But Waitaki District Mayor Mel Tavendale said the council continued to hear ‘‘lots of different voices and views’’ and had plans for more community consultation on the way forward for Waitaki.
It comes as the Waimate, Timaru and Mackenzie District Councils have confirmed a commitment to work together on amalgamation plans, leaving the door open for Waitaki and Ashburton to join the fold.
Mrs Tavendale said Waitaki was not yet ready to announce any preliminary ideas on its amalgamation plan until it had worked through community consultation, surveys and modelling.
She said the council was still undertaking community consultation and hosting a series of public meetings in late June and early July regarding the reforms.
Mrs Tavendale confirmed she had met the mayors of Ashburton, Waimate, Timaru and Mackenzie last month.
Meetings with communities throughout the Waitaki district start today in Otematata and will move on to Palmerston, Ngapara and Oamaru as the week progresses.
‘‘The intention is to really unpack how complex this is for us as a community because there are trade-offs that are going to need to be had and there are implications no matter what direction we go in or what we choose to do,’’ she said.
‘‘We are being mindful there are a lot of views in the community and we need to make sure they are inclusive as they can be.’’
In an online statement the Waimate District Council said councillors were now considering four potential groupings with neighbouring councils and while ‘‘committed to working with Timaru and Mackenzie District Councils’’, welcomed the opportunity to engage with Ashburton and Waitaki District Councils.
Timaru District Mayor Nigel Bowen said ‘‘the South Canterbury grouping of Timaru, Waimate and Mackenzie are a strong community of interest’’ while there was ‘‘broad recognition’’ by all mayors that their communities were best served exploring options together rather than in isolation.
Mr Bowen said the process was not just about council boundaries but of a long-term vision for efficient, locally responsive services and strong representation for communities.
Mackenzie District Mayor Scott Aronsen also confirmed his council was committed to working with both Timaru and Waimate.
‘‘While initial discussion has been had with with Waitaki we will need to progress beyond the initial talks,’’ Mr Aronsen said.
‘‘We expect to have further meetings with Waitaki soon; what would be advantageous is for them to give us a solid indication of what direction they are likely to head in.’’
