Ngāi Tahu has unveiled a plan to reorganise the South Island's council boundaries, replacing the 24 councils within its rohe with five bigger ones aligned to major river catchments.
By Katie Todd of RNZ
The iwi has lodged a Head Start proposal after the government asked councils to submit amalgamation plans by 9 August or have one imposed on them.
Ngāi Tahu was not invited to submit a proposal, but kaiwhakahaere Justin Tipa said the conversation was too important to sit on the sidelines.
"As an iwi whose takiwā spans most of Te Waipounamu, we have a unique perspective on the opportunities and challenges facing our communities. We've stepped back and looked at the South Island as a whole and asked what kind of local government would best serve future generations.
"A lot of the discussion to date has focused on where the lines should be drawn between urban and rural communities but council boundaries need to be at the right scale to deal with the challenges in front of us… planning around natural water catchments is simply a better way of managing systems and communities that are already connected."
The five councils would be supported by locally elected boards and a South Island-wide shared services entity, Ngāi Tahu said.
The iwi said the proposal would help counter the pressures of rising infrastructure costs, climate change, unequal population growth and high rates bills, while keeping a strong voice for local communities.
Tipa said smaller councils were being asked to tackle complex and expensive infrastructure challenges that were difficult to manage alone.
"Rather than every council trying to build that capability on its own, our proposal would create a takiwā wide shared services entity, giving councils access to specialist skills and expertise that would otherwise be difficult or expensive to maintain."
One of the most significant changes would be the creation of a large council encompassing Christchurch, Selwyn, Waimakariri, Hurunui and Kaikōura - areas which were experiencing similar growth and infrastructure pressures, Ngāi Tahu said.
Tipa said people would continue to elect representatives and make decisions about the future of their districts and cities, with democratic local government at the plan's core.
"We don't pretend to have all the answers. These ideas will need to be tested, refined, and strengthened as the conversation develops.
"But if local government reform is going to succeed, we need to be ambitious and prepared to seize the opportunities in front of us. Our focus is on what will best serve the people of Te Waipounamu, now and for generations to come."
Ten other Head Start proposals have been submitted by the South Island's 27 councils, including a vast new unitary authority spanning the central and eastern parts of the Mainland and two conflicting models for Southland.
Approved plans will be signed off in 2027, with changes expected to take effect from the 2028 local elections.
Local Government Minister Simon Watts and RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop have been contacted for comment.
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