1989 local government reforms


The 1989 local government reform was the most significant reform of local government in New Zealand in over a century. Some 850 local bodies were amalgamated into 86 local authorities, made up of regional and territorial levels.

Background

The last major local government reform was carried out through the abolition of provincial government. With effect of 1 January 1877, local government was vested in elected borough and county councils. The Counties Bill of 1876 created 63 counties out of the rural parts of the former provinces. Over the years, many new bodies were set up. Some of these bodies were multi-purpose, whilst others were single-purpose. The Local Government Act 1974 consolidated the previous law relating to local government that applied to territorial local authorities, regional and district council bodies. It enabled the establishment of regional councils, but these were not established until the 1989 reform.

History

The Labour Party had the reform of local government as one of its policies for the but without much detail; the proposals were developed during the first term of the Fourth Labour Government following the party's win in 1984. Michael Bassett was Minister of Local Government and he appointed a Local Government Commission, which was chaired by Brian Elwood from 1 April 1985 to 1 November 1992. The government had given the commission a guarantee that their findings would be regarded as binding. The resulting local government reform was undertaken along the lines of neo-liberal economic theory, and was done in conjunction with the economic reform that have become known as Rogernomics. Some 850 entities were amalgamated into 86 local authorities, made up of regional and territorial levels. Of the 850 entities, 249 were municipalities; the remainder were harbour boards, catchment boards, and drainage boards. Brian Rudman, a journalist and editorial writer for The New Zealand Herald, called the reforms "revolutionary".

Results of the reform

Regional authorities

New Zealand was divided into 14 regions, of which 13 were regional authorities, and the remaining one, Gisborne, was a unitary authority. Unitary authorities in New Zealand are district authorities that also fulfil the function of a regional authority.

Territorial authorities

At a territorial level, district and city authorities were created. The area of a district may belong to more than one regional authority.
NameSeatRegionIsland
1Far North DistrictKaikoheNorthlandNorth
2Whangarei DistrictWhangareiNorthlandNorth
3Kaipara DistrictDargavilleNorthlandNorth
4Rodney DistrictOrewaAucklandNorth
5Auckland CityAucklandAucklandNorth
6North Shore CityTakapunaAucklandNorth
7Waitakere CityHendersonAucklandNorth
8Manukau CityManukauAucklandNorth
9Papakura DistrictPapakuraAucklandNorth
10Franklin DistrictPukekoheWaikato
Auckland 		North
11Thames-Coromandel DistrictThamesWaikatoNorth
12Hauraki DistrictPaeroaWaikatoNorth
13Waikato DistrictNgāruawāhiaWaikatoNorth
14Matamata-Piako DistrictTe ArohaWaikatoNorth
15Hamilton CityHamiltonWaikatoNorth
16Waipa DistrictTe AwamutuWaikatoNorth
17South Waikato DistrictTokoroaWaikatoNorth
18Otorohanga DistrictOtorohangaWaikatoNorth
19Waitomo DistrictTe KuitiWaikato
Manawatū-Whanganui 		North
20Taupo DistrictTaupoWaikato
Bay of Plenty
Hawke's Bay
Manawatū-Whanganui 		North
21Western Bay of Plenty DistrictGreerton, Tauranga CityBay of PlentyNorth
22Tauranga DistrictTaurangaBay of PlentyNorth
23Opotiki DistrictOpotikiBay of PlentyNorth
24Whakatane DistrictWhakataneBay of PlentyNorth
25Rotorua DistrictRotoruaBay of Plenty
Waikato 		North
26Kawerau DistrictKawerauBay of PlentyNorth
27Gisborne DistrictGisborneGisborne North
28Wairoa DistrictWairoaHawke's BayNorth
29Hastings DistrictHastingsHawke's BayNorth
30Napier CityNapierHawke's BayNorth
31Central Hawke's Bay DistrictWaipawaHawke's BayNorth
32New Plymouth DistrictNew PlymouthTaranakiNorth
33Stratford DistrictStratfordTaranaki
Manawatū-Whanganui 		North
34South Taranaki DistrictHaweraTaranakiNorth
35Ruapehu DistrictTaumarunuiManawatū-WhanganuiNorth
36Rangitikei DistrictMartonManawatū-Whanganui
Hawke's Bay 		North
37Wanganui DistrictWanganuiManawatū-WhanganuiNorth
38Manawatu DistrictFeildingManawatū-WhanganuiNorth
39Palmerston North CityPalmerston NorthManawatū-WhanganuiNorth
40Tararua DistrictDannevirkeManawatū-Whanganui
Wellington 		North
41Horowhenua DistrictLevinManawatū-WhanganuiNorth
42Masterton DistrictMastertonWellingtonNorth
43Kapiti Coast DistrictParaparaumuWellingtonNorth
44Carterton DistrictCartertonWellingtonNorth
45South Wairarapa DistrictMartinboroughWellingtonNorth
46Upper Hutt CityUpper HuttWellingtonNorth
47Porirua CityPoriruaWellingtonNorth
48Hutt CityLower HuttWellingtonNorth
49Wellington CityWellingtonWellingtonNorth
50Tasman DistrictRichmondNelson-MarlboroughSouth
51Nelson CityNelsonNelson-MarlboroughSouth
52Marlborough DistrictBlenheimNelson-MarlboroughSouth
53Kaikoura DistrictKaikouraNelson-MarlboroughSouth
54Buller DistrictWestportWest CoastSouth
55Grey DistrictGreymouthWest CoastSouth
56Westland DistrictHokitikaWest CoastSouth
57Hurunui DistrictAmberleyCanterburySouth
58Selwyn DistrictRollestonCanterburySouth
59Waimakariri DistrictRangioraCanterburySouth
60Christchurch CityChristchurchCanterburySouth
61Banks PeninsulaLytteltonCanterburySouth
62Ashburton DistrictAshburtonCanterburySouth
63Mackenzie DistrictFairlieCanterburySouth
64Timaru DistrictTimaruCanterburySouth
65Waimate DistrictWaimateCanterburySouth
66Waitaki DistrictOamaruCanterbury
Otago 		South
67Queenstown-Lakes DistrictQueenstownOtagoSouth
68Central Otago DistrictAlexandraOtagoSouth
69Dunedin CityDunedinOtagoSouth
70Clutha DistrictBalcluthaOtagoSouth
71Southland DistrictInvercargillSouthlandSouth
72Gore DistrictGoreSouthlandSouth
73Invercargill CityInvercargillSouthlandSouth