Brown declined to speak to the Herald on the subject and in a written response, Mauger did not address related questions.<\/p>\n
Hamilton Mayor Tim Macindoe is 64. Photo \/ Tom Eley<\/p>\n
Macindoe<\/a> (a former National Party MP and minister) said he doesn\u2019t think 65 is the right age for universal superannuation to kick in, but it\u2019s not a local government issue.<\/p>\n Andrew Little<\/a>, a former Labour Party leader, is not yet superannuated but he doesn\u2019t appear to favour mucking with the eligibility rules: \u201cI\u2019m not in favour of raising the age of superannuation. Due to the physical nature of their jobs, there\u2019s a whole bunch of workers whose bodies tend to wear out earlier than other workers. Whatever approach we take toward superannuation, it\u2019s got to work out for working people.\u201d<\/p>\n Superannuation is the purview of central Government; entitlement is universal and begins at age 65.<\/p>\n Treasury\u2019s projections show that the ballooning cost of superannuation, in the context of an ageing population, means that the programme likely needs reform<\/a>.<\/p>\n Local members are paid from their councils\u2019 revenue, primarily derived from property-based rates; pay levels vary for council size and are set by the statutorily independent Remuneration Authority.<\/p>\n Local government representatives are considered independent contractors and aren\u2019t eligible<\/a> for employer KiwiSaver contributions.<\/p>\n A break from the past?<\/p>\n The data on local government representatives are thin. Local Government New Zealand senior media adviser James Craw said there is some historical data on mayors to compare to the new cohort.<\/p>\n \u201cAnecdotally … we believe the average age of mayors has skewed higher in this election, but the stats will tell us for sure,\u201d Craw said.<\/p>\n He\u2019s still searching out the ages of the new crop of mayors, largely through online searches.<\/p>\n Craw said it is clear that there\u2019s been a reduction in the number of women mayors; 34% of mayors before the election were women, that figure now sits at 27%.<\/p>\n The apparently ageing mayors may sit atop a shift to older age across councillors more generally. If that proves to be the case, it\u2019ll be a reversal of the trend in recent years (though there\u2019s a caveat to that).<\/p>\n In 2016, 45% of local government members were 65 years and older. In contrast, that percentage fell to 26% in 2019 and to 24% in 2022.<\/p>\n The data also show that, in the past, the older-age cohorts tended to be more heavily male \u2013 in the 2022 elections, 47% of the male representatives were older than 61, while just 27% of female representatives were older than 61.<\/p>\n The figures come from Local Government New Zealand\u2019s post-election survey (rather misleadingly called a \u201ccensus\u201d) and they come with a significant caveat: the response rate for the survey is just 25%.<\/p>\n Craw said the survey will be repeated early next year.<\/p>\n Did the issue of rising rates favour age and experience?<\/p>\n The greater age of this election\u2019s mayors appears, at least superficially, to be connected to the general themes of the election: rates inflation over the previous term, and a push toward rates capping or at least an emphasis on fiscal prudence and the cost of living.<\/p>\n \u201cIt does appear that we\u2019ve had an election that has generally shifted local politics to the right,\u201d Andy Asquith, an Industry Fellow at the University of Technology Sydney, told the Herald.<\/p>\n \u201cSuperficially yes, I think you can connect age to what the voting segment of the population was exercised by … rates was the major issue,\u201d Asquith said, though in his view \u201cfixing\u201d local government spending isn\u2019t going to look like rate caps, \u201cgiven the extent of infrastructure spending required\u201d.<\/p>\n In recent years, council rates have soared \u2013 according to ANZ, they rose between 7% and 12% a year, on average, in each of the last four years.<\/p>\n Asquith cautioned, however, that underlying different councils\u2019 results are different electoral systems: the First Past the Post (FPP) and Single Transferable Vote (STV) systems, each of which produce results that reflect voters\u2019 wishes differently.<\/p>\n He pointed out that one of the most decisive wins belonged to Labour-backed Little in Wellington, \u201cso not right-leaning\u201d and under an STV system which typically requires successful candidates to have broader appeal than under FPP.<\/p>\n The point is that you can\u2019t generalise too much across local elections, Asquith said.<\/p>\n Jeffrey MacNeill, honorary research associate at Massey University\u2019s School of People, Environment and Planning, was cautious about identifying the recent election as anomalous.<\/p>\n MacNeill said the new cohort of mayors may have a higher proportion of incumbents than usual, something that could lead to a \u201cclearing-out\u201d of the system in 2028 when some of the old hands retire.<\/p>\n As a general rule, mayors tend to be older than councillors, perhaps because of the skill and experience needed in coalition-building around council tables, he said.<\/p>\n MacNeill also noted that they frequently build a local profile through networks like Federated Farmers and the Rotary Club, the membership of which tends to be older.<\/p>\n Did lower voter turnout play a role?<\/p>\nIncoming Wellington Mayor Andrew Little and former Mayor Tory Whanau. Photos \/ Mark Mitchell<\/p>\n
Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger celebrates at home after winning a second term in the local elections. Photo \/ Rosie Leishman<\/p>\n
Andy Asquith, local government specialist and Industry Fellow at the University of Technology Sydney. He previously ran unsuccessfully for mayor in Palmerston North. <\/p>\n
Voter turnout in the local elections earlier this month was a lacklustre 39%. Photo \/ RNZ, Eveline Harvey<\/p>\n