Taupō District Council keeps its reform options open

Thursday, 14 May 2026

Taupō mayor John Funnell says his council has a wide range of potential options for council amalgamation.

Despite concerns about tight timeframes, the Taupō District Council will investigate options to create a new unitary authority, but where and who with is yet to be determined.

Last week, the Government announced sweeping plans to reform local government, giving councils two options - the Head Start pathway, which gives councils three months to develop amalgamation proposals - and a Back Stop process, where the government would ensure reform happens, or as Cabinet Minister Chris Bishop put it - “reform, or we will do it for you”.

A unitary authority is a local government body that combines the functions of both a regional council and one or more district or city councils.

The Taupō District Council leases its offices from the Tuwharetoa Maori Trust Board.

Taupō mayor John Funnell is concerned about the timeframe councils have been given to submit a proposal but said that needed to be weighed up against the risk of waiting.

He said an investigation into the Head Start pathway will involve assessing what the possible options for a unitary authority might look like, how its communities will be represented, and whether it would be the best pathway forward.

Funnell said the Head Start option “seems like the least risky choice at this time”.

“This doesn’t necessarily mean we will go ahead with Head Start, but waiting for the back stop process means we may potentially end up in a place that’s not in the best interests of our district and our people.

“The councillors and I believe it’s in the best interest of our communities to investigate options now rather than be forced into an arrangement determined by the Government.”

The Taupō district shares borders with seven district councils - Rotorua, Whakatane, South Waikato, Waitomo, Ruapehu, Rangitīkei and Hastings - and spans parts of four regional councils - Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Hawke’s Bay and Horizons.

The Waikato Regional Council has also expressed its preference for a single unitary council for the region.

Funnell said there were no preferred partners at this time, but due to Taupō’s location, “we have more options available to us compared with some other councils - that’s why we don’t have a preference at this stage”.

“My colleagues at the council table and I have a lot of questions yet to be answered about the process, let alone which option is right for us and where we might wind up.

“At this stage … it’s a case of we have to … we genuinely don’t know or have any particular preferences for amalgamation.

“But make no mistake, our concerns about this incredibly squeezed time frame still remain. Three months is nowhere near enough time to consult with our communities and iwi partners.”

Funnell said any actual changes to council arrangements will not be in place until at least the 2028 local body elections, and council will continue with its normal business.

“I want to reassure people that the interests of the Taupō district, and its people, remain at the forefront of our thinking.”