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- Engage-in-Brief: 6 October 2025
Engage-in-Brief: 6 October 2025
Holly Bennett
October 06, 2025
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A big arohamai for skipping the September 22 issue of Engage-in-Brief. Thank you to everyone who checked in on us when they noticed that we didn’t publish a new edition two weeks ago — we’ve been plagued by the last gasps of winter illness, but everyone’s back on board now. So, without further ado, please enjoy this week’s pānui!
TWO TRICKS TO TRY
It’s the final week of this year’s local government elections! Hopefully you’ve already voted, but if you haven’t — now’s the time! If you’re still not sure who to vote for, go take a look at the Policy.nz local election guide to find out who's running in your area and what they stand for.
If you haven’t got your voting papers yet, or you aren’t enrolled to vote but still want to have your say, it’s not too late! Just get in touch with your council’s Electoral Officer and ask them for guidance. You’ll need to enroll by this Friday (10 October), so don’t delay — local elections are just as important as general elections, so make sure you exercise your democratic right to participate!
ONE THING YOU NEED TO KNOW
Voting for the 2025 local elections closes on Saturday 11 October at midday. Over the following days, the votes will been counted, the results will be declared, and new local government representatives will be sworn in, ready to serve their communities for the next three years.
You’ve probably heard people telling you that local elections are just as important as general elections (in fact, I know you have, because we said it two paragraphs ago in this very pānui), but there’s often a lot of confusion around what their role is. Most people know who their electorate MP is, far fewer can tell you who their councillor is — you might even have multiple councillors and not know it!
What even is local government?
Local government is made up of different local authorities—city, regional and district councils, as well as community and local boards. There are currently 78 local authorities, and you’re likely to have the option to cast your vote for more than one of them. Your local authorities are responsible for the social, cultural, environmental and economic wellbeing of your community.
Local authorities are responsible for local infrastructure (including water and local roads), building consenting, liquor licensing, parks, libraries, museums and cemeteries, and so much more. To find out more about all the things local authorities do, check out LGNZ’s website.
What about Māori wards?
In 2024, the Government passed the Local Government (Electoral Legislation and Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Act 2024, which requires councils to hold a referendum on whether they keep their Māori wards and constituencies in local government (the equivalent of Māori electorates in central government). You can learn more about Māori wards and constituencies here. So if you live in an area that’s holding a referendum, and have an opinion about Māori representation in local politics, make sure you get your voting papers in on time!
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ONE FUN THING
The House has been taking a break for the last two weeks (they usually don’t sit during school holidays! Don’t believe us? Check out the sitting calendar!), so this week’s Fun Thing is in the spirit of school holiday entertainment.
Did you know that Parliament has a gift shop? And that their newest item is a Parliament Nanoblock set? We’re a big fan of Parliament merch here at Engage (we’ve got at least four Biscuit Tin mugs between us), and now we’re looking forward to building our own miniature Parliament in the comfort of our office. Planning on picking one up? Let us know how it is!
That’s it for another edition of Engage-in-Brief! Remember, you have a voice and you can use it. If you need training to support your advocacy efforts simply reply to this email. And don’t forget to vote before midday on Saturday!
Mauri ora!
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