A clear direction for councils on tourism

Local bodies welcome a substantial plan for tourism that clearly lays out whose job it is to do what, including attracting visitors into towns through events.

For years, New Zealand's local bodies have been hearing from the government about the need to cut rates and stick to their core responsibilities - rubbish, water, and roads.

Those three items have been listed repeatedly by local government ministers and the prime minister, including at the Local Government New Zealand conference in Wellington two years ago.

To make sure they stop getting "distracted" and spend ratepayer money on what the government calls "nice-to-haves" in times of economic restriction, the government also plans to introduce a rates cap to restrict rises in the future.

But a new planning document issued from the office of the tourism minister would seem to open the door to a deeper understanding of the importance of the other jobs councils do - such as planning events, marketing their towns, and making sure they have airports for the tourists to land in, and ports for cruise ships to dock.

The Tourism Policy Statement from minister Louise Upston has been welcomed by councils for clearly drawing lines of responsibility between central and local government, and the tourism industry.

Rotorua Lakes Council mayor Tania Tapsell is really happy with the report and the minister, saying it seems that Upston is actually listening. And, "yes, we are seeing a swivel," she says.

"From a local government perspective, it is really good that the government is recognising the broad range of services and investments that councils do deliver communities. So whether it's museums, stadiums ... airports that we also provide, we play a really crucial role. We have lacked that detail in the past when the government's said 'cut your costs' and I'm going, 'well how am I going to keep this airport open?'

"So I think what we're seeing through this tourism policy statement is a much greater understanding."

She says it also provides pathways to alternative funding and resources, including an accommodation register that would catch the likes of Airbnbs in a net to enable councils to tax them appropriately.

The Detail asked the minister's office if the document represented a change in heart on council business, and Upston provided a statement saying the plan is wholly in line with the purpose of councils in the Local Government (System Improvements) Amendment Bill.

Labour opposes that bill because it narrows councils' role to infrastructure and regulatory functions, and doesn't talk about the importance of councils in fostering vibrant, resilient communities. Labour says it relegates libraries, cultural facilities and social services to optional "nice-to-haves".

The Tourism Policy Statement talks about events, museums and galleries, public spaces and visitor infrastructure being foundational to tourism.

Tourism expert and Lincoln University Emeritus Professor David Simmons believes the Tourism Policy Statement does acknowledge that local councils have a big role to play in fostering tourism, which the government wants to see doubled in value by 2034.

"That's its absolute strength," he tells The Detail. But he asks what its implementation would look like.

"Because at the same time as we have this policy statement we have a push to restructure territorial local authorities; we have talk about capping rates increases; and in the midst of this... this group of visitors who don't get to vote.

"Unless we really talk about the governance and implementation of this, then there is a concern, in spite of the very good structure that has been built, it might just go nowhere.

"But the simple point of all this discussion is you can't just talk up tourism and expect places and New Zealanders to absorb the pressure. We have a more mature framework in place... but what I'm not seeing yet is the resourcing of that, as to how it will be enabled."

Check out how to listen to and follow The Detail here.

You can also stay up-to-date by liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter.