‘Too important to be left to chance’: Wellington council amalgamation a step closer
Thursday, 11 December 2025
Wellington and Wairarapa mayors and the Greater Wellington Regional Council chairperson have announced they will be working together on options for amalgamation in the region.
However, this doesn’t mean the capital will become a super city any time soon.
Wellington Mayoral Forum chairperson - and the capital’s mayor - Andrew Little said the announcement was to let the public know that change would most likely be coming.
Recent central government policy announcements discussing reorganising local government had made this clear, he said, from proposing replacement of regional councillors with mayors; to prohibiting referenda, capping rates, and RMA reform.
Currently, it was unclear how this would affect local democracy services ‒ including Treaty of Waitangi obligations, fixing the pipes and the rates people pay, the mayor said.
However, it was clear the public had to be in the know, he said.
“This is me just saying we've got all this coming at us. It's going to fundamentally change what is required of councils, including the regional council.”
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The economic and infrastructure issues facing Wellington and Wairarapa were “too important to be left to chance” and local people should decide the future of their local governments, he said.
“Crucially, this includes putting forward our own proposal for how any council amalgamation could be achieved.
“We already share a number of services regionally, including water and public transport. More can be done, which is why mayors are jointly committed to getting on with a plan to see what is workable.”
The next step is Mayoral Forum members will seek a mandate from their respective councils in early 2026 to engage with all the political parties in Parliament, and to set up a project team to co-ordinate the work, which will include public consultation.
The week’s delay in sharing this information with the public was to allow the forum to inform their councillors and chief executives.
Under recently announced central government changes, it was unlikely that a referendum would be held regarding these changes ‒ however, the mayors wanted to make sure the option remained open.
Any associated costs would be worked out while developing a mandate, and would most likely be covered by ratepayers.
South Wairarapa mayor Dame Fran Wilde, who was elected the forum’s deputy chairperson, said it made sense to scale up the region’s resolve to share services and take the lead on options for its future.
“That could mean more use of shared services, or some amalgamation in Wairarapa and some amalgamation in Wellington. It’s an issue we haven’t looked at in a decade and now is the time.
“What’s essential is we embrace change locally and give local residents a genuine say, rather than having a form of change imposed on us.”
Local Government Minister Simon Watts said in a statement that the Government would not force council amalgamations, but would support regions exploring this option.
“It’s encouraging to see a number of regions - including Wellington - actively considering whether amalgamation could provide better outcomes for their communities.”