Main points
• Elimination of regional councillors.
• Powers taken over by Combined Territories Board made up of mayors.
• Boards to develop plan for councils in region to work closer together.
• This could include some councils amalgamating.
One Otago regional councillor is excited about the prospect of losing his job, while another says massive government reforms for councils is a blow to local democracy.
Questions remain over the future ownership of Port Otago and the new $45 million Otago Regional Council headquarters after the reforms signalled the end of regional councillors and a move to push district councils to work together and potentially amalgamate.
The role of regional councillors would be replaced by "Combined Territories Boards" (CTB), made up of district and city mayors.
Apart from taking over the function of regional councillors, the 11 CTBs will be tasked with developing a "regional reorganisation plan".
This could involve working together in some areas - for instance roading - or full amalgamation of councils.
Under the proposals, just-elected regional councillors might not serve their full three-year terms before being culled.
"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," Mr Bishop said.
He expected the changes would put "downward pressure" on rates.
"The government’s belief is that local government has lost the social licence and that New Zealanders have lost faith in local government - this is borne out by the fact that over half don’t bother to vote in local elections."
He said it was clear to many the current structure was no longer fit for purpose and the "status quo is not an option".
Central Otago District Mayor Tamah Alley said the proposed transition was a significant undertaking.
"Territorial authorities are implementing reform across a range of areas, as we work to deliver core services in a cost-effective way," she said.
"This proposal can’t come at the expense of local accountability."
Dunedin Mayor Sophie Barker said she was shocked by the reorganisation plan and its implications.
She doubted residents would be happy with their mayor "going off and doing other work for the government".
Otago regional councillor Michael Laws said his first thought was one of excitement.
"It’s heading in exactly the right direction. And it addresses a yawning deficiency in New Zealand local government, which is an excessive layer of bureaucracy," he said.
"That has made, for example, the Otago Regional Council a bloated and ineffectual beast."
He said there was still a fair bit of detail to come.
"But, you know, regional councils, if they are feeling sorry for themselves tonight, they should just go and look in the mirror. Because they are responsible for the inevitable actions of a government and it would have happened under Labour or National."
He said the axing of regional councils should show the new entities they would have to work hard and correctly to get things right.
"I think a lot of mayors will go, ‘Gosh, that could be us if we don’t pull ourselves up.’
"We’ve got some really new, good elected mayors in Otago. Absolutely outstanding. And they’re well-connected to their communities. I have absolute faith that they will be working with the region to get the best outcome."
Port Otago, which is 100% owned by the regional council, should remain with the whole of Otago, he said.
"I will put this stake in the ground - it’s a regional asset, it’s not a Dunedin asset. It belongs to all of the region and to the region’s ratepayers."
Otago regional councillor Alan Somerville said under this government there had been a weakening or removal of environmental protections, so it was no surprise regional councils were being abolished.
"It’s also another example of a government removing local decision-making and concentrating power more and more in the hands of individual ministers."
Crown commissioners might end up with more power than locally elected officials, which was scary, he said.
Cr Somerville said the future of the port was a big question and he supported it staying with the whole region.
At a glance, he said the proposals would produce savings for residents.
"But they need to also, in my view, get rid of a whole lot of the incredibly stumbling-block legislation that the regional councils were using to basically prevent anything from happening.
"My hope is that it’ll just save us an awful lot of money."
The changes are now out for consultation, which remains open until February 20. The resulting legislation is expected to be introduced mid-next year and passed in 2027.
