He pointed to the pace and scale of reform across local government, including changes to water services, regional council structures and the Resource Management Act.<\/p>\n
Watson said future decisions affecting communities like R\u0101tana would increasingly be made by new entities rather than local councils.<\/p>\n
Ensuring iwi voices were embedded in those new structures would be critical, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaking sure that places like R\u0101tana have a voice in these things, that\u2019s going to be the tough part.\u201d<\/p>\n
Watson began his political career as a councillor on Rangit\u012bkei District Council in 2004, then served two terms as deputy mayor. He is now in his fifth term as mayor.<\/p>\n
Asked how new governance bodies would understand local history and relationships built over decades, Watson said that concern had influenced his decision to seek another term.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is one of the reasons why I had a change of mind and stood again. I would have loved somebody new and young coming through, with some council knowledge … but councillors weren\u2019t prepared to step in that direction.\u201d<\/p>\n
Watson said ensuring iwi representation on the area\u2019s new water governance board had been a priority. He said future decision-makers may lack long-standing local relationships.<\/p>\n
Councils had deliberately worked with iwi in establishing the new Central Districts Water entity, which brings together Rangit\u012bkei, Palmerston North City and Horowhenua councils.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve made sure it is a shared relationship with iwi,\u201d Watson said.<\/p>\n
Each of the three partner councils will appoint a representative to the governance board, including one iwi representative from each council area, ensuring three iwi voices at the table.<\/p>\n
Those arrangements followed a \u201cgenuine engagement\u201d model, where iwi offered potential solutions which worked for them, he said.<\/p>\n
Watson said the cumulative impact of reform would see councils gradually lose influence.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will be decision-makers less and less in the future.<\/p>\n
\u201cOver time, there will be efficiencies but certainly there will be a loss of local voice.\u201d<\/p>\n
Referring to changes to the Resource Management Act, he said a shift to regional planning would remove key decisions from individual councils.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat the Government has done is pave a way forward for amalgamation of councils.\u201d<\/p>\n
Watson criticised the Government\u2019s proposed regional council reforms, which would abolish elected regional councillors and replace them with mayoral panels.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was an incredible move. What I didn\u2019t expect was that the Prime Minister would suddenly dump it on mayors, saying you\u2019re going to be the governance arm of this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Watson said mayors were being loaded with additional governance responsibilities without adequate support, while already juggling dozens of projects.<\/p>\n
He said he was personally overseeing 36 major projects.<\/p>\n
The loss of M\u0101ori wards in Rangit\u012bkei from 2028 \u2013 despite unanimous council support \u2013 was a tragedy, he told the R\u0101tana faithful.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn my naivety, I expected that not to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said councillors\u2019 understanding of iwi relationships had evolved over time and urged continued learning and engagement with R\u0101tana and iwi.<\/p>\n
Watson acknowledged R\u0101tana as a place where politics is unavoidable and necessary, urging iwi and church leaders to hold politicians and councillors to account.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere needs to be true and real and genuine relationship and understanding with iwi,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He called on R\u0101tana leaders to raise the issue of landlocked land with ministers, describing it as a persistent problem for many M\u0101ori landowners.<\/p>\n