No time for full consultation as councils scramble to form amalgamation plans

Monday, 15 June 2026

Hamilton mayor Tim Macindoe said Hamiltonians can offer their feedback on amalgamation on its website until July 5. The council is not running any formal consultation process.

Councils in Waikato are scrambling to put together amalgamation plans before deadline day but say there won’t be time for formal public consultation.

With less than two months left for councils to submit their “Head Start” amalgamation proposals to central government - or face the prospect of having it done for them under the “Back Stop” process - they are trying to gather as much public feed-back as possible before the August 9 cut off.

Hamilton mayor Tim Macindoe said from June 12, Hamiltonians can submit their feedback via an online survey which will run until July 5.

Waikato District mayor Aksel Bech and his council have started informal consultation via its website.

“There’s a huge amount of work to do to compile and analyse the information around the three initial models we’re looking at, but also any other scenarios that may be explored as part of our process,” he said.

“I’m also mindful that partners across the region have different concerns, and as chair of the Waikato Mayoral Forum I remain committed to working constructively and respectfully … to develop a proposal that serves our diverse communities and delivers the best outcome for our city and region.”

Taupō mayor John Funnell said a community survey is available for residents on the council’s website and staff have held a range of engagement events around the district.

Taupō mayor John Funnell says his council has launched a community survey on options for amalgamation.

He said a Department of Internal Affairs’ partnership director told his council that more detailed community consultation is expected to take place after initial Head Start proposals are submitted.

“The timeframe … is extremely tight and that rules out running a full formal community consultation process at this time, however we are doing our best to gauge the community’s preferences and priorities via our survey and engagement events.”

The Waikato District Council has started a limited public consultation process via its website and is holding a series of pop-up events around the district this month.

The South Waikato District Council is setting up an oversight committee to handle its amalgamation process.

But the council’s lawyers warned the Head Start process has no specific legal framework and does not override the council's obligations under the Local Government Act.

Under the council's usual policies, a proposal as significant as local government reform would normally require full public consultation.

The advice also stated that any decision could be vulnerable to a judicial review if consultation requirements were not met.

Waipā mayor Mike Pettit said feedback from locals is being encouraged on the council’s website, and ends on June 28.

South Waikato mayor Gary Petley said ideally, his council would attempt some sort of consultation process but the standard month-long timeframe for formal public consultation would likely not be met.

Instead, Petley said his council would be forming an oversight committee made up of councillors, staff and an independent chairperson to gather feedback from the public, and information from other councils, to formulate a proposal.

“It makes it very difficult when we're already one month down the track and we still haven't got anything concrete.”

He said mayors told Local Government Minister Simon Watts they had “serious concerns around time frames” at a meeting held in Wellington.

“We haven't come up with any proposals yet, and that's one of the major issues.

“Getting those proposals in on time and making sure they fit the criteria will be hard enough.

“Ministerial staff will put all of that stuff together and make their recommendations to the government on what they think is worth ticking off or changing … and we won’t know their decision until September.

“We're still on the dance floor, and the only thing we know is when the band's going to stop playing - who we’re going to stand with, well, we are none the wiser.

“We're trying to do the best that we can, but if you get a half-arsed proposal they will use the Back Stop option and put you wherever they want you.”

Waipā mayor Mike Pettit said amalgamation was one of the most significant conversations for local government in a generation and “community feedback [is] critical before any decisions are made”.

He said no decisions had been made but he wanted locals to tell the council what matters most to them via its website before informal feedback closes on Sunday, June 28.

Waipā has put forward five options for the public to consider - from one Waikato unitary authority through to a “do nothing“ approach.

'There is no perfect option. Every potential arrangement comes with trade-offs around local voice, representation, affordability and regional coordination.

“That's why it's so important we hear from the people who live, work and invest in Waipā.'