Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) today signalled a significant new work programme to address key challenges facing New Zealand’s communities over the next 30 – 50 years at its first quarterly media briefing of 2016.

LGNZ 2050 is an initiative of LGNZ’s Young Elected Members’ network, and is designed to stimulate dialoguewithin the local government sector about the major long-term challenges facing communities in NewZealand.

The LGNZ 2050 Challenge think piece, the first phase of the LGNZ 2050 programme, will articulate the fundamental issues facing New Zealand’s communities, foremost among these regional disparity, an ageing population, the future of work, and climate change adaptation strategies.

LGNZ President Lawrence Yule says “Local government in New Zealand faces major challenges, from economic, environmental and climate change issues to major infrastructure development, all in the face of rapid demographic change.”

The LGNZ 2050 programme seeks to future-proof New Zealand communities and prepare local government to meet the future needs of communities across the country.

Mr Yule says opening up a conversation about major issues affecting communities around the country, and how local government will address these both now and in the future, is vital to the future success and wellbeing of our communities.

“Building a sustainable, environmentally responsible, prosperous, and socially inclusive future for New Zealand’s communities calls for an open conversation about the major long-term shifts our communities are facing both now and in the future and how we prepare for them,” said Mr Yule.

It is anticipated the think piece will also spark discussion on how local government decision-making can help to address the challenges identified through this work.

LGNZ is set to release its LGNZ 2050 Challenge paper at its annual conference in July.