Local Government New Zealand (lgnz)

What Local Government New Zealand (lgnz) does

Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) is the national membership association representing all 78 local authorities in Aotearoa New Zealand — 11 regional councils, 11 city councils, 50 district councils, and 6 unitary authorities. Founded in 1988 and incorporated as "Local Government New Zealand Association Inc," the organisation operates from Wellington as the unified, non-partisan voice of local government, advocating to central government on policy reform (e.g., resource management, water services, Three Waters reforms, Local Water Done Well) and providing governance, learning, and capability services to elected members and council staff across seven geographic zones and four sector groups (metro, regional, provincial, rural).

LGNZ's core technology and programme portfolio centers on three assets: Ākona, an online learning management platform hosting the Local Legends: Strategic Governance Essentials toolkit (NZ$5,000 per council for unlimited access); Te Korowai (formerly CouncilMARK), a six-stage local government excellence programme benchmarking performance across governance/leadership, financial decision-making, service delivery, engagement, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and climate change; and the proposed Ratepayer Assistance Scheme (RAS), a low-cost 20–30 year loan product co-developed with the Local Government Funding Agency (LGFA) and eight metro councils. Adjacent programmes include the annual SuperLocal conference (700+ delegates, next held 14–15 October 2026 in Rotorua), the SuperLocal Awards across five categories, the Mayors Taskforce for Jobs (over NZ$14m distributed into communities for rangatahi aged 16–25), the Te Āhuru Mōwai tuakana-teina support programme for Māori elected members (established 2022), a 24/7 counselling and wellbeing service, and a university-accredited Local Governance Qualification launched in July 2026.

LGNZ is structured as a non-profit association governed by a National Council of zone and sector representatives, with no parent company, no external institutional investors, and no equity instruments. Revenue derives from subscription fees paid by all 78 member councils, conference registrations, and the commercialisation of the Local Legends toolkit; most other services are delivered as member benefits. Day-to-day operations are managed by a lean executive team of 11–50 staff led by Chief Executive Scott Necklen, with directors responsible for Member Services (Amanda Wells), Policy (Simon Randall), Partnerships and Advocacy (Ranjani Ponnuchetty), and Commercial and Operations (Mark McKeag).

Name

Local Government New Zealand (lgnz)

Legal name

Local Government New Zealand Association Inc

Website

https://lgnz.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) is the national non-profit membership association representing all 78 local councils in Aotearoa New Zealand, providing policy advocacy to central government, learning and development via the Ākona platform, the Te Korowai excellence programme, and the annual SuperLocal conference.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Sector Advocacy

NAICS

Executive and Legislative Offices, Combined (921140), Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (921)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Mayor/City Manager & General Administration (BPAIACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Central Government Policy, Strategy & Performance (incl. OMB-style functions) (BPAIAAAB), State Legislature/Regional Assembly Administration (BPAIABAB)

Keywords

• Local government association
• Policy advocacy services
• Council governance training
• Public sector membership
• Local government conferences

Headquarters

HQ city

Wellington

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Member Council Subscriptions: LGNZ is funded by membership fees from all 78 local councils (territorial, regional, and unitary authorities) across New Zealand. Membership is organized by seven geographic zones and four sectors (metro, rural, regional, provincial).

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) is a national membership association representing all 78 local authorities in Aotearoa New Zealand (11 regional, 11 city, 50 district, and 6 unitary councils). It delivers policy advocacy to central government, governance learning and development through the Ākona platform and Local Legends programme, the Te Korowai council excellence framework, the SuperLocal annual conference and awards, and targeted initiatives such as the Mayors Taskforce for Jobs and the Ratepayer Assistance Scheme.

Product overview

LGNZ offers a portfolio of membership services and programmes for local government in New Zealand. The core offerings include Ākona (governance learning and development), Te Korowai (council excellence programme formerly CouncilMARK), and Local Legends (strategic governance training). Additional services include the Ratepayer Assistance Scheme (financing tool), policy advocacy and submissions, network groups for elected members, SuperLocal annual conference, and SuperLocal Awards. The organization also runs the Mayors Taskforce for Jobs initiative and provides support services including counselling and the Te Āhuru Mōwai Māori support programme.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Te Korowai: Local government excellence programme providing benchmarking, action planning and continuous development support for councils across New Zealand
• SuperLocal
• Ākona
• Mayors Taskforce for Jobs
• Te Āhuru Mōwai
• Ratepayer Assistance Scheme (RAS)

Products and services

• Ākona Learning and Development Platform Online learning platform for local government elected members, providing governance training, video modules, workbooks, and the Local Legends strategic governance toolkit to help councils build governance capability.
• Te Korowai Council Excellence Programme Local government excellence programme (formerly CouncilMARK) that guides councils through a six-stage benchmarking and continuous improvement process across governance, financial decision-making, service delivery, engagement, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and climate change.
• Local Legends: Strategic Governance Essentials Workshop-based strategic governance programme developed by Alicia McKay, featuring self-paced video modules, downloadable governance materials, role clarity cards, templates, meeting simulation cards, and a self-assessment audit for council members.
• Ratepayer Assistance Scheme (RAS) A broad-based ratepayer loan scheme developed with LGFA and metro councils that enables households to spread payments for rates, development charges, and property improvements (including solar panels) over 20-30 years at lower interest rates, with councils paid upfront off-balance-sheet.
• SuperLocal Conference Annual flagship conference bringing together over 700 local government professionals from across New Zealand including mayors, chief executives, councillors, and senior management for keynotes, breakout sessions, networking, and the SuperLocal Awards dinner.
• SuperLocal Awards Annual awards programme held during the SuperLocal conference dinner recognising excellence across categories including SuperIdea (innovation), SuperHuman (elected member contribution), SuperCollab (partnership), SuperSteward (environmental), and SuperEngaged (community engagement), with the SuperLocal Supreme Award as top honour.
• Mayors Taskforce for Jobs Initiative distributing over $14m into New Zealand communities to help rangatahi (young people aged 16-25) into jobs, education, training, or positive activities, in partnership with the Ministry of Social Development, Tuia, and Outward Bound.
• Submissions and Policy Work Policy advocacy service providing LGNZ's submissions on key policy areas affecting local government, draft submissions, policy positions, and recommendations that member councils can adopt or adapt.
• Te Āhuru Mōwai Programme Tuakana-teina support programme established in 2022 by Te Maruata and LGNZ providing a culturally safe space for Māori elected members through whanaungatanga and monthly online wānanga.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $14m distributed into communities through Mayors Taskforce for Jobs programme
• +4 more outcomes

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Te MaruatacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Te Maruata (LGNZ's Māori advisory group) co-established the Te Āhuru Mōwai programme with LGNZ in 2022. Te Āhuru Mōwai is a tuakana-teina support programme providing a culturally safe space for Māori elected members to support and learn from each other through whanaungatanga and monthly online wānanga.
• Ministry of Social DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Ministry of Social Development is a partner in the Mayors Taskforce for Jobs, an initiative distributing over $14m into New Zealand communities to reduce youth unemployment. The partnership enables the taskforce to align employment, education, and economic development programmes for rangatahi aged 16-25.
• TuiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTuia is a partner in the Mayors Taskforce for Jobs, contributing to youth employment and development initiatives. Tuia works with the taskforce to promote economic well-being and opportunities for young people in New Zealand's regions.
• Outward BoundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOutward Bound partners with the Mayors Taskforce for Jobs to deliver experiential learning and development opportunities for rangatahi, helping young people build skills, confidence, and employment pathways through outdoor and wilderness-based programmes.
• Local Government Funding Agency (LGFA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLGFA is a co-developer of the Ratepayer Assistance Scheme (RAS), a low-cost loan scheme for ratepayers. LGFA will likely be a co-owner of RAS alongside councils and the Crown. The partnership enables affordable financing for rates postponement, development contributions, and property improvements including solar panels.
• Cameron PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCameron Partners developed the full business case for the Ratepayer Assistance Scheme in partnership with LGNZ, LGFA, and metro councils, with support from Rewiring Aotearoa and EECA.
• Rewiring AotearoacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRewiring Aotearoa supported the development of the Ratepayer Assistance Scheme business case, specifically contributing expertise on energy affordability and solar panel financing components of the RAS property improvement loan programme.
• Energy Efficiency Conservation Authority (EECA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEECA co-funded the Ratepayer Assistance Scheme business case refresh alongside participating councils. EECA's support for the RAS reflects alignment with government energy efficiency objectives, particularly the Energy Affordability Loans component for solar panels.
• Metro CouncilscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA group of metro councils co-developed the Ratepayer Assistance Scheme with LGNZ and LGFA. Eight funding councils have supported RAS development so far, with a further seven councils indicating support. These councils will be the first to offer RAS to ratepayers once legislation is passed.
• All 78 New Zealand Councils (Members)coreOthersLGNZ's membership encompasses all 78 local authorities in Aotearoa New Zealand — 11 regional councils, 11 city councils, 50 district councils, and 6 unitary authorities. Members are organized into 7 geographic zones and 4 sectors (metro, regional, provincial, rural), with representation on National Council. This membership forms the core constituency and governance structure of LGNZ.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Local Government New South Wales (LGNSW): The state-level association for NSW's 128 councils, offering advocacy, learning and development programmes, and an annual conference. Operates with a similar membership-association model across a comparable number of councils.
• Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV): The state-level association representing Victoria's 79 councils, providing advocacy, training, and member services. Comparable in scale and structure to LGNZ, with similar offerings around governance training, conferences, and policy submissions.

Direct peers

• Society of Local Government Managers (SOLGM): The New Zealand professional association for local government managers and chief executives, representing council officers rather than elected members. Closest NZ-based peer, complementary rather than competitive - both operate learning, advocacy, and conferences for the local government sector, occasionally co-developing programmes.

Others

• Local Government Funding Agency (LGFA): A core partner of LGNZ in developing the Ratepayer Assistance Scheme. While not a direct competitor, LGFA is a New Zealand local-government sector organization with deep council relationships and overlapping membership, making it a meaningful peer in the local-government association ecosystem.
• Te Whatu Ora - Health New Zealand: Other major NZ public-sector organization that delivers on government priorities through a national network, runs learning and capability programmes, and provides services through regional structures. Comparable in scale of national reach and public-sector programme delivery, though operating in health rather than local government.

Broad incumbents

• Australian Local Government Association (ALGA): The peak national body representing Australia's 537 councils, providing policy advocacy to federal government, an annual National General Assembly (comparable to LGNZ's SuperLocal), and member services. Directly analogous business model to LGNZ across the Tasman.
• Local Government Association (UK): The national membership body for councils in England and Wales, directly comparable in function - policy advocacy to central government, learning programmes, conferences, and member services for elected members. LGA operates at a much larger scale and provides the closest international analog to LGNZ's representative, learning, and convening model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/local-government-new-zealand-lgnz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Local Government New Zealand (lgnz)