Local Government

The telecommunications industry recognises the need to develop a mutually beneficial relationship with local government.  The primary drivers of this need are:

• To improve the investment and deployment climate for all carriers by addressing issues with:
• the Resource Management Act,
• access to roading corridors,
• access to council assets, and
• rating policies.
• To provide guidance to local authorities on how they can meet their aspirations for improving broadband coverage and performance.
• To seek consistent responses for permitted activities.
• To increase the range of permitted activities which are compliant with district plans.

The TCF has established a Local Government Working Party to:

• Provide a forum for TCF Members to discuss local government issues and to co-ordinate any activity that is of common interest.
• Provide a mechanism for the industry to engage with local government and vice-versa.

If anyone from local government would like to discuss any local government related issues with the TCF, feel free to contact us.

Background

Historically councils have only been consumers of telecommunication services.  They have had little involvement in the development and maintenance of telecommunications infrastructure.  This picture is rapidly changing.  Over the last five years there has been a significant increase in participation by local councils in the provision of urban fibre networks such as NEAL (on the North Shore, Auckland), Smartlinx 3 (Porirua and Hutt cities) and Christchurch City Networks.  A number of other Territorial Local Authorities are considering similar initiatives, encouraged by the Broadband Investment Fund.

At a local government level broadband is now being promoted as being core infrastructure.  The sector recently adopted the following remit at the sectors Annual General Meeting held at the Annual Local Government New Zealand Conference in July 2008. “That Local Government New Zealand actively promotes a policy position that requires government to:

• classify broadband services as key national infrastructure
• develop the philosophy of equity of access
• provide funding for broadband deployment and promote public private partnerships.”

The relationship between the telecommunications and local government sectors is therefore more complex, and more critical, than ever before.

The establishment of a TCF working party is intended to help both TCF Members and Territorial Local Authorities develop a more collaborative approach.

Project Scope

The working party will provide a forum through which:

1. TCF Members can discuss local government issues, prepare submissions and develop joint approaches (where joint action is mutually beneficial);
2. Local Government can consult with TCF Members on matters such as Broadband Infrastructure, Resource Management and Access to Roading;
3. Central government can consult with TCF Members on local government issues; and
4. The industry can engage with regional, city and district councils, including through Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ), on projects of common interest.
         

Deliverables of this working party include:

1. The development of a Broadband Friendly Protocol with Local Government New Zealand.
2. Monitoring and reporting on progress with central government initiatives including National Environmental Standards, access to transport corridors etc. 
3. Developing TCF submissions on these matters as required.
4. Development and implementation of other projects, tasks and codes to improve the overall local government environment as agreed by the Working Party and TCF Board.
5. Establishing consistency with the way in which the telecommunications industry engages with local government in matters such as district plans, the Resource Management Act, consenting processes and other areas that relate to the telecommunications industry.

 The full project scope is available by clicking here.

Working Party Members

The working party members are:

• Chorus
• Kordia
• Vector
• Vodafone
• Woosh