Do not submit a Head Start proposal and enter the backstop process.
Under this option, we would not submit an outline proposal through the Head Start pathway.
Your local Council would continue operating under the current structure for now. However, based on the Government’s current direction, councils that do not proceed through Head Start are expected to enter a later backstop process after the 2028 local elections.
The detailed design of that process has not yet been confirmed.
| Possible Advantages | Possible Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| Avoids moving quickly into an outline proposal before greater information is available. | You may have less influence over the final shape of local government reform. |
| Allows more time to understand the Government’s wider reform direction. | Detailed arrangements for assets, debt, staff, services and representation are not yet known and would still need to be determined through a later process by an external organisation. |
| Avoids some short-term transition planning costs, although transition costs may still arise later if reform proceeds through the backstop process. | Future boundaries and governance arrangements may be decided through a more centralised process. |
| The district could be grouped into a larger structure that has not been locally developed. | |
| The community may have less opportunity to shape the outcome than through a locally led proposal. | |
| Reform appears likely to happen regardless of whether Council participates in Head Start, based on signals from central government. |
Other options:
Option A: A South Canterbury Unitary Council based on either territorial or river catchment boundaries.
Option B: A Mid-South Canterbury Unitary Council based on either territorial or river catchment boundaries.
Option C: A Mid-South Canterbury & North Otago Unitary Council based on either territorial or river catchment boundaries.
Option E: Other option – You may prefer another arrangement.
> Consultation form
Last updated: 06 Jul 2026