Response from Chairman Horrell on SDC's release about amalgamation

Response from Chairman Nicol Horrell to the SDC release on council amalgamation.

The amalgamation proposal from the Southland District Mayor is a timely conversation. There are certainly efficiencies to be gained in local government and I look forward to a joined-up conversation with our Council colleagues and communities on this.

We’ve heard from our community through the Long-term Plan process that we need to be looking for efficiencies, and we’re committed to that. I’m sure the Southland District mayor and councillors heard the same when they recently consulted on their own Long-term Plan and no doubt the council is facing difficult decisions around rate setting.

In my view, seeking efficiencies makes sense where similar services exist. I’m less certain that, at first read, the Mayor’s proposal is where we’ll end up but let’s work together as a region for the best Southland solution.

Environment Southland is committed to delivering regionwide outcomes by enabling the sustainable management of natural resources at a catchment scale.

Preserving the benefit of this regionwide approach to community wellbeing needs to be the basis of the conversation, and we look forward to being a part of it.