Canterbury councils are still searching for an amalgamation model as deadline approaches.

The Canterbury Mayoral Forum held a second workshop on Friday to work through the details of a potential region-wide approach to creating a Head Start proposal.

No recommendations were developed on what a regional proposal may look and it agreed to meet again within the next few weeks to continue the conversations.

Mayoral Forum deputy chairperson and Hurunui District Mayor Marie Black said the Forum is committed to working through the process collaboratively.

“This is a significant piece of work, and we have very little time to get it done,” Black said.

“While our individual councils continue to engage with their communities, we also need to understand collectively what a Head Start proposal could look like for Waitaha Canterbury as a whole, and we must get it right.

“We know there’s a lot of interest in what this could mean for our communities – and rightly so.

“Conversations are advancing between neighbouring councils across the region, and several variations are being explored.”

Ashburton Mayor Liz McMillan said most councils were still consulting their communities on their options.

“We all know that the clock's ticking, but I think we've all got to get our own houses in order first.”

Ashburton will resume discussing its options on Wednesday.

It started with eight wide-ranging options last week that was narrowed down to five before they opted to pause the process and wait for any potential insight from the Forum’s meeting.

McMillan said there was “nothing really to report”.

Councillors will continue to “go over all the options and narrow it down to a few that we can realistically talk to the community about and get their feedback.

“Ideally, it will be less than five, but if it's still five, then it's five.”

She acknowledged some options are based on an assumption Christchurch could become a greater Christchurch unitary and “if that doesn’t happen then things could change again”.

Ashburton councillors had little appetite for considering a complete merger with Selwyn but had options that included the rural parts of Selwyn - suggesting they see a greater Christchurch amalgamation as a real possibility.

Selwyn Mayor Lydia Gliddon “those are the decisions that Ashburton needs to make, and they are not for me to make”.

Gliddon said her council is receiving hundreds of responses to its survey, with over 6100 responses.

“Staff are preparing to bring us a report on June 24 with the survey results and that will inform our way forward as this has to be led by the community.”

She said it has been difficult to progress the conversation at the mayoral forum “when we are still discussing it with our community”.

“Until we really get our feedback from our community, it’s difficult to take a position on it.”

By Jonathan Leask