Westland District Council

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Westland District is a political subdivision on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. It is administered by the Westland District Council territorial authority. The district's population isGovernmentThe Westland District is governed by an elected Council, headed by an elected Mayor. The Mayor is elected at large. The current Mayor is Bruce Smith. Councillors are elected to represent multi-member wards. Three councillors are elected for the Northern Ward, three for the Southern Ward, and four for the town of Hokitika.The District is one of three included within the West Coast Region.GeographyThe District consists of a long thin strip of land between the crest of the Southern Alps and the Tasman Sea. The low-lying areas near the coast are a mixture of pastoral farmland and temperate rainforest. Westland temperate rainforests contain many conifers and receives high rates of precipitation due to orographic lifting caused by the Southern Alps. The eastern part of the District is steep and mountainous. Many small rivers flow down from the mountains. The southern part of the District notably contains the Franz Josef and Fox glaciers.