Selwyn Mayor Lydia Gliddon has questioned what the Government was actually expecting from councils after delaying decisions on its Head Start local government reform programme until after the election.

Gliddon told chrislynchmedia.com Selwyn had followed the process, consulted its community and submitted the option residents supported.

“I think the interesting thing that I found from it was there were comments around it not having the anticipated outcome that they thought,” Gliddon said.

“We were told that this needs to be shaped by our community, and ours was.”

She said Selwyn would now wait to see what happened after the election, but the work already completed would not be wasted.

“We put forward what our community had told us and worked with our people in our community.

“So I’m not really sure what they were actually hoping for, and if they’re hoping for something else, then perhaps they should just say it and tell us.”

Gliddon said the delay was frustrating for council staff who had worked hard to meet the Government’s original timeframe.

“You do what you can in this situation, and to be honest, it is what it is. I don’t have the capacity to lose sleep over it.”

Selwyn has proposed becoming a standalone unitary authority, taking on both district and regional council functions.

Gliddon also discussed new reusable flood barriers being introduced in the district as flooding becomes a more frequent concern.

She said Selwyn had experienced two states of emergency relating to flooding in recent years, while several low lying communities remained vulnerable.

“We need to protect people in their homes and property and business.”

The new barriers are designed to replace hundreds of sandbags and can be quickly deployed and reused.

Gliddon said the investment reflected a wider push for council staff to find more effective ways of dealing with weather events.

“It is just thinking differently and using innovation because that’s our friend.”

She said roads, rubbish and water remained among the issues residents most frequently raised with her.

The council is also holding a series of Local Matters events across the district, allowing residents to question councillors and staff directly about council services and Long Term Plan work.