Western Bay of Plenty District Council has announced it will not submit a Head Start proposal as part of the Government’s Simplifying Local Government reform programme.
Instead, councillors have voted to participate through the Government-led Back Stop process. However, that does not necessarily bring Western Bay’s involvement in the Head Start process to an end, the Council said in a statement.
Following Western Bay’s decision, Tauranga City Council decided to continue with submitting a proposal for a new council covering Tauranga and Western Bay, bringing together both local and regional council responsibilities.
Tauranga City is using involvement in a Bay of Plenty-wide approach to submit an eligible proposal, as its decision forms part of a coordinated Bay of Plenty response to the Government’s Simplifying Local Government reform programme. This includes all councils across the region – excluding Western Bay following its decision – submitting three aligned sub-regional proposals covering the western, central and eastern Bay of Plenty.
While Western Bay has chosen not to pursue a Head Start proposal itself, future decisions by Government on proposals submitted by other councils, or through the wider reform programme, may still have implications for the District.
Tauranga City Council’s decision to proceed means Western Bay remains included within a proposal that will now be considered by Government.
In making their decision whether to proactively submit a Head Start proposal with Tauranga City, Western Bay councillors expressed concern about being asked to make one of the most significant local government decisions since the reforms of 1989 within a highly compressed timeframe.
The Council says a majority of councillors highlighted concerns such as the lack of detailed analysis and the ability to have a robust community conversation to support a decision of this scale.
The Government announced the Simplifying Local Government reform programme in May and required outline proposals to be submitted by 9 August, leaving councils 90 days to work through options, engage with neighbouring councils, and consider the long-term implications of significant local government change.
Western Bay Mayor, James Denyer says the decision was not whether local government reform should happen. It was deciding which pathway to reform was preferred by Council.
“While important work has been undertaken over the past three months, many councillors felt there was still more detail, more analysis and more community conversation needed before taking that next step,” he said.
“Yes, views around the council table differed, but our role now is to ensure Western Bay continues to have a strong voice in whatever process comes next as Government considers the proposals from across the Bay of Plenty.
“While Council has decided not to proceed with a Head Start proposal, that work has given us a far better understanding of the opportunities, challenges and issues that matter most to our communities, and what will be critical to focus on through whatever the next phase of reform looks like.”
