Rotorua looks to the Waikato for council amalgamations

Wednesday, 3 June 2026

Rotorua’s mayor says amalgamation with two smaller Waikato-based councils would be a natural fit but the mayors of Taupō and the South Waikato say they’re not so sure and want to keep their options open.

In early May, the Government announced plans for a complete overhaul of the local government sector, telling councils to “put forward proposals to simplify and strengthen local government in their regions” or it would do it for them.

The proposal would spell the end of regional councils as well.

Tania Tapsell said she had been in talks with Taupō mayor John Funnell and South Waikato mayor Gary Petley suggesting they shared “communities of interest” and “commonalities in our economy, such as forestry, geothermal, farming, and tourism”.

Tapsell said she was keen to hear from locals about how Rotorua could manage amalgamation which could be “a game changer in terms of resetting boundaries that makes sense to us”.

She said other councils in the Bay of Plenty could easily form “natural alliances”, such as Kawerau, Whakatane and Ōpōtiki on the East Coast, and in the west Tauranga and Western Bay of Plenty, but she was “a little bit hesitant to go with any larger councils”.

“This is really an opportunity for us to reset, not only the way we do things, but where we do things,” she said.

Funnell said his council would look into Tapsell’s proposal but “we're not in a position to agree to anything”.

“I think it's a bit presumptuous to say that she's taking us over, but that's what she'd like to do.

“We’d rather look around the entire region to see what's there … everything's an option.

“Tania's got some advantages, she's got some disadvantages as well, but we're happy to hear from her.”

Funnell said he did not have a personal view regarding which councils could work with Taupō in future.

“That’s really down to what is the view of our councillors, and what matters to the public … it's far too early to jump to any conclusions.

“It's good to know where she stands, but I'm personally talking to all the surrounding mayors to the south, north, and west of us … we do have a few options, but the minister made it clear you could go anywhere in New Zealand, it doesn’t have to be a neighbour.”

Petley said he had discussed the proposal with Tapsell and Funnell, but his council “don't want to leave any stone unturned” in terms of amalgamation options.

“We've also had discussions with Hauraki and Matamata-Piako as well but we'll just see how those pan out.

“We're all on the dance floor, but we haven't picked our final, long-term dance partner yet.

“We overlap with a number of councils … we need to make sure we all get it right.”