Otago and Southland communities are expressing concerns about losing representation if Otago and Southland District Health Boards merge, boards chief executive Brian Rousseau says.
The health boards are holding public meetings to get feedback on the merger proposal around the regions this month.
Mr Rousseau said a key issue raised by people at almost every meeting had been representation of their communities under the Single Transferable Vote (STV) voting system.
He said unequal representation was a possible concern for communities.
"Local communities may feel that there is some potential to lose representation and the ability to influence decision-making about health governance and delivery.
This already occurs within the individual Southland and Otago regions under STV as there is no assurance that urban and rural areas are represented in proportion to their community sizes," he said.
However, the Otago District Health Board had greater representation of board members outside Dunedin even with STV, he said.
"A single DHB will not be a takeover and it will not only be about cost-cutting.
It will be about making the most of our combined resources to provide the best possible health service to all our communities."
He said the feedback from the meetings so far had been "very good".
Nine people attended the meeting in Alexandra, eight in Balclutha, eight in Dunedin, 10 in Oamaru, 22 in Queenstown and up to 60 in Invercargill.
A meeting in Wanaka on Friday attracted three people apart from media and board representatives.
"The numbers are similar to what we have experienced for consultation on other DHB matters," he said.
He declined to comment on the general consensus at the meetings as he did not want to influence the feedback.
The series of 11 meetings continues in Gore and Lumsden today and Tuatapere and Te Anau tomorrow. Submissions on the consultation document close on December 11.
