The Government has unveiled plans for what it describes as the most significant overhaul of local government in more than three decades, proposing to abolish regional councillors and replace them with new Combined Territories Boards made up of mayors.
Local Government Minister Chris Bishop said the current system is bogged down in duplication and complexity, and is failing to serve communities effectively.
Under the reforms, regional councils would lose most of their roles, with planning, infrastructure and regulatory decision-making transferred to the new boards. Decisions would be made through a population-based voting system, with additional safeguards requiring both a majority of population-weighted votes and board members for resource management matters.
The Government also proposes requiring each Combined Territories Board to produce a regional reorganisation plan within two years. These plans could recommend shared services, shifting responsibilities, forming council-owned companies, or merging councils into new unitary authorities. Final approval of any restructuring would rest with the Minister of Local Government, rather than local polls or referenda.
The proposals form part of wider resource management reforms expected to be introduced to Parliament within weeks. Public consultation is open until 20 February 2026, with final decisions expected in March ahead of drafting legislation.
More information on the proposals is available on the Department of Internal Affairs website.
“Final approval of any restructuring would rest with the Minister of Local Government, rather than local polls or referenda”.
There it is, further centralized control. Doing the bidding of their globalist masters, as usual.
We voted for our government btw … sick of bureaucrats making the decisions.
It is great regional councils are disappearing but…
Handing the regional councils duties to Mayors who are already forcing out of control, debilitating rates rises onto ratepayers doesn’t seem like much of a solution to this commenter.
Seeing the disingenuous and dishonest, 2 out of 12 energy reformer, Simon Watts at the helm shoulld concern all ratepayers.
I haven’t noticed my power bill come down so I think we can safely assume Watts has protected the super profits of NZ ‘s gentailers. and it looks like Watts is protecting Councils life ruining rates as well.
Dumb Willis, dishonest Watts, and bribe taking, disingenuous Simpson are ruining any positive legacy Luxon’s good Ministers were hoping to leave behind.
Is that what you really wanted to achieve as prime minister Mr Luxon?
Ours went up yesterday!
Fast track cock up in the hatching
Approval of any restructuring would rest with the Minister of Local Government? Why not with local polls or referenda?
Oh, that would mean democracy.
The People plan for sweeping overhaul of ALL government.
Corruption, rort and globalism WILL stop, one way or another.
Globalist accomplices might feel important in their echo chamber and safe in their gated communities. For now.
They will have to ask the devil where to hide.
Darth Vader did exactly the same thing in the original “Empire Strikes Back” over 40 years ago. Darth Vader disbanded the inter-galactic councils because there was no further need for them. The universe could instead be ruled much more simply without the councils.
Cool it with the antisemitism please
Government plans for sweeping overhaul of local government unveiled.
If you mean taking the “state government” out of the “local” and giving control back to the people to organise themselves, then about time, otherwise it’s just more centralised control masquerading as “regionalisation”.
This is just a consolidation of power for their globalist masters. I do not now nor will I ever comply with any of your globalist rubbish. Anyone pushing this globalist s**t is anti-human and must end up in prison for crimes against humanity.
Looks like central government has called time on these irresponsible twits calling themselves the authority.
I recall a time when the tip was free, the council pick up your rubbish too.
Chaptgpt says. WCC’s debt-to-revenue (or “debt-to-income” in a council sense) is quite high: S&P forecasts 234% debt relative to operating revenues for 2025.
Money wasters, absolutely no control over spending. Irresponsible little shits. All of our families have gone without because of incompetent local politicians.
So nothing about the extortionate rates, eh? More centralised control of the kind no one wants. Still not listening. Look forward to voting you either out or watering your influence down this election, National cock up. You don’t deserve to be a major party, any more than Labour, as far as I’m concerned.
As usual the staff had to learn this from the smug paid media scum rather from their own HR.
For the first time ever, I agree with Chris Hipkins “Intent behind regional council reform is not clear”, Hipkins says.
And now the 2/12 energy reformer Watts is pledging $4b more to defense.
The Ardern government laundered our tax money through Maoris and gangs (remember the $2.75m the Ardern government gave the mongrel mob to stop their customers from buying the drugs which fund the gang leaders extravagant lifeatyles, and the $10m the ardern government mysteriously gifted the Maori Kings family?).
The right leaning parties launder our money through defense spending. It was no coincidence Margaret Thatchers son was an arms dealer.
Watts just pledged $4b to the Devenport naval base because it is prone to sea level rise. Really?
“Measurements taken from the Port of Auckland tide gauge show an average sea level rise of around 1.6 mm per year since 1899.”