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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.

Urban areas by population

The populations given in the table below are provisional New Zealand usually resident population, June 2009 estimates,^[1] and refer to the entire main urban area unless otherwise stated.

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 200,300.
2. The population figures for Napier and Hastings refer to the urban zones. The total estimated population of the Napier-Hastings urban area is 123,200.
3. Kapiti (39,600) 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 considered a city. It is considered by most Wellingtonians (though not by Statistics New Zealand) as being part of the Greater Wellington Area. Hundreds of people commute daily to Wellington for work and the suburban rail network terminates in Kapiti District. If Kapiti were added to Wellington the total population of the Wellington Urban Area would be approximately 420,000.
4. Blenheim (30,000) 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. It is now not considered as a city as its population has dropped below 30,000.
6. Pukekohe, a settlement not far south of Auckland, has an estimated population of 25,000.
7. Taupo in the central North Island and with an estimated population of 22,100 is rarely referred to as a city.
8. Masterton, the main centre in the Wairarapa, is rarely referred to as a city. It has an estimated population of 20,000.
9. 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 13,450 residents.
10. Levin, the main centre in the Horowhenua district, with an estimated population of nearly 20,000 is also not considered a city.

City councils

The populations given are the Statistics New Zealand estimated resident population (June 2009 estimate).^[1]

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 declared 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. 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) that 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] that which did not change the name [2] of the city of Lower Hutt; the city's coat of arms still refers to the City of Lower Hutt.

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.

• Dunedin (4 July 1865)
• Christchurch (28 May 1868)
• Wellington (16 September 1870)
• Auckland (24 April 1871)
• Nelson (30 March 1874)

Cities, 1877 to 1989

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

• North Island
  • Whangarei (1964)
  • Auckland
    • Auckland (1871)
    • East Coast Bays
    • Takapuna
    • Birkenhead
    • Waitemata (1974)
    • Mt Albert
    • Papatoetoe
    • Manukau (1965)
    • Papakura
    • Tamaki
  • Hamilton (1936)
  • New Plymouth (1949)
  • Tauranga (1963)
  • Rotorua (1962, merged into Rotorua District, 1979)
  • Gisborne (1955)
  • Napier (1950)
  • Hastings (1956)
  • Wanganui (1924)
  • Palmerston North (1930)
  • Wellington
    • Wellington (1870)
    • Upper Hutt (1966)
    • Lower Hutt (1941)
    • Porirua (1965)
• South Island
  • Nelson (1874)
  • Christchurch (1868)
  • Timaru (1948)
  • Dunedin (1865)
  • Invercargill (1930)

See also

• List of cities in Oceania
• City status in the United Kingdom
• List of towns in New Zealand
• List of main streets of New Zealand cities
• List of cities in the Cook Islands
• List of cities in Niue
• List of cities in Tokelau
• Ranked list of New Zealand main urban areas
• Territorial Authorities of New Zealand

Notes

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

External links

• Statistics New Zealand Subnational Population Estimates
• Tauranga status change, 2003 - specific details
  • Local Government (Tauranga City Council) Order 2003 (Governor-General's Order-in-Council, 2 October 2003)
  • Local Government Commission press release (PDF)
  • Local Government Commission decision full text (PDF)
  • Tauranga's city status returns (New Zealand Herald, August 12, 2003)
• Local Government Online Limited site - confirmation, post-1989 council names
• Map

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