Gisborne District Council confirms no change will occur under local government shake‑up

Gisborne District councillors after being sworn in on October 30: Jeremy Muir (left), Rhonda Tibble, Rob Telfer, Colin Alder, Alexandra Boros, Mayor Rehette Stoltz, Deputy Mayor Aubrey Ria, Samuel Oak Vette Gibson, Teddy Thompson, Debbie Gregory, Nick Tupara, Larry Foster and Rawinia Parata. Councillor Anne Huriwai not pictured. Photo / Raphael Heria

A major local government shake-up is unlikely to affect the Gisborne region, the council has confirmed.

On Tuesday, the Government announced plans to remove regional councils and form new regional “Combined Territory Boards”, with consultation open until February 20 next year.

Gisborne’s neighbouring region, Hawke’s Bay, could be subject to a big change under the proposals, such as an amalgamation of councils.

But Gisborne District Council, as a unitary authority that functions as both a regional and district service, would be subject to “no immediate changes”, the council confirmed in a statement.

However, in the Government’s draft proposal, areas like Gisborne, without a separate regional council, could still opt in and undergo regional reorganisation plans if they wanted.

Other councils in this position were Chatham Islands, Marlborough, Nelson and Tasman.

In response to Local Democracy Reporting, the council did not confirm whether it would consider opting in to a regional reorganisation plan.

A GDC spokeswoman said that until the council reviewed the reorganisation plan in more detail, it could not comment further.

In a council statement released on the topic, it said council staff would review the proposal as more information became available, including the impact of the Government’s upcoming resource management legislation.

In the statement, Mayor Rehette Stoltz said the announcement started a bigger national conversation.

The deputy chairwoman of the Regional Sector and vice-president of Local Government New Zealand said local government was ready for constructive reform.

“The priority has to be improving outcomes for our people and whenua,” Stoltz said.

She said independent analysis showed functions delivered by regional and unitary councils were most effective when managed at a regional scale.

“As a sector, we’ll be looking at the proposal closely to understand how any changes could strengthen – not weaken – the services our communities rely on.”

The Tairāwhiti context must be front and centre as decisions progress, she said.

“We’re focused on ensuring our region’s voice is heard, and that any future system delivers better outcomes and better value.

“Managing land, water, climate resilience and catchment health is at the heart of our work.

“These services require deep local knowledge, strong iwi partnerships and the ability to respond quickly on the ground. Whatever system emerges must protect that capability.”