Tauranga City Council Amalgamation Survey by PRRA
The Government has instructed local councils to develop amalgamation proposals with their neighbouring councils in the next 90 days or the Government will force amalgamations.
“Josh Van Veen Senior Policy Analyst (Local Government)
There is an article of faith in Wellington that larger councils will deliver better outcomes for ratepayers. Yet bigger is not always better. Research by the New Zealand Infrastructure Commission has found that there is little evidence that larger councils perform better or deliver infrastructure more efficiently.
Larger councils just as easily produce larger bureaucracies, more complex governance structures, and greater distance between decision-makers and local communities, as ratepayers have seen in Auckland.
While amalgamation may deliver benefits in some cases, scale alone is no guarantee of efficiency, accountability, or improved service delivery.
The Government wants to rush through council amalgamations with just three months for councils to prepare plans. If amalgamation is to proceed, it must be guided by clear principles and measurable ratepayer outcomes rather than blind optimism.
It should only move forward where there is compelling evidence that it will reduce duplication, improve infrastructure delivery, strengthen financial sustainability, and deliver better value for ratepayers. This paper sets out a practical ratepayer test for council amalgamation. These are the key principles that must guide any local government reform.”
Tauranga City Mayor Drysdale is an advocate of amalgamation and has not indicated that he will involve the community in his decisions. He believes he and the councillors have the mandate to make this decision alone.
PRRA is polling members and the Papamoa community for their views and feedback. This will be used to provide feedback to the Government and Tauranga City Council.
Please complete the questions/comments below. PRRA will collate the data only.
28 June 2026 Letter sent from PRRA to MP Tom Rutherford asking the government to extend the deadline by 6 months for decisions to be made. These decisions need time, explanation and community input. Click here to read the letter
Questions PRRA sent to the Mayor for the July Meeting
1. "Before discussing any future governance model, can you clearly define the specific problems that the current local government structure is failing to solve, and what evidence Council has relied upon to conclude that structural reform is necessary?"
2. "Has Council identified the measurable outcomes that would define success for any future governance model—for example infrastructure delivery, financial sustainability, service levels, democratic representation or affordability—and how will these be assessed?"
3. "What national or international evidence has Council evaluated when considering future governance options, and what lessons—both positive and negative—have been drawn from previous local government amalgamations?"
4. "If regional governance expands, what principles does Council believe should underpin local representation to ensure that communities such as Tauranga, Western Bay, Rotorua, Whakatāne and Ōpōtiki retain meaningful influence over local decisions rather than simply advisory roles?"
5. "To what extent does Council consider a regional water utility to be the logical first stage of reform, and how might that influence or reduce the need for wider council amalgamation in the future?"
6. "Can Council outline the strategic framework it is using to guide its response to Government, including the sequence of defining the problem, establishing desired outcomes, evaluating options, engaging with communities and only then determining the most appropriate organisational structure?"
7. "What options has Council evaluated between maintaining the status quo and creating a full unitary authority?"
Examples…..
shared procurement,
regional infrastructure planning,
a regional water utility,
shared regulatory services,
combined asset management,
with a staged pathway toward wider integration.