AI is local councils’ secret weapon, Hutt leading way

Use of AI is one lever councils can pull without alienating ratepayers by cutting frontline services. (Image: Getty)

Wed, 17 Dec 2025

If any part of New Zealand’s public sector has an existential imperative to get serious about artificial intelligence, it is local government. With double‑digit rates hikes in recent years, angry ratepayers, and the central government now moving to cap annual increases to a narrow 2–4% band by 2029, the traditional model of “do more, charge more” has hit the wall. Artificial intelligence is not a silver bullet for reducing costs. Many councils are burdened with infrastructure headaches that can’t be autom...

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