The Tasman District covers 9,786 square kilometres and is bounded to the west by the Matiri Ranges, Tasman Mountains and the Tasman Sea.
To the north Tasman and Golden Bays form its seaward edge, and the eastern boundary reaches the Spencer Mountains and the St Arnaud and Richmond Ranges to the southern boundary of the Victoria Ranges.
Within this area, there are five wards and 17 settlements. The largest ward, Richmond, borders Nelson in the north of the region. Golden Bay and Motueka also have elected community boards.
We will have a Māori Ward for the 2025 and 2028 local body elections after Councillors voted for its establishment following recent legislation enabling Councils to make that representation change.
The one Māori Ward will sit across the entire District with one vacancy to be filled at the next local government election in October 2025. All people on the Māori electoral roll in Tasman will be able to vote for their preferred Māori Ward candidate.
The successful candidate will become a Councillor and provide Māori communities with fair and effective community representation.
The inclusion of the Māori Ward will now be part of the wider regional representation review.
This review will include the location and nature of general wards and the number of Councillors in each ward. It will also investigate the structure of our Community Boards.
Read more about the representation review and keep in touch with the process on Shape Tasman.
The settlement of Richmond, the largest in the District, is a ward in its own right.
View the Stats NZ ward-finding map tool on their website(external link)
For further information regarding Tasman District Council elections and by-elections, please contact:
