LGNZ Conference & EXCELLENCE Awards

The LGNZ Conference 2019 is about communities and empowering them to take charge of their social, economic, environmental and cultural well-being through localism. This is a global concept reshaping governments around the world, recognising that best outcomes are a result of local people making local decisions about the places they live.

In spite of our highly centralised governance political system, examples of localism abound in New Zealand. The conference will focus on these best practice examples, and how we apply the lessons from these examples to how communities, local government and central government engage with each other.

The goal is to make New Zealand a more prosperous and dynamic place, that celebrates and capitalises on the unique features of our diverse natural and social landscape.

LGNZ has bold ambitions for local government and they are working with their members to raise the value of what the sector can deliver for New Zealand's communities. Conference is a chance to showcase ideas and discuss new initiatives to make this happen.

The conference will take place in Wellington and host approximately 550 delegates made up of mayors, chairs, chief executives, councillors and senior management from New Zealand's councils – along with key players from the private sector, business, government and non-government agencies.

The LGNZ conference is a chance for delegates to listen to fresh thinking from local and international speakers, take part in valuable, hard-hitting discussions and network within the sector. It is the one chance each year for all councils to be in the same room at the same time and the three day conference seeks to take full advantage of this opportunity.