Regional Council supports One Southland proposal

The Council yesterday agreed to support the Invercargill City Council’s development of a One-Southland-wide unitary council in the Government Head Start Pathway, provided it clearly supported regional council functions and values.

Environment Southland Chair Jeremy McPhail said the Council has been focused on making a constructive contribution to local government reform discussions with the hosting of the Southland Local Government Summit to build a shared understanding of regional council work and developing a financial model to provide indicative costs and savings of different reform options.

Chair Jeremy McPhail said the Council prioritises function over form and at yesterday’s extraordinary meeting of Council confirmed a set of regional function principles Councillors had previously endorsed, to guide Environment Southland’s input into local government reform discussions.

“Based on the information we currently have, the Council has agreed that a single Southland-wide unitary council better suits the delivery of Environment Southland’s regional functions than a two-unitary council option.

“While we don’t have any official capacity to put a proposal forward, we are in a position to support the decision-making and to advocate for the critical catchment-based and regional scale services we deliver, which underpin Southland’s regional economy and lifestyle.

“The Council has agreed to write a letter supporting the Invercargill City Council’s development of a proposal for one unitary council for Murihiku Southland, providing it incorporates integrated catchment management, environmental protection, meaningful local voice, Treaty obligations, and preserving regional council capability and expertise.

“It’s essential that our functions – from river and flood management to biosecurity and natural resource management – are given priority in any new local government structure so Southland can continue to thrive.

Further information

Invercargill Mayor Tom Campbell, Deputy Mayor Grant Dermody who is the Chair of the Local Democracy Enhancement Working Party, Chief Executive Michael Day and Chair of Te Ao Mārama Evelyn Cook were in attendance. Standing orders were set aside so they could join the conversation.

Regional function principles

The Council yesterday confirmed its previously endorsed regional function principles.

They are:

1. Function first - structure should follow what each function needs in order to be delivered well.
2. Catchment integrity - natural systems should not be fragmented by governance boundaries.
3. Better outcomes, not just efficiencies - reform should improve delivery, resilience and environmental stewardship.
4. Regional cohesion - future arrangements should support a strong regional voice and urban and rural Southland succeeding together.
5. Strong local voice - communities need meaningful influence over local matters, with appropriate community representation.
6. Efficiency and accountability - reform should reduce duplication and make better use of systems, people and capability.
7. Enduring partnership - future arrangements should protect and strengthen relationships with Ngāi Tahu ki Murihiku; give effect to the intent and obligations arising from Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the Ngāi Tahu Deed of Settlement 1997 and the Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998; and uphold existing Charter arrangements.
8. Capability and continuity - specialist expertise, leadership, institutional knowledge and regional stewardship/kaitiakitanga understanding should be preserved and strengthened.
9. Clear accountability - future arrangements should be explicit about who decides, who pays and how regulatory independence is protected.

The Council will write a letter supporting Invercargill City Council’s proposal for a single Southland-wide unitary council in the Government’s Head Start Pathway, providing it clearly demonstrates how it will:

1. protect integrated catchment management and regional environmental stewardship
2. maintain and strengthen local voice through meaningful local board or equivalent arrangements
3. uphold Treaty obligations, existing Charter arrangements, and enduring partnership with Ngāi Tahu ki Murihiku
4. preserve and strengthen specialist regional capability, science, data, monitoring, regulatory and emergency resilience functions
5. provide clear accountability for decision-making, funding, regulatory independence and service delivery
6. identify matters that require further detailed design if the outline proposal is accepted by Government.

Note: the deadline to lodge a concept proposal for the Head Start Pathway is 9 August.

For more detailed information, see the meeting agenda and recorded livestream