A different style of council governance has been catching on in the South. It is touted as being more efficient but has also been called problematic. Grant Miller reports.
A "virus" is how one regional leader described its spread.
The Dunedin City Council has caught it. So have the Clutha and Gore District Councils.
Less focus on meetings. More efficient. More transparent, maybe. Better connections between a council and its communities. In theory, the portfolio system might assist councillor buy-in and promote accountability. It may or may not help council cohesion.
The virus analogy came from Otago Regional Council chairwoman Hilary Calvert and she did not mean to be disparaging. She is, after all, introducing it to the ORC.
A series of ORC committees have been dropped. Portfolios — such as environmental delivery, finance and transport — have been created. Each has two councillors called "portfolio leads".
Cr Calvert viewed the previous arrangement as awkward and allocating portfolios was simply a better way to operate, she said.
Some details about how the system will work at the regional council have yet to be fleshed out. It remains to be seen how the council will partner with mana whenua, for example.
Cr Calvert had little insight into why the portfolios concept was being embraced at other councils.
"I’m intrigued with this," she said.
"I’m an owner-operator of my own business — have been for 37 years — and [I’ve] got to be over all areas of it," Mr Martin said.
It would be too much to expect people to be across all the departments of the Clutha District Council, he said.
"So I’ve allocated the people with the right skills to those departments to work alongside the general managers, and the work streams underneath that, to deliver what we really want to know."
Removing traditional standing committees and running with a portfolio model should help the council to be in tune with the district’s people, he said.
The Dunedin City Council opted for a hybrid approach — cutting the number of committees, but retaining a few, and introducing councillor portfolios to supplement this.
Dunedin Mayor Sophie Barker said she signalled before the election the direction that was coming.
"My view was that most committees took a huge amount of staff time... and were overly bureaucratic and backward-looking."
Portfolios seemed to enable the council to be more engaging and responsive, she said.
"I’m always interested in best practice in local government, so had been looking at other models through New Zealand over the past few years."
Councillors would be allocated subject areas, such as infrastructure and heritage. Each portfolio would have a lead and a deputy.
Portfolio councillors would do such things as keep the mayor informed about emerging issues, champion strategic priorities, and act as a liaison between council, staff, and the community.
The overall structure was aimed at strengthening strategic oversight and governance.
From what Cr Calvert, Mr Martin and Ms Barker said, each of the three councils landed on their positions independently.
Dunedin was influenced by the Christchurch City Council’s model in the 2022-25 term, among others.
Incidentally, Christchurch has no intention of beginning this term with portfolios, the Otago Daily Times has been told.
Local Government New Zealand provided the ODT with a list of councils using the portfolio system in 2025 and there were more than a dozen on it. Waitaki District Council was one, although it has yet to make a call since last month’s election about whether it will persevere.
A 2021 review of Wellington City Council governance noted a small number of councils had tried portfolios, but few had persisted with them.
The Wellington City Council did not use portfolios in the 2022-25 term, and no decisions have been made about that this term.
LGNZ referred to the Wellington case in its governance guide released in August. It also said the Central Otago District Council (CODC) was one council using the portfolio system successfully.
Central Otago District Mayor Tamah Alley said the council had used the approach since 2019 and it had worked well.
"It ensures every councillor is across the key challenges and information when making decisions, and it promotes collective accountability," she said.
During CODC meetings, papers within a portfolio were chaired by its lead.
"I’m excited to see other councils exploring this governance model," Mrs Alley said.
Gore District Mayor Ben Bell said the structure mimicked the way the Cabinet worked in central government, as councillors looked after specific areas in a similar way to government ministers. He expected the system would reduce duplication and make it easier for the public to contact the most appropriate councillor.
The Invercargill City Council confirmed the establishment this term of a structure consisting of six committees and three portfolio areas. The portfolios cover the Southern Institute of Technology, Te Unua Museum of Southland and an LGNZ national appointee.
Parts of the South have not been converted. Queenstown Lakes District Mayor John Glover said the council’s committees were being rejigged, but there would not be a portfolio system. Environment Southland was not bringing in the system, either.
Southland District Mayor Rob Scott said he flattened out the committee structure in the previous triennium and he found this, as well as more regular council meetings, had been effective.
"I am not going down the portfolio route per se, but will be facilitating key focus areas that councillors are able to work through, having everything tying back to the full council meetings."
The shift in Dunedin was mostly well received by councillors, although the transition had some hitches.
Among the criticisms before a recent council meeting were that much responsibility lay with Ms Barker and deputy mayor Cherry Lucas, especially chairing meetings. Other councillors were "sidelined" or under-used.
Ms Barker said it was usual for the mayor and deputy mayor to have a high workload.
Cr Andrew Simms had been assigned deputy lead of the economic development portfolio and the top-polling councillor at the election was minded to turn this down.
A deal before the meeting elevated him to joint leadership with Ms Barker. Credit for the compromise belonged with the mayor, he said.
Experienced councillor Lee Vandervis was far from content with the overhaul and turned down deputy roles — resulting in a pay cut. In the past, competition for committee chairing posts had been an issue and now portfolio leads were being added, potentially making things worse, he argued.
An "all-encompassing muzzling clause" was how Cr Vandervis described a section of the proposed portfolio terms of reference.
Cr Russell Lund had taken issue with the same section — external communication protocol. He wanted it withdrawn and Ms Barker declined.
Then, as Cr Vandervis went through section 10 bit by bit, the mayor began to have doubts herself. Ms Barker said she had no intention of bringing in a muzzling clause for councillors and so the section was dropped — it is to be rewritten next month.
The discussion overall was, of course, wide-ranging.
Cr Christine Garey said the portfolio structure was a refresh the council could work with positively and she expected the community would respond well to it. Cr Steve Walker said he was not sure how the system would pan out, but he was prepared to get behind it. Cr Doug Hall said the portfolio system gave councillors the opportunity to "truly connect with the community, champion meaningful causes and influence the long-term direction of Dunedin".
Cr Brent Weatherall emphasised teamwork.
"I feel this refresh will provide more efficient, constructive meeting agendas that will speed up process and productivity."
The structure is to be reviewed after a year.
Portfolio perceptions
A selection of perceptions about portfolios highlighted in a 2021 review of the Wellington City Council’s governance —
Positives
— Wellingtonians are used to the system.
— The community and media know who to contact in relation to specific issues.
— Councillors become well-informed champions in their specialist subject areas.
— Councillors do not need to be across and understand all aspects of council business.
— The system provides a mechanism through which councillors can get things done and make a difference.
— It is a way of keeping councillors busy and focused.
— It allows councillors to engage in their areas of interest.
Negatives
— Lack of clarity about roles, responsibilities and constraints could cause uncertainty, inconsistency and conflict.
— Portfolios could be taken as a licence for governors to interfere in management and operational matters.
— A councillor may feel obliged to defend or help implement a decision they did not support.
— Councillors are inadequately resourced to fulfil their portfolio responsibilities.
— The system encourages territorial behaviour.
— It creates unnecessary work and acts against development of a meaningful holistic council work programme.
Why portfolios?
Dunedin Mayor Sophie Barker outlines why she is introducing a portfolio model. This approach provides —
— Focused advocacy for key issues and communities.
— Improved oversight of strategic plans and policy implementation.
— Enhanced engagement with community partners and stakeholders.
— Alignment with council’s long-term plan and strategic priorities.
— Capacity building and leadership development for councillors.
— Flexibility to adapt as priorities evolve.
"These are not operational roles. They are about strategic leadership, connecting
council’s vision with the outcomes we seek for our communities."
What a councillor portfolio lead does
The Otago Regional Council on what a councillor portfolio lead does —
— Provides leadership and advice.
— Builds a strong understanding of the portfolio area and shares updates with councillors to ensure they are kept up to date, informed and prepared to make well-informed decisions.
— Can be a point of contact for other councillors on portfolio matters.
— Leads discussion at council meetings on papers or decisions relevant to portfolio.
— Supports community engagement and communications activity in the portfolio area.
— Works with senior staff responsible for portfolio areas.
Terms of reference
Deleted section of the proposed Dunedin City Council portfolio terms of reference (to be rewritten) —
10. External communication protocol
The mayor is the council’s principal spokesperson on significant or city-wide matters.
Portfolio councillors may act as spokespersons on portfolio-related issues when:
— They are communicating the official policy or position of council.
— They are speaking in alignment with the council’s agreed strategic direction and following prior consultation with the mayor’s office.
