About our Council

The Waitaki District Council was created in 1989 when the former Waitaki County, Waihemo County, Palmerston Borough and Oamaru Borough councils were amalgamated. 

Waitaki is the only district in the South Island that lies within two regions. A major reason for this split was the governance of the Waitaki River, which forms a political boundary between Canterbury and Otago. This is why the district has two regional authorities – the Otago Regional Council and the Canterbury Regional Council (ECan).