Councils that didn't volunteer to merge will get a plan anyway, Seymour says

About 44 councils outside Auckland put forward voluntary amalgamation proposals before the 9 August deadline; fewer than 20 did not. Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour said the government would draw up counter-proposals for those councils and that refusing to take part would not stop mergers. Minister Watts noted only one amalgamation has happened in 35 years.