We urgently need to reform local government funding. I've campaigned on this for years and will continue to until it's resolved.
As this story in Newsroom shows, the current model doesn’t work and is holding us back while punishing ratepayers (current and future). No one wants to pay high rates but councils need funding to provide infrastructure for future growth. Otherwise we end up in the mess we have today with our transport, water and housing decades behind the current demand and our environment and people suffer.
There are plenty of alternatives including funding from central government such as a portion of GST earned in the region.
However any change requires government to engage. I understand that there is a review underway (one of the many) but what we need is commitment and action.