Discussion Groups
The Taituarā online Discussion Groups allow you to connect with your local government peers across Aotearoa New Zealand. It’s as easy as sending an email!
With over 8,000 active subscribers across 60 online forums you can connect, discuss and get help with issues, get policy advice, share best practice and find out what other councils are doing.
Over 7,000 interactions occur within the Discussion Group community each month.
Everyone belonging to a Discussion Group or groups also receives our LGNewsBulletin. If you have a local government email address you can sign up to any of the groups by following these easy instructions.
Please note, to be eligible to subscribe to a Taituarā Discussion Group you must be an employee of a council or council-controlled organisation.
How do I join a Discussion Group?
Follow these instructions in order to subscribe to any of the Discussion Groups.
What Discussion Groups are available?
Asset and Facilities Management
- ASSETMGRS Community infrastructure and utilities managers
- COMFAC Community facilities and recreation managers
- CEMETERIES-CREMATORIA Cemeteries and crematoria
- PARKS-GARDENS Parks and gardens planning, staff and management
Distribution Lists
- WHATSNEW Sign up to receive the weekly LGNewsBulletin
- EVENTS Receive information about events of interest to local government staff
- LGOLJOBS Receive details of the latest roles advertised on LGJobs.co.nz delivered to your inbox
Community Engagement and Development
- COMDEV Community development and support
- COMMSCOUNCIL Communications managers and media officers
- COMMSAFETY Community safety
- CUSTSERVICES Customer services
- YOUTH For those people who work with young people in their communities
Building Services
- BLDGCONTROL Building controllers and regulatory group managers
- LIMS Forum for issues relating to Land Information Memoranda
Information and Communication Technology
- CIVICA-AUTHORITY Users of Civica software solutions
- GIS Personnel with GIS responsibilities
- INFOMGRS Information and records managers
- INFOR-PATHWAY-SIG – Infor Pathway Special Interest Group (Was GEAUSERS)
- NCSUSERS – For users of NCS MagiQ
- RECIT Senior IT personnel responsible for core strategy in regional councils and unitary authorities
- ITMGRS For council IT managers
Environmental
- CLIMATE-CHANGE-ADAPTATION All engaged in matters related to adaptation to climate change
- ENERGY-EFFICIENCY-SUSTAINABILITY Discussion on energy efficiency, sustainability and social programmes
- HSNO Hazardous substances and new organisms
- OSET For planners and compliance officers working in the development and auditing of on site effluent treatment regional plans
- WASTEMIN Waste minimisation education/communications and behaviour change
Legal
- BYLAWS For staff involved in bylaw-making and review
- LGLAWYERS Legal personnel within councils
- LGOIMA-PRIVACY LGOIMA and privacy discussions and advice
Human Resources
- HEALTH-SAFETY Health and safety professionals
- HRMGRS Human Resource managers
Policy; Planning and Governance
- COMMITTADVRS Committee secretaries/advisors; governance professionals
- COVID-19 Discussing shared approaches, and planning in preparing for COVID-19
- LGPLANNERS Planning and resource management
- MAORI-POLICY Māori policy discussion
- POLICY Policy discussion
Finance and Rating
- ECONDEV Local economic development
- FINANCE Finance managers, directors and associates
- PROCURENZ New Zealand purchasing group communication and collaborative purchasing
- RATING Rating officers
Miscellaneous Groups
- CEO Council chief executives (restricted group)
- EMERGMAN Emergency managers and civil defence staff
- LGLIBRARIANS Corporate librarians and researchers
- PA Personal/executive assistants across local government
- PMGRS For project managers, contract managers and procurement managers
- RISKMANAGEMENT Risk management in local government
- RLAB Resource Legislation Amendment Bill 2017
- RO Electoral officers and elections issues
- STRAT-CORPLANNING Corporate and strategic planners
- WEBCOUNCIL Networking for local government website managers
- WOMENINLG Women working in local government
- TPU Reserved for Te Pae Urungi members – local government practitioners with responsibilities for Māori responsiveness and effectiveness
Regulatory; Enforcement
- ANIMALCONTROL Animal control officers, contractors and members of New Zealand Institute of Animal Control Officers.
- CESIG Regional RMA compliance, monitoring and enforcement Special Interest Group
- CESIG-MGRS CESIG Managers list
- PKGENFORCEMENT Parking control/enforcement officers
- REGULATORY Regulatory managers/officers
- RMAENFORCEMENT Assuring compliance under the RMA
- RMA-PS For councils who draft plans and policy statements in accordance with the first set of national planning standards.