Buller District is within the West Coast Region. It covers Westport, Karamea and Reefton. Its overall land area is 8574 km². It has a population of 10050 (June 2013).

The district is administered by the Buller District Council with the seat in Westport, in which 45% of the district's population live.

Buller’s major economic sectors include mining, farming, horticulture and tourism. Some of the major employers are Holcim Cement, Solid Energy and Stockton Alliance.

Punakaiki is one of the most visited conservation areas in New Zealand. The Punakaiki pancake rocks and blowholes walk are one of the most popular attractions in the South Island. Karamea boasts the spectacular Oparara basin with its limestone arches and caves and the Kahurangi National Park with the famous Heaphy track. Westport has a commercial port and airport, with daily flights to and from Wellington.

The current mayor is Garry Howard.