Government pauses Head Start decisions until after the 2026 election

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.