Early colonial period When New Zealand became a British colony in 1840, the
Colonial Office tasked Governor
William Hobson with promoting the establishment of local municipal and district government within the colony through the issuing of proclamations. The Municipal Corporations Ordinance 1842 was the first legislative attempt at this, with the ordinance stating that any district with a minimum of 2,000 residents could become a borough, meaning a council could be elected with powers to set rates for the provision of roads, water infrastructure and jails. The
Auckland Provincial Council passed the Auckland City Council Act on 3 February 1854. The Act, which came into affect on the 6th, established a
council for the City of Auckland. This Act was also repealed from 17 April 1863, This board lasted until the district of the City of Auckland was constituted a borough council (as
Auckland City Council) under the Municipal Corporations Act 1867 on 24 April 1871. Under the new legislation, each of these places was able to become a municipal corporation upon petition by at least 50 residents, and from that point be constituted a borough governed by a borough council. New boroughs could also be proclaimed in areas outside the existing 21, provided at least 100 residents petitioned the governor.
Christchurch,
Lyttelton, and
Kaiapoi became the first boroughs created under the Act, being proclaimed as such by the governor on 28 May 1868.
Municipal Corporations Act 1876 With provinces abolished in 1876, a new Municipal Corporations Act was passed in the same year. This transferred the boroughs established under the previous 1867 Act, allowing them to exist alongside the new
system of counties established in separate legislation. 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.
1989 reforms In 1989, the Fourth Labour Government enacted major reforms to local government, under the provisions of the Local Government Act 1974. Around 850 local authorities were amalgamated together into 86, with many boroughs amalgamating with their surrounding rural areas to form district councils. == City status ==