However, as a result of lobbying, the number of counties had grown to 63 by the time the bill was enacted.

[2] During the second half of the 20th century, many counties received overflow population from nearby cities.

The Local Government Act 1974 began the process of bringing urban, mixed, and rural councils into the same legislative framework.

Substantial reorganisations under that Act resulted in the 1989 local government reforms, which covered the country in (non-overlapping) cities and districts and abolished all the counties except for the Chatham Islands County, which survived under that name for a further six years but then became a "territory" under the Chatham Islands Council.

The term is perpetuated in the name "Counties-Manukau", which refers to areas of South Auckland and the Franklin District and adjoining districts, and is applied to bodies as diverse as football clubs and health providers.