Simon Watts: Local Government Minister on the Government's plan to fast-track regional council reform

The Local Government Minister says a pathway's been made for councils to fast-track reform - because they're raring to go. The Government's announced councils have three months to submit rough merger plans, for becoming unitary authorities. In November it said it would abolish regional councillors, and reform local Government over a number of years, while encouraging district councils to merge. Simon Watts says councils have been so receptive, they've invited them to fast track it. "I don't want to set the pace of this reform by the slowest council - actually, the opposite, we want the ones that are ready to go to have a pathway to do that." LISTEN ABOVE

You can listen to Simon Watts: Local Government Minister on the Government's plan to fast-track regional council reform online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Simon Watts: Local Government Minister on the Government's plan to fast-track regional council reform is an episode from Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive by NZME.

This episode is 3:53 long.

This episode was published on May 5, 2026.

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