Improving local government needs better policy advice
Scott, Cathy; Ballingall, John | September 2016
Abstract
The decisions made by local government affect all of us. They impact on the air we breathe, the water we drink, the houses we live in, and the roads we drive on. The regulatory role of local government is part of doing business and can have a major impact on a firm’s profitability and growth. In a survey of businesses conducted by the Productivity Commission (2013), 39% of firms reported that regulation by local authorities placed a significant financial burden on their business.
Local government regulatory activities therefore have an important effect on local and regional economic growth and, ultimately, national economic growth and community wellbeing. This places a premium on local government organisations having high quality policy advice and decision-making processes in place.
Local government’s role in providing and investing in infrastructure is also critically important. Costly decisions taken now can have an important impact for many years to come on individuals and on businesses. This means that local government needs high quality analysis in order to make such investment decisions with confidence that they will deliver sufficient benefits.
Citation
Scott, Cathy; Ballingall, John. 2016. Improving local government needs better policy advice. © New Zealand Institute of Economic Research. http://hdl.handle.net/11540/9196.Keywords
Governance
Corporate Governance Reform
Governance Approach
Governance Quality
Public Sector Projects
Public Sector Reform
Political Leadership
Political Power
Institutional Framework
Government
Government accounting
Government
Institutional Framework
Public Administration
Business Ethics
Political Leadership
Public enterprises
Public finance
Government
Political obligation
Public management
Government accountability
Transparency in government
Political ethics
Government spending policy
Government services
Democracy
Democratization
Elections
Local government
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