Territorial authorities (Māori: mana ā-rohe) are the second tier of local government in New Zealand, below regional councils. There are 67 territorial authorities: 13 city councils, 53 district councils and the Chatham Islands Council.[1] District councils serve a combination of rural and urban communities, while city councils administer the larger urban areas.[2] Five territorial authorities (Auckland, Nelson, Gisborne, Tasman and Marlborough) also perform the functions of a regional council and thus are unitary authorities. The Chatham Islands Council is a sui generis territorial authority that is similar to a unitary authority.
Territorial authority districts are not subdivisions of regions, and some of them fall within more than one region. Regional council areas are based on water catchment areas, whereas territorial authorities are based on community of interest and road access. Regional councils are responsible for the administration of many environmental and public transport matters, while the territorial authorities administer local roading and reserves, water supply and sanitation, building consents, the land use and subdivision aspects of resource management, and other local matters.[3] Some activities are delegated to council-controlled organisations. The scope of powers is specified by the Local Government Act 2002.[4]
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.[5] 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.
Under current law, an urban area has to be at least 50,000 residents before it can be officially proclaimed as a city.[6]
Since the 1989 reorganisations, there have been few major reorganisations or status changes in local government. Incomplete list:
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".[8] The area would consist of one city council (with statutory provision for three Māori councillors), four urban local councils, and two rural local 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.[9]
Criticism of the amended proposal came largely from residents in Manukau, Waitakere and North Shore Cities.[10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] In addition, Māori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples spoke against the exclusion of the Māori seats, as recommended by the Royal Commission.[17] [18] Opposition Leader Phil Goff called for a referendum on the issue.[19]
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.[20] Auckland Council is uniquely divided into "local boards" representing the lowest tier of local government.[21]
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.[26] 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."[27] In early January 2024, the Gore District Council opted to restructure its youth council and ruled out dismantling it.[28] In April 2024, the Whanganui District Council proposed scrapping its youth council by June 2024 as part of budget saving measures.
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.
| Name | Members (including mayor) | Seat | Land area (km2)[29] | Population | Density (/km2) | Region(s) | Island | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Far North District Council | 10 | Kaikohe | align=right | align=right | align=right | Northland | North | ||||
| Whangārei District Council | 14 | Whangārei | align=right | align=right | align=right | Northland | North | ||||
| Kaipara District Council | 9 | Dargaville | align=right | align=right | align=right | Northland | North | ||||
| Auckland Council | 21 | Auckland | align=right | align=right | align=right | unitary authority | North | ||||
| Thames-Coromandel District Council | 9 | Thames | align=right | align=right | align=right | Waikato | North | ||||
| Hauraki District Council | 13 | Paeroa | align=right | align=right | align=right | Waikato | North | ||||
| Waikato District Council | 14 | Ngāruawāhia | align=right | align=right | align=right | Waikato | North | ||||
| Matamata-Piako District Council | 12 | Te Aroha | align=right | align=right | align=right | Waikato | North | ||||
| Hamilton City Council | 13 | Hamilton | align=right | align=right | align=right | Waikato | North | ||||
| Waipa District Council | 13 | Te Awamutu | align=right | align=right | align=right | Waikato | North | ||||
| Ōtorohanga District Council | 8 | Ōtorohanga | align=right | align=right | align=right | Waikato | North | ||||
| South Waikato District Council | 11 | Tokoroa | align=right | align=right | align=right | Waikato | North | ||||
| Waitomo District Council | 7 | Te Kūiti | align=right | align=right | align=right | Waikato (94.87%) Manawatū-Whanganui (5.13%) | North | ||||
| Taupō District Council | 11 | Taupō | align=right | align=right | align=right | Waikato (73.74%) Bay of Plenty (14.31%) Hawke's Bay (11.26%) Manawatū-Whanganui (0.69%) | North | ||||
| Western Bay of Plenty District Council | 12 | Greerton | align=right | align=right | align=right | Bay of Plenty | North | ||||
| Tauranga City Council | 11 | Tauranga | align=right | align=right | align=right | Bay of Plenty | North | ||||
| Rotorua District Council | 11 | Rotorua | align=right | align=right | align=right | Bay of Plenty (61.52%) Waikato (38.48%) | North | ||||
| Whakatāne District Council | 11 | Whakatāne | align=right | align=right | align=right | Bay of Plenty | North | ||||
| Kawerau District Council | 9 | Kawerau | align=right | align=right | align=right | Bay of Plenty | North | ||||
| Ōpōtiki District Council | 7 | Ōpōtiki | align=right | align=right | align=right | Bay of Plenty | North | ||||
| Gisborne District Council | 14 | Gisborne | align=right | align=right | align=right | unitary authority | North | ||||
| Wairoa District Council | 7 | Wairoa | align=right | align=right | align=right | Hawke's Bay | North | ||||
| Hastings District Council | 15 | Hastings | align=right | align=right | align=right | Hawke's Bay | North | ||||
| Napier City Council | 13 | Napier | align=right | align=right | align=right | Hawke's Bay | North | ||||
| Central Hawke's Bay District Council | 9 | Waipawa | align=right | align=right | align=right | Hawke's Bay | North | ||||
| New Plymouth District Council | 15 | New Plymouth | align=right | align=right | align=right | Taranaki | North | ||||
| Stratford District Council | 11 | Stratford | align=right | align=right | align=right | Taranaki (68.13%) Manawatū-Whanganui (31.87%) | North | ||||
| South Taranaki District Council | 13 | Hāwera | align=right | align=right | align=right | Taranaki | North | ||||
| Ruapehu District Council | 12 | Taumarunui | align=right | align=right | align=right | Manawatū-Whanganui | North | ||||
| Whanganui District Council | 13 | Whanganui | align=right | align=right | align=right | Manawatū-Whanganui | North | ||||
| Rangitikei District Council | 12 | Marton | align=right | align=right | align=right | Manawatū-Whanganui (86.37%) Hawke's Bay (13.63%) | North | ||||
| Manawatu District Council | 11 | Feilding | align=right | align=right | align=right | Manawatū-Whanganui | North | ||||
| Palmerston North City Council | 16 | align=right | align=right | align=right | Manawatū-Whanganui | North | |||||
| Tararua District Council | 9 | Dannevirke | align=right | align=right | align=right | Manawatū-Whanganui (98.42%) Wellington (1.58%) | North | ||||
| Horowhenua District Council | 12 | Levin | align=right | align=right | align=right | Manawatū-Whanganui | North | ||||
| Kāpiti Coast District Council | 11 | Paraparaumu | align=right | align=right | align=right | Wellington | North | ||||
| Porirua City Council | 11 | Porirua | align=right | align=right | align=right | Wellington | North | ||||
| Upper Hutt City Council | 11 | Upper Hutt | align=right | align=right | align=right | Wellington | North | ||||
| Hutt City Council | 13 | Lower Hutt | align=right | align=right | align=right | Wellington | North | ||||
| Wellington City Council | 15 | Wellington | align=right | align=right | align=right | Wellington | North | ||||
| Masterton District Council | 11 | Masterton | align=right | align=right | align=right | Wellington | North | ||||
| Carterton District Council | 9 | Carterton | align=right | align=right | align=right | Wellington | North | ||||
| South Wairarapa District Council | 10 | Martinborough | align=right | align=right | align=right | Wellington | North | ||||
| Tasman District Council | 14 | Richmond | align=right | align=right | align=right | unitary authority | South | ||||
| Nelson City Council | 13 | Nelson | align=right | align=right | align=right | unitary authority | South | ||||
| Marlborough District Council | 14 | Blenheim | align=right | align=right | align=right | unitary authority | South | ||||
| Buller District Council | 11 | Westport | align=right | align=right | align=right | West Coast | South | ||||
| Grey District Council | 9 | Greymouth | align=right | align=right | align=right | West Coast | South | ||||
| Westland District Council | 9 | Hokitika | align=right | align=right | align=right | West Coast | South | ||||
| Kaikōura District Council | 8 | Kaikōura | align=right | align=right | align=right | Canterbury | South | ||||
| Hurunui District Council | 10 | Amberley | align=right | align=right | align=right | Canterbury | South | ||||
| Waimakariri District Council | 11 | Rangiora | align=right | align=right | align=right | Canterbury | South | ||||
| Christchurch City Council | 17 | Christchurch | align=right | align=right | align=right | Canterbury | South | ||||
| Selwyn District Council | 12 | Rolleston | align=right | align=right | align=right | Canterbury | South | ||||
| Ashburton District Council | 13 | Ashburton | align=right | align=right | align=right | Canterbury | South | ||||
| Timaru District Council | 10 | Timaru | align=right | align=right | align=right | Canterbury | South | ||||
| Mackenzie District Council | 7 | Fairlie | align=right | align=right | align=right | Canterbury | South | ||||
| Waimate District Council | 9 | Waimate | align=right | align=right | align=right | Canterbury | South | ||||
| Chatham Islands Council | 9 | Waitangi | align=right | align=right | align=right | unitary authority | South | ||||
| Waitaki District Council | 11 | Oamaru | align=right | align=right | align=right | Canterbury (59.61%) Otago (40.39%) | South | ||||
| Central Otago District Council | 11 | Alexandra | align=right | align=right | align=right | Otago | South | ||||
| Queenstown-Lakes District Council | 11 | Queenstown | align=right | align=right | align=right | Otago | South | ||||
| Dunedin City Council | 15 | Dunedin | align=right | align=right | align=right | Otago | South | ||||
| Clutha District Council | 15 | Balclutha | align=right | align=right | align=right | Otago | South | ||||
| Southland District Council | 13 | Invercargill | align=right | align=right | align=right | Southland | South | ||||
| Gore District Council | 12 | Gore | align=right | align=right | align=right | Southland | South | ||||
| Invercargill City Council | 13 | Invercargill | align=right | align=right | align=right | Southland | South |
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):
In addition, seven of the nine groups of the New Zealand outlying islands are outside of any territorial authority:
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.[30] 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.[4]
