(1) A local authority must prepare and make publicly available, following the triennial general election of members, a local governance statement that includes information on—
(a) the functions, responsibilities, and activities of the local authority; and
(b) any local legislation that confers powers on the local authority; and
(ba) the bylaws of the local authority, including for each bylaw, its title, a general description of it, when it was made, and, if applicable, the date of its last review under section 158 or 159; and
(c) the electoral system and the opportunity to change it; and
(d) representation arrangements, including the option of establishing Māori wards or constituencies, and the opportunity to change them; and
(e) members' roles and conduct (with specific reference to the applicable statutory requirements and code of conduct); and
(f) governance structures and processes, membership, and delegations; and
(g) meeting processes (with specific reference to the applicable provisions of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 and standing orders); and
(h) consultation policies; and
(i) policies for liaising with, and memoranda or agreements with, Māori; and
(j) the management structure and the relationship between management and elected members; and
(k) equal employment opportunities policy; and
(l) key approved planning and policy documents and the process for their development and review; and
(m) systems for public access to it and its elected members; and
(n) processes for requests for official information.
(2) A local authority must comply with subsection (1) within 6 months after each triennial general election of members of the local authority.
(3) A local authority must update its governance statement as it considers appropriate.
Section 40(1)(ba): inserted, on 14 October 2007, by section 7 of the Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Act 2006 (2006 No 26).