Head Start: simplifying local government

The government has given councils across New Zealand a three-month window to develop proposals to reorganise local government in their regions. The government refers to this as the Head Start pathway.

Through this, councils will consider how they can join with other councils to become more effective.

For councils that don’t put forward proposals by 9 August, the government will step in and make decisions for them.

Whanganui District Council is focused on understanding what council reform could mean for our community and is working with key partners to shape what happens next.

The wider Simplifying Local Government programme

In November 2025, the government proposed replacing regional councillors with a group made up of a region’s mayors to simplify local government.

While submissions showed general support for the need to reform local government, many submitters raised concerns about how the proposals would work in practice.

The government’s aim

Across the country, councils are facing fiscal, governance and delivery challenges including growing infrastructure backlogs, constrained funding settings, and increasing expectations.

The government wants to see councils amalgamate to simplify governance, reduce duplication, and improve regional coordination.

Councils are being asked to focus on creating unitary authorities – this means combining regional and city or district council functions into one organisation.

At the 2028 local elections, the government intends for regional councillors to be replaced with an ‘interim body’ to provide capacity while regional councils (like Horizons) are wound down.

Proposals – what councils need to consider

Any proposal needs to be developed by at least two councils working together.

Proposals need to represent either:

• a majority of directly affected city or district councils, or
• a majority of the population across affected districts.

The government will use five criteria to assess the proposals:

• Deliverability: proposals are realistic and demonstrate how new arrangements can be implemented in a timely way
• Supports the new planning system: including progress on spatial and natural environment plan development
• Simplifies local governance: with more efficient arrangements, consolidating decision-making and improving alignment between a region’s councils
• Economies of scale: supports regional strategic planning and delivery of key functions (such as transport and catchment management) and demonstrates responsible and affordable asset management, infrastructure investment, and service delivery
• Maintains local voice: demonstrates fair and effective representation for communities of interest and how decisions will be made at the local level, balancing urban and rural interests.

Councils are expected to engage with relevant post-settlement governance entities (PSGEs) to demonstrate how existing Treaty settlement arrangements with regional councils could be carried through to the new structure.

What we’re doing

Open dialogue with our community, iwi and key partners will be critical throughout this process.

We are engaging with key partners including Ngā Tāngata Tiaki and neighbouring councils to put the right foundations in place and will proactively reach out to the wider community as the work develops.

For Whanganui, it is important that these discussions are considered through the lens of Te Awa Tupua and the relationships and responsibilities that come with it.

A decision-making framework will be developed, including criteria to ensure different options can be assessed in a consistent way.

Having your say

We know this change matters to our community because it affects how local decisions are made, how services are delivered, and what local identity looks like in the future.

This is still early work and there will be more detail to come as the process develops. We’re committed to keeping you informed with regular updates and we’re keen to hear your feedback.

Keep an eye on this web page or the Whanganui District Council Facebook page for updates and information on when community consultation starts.