Sandra Preston: Northlanders say no to a single council

Sandra Preston, Chief Executive of the Local Government Commission

Many people are passionate about local government and commit their working lives and much of their energies to thinking about it.

At the Local Government Commission, we have reasons to be grateful to the significant numbers of citizens and organisations who have either made written submissions or attended hearings to give their views on reorganisation during the commission's consultation process. They have helped shape the commission's next steps.

There will be no single council for the whole of the Northland region. The process has made it clear that there is not the necessary level of community support.

While most people opposed the commission's proposal, some did indicate support for smaller scale mergers, transfer of functions, or developing a shared service arrangement between the existing councils. In fact, the councils have, of their own accord, begun investigating shared service arrangements. This further suggests there is interest in exploring options to promote more effective local government.

This is why we will now return to the Northland communities to work with them.

The next 25 years will pose additional challenges requiring changes in local government approach. Change can only happen, however, where there is community buy-in.

Consequently consultation and facilitation are at the heart of the commission's work as it responds to community demands for change. So while we are always looking at our own processes and seeking to improve them, the commission will be placing an emphasis on helping communities to identify the challenges they face, the options that can address those challenges, and the development of more consensus on their preferred approach to change.

If this results in new options for reform with community support then, as the independent, non-aligned decision-maker, and as required under the Local Government Act, the commission will then prepare new draft proposals for wider consultation.

The commission's role is to promote good local government.