Summarised by Centrist
The government has released a proposal to replace regional councillors with new boards made up of mayors from each territorial authority.
Consultation has opened, with legislation planned for 2026.
The proposal begins by removing elected regional councillors and transferring their duties to 11 Combined Territories Boards aligned with existing regional boundaries.
The wider regional council organisations, including staff, assets, and contracts, would initially remain in place.
Local Government Minister Simon Watts and RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop describe the change as part of a two-step process. First, the new boards would take over regional decision-making. Second, each board would be responsible for producing a Regional Reorganisation Plan setting out how local government in the region should be structured in the long term. Bishop says the reforms “would work best, democratically, if it ended up with more unitary authorities”.
The plans must meet several criteria, including affordability, clear lines of responsibility, effective service delivery, community representation, and alignment with national priorities such as housing and infrastructure.
Consultation with communities, iwi and hapū, and stakeholders would be mandatory. Once a plan is submitted, the Local Government Minister will decide whether it proceeds.
The proposal notes several technical challenges still to be resolved, including how voting power on each board should be allocated.
Consultation runs until February 2026. Legislation is expected to be introduced mid-2026.
