Head Start for Simplifying Local Government

On 5 May 2026, the Government announced the Head Start for Simplifying Local Government – a streamlined, voluntary pathway for councils willing and able to reorganise before the wider reform of local government from 2028.

The deadline for councils to submit outline proposals through the Head Start pathway closed on 9 August 2026. The Government will now assess proposals and consider which are suitable to progress to the next stage of work. Cabinet decisions on proposals progressing to detailed design are expected in September 2026.

Context

In November 2025, the Government proposed changes to simplify local government: replacing regional councillors with a region’s mayors, and requiring these mayors to develop plans for the more effective and efficient delivery of council services across a region.

Consultation on this proposal resulted in more than 1,150 submissions, including around 70 from councils and local government sector bodies, and 60 from iwi/Māori organisations. Submitters generally agreed with the need for reform but raised issues with the specific proposal.

There was more support for regional reorganisation plans than combined territories boards (CTBs). Many submitters had concerns about council capacity to progress these reforms at the same time as other government initiatives. Some suggested changes to the timing, membership, or remit of CTBs.

Many submitters supported keeping regional councillors in place until the 2028 local elections—as a practical measure to support mayors and maintain democratic legitimacy. Councils told us they wanted more flexibility for locally led reform, with some mayors keen to reorganise faster.

Submissions were published in full (subject to privacy redactions) here at a future date.

What is currently proposed?

The Government listened to feedback and refined its approach to Simplifying Local Government. Cabinet:

• introduced a streamlined, voluntary Head Start pathway for councils willing and able to reorganise quickly, with outline proposals for new unitary authorities due by August, and final policy decisions on detailed proposals early next year. The outline proposal submission period has now closed and submitted proposals are being assessed against agreed criteria, outlined in the guidance document below, before Cabinet considers which proposals progress to detailed design.
• will commence wider reform of local government after the 2028 local elections, with regional councillors replaced by some form of interim body (for example, a board of mayors, Crown commissioners, or a hybrid model) and final policy decisions on the ‘backstop’ in 2027.

Why this change?

This staged approach enables swift reorganisation in areas where there is momentum for change. It also responds to the strong case made through submissions for adjustments to support the transition to the new resource management regime.

Combined, the Head Start and backstop provide clarity and certainty for councils and communities, while ensuring governance and leadership arrangements are fit for purpose during the implementation of the new planning system.

One of the objectives of the Head Start pathway is to support the implementation of the new planning system. Delivering the new planning system remains a core responsibility for all councils, regardless of whether they participate in the Head Start pathway.

What happens next? 

Following the 9 August 2026 deadline, outline proposals submitted through the Head Start pathway will be assessed against agreed criteria, including deliverability, support for the new planning system, simplified governance arrangements, economies of scale, and effective local representation.

Cabinet will consider the assessment results and decide which proposals progress to the detailed design stage. Cabinet decisions are expected in September 2026. Councils, stakeholders and communities will continue to be kept informed as the process progresses.

Policy document

More information on the Head Start pathway—including entry requirements and assessment criteria for Head Start outline proposals—is available in the policy document below.

Head start pathway: Simplifying local government (PDF, 824KB)

Guidance for Head Start outline proposals

The document below provides guidance to support councils to develop outline proposals for Head Start.

Guidance for Head Start outline proposals (PDF, 3.5MB)