Southland Amalgamation Proposal

What Does It Means for the Gore District?

This all started in early 2025, when Southland District Council submitted a formal proposal asking the Commission to consider a new structure. Their idea was to create two new unitary authorities, one for the Invercargill area and another combining Gore District and Southland District Councils, while also taking over the responsibilities of Environment Southland (our regional council).

The Commission reviewed the request, consulted with all affected councils and iwi, and in July 2025 decided to begin an official investigation.

If you live in the Gore District, this could impact how your local services, things like roads, rubbish, water, and even environmental regulation, and how they are delivered in the future.

What did Gore District Council say in response?

In May, Chief Executive Debbie Lascelles wrote to the Commission explaining why we believe the current proposal doesn’t work for Gore.

Here’s a quick summary of the key points in her letter:

• Southland’s proposed amalgamation model is unlikely to save Gore ratepayers money. We already operate efficiently with a small team and limited infrastructure. An amalgamation on a much larger scale would be needed in order to benefit from economies of scale.
• The proposal doesn’t reflect how people use services. Many people who use Gore’s facilities live in Otago. We already collaborate with Clutha and Central Otago on water services. The proposal doesn’t account for these important cross-boundary relationships.
• It risks losing our strong local voice. Gore residents are highly engaged in local decision-making. We received over 500 submissions on our recent Long-term Plan, that’s more than 4% of our population. A bigger council may not reflect our community’s unique needs as effectively.
• It’s the wrong time. Councils across New Zealand are dealing with major reforms, especially around water services. Adding a reorganisation investigation right now would strain resources and cause confusion.

We’re not opposed to talking about change but this proposal is too small, too rushed, and doesn’t offer enough benefit for Gore ratepayers. We’ve asked the Commission to consider a broader and better-planned option in future, once reforms have settled.

👉 Click here to read the letter sent to the Local Government Commission

What Happens Next?

The Commission has decided to move into phase 2 of the investigation. For details of the decision, please click here.

The Commission has identified two potential options for local government in Southland for further investigation and modelling:

• One Southland-wide unitary council, supported by council-wide local boards
• Two unitary councils (an Invercargill unitary council and a Southland-Gore unitary council), each supported by council-wide local boards and a joint committee to oversee key regional functions

For more information on these options, please click here.

An online feedback form will be available shortly.

We want to hear what matters most to you. Whether you attend a session, speak with Commission representatives, or provide written feedback, your views will help inform the future of local government in Southland.
There will be a meeting held in Gore Tuesday 28 July 2026, 5:30pm-7:00pm Ōtamatea/Otamita room James Cumming Community Centre 29 Bowler Avenue Gore

👉 Click here to read the Local Government Commissions Decision on the SDC reorganisation initiative