Politics Blog
Government to defer council amalgamation proposals until after election
The Government will take extra time before deciding which Head Start local government reform proposals should progress to detailed design, RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Local Government Minister Simon Watts said today.
They said "it is clear from the response we received that there is genuine appetite for change", but none of the eighteen proposals came with the unanimous view of the region, meaning some needed further analysis before they can progress.
"These are important gaps we must fill in prior to making final decisions," Watts said.
Cabinet would consider proposals in early 2027, with changes intended ahead of 2028 local government elections.
Previously, they said endorsed proposals would then be developed in detail and signed off in 2027.
They said "it is clear from the response we received that there is genuine appetite for change", but none of the eighteen proposals came with the unanimous view of the region, meaning some needed further analysis before they can progress.
"These are important gaps we must fill in prior to making final decisions," Watts said.
Cabinet would consider proposals in early 2027, with changes intended ahead of 2028 local government elections.
Previously, they said endorsed proposals would then be developed in detail and signed off in 2027.
Watts said the particular areas that require further development include "ensuring fair and effective representation with streamlined governance, and the transfer and delivery of regional functions."
Bishop said the Government remains committed to local government reform.
Bishop said the Government remains committed to local government reform.
“The Government continues to expect proposals endorsed by Cabinet to be developed in detail and considered for final approval in 2027, with Head Start changes intended to be in place ahead of the 2028 local government elections."
Wellington City mayor Andrew Little said the announcement showed the Government was not serious about the process.
But Wellington City Mayor, Andrew Little, said the decision to defer decisions until after the election shows the Government was "not serious about the costly Head Start process".
Little, who is also co-chair of the Wellington and Wairarapa Mayoral Forum, says councils across the Wellington region put forward strong proposals that met the Government’s requirements and would have worked, while spending nearly $250,000 collectively to put forward a proposal before the recent deadline.
“Councils across the region invested significant time and ratepayer money because Ministers asked us to move quickly. We did exactly that. It is now clear the Government was not ready to follow through, and didn’t have enough support around the Cabinet table," he said.
“At a time when councils are doing everything possible to keep costs under control, facing an arbitrary rates cap that will affect services and facilities that communities rely on, spending nearly a quarter of a million dollars on a process that goes nowhere is unacceptable."
Little called the three-month deadline to propose a model for local amalgamation "totally unreasonable".
Little, who is also co-chair of the Wellington and Wairarapa Mayoral Forum, says councils across the Wellington region put forward strong proposals that met the Government’s requirements and would have worked, while spending nearly $250,000 collectively to put forward a proposal before the recent deadline.
“Councils across the region invested significant time and ratepayer money because Ministers asked us to move quickly. We did exactly that. It is now clear the Government was not ready to follow through, and didn’t have enough support around the Cabinet table," he said.
“At a time when councils are doing everything possible to keep costs under control, facing an arbitrary rates cap that will affect services and facilities that communities rely on, spending nearly a quarter of a million dollars on a process that goes nowhere is unacceptable."
Little called the three-month deadline to propose a model for local amalgamation "totally unreasonable".