The Local Government Minister's outlining his expectation to councils ahead of day two of the local government conference. 

Local Government New Zealand is meeting in Wellington, and yesterday received a broadside from the Prime Minister instructing them to tighten their belts. 

Minister Simeon Brown is expected to make an announcement today on potential deals between central and local government. 

But Brown told Mike Hosking it won't be a silver bullet, and councils still need to be better with their spending. 

He says like central government, councils need to cut their budgets, to give residents rates relief. 

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