Invercargill City Council has backed a "One Southland" governance model, saying a single council would deliver the strongest path to regional efficiency and sustainability.
The decision comes as Southland faces two parallel processes for local government change. The Local Government Commission announced today it will proceed to Phase 2 of its Southland review, continuing alongside the Government's Head Start Pathway that gives councils three months to propose their own regional structures.
Invercargill Mayor Tom Campbell said councillors unanimously agreed a single Southland council would provide the greatest opportunity for economies of scale and help keep rates down across the region.
"Ratepayers expect councils to look seriously at opportunities to reduce duplication and deliver services more efficiently," Campbell said. "A unified council gives us the opportunity to streamline services, reduce overlap and focus more resource where they are needed most."
Environment Southland Chair Jeremy McPhail said his council supports either or both processes, emphasising that essential functions like flood risk mitigation and biosecurity are best managed at regional level.
"These challenges don't stop at district boundaries," McPhail said. "If Southland chooses to go with a unitary model for the future, we think one unitary council for the region would be the most effective and cost-efficient."
Campbell highlighted Southland's existing regional cooperation through organisations like Great South, Emergency Management Southland and WasteNet, saying the region has operated as a distinct economic area for more than 160 years.
"This is ultimately about setting Southland up for the next 50 years, not protecting structures from the last 50," he said.
The mayor emphasised that strong local representation would remain essential, suggesting a ward structure similar to current councils could provide balanced urban and rural representation.
If regions don't reach agreement under the Head Start process, the Government has indicated it may impose a standardised structure nationally.
Invercargill City Council Chief Executive Michael Day said no modelling of the preferred structure has been done yet, and any transition would likely occur over several years with careful planning around representation, assets and services.
McPhail said the Local Government Commission's Phase 2 investigation provides a good opportunity for public involvement in deciding Southland's future, particularly for those who didn't participate in the first phase.
"While the Government's Head Start Pathway doesn't allow much time for public input, it's not to say this couldn't occur even after councils have put forward an outline proposal," he said.
Invercargill City Council will continue advocating for the One Southland model as regional discussions progress.