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Ashburton District has been included in a joint Head Start proposal by the Mayors of Timaru, Mackenzie, Waimate and Waitaki districts.
They jointly lodged it to government on Sunday.
It has included Ashburton District, despite its own council voting away from any South Canterbury merger, and instead opting for a Back Stop pathway.
Ashburton Mayor Liz McMillan said council was not surprised to be included in the South Canterbury proposal – given the reform framework set out by the Government.
“We are not against reforms and improving local government, and our letter of intent makes that very clear,” she said.
“We are looking forward to the feedback from MCERT (Ministry for Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport) around the Canterbury proposals and if they will all be accepted or not.
"The options then become much clearer for Ashburton, and we can keep progressing the best regional outcome for all of Canterbury.”
Ashburton was one of 21 councils around the country to choose Back Stop, she said.
"We don’t see this as passively waiting for our future to be determined by Government and we will continue to talk to our neighbours and keep fighting hard for the best outcome of our district.”
The South Canterbury plan, submitted to MCERT proposes to create a single, stronger unitary authority across one of New Zealand's most economically significant regions.
The new region takes in the five districts of Waitaki, Waimate, Mackenzie, Timaru and Ashburton.
In a statement, the four southern Mayors said the proposal was the product of months of intensive work, honest debate and close collaboration between the partner councils, who share strong communities of interest across their economies, river catchments and outlook.
They described the region as a genuine powerhouse for the country – home to the Waitaki Valley hydro schemes that help power the North Island through the HVDC link, some of New Zealand's most productive agricultural land and food processing industries, and internationally renowned tourism destinations.
Timaru District Mayor Nigel Bowen said the proposal reflected a shared, long-term vision rather than simply a redrawing of boundaries.
‘‘This has been a genuine team effort, and I'm proud of what our four councils have achieved together in a very short space of time,’’ he said.
‘‘We've chosen to take this opportunity to design a future council that will work for all our communities. This region powers New Zealand in the most literal sense, and this proposal is about making sure our local government is as capable and ambitious as the place it serves."
Mackenzie District Mayor Scott Aronsen said the collaboration had been constructive and forward-looking throughout.
‘‘We've had open, honest conversations around the table, and that's exactly what a decision of this scale deserves.’’
‘‘For our smaller and rural communities, this is about securing better services, stronger representation and real resilience for the future. Working together, we can achieve things none of us could deliver alone.’’
Waimate District Mayor Craig Rowley said the process had been about keeping options open while doing the hard work properly.
"There's been a huge amount of effort go into getting us to this point, and I want to acknowledge everyone involved," Mayor Rowley said.
"This proposal keeps our district's voice at the heart of any future arrangement. It's practical, it's ambitious, and it makes sure smaller communities like ours are heard every step of the way."
Waitaki District Mayor Mel Tavendale said the partnership recognised the deep connections across the wider region.
‘‘Our communities are linked by our rivers, our economy and our way of life, and this proposal reflects that reality," she said.
‘‘We've listened carefully to our communities throughout, and I'm pleased we can put forward something genuinely locally led. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build something better together."
The partner councils included the Ashburton District in the final proposal, recognising that a larger footprint could offer greater scale, a broader rating base and stronger regional capability.
The mayors say the proposal offers central government a single, capable regional partner for infrastructure investment, transport, and environmental management across a nationally important part of the South Island.