Thousands of Jobs on the Line in Biggest Shake-Up in 30 Years**

New Zealand’s entire local government landscape is set for its most dramatic overhaul in decades, with the government proposing to abolish regional councils altogether — a move that could see thousands of jobs disappear and fundamentally reshape how communities are governed.

Under the sweeping proposal, mayors of city and district councils will take over the roles currently held by regional councils, forming 11 new Combined Territory Boards (CTBs). These boards would meet regularly and assume responsibility for everything from environmental management to long-term regional planning.

The reforms — pitched as the largest shake-up of local government in three decades — were unveiled at 5pm on Tuesday by Local Government Minister Simon Watts and RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. The late release time was deliberate, aimed at avoiding stock market disruption due to regional councils’ ownership stakes in major port companies.

What the New CTBs Will Do

The Combined Territory Boards will not only inherit regional council responsibilities, but will also be tasked with designing a “Regional Reorganisation Plan” — essentially a long-term blueprint for restructuring all local councils within their territory.

Under the government’s RMA reforms, CTBs would also develop:

• A region-wide spatial plan chapter, and
• A national environment plan chapter,

both of which would be incorporated into new combined regional plans.

Government Says System Is Broken

Announcing the proposal, Bishop said local government had become tangled in “duplication, disagreements and decisions that defy common sense.”

He argued the current model had lost public trust, pointing to low local election turnout as evidence.

“Local government is meant to serve communities, not confuse them,” Bishop said.
“The status quo is not an option.”

The government insists the reforms will also put “downward pressure on rates”, reducing bureaucratic cost and complexity.

Thousands of Jobs at Risk

With regional councils effectively being dissolved, the proposal raises major questions about the future of thousands of workers employed across the country in environmental management, biosecurity, public transport planning, flood protection, hazard response, and more.

Unions and staff are already preparing for what could be the largest workforce restructuring in local government history.

Public Consultation Now Open

The proposed changes are now open for consultation until 20 February.

If adopted, legislation will be introduced mid-2026 and the reforms could be fully in place by 2027.

For communities, councils, and workers across New Zealand. The coming months will determine whether this radical reset becomes reality. Or becomes one of the most contested political fights in years.