Nelson region

Nelson City Council is a unitary authority, which combines the functions of both a City Council and Regional Council. Its area extends from Waimea Inlet to Cape Soucis along the eastern margin of Tasman Bay in the northern South Island. It covers approximately 42,000 ha of mostly hilly land, with over 580 km of streams which flow from the backcountry ranges to Tasman Bay.

Māori lived in the Nelson/Whakatū area as early as the 13th century, and by 1850 CE, 1,000 Europeans had settled in the area. Nelson’s population has increased 1.7% per year over the past 10 years and the urban area contains the largest settlement in the upper South Island. In 2020 the population was 54,620 and it is expected to rise to around 66,040 by 2050.