Taupō District Council meeting to discuss reform options next week

Taupō District Council will meet next Tuesday at 10.15am to discuss the council’s options for local government reform and make a final decision on which option it wishes to pursue.

The sole item on the agenda is a paper for councillors to consider reform options.

The paper’s suggested recommendation is for the Council to recognise that amalgamation discussions involving Taupō require further engagement and exploration. Based on the information that staff have presented, now is not the right time to put in a Head Start proposal for amalgamation. It further suggests that Council writes to the Government expressing its concern at the threat of mandatory amalgamation, frustration with the short time frame and its desire for flexibility to work with other councils to present an amalgamation proposal, if required, rather than have an arrangement dictated by Government.

In May, Central Government instructed councils that they had three months to work with neighbouring councils to put forward proposals for amalgamating together into regional unitary authorities – organisations that would consist of several district councils delivering services while also taking on the responsibilities of regional councils.

Taupō District Council’s goal throughout the three-month process, to look for the best outcome for the people and interests of the Taupō district, has not changed. It has spent the last two months talking to its communities and iwi partners as well has having discussions with neighbouring councils to explore options.

On 30 June the mayor and councillors resolved to do a deep dive analysis into four separate options. They were:

• Option A, a Waikato-wide regional unitary authority consisting of all 11 Waikato councils;
• Option B, a Central North Island sub-regional unitary authority consisting of a combination of Taupō, Waitomo, Ōtorohanga, South Waikato and Ruapehu councils;
• Option C, a cross-regional unitary authority consisting of Taupō, South Waikato, Rotorua and possibly Ruapehu councils; or
• Option D, not putting forward a proposal and waiting for the government’s Backstop process, expected to be in 2031.

As much detailed financial and non-financial analysis as possible of the options has been done in the time available. The key conclusion from all the analysis has shown that Taupō District would likely be worse off under any amalgamation; and that it could be a sustainable and viable unitary authority on its own.

If the council is forced to amalgamate, then a sub-regional unitary authority would be the next best option as it would deliver better long-term outcomes for the district compared to a single Waikato unitary authority.

The final decision on whether to pass the recommendation in full or part will rest with the Mayor and councillors.

The meeting will be open to the public and held at 10.15 on Tuesday 28 July in the Council Chamber, 67 Horomātangi St, Taupō. It will be livestreamed on the Council’s YouTube channel and also recorded.