35815 (2026). Tangi Utikere to the Minister of Local Government

35815 (2026). Tangi Utikere to the Minister of Local Government: What estimate, if any, does he have of the total cost incurred by councils in preparing Head Start proposals between May and August 2026, including consultants, legal advice, external analysis and staff time, and how are those costs being met?

Hon Simon Watts: I do not have an estimate of the costs councils incurred while preparing their Head Start proposals. Head Start proposals should outline a high-level design for a future unitary authority, and councils were not expected to need to engage consultants to prepare an outline proposal.