first benchmarking report on local councils will be released in the middle of 2025 and is expected to include a number of key council performance metrics:

  • Rates – so that ratepayers know the amount of rates levied per unit, the change in rates since the previous year, and the forecast change in rates over the next 10 years.
  • Council debt – including debt per rating unit, percentage change in council debt since the previous year, and forecast change over the next 10 years.
  • Capital expenditure – including a breakdown by activity class such as roading and water services.
  • Balanced budget – to show whether a council is balancing its budget or borrowing to support expenditure
  • Road condition – so that ratepayers can compare the state of their local roads with councils across the country.

This report will be released ahead of the next local council election to give ratepayers and residents clear information about their council’s performance prior to going to the polls in October 2025. Legislation will be amended to allow future benchmarking reports to include comparison of contractors and consultant expenditure alongside other key metrics.”

Press Release: Government getting local government back to basics, Minister for Local Government Simeon Brown, 16 December 2024

 

 

 “Councils have always supported transparency and benchmarking and communities deserve to know exactly what they’re getting for their rates, especially with local elections in October. The profiles detail council expenditure, but they don’t show what the community gets for this investment or whether that investment has been supported by the community,” says Campbell Barry.

“At the moment, the metrics only provide part of the story. For example, is that council investing in key infrastructure to support future growth or make up for past underinvestment, has it been exposed to particular cost pressures or weather events, or is it at a particular point in an investment cycle?

“Key local context is also important; is the council high growth or inundated with tourists?

“I want to acknowledge how far these profiles have come since our initial discussions with DIA. We are pleased that a lot of our feedback has been taken on board. But there’s still more work to do.

“We encourage people to also look at councils’ pre-election reports — which provide a snapshot of council performance and value as well as unique challenges and opportunities — alongside the profiles, to get a fuller picture.

“We will be working with the Government to ensure profiles in the future take a consistent approach to what good looks like and how councils measure up.”

LGNZ Vice President Campbell Barry as quoted by LGNZ in Council profiles need to show outcomes, not just spending, 31 July 2025

[Edit 03/08/2025,  a reference to “December 2025” was corrected to “December 2024”]