How Canterbury could be carved up under the council reform

Canterbury councils are confronting the biggest potential shake-up in decades, and have just weeks to make their pitches to the Government.

It’s a topic that will now be main talking point at the Canterbury Mayoral Forum’s next meeting on May 29.

Forum chair, Timaru Mayor Nigel Bowen, said the meeting agenda has been adjusted, “giving priority to the reform conversation”.

“I am hopeful we can build some consensus on what a Canterbury proposal could look like.

“There are obviously differing views across mayors and councils, however, if local government does not engage constructively in this process, there is a real risk that decisions about Canterbury’s future could ultimately be made for us from Wellington.”

Canterbury has 11 councils, stretching from Kaikoura to Waitaki.

With ECan to be disestablished from 2028, the other 10 councils need to suggest how they can form new unitary authorities, or risk leaving it to the Government to decide.

From a Greater Christchurch super-city to a South Canterbury unitary authority, competing possibilities are already emerging.

Selwyn’s choice looms as amalgamation in full or in part with one or more neighbouring councils.

Christchurch has made no secret of its desire to be a unitary council, and the populist assumption is the formation of a Greater Christchurch Council, combining with Selwyn and Waimakariri.

The big question is whether Christchurch absorbs its neighbours in full or in part.

Selwyn Mayor Lydia Gliddon has questioned how splitting the Selwyn District can work.

The most obvious issue is that $101 billion of the district’s assets, including a centralised wastewater treatment plant in Rolleston, have just been transferred to a new council-controlled organisation – Selwyn Water Ltd.

Another is considering river management at a catchment level.

“If we don't consider the whole catchment and you cut that in half, your duplicating processes, which is the thing that we're being asked not to,” Gliddon said.

She is adamant Selwyn will need to be a part of a proposal, rather than risk their fate being determined for them.

“I'm really clear that you must always be the shaper of your own destiny. Don't let someone else determine what that is.

“We've got no direction at the moment of what options are on the table, but I think we need to consider anything.

“We need to do what is best for Selwyn, and for Canterbury.

“We've got a lot of work to do with our neighbours and what this might look like.”

Selwyn’s other option could be Ashburton to the south.

Ashburton sits awkwardly in-between what many see as the logical Greater Christchurch, and South Canterbury amalgamations.

Mayor Liz McMillan said the “short answer is we don’t know yet, so we’re taking a careful and considered approach”.

McMillan said it's too early to say whether Ashburton will participate in a proposal, or not.

“Given that all reorganisation decisions will eventually be made by the Government, our position is to put our best foot forward for the Ashburton District.

“How we do that is still forming as we work to understand this process better and the pros and cons of each option available.”

The council will have a workshop May 20 to “discuss the reform and potential options”.

Ashburton’s options could be to take the leftovers of Selwyn or join with South Canterbury.

Timaru Mayor Nigel Bowen already indicated Timaru is interested in forming South Canterbury unitary council and “take greater control of our future".

Mackenzie is an obvious partner, with the two councils already locked in to form a joint water services organisation, and Waimate could be too.