The geographic areas file 2017 is a downloadable csv file that classifies meshblocks into larger geographic areas, such as area units, territorial authorities, and regional councils. You can use this areas file, also known as a concordance file, to see how the various geographic boundaries link together.
For each meshblock, there is a series of codes that link to any meshblock-defined geographic area. All areas are set as at 1 January of the specified year. Concordance files are available from different years, to enable data for the same area classification to be compared over time.
The areas files can be used in conjunction with the geographic boundary files available on Stats NZ's Geographic Data Service.
