title: The role of the mayor in New Zealand

authors: Evans, Margaret

subjects: New Zealand

abstract: This study is about local leadership and the contemporary role of mayors in New Zealand.  In particular, the focus is the implications of the legally undefined role of the mayor for the exercise of local leadership, especially as mayors are elected on the assumption that they will lead their councils – and their communities.  The research project set out to determine common factors that inhibit and enhance leadership and governance. The purpose was to analyse whether functional clarification for mayors would provide an effective foundation to counter disharmony and political disturbance and enable mayors to provide more effective local leadership and enhance local governance, today and for tomorrow.


The emphasis was the 1990s - coinciding with the author’s personal experience as the elected three-term Mayor of Hamilton (1989-1998), and following the major 1989 local government legislative reforms. ‘Troubles’ within the City Halls of the nation, and the impact discord was having on local governance and community expectations, were of increasing concern. Significantly in 2000 the Minister of Local Government sacked the dysfunctional Rodney District Council. This report reviews this event and its influence on the development of the new Local Government Act - enacted in December 2002 – together with the emerging expectations that the role of elected members would be an issue.   

The methodology included an extensive questionnaire to all incumbent mayors of 1998-2001, the three-year term of office that immediately followed the author’s retirement. A 60 per cent response rate was achieved. The tradition and convention associated with the leadership position of the mayor is fragile and at risk of obstruction and denial in the council leaders’ tug of war. The functioning of the mayoral office in the primus inter pares council environment is dependent on a set of interlaced and interactive factors, and in particular on relationships with councillors and the CEO.  

The origins of the mayoral office and its traditional role and authority were reviewed, along with the development of local government in New Zealand.  Literature on leadership was mined, to determine whether contemporary discourse had relevance to the local leader focus.  There is a paucity of writings on the mayoral position.
In the study, local leadership as it relates to the office of the mayor and the functions of the position, is defined as an intertwining of the community role (representation), the council political executive role (as presiding member), and the policy role (relating to council decision-making).  The report concludes that a combination of rational-legal protections – a sound basis in law and in tandem with the provisions for CEOs – could provide a stable everyday authority foundation for leadership to ‘rise to the occasion’, enabling effective governance. A draft clause prescribing the role and functions of the mayoralty is presented.

text: The role of the mayor in New Zealand This study is about local leadership and the contemporary role of mayors in New Zealand.  In particular, the focus is the implications of the legally undefined role of the mayor for the exercise of local leadership, especially as mayors are elected on the assumption that they will lead their councils – and their communities.  The research project set out to determine common factors that inhibit and enhance leadership and governance. The purpose was to analyse whether functional clarification for mayors would provide an effective foundation to counter disharmony and political disturbance and enable mayors to provide more effective local leadership and enhance local governance, today and for tomorrow.


The emphasis was the 1990s - coinciding with the author’s personal experience as the elected three-term Mayor of Hamilton (1989-1998), and following the major 1989 local government legislative reforms. ‘Troubles’ within the City Halls of the nation, and the impact discord was having on local governance and community expectations, were of increasing concern. Significantly in 2000 the Minister of Local Government sacked the dysfunctional Rodney District Council. This report reviews this event and its influence on the development of the new Local Government Act - enacted in December 2002 – together with the emerging expectations that the role of elected members would be an issue.   

The methodology included an extensive questionnaire to all incumbent mayors of 1998-2001, the three-year term of office that immediately followed the author’s retirement. A 60 per cent response rate was achieved. The tradition and convention associated with the leadership position of the mayor is fragile and at risk of obstruction and denial in the council leaders’ tug of war. The functioning of the mayoral office in the primus inter pares council environment is dependent on a set of interlaced and interactive factors, and in particular on relationships with councillors and the CEO.  

The origins of the mayoral office and its traditional role and authority were reviewed, along with the development of local government in New Zealand.  Literature on leadership was mined, to determine whether contemporary discourse had relevance to the local leader focus.  There is a paucity of writings on the mayoral position.
In the study, local leadership as it relates to the office of the mayor and the functions of the position, is defined as an intertwining of the community role (representation), the council political executive role (as presiding member), and the policy role (relating to council decision-making).  The report concludes that a combination of rational-legal protections – a sound basis in law and in tandem with the provisions for CEOs – could provide a stable everyday authority foundation for leadership to ‘rise to the occasion’, enabling effective governance. A draft clause prescribing the role and functions of the mayoralty is presented.

year: 2003

title: Thermal stability of nanocrystalline copper films

authors: Cao, Peng

subjects: nanocrystalline

abstract: The grain growth kinetics of nanocrystalline copper thin film samples was investigated. The grain size of nanocrystalline copper samples was determined from the broadening of X-ray spectra. It was found that the grain size increased linearly with isothermal annealing time within the first 10 minutes, beyond which power-law growth kinetics is applied. The activation energy for grain growth was determined by constructing an Arrhenius plot, which shows an activation energy of about 21 – 30 kJ/mol. The low activation energy is attributed to the second phase particle drag and the porosity drag, which act as the pinning force for grain growth in nanocrystalline copper.

text: Thermal stability of nanocrystalline copper films The grain growth kinetics of nanocrystalline copper thin film samples was investigated. The grain size of nanocrystalline copper samples was determined from the broadening of X-ray spectra. It was found that the grain size increased linearly with isothermal annealing time within the first 10 minutes, beyond which power-law growth kinetics is applied. The activation energy for grain growth was determined by constructing an Arrhenius plot, which shows an activation energy of about 21 – 30 kJ/mol. The low activation energy is attributed to the second phase particle drag and the porosity drag, which act as the pinning force for grain growth in nanocrystalline copper.

year: 2006

title: Geographical and ethnic differences of osteoarthritis-associated hip and knee replacement surgeries in New Zealand: a population-based cross-sectional study

authors: Lao, Chunhuan

abstract: Objectives To (1) explore the regional and ethnic differences in rates of publicly funded osteoarthritis-associated hip and knee replacement surgeries and (2) investigate the mortality after surgery.

Design Population-based, retrospective, cross-sectional study.

Setting General population in New Zealand.

Participants Patients with osteoarthritis who underwent publicly funded primary hip and knee replacement surgeries in 2005–2017. Patients aged 14–99 years were included.

Primary and secondary outcome measures Age-standardised rate, standardised mortality ratio (SMR) and 30 days, 90 days and 1 year mortality.

Results We identified 53 439 primary hip replacements and 50 072 primary knee replacements with a diagnosis of osteoarthritis. The number and age-standardised rates of hip and knee replacements increased over time. Māori had the highest age-standardised rate of hip replacements, followed by European/others and Pacific, and Asian had the lowest rate. Pacific had the highest age-standardised rate of knee replacements, followed by Māori and European/others, and Asian had the lowest rate. The Northern Health Network had the lowest rate of hip surgeries, and the Southern Health Network had the lowest rate of knee surgeries. The SMRs of patients undergoing hip and knee replacements were lower than the general population: 0.92 (95% CI 0.89 to 0.95) for hip and 0.79 (95% CI 0.76 to 0.82) for knee. The SMRs were decreasing over time. The patterns of 30 days, 90 days and 1 year mortality were similar to the SMR.

Conclusions The numbers of publicly funded osteoarthritis-associated primary hip and knee replacements are steadily increasing. Māori people had the highest age-standardised rate of hip replacements and Pacific people had the highest rate of knee replacements. The Northern Health Network had the lowest rate of hip surgeries, and the Southern Health Network had the lowest rate of knee surgeries. Compared with the general population, patients who had hip and knee replacements have a better life expectancy.

text: Geographical and ethnic differences of osteoarthritis-associated hip and knee replacement surgeries in New Zealand: a population-based cross-sectional study Objectives To (1) explore the regional and ethnic differences in rates of publicly funded osteoarthritis-associated hip and knee replacement surgeries and (2) investigate the mortality after surgery.

Design Population-based, retrospective, cross-sectional study.

Setting General population in New Zealand.

Participants Patients with osteoarthritis who underwent publicly funded primary hip and knee replacement surgeries in 2005–2017. Patients aged 14–99 years were included.

Primary and secondary outcome measures Age-standardised rate, standardised mortality ratio (SMR) and 30 days, 90 days and 1 year mortality.

Results We identified 53 439 primary hip replacements and 50 072 primary knee replacements with a diagnosis of osteoarthritis. The number and age-standardised rates of hip and knee replacements increased over time. Māori had the highest age-standardised rate of hip replacements, followed by European/others and Pacific, and Asian had the lowest rate. Pacific had the highest age-standardised rate of knee replacements, followed by Māori and European/others, and Asian had the lowest rate. The Northern Health Network had the lowest rate of hip surgeries, and the Southern Health Network had the lowest rate of knee surgeries. The SMRs of patients undergoing hip and knee replacements were lower than the general population: 0.92 (95% CI 0.89 to 0.95) for hip and 0.79 (95% CI 0.76 to 0.82) for knee. The SMRs were decreasing over time. The patterns of 30 days, 90 days and 1 year mortality were similar to the SMR.

Conclusions The numbers of publicly funded osteoarthritis-associated primary hip and knee replacements are steadily increasing. Māori people had the highest age-standardised rate of hip replacements and Pacific people had the highest rate of knee replacements. The Northern Health Network had the lowest rate of hip surgeries, and the Southern Health Network had the lowest rate of knee surgeries. Compared with the general population, patients who had hip and knee replacements have a better life expectancy.

year: 2019