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The Government has invited councils across New Zealand to explore potential local government amalgamations through a fast-tracked “Head Start” process.
This process gives Councils a limited window to work together to explore options, test ideas and put forward regional proposals that reflect the needs of local communities. If Councils do not lead this work themselves, the Government says it will step in and make the decisions.
Councils across the wider Wellington region, Wairarapa, Kāpiti and Horowhenua - including Hutt City Council - are now participating in this Head Start process to ensure our communities have a voice in shaping any future proposals.
Proposals will be assessed by central government against criteria including deliverability by the 2028 local elections, improved efficiency, better service outcomes, and effective local representation.
If shortlisted, councils move to a detailed design phase, with final decisions made by Cabinet. Successful reorganisations are implemented before the 2028 elections.
No decisions have been made.
This work is at an early stage but moving quickly, and Hutt City Council is taking part to make sure the interests, needs and voice of Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai Lower Hutt are represented.
Lower Hutt community feedback helps shape local government reorganisation discussions
UPDATE 9 July 2026
Lower Hutt Mayor Ken Laban has released a discussion document informed by recent stakeholder and community feedback to help guide the Wellington region’s Head Start conversations.
The document is not a formal Head Start proposal, it’s a contribution to the regional design process and a reference point for Hutt City Council’s elected members as they consider emerging options. It will help inform discussions with other Councils as they work towards a regional proposal, and could also influence Government thinking around its developing backstop process.
The discussion document seeks to respond to the feedback received to date by exploring practical design options and protections that would help give communities confidence in any future changes. These include maintaining local representation, protecting community decision-making, retaining local services and continuing to recognise and work with Mana Whenua.
The document was discussed by Hutt City Council’s elected members at a briefing this week and has been shared as part of ongoing regional discussions under the Government’s voluntary Head Start process.
Read the discussion document here.
Lower Hutt Mayor Ken Laban with former Deputy Mayor of Auckland Penny Hulse, who shared insights from the Auckland amalgamation experience at the stakeholder forum.
1 July stakeholder forum
Around 150 Lower Hutt community representatives shared their views on the future of local government at a Mayoral Stakeholder Forum, which will help inform Hutt City Council's response to the Government's proposal to explore changes to local government.
Representatives from Mana Whenua, sporting and cultural groups, residents’ associations, advocacy and support organisations and business groups discussed what matters most to their communities and how local government can best serve future generations.
See the insights from forum participants
Read the media release about the forum
Initial public feedback
We received feedback from 418 people in the June survey, with a strong majority (84%) supporting the Head Start pathway approach of working with other councils to help shape the region’s future, rather than waiting for the Government to decide what happens next.
The dominant themes are rates and affordability, protecting local representation and decision-making, infrastructure investment, and concerns about Lower Hutt ratepayers inheriting costs from other councils. Across the board, there is a strong call for robust evidence, transparent financial modelling, and clear service delivery benefits before any decisions are made.
Overall, the feedback suggests residents are focused less on governance structures and more on practical outcomes, accountability, and ensuring Lower Hutt's interests are protected.
Click to read the full survey report
If you would like to receive updates on future opportunities to give feedback about amalgamation enter your details here.
Cross-council community reference group
A number of Councils from across the wider Wellington region have established an online Cross-Council Community Reference Group to provide ongoing community insight as amalgamation discussions gain momentum through the Government's Head Start process.
The reference group will complement, rather than replace, local engagement activities by providing a consistent source of community insight that can be used to rapidly test ideas, understand community reactions, and identify emerging issues as discussions and proposals evolve.
The Cross-Council Community Reference Group has been established to complement wider public engagement by providing a level of depth and ongoing dialogue that cannot be achieved through broad public engagement alone. By engaging with the same group of residents over multiple rounds, councils can explore issues in greater detail and understand how views evolve as information is shared and ideas are tested, providing richer insights to help inform decision-making.
13 July update:
The second round of conversations with the Cross-Council Community Reference Panel has been completed, building on the first round in which many participants said they wanted more confidence that changes to local government would lead to better outcomes.
Read the report here.
2 July update:
The first round of conversations provided early insights into how people across the Wellington region are responding to the ideas being considered as part of potential local government reform.
The panel of 101 residents shared their views, with several clear themes emerging:
- Affordability, rates and financial accountability were the strongest priorities.
- Many supported delivering some services regionally where it improves efficiency, while maintaining a strong local voice.
- Improving core services, particularly water infrastructure and roads, was seen as the highest priority.
- People wanted clearer, more practical information about how any changes would work and what they would mean for their communities.
Participants also raised concerns about the potential cost of reform, the risk of increased bureaucracy, and the importance of protecting local representation.
These findings are one input into the wider engagement programme and will help inform discussions between councils as our work continues towards a potential regional proposal. They also provide useful context ahead of tomorrow night’s stakeholder forum, where you'll have the opportunity to hear directly from representatives of Lower Hutt's businesses, organisations and community groups.
Approximately 100 residents have been independently recruited from across participating councils (Hutt City Council, Greater Wellington Regional Council, Porirua City Council, Upper Hutt City Council, Horowhenua District Council, Masterton District Council and Carterton District Council).
Participants were selected to broadly reflect the diversity of communities across the region, with numbers allocated broadly in line with population while ensuring smaller communities are represented. Participants have been recruited by an independent third-party research company. Personal details are not shared with councils, and feedback is anonymous.
Engagement will be conducted through Qualifyr, an online qualitative research platform, enabling councils to gather detailed community insights and test ideas over multiple rounds as discussions evolve.
Insights gathered through the reference group will sit alongside local engagement, technical advice, financial analysis and other evidence used to inform discussions and decision-making.
The Cross-Council Community Reference Group has been established to inform participating councils. Wellington City Council, Kāpiti District Council and South Wairarapa District Council are undertaking separate engagement activities, and findings from the reference group should not be considered representative of those council areas.
Video description: Starting the conversation about local government amalgamation
More information about the Head Start process
The work is being led through the Wellington Mayoral Forum, made up of Mayors from across the Wellington region, Wairarapa, Kāpiti and Horowhenua.
The Forum is exploring whether changes to local government structures could help Councils better meet future challenges and deliver improved outcomes for communities.
Mayor Andrew Little chairs the forum, with Mayor Fran Wilde serving as Deputy Chair. Mayor Ken Laban is representing the interests of Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai Lower Hutt.
The wider programme is being supported by a regional working group made up of Council chief executives and senior staff from across the region. Independent advisory and technical support is also being used to help assess options, financial impacts and governance models.
The Wellington region already works as one connected region in many ways. People live, work, travel and use services across Council boundaries every day. The land, water and environment in the region are all interconnected.
Local government is facing growing pressure from:
- rising infrastructure costs
- increasing rates affordability challenges
- major national reforms
- changing community expectations
- the need to plan and deliver services across Council boundaries
This work is about exploring whether there are better ways to organise local government so it is more efficient, financially sustainable and better able to deliver for communities.
Hutt City Council will approach this work with a clear focus on:
- protecting strong local voice and representation
- keeping communities informed
- making sure any proposal is evidence-led
- understanding the impacts for Lower Hutt residents, businesses and communities
- supporting long-term affordability and financial sustainability
- strengthening partnership with Mana Whenua
- being open and transparent about what is being considered
At this stage, no decisions have been made about any future structure.
Any proposal would need to consider how local identity, local decision-making and community voice are protected.
Our role is to make sure Lower Hutt’s interests are understood and represented as regional discussions continue.
What happens next
The regional work is moving quickly, with key discussions and decisions expected between June and August 2026.
Important milestones include:
| Timing | What's happening |
|---|---|
| Late May | Mayoral Forum considers the work programme |
| Early June | Early structural options and design principles tested |
| Mid June | Mana Whenua engagement |
| Mid-late June | Direction and engagement approach considered |
| Late June | Early Council and Mana Whenua engagement |
| July | Further analysis, financial information and proposal direction |
| Late July | Council papers expected to be released publicly |
| Early August | Council meetings and feedback |
| 14 August | Proposal due to Government through the Head Start pathway |
We’ll keep you updated
We know changes to local government matter to our communities.
We are committed to keeping residents, businesses, Mana Whenua, community groups and stakeholders informed every step of the way as this work develops.
More information will be shared as it becomes available, including opportunities to provide feedback once the regional engagement approach is confirmed.