Otago regional councillors are onboard with the ‘Simplifying Local Government’ reform, but agree the issue is complex.

Announced by Government late last year to review the current system that has been described as confusing and costly, the reform will also avoid duplication of governance roles.

Questions were raised at a workshop in Dunedin on Wednesday, by several councillors asking what exactly Government was simplifying.

“Is it structure, decision making, relationships or all of these things?” Cr Michael Laws said.

Under the proposals, Otago regional councillors will be replaced by a Combined Territorial Board, made up of mayors across each region. Their job will then be to develop Regional Reorganisation Plans (RRPs) to improve service delivery.

Roles and functions of regional councils will be instantly reviewed and either cease or returned to central Government.

Chair Hilary Calvert said appointing mayors “had so many problems I don’t know where to start,” and Cr Alan Somerville agreed, they weren’t the appropriate people for the job.

“They have plenty of other things to do.”

Otago Regional Council chair Hilary Calvert. file shot

Michael said they need to address early on the issue of whether governance is the problem, “and if we are the problem not the staff, what is the decision making that we are doing that we need go before our tenure expires in 2028”?

It was implied that they were “out of step” with local government and their communities, he said.

Former chair Gretchen Robertson said the review was reasonably smart but didn’t think it would work - comparing it to what happened in the Three Waters space.

She believed it was all about trying to make the Territorial Authorities (TA’s) work together, “and that didn’t go well, and we’re going to see the same thing with this model.”

Chief executive Richard Saunders said not having elected regional representatives as part of the process was concerning, “because you lose the voice of your constituents and the knowledge of regional functions, and the delivery of those.”

Under the proposal, Crown Commissioners can also be appointed rather than mayors as an alternative option, although the Government preferred the first option.

The Minister of Local Government will be the decision maker on RRPs with advice from the LG Commission, and in consultation with Ministers.

The meeting was told by staff that the new legislation will be introduced into Parliament but not passed until mid-2027, after the General Election.