Waipā District Council has confirmed its support for a Western Waikato unitary authority proposal as its preferred pathway under the government’s Local Government Reform Head Start programme.
The proposal would bring together regional council functions with the responsibilities currently delivered by five of the seven territorial authorities across the Waikato and Waipā river catchments. The draft proposal is based on Hamilton City and Waikato, Waipā, South Waikato and Taupō districts coming together.
Waipā Mayor Mike Pettit says supporting the Western Waikato proposal puts Waipā in a stronger position to help shape the future of local government while advocating for the things that matter most to its communities.
“This is about putting Waipā on the front foot,” Mayor Pettit says.
“Change is coming. The government has opened the door for councils that are ready and willing to put forward an early proposal, and we have made a clear choice to step through that door and help shape what comes next.
“Our starting point has been very clear. Any future model needs to deliver strong local representation, affordable and sustainable services, and keep the identity and character of our communities at its heart.
“It is important our Head Start meets the government’s criteria, and this proposal does that. Our door will be open to Ōtorohanga and Waitomo to join us, which would also cater for the Waipā River catchment.”
The government announced its Head Start pathway for Simplifying Local Government on May 5, with high-level proposals due by Sunday, August 9.
Council has undertaken community engagement and worked alongside partner councils and officials to assess a number of potential unitary authority models against emerging government assessment criteria.
The Western Waikato proposal is deliberately high-level. It sets out a preferred structural direction, while recognising that significant matters such as boundaries, representation, rating and financial arrangements, organisational design, Treaty settlement implementation and transition arrangements would need to be worked through as part of any future design process.
“These are significant issues and they deserve proper consideration,” Mayor Pettit says.
“Supporting this proposal does not mean we have all the answers. It means we believe this is the best opportunity available to Waipā to influence the direction of change and make sure the interests of our communities are part of the conversation from the outset.
“If the proposal progresses, those details will need to be worked through carefully with councils, iwi and hapū, communities and central government.
“That is an important part of this process. We want to make sure there is time for those conversations and that the voices of our communities are properly heard.
“We are very much looking forward to continuing to work with our partner councils, and others, to build a strong Western Unitary Authority.”
The proposal will now be submitted to central government for consideration. If accepted, it would progress to a more detailed design phase, with any future changes also dependent on legislation implementing the government’s reforms.
