Mayor welcomes more time to work through local government reform 

Ruapehu Mayor Weston Kirton has welcomed the Government’s decision to take more time to work through the complex issues involved in council amalgamation.

“I understand why some mayors are frustrated after working to a tight Head Start deadline, only for the timeframe to be extended. But with future reform inevitable, the work we have done will not be wasted," Mayor Kirton says.

Ruapehu was unable to submit a unitary authority amalgamation proposal, so it entered the Government’s “Back Stop” process. It is now among the councils awaiting details of how the Back Stop process will work.

“Back Stop was ultimately the only pathway available to us, but we also believe it was the best one for Ruapehu. It gives us the time and space to work through the issues properly with everyone involved," Mayor Kirton says.

Council spent three months discussing possible reforms with the community, iwi partners and neighbouring councils. Those conversations showed that there is no simple answer and that different communities have different priorities.

"It was interesting to note Local Government Minister Simon Watts' statement that none of the Head Start proposals had the unanimous support of their region, and that there were important gaps to fill," Mayor Kirton says.

"He specifically highlighted the need for fair and effective representation with streamlined governance. That is a key issue for small rural councils like Ruapehu."

Any new structure must give our communities a meaningful voice in decisions that affect them,” Mayor Kirton said.

Council had advised the Minister that it remained committed to reform. It would continue working with other councils in the Horizons region to explore regional, sub-regional and cross-boundary options, with further community and iwi engagement and any required formal consultation to follow.

“Whatever structure is proposed, we need clear evidence of what it would mean for the people who pay for council services,” he said.

“Ruapehu ratepayers are already under significant financial pressure.

Reform must do more than change council boundaries: it needs to show how services can be delivered more efficiently, how costs would be shared fairly, and whether it would make rates more affordable for our communities.”

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