List of cities in New Zealand

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A map showing the major cities and towns of New Zealand.
A map showing the major cities and towns of New Zealand.

After the local government reforms of 1989, the term "city" began to take on two meanings in New Zealand. Before 1989, a borough council 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.

In 1989, the local government structure was significantly rationalised. The new district and city councils were generally much larger and covered both urban and rural land. Many places that once had a city council were now being administered by a district council.

The word "city" began 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.

Contents

[edit] Population of urban areas

The populations given in the table below are provisional New Zealand usually resident population estimates for 30 June 2007 and refer to the entire main urban area unless otherwise stated.

Urban area Population (2007) Notes
Auckland 1,294,000
Wellington 379,000
Christchurch 378,700
Hamilton 163,900 1.
Dunedin 114,600
Tauranga 114,200
Palmerston North 79,300
Hastings 64,600 2.
Nelson 58,300
Napier 57,900 2.
Rotorua 55,500
New Plymouth 51,000
Whangarei 50,900
Invercargill 47,900
Wanganui 39,800
Gisborne 33,600

Notes:

  1. The population figure for Hamilton refers to the Hamilton Urban Zone only. The outlying areas of Te Awamutu and Cambridge are not generally considered part of Hamilton and are excluded from the figure. The total estimated population of all three zones is 194,700.
  2. The population figures for Napier and Hastings refer to the urban zones. The total estimated population of the Napier-Hastings Urban Area is 122,500.
  3. Kapiti (38,900) is the only Statistics New Zealand Main Urban Area not listed. It includes the townships of Paekakariki, Raumati, Paraparaumu, Paraparaumu Beach, and Waikanae, and Pekapeka locality, in the Kapiti Coast District, and is not usually known as a city.
  4. Blenheim (29,400) is sometimes referred to as a city, especially by locals, although its (former) borough council was never proclaimed a city.
  5. Timaru (27,500) once had a city council, but it is now administered as part of a district council. It is classified as a secondary urban area by Statistics New Zealand.
  6. Pukekohe, a settlement not far south of Auckland, has an estimated population of 24,000.
  7. Taupo, located in the central North Island and with an estimated population of 22,000, is rarely referred to as a city.
  8. Masterton, the main centre in the Wairarapa, is also rarely referred to as a city. It has an estimated population of 19,900.
  9. The town of Tokoroa in the South Waikato district was long expected to become a city when its population continued to grow past 18,000 during the 1980s. However, with the restructuring of the forestry industry, Tokoroa's main industry, many jobs were lost and Tokoroa's population declined. It now has just 13,650 residents.

[edit] City councils

The populations given are the Statistics New Zealand usually resident population taken from the Census of 7 March 2006.

City Council Population (2006) First Proclaimed Ranking (size)
North Shore 205,608 1989 4
Waitakere 186,444 1989 5
Auckland 404,658 1871 1
Manukau 328,968 1965 3
Hamilton 129,249 1936 7
Tauranga 103,635 1963 9
Napier 55,359 1950 12
Palmerston North 75,543 1930 11
Porirua 48,546 1965 14
Upper Hutt 38,415 1966 16
Lower Hutt 97,701 1941 10
Wellington 179,466 1870 6
Nelson 42,891 1874 15
Christchurch 348,435 1868 2
Dunedin 118,683 1865 8
Invercargill 50,328 1991 13

Many cities were reorganised into districts by the Local Government Commission in 1989 under the Local Government Act 1974, for example, Timaru. The most recently proclaimed city is Tauranga, which became a city, for the second time, from 1 March 2004. Another former city is Rotorua. Some present cities, such as Christchurch (1862 and 1868) and Invercargill (1930 and 1991), have been cities more than once.

Under Section 27 of the Local Government Act 2002, a district may become a city by either a reorganisation scheme with the Local Government Commission, or under Section 27(1) it may apply for a change in status under Schedule 3, Clause 7. Either way, the new city must have 'a population of not less than 50,000 persons', be 'predominantly urban' and 'a distinct entity and a major centre of activity within the region' (or regions) which it is encompassed by. Existing cities are grandfathered under Schedule 2, Part 2 of the Act. The only new city council so far under this section is the Tauranga City Council, from 1 March 2004.

Previously, under Section 37L of the Local Government Act 1974, new cities could only be formed from a reorganisation scheme. The same criteria were used. The last city to be constituted under this section was Invercargill, which was re-reorganised into a city in 1991.

In 1991, the Lower Hutt City Council became the Hutt City Council by a special Act of Parliament [1], which specifically did not change the name [2] of its city, Lower Hutt; as a result, the city's coat of arms still refer to a City of Lower Hutt.

[edit] Cities during provincialism, 1852 to 1876

During provincialism in New Zealand -- from 1852 until abolition in 1876 -- there was no uniform system of local authorities in New Zealand. There is thus some argument over which of the following cities was the first.

  • Nelson (1858, by Letters Patent)
  • Christchurch (November 1862, revoked June 1868, both by provincial ordinance and restored October 1868, by Act of Parliament)
  • Otago (later Dunedin) (July 1865)

The Municipal Corporations Act 1876 included the first schedule of cities, with the dates they were constituted. Dunedin was the first city in New Zealand to be described in an Act of Parliament as 'City of...', something now automatic under the Local Government Act 2002.

[edit] Cities, 1877 to 1989

Up to October 1989, the Local Government Commission undertook a major reorganisation of local government. As a result, some cities were reorganised into other cities or changed to districts, and to this day some of these areas are still considered cities by many New Zealanders. This is a list as at circa 1986.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  • Gordon McLauchlan (Editor), Illustrated Encyclopedia of New Zealand, The, Auckland: David Bateman, 1989 (second edition) (ISBN 1-86953-007-1) - confirmation, pre-1989 dates

[edit] External links


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