And the Mataura ward representative said: “We need to bring the community along on the journey.”
The Gore District Council met on Tuesday to discuss the latest update on the Local Government Commission investigation into council reorganisation in Southland and options around the government’s Head Start process.
Councils that do not take part, or cannot reach an agreement, face the “backstop” option, a compulsory amalgamation process after the 2028 local elections.
Four options were presented at the meeting, with a fifth, a two-authority set-up for Southland (Invercargill and Southland-Gore) added after Cr Donna Bruce asked it be included on a list of options the council would engage with the community on, which was passed.
Gore District Mayor Ben Bell told the meeting the three-month deadline given by the government had created a “very compressed” timeframe to work with.
“We as a local government sector have said multiple times that this is way too quick, but at the end of the day, this is why ministers have done it, to create the conversation, to bring all of you together, to bring us together, to have this conversation about amalgamation and speed it up.
“With that, we acknowledge that there's also limited financial information.
“We're making really big decisions, and we're going in largely blind.”
Mr Bell said he would be “fighting hardest” for local representation.
“There’s a genuine worry that a smaller district like ours could get drowned out in a bigger organisation.
“That concern is fair, and exactly why we want to be in the room — to make sure the Gore district has a say in decisions that affect us.”
Mr Bell also addressed speculation the district was in the worst financial position in the country.
“That simply isn’t true,” he said.
“We obviously have our issues.
“There’s lots that we need to grapple with, but there are lots of other councils, including our neighbours, who are grappling with issues as well.
“There’s an obvious stormwater issue that we have to grapple with.
“Southland has a similar one around roads.
“Invercargill has a brand new museum they have to pay for, and Rugby Park.
“We all have different constraints and problems that we have to deal with.
“So to say that one council needs to be amalgamated because another council will save them isn’t helpful to the conversation, and we just need to think about the longevity of this.
“This is a once-in-a-generation decision.
“We should look at all the options in their neutrality and figure out what is going to be the best representation for all of us.
“There also seems to be a perception that this is a done deal, and this is absolutely not true.”
Mr Bell said regardless of the chosen option, it would be 2028 at the earliest before any changes would be felt.
"[It] will take a long period of time, and there will be a lot of engagement along the way.”
The council will now ask the community for its views on the five options for how local government could be run across the South. — Angela Walker
Amalgamation options
No Head Start: remain involved in the Local Government Commission’s review of Southland and not submit a Head Start proposal.
One unitary authority for Southland: a single organisation, but with local rural representation built into how it is governed.
A rural unitary across Southland and Otago: Gore, Southland, Clutha, Waitaki and Central Otago districts join up as one unitary authority.
Other: an open option for any other ideas residents want to put forward.
Two unitary authorities for Southland: Two councils (Invercargill and Southland-Gore), each delivering both regional and territorial functions within their area, with co-ordination on cross-boundary issues.
