Southland District
History
Southland District was formed through the 1989 local government reforms. Four local authorities were amalgamated at that time: Wallace County, Winton Borough, Stewart Island County and most of Southland County. John Casey, who was first elected onto Southland County Council in 1977, oversaw the amalgamation and was elected Southland District's first mayor in 1989.
Winton Wallacetown Ward was renamed Oreti Ward with effect from the Council election on 12 October 2019. The Oreti River flows through this ward.
Geography
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Southland District covers the majority of the land area of Southland Region, although the region also covers Gore District, Invercargill City and adjacent territorial waters. It has a land area of 29,574.53 square kilometres (11,419 sq mi), excluding inland waters such as Lake Te Anau, Lake Manapouri, and Lake Hauroko.
Southland District contains the islands south of Foveaux Strait:
The seat of the district council is Invercargill, which, however, is not part of Southland District, but a territorial authority in its own right.
Two of New Zealand's largest national parks are within the boundaries of Southland District: Fiordland National Park, and Rakiura National Park (which covers most of Stewart Island/Rakiura).
Urban areas and settlements
The Southland District has three towns with a population over 1,000. Together, they are home to 21.7% of the district's population.
| Urban area | Population
(June 2023) |
% of district |
|---|---|---|
| Te Anau | 3,060 | 9.3% |
| Winton | 2,460 | 7.5% |
| Riverton | 1,640 | 5.0% |
Other settlements and localities in the district include:
Mararoa Waimea Ward
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Waiau Aparima Ward
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Waihopai Toetoe Ward
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Oreti Ward
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Stewart Island-Rakiura Ward
- Oban
- Port Pegasus (uninhabited)
- Port William (uninhabited)
Demographics
Southland District covers 29,575.19 km (11,419.04 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 33,000 as of June 2023, with a population density of 1.1 people per km.
| Ethnicity | Population |
|---|---|
| New Zealand European | 27,465
|
| Māori | 4,137
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| Pasifika | 453
|
| Asian | 2,409
|
| MELAA | 252
|
| Other | 591
|
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 28,437 | — |
| 2013 | 29,613 | +0.58% |
| 2018 | 30,864 | +0.83% |
| 2023 | 31,833 | +0.62% |
| Source: | ||
Southland District had a population of 31,833 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 969 people (3.1%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 2,220 people (7.5%) since the 2013 census. There were 16,887 dwellings. The median age was 40.3 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 6,387 people (20.1%) aged under 15 years, 5,025 (15.8%) aged 15 to 29, 14,874 (46.7%) aged 30 to 64, and 5,541 (17.4%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 86.3% European/Pākehā, 13.0% Māori, 1.4% Pasifika, 7.6% Asian, 0.8% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders, and 1.9% other. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
Southland District had a population of 30,864 at the 2018 New Zealand census. There were 11,982 households, comprising 16,029 males and 14,835 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.08 males per female.
The percentage of people born overseas was 13.6, compared with 27.1% nationally.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 51.7% had no religion, 38.4% were Christian, 0.4% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.5% were Hindu, 0.2% were Muslim, 0.3% were Buddhist and 1.4% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 3,363 (13.8%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 5,739 (23.6%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $36,300, compared with $31,800 nationally. 3,732 people (15.3%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 13,956 (57.4%) people were employed full-time, 4,053 (16.7%) were part-time, and 519 (2.1%) were unemployed.
| Name | Area (km) | Population | Density (per km) | Households | Median age | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mararoa-Waimea Ward | 17,420.86 | 7,953 | 0.46 | 3,081 | 38.8 years | $36,800 |
| Waiau-Aparima Ward | 6,381.17 | 7,908 | 1.24 | 3,153 | 40.6 years | $31,900 |
| Oreti Ward | 1,826.23 | 9,117 | 4.99 | 3,468 | 39.1 years | $38,600 |
| Waihopai-Toetoe Ward | 2,176.35 | 5,481 | 2.52 | 2,055 | 37.2 years | $37,900 |
| Stewart Island/Rakiura Ward | 1,747.74 | 408 | 0.22 | 222 | 49.3 years | $33,500 |
| New Zealand | 37.4 years | $31,800 |
Government
Mayor
The current district mayor is Rob Scott. He has held this position since 2022.
Council
The district council is made up of twelve elected members, from various ward areas, and, like any other local authority, is elected every three years.
Sister cities
Current sister city
Former sister city
Southland District was a sister city to Wyong Shire in New South Wales, Australia until 2010.