A strong message has come that New Zealand's cash-strapped councils cannot make money out of thin air.

The Future for Local Government Review has made more than a dozen suggestions.

They include lowering the council voting age to 16, introducing transferable votes, and an annual transfer of around a billion dollars a year from central to local government.

Local Government New Zealand agrees with ten of the proposals.

President Stuart Crosby told Kate Hawkesby increasing funding has been a priority.

He says it's been a cry for a long time with them being asked to do more and more with the same funding tools.

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