So I was in Christchurch giving a speech to part of Local Government New Zealand - the South Island arm - so the room was full of mayors and councillors from across the South Island.

One of the topics up for discussion was what councils around the country need to do, or could do, to win back public approval. I have to be honest: I left that room - and you know my views on councils - feeling just a little bit sorry for the councillors and mayors I met.

The ones I spoke to seemed to be honestly trying. They admitted they’ve got more to do and that there are stupid costs they need to cut as well. But what they told me is that they’re up against it.

They’re dealing with things they can’t change: national laws like the RMA that tie their hands, and unelected staff who just go ahead and do their own thing. And sure enough, there’s a story that illustrates at least some of that perfectly.

Wellington City Council staff have spent $130,000 on new art for their flash new building - a building where they’ve hogged the top floors and shoved the mayor downstairs, where he’s staring at a wall.

Now, the thing is, they don’t need art. They have no money and they’re going hard on Wellington ratepayers. They do not need to be spending on art. They’ve already got an extensive collection they could draw from, which includes Colin McCahon, Toss Woollaston, Ralph Hotere, Dick Frizzell - Pablo Picasso, for goodness’ sake.
Judging by the criticism from elected councillors, it seems those councillors didn’t even know the unelected staff were splashing out on fancy art.

That’s what these people are up against: bureaucrats who treat ratepayers like a bottomless ATM. That is a major problem.

Now, I’m not making excuses for elected councillors or mayors - they have their own part to play in big spending.

But some of them are genuinely trying. They’re just up against decades of ingrained largesse like this.

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Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: Here's the real issue impacting local councils