Mayors ‘fuming’ after minister Simon Watts halts Local Govt reform

Wellington Reporter·NZ Herald·23 Sep, 2026 11:46 PM4 mins to read‌“After careful consideration, Cabinet has decided that it will not be making decisions on individual Headstart proposals at this time,” Local Government Minister Simon Watts (left) and RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop told councils. Photo / Mark Mitchell Mayors are “fuming” after the Government announced it will not proceed with local government reforms before November’s election, saying it shows ministers are “not serious” about the radical reforms.But the Local Government Minister has dismissed the outrage as “political”. “I’d suggest that we leave the political campaigning to central