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Story: West Coast region

Local government

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  • Provinces, to 1876

  • Counties and towns, 1876–1989

  • Districts, 1989–present

The West Coast was initially part of two provinces: Nelson and Westland, the latter having completely separated from Canterbury in 1873. From 1876 the region was divided into four counties and a number of boroughs (towns). Three of the boroughs – Brunner, Kumara and Ross – had been disestablished by 1989. In that year three districts (Westland, Grey and Buller), combining towns and counties, were formed.

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How to cite this page

Simon Nathan, West Coast region – Government and politics, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/interactive/21106/local-government (accessed 24 June 2026).

Story by Simon Nathan, published 3 March 2009, updated 1 September 2016.

Comments


20 July 2010
Thank you very much for pointing this out. You are quite correct and the map is now changed.
PJ Turner
20 July 2010
Kumara and Hokitika have been switched on this map.