Regions of New Zealand
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New Zealand is divided into sixteen regions for local government purposes. Eleven are administered by regional councils, and five are administered by unitary authorities, which are territorial authorities that also perform the functions of regional councils.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Although technically a district but classed as a territory, The Chatham Islands Territory is outside the regions<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and is administered by the Chatham Islands Council, which is similar to a unitary authority, authorised under its own legislation.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Current regionsEdit
History and statutory basisEdit
The regional councils are listed in Part 1 of Schedule 2 of the Local Government Act 2002,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> along with reference to the Gazette notices that established them in 1989.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The act requires regional councils to promote sustainable developmentTemplate:Spaced ndashthe social, economic, environmental and cultural well-being of their communities.<ref>Relationship between the Local Government Act and the RMA Template:Webarchive Quality Planning The RMA Resource, retrieved 11 October 2007.</ref>
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.<ref name="bush">Template:Cite book</ref> In addition they took over some roles that had previously been performed by county councils.
The boundaries of the regions are based largely on drainage basins.<ref name="OECD">Template:Cite book</ref> This anticipated the responsibilities of the Resource Management Act 1991.<ref name="NZHA98">New Zealand Historical AtlasTemplate:Spaced ndashMcKinnon, Malcolm (Editor); David Bateman, 1997, Plate 98</ref> Most regional boundaries conform with territorial authority boundaries but there are a number of exceptions. An example is Taupo District, split between four regions, although most of its area is in the Waikato region.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> There is often a high degree of co-operation between regional and territorial councils as they have complementary roles.
Resource management functionsEdit
Regional councils have these specific functions under the Resource Management Act 1991:
- Planning for the integrated management of natural and physical resources<ref>Resource Management Act, Section 30(1)(a)- Parliament of New Zealand, 1991</ref>
- Planning for regionally significant land uses<ref>Resource Management Act, Section 30(1)(b)- Parliament of New Zealand, 1991</ref>
- Soil conservation, water quality and quantity, water ecosystems, natural hazards, hazardous substances <ref>Resource Management Act, Section 30(1)(c)- Parliament of New Zealand, 1991</ref>
- Controlling the coastal marine area<ref>Resource Management Act, Section 30(1)(d)- Parliament of New Zealand, 1991</ref>
- Controlling via resource consents the taking, use, damming or diverting of water <ref>Resource Management Act, Section 30(1)(e)- Parliament of New Zealand, 1991</ref>
- Controlling via resource consents the discharge of contaminants<ref>Resource Management Act, Section 30(1)(f)- Parliament of New Zealand, 1991</ref>
- Establishing of rules in a regional plan to allocate water<ref>Resource Management Act, Section 30(1)(fa)- Parliament of New Zealand, 1991. NB this is a new paragraph added in 2005.</ref>
- Controlling via resource consents the beds of waterbodies<ref>Resource Management Act, Section 30(1)(g)- Parliament of New Zealand, 1991</ref>
Other functionsEdit
Regional councils have responsibility for functions under other statutes;<ref>Harris, R. (2004). "Local government and development legislation", Chapter 3G, Handbook of Environmental Law, Harris, R. (ed.), Template:ISBN, Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand, Wellington, p. 130.</ref>
- 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.<ref>Sections 135, 142, 150, and 154 Building Act 2004, Parliament of New Zealand.</ref>
List of regionsEdit
Notes Template:Notelist
Areas outside regional boundariesEdit
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 1991. The Kermadecs and the subantarctic islands are inhabited only by a small number of Department of Conservation staff and there is no regional council for these islands.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
GovernanceEdit
Regional councils are popularly elected every three years in accordance with the Local Electoral Act 2001.<ref>Local Government Act 2002, s41(1)(a), Parliament of New Zealand</ref> Councils may use a first-past-the-post or single transferable vote system. The chairperson is selected by the elected council members.<ref>Local Government Act 2002, s41(1)(b), Parliament of New Zealand.</ref>
FinancesEdit
Regional councils are funded through property rates, subsidies from central government, income from trading, and user charges for certain public services. Councils set their own levels of rates,<ref name="LGRA">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> though the mechanism for collecting it usually involves channelling through the territorial authority collection system.
Regional chairsEdit
| Region | Chair | Affiliation | Elected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northland | Penny Smart | Independent | ||
| Waikato | Pamela Storey | Independent | ||
| Bay of Plenty | Doug Leeder | Independent | ||
| Hawke's Bay | Hinewai Ormsby | Independent | ||
| Taranaki | Charlotte Littlewood | Independent | ||
| Manawatū-Whanganui | Rachel Keedwell | Independent | ||
| Greater Wellington | File:Daran Ponter 2022 (cropped).jpg | Daran Ponter | Labour | |
| West Coast | Peter Haddock | Independent | ||
| Canterbury | Craig Pauling | Independent | ||
| Otago | Gretchen Robertson | Independent | ||
| Southland | Nicol Horrell | Independent | ||
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Predecessors of current structureEdit
AucklandEdit
The Auckland Regional Council (now the Auckland Council) was preceded by the Auckland Regional Authority (ARA), which existed from 1963 to 1989.<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref>
WellingtonEdit
The Wellington Regional Council was first formed in 1980 from a merger of the Wellington Regional Planning Authority and the Wellington Regional Water Board.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
United councilsEdit
In 1978, legislation was passed enabling the formation of regions that had united councils. Twenty regions were designated, excluding the Auckland and Wellington areas. For most of the country this was the first time there had been a 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.<ref name="bush" />
| Region | When formed | Levy rates (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 |
| Hawke's 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 alsoEdit
- List of regions of New Zealand by Human Development Index
- Local Government New Zealand
- Provinces of New Zealand
ReferencesEdit
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