Local Government Minister Chris Tremain signalled to the New Zealand Community Boards conference in Wanaka yesterday the Government's desire for local authorities to work more closely together.
He acknowledged the Auckland ''super city'' model was designed for populations over 400,000, but believed it could be ''adapted'' for other parts of the country, and that was being investigated.
However, the Government did not intend ''imposing any particular idea or model'' on any part of New Zealand, Mr Tremain said.
He wanted a ''menu of options'' available to help councils find ways to work more efficiently and take advantage of economies of scale ''without sacrificing local identity and democracy''.
He hoped some of the options could be used without local authority reorganisation, Mr Tremain said.
As an example of a joint venture between two local authorities, the Rotorua District Council and Hamilton City Council had worked together and shared costs to develop an online dog registration system, Mr Tremain said.
