Go to home page.
Far North District Council home page

Local Governance Statement - LGS

What is a Local Governance Statement ?

The Local Governance Statement is a collection of information about the processes through which Council engages with the residents of Far North District, how the Council makes decisions, and how citizens can influence these processes. It is a new initiative under the Local Government Act 2002.

The Local Government Act 2002 increases the focus on Council’s engagement with communities. It offers new challenges and opportunities for all local communities. Section 3.3 and section 8 of this document outlines the issues Council has to address to enable, in particular Maori, to participate in decision-making.

Click here to download the Far North District Council Local Governance Statement (389 Kb pdf)

The Local Governance Statement provides the public with information on ways to engage in local democratic processes. The Local Governance Statement includes the following broad categories of information:

  • functions, responsibilities and activities of the local authority
  • electoral arrangements
  • governance structures and processes
  • the way elected members make decisions and relate to each other and to the management of the local authority
  • key policies of the local authority.

The purpose of local government in New Zealand is set out in the Local Government Act 2002, Part 2 section 10, as follows:

Part 2 s 10 The purpose of local government is—

(a) to enable democratic local decision-making and action by, and on behalf of, communities; and

(b) to promote the social, economic, environmental, and cultural well-being of communities, in the present and for the future.