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25 June 2026

Selwyn communities have given “loud and clear” feedback to the Council on the proposed local government reforms, says Mayor Lydia Gliddon.

Open 5-21 June, almost 7,000 responses were received in the “60 Seconds for Selwyn” survey, highlighting strong community interest in how Selwyn’s future is shaped.

In a workshop on 24 June, Selwyn District Councillors took a first detailed look at the results and used that feedback to guide early discussions on the Government’s Head Start reform programme.

When it comes to exploring options, 46 percent of responses asked Council to explore both amalgamating with other neighbouring councils, and becoming a Selwyn-based unitary authority, before making a decision. Thirty-four percent of responses asked Council to only explore becoming a Selwyn-based unitary authority.

Unitary authorities are organisations that have the functions of both regional councils and territorial authorities (city/district councils), such as Marlborough and Gisborne District Councils.

“I’m delighted to see strong engagement and feedback from communities throughout the district. We wanted to canvas a range of views to give us a solid understanding of the destiny Selwyn wants to shape,” says Gliddon.

The survey saw residents from across the district voice their opinion, with strong participation from working-age ratepayers, predominantly from Rolleston and Lincoln, and a high level of engagement (41 percent provided written feedback). Thirty-two percent of responses were from people living rurally, with communities from Arthur’s Pass to Rakaia Huts having their say on what matters most.

Feedback also shows residents care deeply about maintaining local identity, keeping decision-making close to home, and ensuring services remain affordable and reliable. Concerns about rates, growth pressures, and protecting rural communities were also recurring themes.

Selwyn Mayor Lydia Gliddon says the Councillors’ workshop was an important early step in working through the implications of the feedback.

“Our Councillors have now had the chance to get into the detail of what our community has told us,” she says.

“We’re not making decisions yet. It’s about understanding what matters most to our residents, testing different ideas, and making sure we’re asking the right questions as we move forward.”

During the session, Councillors explored a range of potential options under the Head Start framework, including whether Selwyn should explore amalgamation with neighbouring councils, become a Selwyn-based unitary authority and take on regional functions, or explore a combination of both.

They also identified areas where further information is needed from staff to support robust decision-making and to fully understand the impacts of different options.

No decisions were made at the workshop.

“This was about working through the scenarios openly and making sure we are well informed before taking anything further to our community,” Mayor Gliddon says.

Next steps

  • Staff will continue analysing the survey results and preparing further detailed advice for councillors.
  • A public Council meeting on 15 July will see staff and Councillors work through the next steps on the Council’s Head Start proposal.
  • Councillors will consider this work before confirming a preferred direction in a public meeting on 5 August.
  • Councillors and the Mayor will continue to work closely with the Canterbury Mayoral Forum on discussions and the work ahead.
  • Any proposal will continue to be shaped by community feedback before being submitted to Government on 7 August, with more community input planned from mid-July in a similar quick, accessible format.

Councillors will continue to engage with the community as the process progresses, ensuring local voices remain central to any future decisions about Selwyn’s governance.

“We’ve had a really strong response from our community, it shows how important this is for our people,” Mayor Gliddon says.

“Now it’s on us to make sure that feedback is reflected in the options we put forward and the conversations we have next.”

For more information on Head Start, and the survey results, check out our Local Government Reform webpage: Selwyn District Council - Local Government Reforms

Last modified: 26 Jun 2026 2:26pm