Taupō and South Waikato councils prefer consultations over marriage proposals
Thursday, 25 June 2026
Taupō’s Te Papamārearea ward councillor Ngahuia Foreman has dubbed the frantic rush of council amalgamation talks (or speed dating) a quest to get “married in three months”.
The comparison comes after RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop set councils an ultimatum on May 5, asking for proposals on reform and saying: “Lead your own reform or we will do it for you.”
Bishop said change was needed because the local government system was “too complex, too costly, and too hard to navigate”.
Councils have the opportunity to get a “head start” through submitting an amalgamation proposal with two or more councils by August 9.
Read more:
Green pastures or blue waters? Thames-Coromandel shortlists three options for amalgamation
King Country councils already preparing for ‘forced amalgamation’
Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell recently swiped right on Taupō and South Waikato districts, confirming they were potential options for partnership, but her neighbouring counterparts have yet to reply.
Those councils said they’d prefer that their constituents highlight potential partners, similar to the approach taken by Thames-Coromandel District Council.
Taupō Mayor John Funnell has invited the community to have their say through an online survey and a series of public meetings.
“Your councillors and I need your input as we consider whether to submit a [head start] proposal to Government, and with who,” Funnell said.
While South Waikato has also yet to state who it wants to unite with, its website states it’s keen to submit a “Head Start” proposal, instead of waiting to see who is left over after the last dance.
The council invited residents to give feedback through an online survey as well.
The survey asked for the community’s view on a set of principles that elected members have drafted to guide the amalgamation discussions.
The council said on its website that it will further engage with the community after today’s council meeting, when potential merger options will be known.
“There’s a short window ahead of us coming back to the community with our preferred options,” Petley said.
Is doing nothing an option?
The ministers behind the reform, Bishop and Simon Watts, said the councils opting for the “Back Stop” option - those who don't do a Head Start proposal - will know their fates come 2027, with the final axe coming down from the 2028 elections.
When Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) Partnership director Vanessa Blakelock briefed Taupō District Council on June 9, she told them the 2028 elections would go on as normal.
“That will mean for those councils in Back Stop, the first time they will strike it in an election sense will be the 2031 elections.”
This sparked two reactions from councillors.
“That 2031 timeline is not found in any of those [DIA] policy documents,” Te Papamārearea ward councillor Wahine Murch said.
After the workshop, Taupō ward councillor Duncan Campbell wrote on his blog: “The surefire way for Taupō District Council to remain intact until 2031 is to just sit back and do nothing”.
A DIA spokesperson confirmed with Local Democracy Reporting that despite there being no mention of a 2031 implementation, the rollout of the Back Stop process is:
The details of the Back Stop process will be finalised in 2027.
Councils in Back Stop will use the current arrangements for the 2028 local elections.
The Back Stop process starts after the 2028 local elections.
The outcomes of that process would then be in place for the next local elections in 2031.
Can Taupō and South Waikato afford a wedding?
While Wellington promotes efficiency and reduced expenditure, the Taupō and South Waikato District Councils want to know the true costs of these marriages.
Mangakino-Poukani ward councillor Hope Woodward told Local Democracy Reporting that Wellington’s forced reforms had left her constituents concerned and confused.
“Main themes are concerns over debt, local representation loss, water services, [and] concern over inheriting other councils’ financial and infrastructure issues,” Woodward said.
They also told Woodward central government had overstepped its bounds.
Putāruru ward councillor Dave Shaw said while he opposes the reforms, if his council doesn’t come to the table, he is concerned they’ll end up on the menu.
“It is probably the case that local government needed a wake-up call,” Shaw said.
“But I can’t really see the logic in the establishment of larger unitary councils to manage waterways, coastlines and the environment in what may become a piecemeal approach.”
He said the soon-to-be-axed Waikato Regional Council seemed to be doing a reasonable job of executing those duties.
He also expressed doubts that a larger unitary authority could effectively preserve and exercise democracy at the small community level.
For the time being, it looks like the relationship status among Taupō, South Waikato and Rotorua councils is somewhere between single and it’s complicated.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.