This series of case studies looks at how councils have approached the planning (mainly the long-term council community plan), decision-making and community outcomes provisions of the Local Government Act 2002. The case studies are based on interviews undertaken in 2008 with seven territorial authorities and two regional councils. A range of community stakeholders were also interviewed.
Determining the actual impact of some parts of the Act was difficult, as people were also asked about planning and decision-making activities they undertook prior to 2002. However, a review of council perceptions indicates that, overall, the Act has had a positive impact on councils. The case studies build on and generally support previous work by the Local Government Commission and Local Futures.