Our councils have very limited roles and responsibilities. For the most part, Wellington dictates.
Yet a small population makes it easier, not harder, to devolve power. To take one example, local self-government is enshrined in the Swedish Constitution and means that municipalities and regions have the right of independent and free self-determination.
Meanwhile, in New Zealand, 1989 radical reforms stripped local representatives of their executive functions. And so, our democracy has faced a recession since. Wellington's response? More centralisation. But without Three Waters, how much is there left for councils to do?
Profligate authorities fund publicity campaigns to "get out the vote" to no avail. Endless discussions about making voting easier lead to more dead ends. Our leaders continue to suffer from a bad case of blaming the non-voters. They need to check their inflated egos in the mirror.
Do people need to be reminded why their vote is important? Do they need to be told to care? Are the public uneducated about voting processes? Will reducing the voting age help? How about whipping up some fancy app so we can all vote at a touch of a button?
Why not sprinkle a little co-governance and a dash of diversity on the side?
We keep trying different toppings, but the cake still fails to rise.
Huge swathes of the population, young people in particular, are simply unconvinced that their democratic involvement will make any difference. Is it right to tell them they are wrong?
I think the public is clued up.
In New Zealand with our top-down, one-size-fits-all government led by an elite, ordinary citizens have little ability to shape their towns and cities and the public services they receive.
I was once elected. The joy of serving my community came with the realisation that much of our input goes nowhere, as so much is already determined by centralised decision-makers. Agenda items were often a tick-box exercise.
I found a way to make a difference: working alongside the community to deliver conservation outcomes.
Thanks to the wealth of ecological knowledge nestled in our pest-free volunteer groups, our part of Auckland became renowned for its conservation initiatives.
No one disputes the importance of central government when dealing with matters of large-scale significance.
But if the Government shifted just a fraction of what it spends to local government and community responses, our ecosystems could be far more resilient to the perilous challenges we face.
It is time to once again trust our councils and communities to make decisions about their neighbourhoods.
Now is the time to stop blaming voter malaise, and recognise that what we need is devolution that harnesses the strengths of both tiers of government.
"Think global, act local" feels like an endangered way of thinking these days. I believe our democracy depends on it.
Anne-Elise Smithson is a Wellington-based environmentalist and former elected representative to Auckland Council.
