Rehette Stoltz: LGNZ President on the next steps for local councils after amalgamation deadline reached

The deadline for local councils to submit their amalgamation plans was yesterday, and Local Government New Zealand is calling for clarity on the next steps.

In May, the Government gave councils three months to come up with proposals on how leadership in their regions should be reshaped - with 48 councils submitting Head Start proposals and 17 abstaining.

LGNZ President and Gisborne mayor Rehette Stoltz says the organisation would love to have clarity on the next phase of this plan, given some councils didn't participate.

"We now know that several councils have not participated, for whatever reason. They did try, but also, some councils like Gisborne and other unitary authorities did not have to take part in the Head Start. So we would love to have clarity about that."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Pressing the newsmakers to get the real story. It's Heather
Duplessy allan Drive with One New Zealand awarded New Zealand's
best mobile network News Talks Envy.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Good afternoon. The deadline for councils to submit their amalgamation
plans was last night. At last count forty eight councils
were planning to submit a plan and seventeen were planning
to abstain. And now the decision on what actually happens
is up to central government. A headstarts as the President
of Local Government New Zealand and of course the Mayor
of Gisbon and with us hide ahead. Hi, Heather, those
numbers correct well?

Speaker 3 (00:33):
At this stage we do know that I think your
numbers are approximately correct. We do need to first find
out from MSERT who they submitted it to which ones
will be accepted. Some councils might have been part of
two of those submissions, so the numbers the clarity, and
that will come out later in the week from the government.

Speaker 2 (00:51):
Why would any council abstain?

Speaker 3 (00:54):
So every single council participated, but some councils just could
not get it across the line either with their neighbors
or after they've spoken to their communities they decided not
to be part of the heat start process. Because we
do need to remember this is a two pronged process.
Some councils can take part in the head start process,
but there is also the backstop process, which include unitary

(01:16):
authorities like gispin to then later become part of this process.

Speaker 2 (01:20):
Is it not, okay? Just explain. The head start process
is simply you yourself decide what's going to happen to you.
You submit your plans. The backstop processes you haven't submitted
any plans, The government decides what it's doing to.

Speaker 3 (01:31):
You at this stage. That is what the government has
told us what we are asking them. We now know
that several councils have not participated for whatever reason. They
did try, but also, like I say, councils like gispon
and other unitary authorities did not have to take part
in the heat start So we would love to have
clarity about that what that backstop process mean, and also

(01:54):
ask us about that.

Speaker 2 (01:56):
Have you heard from any councils that they are going
to flat out refuse to comply with anything that's done
to them.

Speaker 3 (02:04):
No, I have. I'm really proud that the government put
out the challenge for us and it is a once
in a generation reform and every single mayor and council
and chair took part in some way. Like I say,
some could get it across the line for a hit start,
some just could not get there. Some were involved where
a neighbor might include you. You might not agree with that,

(02:26):
but every single council took part in this. But some
submitted and some are then going to take part in
the backstop.

Speaker 1 (02:33):
Right.

Speaker 2 (02:33):
So now that we've all submitted and we've all you know,
or at least some of some of them have submitted,
the government's going to decide by the end of September
what happens, what happens then that ahead, how long is
it going to take? How long are they going to
give you to actually make that plan happen.

Speaker 3 (02:49):
So here that this I need to make it clear.
This is a government process and we have now answered
the call. We have leaned in and we would love
the clarity to know what are the next steps. We
do know that the government is going to closely work
with those head start proposals and see how that can
be rolled out, because that is complex as well. Let's

(03:10):
think about Auckland. We it cost one hundred million dollars
to amalgamate the councils. But what we are asking for
now is for the government to give us for those
backstop councils. But most importantly for the government which we
are asking for now, they can help us right now
by changing some legislation because here they're thirty one of

(03:31):
those councils who are either in regional councils all part
of the head Start are legally required to at this
stage consult with their communities about representation, review what their
council would look like after twenty twenty eight, and they
will not exist. So it's a waste of asking that.
It's an absolute waste of money and time of our community.

(03:53):
So we are calling on the government to step in
and help us spend great payers money wisely.

Speaker 2 (03:58):
Right well, that's a fair question a lot as Nichola
willis on your behalf after six o'clock when she's with us.
Thanks very much, Rheit stalts our local government. New Zealand
President and Mayor of Gisbonell.

Speaker 1 (04:07):
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