Government reforms loom over council matters in Tararua

Thursday, 28 May 2026

Mayor Scott Gilmore pictured at a recent community meeting to discuss the future of the district under new reforms and to collect feedback from the public - many are calling him to fight the reform.

Navigating the “abolition” of local government is a key focus for council, with many reports and portfolio updates reflecting the undeniable prevalence of recent government reforms.

Scott Gilmore used his mayoral update at the recent Tararua District Council meeting to address a “diversity” of views from within the district which had met in agreement over shared frustration towards the short time frame communities had to understand and respond to the Head Start Pathway reform.

Gilmore who previously said the Government was “forcing shotgun weddings” through the reform, gave council and the public a heads-up for an upcoming report which would outline community feedback and provide an overview of how Tararua could approach the reform.

Across the eight community meetings in recent weeks, Gilmore said there were strong views from the public about the process “we’re being forced to take”.

“In some cases there’s been significant disappointment that’s turned into anger.”

Gilmore had outlined fighting the reform as a potential option, but said he wasn’t referring to protests or public display’s as the community had done previously to stop the new Te Ahu a Turanga highway from being tolled.

“It’s about pushing back for a better option.”

Tararua mayor interrupted councillor Peter Johns, pictured above, as Johns outlined his desire to fight against the government’s Head Start Pathway reform rather than waste time planning for something undesired.

Debates and discussions on the reform were to be held in public forums to ensure any direction taken was influenced by views within the district.

Councillor Peter Johns used question time following the mayoral update to express his disdain for the “nonsense” reform.

“We should fight it, not proceed on a basis of pretend.”

Gilmore interrupted Johns mid-sentence to ask Johns to save expressing his strong views for after he’d seen the community feedback and options within the upcoming report.

Johns went on to ask whether total rejection of the reform would be an option for the district council.

Gilmore confirmed that not partaking was one of six options which would be outlined in the coming weeks. However, what abstaining from the reform meant for Tararua was unclear.

Minister Chris Bishop pictured last September at a ribbon cutting ceremony for Tararua’s newest highway, Te Ahu a Turanga, after the community successfully protested to keep it toll free.

Through the reform’s legislation, rejecting the legislation entailed councils facing a ‘back stop’ process which would see mandatory reforms enforced in 2028.

The back stop process was called “heavy handed” by Manawatū mayor Michael Ford, a sentiment which was later supported by Rangitīkei mayor Andy Watson.

In the May 5 announcement of the reform, local government minister Simon Watts said “councils told us they want reform, but they also want a bigger role in shaping it. Head Start gives them that opportunity while keeping change moving”.

First term councillor Alison Amboy questioned whether Local Water Done Well reforms would be implicated or undone by the most recent local government reforms.

Aotearoa currently has 78 city and district councils, a structure which infrastructure and RMA reform minister Chris Bishop said was too often “tangled in duplication, disagreements, and decisions that defy common sense”.

On Wednesday, Tararua council was presented an update on the progress of its new inter-regional water services, Waitī Waters, but not without councillors raising the issue of local reforms in the process.

Leaking its way into discussions on Tararua, Masterton, Carterton and South Wairarapa’s Local Water Done Well scheme, councillor Alison Amboy questioned how the Head Start reform would impact services formed under previous government legislation.

Gilmore answered before Waitī Waters officials could respond, saying Amboy’s question was fair but he hoped newly-established entities would be appropriately managed regardless of ongoing uncertainty around local governance.

“My expectation, and probably the expectation of other councils, is that significant expense wasn’t put into managing an asset that was shortly to be moved off the books,” Gilmore said.

The new entity would go live and replace current water services by June 20, 2027. Waitī Waters was in its second stage, which focused on operational transitions.

These included developing pathways and plans for the transition of existing council services, staff, assets and existing debt, between the involved councils’ and iwi.

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