May 2006: In May 2000, a once-only payment of $120 million was made to help the West Coast region’s economy adjust to the Government’s policies to end the logging of indigenous forest. Of this funding package, $92 million was placed with the West Coast Development Trust, and the remaining $28 million was divided equally between the 4 West Coast local authorities. This report looks at how these 5 entities have managed the use of the funding package...
Local government
April 2006: This report provides museum staff with an independent assessment of collection management policies and practices against recognised principles of sound collection management, illustrates good practice, and suggests ways for museums and art galleries to work more effectively as individual institutions and collectively as a sector...
July 2005, ISBN 0-478-18139-6.
June 2005: This report is a discussion paper, written to highlight what we see as difficulties with the current Act, and to suggest some options for how the Act might be improved...
May 2005: This report looks at how the Resource Management Act 1991 framework has been implemented by the Horizons Regional Council and the Otago Regional Council for the management of freshwater in their regions...
April 2005: Presentation to the 4th Annual LexisNexis Local Government Legal Forum.
April 2005, presentation to the 4th Annual LexisNexis Local Government Legal Forum.
June 2004, ISBN 0-478-18120-5.
May 2004: Working together can be a practical and cost-effective way for local authorities to share experience and resources, tackle common tasks, or take advantage of economies of scale. Working together can bring significant benefits that may not always be in the form of cost savings...
November 2003, letter to the Chief Executive, Auckland Regional Council.
September 2003, ISBN 0-477-18107-8.
August 2003: The objective of this review was to assess the robustness and quality of the processes undertaken by Westland District Council, and Westland’s Working in considering and making decisions on applications for business loans...
August 2003, letter to the Chairperson of Auckland Regional Council.
September 2002.
August 2002: We undertook this study prompted by concerns about potential liabilities and risks associated with local authorities’ endorsement of, and (often) tangible support for, a wide range of economic development initiatives...
July 2002: In this report, the key aspect that we examined was how elected members and their chief executive manage their relationship in the grey area between governance and administration. Difficulties in managing that part of the relationship appear to be a common cause of problems between councils and their chief executive. We suggest ways in which this situation might be improved...
May 2002: This report records the perspective of David Macdonald on the changes in local government administration during his term as Auditor-General, and offers his views on future challenges...
April 2002: This report presents the results of an inquiry we undertook concerning the Taupo District Council’s funding of two entities – The Interim Establishment Board and the Lake Taupo Development Trust. These entities were created in connection with a proposal to establish a university and technology park in Taupo...
July 2001: This report contains our findings regarding a complaint made by the Concerned Citizens of the Coromandel Peninsula about certain actions of the Thames Coromandel District Council. Although the complaint raised over 50 issues, our report addresses only those issues that we considered to be most significant...
June 2001.
June 2001: We believe that other local authorities will find the discussion of the issues dealt with in this report helpful when faced with making similar decisions...
March 2001: This report has a broad scope and looks at the challenges, risks and lessons for local government in current and emerging governance issues. It also includes case studies on three governance structures established to address particular needs – Watercare Services Limited, Infrastructure Auckland and the Canterbury landfill joint venture project...
February 2001: The purpose of our review was to see what messages for good practice we could find from looking at one large-scale project. While much is known about the circumstances of the breach of the Opuha Dam, the lessons for public authorities that might be involved in such projects have not hitherto been explored...
October 2000: This report looks at the experience of "the early nine" local authorities in undertaking the first three-yearly review of their Long-term Financial Strategy and Funding Policy. Our intention in examining their experience was to share it, along with our suggestions and advice, with the majority of local authorities that are reviewing their Long-term Financial Strategy and Funding Policy now...
September 2000: During 1998, Opotiki District Council asked us for assurance about the quality of its Long-term Financial Strategy (LTFS). The Council wanted to improve the reliability of its forecasting. Improving reliability is significantly dependent on the quality and robustness of the underlying assumptions used to develop models and scenarios in the LTFS...
June 2000.
November 1999: In July 1998 the Queenstown Lakes District Council became one of the first local authorities to contract out most of its regulatory functions to a private contractor. The first part of this report is a good practice guide. The second part looks at Queenstown's experience...
June 1999.
January 1999: The Britomart project has been, and continues to be, controversial - the nature, scale, cost and risks associated with the development are all the subject of considerable debate. In September 1997, the Audit Office and the Council agreed that the Audit Office would conduct a review of the project...