Gisborne District Council is seeking community feedback on the Government’s local government reform programme, specifically to understand what Te Tairāwhiti residents value in their council arrangements. Mayor Rehette Stoltz has emphasised that no amalgamation or governance changes are currently being proposed for the region. The Council agreed on 25 June to begin early exploratory discussions prompted by the Government’s Head Start pathway for local government reform.
Gisborne is already a unitary authority, responsible for both regional and district council functions, and is therefore not required to participate in the Government’s Head Start process. However, Mayor Stoltz says the Council wants to ensure Te Tairāwhiti has a voice in any future national reform discussions rather than having decisions shaped without local input. At this stage, the Council is only seeking views and gathering information from the community.
Community feedback will be gathered online, and direct discussions will also take place with iwi and hapū, Wairoa District Council, and Opotiki District Council. Residents are being asked to share views on what should be protected in any future council arrangements, what could be improved if councils worked differently, any concerns about possible changes, and key issues such as local decision-making, services, rates, infrastructure, environmental management, emergency resilience, and regional collaboration.
The community perspectives gathered will help inform any future discussions about local government reform in the region. Feedback received will be summarised and reported back to Council later this year, ensuring that any potential changes are shaped by local views and priorities rather than imposed from elsewhere.
Read the full article at Gisborne District Council News →
Source: Gisborne District Council News. This summary was published by Input Ltd via amalgamation.nz, New Zealand’s central resource for local government amalgamation news and council merger updates.
