There was plenty of noise out of Wellington last week when Mayors, Councillors and community board members from all around the country met for Local Government New Zealand’s conference.

You might have heard the Prime Minister telling Councils to concentrate on doing the basics well. Chris Luxon was among a good line-up of speakers, all talking about issues that councils are dealing with at the moment.

The conference was a great chance to connect with other elected local body politicians, and talk about those pressures – as well as the need for central and local government to work together.

The Government’s message was clear: There is no more money, apart from what is in existing budgets and Councils should spend wisely, and not on any frivolous projects.

In Ashburton, we’d already been hearing that message from residents as the district works hard to put covid in its rear view mirror. We’ve been busy with projects and spending on core infrastructure.

The new Methven water treatment plant came online last year and this week the new Mount Somers water treatment plant is officially opened. Both these plants are big improvements in the drinking water infrastructure for the towns they serve.

Over the past few years we’ve added to our wastewater network, spent more money on roads, and stuck to a programme of renewing pipes and other assets before they break down. We’re also planning to introduce a green waste collection to our kerbside rubbish and recycling service.

It’s all a balance of affordability and making our district an appealing place to live and work in.

I was surprised to hear Government’s plan to remove the four wellbeing provisions in the Local Government Act – these are economic, cultural, social and environmental. As local leaders, these wellbeings are also important for communities.

I also took a field trip to Transmission Gully, a two-lanes-each-way 27km motorway connecting Wellington with the Kapiti Coast. This road takes 25,000 vehicles per day (compare that with our one-lane-each-way SH1 bridge, that takes 22,000 vehicles per day).

Transmission Gully is a Public Private Partnership (PPP) project and I was interested in how it was built and the issues they encountered while building it. Under this PPP, the road was financed, designed and built by a group of private companies and NZTA is paying the cost back over 25 years, a bit like a loan with interest.

Next year’s LGNZ conference will be hosted by Canterbury and be held in Christchurch.