A more than 20-year partnership between the Chatham Islands and Canterbury's regional council is coming to an end – but not because of local government reform.
Environment Canterbury has been providing regional council functions to the Chatham Islands Council for 22 years, but ECan corporate and public transport services director Giles Southwell said the arrangement is due to end on June 30 next year.
Under proposed local government reform, regional councillors would no longer be elected from 2028, with regional council functions eventually taken over by new unitary councils.
The Chatham Islands Council is a unitary council, but has the smallest population base in the country, with just 620 residents (as at June 2025).
In 2004, the Government granted funding to the Chatham Islands Council to get outside help in meeting its obligations as a regional council.
Since then, ECan has provided support across a range of functions, including freshwater management, biosecurity, emergency management, navigational safety, regulatory services and some corporate support, Mr Southwell said.
“A planned transition is already underway, with ECan supporting the Chatham Islands Council to establish alternative arrangements for these functions.
“Those arrangements may differ between functions and are still being worked through.
“This transition programme was already in place independently of the Government's wider local government reform proposals.”
The Chatham Islands is an archipelago of 10 islands, with the two largest, Chatham and Pitt, being the only ones with permanent residents.
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