Request for reorganisation of local government in Southland
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Receipt of reorganisation initiative
On 21 February 2025, Southland District Council lodged a local government reorganisation initiative with the Local Government Commission under section 24(1)(c) and (f) of the Local Government Act 2002 (the Act), seeking two unitary authorities for Southland. The Commission agrees that the reorganisation initiative is a valid initiative, containing the information required by Schedule 3, clause 4 of the Act.
You can read the original reorganisation initiative here:
Reorganisation initiative: Southland (PDF, 612 KB)
The Commission also received a letter of support from the Mayor of Southland District Council.
You can read the letter of support from the Southland District Council Mayor here:
Mayor support letter: Southland reorganisation (PDF, 278 KB)
The Commission will now consult with affected local authorities on the factors it must consider when deciding whether to investigate the initiative (listed in Schedule 3, clause 6 of the Act). The four affected local authorities are; Gore District Council, Invercargill City Council, Southland District Council and Southland Regional Council (Environment Southland).
The Commission will also engage with Te Ao Mārama Incorporated, representing the four rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu ki Murihiku, being Te Rūnaka o Awarua, Hokonui Rūnanga, Ōraka Aparima Rūnaka, and Waihōpai Rūnaka.
From there, the Commission will decide whether to investigate the reorganisation initiative.
Agreement to investigate
On 7 July 2025 the Commission agreed to undertake a reorganisation investigation in relation to the Southland District Council reorganisation initiative.
Having agreed to investigate the initiative, the Commission notified the affected local authorities and iwi.
You can read the Commission's decision here:
Decision to investigate Southland District Council reorganisation initiative (PDF, 217 KB)
You can read FAQs related to the Southland reorganisation initiative here, along with a flowchart outlining the process of Commission led reorganisations.
Southland reorganisation FAQs (PDF, 203 KB)
Reorganisation investigation process
On 16 October 2025 the Commission confirmed the process it will follow to investigate possible changes to local government in Southland.
The process document was confirmed after consultation with Environment Southland, Gore District Council, Invercargill City Council, Southland District Council, and Te Ao Mārama Incorporated, (representing Papatipu Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu).
The Commission has issued a decision document, explaining how it considered feedback received through consultation. You can read the decision document here:
Decision on final reorganisation investigation process - October 2025
You can read the investigation process document here:
Investigation process document - October 2025
Amended investigation process
On 19 February 2026 the Commission amended the process for its investigation into the reorganisation of local government in Southland. The amended process alters the investigation timeline, extending the investigation by two months. Phases 1 and 2 have each been extended by one month, to:
- provide additional time for in-depth community engagement in phase 1
- ensure that any release of a draft reorganisation plan (if required) avoids the pre-election period
You can read the amended process document and related public notice here:
Amended investigation process document - Feb 2026
Public notice: Amended investigation process
Next steps:
The Commission is now in Phase 1 of its investigation, which is focused on scoping the issues and opportunities a reorganisation might address.
The objectives for this phase are set out in the process document.
When Phase 1 ends in April 2026, the Commission will publish its findings on these objectives here.