Description: Polygons of all District boundaries in the BOP region, including Taupo and Rotorua. Updated 2010 - change in district boundary between Western Bay of Plenty and Tauranga City.This dataset is the definitive set of territorial authority boundaries for2012 as defined by the Local Government Commission and/or theterritorial authorities themselves but maintained by Statistics NewZealand (who are the custodian). A Territorial Authority is definedunder the local government act 2001m as a city or a district council.There are now a total of 67 territorial authorities in New Zealand. Thisupdated total reflects the amalgamation of the seven territorialauthorities (Rodney District, North Shore City, Waitakere City, AucklandCity, Manukau City, Papakura District and Franklin District) into onenew Auckland Council in 2010.Territorial authorities are the second tier of local government in NewZealand, below regional councils. The 67 territorial authoritiescomprise: 12 city councils, 53 district councils, the Auckland Counciland the Chatham Islands Territory. Six territorial authorities (AucklandCouncil, Nelson City Council, Gisborne , Tasman , and MarlboroughDistrict Councils) also perform the functions of a regional council andthus are known as unitary authorities. Chatham Islands Territoryundertakes only some of the functions of a regional council, and istherefore not a unitary authority. Territorial authority districts are notsubdivisions of regions, and some of them fall within more than oneregion. Taupo District has the distinction of straddling the boundariesof four different regions. Territorial authorities are based oncommunities of interest and road access and administer local roadingand reserves, sewerage, building consents, the land use and subdivisionaspects of resource management, and other local matters.Territorial authorities are defined at meshblock and area unit level.