Selwyn Mayor Lydia Gliddon believes the Government has not predetermined the way councils should amalgamate.  

That is despite Waimakariri MP Matt Doocey saying Christchurch merging with Waimakariri and Selwyn was “inevitable”.

Councils have until August 9 to submit amalgamation proposals through the Government’s Head Start pathway. If they don’t, the Government could decide the outcome itself.

Selwyn District Council is surveying residents on three possible merger options until Sunday. The proposed options are:

  • Selwyn is a standalone unitary authority.
  • Selwyn and the Ashburton District amalgamate.
  • Selwyn amalgamates with Christchurch, Waimakariri and Hurunui.

In response to Doocey’s comment that Christchurch, Waimakariri and Selwyn would merge, Gliddon said the Government had previously been asked if it would happen and “they’ve said no”.

Gliddon said the council is open to all ideas.

“We’re not set in stone,” she said.

Gliddon said people need to fill out the district council survey. 

"Awareness is the biggest thing.

“It’s up to our community to tell us what their preferred option is.”

Christchurch City Council is also consulting until Sunday on a merger with Selwyn, Waimakariri and Hurunui.

It is seeking feedback on two options: A Christchurch-Selwyn merger, or extending the city’s boundary to include the urban areas of Selwyn and Waimakariri.

Gliddon is against any merger which would split the rural and urban parts of the district. 

Doocey is also calling on the three councils to produce rating examples showing the difference if they merged. 

Gliddon said there has not been enough time to model rates properly with each council. 

For example, for water, Selwyn does district-wide targeted rating, while Christchurch does it off property value, and Waimakariri does area-specific targeted rating. 

"You’re not comparing apples with apples,” she said. 

​”What we can do is look at assets, debt, you can look at income, net borrowing and you make some assumptions there.”

Gliddon said if councils were given the two years initially set out by Government, they would have had time to look at rates calculations. 

What options are Selwyn considering 

Option one: Selwyn as a unitary authority

 

Option one would see Selwyn become a standalone unitary authority. Photo: Supplied

The first option would keep Selwyn’s existing boundaries unchanged, with the council taking on regional responsibilities currently managed by Environment Canterbury.

These functions include public transport, river management and certain consents.

Potential benefits include maintaining a strong local voice, having the lowest transition cost, and giving the council greater control over capital projects and managing growth.

However, to progress through the Government’s Head Start process, Selwyn would need another council to support the proposal.

Under this option, Selwyn would effectively remain as it is today, with $295 million in debt, or $8233 per rateable unit – the lowest of the three options.

​Option two: Selwyn and Ashburton merger

 

Option two would see Selwyn amalgamate with Ashburton. Photo: Supplied

The second option would combine the Selwyn and Ashburton districts.

The benefits of this are that rural communities maintain a high level of representation and the two districts share similar rural and economic interests, which may mean decisions and investments are aligned.

Challenges include the cost of merging the councils, with existing policies, systems and processes needing to be standardised across both organisations.

The combined district would have a population of about 125,000, with debt rising to about $439m, or $8410 per rateable unit.

Ashburton District Council has surveyed its community about a merger with Selwyn, but opinion was divided between remaining independent as a standalone unitary authority or merging with South Canterbury.

​Option three: A Greater Canterbury unitary authority

 

Option three would see Selwyn amalgamate with Christchurch, Waimakiri, and Hurunui. Photo: Supplied

The third option would bring together Selwyn, Christchurch, Waimakariri and Hurunui into one central unitary authority.

While a Selwyn-Christchurch-Waimakariri merger has been discussed for some time, the council included Hurunui in the proposal so it would not be left isolated following Kaikōura’s decision to pursue a partnership with Marlborough.

Potential benefits include that Christchurch, Selwyn and Waimakariri are growing at similar rates, meaning priorities such as infrastructure and housing could be better aligned. No district or rural community would be split between multiple authorities.

The combined authority would have a population of about 593,370, with debt increasing to $3.33 billion, or $12,831 per rateable unit.

Challenges include combining assets, debt and liabilities, while merging four councils is likely to be both complex and costly.

• To complete the survey head to: selwyn.govt.nz/headstart