A Community Feedback Report has been released for the West Coast Local Government Reform Head Start Project, marking the completion of the first phase of community engagement. The report summarises views from communities across Buller, Grey, and Westland collected through 196 submissions and seven drop-in sessions held during a month-long engagement process. Project Lead Ashley Stuart said the report confirms that while people hold different views on how local government should be organised, there is strong agreement about desired outcomes including strong local representation, affordable local government, resilient infrastructure, and services that meet community needs.
The feedback consistently highlighted that local voice and community identity must be protected, and that any reform must deliver clear, long-term benefits for the West Coast. Communities indicated they are willing to continue discussions about reform, with many considering it overdue, but they want robust evidence that proposed changes would deliver better outcomes than current arrangements. The report identifies common themes while also recognising different perspectives expressed across the three districts.
The release of the report marks the transition from community engagement to developing the region’s Outline Proposal for council consideration. The proposal will not determine the final structure of local government on the West Coast but will instead set out a direction for further investigation and identify the financial, operational, governance, and representation work needed before a final model could be considered.
The Outline Proposal will be considered by councils on 3 and 4 August, prior to the Government’s deadline of 9 August. The project team thanked all participants for their contributions through submissions, online feedback, and community drop-in sessions, noting that the feedback provides an invaluable foundation for the next stage of the project and helps ensure the Outline Proposal is informed by community priorities.
Read the full article at Westland District Council – News →
Source: Westland 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.
