Rotorua's Bay of Plenty Regional Council building. Photo / Laura Smith
Rotorua's Bay of Plenty Regional Council building. Photo / Laura Smith
The Bay of Plenty Regional Council will discuss concerns about the Government’s proposed overhaul of local government at a council meeting this week.
Councillors and staff will finalise a submission to central Government regarding the proposal, with a draft suggesting the current approach risked being rushed, fragmented and overly focusedon mayors at the expense of regional voices.
The Simplifying Local Government proposal was announced in November. If adopted, the country’s 11 elected regional councils would be replaced or restructured.
Instead, mayors from city and district councils would form Combined Territories Boards to oversee regional functions such as land and water management, transport planning, and civil defence.
The draft submission, signed by regional council chief executive Fiona McTavish, aligned with local government reform in principle and accepted change was needed.
Reform was seen as a positive opportunity if “approached deliberately, coherently, and in a way that protects what matters most to our communities” now and in the future, the draft statement read.
Bay of Plenty Regional Council chief executive Fiona McTavish. Photo / George Novak
The draft called for a “long-term, shared vision” to solve problems while maintaining service.
But concerns have been initially raised around eight key issues:
Reform needs a clear case for change and a long-term shared vision
Reform should be holistic, not piecemeal or rushed alongside other changes (such as resource management reform, water services changes and rates caps)
Stability during any transition is critical to protect essential services
Community voice and Māori partnership must be central to any new model
Change should be led by governance, with strong regional input
Reform must balance regional scale with local democracy
The goal should be simpler, more affordable and better services
Financial risks, liabilities and public safety must be clearly managed.
The draft argued that the current proposal would not deliver “comprehensive, durable outcomes”.
It also suggested regional councillors remain in place until the end of the current term in 2028.
Overall, the submission, in its current form, called for a more “holistic and comprehensive review”.
The draft proposal will be put in front of councillors at a council meeting on Thursday, at which the 14 elected members will have a chance to make comments and amendments to the submission before it is finalised.
The reform proposal received support from Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell and Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale when announced in November.
Tapsell said a change was “common-sense” while Drysdale believed it provided an “opportunity for improvement”.
Consultation with the Department of Internal Affairs is open until February 20. The Government will then review submissions and will draft legislation by mid-2026, with hopes of passing it into law in 2027.
