This dataset is the definitive set of annually released ward boundaries for 2022 as defined by the territorial authorities and/or Local Government Commission, and maintained by Stats NZ (the custodian). This version contains 226 wards, excluding area outside ward and a total of 239 features.
Wards were originally set up within any territorial authority with a population of at least 20,000. Wards are defined under the Local Electoral Act 2001 and result from dividing a territorial authority for electoral purposes. The ward system was designed to allow for the recognition of communities within a territorial authority and to increase community involvement in the local government system. Territorial authorities can now choose whether they would like to maintain electoral wards. As a result, the number of wards has steadily decreased since they were first created in 1989. Ward boundaries are reviewed in the year before the three-yearly local government elections.
Names are provided with and without tohutō/macrons. The name field without macrons is suffixed ‘ascii’.
This generalised version has been simplified for rapid drawing and is designed for thematic or web mapping purposes.
Digital boundary data became freely available on 1 July 2007.
