Here’s what you told us in the Head Start Pathway survey

Date:

9 Jul 2026, 12:00 pm

Categories:

News | Kawepūrongo

Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their views through the Head Start Pathway: Simplifying Local Government survey.

We received 757 responses between 9 June 2026 and 5 July 2026. Your feedback gives us a clearer picture of what matters most to our communities as conversations continue about the future shape of local government.

Mayor Toby Adams said the main message was clear it showed how strongly people care about the future of their communities.

“People are open to change, but they want any new council setup to keep local voices strong and at the forefront, keep costs fair, and make sure our towns, rural areas and coastal communities are all looked after.”

What you told us

50.9% of respondents supported Council merging with other councils, 30.4% saying maybe, and 18.8% saying no.
Of the proposal presented Scenario A, the Eastern Waikato Sub-Regional Unitary Authority, was the most supported option, chosen by 86.8% of respondents, providing a clear picture of where to align if we move forward with a proposal.
The top priorities were keeping decisions close to home, keeping costs down for households, and making sure every part of our community has a fair say.
People also raised flood protection, river management, drainage, access to local services, local jobs, local suppliers, and protecting the character of our district.

Local voice came through strongly

One of the strongest themes was the importance of local decision-making. Specifically, that decisions should stay close to home, and they do not want smaller towns, rural areas or coastal communities to lose their voice in a larger council structure.

We also heard that community identity matters. People value having local services, local offices, local staff and face-to-face support, especially when it comes to getting help with council matters close to home.

Keeping costs fair was a key concern

Rates and everyday costs were also front of mind. People wanted to understand whether merging councils would save money, or whether it could lead to higher rates, shared debt, or local money being spent on things that do not benefit their area.

Affordability was especially important for households on fixed incomes and for people concerned about the cost of living.

Scenario A was the preferred option

Of the options presented, Scenario A (The Eastern Waikato Sub-Regional Unitary Authority) was clearly the most supported. Many people said it felt more local, better reflected nearby communities, and made sense because of shared rural, coastal and catchment interests.

Some respondents still did not support merging councils, but said Scenario A was their preferred option if change does happen.

“The future shape of local government will ultimately be determined by central government. Our job is to make sure the voice of the Hauraki district is clearly heard before those decisions are made. The survey has helped us do that” says Mayor Toby.

People want practical local needs protected

Flood protection, river management, drainage, water quality and environmental management were raised often. Many people linked these issues to local knowledge and catchment-based planning.

We also heard that local jobs, local suppliers, iwi relationships and experienced staff are important and should be protected through any future change.

What happens next

We are still working through the survey feedback and what it means. Your councillors will now begin working through the proposal options in detail and what this looks like based on what we have heard, and the criteria required by the government.

We will keep the community updated as this work progresses.

Chief Executive David Spiers said the feedback would help inform Council’s thinking as the work continues.

“This feedback gives us a strong steer on what matters most to people. We are taking the time to work through the results carefully, and we will let you know about next steps as soon as we can,” Spiers said.

For now, thank you again to everyone who took part. Your feedback is helping us understand what matters most to our communities and a future that keeps Hauraki’s people and places at the heart of the conversation.

Information you need to know about the changes to local government:

Central government has signalled that regional councils will be replaced after 2028, and that it wants fewer city and district councils across New Zealand. Councils have a short window to put forward their own preferred proposal before those decisions are made for them.

Central government has asked councils to put forward their own preferred shape for a local government by 9 August 2026. This is a very tight timeframe.

Councils that choose to submit a proposal can shape how that change happens.

We reached out to our community via the Head Start Survey to find out what matters to them to help us decide what to put forward.

Find information about the different scenarios we asked for your preferred option on visit our Head Start Korero Mai page.

The financial implications of each scenario remain unclear at this stage. We can't give you firm numbers yet. They will be worked through on any preferred proposal.

Councils that don't put forward a proposal will be part of a re-organisation that will be determined by Central Government instead.

For more information about these changes visit - www.beehive.govt.nz