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Regions of New Zealand

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The region is the top tier of local government in New Zealand. There are 16 regions of New Zealand. Twelve are governed by an elected regional council, while four are governed by territorial authorities (the second tier of local government) which also perform the functions of a regional council and thus are known as unitary authorities. The Chatham Islands Council is similar to a unitary authority, but is authorised under its own enabling legislation.

History and statutory basis

A regional council means one of the regional councils listed in Part 1 of Schedule 2 of the Local Government Act 2002. Part 1 of Schedule 2 list the regional councils of New Zealand and their Gazette notices following their establishment in 1989. The Local Government Act 2002 also requires regional councils to promote sustainable development - the social, economic, environmental and cultural well-being of their communities.

The regions and their councils came about in 1989, based on provisions in the Local Government Act 1974. Their extents were to a large degree based on river catchments (with watersheds such as the Southern Alps thereby becoming tyical boundaries). This anticipated the responsibilities of the Resource Management Act 1991. Some regional boundaries are identical to territorial authority boundaries but there are plenty of exceptions. The southern boundary of the Auckland Region, for example, cuts through the middle of Franklin District.

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; while 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
  • Planning for regionally significant land uses
  • Soil conservation, water quality and quantity, water ecosystems, natural hazards, hazardous substances
  • Controlling the coastal marine area
  • Controlling via resource consents the taking, use, damming or diverting of water
  • Controlling via resource consents the discharge of contaminants
  • Establishing of rules in a regional plan to allocate water
  • Controlling via resource consents the beds of waterbodies

Other functions

Regional Councils also have responsibility for a number of other functions under other statutes;

  • 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, and,
  • public transport planning under the Land Transport Act 1998.

Regional councils were also given responsibilities for the supervision of the safety of dams in the Building Act 2004.

List of regions

Image:Regions_of_NZ_Numbered.png|Regions of New Zealand

poly 190 55 177 64 150 27 153 21 138 4 152 2 151 10 157 16 183 25 190 46 186 49 Northland poly 190 55 177 65 190 90 206 85 204 73 195 73 197 60 Auckland rect 148 67 160 82 Auckland poly 214 64 214 56 209 51 199 56 201 61 Auckland poly 206 85 190 90 193 106 188 136 195 138 211 127 211 122 215 134 213 144 217 144 217 146 209 150 209 156 220 150 220 146 229 142 231 136 236 126 222 113 222 103 218 96 222 94 221 70 207 65 210 86 Waikato poly 223 93 217 97 222 104 222 112 235 124 235 129 231 136 232 142 235 144 237 139 243 141 256 133 255 125 274 112 274 98 258 112 229 101 Bay of Plenty poly 273 98 274 112 255 125 255 132 270 144 272 136 282 129 283 110 287 102 281 97 East Cape poly 274 147 256 133 241 141 237 137 235 144 224 143 220 147 219 151 230 162 228 176 234 188 240 190 251 163 247 162 247 154 258 147 269 147 269 154 Hawke's Bay poly 194 137 188 136 184 143 178 143 168 150 168 157 175 163 181 163 191 172 199 166 199 159 194 156 191 148 Taranaki poly 212 124 211 128 195 138 191 148 199 160 198 166 193 172 203 180 204 188 202 198 205 200 215 192 213 198 219 201 229 198 231 202 240 190 233 188 227 176 229 163 224 159 223 153 219 151 209 156 209 150 217 146 217 143 212 143 217 130 Manawatu-Wanganui poly 231 201 229 198 219 201 212 194 204 199 201 199 189 218 197 223 204 222 204 229 223 218 Wellington poly 156 218 137 246 130 230 141 223 144 209 138 192 145 189 143 196 150 198 Tasman rect 114 169 135 186 Tasman rect 165 173 184 190 Nelson poly 171 194 166 197 165 206 156 216 142 239 153 251 167 233 175 233 180 227 173 217 182 207 172 201 Marlborough rect 180 239 201 256 Marlborough poly 136 192 143 210 140 224 129 229 137 246 123 261 76 301 61 301 54 305 53 312 37 311 48 301 55 301 92 270 109 252 113 228 125 221 127 201 West Coast rect 65 241 86 259 West Coast poly 176 233 167 233 152 251 142 240 123 261 76 301 73 319 69 319 69 325 83 325 86 332 92 331 94 338 99 330 110 331 112 311 145 294 154 296 155 289 152 286 147 286 147 272 158 266 Canterbury poly 75 301 61 300 54 304 53 311 42 312 41 335 45 345 58 350 63 345 66 347 61 358 66 382 71 388 82 383 94 364 102 363 104 361 100 357 105 349 111 330 98 331 95 338 92 338 92 331 85 331 82 323 69 324 69 319 73 318 Otago poly 42 312 37 312 12 341 3 359 2 369 8 376 24 378 28 375 32 377 32 381 44 382 43 386 48 390 57 387 64 391 70 388 65 382 61 358 66 347 62 343 58 350 45 345 41 335 43 325 Southland poly 30 394 34 398 25 412 34 412 47 405 47 398 40 391 Southland

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Region Principal City Area (km²) Population(2) NZ
1 Northland Whangarei 13,941 152,700 NZ-NTL
2 Auckland Auckland 16,140 1,371,000 NZ-AUK
3 Waikato Hamilton 25,598 395,100 NZ-WKO
4 Bay of Plenty Tauranga 12,447 265,300 NZ-BOP
5 East Cape (1) Gisborne 8,351 46,000 NZ-GIS
6 Hawke's Bay Napier 14,164 152,100 NZ-HKB
7 Taranaki New Plymouth 7,273 107,300 NZ-TKI
8 Manawatu-Wanganui Palmerston North 22,215 229,400 NZ-MWT
9 Wellington Wellington 8,124 466,300 NZ-WGN
10 Tasman (1) Richmond 9,786 45,800 NZ-TAS
11 Nelson (1) Nelson 445 44,300 NZ-NSN
12 Marlborough (1) Blenheim 12,484 43,600 NZ-MBH
13 West Coast Greymouth 23,000 32,100 NZ-WTC
14 Canterbury Christchurch 45,845 540,000 NZ-CAN
15 Otago Dunedin 31,476 199,800 NZ-OTA
16 Southland Invercargill 30,753 93,200 NZ-STL
(1) These regions are Unitary Authorities.
(2) Estimated resident population at 30 June 2006, Statistics New Zealand

Areas outside regional boundaries

New Zealand has a number of outlying islands that 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 sub-Antarctic islands are inhabited only by a small number of Department of Conservation staff. 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. Councils may use a first past the post or single transferable vote system. The Chairperson of a regional council is selected by the elected council members.

See also

External links

References



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Last updated on Friday March 07, 2008 at 04:31:33 PST (GMT -0800)
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