Invercargill City Council has confirmed its support behind a ‘One Southland’ governance model, saying a single council offers the strongest path to a more efficient and sustainable region.
Councils have been given three months under central government’s Head Start process to develop and propose their own regional governance models. If regions do not reach agreement, the Government has indicated it may impose a standardised structure nationally.
Local Government Commission is running a parallel process looking at local government reorganisation in Southland and confirmed today it will proceed to Phase 2 of the Southland local government review process. The Commission will continue with its review alongside the Head Start Pathway until further progress is made.
Invercargill Mayor, Tom Campbell said Invercargill councillors had come together and agreed a single Southland council would provide the greatest opportunity to achieve economies of scale, improve efficiency, and help keep downward pressure on rates for residents across the region.
“As seen in the Local Government Commission’s Phase 1 outcomes, ratepayers expect councils to look seriously at opportunities to reduce duplication and deliver services more efficiently. A unified council gives us the opportunity to streamline services, reduce overlap and focus more resource where they are needed most,” the Mayor said.
While the Local Government Commission process was ongoing and Invercargill City Council supported it, it would also actively work with partners and neighbouring councils to develop a proposal through the Head Start pathway, he said.
Mayor Campbell said there had long been a strong interdependence between Invercargill and the wider Southland district, with the city continuing to serve as the region’s administrative and service hub.
“Southland has operated as a distinct geographic and economic region for more than 160 years, with communities already working together across emergency management, economic development, waste services, sport, and the arts,” he said.
Organisations such as Great South, Emergency Management Southland and WasteNet already operated on a regional basis.
“This is ultimately about setting Southland up for the next 50 years, not protecting structures from the last 50. We have an opportunity to build a governance model that is modern, efficient and genuinely designed around the needs of Southlanders. I believe this approach offers the greatest long-term benefit for our communities and for Southland as a whole.”
Mayor Campbell said strong local representation would remain essential under any future structure.
No representation model had been designed, but Mayor Campbell said a ward structure similar to those currently used by Southland District Council, Gore District Council and Environment Southland could provide balanced urban and rural representation.
“There are still many questions to answer and decisions to make, but it is better for Southland to shape its own future through locally-led decision-making so we can develop a model that reflects the unique needs of our region,” he said.
Invercargill City Council Chief Executive, Michael Day said Council had not done any modelling of its preferred council structure yet and remain committed to working with other councils and the Local Government Commission to find the best way forward for Southland.
While Council was supporting a ‘One Southland’ model, there would be no decisions around staffing any time soon, Mr Day said.
“Any transition to a different governance structure will likely occur over several years and will require careful planning around representation, assets, services and regulatory responsibilities,” he said.
Council says it will continue advocating for the One Southland model as discussions progress across the region.
