Mayor fears local democracy at risk with government reform

Saturday, 23 May 2026

Rangitīkei mayor Andy Watson is concerned a larger council will result in decisions being made by people without a close relationship to the townships making up the district. (File photo)

The Government is expecting councils to make crucial decisions on the future of local democracy without giving communities time to properly respond, warns the mayor of Rangitīkei District.

Andy Watson joined the mayors of Manawatū and Tararua in criticising the reforms, with the latter, Scott Gilmore, saying the Government was 'forcing shotgun weddings between councils'.

Under the Head Start reforms, announced earlier this month, councils have until August 9 to present a proposal on new, larger unitary authorities to replace councils across Aotearoa.

Watson said expecting councils to produce proposals to “fit within a political cycle” was deeply concerning, adding, the Government was prioritising a reduction in the number of councils rather than addressing the challenges councils faced.

Councils that missed the deadline, didn’t wish to engage in the reform, or had proposal rejected, faced a “backstop process”.

The Government could then force reforms, with changes to be implemented ahead of the 2028 local elections.

The proposed time frame given to councils through the Head Start Pathway reform is made to “fit within a political cycle”, says Watson.

Watson agreed with Manawatū mayor Michael Ford in calling the backstop process “heavy-handed”. Both mayors signalled larger councils could be a threat to local decision-making.

Watson said his council would not allow decisions on the district to be made by outsiders or “for Rangitīkei to simply be absorbed into something larger without a strong voice at the table”.

“Local democracy is not just about administrative efficiency. It is about representation, accountability, and building strong, resilient communities.”

Watson said the only silver-lining of this reform was it gave the district an opportunity to be clear about who they were and what they stood for.

Community meetings would be held across Rangitīkei in June to give locals an opportunity to help shape the district’s future and learn about the reforms.

Tararua mayor Scott Gilmore speaking to Woodville residents at a community meeting to discuss the Head Start Pathway reform.

“I am hopeful the meetings will give council greater clarity about where our communities see potential future partnerships. Rangitīkei sits in the middle of a number of iwi areas and water catchments, which makes our position especially complex.”

The first of the Tararua community meetings took place this week, with roughly 100 residents gathering in Woodville and another 200 meeting in Dannevirke to learn about the reform and offer feedback.

Gilmore guided the group kōrero and presented options the community could support in response to the reform – including joining with bigger councils such as Wairarapa, Hawke's Bay or Horizons, not partaking in the reform entirely, or fighting for a better option.

Gilmore told Local Democracy Reporting the consistent message from meetings so far was a sense of disappointment and frustration from the public towards the short time-frame for reform proposals.

“There is a real concern the Government is forcing shotgun weddings between councils without communities having confidence in what the end result looks like, or whether it will actually be more efficient.”

So far, the public had prioritised keeping key decisions close to the people they would shape and impact, Gilmore said.

The Government's reforms aimed to create larger, more efficient unitary authorities that streamlined functions, reduced duplication, and improved decision-making.

“New Zealand’s local government system is too complex, too costly, and too hard to navigate,” said RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop when announcing the policy.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.