This July survey point continues our trend analysis into what is driving perceptions of local government and satisfaction levels for councils across the country.

With many councils adopting annual plans in recent weeks, rates increases have been confirmed and have not gone down well. Our results show the biggest increase in the proportions believing the value for money they receive from their council has got worse over the last year, with roughly half of all residents holding this view.

The most discussed issue though has been the Christchurch stadium. With the majority of the population supporting the project, there was a notable push-back against the way in which the build has been relitigated and brought back for consultation.

Discussion around local body elections has begun to heat up but haven’t yet broken through as top issues for residents, with the exception of Auckland. Three Waters is a consistent issue across all regions, most discussion on social media is opposed to the plan.

The information presented here provides a holistic view of public perceptions by combining data from a nationally representative sample of New Zealanders with social media trend analysis.