Local voice front and centre in Kāpiti reform discussions

Kāpiti Coast District Council has unanimously agreed to request that a single Kāpiti Unitary Authority option be included in the Wellington Regional Working Group’s Head Start proposal, following strong community feedback about the importance of retaining Kāpiti’s local voice. 

Mayor Janet Holborow said the Government’s 9 August Head Start deadline had created a challenging timeframe for councils and communities, particularly given the potential long-term and inter-generational impacts of local government reform. 

“Our community has been clear: Kāpiti’s local voice matters, and decisions about our future should not be made without us,” Mayor Holborow said. 

In June, Council asked the community what mattered most to them in relation to the Government’s Simplifying Local Government proposal. While many respondents raised concerns about the lack of detailed information, modelling and analysis, and the pace of the Head Start process, 2,770 people shared their views. 

Key themes included a strong desire to retain Kāpiti’s local voice in decision-making, ensure rates raised in Kāpiti stay in Kāpiti, and remain standalone as a single territorial authority. 

Mayor Holborow said councillors had listened carefully to the feedback and agreed Council should ask for a single Kāpiti Unitary Authority option to be included in the regional proposal. 

“This is about keeping Kāpiti’s options open while making sure our community’s preferences are firmly on the table.” 

Mayor Holborow stressed that asking for a single Kāpiti Unitary Authority to be included in the Wellington region’s proposal does not guarantee it will be accepted by councils across the region or endorsed by Central Government. 

“The process is fraught. At this point, Council’s priority is to ensure our district’s local voice and community preferences for structural reform are clearly understood by mayors across the Wellington region,” Mayor Holborow said. 

Kāpiti Coast District Councillors will receive the Wellington Regional Working Group’s Head Start proposal on 4 August 2026 and will decide whether to support the preferred model put forward. 

“Irrespective of what Council decides on 4 August, and what the Wellington Regional Working Group submits through the Head Start process, we need to keep our options open and clearly communicate Kāpiti’s position to both the current and incoming government,” Mayor Holborow said. 

Council will also continue conversations with Horowhenua District Council.  

“Our survey shows some Kāpiti residents see a natural connection with communities to the north, particularly around geography and lifestyle,” Mayor Holborow said. 

“It is important we understand those views, but our immediate priority is making sure Kāpiti’s position is clearly represented in the regional proposal.” 

“We are not hedging our bets. We are doing what responsible councils do - listening, testing options, and advocating in the best interests of current and future Kāpiti residents.”