Government hits pause on council amalgamation plan until after election

The Government has told mayors around the country it's deferring decisions on amalgamating councils until after the election.RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Local Government Minister Simon Watts said they would be taking additional time before deciding which proposals, part of the Head Start local government reform process, should progress to the detailed design stage."It is clear from the response we received that there is genuine appetite for change," Watts said.Eighteen proposals were submitted in August against the Government's objectives for a simpler, more effective and accountable local government system."While the overall quality of proposals was high, none came with the unanimous view of the region, and some needed further analysis before they can progress. These are important gaps we must fill in prior to making final decisions."Particular areas that required further development included ensuring fair and effective representation with streamlined governance, and the transfer and delivery of regional functions, the ministers said."Rather than asking councils to commit further time and resources to finalise proposals now, the Government will now work to fill in these gaps over the next few months. Cabinet will consider these proposals in early-2027."Bishop said the Government remained 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.""Work is also continuing on the backstop process for areas that do not progress through Head Start. Decisions on that process will be informed by lessons from the Head Start pathway, consultation feedback and further advice from officials. We continue to expect decisions on this in early 2027."Wellington City mayor Andrew Little.RNZ / Samuel RillstoneBut Wellington City mayor Andrew Little said the announcement showed the Government was not serious about the process.Little, who is also co-chair of the Wellington and Wairarapa Mayoral Forum, said councils across the 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 - which was "significant time and ratepayer money"."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."More to come...