Home » Local government reorganisation Current applications
Overview:
On 17 June 2019, the second Order in Council, giving effect to the combined West Coast District Plan proposal, was signed. This marked the end of the reorganisation process for the Local Government Commission.
Local Government Reorganisation Scheme (West Coast Region) Order 2019 (NZ Gazette website)
In accordance with the final reorganisation proposal which set out the composition of the required West Coast Transition Board, the board comprised:
The board met on three occasions (17 December 2018, 13 February 2019, 21 March 2019) to consider and agree the contents of the required reorganisation scheme and a parallel deed of agreement between the parties.
On 5 November 2018, the first Order in Council, giving effect to the final West Coast District Plan proposal, was signed.
Local Government Reorganisation (West Coast Region) Final Proposal Order 2018 (NZ Gazette website)
On 30 August 2018 the Local Government Commission published its draft proposal for a combined West Coast District Plan as a final proposal. The proposal will see the formation of a joint committee comprising members of the Buller, Grey and Westland district councils, the West Coast Regional Council and iwi, to be responsible for preparing and approving a new combined district plan.
Read more here:
Final proposal document - PDF (310KB)
Final proposal document - Word (DOCX, 185KB)
See media release for background summary: Commission opts for one plan (11 September 2018)
Public notice (PDF, 115KB)
The Commission held hearings in Westport, Greymouth and Hokitika on 30 and 31 May 2018.
The Commission invited submissions in response to the draft proposal. It received 38 written submissions. These can be read here:
In April 2018 the Local Government Commission published its draft proposal for a combined West Coast District Plan. The proposal would see the formation of a joint committee comprising members of the Buller, Grey and Westland district councils, the West Coast Regional Council and iwi, to be responsible for preparing and approving a new combined district plan.
Read more here:
Draft Proposal document PDF (PDF, 3MB)
Draft Proposal document (Word) (DOCX, 336KB)
In December 2017 the Commission determined its preferred option for local government reorganisation on the West Coast to be the transfer of district plan preparation and approval responsibilities from the Buller, Grey and Westland district councils to the West Coast Regional Council. This would include a joint committee of the four councils, along with local iwi, to be responsible for developing and approving a new combined West Coast district plan.
Media release: Commission: ‘no’ to amalgamation, ‘yes’ to combined district planning (6 December 2017)
Determination (PDF, 113KB)
West Coast decision paper (PDF, 990KB)
MartinJenkins financial and operational analysis report (PDF, 1.6MB)
Communities of Interest report (PDF, 2MB)
UMR public opinion survey (PDF, 911KB)
The Commission’s call for alternative reorganisation applications or other proposals for change to West Coast local government arrangements closed on 15 March 2017. The Commission received 23 responses, 19 of which made specific proposals for change. These fell into two broad categories: Proposals for structural reorganisation, and proposals for some form of shared service. These can be read below.
1. Michael Sexton (PDF, 136KB)
2. Keith Morfett (PDF, 221KB)
3. Terry Archer (PDF, 238KB)
4. Paul Maunder (PDF, 202KB)
5. Mike Rogers (PDF, 207KB)
6. Charlotte May (PDF, 560KB)
7. Charles Bruning (PDF, 405KB)
8. A. Kremer (PDF, 421KB)
9. Deborah Hogan (PDF, 708KB)
10. John Currie (PDF, 249KB)
11. Allan Birchfield (PDF, 131KB)
12. James Russell (PDF, 1.1MB)
13. Allan Gibson (PDF, 72KB)
14. Les Mathieson & Colin Pattison (PDF, 985KB)
15. Joanne Howard (PDF, 577KB)
16. Anthony Black (PDF, 100KB)
17. West Coast councils (PDF, 852KB)
18. Barbara Holland (PDF, 184KB)
19. Allen Morris (PDF, 1.5MB)
Or download the complete document below:
As required, the Commission invited alternative applications to the original application, and other proposals for change.
The deadline for the Commission to receive these was Wednesday, 15 March 2017.
For more information about alternative applications and other proposals refer to:
As well as progressing the reorganisation application, the Commission and the West Coast councils worked together to get independent reports prepared on transport arrangements and Resource Management Act services in the West Coast region.
You can read these reports here along with the associated media release:
The next step was then for the councils, together with the Commission, to decide whether further work should be done on these projects.
The Commission ran a community engagement programme on the West Coast in June and early July 2016 to find out what the community thought about local government arrangements on the West Coast.
In August 2016 the Commission decided it was satisfied there was demonstrable community support across the West Coast and that it would progress the application.
On August 12, 2016, the Commission released its summary of West Coast community feedback along with an outline of next steps.
Media release: Commission releases community feedback, next steps (12 August 2016)
Between the end of May and 8 July 2016, the Commission engaged with the West Coast community through community workshops, drop-in sessions, stakeholder meetings, newspaper advertisements and articles, radio advertising, shop-window posters, an on-line and hard-copy questionnaire and a pamphlet distributed throughout the region.
The Commission wanted to talk to the West Coast community about:
What the big challenges and opportunities are on the West Coast
What the community likes about the current way their councils are set up and the way services are delivered
Whether there is anything about the current way that councils are set up and the way services are delivered, that the community would like to change
Whether there are any council services the community thinks would be better delivered over a wider area as shared services by existing councils
Whether some councils should be combined.
West Coast residents and ratepayers were able to attend community workshops in the evening and community drop-in sessions during the day to talk to Commission representatives.
The Commission was on the West Coast hosting drop-in sessions and workshops in June as below:
| Day/date |
Drop-in sessions |
Community workshops (7pm start) |
|---|---|---|
|
Wed 15 June |
Karamea |
Karamea |
|
Thu 16 June |
Reefton |
Reefton |
|
Mon 20 June |
Fox Glacier |
Franz Josef |
|
Tue 21 June |
Haast Hall |
Haast Hall |
|
Thu 23 June |
Hokitika |
Hokitika |
|
Tue 28 June |
Greymouth |
|
|
Wed 29 June |
Westport i-Site |
Westport Bridge Club |
|
Thu 30 June |
Greymouth |
Greymouth |
People were also able to fill in a short online questionnaire
In June 2015 the Local Government Commission received an application asking it to look at local government arrangements on the West Coast, with a view to making changes. The application met the legal requirements for assessment.
In August 2015 the Commission agreed to assess the application.