The Government is currently consulting on proposals to significantly reshape local government. Late last year, the Government announced what were described as reforms that would “deliver the most significant changes to local government since 1989”.
On day one, the key change would be to remove Regional Councillors and have Regional Councils run by the Mayors (and/or possibly Crown appointed commissioners) through what are called Combined Territories Boards.
From there, what the future holds for the structure of local government and how regional councils deliver services and functions is yet to be confirmed. As a first step, the Boards, in consultation with the public, iwi/Māori and regional stakeholders, would develop regional reorganisation plans.
These would be designed to answer the question: “What is the best way the councils in my region can work together to deliver effective and efficient services and functions in this region?”. These plans could therefore differ greatly from region to region.
The key aspects of the proposals are summarised below. You can read the detail of the proposal here.
Consultation on the reform proposal closes on 20 February. We look forward to the outcome of submissions and to seeing the Government’s next steps, particularly with the overlay of 2026 being an election year.
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Disclaimer: This publication is necessarily brief and general in nature. You should seek professional advice before taking any action in relation to the matters dealt with in this publication.
