A bid to combine Southland’s four councils is not the first time the topic has been discussed.

Almost 40 years ago, the Local Government Commission responded to an Invercargill councillor’s disappointment that a single authority was not landed on during reform.

The response followed a terse December 1988 letter from former councillor Terry King, questioning the commission’s decision making.

Sweeping changes would come into effect the following year, heralding the introduction of Southland District Council, Gore District Council and Southland Regional Council — now known as Environment Southland.

Invercargill City Council would also form, combining the City of Invercargill with Bluff Borough Council and parts of Southland County Council.

King wrote that he was “firmly opposed” to an urban and rural separation, and called the restructure proposal a “disaster”.

He lamented that the region was not moving forward with a single unitary scheme.

The councillor's concerns were addressed by then-chairman Brian Elwood, who explained a law change in July 1988 had hamstrung the commission.

“I think you would understand the sense of disappointment that commissioners felt in not being able to proceed with what it considered to be the best system of local government for Southland,” Elwood wrote.

“But that is the name of the game.”

Elwood said that he shared the councillor's sense of disappointment.

Fast forward to 2025, and a shake-up of southern councils is once again on the radar.

Southland mayor Rob Scott went live with a proposal in August 2024 to reorganise the four southern councils into two unitary authorities — one district-based and one urban-based — claiming it would save money, improve efficiency and reduce complexity.

Last month, the commission announced it would investigate the proposal along with a range of other options.

That move was welcomed by Gore mayor Ben Bell and Environment Southland chair Nicol Horrell.

Bell said the commission had done a good job of trying to satisfy different concerns, while Horrell said the status quo was no longer fit for purpose.

Invercargill mayor Nobby Clark has publicly backed a single authority, saying it could achieve a greater economy of scale.

The commission's investigation is expected to take at least 12 months.

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