Greater Wellington joins other councils, mana whenua to reform local government

Bypassing plans for a Combined Territories Board (CTB) has been recommended by Greater Wellington in its submission on the Simplifying Local Government proposal. 

The regional council also agreed today to establish a regional joint working group with other councils to examine options, including amalgamation, for future local governance.

“We support reform but reject wasting time and money on a CTB,” says Greater Wellington Chair Daran Ponter. 

“Councils across the Wellington Region have heard the reform message from the Government and are actively organising to put forward a reform proposal to the Local Government Commission,” Cr Ponter says. 

“Many other regions are doing the same, well ahead of when CTBs are supposed to come into effect.”  

Deputy Chair of Greater Wellington’s Te Tiriti o Waitangi Komiti, Shamia Makarini, says CTBs are incompatible with Te Tiriti and the council’s mana whenua partnerships.

“Enduring reform must be Te Tiriti consistent. CTBs remove Māori representation, and risk undermining binding Treaty settlement redress and resource management arrangements,” Cr Makarini says. 

“We’re calling for a Te Tiriti based approach to reform designed by elected officials in partnership with whānau, hapū, and iwi, as well as full protection of our partnership commitments.” 

The submission argues that well designed, and enduring reform of local government is best achieved by democratically elected councillors working together with mana whenua and communities.

“The smart move for our region is to cut straight to stage-two of the proposal – Regional Reorganisation Plans,” says Greater Wellington Deputy Chair Adrienne Staples.
 
“The regional joint working group will be tasked with coming up with affordable options that deliver a local government system, fit-for-purpose for the Wellington Region as a whole,” Cr Staples says.  

“We need to think outside the square and design a model that works for our diverse region and can handle the challenges in front of us all; improve efficiency and support growth, while enhancing the region’s reputation as a place of opportunity and innovation.”

Greater Wellington agreed the working group will develop the next steps for public engagement to generate discussion and debate on the future structure of local government in the Wellington Region.

For more information, visit:

• Council 19 February 2026 Order Paper Public (PDF 3.9 MB)
• Simplifying Local Government | a draft proposal 27 November 2025