Councils that refused amalgamation plans will get one imposed, Seymour confirms

About 44 councils outside Auckland submitted voluntary amalgamation proposals under the government's Head Start pathway before the 9 August deadline; fewer than 20 did not. Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour said the government would make counter-proposals for those councils, and that refusals would not stop merges. Watts said only one amalgamation has occurred in 35 years.