Editing List of cities in New Zealand (section)

== City councils ==

=== Populations of present-day city (and Auckland) councils ===
The populations given are the latest {{NZ population data|||y|y|(|)}} Statistics New Zealand estimated resident populations.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!align="left"| Rank !! City council !! Population !! First proclaimed
|-
| 1 ||[[Auckland Council|Auckland]] || align="right" | {{Nts|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data|Auckland Council|y}}|R}}}} || 1871
|-
| 2 ||[[Christchurch City Council|Christchurch]] || align="right" | {{Nts|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data|Christchurch City|y}}|R}}}} || 1868
|-
| 3 ||[[Wellington City Council|Wellington]] || align="right" | {{Nts|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data|Wellington City|y}}|R}}}} || 1870
|-
| 4 || [[Hamilton City Council (New Zealand)|Hamilton]] || align="right" | {{Nts|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data|Hamilton City|y}}|R}}}} || 1936
|-
| 5 || [[Tauranga City Council|Tauranga]] || align="right" | {{Nts|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data|Tauranga City|y}}|R}}}} || 1963
|-
| 6 || [[Dunedin City Council|Dunedin]] || align="right" | {{Nts|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data|Dunedin City|y}}|R}}}} || 1865
|-
| 7 || [[Lower Hutt]] || align="right" | {{Nts|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data|Lower Hutt City|y}}|R}}}} || 1941
|-
| 8 || [[Palmerston North#Palmerston North City Council|Palmerston North]] || align="right" | {{Nts|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data|Palmerston North City|y}}|R}}}} || 1930
|-
| 9 || [[Napier City Council|Napier]] || align="right" | {{Nts|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data|Napier City|y}}|R}}}} || 1950
|-
| 10 || [[Porirua]] || align="right" | {{Nts|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data|Porirua City|y}}|R}}}} || 1965
|-
| 11 || [[Invercargill#Government|Invercargill]] || align="right" | {{Nts|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data|Invercargill City|y}}|R}}}} || 1930
|-
| 12 || [[Nelson City Council|Nelson]] || align="right" | {{Nts|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data|Nelson City|y}}|R}}}} || 1874
|-
| 13 || [[Upper Hutt#Local government|Upper Hutt]] || align="right" | {{Nts|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data|Upper Hutt City|y}}|R}}}} || 1966
|}

Many cities were reorganised into districts by the Local Government Commission in 1989 under the [[Local Government Act 1974 (NZ)|Local Government Act 1974]], for example [[Timaru, New Zealand|Timaru]]. Other urban areas that are no longer cities, such as [[Rotorua]] and [[Whangārei]], have higher populations than some present cities. The most recently proclaimed city is [[Tauranga, New Zealand|Tauranga]], which became a city, for the second time, from 1 March 2004. [[Christchurch]] (1862 and 1868) and Invercargill (1930 and 1991) have also been declared cities more than once.

Under Section 27 of the Local Government Act 2002, a district may become a city by either a "reorganisation scheme" with the Local Government Commission, or under Section 27(1) it may apply for a change in status under Schedule 3, Clause 7. The new city must have "a population of not less than 50,000 persons", be "predominantly urban" and "a distinct entity and a major centre of activity within the [[Regions of New Zealand|region]]" (or regions) that it is encompassed by. Existing cities are [[Grandfather clause|grandfathered]] under Schedule 2, Part 2 of the Act. The only new city council so far under this section is the [[Tauranga, New Zealand|Tauranga City Council]], from 1 March 2004.

Previously, under Section 37L of the Local Government Act 1974, new cities could only be formed from a "reorganisation scheme". The same criteria were used. The last city to be constituted under this section was Invercargill, which was re-reorganised into a city in 1991.

In 1991, the Lower Hutt City Council became the Hutt City Council by a special Act of Parliament<ref>{{cite web |title=Lower Hutt City (Name of City Council) Act  1991 |url=https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/local/1991/0002/latest/DLM80144.html?search=qs_act_hutt+city+council_resel&sr=1 |access-date=25 February 2024}}</ref> which did not change the name  of the city of [[Lower Hutt]]; the city's coat of arms still refers to the "City of Lower Hutt".{{citation needed|date=February 2024}}