This Act is about making sure local government works well for everyone in New Zealand. You live in a community with its own needs and ideas, and this Act helps local government understand and respond to those needs. The Act also makes sure local government is accountable to the people it serves.

The Act does a few key things to achieve its purpose. It explains what local government is for, and it gives local authorities the power to decide what they do and how they do it. This means local authorities can make decisions that are right for their community.

The Act also promotes accountability, which means local authorities must answer to their communities. You can think of accountability like being responsible for your actions, and local authorities must be responsible to the people they serve.

The Act also says local authorities should play a big role in making their communities great places to live. This includes looking after the social, economic, environmental, and cultural well-being of their communities, and taking a sustainable development approach. This means local authorities think about how their decisions will affect the community now and in the future, and they try to make decisions that will be good for everyone. Part of this role was updated by section 4 of the Local Government (Community Well-being) Amendment Act 2019.