The Hawke’s Bay Regional Council would be disestablished in 2028.
The reforms come as no surprise to the region’s mayors, with councils saying the three-month timeframe means developing a proposal will have to be done “at speed”.
The Hastings District Council said while there was enough Government detail to prepare an early scope, the discussions between councils on how it would work would need to be done “at speed to gather the relevant local information”.
“The four mayors and chair and councillors will be working to set a direction, while council staff will prepare documentation to provide to the Government.”
The council said the region’s councils have already been focused on shared services to remove duplication and save costs.
“The ultimate aim is to provide resilient, reliable, cost-effective services to the community – regardless of its size.
“There will be efficiencies at some levels across councils – especially the number of councillors and senior management required, around being able to justify having specialists in-house versus using contractors, and purchasing.”
But the Hastings District Council said it was important to remember that there would still be the same number of kilometres of roads to maintain, parks and facilities to manage and residents to engage with.
“Reduced complexity may come from combining functions like planning, building consents and dog control, where the rules and process will be the same, wherever you live in the region,” the council said.
Hastings Mayor Wendy Schollum said she was determined to protect the community’s voice and democratic processes for this new entity, whatever it may look like.
“My strong preference is that we decide our own fate as a region, so we are not forced into something that does not work for our communities.”
She said she was in favour of council reorganisation, but it was up to each council to decide whether to be part of it or not.
“One of the most important considerations is that the communities are informed of progress, and that the outcome is essential, resilient, cost-effective services.
“While we can’t consult the public on whether we do this or not – given the Government instruction – once we have an indication of which councils want to be involved, we will come to the public on what they think the best governance will be.”
Central Hawke’s Bay Mayor Will Foley said the region’s councils need to come together quickly and examine what is best for the region and its people.
“The focus must be on what services each part of the region does well. We have collaborated regionally before with Government’s Local Water Done Well,” Foley said.
He said his council had to decide if it would take part in the Government’s Head Start programme.
“This is a decision for Central Hawke’s Bay’s councillors and our regional colleagues. However, my current view is that it is better for our community if we are proactively involved in shaping our future.”
He said there were two clear priorities for Central Hawke’s Bay: making sure any future model saves money while delivering reliable services, and keeping Central Hawke’s Bay’s identity, with core decisions made in Central Hawke’s Bay.
Napier Mayor Richard McGrath said what meant the most to him was that Napier people continued to have a strong local voice in the decisions that affect them.
“Whatever shape local government reform takes, we need to make sure communities remain connected to decision-making and that local priorities don’t get lost in a larger system,” McGrath said.
He said the council was committed to working constructively together as a region to explore what model would best serve its communities.
“This is a significant piece of work for Hawke’s Bay, but it’s also an opportunity to design something that is simpler, more efficient and delivers better outcomes for the people we serve.
“We don’t need to rethink the wheel every time, and by keeping open and accessible channels between us, whether it’s officers or elected members, we can make sure efficiencies are prioritised.”
McGrath said the changes were part of a much bigger need to improve the way services and activities were delivered.
“We know we can’t keep doing things the way we’ve always done them. Front and centre though, we must make sure we are representing our community.
“It’s a good opportunity for us to be in the driving seat, rather than being dictated to from outside the region.”
Wairoa District Council said it was still early stages and “any content or comments will be shared with our Wairoa community in the first instance”.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
