In May, the Government gave councils three months to come up with a “voluntary“ Head Start proposal for merging into larger unitary councils. The Whangārei District Council, Far North District Council and Northland Regional Council want a two-stage pathway toward amalgamating, but the Kaipara District Council unanimously rejected the idea. Matamata-Piako, Hauraki and Thames-Coromandel have agreed on a draft proposal to join forces, while Waitomo District Council and Ōtorohanga District Council have said they want to submit a plan together. Otago Central Otago District and Clutha District councils have voted to support merging together with Queenstown Lakes District Council. Barker suggested a Dunedin unitary council, or a Dunedin coastal unitary council based around water catchments.