Invercargill mayor Tom Campbell says a meeting where his council opted to lodge an amalgamation proposal was arguably the most consequential of the last decade.

On Thursday, the city council voted to lodge a Head Start proposal for a single unitary authority to govern the region, just days out from an August 9 deadline.

The decision follows Southland District Council backing a two-council option on Wednesday, and Gore District Council deciding to keep its options open to both the district and city council on Tuesday.

Campbell feared a backstop option — which the Government said would kick in if councils did not lodge proposals — would not end well.

“I mean the stuff that we’d love to see happen — that is not going to be done by central government making a decision.

“They will have a cookie-cutter design and they’ll impress that around the country. That’s how the backstop will work, almost inevitably.”

Thursday’s meeting was likely the most consequential of the term, and arguably of the last decade, Campbell said.

Elected members previously stated their disapproval of the Head Start process which gave councils three months to lodge proposals, and reiterated those concerns at the meeting.

Andrea de Vries said the decision had kept her awake at night as she feared making a decision which future generations could not undo.

It would take years to rebuild trust if a council was created which much of the region did not want, she said.

Alex Crackett said she had sat through some “interesting processes” during her time at council but the one at hand took the cake for “most insane”.

Ria Bond highlighted unknowns relating to legislation, financials and operations, while Steve Broad was concerned the democratic process had become a “light suggestion” instead of a pillar.

Deputy mayor Grant Dermody acknowledged the process had been rushed but supported a proposal, while Trish Boyle said it would be detrimental to the community if the council did not submit.

A separate Local Government Commission investigation is already under way in Southland examining both one and two-council options for the region.

The investigation follows an earlier proposal from the district council, in which  mayor Rob Scott  had  been a vocal advocate for a two-council model.

Councils across the country had  until Sunday to lodge a proposal under the Head Start process or risk having decisions made on their behalf.

Local Government Minister Simon Watts has previously said the Government would learn from councils going through the Head Start process before it made decisions on the backstop.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.