Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale says he is disappointed that the community's preference for locally led local government reform may no longer be realised.
The disappointment follows decisions by Rotorua Lakes Council and Western Bay of Plenty District Council last week not to proceed with proposals through the Government's Head Start pathway for local government reform.
The Government’s deadline for submitting Head Start proposals was 9 August 2026.
Tauranga City Council and Western Bay of Plenty District Council had been working towards a joint proposal for a single unitary authority for the Western Bay of Plenty sub-region as part of a wider Bay of Plenty solution.
Mayor Mahé says through seven joint workshops, significant progress had been made towards agreement on the joint proposal. Much of that time had focused on agreeing principles for solving issues around the fair allocation of debt and representation in a joined Council, which had come through strongly in community engagement.
“It felt like we had come to an agreement that would allay the fears we heard from the community around ring-fencing debt and having local representation. These were the major concerns of Western Bay residents not wanting to inherit debt or lose local voice. I believe our proposal found ways to solve these issues successfully,” says Mayor Mahé.
At a joint Council meeting last Thursday, Tauranga City Council's Elected Members voted 9-0, with one abstention, in support of progressing the proposal, while Western Bay of Plenty District Council voted 6-4 against joining it.
Whakatāne District Council, Ōpōtiki District Council and Kawerau District Council had already submitted a compliant application for the Eastern Bay of Plenty. However, in a Council meeting on Friday Rotorua Lakes Council didn’t reach an agreement for submitting its proposal, meaning all of the Government’s criteria for a Bay of Plenty-wide Head Start proposal is not currently met.
Mayor Mahé says the community made it clear it wanted the local Councils to lead local government reform, rather than wait for the Government to impose change themselves through its Backstop process.
"While we respect the decisions made by other Councils, it is disappointing that all the work done for this proposal may now be wasted. We may not be able to lead the reform that local government needs, and reflect the feedback our Council heard from iwi, the business community and residents during our recent engagement," says Mayor Mahé.
“Around 80% of respondents to our recent survey supported us working alongside neighbouring councils to shape the region’s future, rather than have change imposed on us by the Government.”
"We also received strong support for reducing the number of councils if it resulted in more efficient services, simpler governance and financial savings for ratepayers,” says Mayor Mahé.
“Councils had been very aligned across the whole Bay of Plenty and were on track for delivering the most significant local reform since 1989 to help solve many of the issues our people have asked us to solve.
“In the end, it has come down to one vote across the six Councils in the region that may stop a region-wide reform to be delivered - one that was strongly supported by our residents.”
Mayor Mahé says the Government has made it clear that status quo is not an option and local government reform is coming.
“A locally led approach through the Head Start pathway gave us the best opportunity to design our own future. That opportunity is now looking less likely, which is disappointing.”
He says the outcome means Tauranga City Council will now likely need to participate in the Government's Backstop process.
"The Backstop process means the Government will determine the future structure of local government across the region and we will lose the ability to shape our own future and deliver a bespoke option designed locally that works best for our region.
“Current indications suggest that could result in a Bay-wide unitary authority, which was not the preferred option expressed through any of the community engagement across the region.
"It also means reform is likely to take longer, delaying the benefits that could have been achieved through earlier change."
Despite the proposal no longer meeting all of the Government's eligibility criteria, Tauranga City Council has submitted the work completed to date to the Government, to continue the conversation and allow time to explore alternative options.
"We've undertaken significant work, engaged with our community and gathered valuable feedback about what people want from local government in the future. That work remains important and should help inform whatever comes next.
"We will continue to advocate for a model that delivers efficient services, strong local representation and better outcomes for our communities and the wider region."