Health Act 1956

Administration - Health districts

19: Health districts

You could also call this:

"The government divides New Zealand into areas called health districts to help manage health services."

The Director-General can decide to divide New Zealand into health districts. You will be able to find out about these districts in the Gazette. The Director-General gets to choose the names and boundaries of these health districts.

The health districts are based on the areas controlled by territorial authorities. If the territorial authority districts change, the health district boundaries will change too. This means the health districts will always match the territorial authority districts.

The whole of a territorial authority district will be in a health district, not just part of it. This rule applies to all health districts in New Zealand. You can find more information about changes to the health districts in the Health Amendment Act 1993.

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This page was last updated on 24 May 2025

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM306565.

18A: Ad hoc subcommittees, or

"Special groups to help the Board of Health make decisions"

20: Medical officer of health for every health district, or

"Every health area must have a special doctor to keep people healthy"

Part 1Administration
Health districts

19Health districts

For the purposes of this Act, the Director-General may from time to time, by notice in the Gazette, declare New Zealand or any part of New Zealand to be divided into health districts, with such names and boundaries as the Director-General thinks fit.
The boundaries of every health district shall be fixed by reference to the boundaries of the territorial authority districts comprised therein, and shall vary with any alteration in such last-mentioned boundaries.
In no case shall part only of any territorial authority district be included within the boundaries of a health district.

Notes

Section 19: replaced, on 1 July 1993, by section 7(1) of the Health Amendment Act 1993 (1993 No 24).