Geographic area files

This page contains area files for 2013, 2012, 2011, and 2010 geographic areas, and 2006 Census areas.

Area files are text files that classify meshblocks into larger geographic areas, such as area units, territorial authorities, and regional councils. You can use the area files, which are also known as concordance files, to map the types of digital boundaries (see Examples of digital boundary layers) within the geographic hierarchies, to see how the various geographic boundaries link together.

For each meshblock, there is a series of codes that link to any meshblock-defined geographic area. All areas are set as at 1 January of the specified year. Concordance files are available from different years, to enable data for the same area classification to be compared over time. A concordance file is useful to geographic information system (GIS) users.

The files available below can be used in conjunction with the Digital boundary files and the streets file on StreetLink page.

2013 geographic areas

Download 2013 Annual Area

(Text file, 13.9MB)
(This concordance file relates to the 2013 Level 1 digital boundaries)

Contents of 2013 annual areas files Field size Example
Meshblock 2001 code 7 1461500
Meshblock 2006 code 7 1461501
Meshblock 2007 code 7 1461501
Meshblock 2008 code 7 1461501
Meshblock 2009 code 7 1461501
Meshblock 2010 code 7 1461501
Meshblock 2011 code 7 1461501
Meshblock 2012 code 7 1461501
Meshblock 2013 code 7 1461501
Area unit 2013 code 6 547300 
Area unit 2013 descriptor 254 Taradale South 
Urban area 2013 code 3 021 
Urban area 2013 descriptor 254 Napier zone
Territorial authority 2013 code 3 031 
Territorial authority 2013 descriptor 254 Napier city 
Ward 2013 code 5 03104 
Ward 2013 descriptor 254 Taradale ward 
Community board 2013 code 5 03199 
Community board 2013 descriptor 254 Area outside community 
Regional council 2013 code 2 06 
Regional council 2013 descriptor 254  Hawke's Bay region 
Regional council constituency 2013 code 4 0602 
Regional council constituency 2013 descriptor 254  Napier constituency 
General electoral district 2007 code 003 
General electoral district 2007 descriptor  254 Botany 
Māori electoral district 2007 code
Māori electoral district 2007 descriptor 254  Te Tai Tonga 
District health board code 10 
District health board descriptor 254  Hawke's Bay 
District health board constituency code 2202 
District health board constituency descriptor 254  Southland constituency 
Health domicile 2006 code 0002 

2012 geographic areas

Download 2012 Annual Area (WinZip text file, 340kb)
(This concordance file relates to the 2012 Level 1 digital boundaries)

Contents of 2012 annual areas file Field size Example
Meshblock 2001 code 7 1461500
Meshblock 2006 code 7 1461501
Meshblock 2007 code 7 1461501
Meshblock 2008 code 7 1461501
Meshblock 2009 code 7 1461501
Meshblock 2010 code 7 1461501
Meshblock 2011 code 7 1461501
Meshblock 2012 code 7 1461501 
Area unit 2012 code 6 547300
Area unit 2012 descriptor 254 Taradale South
Urban area 2012 code 3 012
Urban area 2012 descriptor 254 Napier zone
Territorial authority 2012 code 3 031
Territorial authority 2012 descriptor 254 Napier city
Ward 2012 code 5 03104
Ward 2012 descriptor 254 Taradale ward
Community board 2012 code 5 03199
Community board 2012 descriptor 254 Area outside community
Regional council 2012 code 2 06
Regional council 2012 descriptor 254 Hawke's Bay region
Regional council constituency 2012 code 4 0602
Regional council constituency 2012 descriptor 254 Napier constituency
General electoral district 2007 code 3 003
General electoral district 2007 descriptor 254 Botany
Māori electoral district 2007 code 1 6
Māori electoral district 2007 descriptor 254 Te Tai Tonga
District health board code 2 10
District health board descriptor 254 Hawke's Bay
District health board constituency code 4 2202
District health board constituency descriptor 254 Southland constituency
Health domicile 2006 code 4 0002

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2011 geographic areas

Download 2011 Annual Areas file (WinZip text file, 367kb)
(This concordance file relates to the 2011 Level 1 digital boundaries).

Contents 2011 annual areas file Field size Example
Meshblock 2001 code 7 1461500
Meshblock 2006 code 7 1461501
Meshblock 2007 code 7 1461501
Meshblock 2008 code 7 1461501
Meshblock 2009 code 7 1461501
Meshblock 2010 code 7 1461501
Meshblock 2011 code 7 1461501
Area unit 2011 code 6 547300
Area unit 2011 descriptor 254 Taradale South
Urban area 2011 code 3 012
Urban area 2011 descriptor 254 Napier zone
Territorial authority 2011 code 3 031
Territorial authority 2011 descriptor 254 Napier city
Ward 2011 code 5 03104
Ward 2011 descriptor 254 Taradale ward
Community board 2011 code 5 03199
Community board 2011 descriptor 254 Area outside community
Regional council 2011 code 2 06
Regional council 2011 descriptor 254 Hawke's Bay region
Regional council constituency 2011 code 4 0602
Regional council constituency 2011 descriptor 254 Napier constituency
General electoral district 2007 code 3 003
General electoral district 2007 descriptor 254 Botany
Māori electoral district 2007 code 1 6
Māori electoral district 2007 descriptor 254 Te Tai Tonga
District health board code 2 10
District health board descriptor 254 Hawke's Bay
District health board constituency code 4 2202
District health board constituency descriptor 254 Southland constituency
Health Domicile 2006 code 4 0002

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2010 geographic areas

Download 2010 Annual Areas file (WinZip text file, 323kb)
(This concordance file relates to the 2010 Level 1 digital boundaries).

Contents 2010 annual areas file Field size Example
Meshblock 2001 code 7 1461500
Meshblock 2006 code 7 1461501
Meshblock 2007 code 7 1461501
Meshblock 2008 code 7 1461501
Meshblock 2009 code 7 1461501
Meshblock 2010 code 7 1461501
Area unit 2010 code 6 547300
Area unit 2010 descriptor 254 Taradale South
Urban area 2010 code 3 012
Urban area 2010 descriptor 254 Napier zone
Territorial authority 2010 code 3 031
Territorial authority 2010 descriptor 254 Napier city
Ward 2010 code 5 03104
Ward 2010 descriptor 254 Taradale ward
Community board 2010 code 5 03199
Community board 2010 descriptor 254 Area outside community
Regional council 2010 code 2 06
Regional council 2010 descriptor 254 Hawke's Bay region
Regional council constituency 2010 code 4 0602
Regional council constituency 2010 descriptor 254 Napier constituency
General electoral district 2007 code 3 003
General electoral district 2007 descriptor 254 Botany
Māori electoral district 2007 code 1 6
Māori electoral district 2007 descriptor 254 Te Tai Tonga
District health board code 2 10
District health board descriptor 254 Hawke's Bay
Health domicile 2006 code 4 0002

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2006 Census areas

Download 2006 Census Areas file  (WinZip text file, 270kb)
(This concordance file relates to the Level 2 Digital Boundaries).

Contents of 2006 Census areas file Field size Example
Meshblock 2001 code 7 2621700
Meshblock 2006 code 7 2621701
Area unit 2006 code 6 594600
Area unit 2006 descriptor 254 Sydenham
Urban area 2006 code 3 022
Urban area 2006 descriptor 254 Christchurch
Territorial authority 2006 v2 code 3 060
Territorial authority 2006 v2 descriptor 254 Christchurch city
Regional council 2006 code 2 13
Regional council 2006 descriptor 254 Canterbury region
District health board code 2 18
District health board descriptor 254 Canterbury

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Customised geographic area files

Statistics New Zealand can customise concordance files for geographic areas and specific years not included in the census or annual areas files. Please note there may be a charge for this.

The fields currently available for customisation include:

  • meshblock (MB)
  • area unit (AU)
  • urban area (UA)
  • general electoral district (GED)
  • Māori electoral district (MED)
  • territorial authority (TA)
  • territorial authority ward (WARD)
  • tterritorial authority community boards (CB)
  • territorial authority subdivisions (TASUB)
  • regional council (RC)
  • regional council constituency (CON)
  • regional council Māori constituency (MCON)
  • health domicile (HDOM)
  • district health boards (DHB)
  • district health board constituency (DHBC).

Contact info@stats.govt.nz

Page updated 11 April 2012