Hurunui Mayor Marie Black says Canterbury Police’s decision to abandon a controversial district restructure is a victory for collective action, community trust and common sense.

“It’s fantastic news. A wonderful demonstration of keeping your integrity intact and focusing on the things that matter,” Black said after confirmation that police would not proceed with plans to reduce staff in small towns and centralise operations into 24/7 hubs in Rolleston and Rangiora.

The proposal, which faced weeks of strong opposition from Federated Farmers, councils and rural residents, struck at the heart of small communities, where local police officers are seen as neighbours, friends and essential partners in keeping people safe.

“In my opinion, this proposed restructure really got to the heart of the people,” Black said. “It’s about trust and confidence, knowing that we’ve got police in our communities who live and breathe the same air, take their kids to the same schools, and go to the same rugby matches. That connection is vital.”

Black, who spoke personally with Police Minister Mark Mitchell, Police Commissioner Richard Chambers and District Commander Tony Hill during the consultation period, praised the leadership team for reversing course in response to widespread feedback.

“For a big organisation, it would have been easy to just push ahead, but they had the courage to listen,” she said. “Trust and confidence in the culture of policing has been demonstrated from the top, and that’s really important.”

She said the proposal risked creating dangerous gaps in coverage, increasing response times and eroding the trust that underpins effective policing, while putting added pressure on volunteer emergency services.

“Our communities rely on organisations like Fire and Emergency, St John, Civil Defence and local medics,” she said. “Reducing police presence would have put extra pressure on those services and undermined the strong culture of local support that keeps rural areas safe.”

Federated Farmers, which helped coordinate much of the community response, described the outcome as a “smart and pragmatic” decision.

“Farming families across Canterbury will be sleeping a little more soundly tonight knowing their local police will stay on the ground, where they belong,” Federated Farmers North Canterbury president Bex Green said. “You can’t replace a trusted local police officer who lives in the community with drive-in drive-out cops who live an hour away.”

Federated Farmers’ rural policing spokesperson Karl Dean said the result demonstrated the power of rural communities.

“This outcome shows the strength of rural Canterbury and farming communities nationwide,” he said. “When something threatens the safety and wellbeing of our families, we stand up and speak out.”

District Commander Superintendent Tony Hill said the proposal had aimed to improve service, including 24/7 response capability, but the lack of community support made it unviable.

“The reality is that the proposal was not acceptable to many of the communities affected, and their buy-in was a critical element in the proposal’s success,” Hill said. “We could not proceed without that support.”

Police Commissioner Richard Chambers backed the decision and reaffirmed the value of engaged, local policing.

“I have long believed in the value of police who know their communities and the people in them. That is effective both for prevention and law enforcement, in both cities and rural areas,” he said.

Black said the outcome has renewed public trust not just in local officers but in the organisation.

“The trust was always there for the individual police working in our communities. That’s why we got on our high horse,” she said. “But now I think people feel that the organisation has listened and revalued its relationship with us.”

She believes the experience will have a lasting impact.

“This groundswell was bigger than anyone expected, and I admire the police for recognising that. If more organisations listened in the same way, we’d all be better for it.”

For Black, the decision represents one of the defining moments of her time in office.

“If I reflect back on anything when I’m done, this will be one of the moments I know has been worth it.”

By Claire Inkson