Ministers Chris Bishop and Simon Watts said the changes have been designed to cut duplication, reduce costs, and make it easier to plan for growth.
Bishop said the current system is confusing and inefficient.
“Local government is meant to serve communities, not confuse them. But right now, the system is tangled in duplication, disagreements, and decisions that defy common sense. The government does not think local government is serving New Zealanders well and the time has come for reform.”
The proposals sit alongside wider resource management reforms that will be introduced to Parliament within weeks. Bishop said the new planning system will remove duplication, reduce consent categories, and significantly reduce the role of regional councils.
To support the change, the Government is proposing two major shifts.
Abolishing regional councillors
Under the first proposal, elected regional councillors would be removed and replaced with Combined Territories Boards made up of the mayors from each city and district council within a region.
Watts said most people know their mayor but few could name their regional council representatives, and the new boards would provide clearer accountability.
He said the system would streamline decision making across planning, infrastructure, and regulation, and reduce confusion for ratepayers.
Most decisions would be made through a population based voting system, while decisions involving land and water would require both majority population support and majority support from board members.
Watts said removing regional councils would cut bureaucracy, reduce costs, and improve efficiency.
The second proposal requires each Combined Territories Board to prepare a regional reorganisation plan within two years.
Watts said the plans would examine how councils can best deliver infrastructure, services, and regulatory functions.
Options could include shared services, council owned companies, reallocating responsibilities, or merging councils into new unitary authorities.
Plans must show how they support housing and infrastructure, keep rates manageable, improve service delivery, and maintain Treaty settlement commitments. They must also include a practical pathway for implementation and be approved by the Minister of Local Government.
Consultation on the proposals is open until 20 February 2026 through the Department of Internal Affairs website, with final proposals expected by March so legislation can be drafted.
Bishop said the reforms are a once in a generation opportunity to create a simpler and more efficient local government system.
Broadcaster Chris Lynch is an award winning journalist who also produces Christchurch news and video content for domestic and international companies. This article was originally published by Chris Lynch Media and is published here with kind permission.
“Local government is meant to serve communities, not confuse them. But right now, the system is tangled in duplication, disagreements, and decisions that defy common sense. The government does not think local government is serving New Zealanders well and the time has come for reform.”
The proposals sit alongside wider resource management reforms that will be introduced to Parliament within weeks. Bishop said the new planning system will remove duplication, reduce consent categories, and significantly reduce the role of regional councils.
To support the change, the Government is proposing two major shifts.
Abolishing regional councillors
Under the first proposal, elected regional councillors would be removed and replaced with Combined Territories Boards made up of the mayors from each city and district council within a region.
Watts said most people know their mayor but few could name their regional council representatives, and the new boards would provide clearer accountability.
He said the system would streamline decision making across planning, infrastructure, and regulation, and reduce confusion for ratepayers.
Most decisions would be made through a population based voting system, while decisions involving land and water would require both majority population support and majority support from board members.
Watts said removing regional councils would cut bureaucracy, reduce costs, and improve efficiency.
The second proposal requires each Combined Territories Board to prepare a regional reorganisation plan within two years.
Watts said the plans would examine how councils can best deliver infrastructure, services, and regulatory functions.
Options could include shared services, council owned companies, reallocating responsibilities, or merging councils into new unitary authorities.
Plans must show how they support housing and infrastructure, keep rates manageable, improve service delivery, and maintain Treaty settlement commitments. They must also include a practical pathway for implementation and be approved by the Minister of Local Government.
Consultation on the proposals is open until 20 February 2026 through the Department of Internal Affairs website, with final proposals expected by March so legislation can be drafted.
Bishop said the reforms are a once in a generation opportunity to create a simpler and more efficient local government system.
Broadcaster Chris Lynch is an award winning journalist who also produces Christchurch news and video content for domestic and international companies. This article was originally published by Chris Lynch Media and is published here with kind permission.
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