Three Northland councils vote to merge, but Kaipara still not keen

Saturday, 18 July 2026

Three out of four Northland councils have voted to merge into one region-wide local authority in a two-stage process spread over several years – and the fourth may yet be forced to join them.

Councils around the country have been hastily debating amalgamation following an ultimatum from the government, which wants to simplify local government by slashing the number of councils and the current plethora of planning rules.

Councils that did not “voluntarily” come up with their own merger plan would have one imposed by the government ahead of the 2028 local elections.

On Thursday the Far North District Council and the Northland Regional Council chose a “staged approach” as their preferred option, lining up with a Whangārei District Council decision on Monday.

If it went ahead, Whangārei and Kaipara district councils would be the first to merge, while the Far North would become a standalone unitary authority.

Both new councils would take on the existing functions of the Northland Regional Council.

At a later date – initially put at 10 years away, but that could be shortened – the Whangārei-Kaipara and Far North councils would merge into one Northland-wide body.

Council staff are now refining the plan to have it ready by the government's August 9 deadline for so-called “Head Start” proposals.

However, it remains to be seen whether government would accept the staged approach, which an independent report found would add costs and complexity.

The other unknown was the future status of Kaipara – councillors in the smallest of Northland's three districts voted unanimously on Wednesday not to join the other councils' merger plan.

'We want to be on the waka'

Even the three councils opting to go with the government's Head Start programme did so with serious reservations about the rushed timeline.

Far North Mayor Moko Tepania, whose council was the last of the four to debate the issue, said he was “stuck between a rock and a hard place”.

The government's reforms would usher in “a generational change”, the likes of which was last seen when four counties and two boroughs combined to form the Far North District Council in 1989.

However, the tight timeframe meant there was no time for detailed analysis or proper consultation.

The council could refuse to take part in the process - but then the government would decide its future.

“We want to be on the waka. I want to be a part of the detailed design. I don't want to leave it to central government,” Tepania said.

“This gives me my ticket to be on the bus, even if it is a hōhā (annoying) bus, to be able to be part of those conversations.”

Tepania said his initial preference was for a single Northland council.

However, he had since been persuaded to back the two-step approach, because it would allow more time for consultation and making evidence-backed decisions.

“I've come around to it because it gives time to work with people, and to make sure we get the transition right.”

The mayor likened it to the story of the demigod Māui slowing down the sun, because it was racing so fast across the sky his whānau had no time to finish their daily tasks.

Councillor John Vujcich said the government's justifications of greater simplicity, efficiency and accountability were “soundbites without evidence”.

Of the four options considered by councillors, the staged approach was the most responsible and prudent, because it allowed time to work through the detail and make the right decisions.

Vujcich was concerned there was no mention of preserving the Far North's Māori wards in any of the options, despite being the outcome of a binding referendum.

Councillor Ann Court said her biggest worry was the cost, given that Auckland's supercity merger ended up costing hundreds of millions of dollars more than expected.

She opposed the staged approach, saying it risked greater costs and delays.

“If reform is inevitable we should choose the option that is simplest … We're asking the community to sign a blank cheque for a process whose cost is unknown and whose outcome is uncertain.”

Councillor Davina Smolders also backed a one-step, Northland-wide merger.

“If we know where we want to end up, why don't we go there directly? Option 4 (the two-step merger) delays the end point we're seeking. It's the same end point, with extra uncertainty and extra costs.”

Councillor Tāmati Rākena said the council was being forced to make a major decision in an extremely short timeframe, leaving little chance for analysis or consultation.

“I won't be rushed, I won't accept that speed is more important than making the right decision.”

Rākena abstained, with seven voting for the staged approach and three against.

Far North district councillors debate their options for local government reform.

'By Northland, for Northland'

Earlier in the day, the Northland Regional Council also voted for a staged transition to a single region-wide council.

Chairman Pita Tipene said that would provide a pathway towards greater regional integration, while allowing extra time to work through complex design matters.

Importantly, it would also allow “quality time” to consult with Northlanders.

Tipene said councillors wanted to make sure any local government reorganisation was done on a “by Northland, for Northland” basis.

“We'd rather design something for Northland along with our fellow councils than have something designed for us in Wellington,” he said.

Whangārei District councillors voted unanimously on Monday to back the staged approach.

Mayor Ken Couper said a single, Northland-wide unitary authority sat best with the direction given by the government.

Getting there via a staged approach gave councils a chance to “slow down, do this properly, and give our communities as much opportunity as possible to move with us”.

“People want local voices to remain strong and they want to understand how any future changes would benefit their communities. Those discussions will continue as the proposal is developed,” he said.

'Not enough evidence'

Meanwhile, Kaipara District councillors have voted not to be part of the amalgamation proposal agreed by the three other councils.

Their vote, held in Dargaville on Wednesday, was also unanimous.

Mayor Jonathan Larsen said his councillors supported reducing duplication and improving regional coordination among Northland's councils.

However, he believed that could be achieved with three unitary councils, based on the current district council boundaries, sharing the delivery of regional services.

“We think Northland can work more closely together without losing local decision making,” he said.

“Kaipara is a largely rural district. We don't have a city centre. We're also in a much better position than our neighbours in terms of debt per rateable property. There's not enough evidence of benefits, or what improvements there would be, if Kaipara was to merge with our neighbours that have very different characteristics.”

Larsen said his councillors also believed a voluntary proposal should not be submitted without backing from all affected councils.

However, a spokesman for the newly created Ministry for Cities, Environment and Transport said any two or more territorial authorities representing a council or population majority could submit a plan.

Proposals did not require the support of all affected councils, he said.

More than 2300 people Northland-wide responded to public surveys about amalgamation, and consultancy firm Morrison Low produced a 100-page report spelling out the region's merger options.

The four options were a single unitary authority; a single unitary authority with community councils; two unitary authorities; and a staged transition, where two unitary authorities are set up first, then merged at a later date.

The options were discussed by the Taitokerau Local Government Reform Elected Member Steering Group, bringing together members of each council and chaired by Mayor Couper, which settled on a staged transition as its preferred option.

If the Northland proposal was accepted by the government, it would be subject to further analysis, detailed design and public consultation later this year and in early 2027.

'A whip with a carrot picture on it'

Three people gave passionate deputations ahead of the Far North District Council meeting on Thursday.

All three voiced concerns about what they felt was an unrealistic timeframe, and the effects centralised decision-making could have on small, remote communities.

Mina Pomare-Peita, principal of Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Panguru, feared amalgamation would be another case of Māori being “twinked out”, or made invisible, by the current government.

Dallas King, kaikōrero for Hokianga hapū Ngāti Hau and Ngāti Kaharau, recalled the loss of local representation and local jobs in the 1989 amalgamation.

She was worried that recent gains, such as the Far North's Māori wards, could be lost under the “voluntary” restructuring.

“Of all the options, option four (the two-step approach) looks like the best of a bad bunch, but it's still a whip with a carrot picture on it,” she said.

Te Taitokerau MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi said Northlanders weren't opposed to change, but they wanted to see evidence about who would benefit, and whether those benefits would be shared equally across the region.