A Royal Commission working on the future governance of Auckland has a four month extension on its reporting date.
It is now due to submit its report to the Government at the end of March 2009.
Since April, the Commission has received more than 3500 submissions and conducted hearings and hui around the region to hear ways on how local government could be improved.
Prime Minister Helen Clark says the workload created by the consultation process has been greater than expected.
She says the Commission needs adequate time to compile its recommendations, and get peer reviews.
The Commissioners have travelled to Brisbane and Melbourne to study governance structures there and plan futher trips to other cities.
The Royal Commission is chaired by retired High Court Judge Peter Salmon.
