Marlborough District Councillors today voted unanimously to submit a joint proposal with Kaikōura District Council to the Government's Head Start initiative, taking the first formal step toward establishing a single unitary council covering the two districts.
The proposal, developed jointly by the two councils, will be submitted to Government by 9 August.
Mayor Nadine Taylor said today’s decision was about ensuring both Marlborough and Kaikōura had strong voices in shaping their own future.
"Today's decision allows Marlborough and Kaikōura to take a proactive, locally-led approach to investigating how local government could work best for our communities in the future.
"This is an exciting opportunity for both councils to put forward a joint proposal and continue exploring whether a combined unitary authority can deliver benefits for both districts, while protecting local identity and representation."
The proposed model would see Marlborough District Council and Kaikōura District Council, subject to further investigation and Government approval, merged into a single unitary authority from 2028. Under the proposal, Kaikōura would have its own dedicated ward and continue to receive services through a service centre in Kaikōura.
"Marlborough and Kaikōura already share strong social, economic, historic and environmental links. We are connected through tourism, business, emergency management, transport links and our shared coastal environment. This proposal allows us to explore whether a single unitary council could strengthen those connections and improve our long-term resilience and regional economy."
The Mayor acknowledged community support for progressing the proposal had been conditional on key concerns being addressed, particularly on rates, debt, infrastructure, local representation and maintaining local identity.
"We’ve heard clearly from our community that any future proposal must provide certainty around financial impacts and ensure local voices continue to be heard.”
"Those matters will be the focus of detailed analysis and full public consultation early next year, if the Head Start proposal is supported by Government.”
She acknowledged the ‘brave decision’ by Kaikōura District Council to support developing a Head Start proposal with Marlborough.
“This is an historic day for both districts and the beginning of a closer relationship. Kaikōura has an iconic status in New Zealand and internationally as a visitor destination - it is a special place.”
Community engagement undertaken so far by both councils had found support for continuing to explore the merger option, with two thirds of Marlborough respondents supporting the submission of an amalgamation proposal, provided that community concerns are addressed.
Cabinet is expected to decide in September which proposals will proceed to a detailed design phase. If approved, further work would be undertaken on governance, financial arrangements, representation, service delivery and implementation, followed by a comprehensive public consultation.
"There is considerable work ahead before any final decisions are made," Mayor Taylor said.
Mayor Taylor noted there will be some costs to develop the detailed design proposal and some transition costs, should the proposal be supported by the Government.
“The Head Start Proposal presents an initial estimation of costs in the order of $1.3 million, mostly for financial analysis, service delivery assessments and IT planning.”
“This is a rough estimate and does not necessarily mean that money will be either required or spent. However, I will be asking the Government to cover the costs of design and transition so that we can eliminate, or at the very least minimise, any impact on Marlborough.”
The Head Start Proposal (cover image attached) will be available on the Council’s website tomorrow at
Go to The Head Start Proposal
A video recording of today’s Council meeting will be available on the ‘Meetings’ section of Council’s website.
