The New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs : About us : Our Organisation : Local Government and Community Branch


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Local Government and Community Branch

Engaged Communities - Effective Local Government - Informed Central Government

Local Government and Community Policy

Local Government Services

Funding

Trust Administration

Community Advisory Services

Linking Local and Central Government

Charities Commission

Community Resources and Information

The Local Government and Community Branch works toward the government and departmental goal of building ‘strong sustainable communities, hapu and iwi’. Strong sustainable communities, hapu and iwi have the potential to more effectively find solutions to local problems and achieve their own well-being.

Our services contribute to the building of strong communities in the broadest sense – connecting central government, local government and communities, hapu, iwi – to identify, plan for and realise their futures.

The Local Government and Community Branch works to be:

Government’s experts in local government, and community, hapu and iwi development
The leader in the government’s relationship with local government
Government’s preferred administrator of community grant funding

Local Government and Community Policy

The Local Government and Community Policy Group provides policy advice to the Minister of Local Government, the Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector, the Minister of Internal Affairs and the government on:

key strategic policy issues facing the Local Government and Community and Voluntary sector portfolios
the regulatory and legislative frameworks that governs the Local Government and Community and Voluntary sectors
community development and resourcing issues
appointments to a variety of Crown Entities, Statutory Boards and Community Trusts.

The Policy Group also provides strategic advice as required to the Lottery Grants Board and works closely with other government departments who have an interface with Local Government and the Community and Voluntary Sector.

For more information see:

Local Government Services

Local Government Services supports the Local Government Commission, administers the Rates Rebate Scheme, appoints the Harbourmaster of Lake Taupo and administers a number of offshore islands.

Linking Local and Central Government

The Local Government and Community Branch has a dedicated team that facilitates contact between local authorities and central government agencies involved in the Community Outcomes Processes.

Evaluating the Central-Local Government Interface in the Community Outcomes Process - Report evaluating the Department of Internal Affairs’ facilitation of the Central / Local Government Interface in the Community Outcomes Process (April 2007).

Funding

The Branch administers and services the Lottery Grants Board and the network of Lottery Distribution Committees, preparing and processing application forms, advertising and publicising grant availability, investigating applicants and preparing reports on them, organising distribution committee meetings, arranging the distribution of grants and monitoring their use.

The Distribution Committees are:

and the Lottery National Community Committee's subcommittees

Pacific Provider Development

The Branch also administers and services the Lottery Minister's Discretionary Fund.

Lottery grants are the profits of the New Zealand Lotteries Commission. (Enquiries about prizes should be directed to the Commission at P O Box 3145 Wellington Phone: (04) 802-7000).

The Branch administers and provides information and advice on the following community grants or funding schemes to support local initiatives, community services and community-based youth development:

(The Crisis Response Fund for community support after a youth suicide is now administered by the Ministry of Youth Development.)

Trust Administration

The Branch administers the following trusts and fellowships on behalf of the Government, providing advice and monitoring services, processing applications and advising Ministers:

The Branch administers the Community Trusts Act 1999, including administration of appointments to the 12 Community Trusts.

(For a comprehensive list of community funding see Funding Information Service - http://www.fis.org.nz)

Community Advisory Services

The Local Government and Community Branch has trained Community Development Advisors working from 16 regional offices to provide information to community groups. The service is free.

Charities Commission

The Charities Commission was established under the Charities Act 2005 to:

promote public trust in charitable organisations;

provide education and assistance to the charitable sector;

encourage best practice in governance and use of resources;

maintain and monitor a register of charities;

receive annual returns and monitor the activities of charities; and

provide advice on matters relating to charities

Community Resources and Information

Through its activities with communities, action research and evaluation studies the Local Government and Community Branch produces resources and information that are of use to communities and community organisations.

CommunityNet Aotearoa
The Local Government and Community Branch administers CommunityNet Aotearoa (www.community.net.nz) which provides information and encourages information sharing by community and voluntary organisations, hapu, iwi and whanau.

Community Matters
The Local Government and Community Branch publishes a quarterly periodical, Community Matters, with features about the work of Local Government and Community Branch and the community groups it supports. These PDF files may be viewed with Adobe Acrobat Reader: