A suite of reforms are on the way to hold local councils to account.

The Local Government Act's being stripped of requirements to consider social, economic, environmental, and cultural well-being as part of Cabinet's efforts to prioritise the basics. 

It will also benchmark performance with a yearly report on financial and delivery outcomes. 

Local Government Minister Simeon Brown says it will compare different councils rates, debt, spending, budgets and the state of their roads. 

Queenstown Lakes District Mayor Glyn Lewers says the move was well signalled.

"The information is there they're just going to publish it in a different format".