Whakatāne and Ōpōtiki Support Eastern Bay Governance Proposal

A proposal to establish an Eastern Bay of Plenty unitary authority has moved a step closer after Whakatāne District Council and Ōpōtiki District Council voted to support its submission to Central Government.

The proposal has been jointly developed by Whakatāne, Ōpōtiki and Kawerau district councils through the Government’s Head Start pathway under the Simplifying Local Government reform programme.

In a statement following Tuesday’s meeting, Whakatāne District Council said the proposal outlines “a potential future governance arrangement that would bring together the functions of the three district councils and relevant regional council responsibilities within a single Eastern Bay authority.”

Whakatāne District Council said the decisions made by Whakatāne and Ōpōtiki mean “two of the three participating councils have now agreed to support submission of the proposal,” with Kawerau District Council due to consider the recommendation at its meeting on Wednesday.

The council emphasised that submitting the proposal would not create a new council or lock in any changes.

“Submission of the proposal does not create a new council, nor does it represent a final decision on the future structure of local government in the Eastern Bay of Plenty,” Whakatāne District Council said.

According to the council, the proposal is “the first step in a Government-led process to assess whether the concept should progress to a more detailed design and evaluation phase.”

If all three councils endorse the proposal and it is submitted before the Government’s August 9 deadline, Cabinet is expected to consider outline proposals later this year.

Whakatāne District Council said any proposal that progresses would require “further detailed work, including consideration of governance arrangements, representation, services, financial implications, iwi relationships and further community engagement” before any final decisions are made.