Southland mayor Rob Scott has given a glowing review of proposed changes to local government, saying it mirrors what's already been pushed for.

The government's newly released plan to shake up the sector is yet to be fully fleshed out, but involves cutting regional councillors and forming new boards led by mayors which would oversee re-organisation.

Scott welcomed the new proposal, having already gone public in August 2024 with a vision to amalgamate Southland’s four councils into two unitary authorities.

“We’ve all got a lovely Christmas present from the government. And look, if anyone was planning in local government on winding down for Christmas, I think they’re going to get the total opposite now because we’ve got the RMA changes being announced soon as well, so it’s going to put a lot of pressure on the sector.

"But it’s (a) positive move, it’s time for change in local government, and it’s no time like the present.”

Scott said a lot of the groundwork had already been done through his proposal, and he could see the end result working well.

The government’s wording of “keeping it simple” also aligned, he said.

“It’s almost like they’ve read our proposal and gone ‘this is going to work for the whole country, this is where we need to go’.”

Scott’s proposal is currently being investigated by the Local Government Commission.

Regional council Environment Southland did not respond so kindly to the news, with chair Jeremy McPhail saying in a media statement that any new system needed to reflect the priorities and needs of the region and its people.

McPhail acknowledged there was room for improvement, but said stripping away regional governance knowledge and connection wasn't "necessarily the answer".

The government is proposing the changes as part of resource management reforms which are expected to be introduced to parliament in the coming weeks.

Alongside regional authorities getting the cut, Māori constituencies would also disappear — a matter which has raised some concerns.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air