David Hick

The recent “call” from the Local Government Minister urging councils to amalgamate – or face intervention – raises an important question for our region: bigger doesn’t always mean better.

In the Bay of Plenty context, the implied direction appears to favour a structure aligned with the current BOP Regional Council footprint.

On paper, that may promise efficiencies.

In practice, it risks creating something too large, too distant, and too urban-centric to serve all communities fairly.

There is a more grounded alternative worth serious consideration: an Eastern Bay of Plenty Council formed from Whakatāne, Ōpōtiki, and Kawerau districts.

This option reflects a natural geographic and demographic coherence. The Eastern Bay already functions as a connected sub-region, with shared economic drivers, infrastructure links, and community ties.

The mix of urban centres and rural hinterland is not only familiar but interdependent.

These districts understand the realities of servicing large rural areas, supporting primary industries, and maintaining smaller communities that can easily be overlooked in larger governance models.

By contrast, folding the Eastern Bay into a wider structure dominated by Tauranga and Rotorua risks skewing priorities. Larger urban centres inevitably draw focus, funding, and political attention.

The needs of smaller towns – roading, water infrastructure, rural services – could become secondary considerations rather than core business.

That imbalance would not be intentional, but it would be structural.

We have already seen a version of this play out with the Auckland Council “Super City” amalgamation. Promised efficiencies and savings have been widely debated, but what is clear is that many rural and fringe communities have felt like the poorer cousin – struggling for fair representation and equitable service delivery compared to the urban core.

That experience should give us pause before assuming scale alone delivers better outcomes.

An Eastern Bay model also aligns with existing service footprints.

The Horizon Energy distribution area is one example of how infrastructure and community identity already operate cohesively across these districts. Governance should reflect these realities, not override them.

Importantly, this is not an argument against reform.

There are efficiencies to be gained, and collaboration can be strengthened. But reform should enhance representation, not dilute it.

It should bring decision-making closer to communities, not push it further away.

Local government works best when it remains local.

The Eastern Bay has distinct challenges and opportunities that deserve focused governance by people who live them daily.

A one-size-fits-all solution risks solving the wrong problem.

If amalgamation is to occur, let’s ensure it is shaped by logic on the ground – not just theory from above.