Head Start / Simplifying Local Government

The Government is proposing a voluntary Head Start pathway that allows councils to lead early work on regional reorganisation, rather than immediately replacing regional councillors with Combined Territorial Boards (CTBs) of mayors.

Regional councillors are expected to remain in place until the 2028 local elections, after which an interim governance model (such as a board of mayors or commissioners) may be introduced.

Participating councils will be able to develop locally led reorganisation proposals, with a focus on creating unitary authorities to improve efficiency, strengthen collaboration, and better align regional decision-making.

Councils choosing the Head Start pathway must submit outline proposals within defined timeframes (opening May 2026 and closing August 2026), with further detailed planning progressing through to final Government decisions ahead of 2028.

One of the key drivers for this change is the introduction of a new planning system to replace the Resource Management Act (RMA) , which will significantly reshape the functions currently undertaken by regional councils.

These reforms are expected to result in significant shifts in roles and responsibilities across local government.

The requirement to develop reorganisation proposals is also likely to prompt discussion about shared services, structural change, or potential amalgamation—potentially reshaping how local government is organised and delivered in the future.

This is a significant change from the prior timeline which allowed Combined Territorial Boards (CTBs) composed of Mayors, to work on Regional Reorganisation Plans to improve efficiency, strengthen collaboration across councils, and ensure decisions are made closer to communities. They had two years to submit re-organisation plans to the Minister for Local Government for approval.

Rates capping / Simplifying Local Government Resources:

Waimakariri District Council's View:

On February 20 2026 Council made a submission on this proposal. Below are our introductory points as well as a link to the full submission document.

1. Key Points
1.1. The Waimakariri District Council (the Council) thanks the Government for the opportunity to provide a submission on the proposal for simplifying local government (the Proposal).


1.2. The Council supports the overall intent of the Proposal to modernise the local government sector and welcomes the opportunity to develop a regional solution informed by local knowledge and existing regional priorities.


1.3. However, we note that the scale and pace of the Proposal is extremely ambitious and carries a risk of unintended consequences, particularly given the number of concurrent reforms affecting the sector - most notably the resource management reform programme.


1.4. The Council considers that to best utilise the opportunity available through this structural review, a concurrent review of the financial instruments available to the sector should be undertaken. We also note that these reforms have the potential to have a significant impact on the workload for elected members, and on local Government funding.


1.5. The Council and the Waimakariri community strongly believe that local people are the best placed to develop and deliver solutions for their communities. We are concerned that this proposal may move key decisions away from those that understand the needs of the community and the environment.

Full submission on Simplifying Local Government

Our submission talks in further detail about our Council's concerns with this proposal and the likely results of such a policy or proposal on Waimakariri.

Click here

Next steps

Consultation closed on 20 February.

Last reviewed date: 12 May 2026