Local Government (Management of Local Authorities) Amendment Bill

This Member's Bill proposes to change the Local Government Act 2002.

The proposed changes include:

• clarify the roles and responsibilities of the mayor, councillors, and chief executive of local authorities
• give elected members a stronger mandate to govern and oversee the activities of their local authority.

This Bill was introduced by Stuart Smith, a National Party MP.

Upcoming

Bill introduced

First Reading

Select Committee (including submission period)

Second Reading

Committee of the Whole House

Third Reading

Royal Assent

Estimate of when Bill will receive Royal Assent

Members’ Bill – timing uncertain.

Impact on Council

Clarification that the activities of the local authority must be managed by the chief executive subject to the direction or supervision of the governing body of the local authority.

Building and Construction Sector (Self-certification by Plumbers and Drainlayers) Amendment Bill

This Bill will change the Building Act and the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Act.

The key changes will include:

• giving the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Board the power to endorse plumbers and drainlayers as approved self-certifying plumbers and drainlayers
• allowing those endorsed plumbers and drainlayers to certify that specified work complies with the building consent
• including new auditing powers, disciplinary offences, and higher penalties for poor or dishonest self-certification
• requiring a building consent authority to accept certificates of compliance as evidence of compliance with a building consent
• clarifying that a building consent authority is not liable for self-certified work.

Upcoming

Bill introduced

First Reading

Select Committee (including submission period)

Second Reading

Committee of the Whole House

Third Reading

Royal Assent

Estimate of when Bill will receive Royal Assent

The Act will come into force on June 30.

Impact on Council

Changes to building consent and liability process.

Regulatory Systems (Internal Affairs) Amendment Bill

The Regulatory Systems (Internal Affairs) Amendment Bill is an omnibus Bill that will change several Acts administered by the Department of Internal Affairs.

The key changes will include:

• clarifying overseas divorce certificates and name change declarations under the Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Act
• removing restrictions on register searches under the Charities Act
• allowing information sharing with overseas authorities under the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act.
• confirming and clarifying levy arrangements under the Fire and Emergency New Zealand Act
• modernising monitoring requirements and updating age restrictions under the Gambling Act
• raising the financial threshold for disqualification from election or appointment to a local authority or its committees under the Local Authorities (Members’ Interests) Act.

Upcoming

Bill introduced

First Reading

Select Committee (including submission period)

Second Reading

Committee of the Whole House

Third Reading

Royal Assent

Estimate of when Bill will receive Royal Assent

This quarter.

Impact on Council

Elected members are disqualified from being or being appointed as a member if the total of all payments made or to be made by or on behalf of the local authority in respect of all contracts made by it in which that person is concerned or interested exceeds $100,000 in any financial year (previously $25,000).

Better Regional Boundaries Bill

The purpose of this bill is to ensure that, within five years, each government entity aligns boundaries and aligns them with local authority boundaries. This is intended to create clarity and consistency for New Zealanders. The bill seeks to drive regional approaches, with shared hubs in small towns where departments work together at a single point of access to serve communities. The five-year time frame is intended to give government departments and agencies time to align their approaches with the policy intent of this bill.

Upcoming

Bill introduced

First Reading

Select Committee (including submission period)

Second Reading

Committee of the Whole House

Third Reading

Royal Assent

Estimate of when Bill will receive Royal Assent

Members’ Bill – timing uncertain.

Impact on Council

Unclear what the practical effects of

this are (especially with recent Head Start announcements).

Open for submissions

Relevant items that are currently open for submission or coming up

Item

Description

Submission status

Closing date

Simplifying Local Government / Proposed changes to regional councils and local government structure

The Government is proposing changes to the local government system, alongside its wider resource management reforms.

The proposed changes include:

• giving councils a three-month window to put forward their own proposals to reorganise local government in their region
• focusing reform on creating larger, more efficient unitary authorities that combine regional and local functions, reduce duplication, and improve decision-making
• allowing proposals to cover all or part of a region, including neighbouring councils where appropriate
• allowing the Government to use a backstop process if councils don't put forward credible proposals.

TBC

August 9

Summary Offences (Move-on Orders) Amendment Bill

This Bill will change the Summary Offences Act.

The key changes will include:

• giving Police a new power to issue move-on orders requiring people to leave a public place and not return for up to 24 hours
• allowing move-on orders to be used for disorderly, intimidating, threatening, or disruptive behaviour, including begging, rough sleeping, and behaviour that suggests a person intends to live in a public place
• allowing move-on orders to apply to people aged 14 and over
• excluding protests, freedom camping, and charitable or not-for-profit fundraising from the move-on order regime
• giving Police power to temporarily hold a person to obtain identifying details and issue the order
• creating new offences for failing to provide details or giving false details, and for failing to follow a move-on order.

Not submitting

July 2

Progress tracker

Status updates on relevant items as they progress past submissions

Item name

Description

Council response

Status

Local Government Systems Improvements Bill

The Bill amends the Local Government Act to refocus councils on delivering core infrastructure and services, while removing references to the four aspects of community well-being. It also introduces new financial management and performance frameworks, reduces regulatory requirements, and gives the Secretary for Local Government authority to issue codes of conduct and standing orders for elected members.

Submitted on August 27, 2025.

• Not expected to become law until June/July.
• June 2 - Announcement - Council voting to be restricted to elected members
• May 13 – Cabinet Paper released on Regulations for Groups of Activities for Councils’ Planning and Reporting
• April 29 - Amendment paper released

Proposals to control rate rises and introduce rate capping

The Government will introduce a rates cap limiting most council rate increases to 2–4% per capita annually, covering general and targeted rates but excluding water and non-rates revenue, with any increases above the cap requiring central Government approval.

Submitted

• The Minister has indicated that the legislation will be introduced – but not passed – before the election.
• Draft Legislation is anticipated around July

Emergency Management Bill (No 2)

This Bill will strengthen community and iwi Māori involvement, makes mayors primarily responsible for local emergency declarations, requires better identification of high-risk communities, and allows the Minister to set national rules and minimum standards for emergency management.

Submitting as part of Waikato CDEM

February 15 - Submissions closed

Planning Bill and Natural Environment Bill

Together, these Bills will replace the Resource Management Act and establish a new planning and natural environment framework governing land use, development, and environmental protection. They introduce simplified activity categories and a permit system, combined regional plans with environmental limits, clearer roles for regional and territorial authorities, and requirements to balance environmental regulation with landowners’ reasonable use of land.

Submitted

Select Committee report due June 26. Enactment expected two-three weeks after that.

Building (Earthquake-prone Buildings) Amendment Bill

This Bill will amend the Building Act and Building (Dam Safety) Regulations by replacing earthquake ratings with tiered risk-based mitigation requirements, narrowing the earthquake-prone building system to high-risk buildings in medium and high seismic zones, removing low-risk areas and building types from the regime, allowing longer compliance extensions, and reclassifying parts of Otago and Stewart Island as medium seismic zones.

Did not submit

February 16- Submissions closed

Select Committee Report due June 16

Simplifying Local Government / Proposed changes to regional councils and local government structure

The Government is proposing reforms to the local government system. Council’s have been given a three-month deadline (from May 5) for reorganisation plans to be delivered, with those that fail to use the ‘Head Start’ approach being forced into change. Proposals should focus on creating "larger, more efficient unitary authorities that streamline functions, reduce duplication, and improve decision-making". The proposals would be considered by officials from the new Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport ministry (MCERT) against criteria including practicality, simplicity, value for money, effective representation, timeliness and how it works with the new resource management system. Decisions would be made this year, then developed in detail and signed off in 2027 to be implemented ahead of the 2028 local elections.

• Waipā DC Submitted
• Waikato councils made submission via Mayoral Forum
• 20 February 2026 - Submissions closed
• Change of scope announcement May 5.

Infrastructure Funding and Financing Amendment Bill – Development levies

The Government is proposing to replace development contributions with a new development levies system through the draft Local Government (Infrastructure Funding) Amendment Bill. The new system would separate levies by infrastructure type, define larger levy areas, allow extra charges in high-cost locations, and require a standardised methodology for calculating growth-related infrastructure costs.

Submitted

Submissions closed February 20

Expected in the third quarter of 2026.

Hospitality sector review

Review covers regulation affecting, restaurants, bars, cafés, food stalls at markets, food trucks, catering businesses and hotels. Gambling regulations are out of scope.

Early expert feedback provided

Early feedback closed February 11.

Proposed changes to lane use and road safety

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi is proposing updates to the Land Transport (Road User) Rule to improve lane safety and efficiency, including allowing children under 12 to ride bikes on footpaths, setting a minimum passing gap, permitting e-scooters in cycle lanes, requiring drivers to give way to buses leaving stops, and clarifying berm-parking signage rules.

Submitting under delegated authority. Report to be presented to Service Delivery Committee in April.

Submissions closed March 25.

Building and Construction Sector (Strengthening Occupational Licensing Regimes) Amendment Bill

The Bill proposes changes to key building and trade legislation to strengthen disciplinary and enforcement powers, introduce codes of ethics, streamline licensing, and reduce oversight for low-risk work.

Staff submitted in their role as subject matter experts.

Select Committee Report March 19.

Expected in the third quarter of 2026.

Proposed changes to alcohol licensing and sales rules/ The Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Participation in Licensing Decisions) Amendment Bill

The Government is proposing changes to the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act to simplify licensing, modernise and clarify rules (including digital ID and delivery), changing who can serve and sell alcohol (such as hairdressers and takeaways), updating rules for events and changing licence requirements for community clubs.

Awaiting further information.

Select Committee Report due October 2.

Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Improving Alcohol Regulation) Amendment Bill

The Government is proposing changes to the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act to simplify licensing, modernise and clarify rules (including digital ID and delivery), changing who can serve and sell alcohol (such as hairdressers and takeaways), updating rules for events and changing licence requirements for community clubs.

Staff submission as subject experts

Submissions closed May 14.

Proposed changes to the Dog Control Act

The Government is ordering a review of the Dog Control Act to address issues with roaming and uncontrolled dogs.

The review will:

• look at whether the Act is outdated and limiting councils’ ability to manage dog control effectively
• consider potential changes that include stronger enforcement powers, updated penalties, and desexing requirements.

Likely to submit

Opportunity to provide feedback on draft guidelines expected before mid-2026.

Proposed changes to Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation

The Government is proposing changes to 19 laws that refer to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi, excluding existing full and final Treaty settlements.

The proposed changes include:

• making Treaty clause wording clearer and more consistent across legislation
• changing two references to make them more specific
• repealing seven references to Treaty principles
• providing that, across 10 Acts, the standard should be no higher than requiring decision-makers to take into account the Treaty of Waitangi.

The Government is consulting with iwi, and any legislation to implement the changes will go through the select committee process.

Likely to submit

Bill not yet introduced.

Announcement on scope May 15.