Central & Local Government information
NZ Government Information
Local Government Information
Electoral system
New Zealand Government InformationNew Zealand is a constitutional monarchy. The Government is formed from a democratically elected House of Representatives. The Government advises our head of State who is the Queen, who acts on the advice of the Government in all but the most exceptional circumstances. The Queen is represented in New Zealand by the Governor-General.The Member of Parliament who can command majority support from the other members is asked by the Governor-General to form a Government by taking office as Prime Minister and recommending to the Governor-General the appointment of other members as Ministers of the Crown. Ministers are appointed to the executive Council, which is the body that gives advice to the Governor-General. What advice is given is determined by the Cabinet – comprised of most Minsters and chaired by the Prime Minister.
New Zealand Government Information
New Zealand is a constitutional monarchy. The Government is formed from a democratically elected House of Representatives. The Government advises our head of State who is the Queen, who acts on the advice of the Government in all but the most exceptional circumstances. The Queen is represented in New Zealand by the Governor-General.The Member of Parliament who can command majority support from the other members is asked by the Governor-General to form a Government by taking office as Prime Minister and recommending to the Governor-General the appointment of other members as Ministers of the Crown. Ministers are appointed to the executive Council, which is the body that gives advice to the Governor-General. What advice is given is determined by the Cabinet – comprised of most Minsters and chaired by the Prime Minister.
Parliament consists of the Crown and the House of Representatives; Parliament makes laws and holds the Government to account over its policies, actions, and spending.
- For information about the New Zealand Parliament, its publications and information about legislation and parliamentary detabes go to: https://www.parliament.nz
- An excellent book on New Zealand parliamentary practice is by David McGee. Parliamentary Practice in New Zealand
Legislation
New Zealand Legislation is drafted and published by The Parliamentary Counsel Office
The Elma Turner Library is a depository library for New Zealand Government information and we hold most New Zealand legislation in hard copy.
- Acts and Regulations can also be found online at: http://www.legislation.govt.nz/
- Historic legislation can also be found on: New Zealand Statutes as Enacted and Early New Zealand Statutes
- Bills from 2008- can be found online at: http://www.legislation.govt.nz/. Historic Bills 1854-2008 can be found on NZLII
Appendices to the Journals of the House of Representatives (AtoJ's) & Parliamentary Papers
A collection of government-related reports published every year from 1858. The reports document the work of government departments and a wide range of other activities carried out by, or of interest to, the government of the day. One of the most valuable tools for understanding how New Zealand has developed from its earliest colonial beginnings to the present.
From 1999/2000 the A to Js become Parliamentary Papers Presented to the House of Representatives of New Zealand, published separately under the A – H shoulder numbers:
A: legislative, political, and foreign affairs
B: public finance
C: Crown lands, mines, forests, primary production, environment
D: immigration, public works, energy
E: education, welfare, and justice
F: post office, broadcasting, communications
G: Māori affairs
H: miscellaneous, commissions of inquiry
I: reports of select committees
J: petitions
- Nelson Public Libraries holds the A to J's 1858-1952/ 1979-1999, when it was succeeded by the Parliamentary Papers. Available online:
- Votes and Proceedings of the House of Representatives (1854-1856) and Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives (1858-1950)
- Parliamentary Papers, 2002-
Nelson Public Libraries also holds the Votes and Proceedings of the Nelson Provincial Council 1853-76.
New Zealand Gazette
Official newspaper of the Government of NZ published since 1841. Gazettes include notices of acts, contracts, partnerships, land transactions, legal notices, government institutions and positions, statistics, deceased estates, lists of medical practitioners and more.
- Nelson Public Libraries holds the Gazettes 1841-2000.
- New Zealand Gazette (1993-)
- New Zealand Gazette (1913-1992) digitised on NZLII
- New Zealand Gazette (1860-1894) digitised on Ancestry Library
Nelson Public Libraries also holds the Nelson Provincial Gazette 1853-76
Parliamentary debates (Hansards)
The transcripts of debates in the New Zealand Parliament. An official record of debates has been kept continuously since 9 July 1867. Speeches made in the House of Representatives and the Legislative Council between 1867 and the commencement of Parliament in 1854 were compiled in 1885 from earlier newspaper reports, and this compilation also forms part of the New Zealand Hansard record. From this page you can download and search all Hansard volumes from 1854 to 2016.
- Historical Debates from 1854- 2016 can be accessed online from New Zealand Parliament (PDF's of the printed reports)
- Hansard Reports from 2002 to date, can also be accessed from the Hansard Report section of the New Zealand Parliament web page.
Other useful links
- British Parliamentary Papers - Colonies: 1830-1870
- Parliamentary Counsel Office
Information about legislation and how it is drafted, plus access to legislation
Government departments
Government departments and ministries are specialised organisations responsible for a sector of government public administration. Departmental and ministerial websites will have information about their sectors and any work currently open for public consultation.
An index of all Government departments can be found at: New Zealand government This site also has information, images and resources from all New Zealand government agencies and government funded sites.
Official statistics
Statistics New Zealand is the government department that collects and supplies official facts and figures about New Zealanders and how they live and work.
If you need help finding official statistics ask anyone at the Information Services desk in the Elma Turner Library for assistance.
Another good source of government statistical information is:
- http://www.data.govt.nz/ - for government datasets
CENSUS
The New Zealand Census of Population and Dwellings is the official count of how many people and dwellings there are in New Zealand. The census provides a ‘snapshot’ of society at a point in time. Official counting of people in New Zealand goes back to1842, but the first official national population census was held in 1851.
Census returns (ie the forms completed by individuals) are a valuable source of genealogical information, however until the introduction of the Public Records Act 2005, the NZ Government, in the interest of privacy, destroyed all forms once data had been recorded from them. Previously, New Zealand law had been silent on whether census forms should be kept or destroyed. Canterbury Provincial Council was the exception, legislating in 1855 to keep the schedules from its provincial censuses. Unfortunately, over time even theirs have not survived.
When the 1993 Privacy Act was passed, the Government introduced a principle of not keeping personal information “for longer than necessary”. The Government Statistician decided to destroy most of the 1996 Census forms, keeping only a 7% sample for statistical research purposes. A public campaign led to respondents being allowed to specify whether their individual 2001 Census forms should be kept. About 60% agreed to their forms being kept. Further campaigning from a wide range of people interested in preserving historic documents contributed to the passing of the Public Records Act 2005 which required Statistics NZ to keep all census forms from the 2006 Census onward. The same law allows the government statistician to release them for research after 100 years. (Source Census NZ)
- Ancestor's Attic, the library of the Nelson branch of the NZ Society of Genealogists holds the index and records of the Nelson Census for 1845 and 1849.
- Current and recent census result sets are available on the Statistics New Zealand website. This includes the census for 1996, 2001, 2006, 2013 and information about the 2018 census:
https://www.stats.govt.nz/ - Historic census results and some reports are available for 1871, 1874, 1878, 1881, 1886, 1891, 1896, 1901, 1906, 1911, 1916:
https://www.stats.govt.nz/census/previous-censuses/historical-census-collection/
New Zealand Standards
Standards New Zealand is a business unit within the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. The majority of standards are developed in partnership with Standards Australia.
Nelson Public Libraries holds a selection of standards. All current standards can be found on the Standards New Zealand website. A selection of standards are now free to download from the website, under Sponsored Standards:
- Health care services standards
- Testing and decontamination of methamphetamine-contaminated properties standard
- Building-related standards
All other standards must be purchased as PDF or print copies. If the Library does not hold a Standard, we may be able to interloan it for you.
Local Government Information
In New Zealand there are 12 regional councils and 73 territorial authorities. Of the 73 territorial authorities, 16 are city councils, 57 are district councils and 6 are unitary authorities. The 6 unitary authorities have both regional and local council responsibilities and functions.
The Nelson City Council, the Tasman District Council and the Marlborough District Council are all unitary authorities.
The website Local Government New Zealand contains information about all local Councils.
Under the Local Government Act 2002 councils are subject to planning and management disciplines including:
- preparing annual plans and budgets in consultation with their communities
- reporting annually on performance in relation to plans
- preparing long-term financial strategies including funding, borrowing management and investment policies
- adopting accrual accounting practices
- valuing their assets
- separating policy/regulatory from operational functions
- preparing policies and plans concerning other functions, especially resource management, land transport and biosecurity.
The Act acknowledges that achieving community well-being requires effective, responsible and accountable local government. The Act promotes engagement with local communities and responsiveness to their wishes through community outcome processes and long-term council community plans (LTCCP).
Community outcomes describe what New Zealanders think is important for their local community, now and in the future.
Useful links:
- Nelson’s community outcomes (24KB PDF)
- Nelson City Council's plans and policies
- Open consultations at Nelson City Council
Local Statistics
Regional statistical information can be collated from the Statistics New Zealand Website: http://www.stats.govt.nz/
If you need help finding official statistics contact the Information Services team at Elma Turner Library.
Other sources:
- Nelson Regional Development Agency (Nelson) and their quarterly reports on the Nelson economy
New Zealand Electoral System
Until 1993 New Zealand elections were held under the first-past-the-post (FPP) system; each voter had one vote and the candidate who received the most votes in each electorate was the winner. Successful candidates did not need to win an absolute majority (that is, more than 50%) of the votes cast.
In 1993 New Zealanders voted in a referendum to change their voting system from the FPP method to Mixed Member Proportional representation (MMP). Parties getting seats in parliament get a share of seats close to their share of party votes. A party's share of seats is filled first by any of its candidates who win electorate seats and then by taking other candidates from the party list. A party will get seats in parliament based on its party vote if it wins 5% or more of all the party votes, or one or more electorate seats.
A referendum will be held in conjunction with the 2011 general election asking two questions of voters:
- whether they wish to retain MMP
- which of a list of options is their preferred alternative voting system.
If the majority vote to retain MMP no further action will be taken. If the majority vote for change, the Government will hold a second referendum at the time of the 2014 election that will ask voters to choose between MMP and the most preferred alternative system. If the majority vote for a new system in 2014 the new system will be in place for the 2017 general election.
Further information about our electoral system.