Councils submit proposal for Northland's local government future

This is a joint media release from the four Northland councils.

An outline proposal for the future of Northland's local government has been submitted to the Government. Whangarei District Council and Far North District Council agreed to submit it at meetings this week, with Northland Regional Council also endorsing it.

The proposal sets out a staged transition towards a single Northland unitary authority. Under the proposed model, Whangarei and Kaipara district councils would initially combine to form one unitary authority, while Far North District Council would become a standalone unitary authority.

Regional functions requiring a Northland-wide approach – such as civil defence, catchment management, and regional planning – would be delivered through a shared regional entity jointly governed by both unitary authorities. Northland would then move to a single unitary authority within one to three electoral cycles, based on agreed milestones.

Northland Elected Member Steering Group Chair Ken Couper describes submitting the proposal as a significant step for the region.

“This outline proposal sets out a strong future for Northland. Our local communities would continue to be represented in the decisions that affect them while giving our region a stronger and more unified voice,” Mayor Couper said.

“Bringing councils together would strengthen the region’s ability to advocate at a national level and support a more coordinated approach to planning and infrastructure across Northland.

"Getting to this point has taken real effort from our four councils. The staged approach we are proposing gives us time to work through the detail alongside all our communities.”

Kaipara District Council did not support the proposal, and at an extraordinary meeting this week resolved to put forward its own high-level proposal for three unitary authorities in Northland.

The submitted outline proposal remains eligible under the Government's Head Start criteria, which require support from at least two of the region's three district councils, representing a majority of the population. This means that if the Government agrees to the proposal, the Kaipara district would be part of the new arrangements.

The Government is expected to consider the proposal in September. If it agrees to progress it, work would begin on a detailed proposal, alongside a full round of public consultation later this year. The detailed proposal would confirm the governance, funding and service delivery arrangements for the two unitary authorities and the shared regional entity, and set out the milestones and timeframe for moving to a single Northland unitary authority. It would be submitted to the Government in March 2027, with the two unitary authorities and the shared regional entity established at the 2028 local elections.

The outline proposal, Northland local government – a staged path to reform, is available on each council's website.