Central government released a proposal late last month which would do away with the 11 regional councils in the country and replace them with combined territorial boards.
These boards will be made up of the district mayors along with a Crown-appointed commissioner and will take over the responsibilities of regional councils, such as environmental management, transport planning and civil defence.
Central Otago Mayor Tamah Alley said she was committed to serving her community.
"If the alternative is a commissioner who knows little of Otago and our people, then yes — I will step up and make it work," she said.
"But we also need to be realistic. Most large cities have an office of the mayor to support this level of responsibility, and any new model must come with the resourcing needed to do the job properly."
She said it was important all options were genuinely considered as part of this process, rather than rushing to a single predetermined structure.
"Above all, the outcome must be in the long-term best interests of Otago, and it must result in genuine efficiencies, not just a shifting of costs."
Dunedin Mayor Sophie Barker said mayors had been meeting Department of Internal Affairs officials to discuss the changes and timelines, with a meeting on Monday.
She said as a new mayor the timing was very challenging.
"We have a deluge of changes early on, and a new council, with 40% new councillors to induct and bring up to speed," she said.
"I am prepared to put the work in to ensure that Dunedin's voice is strongly heard in the restructure of local government ... The other choice is to allow commissioners to oversee the disestablishment of regional council functions and assets.
"The point of local government is local voice, and I'll fight hard to ensure that our voices are heard."
She was also the South Island metro representative for LGNZ, which was working hard to get details through.
"There are a huge amount of challenges for our city, let alone the challenges posed by the speed and nature of government reform,. However each challenge is an opportunity."
Queenstown Lakes Mayor John Glover said the biggest factor in considering whether mayors would take on the work would be a belief it would result in better outcomes for their regions.
"The creation of a new ministry announced on Tuesday, a government review of which regional council functions will cease, be centralised or remain in the regions and a new planning requirement to produce regional spatial plans all point to quasi amalgamation (or significant shared functions and services) of local councils," he said.
There were significant risks, he warned.
"What mandate do mayors have to ‘carve up’ the regions? And any proposals emerging from this process might well become election issues in 2028, leading to anything that has been developed being thrown out. Once the dust has settled a little, the Otago mayors will need to meet to work though all of this."
Clutha Mayor Jock Martin said the devil was in the detail, which was not clear at this point, and he would be better placed to comment once he had the detail.
"The whenua/environment is front of mind for our primary industries in the Clutha district and they are major contributors to our economy; if we look after the land it looks after the people."
Waitaki Mayor Melanie Tavendale said she absolutely had the energy and commitment for the work.
She saw the changes as an opportunity to shape local democracy and deliver the best outcomes for communities.
"There's a lot of reform happening in a relatively short period of time, and discussions with our community about their vision for the future of Waitaki is going to be important.
"I’ve long recognised the need for a more sustainable and affordable approach for ratepayers, and this process is a key step toward that goal."
