Head Start Pathway questions and answers : Christchurch City Council

Why is the Government looking at local government reform?

The Government is progressing a wide-ranging programme of reforms. Many of these reforms have big implications for local government. More on the wider programme of reforms.

An important part of this wider programme of reforms is proposed changes to local government that could significantly change how councils are organised and operate.

These reforms are intended to simplify local government, make responsibilities clearer, and support more joined-up planning and service delivery. A key part of this programme is the Head Start Pathway, which gives councils an opportunity to develop proposals for how local government could be reorganised in their region.

The Government's preferred direction is towards a smaller number of larger councils which are unitary authorities, combining the responsibilities currently carried out by regional councils and territorial councils into a single organisation.

What’s a unitary authority?

A unitary authority is a council that carries out both local council and regional council functions. There are a number of unitary authorities already in parts of the country – for example, the Nelson, Tasman and Marlborough councils are all unitary authorities.

Some of the functions managed by territorial authorities include water supply, waste management, transport, building and resource consents, community facilities, parks and events. Regional councils are responsible for the natural environment in their region, including pest control, use of water, soil and coastal areas, river management, and public transport.

Currently, these responsibilities are split between district or city councils and regional councils. A unitary authority combines these responsibilities within a single organisation.

The Government's local government reform programme is exploring a future where local and regional responsibilities are brought together under unitary authorities.

Who is paying for the reform?

Territorial and regional councils are funding their own administrative work, staff resources, and consultant fees required to draft and submit their regional amalgamation proposals.

The Government, through the Department of Internal Affairs, is funding the legislative transition, policy development, and coordination with the councils.

What is the Head Start Pathway?

The Head Start Pathway is the Government's process for councils to voluntarily develop proposals for local government reorganisation. It gives councils the opportunity to explore options and propose how local government could be organised in their region before decisions are made by the Government.

Councils that submit a Head Start proposal that is approved by Cabinet will subsequently be involved in the detailed design of reorganisation in their area.

If councils don’t pursue the Head Start pathway, the Government will decide what happens through a compulsory backstop process after the 2028 local government elections. There is no clear role for councils in the backstop process.

Is Christchurch City Council asking for community feedback?

Council has undertaken two public surveys asking for residents to share their views.

A public pulse survey(external link) closed on 26 July, which asked residents to consider possible approaches for how Christchurch and Canterbury could be organised.

We also undertook early engagement in June by asking our community to share their priorities under a possible amalgamation.

More than 7300 people responded to our early engagement online survey, which opened on 3 June and closed on 21 June 2026.

The results revealed broad alignment across the community on some key outcomes that any changes should aim to achieve, including:

Improved planning and infrastructure coordination 
Sustainable and reliable essential services 
A focus on affordability 
Addressing growth pressure on the city.
Respondents were concerned about decision-making and how local needs would be reflected in any new governance model, as well as the need to balance regional approaches with local priorities.

The Mayor and councillors were updated on the results of the survey on 1 July 2026.

Council staff are now using the results to develop reorganisation options ahead of briefing the Mayor and councillors. Briefings are open to the public and are recorded. Upcoming dates and times are available on the Council website(external link).

See the full survey results(external link).

Why is Christchurch City Council working with other councils?

The Government's Head Start Pathway is designed for groups of councils to work together on proposals for local government reorganisation.

The Government's intention is to encourage councils to consider how local and regional functions could be organised and delivered across a wider area. This requires councils to work collaboratively to develop and assess potential options.

Christchurch City Council is therefore engaging with other Canterbury councils to understand their views, explore opportunities, and determine whether there is a basis for developing a joint proposal.

Does Christchurch City Council need to work with another council on a proposal?

Yes. Under the Head Start Pathway, proposals must involve two or more councils working together. This cannot include Environment Canterbury, our regional council.

No decisions have been made about whether a proposal will be submitted, what it might look like, or which councils may ultimately be involved.

What are other councils doing?

Councils across New Zealand are considering how they will respond to the Government's Head Start Pathway. Each council is responsible for deciding how it will approach the process and whether it wishes to participate in a proposal.

You can find out more about what neighbouring councils are doing by visiting their websites:

Are Canterbury leaders discussing the role of future government?

Yes.

Regional mayors, elected members, chief executives and mana whenua representatives have been meeting through the Canterbury Mayoral Forum to discuss the Government's proposed local government reforms and what they could mean for Canterbury.

These discussions include how local and regional functions could be organised in the future, how important regional services would continue to be delivered, and how local communities could continue to be represented.

The Canterbury Mayoral Forum has agreed to continue supporting a region-wide Head Start process, while individual councils continue to explore options and consider what may work best for their communities.

For more information on the Canterbury Mayoral Forum and its work, visit the Canterbury Mayoral Forum(external link).

What could change?

The reform could affect how local and regional functions are organised in the future.

This may include changes to council structures, governance arrangements, representation and how some responsibilities are managed.

What happens if councils do not submit a proposal?

The Government has indicated that if councils do not develop a proposal through the Head Start Pathway, it may pursue reorganisation through a separate process. Further details about future arrangements would be determined by the Government.

Why not wait and see what the Government decides?

The Head Start Pathway allows councils to help shape proposals for their region. It provides an opportunity to explore options locally and put forward ideas that reflect Canterbury's needs, rather than relying solely on decisions made by central government.

Who has the final say?

Cabinet will decide which proposals it would like to progress.

How will the Government assess the proposals?

The Government will assess Head Start Pathway proposals on how well they can be delivered, support the new planning system, simplify local governance, achieve economies of scale, and maintain local representation and voice.

Further information on the criteria for Head Start proposals is available from the Department of Internal Affairs(external link).

How much input will rūnanga have into the proposal?

Engagement with mana whenua is an important part of the Head Start Pathway process.

The Government's guidance states that existing Treaty settlement arrangements must continue to be provided for. Councils are expected to engage with post-settlement governance entities, including Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, and demonstrate how those arrangements could be carried forward under any future local government structure.

Christchurch City Council also has obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi and works in partnership with the six Papatipu Rūnanga through the Te Hononga Agreement.

Mana whenua are kaitiaki and have a unique and enduring relationship with the whenua and are important partners in discussions about the future of local government in Canterbury. Mana whenua perspectives will help inform consideration of proposals and future governance arrangements.

Te Hononga Council–Papatipu Rūnanga Committee met on 26 June 2026 to discuss mana whenua input into the Head Start Pathway process. This input will be considered by Council alongside other information and evidence as decisions are made about any future proposal.

Will locality-based representative bodies, such as water and reserve committees, be included in the design of proposed new models of local government structure?

Protecting local voice and community identity is an important consideration as options are explored.

No decisions have been made about the governance structure of any future proposal, including whether locality-based representative bodies would form part of a future model.

As work progresses, councils will consider how local communities can continue to be represented and connected to decision-making. This is likely to be part of the second phase of Head Start, which will focus on detailed design.

How will local communities be represented?

No decisions have been made about future governance arrangements or representation structures.

As options are explored, an important consideration will be how local communities can continue to have a voice in local decision-making and maintain their identity within any future model.

The Government's proposal criteria include maintaining local voice, and any future arrangements would need to consider how communities are represented.

How will local identity be protected?

No decisions have been made about any future local government arrangements.

Protecting local identity and community voice is an important consideration as options are explored. The Government's proposal criteria include maintaining local voice, and any future model would need to consider how local communities retain their identity, representation and connection to decision-making.

What will happen to the Council’s elected members and regional councillors?

The Government’s proposed local government reforms mean that regional councillors will not be elected at the next (2028 local body elections). Instead, they will be replaced by some form of interim body (for example, a board of mayors, Crown Commissioners or a hybrid model).

What will happen to community boards?

No decisions have been made about future governance structures under unitary authorities. Community board structures can still exist within a unitary authority – for example, the Tasman unitary authority has community boards, and the Auckland Council has 21 local boards.

Will my city or district change?

Your city or district council stays the same for now, no matter which new regional governance arrangements are progressed. In the future, changes to your council structure might be proposed as part of the Regional Reorganisation Plans. You will be consulted on any changes.

Will ward boundaries change?

It is too early to say whether ward boundaries would change.

No decisions have been made about future representation arrangements, including ward boundaries. Cabinet will first decide which proposals should progress. If a proposal proceeds, the detailed design of representation arrangements, including ward boundaries and how communities are represented, would be considered at a later stage.

Will this affect services like water, transport, or emergency response?

Councils are working through the options for reorganisation with a view to maintaining these services. Under the proposal, these services would continue, just with better coordination. The goal is to improve how councils work together, not cut services.

Given the short timeframe for submitting outline proposals, councils have limited opportunities to seek feedback before proposals are developed.

A public pulse survey(external link) inviting residents to consider possible approaches for how Christchurch and Canterbury could be organised closed on Sunday 26 July 2026. View the survey results [PDF, 654 KB].

An early engagement public survey was also launched on 3 June and closed on 21 June 2026 to understand community priorities. View the survey results [PDF, 334 KB].

Councils will have the opportunity for more in-depth consultation with communities before final decisions are made by Cabinet in May 2027.

Did the Council work with other councils on the potential re-organisation options?

Regional mayors, elected members, chief executives and mana whenua representatives have been meeting through the Canterbury Mayoral Forum to discuss the Government's proposed local government reforms and what they could mean for Canterbury.

These discussions include how local and regional functions could be organised in the future, how important regional services would continue to be delivered, and how local communities could continue to be represented.

The Canterbury Mayoral Forum(external link) agreed to continue supporting a region-wide Head Start process, while individual councils continue to explore options and consider what may work best for their communities.

More information on the Canterbury Mayoral Forum and its work(external link).

Can councils submit competing proposals?

Each council’s governing body needs to decide what it thinks is best for its community and the wider region. Councils may have differing views at the end of the process.

What happens if Canterbury councils cannot agree on an option?

The Government has indicated that if councils do not develop a proposal through the Head Start Pathway, it may pursue reorganisation through a separate process.

Further details about future arrangements would be determined by the Government.

How were the options developed?

We are taking an evidence-based approach to local government reform. The Council is clear that any reorganisation would need to work well at a regional level and deliver benefits across Canterbury as a whole.

The organising principles that led to the options were informed by a range of evidence, analysis and engagement, including:

Community voice: feedback from the early engagement survey undertaken across Christchurch and neighbouring districts.
Council analysis: local data, environmental scans, demographic trends and service delivery considerations.
Independent expertise: advice from an independent economist on how Greater Christchurch functions as an economy, including travel patterns, employment and economic connections across the region.
Independent research: publicly available reports examining how local government functions and services can be organised and delivered at different scales.

We are also engaging directly with Papatipu Rūnanga and Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu to ensure mana whenua perspectives help inform the development of the options.

The options were developed using three key organising principles. Some options align more closely with a particular principle, while others balance a combination of principles.

How we work, live and grow – recognising the economic and social connections across the region.
How water and rivers flow – recognising that natural systems do not follow council boundaries.
Scale, capability and capacity – whether councils have the scale needed to plan, deliver services and meet future challenges.

How has the economic report been used?

The economic report [PDF, 860 KB] was one of several sources of information used to develop and assess the options.

It provides an independent evidence base on how Greater Christchurch functions as an economy, including where people live and work, where they spend money, how people travel around the region, and patterns of population and business growth.

This information has been considered alongside community and stakeholder feedback, Council analysis, independent research, and mana whenua perspectives to help assess how different local government arrangements could work across Canterbury.

The report does not recommend a preferred option or a particular local government structure. It is intended to help inform decision-making by providing evidence about how the region functions today.

What impact could this have on rates?

It is too early to say. No decisions have been made about future local government arrangements, and detailed financial analysis would be required before any changes could be implemented.

The options currently being considered focus on how local and regional functions could be organised in the future. Any potential impacts on rates would depend on the final proposal developed, the Government's response, and the detailed design of any future arrangements.

The Council’s early engagement survey which closed on 21 June revealed broad alignment across the community on some key outcomes that any changes should aim to achieve, including:

Improved planning and infrastructure coordination 
Sustainable and reliable essential services
A focus on affordability
Addressing growth pressure on the city

Respondents were concerned about decision-making and how local needs would be reflected in any new governance model, as well as the need to balance regional approaches with local priorities.

Are these options affordable?

Affordability is an important consideration in developing and assessing the options. At this stage, the options are intended to support discussion and help the elected Council consider potential approaches to local government reorganisation.

A more detailed financial analysis would be required before any proposal could be implemented. The Government's Head Start criteria include deliverability and economies of scale, and any proposal would need to demonstrate how it meets these requirements.

What are the estimated costs of implementing each option?

Detailed implementation costs have not yet been estimated for each option. The options presented to the elected Council are intended to support consideration of different approaches to local government reorganisation.

A more detailed analysis, including implementation costs, would be required if a proposal is progressed by the Government. At this stage, the focus is on assessing whether the options meet the Government's Head Start criteria and could support Canterbury's long-term needs.

How much would reorganisation cost?

It is too early to know the cost of any future reorganisation. The cost would depend on the option progressed and the detailed design of any future arrangements. Further analysis would be required before implementation costs could be estimated.

Who would pay for any transition costs?

No decisions have been made about future local government arrangements, and detailed implementation planning has not yet been undertaken.

If a proposal progresses through the Government's Head Start Pathway, further work would be required to determine any transition costs and how those costs would be funded. This would form part of the detailed design and implementation process.

How would debt and assets be managed?

No decisions have been made about future local government arrangements, and detailed work on matters such as assets, debt, funding and governance would only occur if a proposal progresses.

If the Government agrees to progress a proposal, the management of assets and debt would be considered as part of the detailed design and implementation process.

What happens after Council selects a preferred option?

The Government will then consider the proposals and decide which ones it wishes to progress for further development. Detailed work on any preferred proposals would follow, with final decisions expected to be made by Cabinet in May 2027.

Until then, councils, mana whenua, communities and stakeholders will continue to have opportunities to understand and contribute to the process as it develops.

Who makes the final decision?

Cabinet will decide which proposals it would like to progress.

When would any changes take effect?

Any changes to local government arrangements are still some time away.

Final decisions are expected to be made by Cabinet in May 2027. If a proposal proceeds, changes would then be implemented over time, with the Government's reforms intended to take effect before the 2028 local body elections.

What happens if Cabinet does not support the proposal?

The Government will decide which proposals it wishes to progress. If a proposal is not supported, the Government will determine the next steps through its wider local government reform programme. It is too early to say what that might involve.

Head Start Pathway questions and answers

About the Government reform