Amalgamation is a lot more complex than simply joining with neighbouring councils. As structures change, there can be no gaps in delivery and no loss of what keeps our communities safe, writes Dr Deon Swiggs, Chair of Canterbury Regional Council and LGNZ Regional Sector.
Local government reform is no longer something on the horizon. We are already nearly two months into the Government’s tight submission timeframe and, across Canterbury and around the country, councils are actively working through what change will mean for our communities, our people, and the essential services we deliver.
The Government has set a clear direction for ‘Simplifying Local Government’, including a three-month window for councils to voluntarily put forward proposals for future structures (named ‘Head Start’). If councils decide against this timeframe, Ministers have signalled they will determine the next steps through the ‘Back Stop’ process. The direction of travel is clear: the Government is favouring unitary authorities that combine regional and territorial council functions.
What’s less clear, and where regional councils have a critical role to play, is ensuring that in the push toward new structures, we don’t lose sight of what must endure.
Life-saving functions
Because the work we do matters. From a regional council perspective, many of our functions are not just important, they are lifesaving. Flood protection, emergency management, biosecurity, environmental regulation, and public transport are not abstract policy areas. They are the systems that protect homes, support livelihoods, and keep communities safe.
In a region like Canterbury, those functions operate across interconnected catchments, landscapes, and communities. Rivers do not follow district boundaries, nor do the risks we manage. That’s why these services have evolved at a regional, catchment-wide scale – because that’s what effective delivery requires.
While regional councils cannot submit Head Start proposals themselves, we do have a clear responsibility in this moment. Our role is to ensure that whatever comes next, whether that is one unitary authority or several, those core, catchment-wide functions are fully understood, properly provided for, and set up to succeed.
District and city councils, when planning any future unitary authorities, need to be clear about what these functions involve, the scale they operate at, and the consequences of getting them wrong. These aren’t optional add-ons. They are fundamental to the wellbeing, resilience, and safety of our communities.
Retaining local voice
We also have a responsibility to carry forward the knowledge, capability, and systems that underpin this work. Years of investment, science, planning, and partnership sit behind how we manage natural resources and risks. Reform should build on that foundation, not take us backward.
In Canterbury, that also means protecting the quality of relationships and statutory partnerships with mana whenua. These relationships are not administrative conveniences. They are central to freshwater management, biodiversity protection, climate resilience, planning, and emergency response.
At the centre of this conversation is a simple but critical principle: local voice must not be lost. Communities across the country have distinct identities, priorities, and challenges. Any future structure must reflect that diversity and keep decision-making connected to the people it affects. Without that, reform risks losing legitimacy and public support.
Risks of rushing
Timing is a key concern. There are only six weeks left until the Head Start deadline, and meaningful engagement with communities, mana whenua, and stakeholders takes time. Engagement is not a box-ticking exercise, it is essential to building durable solutions that communities understand and support. A rushed process risks poor outcomes, and the implications of these decisions will be felt for decades. If we get this wrong, we may well be revisiting the same issues in ten years’ time, having spent substantial public money in the process.
All of this reform work is happening in an environment that is already under pressure. We are managing tight economic conditions fuelled by international geopolitical unrest and more frequent and severe weather extremes. While floods have caused havoc across parts of the country this year, Canterbury has also experienced exceptionally dry conditions, creating real pressure for communities, rural areas, and water users.
Getting the transition right
Importantly, local government reform is happening alongside significant changes to the Resource Management Act, and the merger of several central government agencies that are tasked to look after these systems. Individually, each of these changes would be significant. Together, they represent an unprecedented level of complexity.
And still, the work must go on. We are already preparing our 2027–37 Long Term Plans, even though the organisations delivering them may look very different or may not exist in their current form at all. That is the reality we are working in.
But it is also why getting the transition right matters so much. We need to ensure continuity, protect capability, and support our people. Amalgamation is a lot more complex than simply joining with neighbouring councils. As structures change, there can be no gaps in delivery and no loss of what keeps our communities safe.
Leadership in this environment is not straightforward. Our communities have entrusted us to make good decisions, often with uncertainty and under pressure. The best thing we can do is stay grounded in what we can control and do that exceptionally well.
That means continuing to deliver, continuing to plan and continuing to work together across councils, with mana whenua and with central government to shape practical, durable solutions.
Continuity matters
A simpler, more integrated system has the potential to improve outcomes if it is designed carefully and informed by the reality on the ground. Regional and territorial councils have different statutory roles, so the level of duplication is sometimes overstated. But there is still room to streamline decision-making, improve coordination, and make the system easier for communities to navigate.
The key will be to approach change pragmatically, recognising the Government’s direction while ensuring any solutions are workable, evidence-based, and grounded in the realities of each region.
Through all of this, one principle remains constant: the work itself does not go away. Flood protection must still be delivered. Biosecurity threats must still be managed. Public transport networks must still operate. Reform is about who delivers these services – not whether they are delivered.
That is why continuity matters. Regional councils will remain focused on delivering for our communities and our environment. We will work closely with our partner councils, mana whenua, and central government to help shape practical and enduring solutions.
Local voice is not optional. Neither is resilience. And neither is the work itself. As we navigate what comes next, our job is to make sure all three endure.