Councillors will be working on a puzzle of a different kind over the Christmas holidays - how all the many pieces of Government reforms fit together.

December proved a busy month with the Government rolling out reforms, with a final announcement of a mega-ministry.

The new Ministry of Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport (MCERT) will take on the work of housing, transport, and local government functions.

It’s a lot of moving parts that will fit together and shape how local government operates.

The Ashburton District Council had a workshop last week to discuss the reforms, on the same day the new RMA legislation passed its first reading and the mega ministry was announced.

The Selwyn District Council is set to hold a similar two-day briefing in January.

Ashburton Mayor Liz McMillan said councillors canvassed the nine pieces of reform that will significantly affect how local government services are delivered – from rates capping, simplifying local government, and replacing the Resource Management Act.

“There is still a lot of detail that we need to see and understand, and it’s still not clear exactly what this all means for the services council provides and enables for the community.

“It will become clearer as more information comes out from Government, and council will be giving feedback to the Government as appropriate.”

Some changes, like new granny flat rules that are part of the Building System Reform, will begin in the new year, McMillan said.

“Generally, more activities will be allowed to happen without needing approval, but there’ll still be processes and rules that need to be followed.”

The latest piece of the puzzle, the new MCERT will bring together the ministries of environment, transport, housing and urban development and the local government functions of Internal Affairs.

McMillan said the full ramifications of merging the ministries, like the impacts of other reform, are “still a little unclear given the early days".

"There is optimism the merger will make connections with these Government functions more cohesive and easier”.

Ashburton’s community and open spaces group manager Toni Durham said the impacts would likely be minor as the council would continue to “work with who it has to work with, like always”.

Selwyn Mayor Lydia Gliddon said for local government, “the issue hasn’t been about councils needing more oversight, it’s been about clarity”.

“It can be hard for councils to deal with multiple departments in central government.

“If this new ministry genuinely becomes a one-stop shop, that could be very helpful.

She said the real test will be if it improves efficiency.

“That means clearer communication, fewer duplicated processes, and quicker, more consistent decisions.

“If it reduces bureaucracy and makes it easier for councils to work with central government, that’s a good thing for communities.

“We’ll be looking for practical improvements, not just a change in structure.”

By Jonathan Leask