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To inform, inspire and advocate |
Issue 20 - September 2007 |
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Download
print-friendly version here (pdf) CONTENTS
LIST FOCUS ON: Local Government in New Zealand
£
COmVOiceS resource for 2007 Elections £
Did you know? £
Councils look to the future £
Social services and local government £
Working with local councils £
Joining forces £
"It's all about links" Sector issues : Consumer rights
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Wanted: Complainers £
The Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 Federation focus
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Why toilets matter - an inspirational story £
Sharing communications across £
Political policies poll £
Making a significant investment in a £
Referral Service transformed by technology
Items may be reproduced, provided the source and,
where identified, the writer is acknowledged. We welcome contributions - the next edition of
New Dialogue |
Sector strength comes from a
collaborative voice. NZFVWO is an active network of social
service organisations. We offer a unique opportunity to be involved in
strengthening community and voluntary services and increasing the influence and
power of the sector. In
addition to leading and managing sector-focused projects, NZFVWO publishes New Dialogue and Law Scene. New Dialogue is published four times a year, in
two versions: as a six-page print publication and electronically as an
e-magazine with extended content. Each edition of Law Scene is published ten times a year. Subscribe
here
A
record of the Federation's activity, including listings
of events and resources relevant to the community and
voluntary sector, is regularly updated and maintained at www.nzfvwo.org.nz CONTACT US Phone: (04) 385 0981 Executive Director Membership Communications |
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FOCUS ON: Local Government in
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COmVOiceS
resource for 2007 Elections |
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Local Government Elections are an
important event for our Sector given that local government exists to provide
for the well-being of communities and can have a huge impact. The triennial election cycle is therefore a
key opportunity to have your views considered, to question candidates and to
exercise your voting rights accordingly. Voting in this year's local council and district
health board elections will take place from Friday 21 September until
Saturday 13 October 2007 by
postal voting. The local elections happen every three years and
everyone on the electoral roll (which is the same for both local and national
elections) can vote. Election results will be available progressively from 13
October on www.localgovt.co.nz In the lead up to the 2007 elections, COmVOiceS, an independent network of organisations in the Tangata Whenua, and the
Community and Voluntary Sector, have provided the sector with an information
resource, available online at www.nzfvwo.org.nz/comvoices
which has been specifically
prepared for community and voluntary organisations to use during and after
the 2007 Local Government Elections. The
resource provides information and practical advice specific to our sector,
such as tips to help sector organisations better position their concerns , as
well as access to candidate lists for all New Zealand Mayoral, Council and
District Health Board candidates. Under the Local Government Act 2002, local
councils and their employees have a legal obligation to engage in a thorough
community outcomes process - including a requirement to commit to Long-Term
Council Community Plans (LTCCPs). Research by NZCOSS has indicated that social service providers and
councils have much to gain from an effective community outcomes process. One
clear success factor is having elected members of councils and boards who
recognise and support the contribution of the community and voluntary sector. |
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Local
Government in |
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· More than 150,000 New Zealanders of voting age
are not registered to vote. · There are 85
local authorities - 12
regional councils and 73 territorial authorities (city and district councils) · Together they own assets with a combined value of $79.4 billion and they receive
nearly $5.4 billion in income each
year (56 percent from rates, 13 percent from central government, 6 percent
from investments, 5 percent from fees and fines, and 20 percent from other
sources). · The median
population across all territorial authorities is 30,678 people. The
largest territorial authority is · Census 2006 confirms 14 percent of people in · Two systems of voting are used for local
government elections: first past the post (FPP) or single transferable vote
(STV). Currently only 8 councils use the STV system. |
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Councils
look to the future - Mike
Reid, Governance Manager, Local Government |
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"Investing in the Future" was the theme for this
year's local government conference held in The
annual conference, attended by approximately 500 delegates, offered
participants a range of presentations and workshops that looked out to the
future challenges facing the local government sector. Obligatory
presentations at the local government conference are presentations by the
Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition which often provide a hint of
forthcoming policy statements. Opening
the Conference on behalf of the Prime Minister, the Hon. Mark Burton praised
the theme conference and noted that "future local and national prosperity can
only happen by committing to, and investing in, a sustainable development
strategy". On
a similar theme the Leader of the Opposition, John Key, emphasised the
National Party's desire to establish a stronger dialogue between themselves
and the local government sector, and that National believed in a healthy
local democracy, recognising that communities were diverse and had different
needs. The
issue of collaboration and communities was addressed by one of the two
international speakers, Sherri Torjman, from the Caledon Institute in ·
Sustenance - which involves the
ability of community's basic needs being met e.g. housing ·
Adaptation - which involved the
strength of social networks and capacity to deal with change ·
Engagement - which involved
participation in decision making and cultural expression; ·
The
address looked at the way the domains could be understood as clusters that
are rooted in the notion of innovation and the strategic application of
knowledge. In
discussing how collaboration between agencies in She
noted that communities were able to organize more effectively to address
complex challenges as a result of local efforts that seek to 'join up'
interventions within and between the core resilience clusters. Following
Sherri's presentation conference participants took part in workshops to
discuss the points raised and look at their relevance to the situation in A
common theme in most of the groups concerned the need to improve engagement
with hard to reach groups, particularly young people and a diverse range of
suggestions were forthcoming. The
Conference's other international speaker was Sir Michael Lyons who had recently
completed a public inquiry into the role, function and funding of local
government in the This
involves activities like building and shaping local identity, providing a
sense of direction, maintaining community cohesiveness by ensuring all voices
are heard and playing the role of convenor across all public services. Sir
Michael's full report can be downloaded from the inquiry website at www.lyonsinquiry.org.uk.
(Please note the report runs to more than 400 pages so make sure you have
plenty of paper in you printer should you wish to hit print!) |
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Social
Services and Local Government - Why bother? Tony
Mayow, Chairperson, Community Waitakere |
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As we head into another local government election,
expect the usual catch cries to ring out. Amidst
the tried and true 'cut rates/bureaucracy/staff,' look out for 'get back to
the basics/knitting/core services,' 'cut out the frills' and the increasingly
popular 'get out of social engineering/community services', as conservative
wannabes attempt to reach back to their version of the good old days of
roads, rates, and rubbish. It's
critical that the community and voluntary sector organise to reject that narrow,
compartmentalised view. There's
always been debate about the role councils play in social issues. We might
have hoped it would be resolved with the passing of the Local Government Act
in 2002. This not only put into legislation the requirement that councils
promote social, economic, environmental and cultural well-being as their core
purpose, but closely specified community consultation processes for
identifying Community Outcomes, which are to guide their long term planning
and service delivery. However
the debate never dies, and community/social sector groups have sometimes been
guilty of leaving the field to the three Rs brigade, by not engaging with
local government. Repeatedly
knocked back for funding, many groups end up tacitly accepting the view that
involvement in social services is solely for central government, and, we
haven't always seen the breadth and depth of roles that councils have always
played in local social development. In fact, local government touches the daily lives of
people much more directly and immediately than central government. Think
of the obvious examples: parks, community centres, libraries. We can all see
their value, but think also of the planning and the regulatory functions.
Ultimately these are not just about organising space, they are about
achieving social outcomes. They affect where and how we live, work, move
about, learn, recreate, our public health and our private welfare. Do them
well, and the well-being of the community is increased; badly and you get the
opposite. Ultimately,
of course, local government is about the essence of participative democracy
itself. It's the most accessible level of government to communities. It's
also the most open to influence, given good understanding of its processes, and
clever organisation of the sector. Waitakere
City Council is one example of a local authority whose entire philosophy and
operations has been very strongly influenced by the community sector. This hasn't happened overnight. It's taken
many years of dedicated work, with lots of setbacks and frustrations along
the way. It's included many people from the sector taking part in elections,
advocacy at all opportunities, and the painstaking, ongoing process of building trusting relationships. Now,
Waitakere is often held to be the exception to the old fashioned local
government rule, with its ' This
entails ongoing central and local government collaboration with community and
social service organisations across a wide range of issues, from housing to
early childhood education and community safety. Council is active in
economic, environmental and cultural issues as well, and most importantly in
connecting the dots between them. Waitakere
City Council also recognises the essential role of community groups by
funding However,
we can't afford to take this for granted. A change in political hue could
roll our gains back, so here a campaign is underway to inform people on what
the candidates stand for, promote the sector's needs, and get out the vote.
It would be wonderful if the same campaigns were underway across the country. Why
Bother? Because it works. |
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USEFUL RESOURCES : Guidance on partnering agreements Partnering agreements can
be as varied as Accords, Memorandums of Understanding, Rules of Governance
and Integrated Funding Contracts. In July 2007, Putting Pen to Paper: Profiles (a
set of case studies) was published as the second resource in the Putting Pen
to Paper series on the topic of partnering agreements. It provides a set of 11
case studies and illustrates some real experiences of partnering. It was
published by the Department of Internal Affairs in consultation with Megan
Courtney, Partnering Advisor, Waitakere City Council. It is not yet available
to download online, though copies can be requested by sending an email to GrantsOnline@dia.govt.nz
Related resources that
are available online include: Putting
pen to paper: Creating partnering agreements that work (2006) See also: www.localcentral.govt.nz and the COmVOiceS resource featured
above. |
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Working
with local councils Zoe Aroha Martin,Community Fundraising
Representative & Host Responsibility Manager, Problem Gambling Foundation |
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Looking
for tips on how to work successfully with Local Councils? Does a DVD case study on how Ngati Porou Hauora and the
Problem Gambling Foundation worked with Gisborne Council to change their
local policy on electronic gambling machines sound interesting? The DVD titled "Gisborne,
the town that stood up" provides insight into how a community that had
serious concerns about the number of pokie machines and the damage they
cause, came together to create social change at local council policy level.
The story follows the work that Ngati Porou and the Gambling Foundation
undertook to have the communities concerns addressed by the Gisborne City
Council. So what does the DVD actually cover? The DVD covers issues relative to problem
gambling while also providing a picture of key steps essential for successful
social change campaigns. The DVD highlights the importance of keeping
dialogue open and constant with Councils, and also of not fighting the battle
alone - getting other organizations and the voice of the community on board
(strength in numbers) to affect change. Furthermore the DVD also points out
how powerful the collecting and weaving of local, and national data can be to
help build a powerful picture -one that local councils would find hard to
ignore. The DVD, put together by the Problem Gambling
Foundation, was developed for both a historical account of the work being
achieved in the area of problem gambling, and also as a resource to inspire
other community groups to find ways to affect policy change at a local level.
The idea being that a visual case study could assist in building within
organizations the collective energy and vision needed for working towards
social change. A number of organizations have requested the DVD and
have found it very inspirational indeed. Just think if we can get it right at
a local level, imagine the changes we can create on a national level! If
you are interested in a copy of the DVD please contact |
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Joining
forces Pauline Harper, Programmes Manager,
Volunteer |
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How
do our services match up with a local authority's long-term aims for their
communities? When Volunteer Wellington did some analysis from
both sides of the coin, the synergies were across the spectrum. This is inevitable, because - along with all
other community organisations - we're in the business of providing a service
for local people. People who happen to live within the boundaries of a local
authority - who in turn want to have quality services and associated
qualities written into their long-term community plans. When we began the process of writing a Memorandum of
Understanding with Wellington City Council's City Communities, the division
of this particular local authority with whom we work consistently, we focused
on some salient goal phrases, like: more liveable, more inclusive,
residents will be more actively engaged, better connected, healthier, safer.
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