Under section 10 of the Local Electoral Act 2001, a "general election of members of every local authority or community board must be held on the second Saturday in October in every third year" from the date the Act came into effect in 2001, meaning 8 October 2016.

Environment Canterbury was under statutory management and no elections were held.

[3] Statutory management in Kaipara District ended and it held its first elections since 2010.

[4] All District Health Boards used the STV system.

Carterton mayor Ron Mark and Palmerston North mayor Jono Naylor resigned after being elected to Parliament in the 2014 election, with John Booth elected unopposed as the new Carterton mayor and Grant Smith elected in a by-election as the new Palmerston North mayor.