Selwyn District

The Selwyn District is a predominantly rural area in central Canterbury, on the east coast of New Zealand's South Island. It is named after the Selwyn River, which is in turn named after Bishop George Selwyn, the first Anglican bishop of New Zealand, who, in 1843 and 1844, travelled the length of the country by horse, foot, boat and canoe, leaving in his wake a sprinkling of locations that now bear his name.

History
The first inhabitants of the area were the Māori who first settled New Zealand from (probably) the Cook and Society Islands about 700 years ago. The predominant Māori tribe today, in Selwyn and most of the rest of the South Island, is Ngai Tahu, whose local marae (meeting house) is at Taumutu near the exit of Lake Ellesmere (Te Waihora).

In the late 19th century, European (chiefly British) colonists arrived and carved the area up into farmland. This has remained the predominant pattern ever since.

The Selwyn District as a unit of government was formed in 1989 from a legislated merger of the Malvern and Ellesmere counties, along with a portion of Paparua County.

Since this time, the district has enjoyed a stable and prosperous existence. Recent years have seen above-average population growth (more than 3% per year between the 2001 and 2006 censuses), making it the (estimated) fastest-growing local authority in New Zealand in 2008-2009.

Most of Selwyn's new residents have moved from Christchurch to settle on small "lifestyle" farms and in Selwyn's small towns which are within easy commuting distance of the city (e.g. Rolleston, Prebbleton, Lincoln, West Melton, Kirwee). Rolleston, which also attracts immigrants from overseas, notably from Britain, has been the fastest growing of these towns. It grew from 1,536 to 5,073 in the decade to 2006.

Selwyn District, along with Christchurch and Waimakariri District, was heavily damaged by the 2010 Canterbury earthquake. The earthquake epicentre was located just outside of Darfield. Later earthquakes were located further east and did much more damage to the city but less in Selwyn.

Government
The district is governed by an elected mayor and a council of 10 members, elected simultaneously every 3 years. The last election took place in October 2010.

The mayor is elected on a First Past the Post basis.

The 10 councillors are elected from four wards on a multi-member First Past the Post basis; the total number of votes a candidate receives are considered. Two councillors are elected from Ellesmere ward, 2 from Malvern, 3 from Selwyn Central, and 3 from Springs.

Malvern and Selwyn Central wards also have Community Boards, which have powers delegated to them by the Council.

The Selwyn District is within the Canterbury region so Canterbury Regional Council has responsibilities for regional planning, and water, air, discharge and river bed resource consents.

The Selwyn District has powers delegated to it by the Government of New Zealand, and carries out its duties with regard to laws such as the Local Government Act 2002 and the Resource Management Act.

In national politics, Selwyn is represented in the Selwyn electorate.

Geography
The Selwyn District lies in central Canterbury, and occupies a central position in the South Island.

Boundaries: On the Canterbury Plains, the Waimakariri River forms the northern boundary with Waimakariri District; in the hill country the border with the Hurunui District at the extreme norh is more arbitrary. The eastern boundary comprises the city of Christchurch and the South Pacific Ocean. The south-western boundary is the Rakaia River, beyond which lies Ashburton District. The north-western boundary is the main divide of the Southern Alps.

Geographical features: Selwyn District contains within it two distinct regions: the plains and the high country. The plains, where most of the population lives and the majority of human activity takes place, form an expanse of low-lying, flat, and comparatively dry grassland. The extreme south-east is dominated by Lake Ellesmere (Te Waihora), an expanse of water surrounded by marshes, formed by the out-flow of the Selwyn River. The tributaries of the Selwyn River include the Waianiwaniwa River, the Hororata River and the Hawkins River.

The high country is a sparsely-populated region, mainly consisting of hill and mountain ranges and narrow river valleys. Most of the high country is grassland, including some tussocklands; areas of beech forest remain within the Craigieburn Forest Park and the Arthurs Pass National Park.

Population: The total population of Selwyn District was Approximately half the population lives in the various towns and villages in the district, while the remainder are on farms. 95% of the population live on the plains. The largest towns are Darfield, Leeston, Lincoln, Prebbleton, Templeton and Rolleston, which is also the home of the Council. The towns of Springfield and Sheffield are on State Highway 73, where the foothills start to rise from the Canterbury Plains.

Climate: The plains have a temperate climate, characterised by warm, dry summers and cool winters. The Southern Alps are responsible for the relatively low rainfall, and also lead to a foehn wind, the "Canterbury Nor'Wester". This strong, hot and dry wind is most common in spring and summer, and on occasion reaches damage-causing strength. In the mountain country of the Southern Alps, conditions are much colder and wetter.

Economy
Much of the district's economy is based on farming. Most of this is pastoral: beef cattle and sheep ("Canterbury Lamb") in drier areas, and dairy and deer farming in wetter areas. Some horsebreeding is also done. There is also a substantial amount of cropping; wheat and barley are grown on the plains, along with smaller amounts of grapes and other fruit, vegetables, mushrooms and flowers.

The services in the small towns primarily serve the surrounding community. The major exception would be in the town of Lincoln, home to a University and a number of Crown Research Institutes and other organisations concerned with scientific research.

The Selwyn District Council owns 11% shareholding in Orion, the local electricity distribution company.