The Environmental Defence Society is urging caution following today’s announcement by Local Government Minister Simon Watts and Resource Management Reform Minister Chris Bishop that local government is in for the biggest shakeup since 1989.

The government is seeking feedback on a two-stage proposal for change. The first stage would see regional councils disappear and be replaced by a Combined Territories Board. This would be made up of district mayors within a region. A regional level of local government would still exist, but its governance would no longer be separately or directly elected.

The second stage would see the Boards create a regional reorganisation plan. This would, within two years, outline a plan for how all councils in a region would evolve. The plan would be guided by statutory criteria and could involve anything from shared services to unitisation.

Consultation on the proposals is open until February 2026. The government then plans to introduce legislation in 2026, with enactment in 2027 after the general election.

“Boards that are made up of mayors who will have many other priorities, including strong development imperatives and local priorities, does not sound like a good way forward. Direct democratic accountability for environmental outcomes would be weakened if regions are not elected directly,” says Gary Taylor, EDS CEO.

A summary of regional council functions is here