Editing Regions of New Zealand (section)

===History and statutory basis===
The regional councils are listed in Part 1 of Schedule 2 of the [[Local Government Act 2002]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2002/0084/latest/DLM170881.html |title=Local Government Act 2002 No 84 - Interpretation |access-date=2008-07-17}}</ref> along with reference to the ''[[New Zealand Gazette|Gazette]]'' notices that established them in 1989.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2002/0084/latest/DLM174258.html |title=Local Government Act 2002 No 84 - Part 1, Schedule 2|access-date=2008-07-17}}</ref> The act requires regional councils to promote [[sustainable development]]{{spaced ndash}}the social, economic, environmental and cultural well-being of their communities.<ref>[http://www.qp.org.nz/related-laws/faq-rma-lga.php Relationship between the Local Government Act and the RMA] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060325233726/http://www.qp.org.nz/related-laws/faq-rma-lga.php |date=25 March 2006 }} Quality Planning The RMA Resource, retrieved 11 October 2007.</ref>

The current regions and most of their councils came into being through a [[1989 New Zealand local government reforms|local government reform in 1989]] that took place under the [[Local Government Act 1974 (New Zealand)|Local Government Act 1974]]. The regional councils replaced the more than 700 ad hoc bodies that had been formed in the preceding century – roads boards, catchment boards, drainage boards, pest control boards, harbour boards, domain and reserve boards.<ref name="bush">{{cite book|author=Bush, Graham|year=1995|edition=2nd|title=Local Government & Politics in New Zealand |isbn=1-86940-126-3 |publisher=Auckland University Press}}</ref> In addition they took over some roles that had previously been performed by county councils.

The boundaries of the regions are based largely on [[drainage basin]]s.<ref name="OECD">{{cite book|title=OECD Territorial Reviews OECD Territorial Reviews: The Metropolitan Region of Rotterdam-The Hague, Netherlands|date=2016|publisher=OECD Publishing|isbn=9789264249387|page=169|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PkR_CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA169|language=en}}</ref>  This anticipated the responsibilities of the [[Resource Management Act 1991]].<ref name="NZHA98">''New Zealand Historical Atlas''{{spaced ndash}}McKinnon, Malcolm (Editor); David Bateman, 1997, Plate 98</ref> Most regional boundaries conform with territorial authority boundaries but there are a number of exceptions. An example is [[Taupo District]], split between four regions, although most of its area is in the [[Waikato]] region.<ref>{{cite web |title=Property Asset Management Plan 2015-2025 |url=https://www.taupodc.govt.nz/repository/libraries/id:25026fn3317q9slqygym/hierarchy/our-council/consultation/documents/long-term-plan-2018-2028/property-asset-management-plans/TDC%20Property%20AMP%20-%20Section%2001%20-%20Introduction%20-%20Opus.pdf |publisher=[[Taupo District Council]] |access-date=4 April 2020 |page=2 |date=November 2017}}</ref> There is often a high degree of co-operation between regional and territorial councils as they have complementary roles.