The early European settlers divided New Zealand into provinces. These were abolished in 1876 so that government could be centralized, for financial reasons. As a result, New Zealand has no separately represented sub national entities such as provinces, states or territories, apart from local government. However the spirit of the provinces lives on, and there is fierce rivalry exhibited in sporting and cultural events.
Since 1876, local government has administered the various regions of New Zealand. In 1989, the government completely reorganized local government, implementing the current two-tier structure of regional councils and territorial authorities constituted under the Local Government Act 2002. In 1991, the Resource Management Act 1991 replaced the Town and Country Planning Act as the main planning legislation for local government.
New Zealand has 12 regional councils for the administration of regional environmental and transport matters and 73 territorial authorities that administer roading, sewerage, building consents, and other local matters. The territorial authorities are 16 city councils, 57 district councils, and the Chatham Islands Council.
Four of the territorial councils (one city and three districts) and the Chatham Islands Council also perform the functions of a regional council and are known as unitary authorities. Territorial authority districts are not subdivisions of regional council districts, and a few of them straddle regional council boundaries.
The regions are (asterisks denote unitary authorities): Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne*, Hawke’s Bay, Taranaki, Manawatu-Wanganui, Wellington, Marlborough*, Nelson*, Tasman*, West Coast, Canterbury, Otago, Southland, Chatham Islands*.
As a major South Pacific nation, New Zealand has a close working relationship with many Pacific Island nations, and continues a political association with the Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau. New Zealand operates Scott Base in its Antarctic territory, the Ross Dependency. Other countries also use Christchurch to support their Antarctic bases and the city is sometimes known as the "Gateway to Antarctica".
Incoming search terms:
- Published News Upcoming News Submit a New Story Groups home internet business opportunity
- Published News Upcoming News Submit a New Story Groups regional council
- Published News Upcoming News Submit a New Story Groups business opportunity internet business
- Published News Upcoming News Submit a New Story Groups home internet business
- Published News Upcoming News Submit a New Story Groups satellite broadband internet
- Published News Upcoming News Submit a New Story Groups resource
- Published News Upcoming News Submit a New Story Groups the government
- Published News Upcoming News Submit a New Story Groups an injury to one
- Published News Upcoming News Submit a New Story Groups amateur radio repeaters
- is new zealand divided into territories provinces or states
