Federated Farmers wants to see rural and provincial councils separated from urban ones

The Government has announced plans to abolish regional councils and create Combined Territory Boards.

Federated Farmers says it would like to see the number of local authorities shrunk from 78 to fewer than half of that.

It's supportive of the Government's moves but is concerned with a lack of detail in the Government discussion papers.

It says if voting on the territory boards is based of population than rural and provincial concerns could be sidelined.