​Council Services Continue as Amalgamation Decision Deferred

The Waimate District Council will continue to deliver on its core responsibilities as the Government defers its decisions on amalgamation proposals submitted under the Head Start pathway: Simplifying Local Government policy.

“I’m not surprised with the deferral,” says Waimate mayor Craig Rowley. “There has been lots of uncertainty over the Head Start process and its implementation.”

“Councils were put through a rushed and unfunded process, only for the Government to now acknowledge that the work could not be completed properly in the time available.”

The Government was expected to accept or reject the proposals this month, and determine which ones would proceed into the detailed design phase or into the backstop process. But the Government has announced today that it would wait until after the election to make its decision.

In the meantime, it’s business as usual for the council, from service delivery to the implementation of new legislation.

“We can now refocus our efforts to ensure we continue to deliver our core responsibilities,” Mayor Rowley says. “We will continue to work with neighbouring councils to identify possible efficiencies that clearly benefit all parties.”