- Biggest overhaul of NZ local government in over 30 years.
- Regional councils will be abolished and replaced with new governing bodies.
New Zealand’s local government system is facing its most significant shake-up in more than thirty years. The Government has unveiled a major legislative proposal, Simplifying Local Government, that would make far-reaching changes to how our regions are governed.
Under this proposal, regional councillors will be replaced by a new governing body. The government’s preferred model is 11 Combined Territories Boards (CTBs), consisting of teams of mayors.
What exactly will a CTB do?
CTBs will inherit all the governance roles, functions, and obligations that regional councils and councillors have now, such as:
- managing rivers, lakes, the coastal marine area, and air quality.
- implementing any Treaty settlement commitments that are administered by regional councils.
- managing assets.
- regional transport planning.
- civil defence and emergency management.
- environmental regulation and resource management.
How will CTBs work in practice?
The CTBs will be required to comply with all existing provisions of the Local Government Act 2002 and will be required to make decisions in the regional interest (not just one community), as regional councils do now.
They will be able to establish committees on the same basis as they do currently. City and district councillors will be able to be appointed to committees by their mayor, as delegates. This will help split the workload between the mayor and other councillors. Any committees established under a Treaty settlement would remain in place. This will explicitly include a provision for carrying over Treaty settlements that impose obligations on a regional council.
The CTBs would also be responsible under the government's Resource Management Act reforms for developing the region-wide spatial plan chapter and a national environment plan chapter to be included in the combined regional plans.
The development of a Regional Reorganisation Plan
In addition to handling the business of regional councils, the CTBs would be tasked with developing a "Regional Reorganisation Plan" to reorganise their councils' long-term structures. It is proposed that this plan would outline how councils can collaborate to deliver services more effectively and efficiently. The Minister of Local Government will make decisions on these plans in accordance with nationally consistent criteria. He/she will need to consider independent advice from the Local Government Commission before deciding. The draft proposal says that this provides an impartial check on whether plans meet statutory requirements for efficiency, representation, and Treaty compliance.
Other options are to be considered
While a CTB composed of mayors is the government’s preferred approach, it is considering alternative options for structuring regional decision-making in the short term. To ensure the system works in practice, they are seeking views on alternative options that include a stronger role for the Crown. This includes three options for a Crown Commissioner on the CTB:
- Observer only: Crown Commissioner has no vote
- Veto power: Crown Commissioner can override CTB decisions
- Majority vote: Crown Commissioner has more than half the votes on the CTB, with the remaining votes distributed among the mayors.
Another alternative option is to have no CTB at all and to appoint Crown Commissioners (Government appointees rather than elected representatives) to lead regional councils through the regional reorganisation plan.
N.B. The involvement of Crown Commissioners could mean either less or no local voice.
For a comprehensive understanding of the proposals, please read the discussion document, Simplifying Local Government: Draft Proposal.
This document is organised into four main parts:
- Part A: provides background information
- Part B: sets out how the proposal will simplify local government (including decision-making used for systems like transport and resource management)
- Part C: sets out how the proposal will improve local government
- Part D: sets out the proposal’s impacts on Māori representation
The continuation of provision for Māori rights and interests is a key feature.
The proposal places significant emphasis on Māori rights and interests. Under the new framework, existing arrangements for Māori engagement and participation would remain unchanged. This includes:
• appointments to council committees,
• participation in joint committees,
• involvement in joint entities established through Treaty settlements,
• membership of advisory groups.
These mechanisms will continue to operate alongside any new structural changes.
Have your say — public consultation is now open.
The Government is seeking feedback on its Simplifying Local Government proposals, and this is our opportunity to influence the direction of reforms that will shape how our communities are governed. Your voice can help refine the proposal before final decisions are made.
Submissions close 20 February 2026 - don’t miss this chance to be heard.
Visit the Department of Internal Affairs website to learn more and make your submission.
Opinion
- Michael Laws, former Whanganui mayor and long-time councillor on the Otago Regional Council, comments on the local government changes and why they don’t go far enough. Click HERE to view his commentary on The Platform.
- NZ Initiative: Dr Eric Crampton - Regional councils shake-up an opportunity for reinvention
Media coverage
RNZ: No more regional councils - major shake-up of local government announced