Local elections: Hundreds of races being won by default

2025-10-08

Local government is how communities democratically decide what happens in their backyards. The park on the corner, what day our bins go out, your neighbours making too much noise, how much you pay in rates, whether your dog can enjoy the beach off lead. Every day we encounter a council decision whether we know it or not. So, why is voter turnout always so low? There are 78 local authorities in New Zealand: 11 regional councils, 12 city councils, 54 district councils, and Auckland Council (which...

Local government is how communities democratically decide what happens in their backyards.

The park on the corner, what day our bins go out, your neighbours making too much noise, how much you pay in rates, whether your dog can enjoy the beach off lead.

Every day we encounter a council decision whether we know it or not.

So, why is voter turnout always so low?

There are 78 local authorities in New Zealand: 11 regional councils, 12 city councils, 54 district councils, and Auckland Council (which combined eight former councils in the big Super City amalgamation of 2010).

That means there are a lot of roles up for grabs.

To dive into what you need to know about this years local elections, today on The Front Page, we have Newstalk ZB news director and local government reporter Michael Sergel.

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You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network.

Host: Chelsea Daniels
Editor/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Jane Yee

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