Masterton District Council has announced that discussions regarding local amalgamation have been postponed in favour of addressing more immediate community needs.

The Council has opted not to allocate any resources at this time towards further exploration of the possibility of merging with Carterton and South Wairarapa district councils.

Mayor Gary Caffell emphasised the Council's commitment to directing its efforts towards pressing matters.

"While the door remains open to future discussions initiated by the Local Government Commission, we are mindful of not diverting valuable time, energy, and resources away from critical priorities," he said.

"Our focus is currently on the Long-Term Plan process, ensuring a balanced approach to fostering district growth while maintaining affordability and delivering value to our ratepayers. Additionally, we are actively engaged in developing strategies for sports facilities, parking, spatial planning, and the ongoing refinement of the Wairarapa Combined District Plan – initiatives that directly benefit our community.

"While we are open to dialogue with the Local Government Commission, if they choose to broach the subject, disrupting our current operations unnecessarily would undermine the high levels of service we consistently provide to our community."

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