"A stronger focus on wellbeing" – Feedback on the draft report: Review into the future for local government

OraTaiao strongly endorses a statement in the Future of Local Government draft report, He mata whāriki, he matawhānui. “Fundamentally, we consider at the core of a future for local government is a stronger focus on wellbeing.”

To help mitigate climate change and improve peoples’ health, our submission says that local government should ensure:

  • Fertile land around urban areas will be used for local, sustainable and resilient food production
  • Everyone can live in a warm, dry, healthy home
  • Councils and community groups work together to plant millions of trees in urban and regional spaces
  • Aotearoa NZ will be a country where most people travel by active and public transport
  • The soundscape of towns and cities gives a sense of wellbeing and belonging
  • Young peoples’ voices on the environmental crises are heard by lowering the voting age to 16 

Prepared by OraTaiao representative Dr James Hamill, our full submission can be read here

Recent responses