If you want to develop your listening skills, try these tasks as you listen to the text. The answers are at the bottom of this page, after the Vocabulary. Thanks to Natasha Groves for preparing the tasks.
If you want to listen and read, just scroll down to the text.
1. Listening for main ideas
First, just listen to the text, taking notes if you wish. What information can you catch during this first listening?
2. Now listen again and answer the following questions:
- What is it time for people to do?
- What services are managed by city and district councils? List at least two.
- What services are managed by regional councils? Give one example.
- Can permanent residents enrol to vote?
- If you are already registered to vote in parliamentary elections, do you need to enrol to vote in local elections?
- Fill in the gaps in this section of the text about when and how to vote:
- The elections are on Saturday _______ October and are held by _______ vote (whereas for parliamentary elections you vote in _______). That means that you will receive a voting form in the _______, and you need to fill it in and post it back by _______ October, so that it arrives before voting closes at _______ on _______ October. From _______ to _______ October, you can return your voting papers to _______ voting bins in public places such as _______ and _______.
- What is the purpose of Māori wards and constituencies?
- What will this year’s referendum ask voters?
Text
Later this year there are elections for local government, and it is time to check your enrolment or enrol to vote if you are eligible.
The elections are for city, district and regional councils. City and district councils manage our towns and cities, for example, managing water supply, collecting rubbish and recycling, developing and maintaining parks, libraries, and museums, and organising festivals and events. Regional councils manage the natural resources of an area, including public transport and management of resources such as water and soil quality. The people who are elected are called councillors.
If you’re 18 or older, a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident, and have lived in New Zealand for more than one year continuously at some time in your life, you can enrol to vote. You need to do this by 1 August. If you are already registered to vote in parliamentary elections, you are automatically enrolled to vote in local elections. If any of your details have changed, you need to update them. Click here for more information about enrolling or updating.
The elections are on Saturday 11 October and are held by postal vote (whereas for parliamentary elections you vote in person). That means that you will receive a voting form in the mail, and you need to fill it in and post it back by 7 October, so that it arrives before voting closes at midday on 11 October. From 8 to 11 October, you can return your voting papers to orange voting bins in public places such as libraries and supermarkets.
Some city and district councils have Māori wards, and some regional councils have Māori constituencies. The purpose of these wards and constituencies is to provide representation for Māori who otherwise may not have a voice in government. Local Government New Zealand says that having these wards is one way for councils to honour the partnership principle in the Treaty of Waitangi. Only those voters on the Māori roll can vote for candidates in the Māori ward.
This year, many councils are holding a referendum, asking voters if they support Māori wards and constituencies. This is required after a law change last year by the Government, for those councils who have not previously asked voters whether they want Māori wards and constituencies. In 2022 the Labour Government abolished the referenda for Māori wards because it said they should be treated the same as other wards, such as rural wards, which do not go to a referendum. However, as part of the coalition agreements between National, ACT, and NZ First, councils now have to have one. The results will be binding and take effect from the 2028 local government term.
Vocabulary
enrolment (noun) – the process of arranging to join a school, university – or here, to vote
enrol (verb) – to officially arrange to join a school, university – or here, to vote
eligible – if you are eligible for something, you are able or allowed to do it
museum – a building where people can see important cultural, historical, or scientific objects
festival – a special occasion
parliamentary – relating to a parliament. In New Zealand, the group of people who are elected to make laws is called Parliament
update – to add the most recent information to something
ward – in this context, one of the small areas that a city or region is divided into, for the purposes of local elections
abolish – to officially end something
referendum (plural, referenda) – when people vote to make a decision about something
coalition – a group of two or more political parties who form a government
binding – something that is binding must be obeyed. So in this context, the results of the referenda must be followed by the councils.
Answers – you don’t have to write a complete sentence as long as you have the key idea in your answer.
a. What is it time for people to do?
To check their enrolment, or enrol to vote (if eligible)
b. What services are managed by city and district councils? List at least two.
Managing water supply, collecting rubbish and recycling, developing and maintaining parks, libraries, and museums, and organising festivals and events
c. What services are managed by regional councils? Give one example.
Public transport and resources such as water and soil quality
d. Can permanent residents enrol to vote?
Yes
e. If you are already registered to vote in parliamentary elections, do you need to enrol to vote in local elections?
No
f. Fill in the gaps in this section of the text about when and how to vote:
The elections are on Saturday 11 October and are held by postal vote (whereas for Parliamentary elections you vote in person). That means that you will receive a voting form in the mail, and you need to fill it in and post it back by 7 October, so that it arrives before voting closes at midday on 11 October. From 8 to 11 October, you can return your voting papers to orange voting bins in public places such as libraries and supermarkets.
g. What is the purpose of Māori wards and constituencies?
To provide representation for Māori
h. What will this year’s referendum ask voters?
If they support Māori wards and constituencies.