Mayor says local voice must not be lost in council shake-up

Kāpiti Coast Mayor Janet Holborow says local decision-making must not be lost as the Government pushes councils to reshape how services are delivered.

The Government has given councils three months to decide how they will work together to deliver services, or risk having a new structure imposed from Wellington. Councils have until 9 August to submit amalgamation proposals.

Mayor Holborow says the timeframe leaves little room to fully assess the options and hear from the community.

“Any change must work for our community because the impacts will be felt for generations,” Mayor Holborow said.

“We need to understand the true cost of delivering regional services before decisions are made. It would be irresponsible to commit our community to a new structure without knowing what it could mean for service levels, investment in our district, and rates.”

Council is already part of regional discussions, including talks with Horowhenua District Council and attendance at the Wellington Regional Working Group.

“We’d prefer more time to get this right, but we also need to be part of the regional conversation so Kāpiti is well positioned and our community’s views are heard,” Mayor Holborow said.

“Those conversations have been useful, but we will not make commitments without talking to our community first.

“With no enabling legislation in place, we have to work with the limited information available. Our next step is to ask our community what they think.

People choose to live here for a reason, and our Local Water Done Well consultation made it clear that a strong local voice in decision-making matters to them.

“Kāpiti is in a strong position, with sound finances, quality infrastructure, and good services,” Mayor Holborow said.

“We need to hear from our community about how services should be delivered in future, what they value, and what needs to change. That will shape Council’s next steps.”

Council will seek community feedback in the coming weeks. Kāpiti residents are encouraged to follow Council’s digital channels for details on how to have their say.