New Zealand’s Local Government Minister, Simon Watts, has set a Sunday deadline for mayors to agree on a plan to significantly reduce the number of councils to fewer than 40. Mayors are currently meeting in Wellington, potentially working late into the night, to attempt to meet this demand. The government is pushing for these mergers as part of a wider restructuring of local governance. This move follows previous efforts to streamline local authorities, indicating a forceful approach to the process. The deadline is a final attempt to avoid central government intervention and imposed amalgamations. Failure to reach an agreement by Sunday could result in the Minister making decisions directly, potentially overriding local preferences. The situation highlights tensions between central and local government regarding the future of New Zealand’s local administration.