Counties of New Zealand

The counties of New Zealand were the administrative divisions representing the country's rural areas, existing from the abolition of the provinces in 1876 until the major local government reforms of 1989. They were governed by county councils and existed alongside the country's boroughs, town districts, and other administrative divisions.

History From 1853 until 1876, New Zealand had a semi-federal system of provinces. Each province had its own legislature and superintendent. These provinces set up their own local boards and councils. The provinces were abolished on 1 November 1876, following the passage of the Abolition of the Provinces Act 1876.

The original Counties Bill intended to merge 314 road boards into 39 counties; however, as a result of lobbying, the final Counties Act 1876 as passed created 63 counties. The counties established by the Act were found to be too small; they could not effectively provide the expected services and mainly continued on the construction and maintenance of rural roads as the pre-existing road boards had done. Many ad hoc bodies were created to manage services such as education, health, water, and ports over the succeeding decades.

As of 1966, it was no longer possible to create new counties except for the merger of pre-existing counties. Counties at that point could create county towns, subordinate to the county, in areas with at least 200 people or 60 dwellings. There were 117 counties in 1966, with all but two having county councils; two remained without government as they were sparsely populated.

The Local Government Act 1974 sought to rationalise local government, attempting to tackle the problem whilst dealing with staunchly independent local authorities. The Act abolished the distinction between boroughs and counties, and allowed for the creation of regional units of government. The Act also increased the powers of the Local Government Commission.

All counties bar one were abolished following the Fourth Labour Government's 1989 reforms to local government, which consolidated around 850 local government bodies into just 86. The exception was Chatham Islands County, which was abolished on 1 November 1995 following the passing of the Chatham Islands Council Act 1995, which transitioned the islands governance to a sui generis territorial authority.Chatham Islands Council Act 1995

Powers and responsibilities County councils mainly concerned themselves with providing roads and controlling rivers and other waterways. These services were paid for by rates on property and government loans and subsidies.

Many small counties struggled to maintain roads to an acceptable standard; in 1922 a Main Highways Board (NHB) was set up that would oversee roads across the country. In 1937, almost 6,500 km of highways were designated "state highways", with control being moved to the NHB over the counties.

Elections

The first elections for the county councils were to be held on 22 December 1876.

List of counties

+CountyEstablishedAbolishedExisted forSuccessorMangonui County1 November 1876Counties Act 1876, Schedule 11 November 1989113 yearsFar North DistrictWhangaroa County1 January 1887Counties Act 18861 November 1989102 yearsFar North DistrictHokianga County1 November 18761 November 1989113 yearsFar North DistrictBay of Islands County1 November 18761 November 1989113 yearsFar North DistrictWhangarei County1 November 18761 November 1989113 yearsWhangarei DistrictHobson County1 November 18761 November 1989113 yearsKaipara DistrictOtamatea County1 January 18871 November 1989102 yearsWhangarei DistrictKaipara DistrictRodney County1 November 18761 November 1989113 yearsKaipara DistrictRodney DistrictWaitemata County1 November 18761 August 197497 yearsWaitemata CityTakapuna CityRodney CountyEden County1 November 18761 April 195679 yearsAuckland CityWaiheke County1 April 19701 November 198919 yearsnew Auckland City7 November 1912Reserves and Other Lands Disposal and Public Bodies Empowering Act 19121 November 198976 yearsnew Auckland CityManukau County1 November 18763 September 196588 yearsManukau CityFranklin County1 April 1912Franklin and Manukau Counties Act 19111 November 198977 yearsPapakura DistrictFranklin DistrictCoromandel County1 November 18761 October 197598 yearsThames-Coromandel DistrictThames County1 November 18761 October 197598 yearsThames-Coromandel DistrictRaglan County1 November 18761 November 1989113 yearsFranklin DistrictWaipa DistrictWaikato DistrictWaikato County1 November 18761 November 1989113 yearsnew Hamilton CityWaipa DistrictWaikato DistrictMatamata-Piako DistrictHauraki Plains County1 April 1912Hauraki Plains, Thames, Ohinemuri, and Piako Counties Act 19191 November 198977 yearsHauraki DistrictOhinemuri County8 September 18851 November 1989104 yearsHauraki DistrictMatamata-Piako DistrictWestern Bay of Plenty DistrictPiako County1 November 18761 November 1989113 yearsMatamata-Piako DistrictWaipa County1 November 18761 November 1989113 yearsWaikato Districtnew Hamilton CitySouth Waikato DistrictWaipa DistrictMatamata County1 November 198981 yearsMatamata-Piako DistrictSouth Waikato DistrictWaipa DistrictWestern Bay of Plenty DistrictRotorua DistrictTaupo DistrictWaitomo County1 April 1905Waitomo County Act 19041 April 197671 yearsWaitomo DistrictAwakino County1 April 1904Kawhia and Awakino Counties Act 19031 April 192218 yearsWaitomo CountyTaupo County1 April 1922Waikato and King-country Counties Act 1921–221 December 198866 yearsTaupo DistrictWest Taupo County1 November 18761 April 192245 yearsTaupo CountyEast Taupo County1 November 18761 April 192245 yearsTaupo CountyTauranga County1 November 18761 November 1989113 yearsHauraki DistrictTauranga DistrictWestern Bay of Plenty DistrictMatakaoa County1 April 1920Matakaoa County Act 19191 April 196545 yearsWaiapu CountyOpotiki County1 November 1899Whakatane County Act 18991 November 198687 yearsOpotiki DistrictRotorua County1 January 18871 April 197992 yearsRotorua DistrictKawhia County1 November 187631 March 195679 yearsOtorohanga CountyWhakatane County1 November 18761 April 197699 yearsWhakatane DistrictWaiapu County1 October 1890Waiapu County Act 18901 November 198999 yearsGisborne DistrictWaikohu County10 October 1908Waikohu County Act 19081 November 198981 yearsGisborne DistrictUawa County10 December 1918Uawa County Act 19181 April 196445 yearsCook CountyCook County1 November 18761 November 1989113 yearsGisborne DistrictWairoa County1 November 18761 October 1986109 yearsWairoa DistrictHawke's Bay County1 November 18761 November 1989113 yearsHastings Districtnew Napier CityWaipawa County1 November 18761 April 1978101 yearsWaipawa DistrictWaipukurau County1 April 1908Waipukurau County Act 19071 April 197769 yearsWaipukurau DistrictPatangata County8 September 18851 July 197488 yearsWaipukurau CountyClifton County6 January 18851 November 1989104 yearsWaitomo DistrictNew Plymouth DistrictEgmont County1 April 1902Egmont County Act 19011 November 198987 yearsSouth Taranaki DistrictTaranaki County1 November 18761 October 1986109 yearsNorth Taranaki DistrictWhangamomona County9 November 1907Whangamomona County Act 19072 November 195547 yearsStratford CountyInglewood County1 April 1920Inglewood County Act 191911 October 198666 yearsInglewood DistrictKaitieke County3 December 1910Kaitieke County Act 19108 August 195645 yearsTaumarunui CountyStratford County10 September 1890Stratford County Act 18901 April 198998 yearsStratford DistrictWaimate West County10 October 1908Waimate West County Act 19081 October 198778 yearsWaimate Plains DistrictEltham County29 October 1906Eltham County Act 190615 October 198679 yearsEltham DistrictHawera County28 July 18811 October 197897 yearsHawera DistrictPatea County1 November 18761 April 1987110 yearsPatea DistrictWaitotara County26 February 18841 April 1988104 yearsWanganui CountyOhura County10 October 1908Ohura County Act 19088 August 195647 yearsTaumarunui CountyTaumarunui County1 April 19221 November 198967 yearsStratford DistrictWaitomo DistrictRuapehu DistrictTaupo DistrictOtorohanga County1 April 19221 April 197957 yearsOtorohanga DistrictWaimarino County2 October 1902Waimarino County Act 19021 April 198885 yearsWaimarino DistrictRangitikei County1 November 18761 November 1989113 yearsRangitikei District