Invercargill City Council votes to submit Head Start proposal
Invercargill City Council has voted to submit a proposal for a single Southland-wide unitary council through the Government's Head Start: Simplifying Local Government process.
The proposal recommends replacing the region's four councils with one unitary authority responsible for both regional and territorial local government functions, supported by a network of local boards to ensure strong community representation across Murihiku Southland.
Once final amendments were made the proposal will be submitted to the Ministry for Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport before 9 August.
Mayor Tom Campbell said the Invercargill proposal would be submitted with the support of Gore District Council and with input from Environment Southland and Ngāi Tahu ki Murihiku. Southland District Council was submitting its own two-council proposal, with Gore supporting its proposal too.
“If a one council model is to proceed, it would be a completely new council, representing the entire Southland region equally. Our proposal is about creating a governance model that reflects how Southland already works, while ensuring both rural and urban communities have a strong voice,” Campbell said.
“This isn't about one council winning and another losing. It's about asking what governance model will best serve all Southlanders for generations to come.”
The proposal was developed in response to the Government's Head Start process, which invited councils to develop locally-led proposals for local government reform. While Council resolved to submit a proposal, it added a resolution that submission of the proposal did not agree to any final reorganisation.
Campbell said the proposal reflected the reality that Southland already functioned as one connected region.
“Our communities rely on each other every day. People live in one district, work in another, use services across the region and share many of the same opportunities and challenges. We believe our governance arrangements should reflect the way Southland already operates.”
Council's proposal includes a Southland-wide governing body with equal urban and rural representation, alongside local boards with decision-making powers and dedicated funding to ensure communities continue to have a strong local voice.
“Local representation has been one of the strongest messages we've heard from our communities, and that's why local boards are such an important part of the proposal. Regional decisions should be made regionally, while local decisions should continue to be made close to the communities they affect,” Campbell said.
The proposal also includes an integrated approach to catchment management.
“One of the biggest advantages of a unitary authority is the ability to manage our natural resources as one connected system. Rather than separating environmental management from local planning, one council can make integrated decisions about freshwater, land use, infrastructure and growth across entire catchments, leading to better long-term outcomes for both our communities and our environment.”
The decision follows community engagement undertaken by Council, which attracted more than 90 survey responses and hundreds of comments across social media. While respondents expressed a range of views on governance models, common themes included the importance of local representation, affordable infrastructure, environmental management, balancing urban and rural interests, and ensuring any future governance model is supported by robust financial analysis. This feedback was on top of Local Government Commission engagement results that were used to form the initial position the Council took.
Campbell thanked everyone who had taken part in the conversation.
“We know people hold different views, and that's healthy. This proposal has been informed by the feedback we've received, and I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to share their perspective. Every conversation has helped strengthen our understanding of what Southlanders value.”
The Head Start process is separate from the Local Government Commission's independent review of local government in Southland, which continues to investigate two governance options for the region. The Commission will undertake further financial modelling and community engagement before determining whether either option should progress.
