Residents across Timaru District are being invited to have their say on one of the biggest local government reform opportunities in a generation.

Today, Timaru District Council and Mackenzie District Council launched a public consultation seeking community feedback on potential options for a future unitary council under the Government's Head Start local government reform programme. The consultation runs from 6 July to 24 July 2026.

The Government has invited councils throughout New Zealand to develop proposals for new unitary authorities, which would combine the responsibilities currently delivered by district and regional councils into a single organisation.

Timaru District Mayor Nigel Bowen said the consultation was an opportunity for communities to have input into how their local council could be structured in the future.

"This is one of the biggest local government reform programmes New Zealand has seen since 1989, and it has the potential to significantly change how services are planned and delivered across our region.

"Importantly, no decisions have been made yet. We are not consulting on a final amalgamation proposal. We are seeking feedback on whether councils should participate in the Head Start process and what broad direction people believe would best serve our communities."

The consultation document outlines a range of possible options, from a South Canterbury-focused unitary council through to larger regional arrangements that could include neighbouring districts.

Since the initial development of the consultation material, discussions occurring across the region have highlighted additional possibilities that neighbouring councils may wish to explore.

"As the conversation around reform develops, it is becoming clear there may be a wider range of options available than originally identified,” said Nigel.

“We are aware that neighbouring councils, including Mackenzie, are considering additional possibilities and we expect further regional discussions to occur over the coming weeks.

"This is why it’s important that we hear from the community now. We are keen to understand what matters most to communities, and whether they see value in smaller, locally focused arrangements or larger regional models."

"The decisions made over the next few months could influence local government arrangements for decades.”

As well as options for structural reform, the consultation asks residents to consider what matters most in any future council structure, including affordability, local representation, service delivery, infrastructure, environmental management and economic development.

Following the close of consultation on 24 July, councils will consider submissions before deciding whether to submit an outline proposal to the Government by the 9 August 2026 Head Start deadline.

The consultation material is available at Timaru.govt.nz/headstart