Waimate District

The Waimate District is in the Canterbury Region in the South Island of New Zealand. The main town is Waimate, and there are many smaller rural communities dispersed throughout the area. Its boundary to the south is the Waitaki River, to the west Lake Benmore and to the north-east the Pareora River.The district is administered by the Waimate District Council and regionally by the Canterbury Regional Council. John Coles, who was first elected as a councillor in 1994, was mayor from 2004 to his retirement at the 2013 local elections.The district uses the unofficial slogan "Wallaby country": it is the only part of New Zealand where Bennett's wallabies are prolific, after their introduction from Australia in the 19th century. The animals are a mixed blessing locally, attracting tourists but being a farm pest, and culling measures have been taken in their slowly expanding territory.