Canterbury mayors unite against being 'left behind' by rapid amalgamation

Monday, 1 June 2026

Canterbury’s mayors have agreed to explore a regional approach to developing a proposal.

Canterbury’s mayors and deputies are united in ensuring “no-one is left behind” when it comes to local government reform, the region’s mayoral forum chair Nigel Bowen says.

But Canterbury’s 10 councils are grappling with the pace of reform and trying to come up with future models with “imperfect information”, Bowen, who is also Timaru mayor, told The Press.

Councils across New Zealand have until August 9 to lodge amalgamation proposals with the Government, after it surprised local leaders in early May by fast-tracking local government reform.

If councils fail to come up with their own plan, the Government has warned it will do it for them.

The Canterbury Mayoral Forum, including 10 mayors from Kaikoura to Waitaki, Environment Canterbury chairman Deon Swiggs and Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Justin Tipa, met on Friday along with their deputies and chief executives, to discuss the reforms.

Timaru mayor Nigel Bowen says there is a genuine willingness from Canterbury mayors to work through the issues as a region.

The forum recommended its councils explore a regional approach to developing a proposal.

Bowen said mayors and deputies were genuine in wanting to get a solution that worked for all of Canterbury.

“That means that no-one’s left behind, that there’s no-one caught in the middle.”

He said there was a lot of goodwill and intention around getting a result for Canterbury.

But there was also concern within the forum about the pace of the reforms and the fact there were so many unknowns.

“We’re trying to look at a future model with imperfect information.”

The Canterbury Mayoral Form, Back row from left: Liz McMillan (Ashburton), Scott Aronsen (Mackenzie), Dan Gordon (Waimakariri), Craig Mackle (Kaikōura), Phil Mauger (Christchurch), Lydia Gliddon (Selwyn). Front row from left: Craig Rowley (Waimate), Marie Black, (Hurunui), Nigel Bowen (Timaru), Deon Swiggs (chairperson, ECan), Melanie Tavendale (Waitaki).

Some guidance had been released by the Government on Friday, so Bowen said he hoped that would help councils.

There would definitely be “consolidation of some description”, Bowen said, but it was too soon to say exactly where that would be.

Although he did say, consolidation would be an easier conversation in areas like South Canterbury where three councils have a combined population of 65,000, rather than in Christchurch, Selwyn and Ashburton.

“There’s lots of things to think through and we didn’t solve any of the hard problems, but I think there’s genuine willingness that we need to work through this as a wider group and get a result for the region.”

The forum noted there was likely to be more than one unitary authority proposed. A unitary authority combines the functions of a district or city council and a regional council.

Christchurch City Council has already expressed an interest in becoming a unitary authority.

Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger said in May, his council would not try to strong-arm its neighbours in Selwyn and Waimakariri into creating a super city.

There has been some concern about how the reforms will impact democracy especially in smaller communities, but Bowen said there were real opportunities here to “do democracy better”.