Elected members from Buller, Grey and Westland District Councils today took part in Head Start workshops ahead of formal decisions on whether to submit the West Coast's Head Start Outline Proposal to Government at their respective council meetings on 3 August.
The workshops provided councillors with a comprehensive briefing on the Head Start programme, the Government's expectations for outline proposals, the region's initial community feedback, and the draft Outline Proposal developed for council consideration. They also had the opportunity to ask questions, seek clarification and explore the proposal ahead of their formal decision-making meetings.
Councillors also received an update on recent discussions with the Ministry of Cities, Regions, Environment and Transport (MCERT), which clarified that, under the Government's Head Start guidance, regions are expected to identify a preferred governance model to progress into detailed design. An outline proposal that does not identify a model is unlikely to meet the Head Start eligibility requirements and would increase the likelihood of the region progressing through the Government-led Backstop process instead.
The draft proposal therefore identifies a single West Coast unitary authority as the model proposed for detailed design. This reflects both the Government's expectations for Head Start and the previous Local Government Commission investigations, while also recognising that the initial phase of community engagement indicated this was the option most commonly identified by participants for further investigation.
Importantly, submitting a proposal does not commit councils to establishing a unitary authority.
Instead, it seeks Government support to undertake a detailed-design phase that would independently test whether a single unitary authority would deliver better long-term outcomes for the West Coast. This work would include independent financial modelling, governance and local representation design, service-delivery planning, partnership arrangements with Poutini Ngāi Tahu, consideration of regional economic development arrangements, and extensive further community engagement before councils make any final decisions.
Head Start Project Lead Ashley Stuart said the workshops were an important step in ensuring councillors were fully informed before making their decision.
"The decision before councils is not whether to establish a unitary authority. It is whether the West Coast wants to lead its own reform process by submitting a Head Start proposal, or accept the risk that reform could instead be progressed through the Government's Backstop process."
On Monday 3 August, Buller, Grey and Westland District Councils will each consider whether to submit the Head Start Outline Proposal to the Government. The West Coast Regional Council will then consider, at its meeting on 4 August, whether to provide a letter of support as an affected council.
If the three district councils agree to submit the proposal, the Government will consider whether the West Coast should proceed to the next phase of the Head Start process. If the proposal is accepted by Government, the next phase would involve independent technical analysis, financial assessment, governance design and formal community consultation before councils consider any decisions on the future structure of local government on the West Coast.
-ENDS-
For further information please contact:
Ashley Stuart, Project Lead ashley.stuart@westcoast.govt.nz
Disclaimer
The information in this media release was correct at time of publication. Changes in circumstances after the time of publication may impact on the accuracy of the information.