Simeon Brown fails to reveal Wellington amalgamation discussions in OIA response

An AI-generated image of a pot of hot water on a stove top

Local Government Minister Simeon Brown may find himself in hot water for having failed to disclose discussions with Wellington’s mayors about amalgamation in an OIA response to Local Aotearoa. The discovery of the discussions only came about thanks to a LGOIMA response from Masterton District Council that revealed both Brown, and ministerial colleague Chris Bishop, had talked about the issue at a Wellington Mayoral Forum meeting in March 2024.

At the start of July, Local Aotearoa asked under the Official Information Act (OIA) Simeon Brown for a list of meetings, briefings, and workshops he’d attended, and any associated documents, where amalgamation of Wellington’s councils was discussed. In Brown’s response, he indicated there was just the one meeting in February that was relevant - between himself, Wairarapa MP Mike Butterick, and Carterton Mayor Hon Ron Mark. Local Aotearoa reported on that meeting as part of its story revealing the extent of Wellington amalgamation discussions.

Following up on the story on the assumption that mayors were largely progressing discussions in isolation to the Local Government Minister, Local Aotearoa put in a similar request using the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act to councils across the lower North Island. One of these responses, from Masterton District Council, has revealed that the topic of amalgamation in the Wellington region was discussed by mayors with Simeon Brown and Chris Bishop at a Wellington Mayoral Forum meeting in March 2024.

Masterton Mayor Gary Caffell, when providing an update to his councillors at a council meeting in early May 2024, summarised the discussion with the two ministers. Topics covered included three waters, regional deals, and amalgamation, with ministers giving the indication that “they want councils to sort those out themselves.”

On the question of amalgamation in the region, the LGOIMA response summarises that the two ministers “advised that the government won’t be forcing councils to do anything - councils will have to do it themselves. Water has taken over the discussion.”

Local Aotearoa has written Simeon Brown’s office and the Ombudsman to seek a correction to the OIA response he provided, as well as to ensure there has been no other events or documents missed out that should have been included. Had it not been for Masterton District Council’s fulsome LGOIMA response, we would have been in the dark about the fact Brown had discussed the matter with mayors and given them a clear indication that the Government would not be forcing the issue as happened previously with Auckland amalgamation.