Green Party Coromandel candidate Pamela Grealey says proposed local government changes risk weakening local representation and forcing very different communities into governance structures that do not reflect local realities.

“Local government reform should be about improving democracy, accountability and services for communities, not creating larger structures simply for the sake of it,” says Grealey.

While acknowledging councils face significant financial and infrastructure pressures, Grealey says reforms must recognise the distinct needs of regional and coastal communities.

“There is real concern that central Government is shifting increasing responsibility onto councils while simultaneously pushing structural reforms that could further distance decision-making from local people.”

Grealey says the Coromandel electorate includes a wide mix of coastal, rural, farming and township communities with very different priorities and challenges.

“Communities like Thames-Coromandel cannot simply be treated as an extension of larger neighbouring districts with entirely different economic and geographic realities.”

“We have extensive coastline issues, tourism pressures, small communities spread across difficult terrain, and infrastructure challenges that are quite different from inland farming districts.”

Grealey says local voices and local leadership must remain central in any restructuring decisions. “People want councils that understand their communities and are accessible to them. Bigger does not automatically mean better.”

She says many councils are already under enormous pressure, and now is not the time for rushed restructuring proposals developed without strong community mandate.

“Our communities need certainty, support and meaningful engagement, not reforms imposed from the top down just months out from an election.”

“Unique places like the Coromandel deserve governance arrangements that reflect the realities of our communities, not one-size-fits-all models designed around administrative convenience.”

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