Simplifying Local Government

The Government has confirmed that Cabinet will not make decisions on individual Head Start proposals until after the general election. In a letter to mayors and chief executives on 24 September, Local Government Minister Simon Watts and RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop said officials will work with councils, iwi, hapū and stakeholders to resolve common design issues before reform decisions are made.

Stratford and South Taranaki District Councils submitted a joint outline proposal on 7 August for two unitary councils covering Taranaki, shaped by the 633 people who completed our community survey and those who spoke at our public forum.

Council sees this as a delay rather than a change in direction, as the Government has confirmed regional councillors will not be elected at the 2028 local elections, so this conversation will return.

In the meantime, it's business as usual, with no changes to services, rates, representation or staffing. We'll keep you updated here as we hear more.

South Taranaki District Council and Stratford District Council have submitted a joint outline proposal to Government for two unitary councils covering Taranaki, through the Government’s Head Start pathway for simplifying local government. The decision was made at South Taranaki District Council’s Extraordinary Council meeting on Monday and Stratford District Council’s Extraordinary Council meeting on Tuesday last week (3 and 4 August).

The proposal would see the South Taranaki District Council and Stratford District Council amalgamate to form one unitary authority, taking on both district council and relevant regional council functions for southern and central Taranaki. It assumes New Plymouth district would form a separate unitary authority or another appropriate structure, with some region-wide functions managed through shared regional governance arrangements.

Unitary councils combine the responsibilities currently carried out by district or city councils and regional councils.

South Taranaki District Mayor Phil Nixon says the proposal reflects a strong and consistent message from the south and central Taranaki communities, iwi partners and key stakeholders that local voice, local decision-making, and local control over the services provided must be protected through any future local government changes.

“Our community has been very clear. People understand change is coming, but they do not want south or central Taranaki’s voice to be lost in a single, region-wide council,” says Mayor Nixon.

Mayor Nixon’s comments were supported by strong community feedback which saw 1,392 responses being received through South Taranaki’s Head Start survey, with an overwhelming 94% supporting a two-council model for the region. Stratford District Council’s survey reflected similar results with 83% of the 633 responses also supporting a two-council regional model.

“These results gave us a clear mandate to take the next step and submit a locally led proposal to Government. Our proposal supports change where change is required, but it also recognises that Taranaki is not one single community with one set of needs, priorities or interests.”

Stratford District Mayor Neil Volzke says the two councils have worked together to develop a credible outline proposal that responds to the Government’s objectives while prioritising the unique identity and aspirations that Stratford and South Taranaki communities hold.

“We believe this proposal offers a practical, locally led opportunity to simplify governance, strengthen service capability, and improve accountability while retaining the local representation our communities value. It sets out a realistic pathway for change, grounded in existing relationships, community support, and a shared commitment to better outcomes.”

Local authorities had until 9 August 2026 to submit outline proposals for new unitary councils as part of the Government’s Head Start pathway. The South Taranaki and Stratford proposal has been developed as a locally led response to that process.

Mayors Nixon and Volzke stressed their Councils’ outline proposal does not make any immediate changes to services, rates, representation, or staffing.

“Our proposal will go to Cabinet for a decision, and we expect to hear back from Government sometime in September on the outcome. If our outline proposal gets approval, we then have around six months to develop a more detailed proposal. That’s when the hard work really begins,” says Mayor Nixon.

Mayor Volzke said the Council appreciates that New Plymouth District Council has been considering its own position on local government reform and we remain committed to maintaining a constructive regional dialogue throughout the process.

“For us it is important that existing regional functions continue to be delivered efficiently. For some services, this may be via the new unitary council, but for other services a regional approach may be required to achieve the best outcomes for the people and environment of Taranaki,” he said.

South Taranaki and Stratford District Councillors voted this week to support a proposal for two unitary councils covering Taranaki as part of the Government’s Head Start pathway for simplifying local government.

The preferred option was for the South Taranaki District Council and Stratford District Council to amalgamate to form one unitary authority which takes on both district council and regional council functions for southern and central Taranaki.

South Taranaki District Mayor Phil Nixon says the decision reflects a strong and consistent message from the south and central Taranaki communities, iwi partners and key stakeholders that local voice, local decision-making, and local control over the services provided must be protected through any future local government changes.

“Our community has been very clear. People understand change is coming, but they do not want south or central Taranaki’s voice to be lost in a single, region-wide council,” says Mayor Nixon.

Mayor Nixon’s comments were supported by strong community feedback which saw 1,392 responses being received through South Taranaki’s Head Start survey, with an overwhelming 94% supporting a two-council model. Stratford District Council’s survey reflected similar results with 83% of the 633 responses also supporting a two-council model.

“This decision gives us a clear position to take into the next stage of the Head Start process. It supports change where change is required, but it also recognises that Taranaki is not one single community with one set of needs, priorities or interests.”

Stratford District Mayor Neil Volzke says the two Councils’ preferred model is a balanced approach.

“It would simplify local government in Taranaki, while keeping decision-making closer to the communities most affected by those decisions. We believe a Stratford and South Taranaki unitary council would better reflect the needs of our rural and smaller-town communities, while still allowing regional functions to be managed in a coordinated way where that makes sense. As we develop our proposal we want to continue to work collaboratively with New Plymouth District Council and the Taranaki Regional Council to ensure that existing regional functions that need to continue being delivered regionally, will be.”

The Government’s Head Start pathway gives councils until 9 August 2026 to submit outline proposals for new unitary councils. Unitary councils combine the responsibilities currently carried out by district or city councils and regional councils.

Mayors Nixon and Volzke stressed their Councils’ decision does not create a new council or make any immediate changes to services, rates, representation, or staffing.

This is about confirming our preferred option so we can continue to work together to develop an outline proposal that we will submit to Government by 9 August. Any proposal would still need to be considered by Government, and there would be a great deal of further work, analysis and engagement before any final decisions are made.

“We recognise that New Plymouth District Council has been considering its own position in relation to local government reform and we remain committed to maintaining a constructive regional dialogue and to working collaboratively on matters where a regional approach will deliver the best outcomes for the people of Taranaki,” says Mayor Volzke.

633 people complete our Simplifying Local Government community survey - thank you!

Over the last month we’ve asked our community to share their views on the future of Local Government in Taranaki. We wanted to know what matters most to our community, what the opportunities and concerns for reform are, and whether there was interest in Taranaki having one unitary council or two unitary councils.

We’re grateful to everyone who took the time to complete this survey, and to the people who came to our Public Forum to speak directly with Elected Members on the topic.

Your feedback is helping shape Stratford’s voice in one of the most significant local government reform programmes we have seen in decades.

Please know that there will be more in-depth consultation as part of the next phase of this reform programme as we work through the detail of a proposal.

The next key milestone in the journey is the submission of an outline proposal to Government by 9 August 2026.

We will continue to keep you informed as this work progresses.

Survey responses

The responses on our survey showed a clear preference for retaining strong local representation and protecting Stratford’s identity, regardless of the final local government structure.

While respondents acknowledged potential benefits from reform, particularly shared services, reduced duplication and simpler governance, these benefits were outweighed by concerns about:

• Loss of local voice and decision-making.

• Stratford's needs being overshadowed by a larger urban centre.

• Rural communities being subject to urban-focused policies.

• Stratford ratepayers subsidising larger councils.

• Loss of Stratford's distinct identity, services and community assets.

The strongest sentiment was that Stratford and South Taranaki have more in common with each other than with New Plymouth, due to their rural economies, smaller populations and similar community needs.

A recurring theme was that people are not opposed to collaboration or shared services, but they want safeguards that protect Stratford's voice, funding, identity and local decision-making.

One or two councils?

• 83.3% was in favour of two unitary authorities for Taranaki (a Stratford and South Taranaki model)
• 16.7% was in favour of one unitary authority for Taranaki

Biggest opportunities?

• 62.5% selected shared services
• 51.4% selected simplified governance
• 28.9% selected supports improves planning systems for the region

Biggest concerns?

• 76.8% selected loss of local voice and representation
• 67.5% selected one-size-fits-all policies
• 29.5% selected doubt that cost efficiencies will be achieved with greater scale

What matters most to people when thinking about the future of Local Government?

• 63.8% selected fair representation
• 49.8% selected keeping a strong local voice and local decision-making
• 47.9% selected affordability and cost efficiencies; and a close 47.8% selected local services remain accessible and easy to use

What council services and facilities matter most to people?

• 67.1% selected roads, footpaths and transport connections
• 54% selected Parks, reserves and outdoor sports grounds
• 51% selected Rubbish, recycling and waste minimisation
• 46.2% selected Libraries and community facilities
• 32% selected Emergency management and resilience