from Daily Telegraph NZ
RMA Reform and Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop said the current system—made up of 78 councils—was overly complex, inefficient and difficult for communities to navigate. He said duplication, inconsistent decision-making and rising costs were undermining the effectiveness of local governance.
Under a new “Head Start” pathway, councils are being invited to work together and submit proposals to reorganise their structures, with a focus on forming larger unitary authorities that combine regional and local functions. The aim is to streamline services, improve accountability and support the rollout of a new national planning system expected to become law this year.
Local Government Minister Simon Watts said proposals must demonstrate clear benefits, including improved efficiency, reduced duplication and strong community representation. Plans will also be assessed on deliverability and their ability to support infrastructure development and planning reforms.
More than 1,100 submissions were received during earlier consultation, with feedback showing broad support for change but a desire for flexibility at a regional level, according to a state press release.
Cabinet will decide later this year which proposals progress to detailed design, with final decisions expected in 2027 and implementation targeted before the 2028 local elections.
The Government has made clear that councils must take the lead or risk losing control of the process.
“Our message to councils is simple: lead your own reform, or we will do it for you,” Bishop said.
As we well know in Kapiti, councils are run by the Elite Executive Class who measure their success by the size of their budgets and fiercely resist anything that will reduce their budgets; they are also in the driver’s seat for all decisions — known as top-down management. —Eds