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New Zealand law explained for everyone

Local Government Act 2002

Preliminary provisions

3: Purpose

You could also call this:

“This law explains why we have local councils and what they should do for us”

This Act aims to set up local government in New Zealand that works well for everyone. It recognises that different communities in New Zealand have different needs.

The Act does a few important things. It tells you what local government is for. It gives local authorities (like your city council) the power to decide what they should do and how they should do it. It also makes sure that local authorities have to explain their actions to the people in their communities.

The Act says that local authorities should work to make life better for people in their area. This includes looking after social, economic, environmental, and cultural aspects of life. They need to do this in a way that will last for a long time into the future.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM170879.

Topics:
Government and voting > Local councils
Rights and equality > Anti-discrimination
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Part 1 Preliminary provisions

3Purpose

  1. The purpose of this Act is to provide for democratic and effective local government that recognises the diversity of New Zealand communities; and, to that end, this Act—

  2. states the purpose of local government; and
    1. provides a framework and powers for local authorities to decide which activities they undertake and the manner in which they will undertake them; and
      1. promotes the accountability of local authorities to their communities; and
        1. provides for local authorities to play a broad role in promoting the social, economic, environmental, and cultural well-being of their communities, taking a sustainable development approach.

          Notes
          • Section 3(d): replaced, on , by section 4 of the Local Government (Community Well-being) Amendment Act 2019 (2019 No 17).