Mayors agree approach for Head Start proposals
UPDATE 10 AUGUST 2026
Mayors from across the wider Wellington region have agreed to submit two proposals for consideration under the Government’s Head Start process.
Two proposals have been put forward by Councils in the region:
a region-wide unitary proposal supported by Wellington City Council, Hutt City Council, Porirua City Council and South Wairarapa District Council.
a Wairarapa proposal supported by Carterton District Council and Masterton District Council.
These proposals reflect the positions of the individual councils involved. Kāpiti Coast District Council and Upper Hutt City Council have not agreed to be part of this proposal, and on their behalf the submitting Councils have conveyed their request for some form of offramp from the Head Start pathway.
The region is already working together on many shared challenges and remains committed to regional collaboration, regardless of the outcome of the Head Start process. Discussions between councils have been constructive, while recognising that not every council has reached the same position.
Mana Whenua partnership at all levels, and Māori representation, remain fundamental to the process. Councils are committed to their continued involvement now and in any future arrangements.
Headstart proposal cover letter
FAQs about Hutt City Council's Head Start decision
If you would like to receive updates on future opportunities to give feedback about amalgamation enter your details here.
The Head Start process
The Government invited councils across New Zealand to explore potential local government amalgamations through a fast-tracked “Head Start” process that closed for proposals on 9 August.
This process gave 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 - participated in this Head Start process to ensure our communities have a voice in shaping any future proposals.
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
Cross-council community reference group
As part of the Government's Head Start process, participating councils established a Cross-Council Community Reference Group to provide ongoing community insight as ideas for local government reform were explored.
The reference group complemented broader community engagement by enabling councils to explore issues in more depth over three rounds of conversations with residents from across the Wellington region. This helped test emerging ideas, understand community priorities and concerns, and see how views evolved as more information was shared.
The work has now been completed ahead of councils considering whether to put forward a regional proposal under the Head Start process.
What we heard
Across all three rounds of engagement, consistent themes emerged:
- Affordability, rates and financial accountability were the strongest priorities.
- People wanted clear evidence that any changes would improve services and deliver better value for money.
- Many supported delivering major infrastructure and other region-wide services at a regional level, while retaining strong local decision-making for community facilities and place-based services.
- Protecting local representation and ensuring smaller communities continue to have a meaningful voice was consistently important.
- Participants wanted clearer, more practical information about costs, governance, and how any future arrangements would work.
- Many emphasised the importance of transparent decision-making, genuine engagement, and keeping communities informed throughout any change process.
The findings from the Community Reference Group have been considered alongside other engagement and technical work to help inform discussions on a potential regional proposal.
View the final Community Reference report here, including the individual engagement findings.
Approximately 100 residents were 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 were represented. Participants were recruited by an independent third-party research company. Personal details were not shared with councils, and feedback was anonymous.
Engagement was conducted through Qualifyr, an online qualitative research platform, enabling councils to gather detailed community insights and test ideas over multiple rounds as discussions evolved.
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 was 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.
What happens next
| Timing | What's happening |
|---|---|
| 9 August | Proposals submitted to Government through the Head Start pathway |
| September 2026 | Cabinet is expected to consider the proposals |
| October 2026 - March 2027 | Accepted proposals move into detailed design and community engagement |
| May 2027 | Final Government decisions are expected |
| By October 2028 | Any changes are intended to be implemented before the local elections |
We’ll keep you updated
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 during the detailed design phase if the government progresses the proposal. If you would like to receive updates on future feeback opportunities, enter your details here.