The following media release has been issued jointly on behalf of all councils in the Bay of Plenty.

The collective authorities of the Bay of Plenty have agreed on a united way forward to best contribute to the long term prosperity and well-being of the region and its communities.

At the 29 August Bay of Plenty Local Government 2013-16 Triennial Agreement meeting in Rotorua, chaired by Rotorua Mayor Steve Chadwick, the region’s leaders agreed to working together on a project led by the chief executives and governed by the mayors and chair of the region.

This will involve:

• Reviewing options to enhance the efficiency and /or effectiveness of local government roles and functions
• Developing options taking into account natural communities of interest, democracy and local leadership

The project brief had been developed by the region’s chief executives and discussed with councils across the region prior to the decision to proceed with the work. It’s expected the project’s governance group and external project manager will be in place by the end of September 2014, and the final report to partner councils for consideration will be available late March 2015.