The government is proposing changes to simplify how local government works across New Zealand. This is one of the most significant potential changes to local government in decades and could shape how councils operate in the future.
Kaipara District Council is working through what this might mean for our district. No decisions have been made.
What has the government announced?
The government has announced it wants fewer local authorities across New Zealand and is asking local and regional councils to consider the amalgamation of district councils and regional councils into unitary authorities.
These unitary authorities would combine the functions of local councils with those from regional councils, such as Northland Regional Council. The government has stated its preference for one unitary authority per region, however there are allowances for regions that are large or have more complex issues.
The government is giving councils a three-month window to propose the new arrangements themselves under the ‘Head Start’ pathway, and has stated if councils cannot do this, then the government itself will propose amalgamations under a ‘backstop’ approach.
Read the Head Start pathway document (pdf 818KB)
Whether councils use the Head Start pathway or not, approval will be required from government before any work commences on the amalgamation of district and regional councils.
Government’s proposal focuses on simplifying the current system, where regional councils and district/city councils operate alongside each other.
No final decisions have been made by the government. Feedback from councils and communities will inform the next steps.
- Kaipara District Council’s alternative Head Start Proposal for Northland – True North (PDF)
- Morrison Low Comparison of Head Start options (PDF)
- Simplifying Local Government for Northland – Survey and Community Feedback Report (PDF)
Timeline
The reform process is moving at pace, with several key stages:
- May 2026
Government announces a voluntary ‘Head Start’ pathway approach - June 2026
Surveys across all four Northland councils - Mid–2026
Councils consider options and may develop initial proposals and options (Head Start process) - 9 August 2026
Early proposals for reorganisation submitted to government - 2027
Government considers proposals and makes decisions - Post-2028 elections
Wider reforms may be implemented if required through the ‘backstop’ process.
News
- Kaipara reaffirms opposition to Head Start proposal and backs alternative reform model (5 August 2026)
- Councils to decide whether Northland's local government proposal moves forward (31 July 2026)
- Kaipara District Council does not support Northland reform proposal (15 July 2026)
- Staged path to single Northland council emerges as preferred option (8 July 2026)
- Northland communities have their say on the future of local government (3 July 2026)
- Shape Northland's future - local government surveys now open (17 June 2026)
- Northland councils welcome Kaipara District Council to regional reform process (28 May 2026)
- Kaipara District Council joins regional steering group for local government reform (27 May 2026)
What is local government reform and why is it happening in Northland?
The government has signalled that New Zealand's current system of regional and district councils creates duplication and inefficiency and needs to change. It has invited councils to develop their own proposals for reorganisation into simpler, more effective local government structures.
Why is this important?
This is a once in a generation change to local government that will shape how Northland communities are served, represented, and heard for decades to come.
What does this mean for regional councillors?
Our current regional council governance arrangements will remain in place until October 2028.
Future changes will not include regional councillors and may result in new local government structures such as unitary authorities.
Has Kaipara District Council made a decision?
In its 5 August meeting, Kaipara District Council unanimously reaffirmed its opposition to the Northland Head Start outline proposal and will submit an alternative to central government ahead of the 9 August deadline.
While it does not support the Northland Head Start outline proposal supported by Whangarei District Council and Far North District Council, and endorsed by Northland Regional Council, it remains part of the Northland Elected Member Steering Group.
The Local Government Reform Elected Member Steering Group includes:
Mayor Ken Couper, Councillors Christie and Flower (Whangarei District Council)
Chair Pita Tipene, Councillors Craw and Crawford (Northland Regional Council)
Mayor Moko Tepania, Councillors Stratford and Foy (Far North District Council)
Mayor Jonathan Larsen, Deputy Mayor Lambeth and Councillor Jepson (Kaipara District Council)
Why is this happening so fast?
The government announced the Head Start pathway in May and set a three-month window for councils to submit proposals. Participating in the Head Start pathway would give Northland the opportunity to shape our own future, rather than waiting for a centrally-led backstop process after the 2028 local elections, where change would be directed by government rather than led locally.
What is a unitary authority and how is it different from what we have now?
Currently Northland has four separate councils – three district councils responsible for local services and planning, and one regional council responsible for environmental management, regional transport, and civil defence. A unitary authority combines both into a single organisation, responsible for both local and regional functions.
What have councils proposed?
The Northland Elected Member Steering Group supported an outline proposal that includes a staged transition to a single Northland-wide unitary authority. From the 2028 local elections there would be two unitary authorities – Whangarei and Kaipara district councils combining as one, and Far North District Council on its own. Regional functions requiring a Northland-wide approach – such as civil defence, catchment management, and regional planning – would be delivered through a shared regional entity jointly governed by both unitary authorities. Northland would then move to a single unitary authority within one to three electoral cycles, based on agreed milestones. Northland Regional Council's statutory functions would continue to be delivered at the regional level during the transition period through a shared regional entity governed by the two proposed unitary authorities. The proposal's long-term goal is a single Northland-wide unitary authority that combines regional and district council functions.
The key features of the Northland Head Start outline proposal:
• A staged transition to a single Northland unitary authority as the region's long-term governance model.
• Two unitary authorities and a shared regional entity from the 2028 local elections – Whangarei and Kaipara district councils combining as one, Far North District Council on its own as the other.
• A move to a single Northland unitary authority within one to three electoral cycles after 2028, based on the achievement of agreed milestones.
• Far North District Council's existing community boards continuing under the Far North unitary authority.
• Each council able to honour the outcome of its own 2025 Māori ward referendum through the transition period.
• A reduction in duplication across the region, including 125 council policies reducing to between 35 and 45, 41 bylaws reducing to between 18 and 20, and four sets of long term plans and annual reports becoming one.
• Initial benchmarking suggesting a single Northland unitary authority could operate at between 8 and 22 per cent below the current combined cost of the four councils, most likely at the lower end of that range.
While it remains in the Elected Member Steering Group, Kaipara District Council has unanimously reaffirmed its opposition to the Northland Head Start outline proposal and is submitting an alternative to central government ahead of the 9 August deadline.
Kaipara's alternative proposal is based on three unitary authorities, with each absorbing the functions of Northland Regional Council, and sharing regional services where appropriate.
