Territorial authorities of New Zealand

For many decades until the local government reforms of 1989, a borough with more than 20,000 people could be proclaimed a city. The boundaries of councils tended to follow the edge of the built-up area, so little distinction was made between the urban area and the local government area.

New Zealand's local government structural arrangements were significantly reformed by the Local Government Commission in 1989 when approximately 700 councils and special purpose bodies were amalgamated to create 87 new local authorities. Regional councils were reduced in number from 20 to 13, territorial authorities (city/district councils) from 200 to 75, and special purpose bodies from over 400 to 7.^[4] The new district and city councils were generally much larger and most covered substantial areas of both urban and rural land. Many places that once had a city council were now being administered by a district council.

As a result, the term "city" began to take on two meanings.

City also came to be used in a less formal sense to describe major urban areas independent of local body boundaries. This informal usage is jealously guarded. Gisborne, for example, adamantly described itself as the first city in the world to see the new millennium. Gisborne is administered by a district council, but its status as a city is not generally disputed.^{[citation needed]}

Under current law, an urban area has to be at least 50,000 residents before it can be officially proclaimed as a city.^[5]

Since the 1989 reorganisations, there have been few major reorganisations or status changes in local government. Incomplete list:

• 1991: Invercargill re-proclaimed a city.
• 1992: Nelson-Marlborough Regional Council abolished by a Local Government Amendment Act. Of its territorial authorities, the Kaikōura District was transferred to the Canterbury Region, and Nelson City and Tasman and Marlborough districts became unitary authorities.
• 1995: The Chatham Islands County was dissolved and reconstituted by an Act of Parliament as the "Chatham Islands Territory", with powers similar to those of territorial authorities and some functions similar to those of a regional council.^[6]
• 2004: Tauranga became a city again on 1 March.
• 2006: The Banks Peninsula District merged into Christchurch as a result of a 2005 referendum.
• 2010: Auckland Council, a unitary authority, replaced seven local councils and the regional council.

Reports on completed reorganisation proposals since 1999 are available on the Local Government Commission's site (link below).

On 26 March 2009, the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance recommended the Rodney, North Shore, Waitakere, Auckland City, Manukau, Papakura and Franklin territorial councils and the Auckland Regional Council be abolished and the entire Auckland region to be amalgamated into one "supercity".^[7] The area would consist of one city council (with statutory provision for three Māori councillors), four urban local councils, and two rural local councils:

• Rodney local council would lose Orewa, Dairy Flat, and Whangaparaoa but retain the remainder of the current Rodney District. The split areas as well as the current North Shore City would form a Waitemata local council.
• Waitakere local council would consist of the current Waitakere City as well as the Avondale area.
• Tamaki Makaurau would consist of the current Auckland City and Otahuhu (excluding CBD)
• Manukau local council would consist of the urban parts of the current Manukau City and of the Papakura District.
• Hunua local council would consist of the entire Franklin District, much of which is currently in the Waikato Region, along with rural areas of the current Papakura District and Manukau City.
• The entire Papakura District would be dissolved between urban and rural councils.

The National-led Government responded within about a week. Its plan, which went to a Select Committee, accepted the proposal for supercity and many community boards, but rejected proposals for local councils and, initially, no separate seats for Māori.

Public reaction to the Royal Commission report was mixed, especially in regards to the Government's amended proposal. Auckland Mayor John Banks supported the amended merger plans.^[8]

Criticism of the amended proposal came largely from residents in Manukau, Waitakere and North Shore Cities.^{[9][10][11][12][13][14][15]} In addition, Māori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples spoke against the exclusion of the Māori seats, as recommended by the Royal Commission.^[16][17] Opposition Leader Phil Goff called for a referendum on the issue.^[18]

Auckland Council was created on 1 November 2010—a unitary authority that is classed as both a region and a territorial authority. It incorporated the recommendations of the Royal Commission and was established via legislation.^[19] Auckland Council is uniquely divided into "local boards" representing the lowest tier of local government.^[20]

• 2015: Proposals to amalgamate local councils in Wellington^[21] and Northland were accepted^[22] by the Local Government Commission for consideration, although following consultation they ultimately were not formed into a final proposal. The status quo remains.
• 2015: Amalgamation of four local councils and the regional council in Hawke's Bay was proposed by the Local Government Commission. A district wide referendum was held in Sep-2015, and the proposal was defeated by 66% of voters.^[23]
• 2015: The Local Government Commission received a proposal to review local government arrangements on the West Coast. In August 2016 the Commission decided to progress the application. The Commission then invited alternative applications to the original application. The Commission's call for alternative reorganisation applications or other proposals for change to West Coast local government arrangements closed on 15 March 2017. The Commission received 23 responses, 19 of which made specific proposals for change. In December 2017 the Local Government Commission determined its preferred option for local government reorganisation on the West Coast to be the transfer of district plan preparation from the Buller, Grey and Westland district councils to the West Coast Regional Council.^[24]

Under the terms of the Local Government Act 2002, district councils have to represent the interests of their future communities and consider the views of people affected by their decisions. To fulfill that requirement and give young people a say in the decision-making process, many councils have a youth council. ^[25] In late December 2023, the Ashburton District Council scrapped their youth council, stating they could engage better with younger people online and describing the current youth council as "a youth club where they ate pizza."^[26] In early January 2024, the Gore District Council opted to restructure its youth council and ruled out dismantling it.^[27] In April 2024, the Whanganui District Council proposed scrapping its youth council by June 2024 as part of budget saving measures.^[25]

There are currently 67 territorial authorities. Before the Auckland Council "super merge" in November 2010, there were 73 territorial authorities. Before the Banks Peninsula District Council merged with the Christchurch City Council in 2006, there were 74 territorial authorities.

There are a number of islands where the Minister of Local Government is the territorial authority, two of which have a 'permanent population and/or permanent buildings and structures.' The main islands are listed below (population according to 2001 census in parentheses):

• Bare Island
• Mayor Island / Tūhua (3)
• Mōtītī Island (30)
• Moutohora Island
• Whakaari / White Island

In addition, seven of the nine groups of the New Zealand outlying islands are outside of any territorial authority:

• Kermadec Islands (3)
• New Zealand Subantarctic Islands
  • Antipodes Islands
  • Auckland Islands
  • Bounty Islands
  • Campbell Islands
  • Snares Islands / Tini Heke
• Manawatāwhi / Three Kings Islands

Territorial authorities have a mayor–council government. Mayors in New Zealand are directly elected—at-large, by all eligible voters within a territorial authority—in the local elections to a three-year term.^[29] The Local Government Act 2002 defines the role of a mayor as having to provide leadership to the other elected members of the territorial authority, be a leader in the community and perform civic duties.^[3]

• Community board
• Districts of New Zealand
• List of cities in New Zealand
• List of former territorial authorities in New Zealand
• List of towns in New Zealand
• Local Government New Zealand

• Local Councils (maintained by the Department of Internal Affairs)
• Local Government Services at the Department of Internal Affairs site (includes the Local Government Directory at the bottom of the page)
  • Administration of Offshore Islands
• Local Government Commission site
• Local Government Online Limited site Archived 25 February 2021 at the Wayback Machine (portal site owned by the Society of Local Government Managers and the Association of Local Government Information Management)
• Local Government New Zealand region and district boundaries – North Island
• Local Government New Zealand region and district boundaries – South Island
• Statistics New Zealand clickable map for local body and area unit detail over all of New Zealand