Central government announced proposed changes last November to get rid of 11 regional councils and replace them with combined territories boards.
The boards were to consist of district mayors with the possible involvement of a Crown commissioner.
The boards would develop a regional reorganisation plan to improve service delivery. Regional councils were set to go out of business within a couple of years.
The government said the changes were needed to simplify local government and there were too many layers of government, confusing the voter and an impediment to getting things done.
The government had asked for submissions on the proposal and had set a decision to be released in March.
When asked earlier this month what was happening with the proposal, Local Government Minister Simon Watts said the government was taking time to work through submissions made on the proposal.
Announcements would be made once decisions were confirmed, he said, giving no timeline for when that would happen.
Otago Regional Council chairwoman Hilary Calvert said at a council meeting yesterday she had met NZ First MP Mark Patterson last week and she had shared some observations from the council with him.
Cr Calvert said Mr Patterson told her the idea of having mayors preparing and looking after the activities of the regional council was not a favoured option of the government.
‘‘They appear to be moving back from that,’’ she said.
‘‘And also, partly reading between the lines, [they are] backing away from replacing us by the end of the term in any way.’’
She would see Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour in Queenstown in the next couple of weeks and then had an appointment lined up with RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop.
‘‘Any time we get a chance of catching up with anybody we make the most of it,’’ Cr Calvert said.
