Southland District | |
|---|---|
 Lake Te Anau | |
 Southland district in theSouth Island | |
| Coordinates:45°38′00″S167°55′01″E / 45.6333°S 167.917°E /-45.6333; 167.917 | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | Southland Region |
| Communities |
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| Wards |
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| Formed | 1989 |
| Seat | Invercargill |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Rob Scott |
| • Territorial authority | Southland District Council |
| Area | |
| • Land | 29,575.19 km2 (11,419.04 sq mi) |
| Population (June 2024)[2] | |
• Total | 34,300 |
| Time zone | UTC+12 (NZST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+13 (NZDT) |
| Postcode(s) | |
| Website | www |
Southland District is a New Zealandterritorial authority district that covers most of the southern end of theSouth Island as well asStewart Island.
Southland District was formed through the1989 local government reforms.[3] Four local authorities were amalgamated at that time:Wallace County,Winton Borough,Stewart Island County and most ofSouthland County. John Casey, who was first elected onto Southland County Council in 1977, oversaw the amalgamation and was elected Southland District's firstmayor in 1989.[4]
Winton Wallacetown Ward was renamed Oreti Ward with effect from the Council election on 12 October 2019.[5] TheŌreti River flows through this ward.
_-_Lake_Manapouri.jpg)
Southland District covers the majority of the land area ofSouthland Region, although the region also coversGore 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 asLake Te Anau,Lake Manapouri, andLake Hauroko.
Southland District contains the islands south ofFoveaux Strait:
The seat of the district council isInvercargill, which, however, is not part of Southland District, but aterritorial authority in its own right.
Two of New Zealand's largest national parks are within the boundaries of Southland District:Fiordland National Park, andRakiura National Park (which covers most ofStewart Island/Rakiura).
The Southland District has three towns with a population over 1,000. Together, they are home to 21.7% of the district's population.[2]
| Urban area | Population (June 2024)[2] | % of district |
|---|---|---|
| Te Anau | 3,210 | 9.4% |
| Winton | 2,550 | 7.4% |
| Riverton | 1,680 | 4.9% |
Other settlements and localities in the district include:
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Southland District covers 29,575.19 km2 (11,419.04 sq mi)[1] and had an estimated population of 34,300 as of June 2024,[2] with a population density of 1.2 people per km2.
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 28,437 | — |
| 2013 | 29,613 | +0.58% |
| 2018 | 30,864 | +0.83% |
| 2023 | 31,833 | +0.62% |
| Source:[6][7] | ||
Southland District had a population of 31,833 in the2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 969 people (3.1%) since the2018 census, and an increase of 2,220 people (7.5%) since the2013 census. There were 16,533 males, 15,219 females and 78 people ofother genders in 13,371 dwellings.[8] 2.0% of people identified asLGBTIQ+. 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 5,544 (17.4%) aged 65 or older.[7]
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 86.3%European (Pākehā); 13.0%Māori; 1.4%Pasifika; 7.6%Asian; 0.8% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 3.7% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 97.4%, Māori language by 2.0%, Samoan by 0.2% and other languages by 7.3%. No language could be spoken by 1.9% (e.g. too young to talk).New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.5%. The percentage of people born overseas was 15.3, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 31.8%Christian, 0.5%Hindu, 0.1%Islam, 0.3%Māori religious beliefs, 0.8%Buddhist, 0.3%New Age, and 0.9% other religions. People who answered that they hadno religion were 56.7%, and 8.7% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 3,174 (12.5%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 14,385 (56.5%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 7,026 (27.6%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $44,100, compared with $41,500 nationally. 2,211 people (8.7%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 14,340 (56.4%) people were employed full-time, 3,969 (15.6%) were part-time, and 378 (1.5%) were unemployed.[7]
| Name | Area (km2) | Population | Density (per km2) | Dwellings | Median age | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mararoa Waimea Ward | 17,419.42 | 8,319 | 0.48 | 3,864 | 41.0 years | $44,900[9] |
| Waiau Aparima Ward | 6,405.50 | 8,142 | 1.27 | 3,408 | 41.2 years | $38,500[10] |
| Oreti Ward | 1,641.77 | 8,559 | 5.21 | 3,321 | 39.6 years | $47,700[11] |
| Waihopai Toetoe Ward | 2,360.78 | 6,324 | 2.68 | 2,481 | 38.9 years | $46,200[12] |
| Stewart Island/Rakiura Ward | 1,747.72 | 486 | 0.28 | 297 | 47.4 years | $38,400[13] |
| New Zealand | 38.1 years | $41,500 |
The currentdistrict mayor is Rob Scott. He has held this position since 2022.[14]
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.
Southland District was asister city toWyong Shire inNew South Wales,Australia until 2010.[16]
Adjacent cities and districts | |
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