Councils provide an environment for their communities to develop and thrive, interpreting national legislation to take account of their local situation.
New Zealand has 16 regional and unitary councils that collectively cover the entire country. They perform important roles assigned to them by central government and carried out on behalf of their communities.
Regional and unitary councils are democratic organisations with council representatives voted to become councillors by their local population every three years in local government elections. Unitary councils have a Mayor who is elected by the public and regional councils have a Chairperson who is elected by councillors. Day to day council operations are run by passionate teams who report to the council’s Chief Executive to ensure they deliver on their responsibilities.
What do regional and unitary councils do?
In New Zealand, there are different types of councils. There are city and district councils, unitary councils, and regional councils.
City and District Councils are responsible for meeting the needs of residents and the communities they live, work and play in, while considering the unique nature of each community.
This includes making sure water flows freely from your taps, managing building permits and resource consents, providing car parks so you can visit and borrow books from the library (which it also provides), beautifying your community with parks and green spaces, collecting your rubbish and recycling, and keeping your streets well-lit with safe footpaths, through to encouraging a thriving arts and culture scene supporting festivals, events and parades.
Regional Councils generally work in a wider geographical region that includes several city or district councils, and play a core role in the management of that region’s natural resources. This enables current and future opportunities for growth, development and lifestyle - making use of the region's natural resources with a focus on a sustainable future. Their work includes controlling pests and harmful plants, managing the use of natural resources such as water, soil and coastal areas, flood and river management, civil defence, and regional transport planning and passenger transport services.
Unitary Councils, of which there are six, combine the roles of City, District and Regional Councils into one entity.
All local authorities work to provide value to individuals and communities. They are predominately funded through rates and are increasingly working to do more with less. They ensure there is a sustainable balance between people’s needs, the surrounding
environment that sustains them now and for future generations, and the cost to those communities.
Functions may vary from place to place as responsibilities can be transferred between City and District and Regional councils, and many councils have set up joint service delivery arrangements to ensure more efficient delivery while retaining localism.