As Selwyn district councillors prepare to vote on their preferred local government structure, a survey shows the majority of residents oppose merging the district with its neighbouring councils.

Councillors are set to decide on Thursday which amalgamation option it will put forward before the Government’s Head Start process deadline of August 9.

If the council does not use the voluntary Head Start pathway, the Government could decide the outcome.

The council ran a 10-day survey on three possible options:

• Selwyn as a standalone unitary authority

• Selwyn and Ashburton District amalgamate

• Selwyn amalgamates with Christchurch, Waimakariri and Hurunui

​58% of 4035 people surveyed wanted to become a standalone unitary authority. Photo: Supplied

Of the 4035 responses, 58% supported Selwyn becoming a unitary authority, 24% favoured an amalgamation with Ashburton and 18% backed a merger with Christchurch, Waimakariri and Hurunui.

An amalgamation with Ashburton appears unlikely, with Ashburton District Council no longer considering it.

It comes after Waimakariri MP Matt Doocey last week said a merger between Christchurch, Waimakariri and Selwyn was “inevitable”.

Responding to Doocey’s comments, Selwyn Mayor Lydia Gliddon said she does not believe the Government has a preferred outcome.

Doocey also called on the councils to produce rating examples showing the difference if they merged.

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

For example, Selwyn uses a district-wide targeted rate for water services, while Christchurch bases charges on property value and Waimakariri uses area-specific targeted rates.

“You’re not comparing apples with apples,” Gliddon said.

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

She said if councils were given the full two year period initially set by the Government, they would have had time to look at rates calculations.

The council could also choose not to submit a Head Start proposal, which would avoid locking Selwyn into a partnership or structure that had been decided within the Government’s three-month window.

However, that would mean the Government would determine the future council structure.

“Council may lose influence over a resulting structure. The backstop process may impose a standardised approach, rather than Selwyn shaping its own proposal,” a report to councillors said.

Depending on Thursday’s decision, councillors are expected to meet again next Wednesday to formally adopt a proposal before it is submitted on Friday.