The Government has unveiled the most significant overhaul of local government in more than thirty years, proposing to abolish elected regional councillors and replace regional councils with new boards made up of mayors.

The changes have raised immediate questions in Canterbury, where Environment Canterbury Chair Deon Swiggs said he is concerned about the impact on local decision making.

Swiggs told Chris Lynch Media the scope of the reform is unprecedented.

“This is the biggest local government reform the country has seen since 1989. It is an absolute massive change, especially targeting the regional councils,” he said.

He said Environment Canterbury did not expect the announcement before Christmas but had been preparing for major reform for some time.

“We have been talking about this for quite some time and trying to make sure we are ahead of the game, understanding what the changes may be and what signals the Government is giving.”

Under the proposal, elected regional councillors would be removed by around 2027 and replaced with Combined Territories Boards made up of mayors or Government appointed commissioners. The new model would take over responsibilities for land, water, and environmental management currently held by regional councils.

Swiggs said the impact on environmental oversight needs careful scrutiny.

“There is definitely some concern about what this does or does not mean. We need time to go through the proposal in detail. What I am really concerned about is maintaining local voice and local decision making. The decisions we make affect people’s lives, people’s safety, and the economy in local areas. We want to make sure that is retained and strengthened.”

The Government argues the changes will cut duplication and reduce costs. Swiggs said he wants to understand what those claims would achieve in practice.

“The question I have is what is that going to achieve. They could just ask the regional councillors who are already elected to look at the system and do exactly what they are asking.”

ACT has welcomed the reforms, saying Environment Canterbury has held too much power and that unelected representatives have influenced land and water rules. Swiggs rejected that criticism, saying concerns about planning rules should be addressed through separate resource management reforms.

“The RMA reforms that are going to come out next week are where this will be addressed. There are two things at play here. The RMA is where you get that technical layer of governance, but there are a whole lot of other functions that regional councils deliver every single day on the ground. We need to be very careful about not throwing out regional councils just because there is one issue.”

Swiggs said staff at Environment Canterbury will continue their work regardless of the governance changes.

“Our staff still need to do the work that we need to be delivering on the ground. All the work that our staff do is important and I want to make sure they feel they have a meaningful job.”

The reforms would also require new regional reorganisation plans within two years, which could include shared services or mergers. Swiggs said the full impact is unclear.

“We have only just received this at the same time as everybody else. Those reorganisation plans are not coming until phase two, after the current elected membership is removed. The appointed commissioners or mayors would be the ones tasked with that work.”

Swiggs said it is too early to know how the public will respond.

“It is too early to tell. We have been trying to understand what changes need to happen and we have been ahead of the curve, putting out information about that for over a year. Let us have the conversation and see where it lands.”

He said his message to the Government is simple.

“Work with communities. Work with us in the communities.”

The local government reform has prompted Infrastructure New Zealand to warn that structural changes alone will not solve the challenges facing councils, saying the Government must also overhaul how local authorities are funded.

Infrastructure New Zealand Chief Executive Nick Leggett, a former Mayor of Porirua, said the Government’s plan to streamline local councils is an opportunity to refocus their role and strengthen leadership.

“Local government can and should play a far greater role in shaping the wellbeing of its communities, local economies, and environments. A shift toward directly mandated mayors leading regional refocuses is a sensible step toward stronger, more responsive local leadership,” he said.

However, Leggett said real improvement will require more than governance reform.

“Councils must be equipped to operate more efficiently and with the right tools to deliver. Any reform package must include new and sustainable funding mechanisms.”

Infrastructure New Zealand said local government owns around 35 percent of New Zealand’s public infrastructure but receives only 11 percent of national tax revenue. Leggett said that imbalance places significant pressure on local decision makers and limits growth.

He said reform must reassure the public that crucial functions currently delivered by regional authorities, such as environmental management and public transport, will not be weakened.

“Any change must demonstrate that these services can be delivered better, not simply differently.”

Leggett said the reform discussion should also include making better use of local public assets, including port companies, to free up capital for new infrastructure.