Our response to central government reforms

Central government is advancing major reforms that will reshape local government and how we manage land, water, air, and the wider environment in Aotearoa New Zealand. 

We support changes that deliver long-term outcomes for the people and environment of Waitaha Canterbury. 

While change is needed, it’s important that regional issues aren’t overlooked. Challenges like pests, river health, and climate risks don’t stop at district boundaries, so they need coordinated, region-wide solutions. 

We believe local communities and mana whenua must continue to play a central role in decisions that affect our region. 

Until these reforms are finalised and become law, we will continue to carry out all our legal responsibilities. 

Learn more about what the proposed changes could mean for our work and the communities we serve, and how we’re working to make sure Canterbury’s voice is heard and the reforms deliver lasting benefits for our people and environment.

Download a timeline of central government reforms affecting local government (PDF file, 94.2KB)

Reforms affecting local government at a glance

 
Resource management system reform (RMA replacement)
 
Local government reform
 
Rates capping
 
Emergency management reform

Resource management system reform (RMA replacement)

What’s happened

The Government is reforming the resource management system. The Natural Environment and Planning Bills, which are to eventually replace the Resource Management Act (1991) (RMA), passed their third reading on 22 September, and are expected to receive Royal assent in the coming days, the final step before they become law.

What resource management reform means for Canterbury

The new legislation will affect how we plan for and manage our natural environment, cities and towns, with impacts for local authorities, communities, resource users and ratepayers.

What does this mean for our customers?

For most customers, there are no immediate changes with the passing of new resource management legislation. Existing consent, compliance and planning processes remain in place during the transition period.

Customers should continue to:

  • apply for resource consents using existing processes
  • follow current regional plan rules and requirements
  • comply with existing consent conditions and regulatory obligations. 

Last year, targeted changes to the RMA extended the expiry dates of around 1300 existing resource consents through to 2027. The new Acts build on those changes and are expected to further extend some existing consents, including those previously extended. While the extensions will happen automatically, the final expiry dates can’t yet be confirmed because they depend on a future date that will be set by the Government.

For most consent holders, there is no immediate impact, and we will be in touch with affected consent holders once we know more what these changes mean for them.

As the new system gets implemented over several years, customers may see:

  • fewer activities requiring a natural resource permit
  • new national standards and rules
  • changes to planning requirements through the development of Canterbury's combined plan
  • more streamlined and nationally consistent processes.

What happens next?

Once the Acts become law, we enter a transition period during which both the RMA and the new Acts operate together.

During this period:

  • Government will develop national instruments and national standards.
  • Local authorities will begin developing the region's combined regional plan.
  • The RMA will continue to apply until the transition to the new system is complete.

The transition is expected to take several years. We will continue to keep customers informed as more information becomes available.

Further information 

Local government reform

What’s the latest?

The Government announced on 24 September that it would defer the decision on next steps for local government re-organisation until after general election. No Head Start proposals submitted on 9 August are progressing at this stage, including the proposals put forward by nine out of the 10 Waitaha Canterbury territorial authorities.

Government said it would take additional time to work with councils that submitted the Head Start proposals, alongside sector groups, iwi and hapū, and stakeholders, to resolve key issues identified in the submitted proposals. This includes complexities around the transfer and delivery of regional functions.

Government has also re-confirmed that regional councillors will not be elected at the 2028 local elections, and the ‘Backstop’ process is still going ahead after local elections.

What’s the Simplifying Local Government reform about?

In May 2026, the Government announced it wanted to replace the current local government system with new unitary authorities that combine territorial and regional council functions. The Simplifying Local Government reform gives direction for how the government aims to reorganise local government in New Zealand – including Canterbury – over the coming years.  

Key Government’s proposed changes to the local government sector:

  • Territorial authorities (city and district councils) within regions are to form unitary authorities that combine territorial and regional council functions. In general, the Government's preference is for one unitary per region, but for large regions (such as Canterbury) more than one unitary could be proposed. 
  • Regional councillors are to be replaced at the 2028 local elections with an interim body (e.g. a board of mayors, Crown Commissioners, or a hybrid model) to implement this compulsory process.   

The Government’s proposed reform process:

  • In May 2026 the Government announced an accelerated pathway called Head Start, for councils willing and able to reorganise before the wider reform of local government from 2028. Under Head Start, city and district councils had until 9 August 2026 to put forward outline proposals for new unitary authorities in their region. Proposals had to be submitted by two or more territorial or unitary authorities. Regional councils could not submit proposals. 
  • Cabinet initially planned to make in-principle decisions in September 2026 on which Head Start proposals were to progress into a detailed design phase. Cabinet has now deferred this decision to early 2027, after the general election. 
  • Councils that don’t progress through the  Head Start pathway will instead become part of a compulsory process, called ‘Backstop’. The Government has not yet defined this process but have indicated they will make decisions on the Backstop process in 2027.    

The Government has also undertaken a rapid review of regional council statutory roles, responsibilities and functions and found most functions are suitable to remain delivered at a regional or local level. The review found that two key council functions warrant more detailed consideration: transport, and environmental compliance and enforcement.  

Head Starts proposals submitted on 9 August 

In Waitaha, nine of the region’s 10 territorial authorities submitted a Head Start proposal:

Proposed unitary authority Councils involved Submission
Kaikōura–Marlborough Kaikōura and Marlborough district councils Download proposal
North Canterbury Hurunui and Waimakariri district councils Download proposal
Christchurch City Christchurch City Council Visit CCC website for the proposal
Selwyn Selwyn District Council Download proposal
Mid-South Canterbury/North Otago Timaru, Waimate, Mackenzie and Waitaki district councils; proposal also includes Ashburton Download proposal

What’s our position 

We support locally-led modernisation of local government that will provide for a more effective, future system that delivers better outcomes for Canterbury communities and ratepayers.   

Since regional councils could not put forward proposals, our Council instead worked constructively with Canterbury’s territorial authorities, providing information and advice as they developed their proposals.  

While we have not advocated for a specific reorganisation proposal, we have continued to emphasise the value of delivering regional functions at scale, maintaining catchment integrity, and working in genuine partnership with mana whenua.  

The Government's decision to defer Head Start reorganisation decisions until after the general election recognises the complexity and importance of regional functions. Our work continues as set out in our Annual Plan and Long-Term Plan commitments. We remain focused on serving our communities and caring for our environment

What happens next

  • Head Start pathway: The Government has said it would decide by early 2027 which of these proposals to progress into a detailed design phase. Final decisions on detailed Head Start proposals would then occur sometime in 2027, with Head Start changes still intended to be in place ahead of the 2028 local government elections.
  • Backstop process: For Councils that do not progress through the Head Start process, the Government has said it would impose a standardised reorganisation after the 2028 local body elections. Regional councillors will be replaced by some form of interim governing body. Final policy decisions on the Backstop model are expected in early 2027, and the Government said they would be informed by lessons from the Head Start pathway, consultation feedback and further advice from officials.

More information on Simplifying Local Government reform:

Rates capping

In September 2026, the Government introduced legislation, the Local Government (Rates Capping) Amendment Bill, which proposes limiting how much councils can raise rates over a set period. Subject to progress of the legislation, the first target range would be 2-4% per rating unit. Councils would be required to consider the target range from 1 July 2027 and comply from 1 July 2029. In some cases, such as extreme weather events, exemptions may be granted that allow a council to operate outside the target range for a specified period.  

What’s our position 

We share the concern about affordability for our communities, and we remain committed to keeping rates as low as possible and being transparent about how every dollar is spent. 

Regional rates fund essential services across Waitaha Canterbury, including: 

  • flood protection and resilience 
  • air and water quality improvements 
  • pest control and biodiversity enhancement 
  • public transport planning and delivery. 

Rates capping raises big questions about how councils can continue to respond to climate challenges and maintain critical infrastructure under constrained funding.

Download our submission to the Government’s initial proposal in December 2025: Canterbury Regional Council submission to the Department of Internal Affairs on the Rates Target Model Proposal (PDF file, 407.05KB)

What happens next 

The Government intends to enact the legislation in early 2027, after the general election. Submissions on the rates capping legislation are currently being accepted. Our Council is preparing a submission.  

At this stage, no closing date has been set for submissions, but the public is encouraged to share their views by 1 December 2026. Consideration of submissions will be up to the next select committee convened under the new Parliament.  

Emergency management reform

What's changing

The Emergency Management Bill has now passed into law. It is part of the government's response to issues identified in the Government Inquiry into the Response to the North Island Severe Weather Events.

The Act sets out who is responsible for emergency management at national, regional and local levels, and is intended to strengthen New Zealand's emergency management system and improve our ability to respond to emerging threats.

One of the final changes allows an Emergency Management Committee, or a delegated decision-maker, to approve urgent work before a formal state of emergency has been declared when there is an immediate threat to life or property.

In Canterbury, this could allow the Regional and District Controllers or the Director-General of Emergency Management to make decisions about activities such as opening or clearing lakes and rivers before a formal declaration is made.

What’s our position

We support the Act’s goal of modernising emergency management and improving how New Zealanders prepare for, responds to and recovers from emergencies.

Our submissions highlighted our legal responsibilities for managing hazards, assessing climate-related risks, and administering the Emergency Management Committee and the Regional Emergency Management Office.

We consistently advocated for:

  • stronger partnerships with mana whenua
  • fair and sustainable funding for councils and communities
  • recognition of flood protection, telemetry and coastal monitoring systems as essential infrastructure
  • community led planning and engagement.

Download our submission: Canterbury Regional Council submission on the Emergency Management Bill February 2026 (PDF file, 446.33KB)

What this means for Canterbury

The EM Act 2026 replaces the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002 and become New Zealand’s new legal framework for emergency management.

Our project team is looking at how the new powers will work alongside existing resource consent requirements and decision-making responsibilities. We’re also considering what will be needed to put the wider changes into practice.

In the meantime, we’ll continue working with our partners to reduce risks and help Canterbury prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies. We’ll share further updates as more information becomes available.

Other legislative and policy changes

Other changes to legislation and policy that guide how we deliver our work as a regional council include: 

Have your say

There are different ways for you to have a say on the reforms, including making a public submission during public consultation or reaching out to your local MP.

Want to stay up to date? Explore our news section for the latest updates on government reforms, proposed legislation, and how we’re ensuring Canterbury’s voice is heard.

Further information

Further resources

Browse information sheets, summaries and analysis about proposed and confirmed changes to resource management and local government legislation. Resources are grouped by publication date.

September 2026

August 2026

July 2026

May 2026

February 2026

Last updated:

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