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Statistics for individual councils see:

Local Government Statistical Overview

Image of a New Zealand City

Local government promotes the well-being of local communities.

There are 85 local authorities comprising 12 regional councils and 73 territorial authorities (city and district councils). Five councils have the roles of both a territorial and a regional council, and are sometimes called unitary authorities.

Additionally, many territorial authorities also have one or more Community Boards. These boards are filled largely by election though territorial authorities have the right to appoint a minority of the members, to help represent and advise council on community views.

Local authorities vary considerably in size. At the previous Census of Population and Dwellings (March 2006) the largest regional council was Auckland Region (population 1,216,900), the smallest was West Coast Region (population 31,100). Territorial and unitary authorities ranged from 367,734 (Auckland City) to 726 (Chatham Islands). The average population for territorial authorities was 50,498 but this was skewed by several very large territorial authorities. The median population for territorial authorities was 29,645.


Local Government Finance

As of June 2007 the 85 local authorities owned assets with a combined value of $86.7 billion, and owed some $5.1 billion in liabilities (accounts payable, term debt and the like).

The “balance sheet” for local government as at 30 June 2007 shows the following in ($000)

Assets Liabilities and Public Equity 
Cash and bank deposits821,597Term debt current portion609,274
Other current assets1,358,949Other current liabilities1,509,911
Total current assets2,180,546Total current liabilities2,119,185
Land and buildings18,296,558Term debt term portion2,623,344
Other construction55,466,186Other non-current liabilities338,113
Other fixed assets2,472,684Total Non-current (term) liabilities2,961,457
Total fixed assets76,235,428Total liabilities5,080,642
Investment6,820,402  
Other non current assets1,437,070  
Total non current assets8,257,472Total public equity81,592,804
Total assets86,673,446Total liabilities and public equity86,673,446

Local Government Income

In the year ended 30 June 2007 local government received some $5.8 billion in operating income (GST exclusive). Around 57.1 percent of this came from rates, 13.1 percent from central government assistance, 5.4 percent from investments, 6.1 percent from fees and fines, and 18.3 percent from other sources.

Chart of Local Government Income

Local Government Expenditure

At the same time local authorities spent $5.6 billion. Of this just under half went towards purchasing goods and services ($2.5 billion), 23 percent on employee costs ($1.3 billion), 20 percent on depreciation ($1.1 billion) and 7 percent on interest and grants.

The chart below shows what local government spent its money on during the year to 30 June 2007. Land transport (roads and passenger transport) made up the largest single expenditure category - accounting for just under 28 percent of operating expenditure ($1.5 billion).

Culture, Recreation, and Sport, and Governance were the next biggest categories at $953 million and $930 million, or 16.9% and 16.5%, respectively.

Chart of Local Government Expenditure

Membership, Elections and Governance

Regional councils, territorial and unitary authorities are all made up of elected members.

Regional Councillors elect regional council chairpersons from their own ranks at their first meeting after elections. City and district council mayors are elected by public votes for mayoral candidates in local authority elections.

Local elections are held once every three years, on the second Saturday in October. The most recent local elections were held on Saturday 13 October 2007.

All local authorities introduced postal voting during the 1990s. The average voter turnout at the 2007 territorial authority elections was 52 percent – with the highest turnout being 67 percent and the lowest 34 percent. The average voter turnout at the 2004 regional council elections was 43 percent – with the highest turnout being 57 percent and the lowest 37 percent.

Fourteen(16%) of the 85 Mayors and Chairs elected in 2007 were female.

Local authorities are largely free to set their own meeting schedules, governance structures and the like. Many councils operate one or more council committees to consider particular issues before being heard by the full council. Most councils operate on either a monthly or six-weekly meeting schedule of committee meetings. In 2004 the median number of meetings in local authorities was 36, with the highest number being 111.