Hawke's Bay councils approve locally led reform proposal

Hawke's Bay's three participating councils have completed the next step required to submit a locally led proposal to the Government under the Head Start pathway as part of Simplifying Local Government.

Following resolutions yesterday by Hastings District Council and Central Hawke’s Bay Council and today by Napier City Council, the three councils will formally submit their outline proposal to the Minister of Local Government ahead of the Government's 9 August deadline.

The submission marks the completion of an intensive period of collaboration to identify a preferred model for the future of local government in Hawke's Bay.

The proposal is not a final decision on the future structure of local government in Hawke’s Bay. If accepted by the Government, it would progress to a more detailed design phase involving further financial analysis, comprehensive community consultation and additional council decisions before any changes could occur.

Hastings Mayor Wendy Schollum said reaching this point was an important milestone for the region.

"This is about Hawke's Bay taking responsibility for shaping its own future rather than having change designed for us.

"Throughout this work we've challenged ideas, considered different perspectives and focused on what will best serve our communities over the long term. There's still more work ahead, including working with central government to ensure any reform and transition isn’t an extra financial burden on ratepayers, but this decision reflects a shared commitment to finding the best path forward for Hawke's Bay."

Napier Mayor Richard McGrath said submitting the proposal marked both the end of one stage and the beginning of the next stage of the process.

"The Head Start process has challenged us to think differently and work together in ways we haven't before.

"Submitting this proposal isn't the end of the process – it's the beginning of the next phase, where we'll undertake more detailed analysis, continue testing the proposal and engage with our communities to ensure we get this right."

Central Hawke's Bay Mayor Will Foley said the proposal balanced regional thinking with the importance of maintaining strong local representation.

"Whatever the future holds, it's important that local communities continue to have a strong voice. That principle has remained central throughout this work and will continue to guide the next phase of the process."

The councils also acknowledged the significant contribution of Hastings District Council Chief Executive Nigel Bickle, who passed away unexpectedly last week.

Hastings Mayor Wendy Schollum said reaching this milestone had been especially poignant.

"Nigel cared deeply about Hawke's Bay and believed strongly in working together to achieve better outcomes for our communities. He made an important contribution to this work, and his loss has been deeply felt across our region.

"I'm incredibly proud of the way people across our councils have come together to support one another and see this work through. The collaboration, professionalism and determination shown over the past week is a fitting reflection of the values Nigel brought to this process."