Local government planning and reporting on performance
25 January 2024: This guidance is designed to help councils provide appropriate and meaningful performance information in their accountability documents, so that communities and ratepayers better understand what councils are doing for them in the short and longer terms.
Matters arising from our audits of the 2021-31 long-term plans
27 July 2022: This report sets out the main findings and observations from our audits of local authorities’ 2021-31 long-term plans (LTPs).
Consulting matters: Observations on the 2021-31 consultation documents
December 2021: Councils need to provide their communities with reliable and clear information about the matters proposed for inclusion in their long-term plan and the costs of these so that their community can engage with and provide feedback on this. This report provides our observations on councils' 2021-31 long-term plan consultation documents.
Long-term plan bulletins
April 2021: To assist councils with preparing the 2021-31 long-term plans (LTPs), we have produced bulletins that give guidance on financial and infrastructure strategies, good asset management, the assumptions underpinning the LTPs, and Covid-19 assumptions.
Insights into local government: 2019
June 2020: This report presents the results of our annual audits and other work in local government during 2018/19.
Our 2018 work about local government
May 2019: This report presents the main findings from our audits of councils' long-term plans (LTPs), the results of our annual audits, and other work in local government during 2017/18.
Matters arising from our audits of the 2018-28 long-term plans
February 2019: This report sets out the main findings and observations from our audits of local authorities’ 2018-28 long-term plans (LTPs).
Long-term plans: Our audits of councils’ consultation documents
August 2018: In 2018, councils were required – for the second time since the Local Government Act 2002 was amended in 2014 – to produce consultation documents for their long-term plans. This report is based on our audits of the 2018-28 consultation documents. It is a mix of reflection, commentary, and good-practice guidance. We hope that this combination provides a useful resource for the next time councils prepare and consult on their planning documents.
Finding the balance between wants and needs
The third blog from the Local Government team.
Matters arising from the 2015-25 local authority long-term plans
December 2015: This report sets out the main findings and observations from our audits of local authorities’ 2015-25 long-term plans (LTPs). It follows on from our report Consulting the community about local authorities’ 10-year plans, which included our observations from our audits of local authorities’ consultation documents.
Consulting the community about local authorities' 10-year plans
August 2015: Overall, local authorities have responded well to the new requirements in the 2014 amendments to the Local Government Act 2002. However, the consultation documents we audited varied in quality, as did the infrastructure strategies. But they have provided a good base for local authorities to improve on.
Matters arising from the 2012-22 local authority long-term plans
December 2012: This report sets out matters arising from our audits of the 2012-22 long-term plans prepared by local authorities.
Matters arising from Auckland Council's planning document
December 2010: We discuss the purpose, audit, and content of Auckland Council's planning document, and set out our view of important matters to consider as the next long-term plan for Auckland is prepared...
Matters arising from the 2009-19 long-term council community plans
August 2010: This report outlines the results of, and matters arising from, our audits of local authorities' latest long-term council community plans (LTCCPs)...
Matters arising from the 2006-16 Long-Term Council Community Plans
June 2007: Preparing LTCCPs is a relatively new and complex process, so there is room for improvement. This report is intended to assist the next round of LTCCPs...
Auditing councils' long-term plans
Part 2: The process for auditing Long-Term Council Community Plans
Local government: Results of the 2004-05 audits.
3.2 Preparing to Audit Long-Term Council Community Plans
Local government: results of the 2002-03 audits.
