Accessing support from government services would be made simpler by my new members’ bill, which would align all government agencies’ administrative boundaries with existing local authority areas, Ōtaki MP Tim Costley says.

“Currently, each government agency determines their own administrative boundaries, defining which towns and rural areas are serviced by which regional office. This has created an overlapping web of confusing boundaries that can be difficult to navigate, making access to public services harder than it needs to be.

“In Ōtaki, for example, the boundaries for Health NZ and our local ambulance service are different. Police, Corrections and the Courts also have inconsistent boundaries. This just doesn’t make sense, and leaves constituents struggling to navigate a boondoggle of bureaucracy to access help.

“The Ministry of Social Development (MSD) and Kāinga Ora (KO) have different boundaries, creating a situation where, to access social housing, you must first drive north to Levin to see MSD and get on the waitlist, but then work with KO staff based in Porirua.

“In larger urban areas, this leads to avoidable inefficiency, but in regional New Zealand, this creates massive time and cost pressures that can be a serious barrier to accessing necessary services.

“If pulled, my members bill would give agencies five years to create this much needed consistency, making services easier to navigate and access. No matter which side of the river, which side of town, or which side of the street you live on, you deserve to know where you can go to receive government support.

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“The bill would also help to increase the effectiveness of services. Currently, staff work with any number of counterparts from different government agencies because their boundaries do not line up. This can create gaps and inefficiencies that prevent people getting the support they need.

“Our Government is focused on improving outcomes for New Zealanders. This bill aligns with this approach and will help us to ensure we deliver the best outcomes possible, especially in regional New Zealand.

“Public services should be easy to access and navigate, and my bill would take steps to improve accessibility for New Zealanders.”

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