Nelson City Council is a Unitary Authority

Unitary authority

A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...

 that administers the Nelson Tasman or "Top of the South" region alongside Tasman District Council

Tasman district council

Tasman District Council is the Territorial Local Authority for the Tasman District of New Zealand.-Mayor:The current mayor of Tasman is Richard Kempthorne, who previously served as a Richmond councillor for two terms before being elected Mayor in October 2007.-Councillors:Tasman elects its...

. Nelson City Council is one of only five Unitary Authorities in the country. A unitary authority

Unitary authority

A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...

 is a territorial authority that also has all the responsibility of a regional authority - unifying both roles in one local government body which covers one geographical area.