The Minister of Local Government is a
ministerial portfolio in the government of New Zealand with responsibility for supporting and overseeing
New Zealand's local government system.
The position also has a role supporting the relationship between central government and local government, oversight of the
Local Government Commission, and acts as the
territorial authority
Territorial authorities are the second tier of local government in New Zealand, below regional councils. There are 67 territorial authorities: 13 city councils, 53 district councils and the Chatham Islands Council. District councils serve a c ...
for the 11 islands that are not part of a local authority's district and as the harbour authority for
Lake Taupo
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much larger ...
.
The portfolio was established in 1972, prior to which, local government had been within the purview of the
Minister of Internal Affairs
Minister may refer to:
* Minister (Christianity), a Christian cleric
** Minister (Catholic Church)
* Minister (government), a member of government who heads a ministry (government department)
** Minister without portfolio, a member of governme ...
. Notwithstanding the separation of those responsibilities, the offices of Minister of Internal Affairs and Minister of Local Government were held by the same person for the first twelve years that a separate local government portfolio existed. The Minister of Local Government is still supported by the
Department of Internal Affairs
The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA), or in te reo Māori, is the public service department of New Zealand charged with issuing passports; administering applications for citizenship and lottery grants; enforcing censorship and gambling law ...
.
The current minister is
Nanaia Mahuta
Nanaia Cybele Mahuta (born 21 August 1970) is a New Zealand politician who is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Hauraki-Waikato and serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs (New Zealand), Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Sixth Labour Governm ...
.
List of Ministers
The following ministers have held the office of Minister of Local Government.
;Key
See also
*
Minister of Internal Affairs (New Zealand)
The Minister of Internal Affairs is a ministerial portfolio in the government of New Zealand with responsibility over the Department of Internal Affairs. The position of Minister of Internal Affairs has existed since the Department of Interna ...
Notes
References
*
{{NZ ministerial portfolios
Local Government
Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loca ...