Canterbury mayors will begin discussing the Government-led overhaul that would scrap Environment Canterbury and potentially redraw council boundaries.
Canterbury Mayoral forum chair, Timaru Mayor Nigel Bowen, said a workshop tomorrow will consider the forum’s response to the Government’s Simplifying Local Government Proposal.
The proposal will disestablish regional councils, including Environment Canterbury (Ecan) as part of a major local government overhaul.
Ashburton Mayor Liz McMillan was looking forward to the discussions with other Mayors, both in the near future and over the ensuing months.
“There are so many questions, and I’m guessing everyone will have a different answer.”
There is already a lot of crystal ball gazing, but “until we sit down and have those discussions about it, we won’t know”.
The mayors of Christchurch, Selwyn, and Waimakariri – members of the Greater Christchurch Partnership (GCP) – have also a scheduled informal meeting today.
Selwyn Mayor Lydia Gliddon said it’s “just neighbouring mayors having a catch-up”, the third time this term, and a coincidence that the mayoral forum workshop was booked the following day.
With the wave of government reforms being a major talking point, it’s likely the proposed local government changes will come up in conversation at some level in advance of the mayoral forum workshop.
Bowen has no concerns about being ambushed by the GCP mayors at the forum workshop.
“Different areas will be having different conversations around what they want out of the reforms,” Bowen said.
“The fact councils are talking prior to the mayoral forum meeting is a positive thing.”
The Government proposes to disband regional councillors and have the region’s mayors form a new Combined Territories Board to take over the regional council functions.
That board will also produce a Regional Reorganisation Plan, outlining how councils in could work together more efficiently.
Bowen said the Government consultation isn’t asking for a rethink of the proposal, but how to make it work.
“What’s missing, which will be hard on communities so far, is the real need to consult, but they want to move this forward at a pretty hectic pace.
“How that community voice is heard will be up to individual councils”.
Replacing ECan: a complicated equation
Christchurch City Council has been leaning towards a unitary council and stated as much in a formal submission to the Future for Local Government Panel in March 2023.
Christchurch Mayor Phill Mauger told LDR that “we have previously proposed a unitary authority for Christchurch and have been encouraged by some district councils in Canterbury to consider this.
“We are also open to exploring a greater Christchurch unitary model (super city), but have not considered the boundaries on a “super city” – that would be a discussion we would want to have with other councils and communities.
“Our council is currently considering the options, and no decisions have been made yet – we will examine the options and consult with our community. It really comes down to what can deliver the best long-term outcomes for ratepayers and residents.”
How Christchurch becoming a unitary council would impact the other Canterbury councils is the bigger piece of the puzzle.
Gliddon said the focus of the local government reset is “simplification”.
Selwyn “probably can’t afford to be a unitary on our own, and it’s not simplification either”.
She cautioned “drawing a line in the sand too quick”.
“The Government has given us two years to work through it, so it doesn’t have to happen on day one.
“We don’t need to rush it, but we need to start having the conversations”.
While some councils and politicians already have a preference, Gliddon believes it “should be about what our community want”.
“It’s about what is best and right for our communities. That’s also the big picture, as it’s not just about Selwyn or Christchurch, it’s all of Canterbury together – with no one left behind.
“We have to come up with solutions that fit everyone.”
South Island Minister and Rangitata MP James Meager said he regularly meets with the mayors but is not directly involved in the discussions.
He supports local councils leading that discussion towards “any reorganisation which results in better, more effective local government and service delivery for ratepayers”.
He acknowledged the greater Christchurch councils “have always been interested in working more effectively together”.
“The local government and RMA reforms present an opportunity for them to shape their own future. A unitary model could be part of that.”
His National party colleague, Waimakariri MP Matt Doocey, was more forward, stating that the Greater Christchurch councils of Christchurch, Selwyn and Waimakariri “should move towards a unitary council model to replace Ecan”.
“In my view, a new Greater Christchurch council is inevitable and a result of evolution rather than revolution.”
