Jump to content

Regions of New Zealand

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Johnandbob (talk | contribs) at 04:33, 26 March 2016. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Region
Regions of New ZealandNorthlandAucklandAucklandAucklandWaikatoBay of PlentyGisborneHawke's BayTaranakiManawatu-WanganuiWellingtonTasmanTasmanNelsonMarlboroughMarlboroughWest CoastWest CoastCanterburyOtagoSouthlandSouthland
Regions of New Zealand
CategoryUnitary state
LocationNew Zealand
Number16
Populations47,100 (Gisborne) – 1,527,100 (Auckland)
Areas450 km2 (172 sq mi) (Nelson) – 45,350 km2 (17,508 sq mi) (Canterbury)
Government
Subdivisions
Politics of New Zealand
Constitution
The Crown
Executive Government
Legislature
54th New Zealand Parliament
Elections
Judiciary
Local government
Foreign relations
Ideology
History
Related topics
flag New Zealand portal
Map of regions (coloured) with territorial authorities delineated by black lines. City names are in all upper case, and district names have initial capitals.

New Zealand, although a unitary state, is divided into sixteen regions for devolved local government. Eleven are administered by regional councils (the top tier of local government), and five are administered by unitary authorities, which are territorial authorities (the second tier of local government) that also perform the functions of regional councils.[1][2] The Chatham Islands Council is similar to a unitary authority, authorised under its own legislation.[3]

Most regions are composed of districts and cities, which are in turn governed by district councils and city councils.

Current regions

History and statutory basis

The regional councils are listed in Part 1 of Schedule 2 of the Local Government Act 2002,[4] along with reference to the Gazette notices that established them in 1989.[5] The Act requires regional councils to promote sustainable development – the social, economic, environmental and cultural well-being of their communities.[6]

The current regions and most of their councils came into being through a local government reform in 1989 that took place under the Local Government Act 1974. The regional councils replaced the more than 700 ad hoc bodies that had been formed in the preceding century – roads boards, catchment boards, drainage boards, pest control boards, harbour boards, domain and reserve boards.[7] In addition they took over some roles that had previously been performed by county councils. Auckland Regional Council, formed in 1989, was replaced by Auckland Council, a unitary authority, in 2010.

The boundaries of the regions are based largely on drainage basins. This anticipated the responsibilities of the Resource Management Act 1991.[8] Most regional boundaries conform with territorial authority boundaries but there are many exceptions. An example is Taupo District, split between four regions, although most of its area is in the Waikato region.

Responsibilities

Regional authorities are primarily responsible for environmental management, including water, contaminant discharge and coastal management, river and lake management including flood and drainage control, regional land management; regional transport (including public transport) and harbours, biosecurity or pest management. Territorial authorities are responsible for local-level land use management (urban and rural planning); network utility services such as water, sewerage, stormwater and solid waste management; local roads; libraries; parks and reserves; and community development. Property rates (land taxes) are used to fund both regional and territorial government activities. There is often a high degree of co-operation between regional and territorial councils as they have complementary roles.

Resource management functions

Regional councils have these specific functions under the Resource Management Act 1991.

  • Planning for the integrated management of natural and physical resources [9]
  • Planning for regionally significant land uses [10]
  • Soil conservation, water quality and quantity, water ecosystems, natural hazards, hazardous substances [11]
  • Controlling the coastal marine area [12]
  • Controlling via resource consents the taking, use, damming or diverting of water [13]
  • Controlling via resource consents the discharge of contaminants [14]
  • Establishing of rules in a regional plan to allocate water [15]
  • Controlling via resource consents the beds of waterbodies [16]

Other functions

Regional councils have responsibility for functions under other statutes;[17]

  • flood and river control under the Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Act 1941,
  • reserves vested in regional councils under the Reserves Act 1977,
  • civil defence under the Civil Defence Act 1990,
  • regional pest management under the Biosecurity Act 1993,
  • harbour and water navigation under the Maritime Transport Act 1994,
  • hazardous waste under the HSNO Act 1996,
  • public transport planning under the Land Transport Act 1998, and
  • supervision of the safety of dams under the Building Act 2004.[18]

List of regions

Region Regional council Chair Council seat Island Area (km²)[19] Population[20] ISO 3166-2 Code
1 Northland Northland Regional Council Bill Shepherd[21] Whangarei North 12,498 184,500 NZ-NTL
2 Auckland (1) Auckland Council Len Brown Auckland North 4,940 1,618,400 NZ-AUK
3 Waikato Waikato Regional Council Paula Southgate Hamilton North 23,900 472,100 NZ-WKO
4 Bay of Plenty Bay of Plenty Regional Council John Cronin Whakatāne North 12,071 317,800 NZ-BOP
5 Gisborne (1)(2) Gisborne District Council Meng Foon Gisborne North 8,386 48,900 NZ-GIS
6 Hawke's Bay Hawke's Bay Regional Council Fenton Wilson Napier North 14,137 171,400 NZ-HKB
7 Taranaki Taranaki Regional Council David MacLeod Stratford North 7,254 121,000 NZ-TKI
8 Manawatu-Wanganui Horizons Regional Council Bruce Gordon Palmerston North North 22,221 246,200 NZ-MWT
9 Wellington Greater Wellington Regional Council Chris Laidlaw[22] Wellington North 8,049 522,100 NZ-WGN
10 Tasman (1) Tasman District Council Richard Kempthorne Richmond South 9,616 54,000 NZ-TAS
11 Nelson (1) Nelson City Council Rachel Reese Nelson South 424 52,400 NZ-NSN
12 Marlborough (1) Marlborough District Council Alistair Sowman Blenheim South 10,458 48,800 NZ-MBH
13 West Coast West Coast Regional Council Ross Scarlett Greymouth South 23,244 32,500 NZ-WTC
14 Canterbury Canterbury Regional Council Margaret Bazley Christchurch South 44,508 617,700 NZ-CAN
15 Otago Otago Regional Council Stephen Woodhead Dunedin South 31,209 232,300 NZ-OTA
16 Southland Southland Regional Council Ali Timms Invercargill South 31,195 100,400 NZ-STL

(1) These regions have unitary authorities. (2) The Gisborne Region is still widely but unofficially known by its former name (East Cape) or as East Coast.

Areas outside regional boundaries

Some outlying islands are not included within regional boundaries. The Chatham Islands is not in a region, although its council has some of the powers of a regional council under the Resource Management Act. The Kermadecs and the subantarctic islands are inhabited only by a small number of Department of Conservation staff, and the Conservation Minister is empowered to act as a regional council for these islands.

Governance

Regional councils are popularly elected every three years in accordance with the Local Electoral Act 2001.[23] Councils may use a first past the post or single transferable vote system. The chairperson is selected by the elected council members.[24]

Distance table

New Zealand Distance Table
Auckland
1079 Christchurch
1432 361 Dunedin
480 959 1313 Gisborne
124 953 1307 374 Hamilton
1637 566 205 1516 1514 Invercargill
412 728 1082 214 289 1287 Napier-Hastings
875 415 770 755 753 974 524 Nelson
361 786 1140 564 241 1345 389 556 New Plymouth
517 574 928 388 394 1133 157 344 233 Palmerston North
1555 484 282 1435 1432 187 1204 809 1262 1050 Queenstown
228 885 1240 274 106 1444 219 656 294 324 1361 Rotorua
211 954 1308 273 105 1513 288 724 311 392 1430 63 Tauranga
646 440 794 526 523 999 300 211 353 141 916 452 521 Wellington
445 627 981 460 324 1185 229 397 186 73 1102 301 367 193 Whanganui
158 1233 1587 638 281 1792 569 1003 518 671 1709 385 357 799 602 Whangarei

Distance in kilometres from the corresponding city on the X-Y axis.

Predecessors of current structure

Auckland

Main article: Auckland Regional Council

The Auckland Regional Council was preceded by the Auckland Regional Authority (ARA), which existed from 1963 to 1989.

Wellington

The Wellington Regional Council was first formed in 1980 from a merger of the Wellington Regional Planning Authority and the Wellington Regional Water Board.[25]

United councils

In 1978, legislation was passed enabling the formation of regions with united councils. Twenty regions were designated, excluding the Auckland and Wellington areas. For most of the country this was the first regional level of government since the abolition of provinces in 1876. Councillors were not elected directly – they were appointed from the various territorial local authorities (TLAs) within the region.

The only responsibilities mandated by the legislation were coordination of civil defence and development of a regional plan, although the constituent TLAs could agree on additional responsibilities at the point of formation of each united council. For example, in a number of cases the united council took responsibility for the allocation of revenue from regional petrol taxes.

The united councils were based in the facilities of the largest TLA in the region and largely dependent on the TLAs for resources. They were allowed to levy rates but in most cases had minimal operating budgets (below $100,000 per annum). The notable exception was Canterbury, where the united council had a number of responsibilities. Only one united council undertook any direct operational activity – a forestry project in Wanganui.[7]

List of united councils
Region United council formed Rates levy (1982/83)
Northland January 1980 $118,000
Thames Valley July 1980 $46,000
Waikato October 1980 $36,000
Bay of Plenty August 1979 $17,000
Tongariro November 1979 $50,000
East Cape August 1979 $16,000
Hawkes Bay December 1983 –
Taranaki February 1979 $60,000
Wanganui May 1979 $81,000
Wairarapa November 1978 $33,000
Manawatu May 1981 0
Horowhenua June 1980 $47,000
Nelson Bays November 1978 $84,000
Marlborough December 1978 $30,000
Canterbury May 1979 $605,000
West Coast November 1978 $32,000
Aorangi 1983 –
Coastal / North Otago April 1983 –
Clutha / Central Otago November 1980 $33,000
Southland May 1979 $88,000

Source: Summary of the Functions and Activities of United Councils. Dept of Internal Affairs, 1984.

See also

References

  1. ^ "2013 Census definitions and forms: U". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
  2. ^ "Glossary". localcouncils.govt.nz. Department of Internal Affairs. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
  3. ^ Chatham Islands Council Act 1995, Parliament of New Zealand, 1995, Statute No 041, Commenced: 1 November 1995, retrieved 4 February 2008.
  4. ^ "Local Government Act 2002 No 84 - Interpretation". Retrieved 17 July 2008.
  5. ^ "Local Government Act 2002 No 84 - Part 1, Schedule 2". Retrieved 17 July 2008.
  6. ^ Relationship between the Local Government Act and the RMA Quality Planning The RMA Resource, retrieved 11 October 2007.
  7. ^ a b Bush, Graham (1995). Local Government & Politics in New Zealand (2nd ed.). Auckland University Press. ISBN 1-86940-126-3.
  8. ^ New Zealand Historical Atlas – McKinnon, Malcolm (Editor); David Bateman, 1997, Plate 98
  9. ^ Resource Management Act, Section 30(1)(a)- Parliament of New Zealand, 1991
  10. ^ Resource Management Act, Section 30(1)(b)- Parliament of New Zealand, 1991
  11. ^ Resource Management Act, Section 30(1)(c)- Parliament of New Zealand, 1991
  12. ^ Resource Management Act, Section 30(1)(d)- Parliament of New Zealand, 1991
  13. ^ Resource Management Act, Section 30(1)(e)- Parliament of New Zealand, 1991
  14. ^ Resource Management Act, Section 30(1)(f)- Parliament of New Zealand, 1991
  15. ^ Resource Management Act, Section 30(1)(fa)- Parliament of New Zealand, 1991. NB this is a new paragraph added in 2005.
  16. ^ Resource Management Act, Section 30(1)(g)- Parliament of New Zealand, 1991
  17. ^ Harris, R. (2004) 'Local government and development legislation', Chapter 3G, Handbook of Environmental Law, Editor Harris, R., ISBN 0-9597851-8-3, Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand, Wellington 2004, page 130.
  18. ^ Sections 135, 142, 150, and 154 Building Act 2004, Parliament of New Zealand.
  19. ^ Living Density: Table 1, Housing Statistics, Statistics New Zealand. Accessed 25 January 2009. Areas are based on 2001 boundaries. Water bodies greater than 15 hectares are excluded.
  20. ^ "Subnational Population Estimates: At 30 June 2019". Statistics New Zealand. 22 October 2019. Retrieved 11 January 2020. For urban areas, "Subnational population estimates (UA, AU), by age and sex, at 30 June 1996, 2001, 2006–18 (2017 boundaries)". Statistics New Zealand. 23 October 2018. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
  21. ^ http://www.nrc.govt.nz/Your-Council/Council-business/Your-Councillors/
  22. ^ Forbes, Michael (30 June 2015). "Chris Laidlaw elected new GWRC chairman, rates set at 9.8 per cent". The Dominion Post. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  23. ^ Local Government Act 2002, s41(1)(a), Parliament of New Zealand.
  24. ^ Local Government Act 2002, s41(1)(b), Parliament of New Zealand.
  25. ^ Parks Network Plan (PDF). Greater Wellington Regional Council. 2011. p. 10. Retrieved 3 May 2014.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Regions_of_New_Zealand&oldid=711985935"