Government proposes major regional council overhaul, opens door to amalgamation

Chris Bishop, minister for infrastructure, transport, and resource management reform, details planned local government reforms on Tuesday. (Image: NZME)

Thomas Manch

Tue, 25 Nov 2025

The Government is planning radical change for regional councils, replacing democratically elected representatives with boards of mayors, removing environmental enforcement powers, and creating a pathway for local government amalgamation.The sweeping changes to the country’s 11 regional councils, which Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop has called the “biggest shake-up to local government since 1989”, were put to the public in a discussion document on Tuesday. The reforms not only promise to reshape democratic decision-m...

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