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The region is popular for outdoor sports, especially mountain biking, hiking, fishing, recreational walking and swimming. The upper part of the Hutt River valley is encompassed by the independent city of Upper Hutt which as a much smaller demographic body objects to the name of Hutt City adopted by the Hutt City Council.
In 1987-89 the policy of the Government of the day forced local authorities to become more efficient through consolidation, which led to Lower Hutt amalgamating with the adjacent Boroughs of Petone and Eastbourne and the Wainuiomata District (which had achieved its own independence for barely a year).
Historically, Petone and nearby parts of Lower Hutt acted as the principal area for light industry in this region (e.g. meat processing and freezing, motor vehicle assembly, timber processing) although this activity has been significantly diminished or discontinued in recent decades with either the transfer of industrial activity to the more heavily populated area of Auckland or cessation at a national level, such movement resulting from competitive pressures on commercial organisations for increased efficiency as a result of opening the NZ economy to international competition (mainly since 1984 when the Government of the day moved to opening the economy). Nevertheless, Lower Hutt acts as the main location for light industrial activity in the Wellington Region. Note, however, that the region lacks heavy industry (Wellington is concentrated on the provision of central Governmment services and functions and also state sponsored activity such as scientific research). Trends over the past 25 years have seen service, distribution, and consumer oriented activity replace the industrial activity previously a feature of the Petone area.
Lower Hutt also continues to act as one of Wellington City's dormitory areas and a significant proportion of the population commutes to the commercial and Government offices in Wellington which is a close 12 km distant from the closest part of Hutt City.
Lower Hutt also encompasses islands in the northern half of Port Nicholson (Wellington Harbour), the largest of which was known as Somes Island until recently renamed Matiu/Somes Island.
Lower Hutt suburbs include:
The Hutt River is one of the most significant features of the City, which occupies the lower regions of the river and its flood plain. Modern occupation during the 20th century has led to the river being contained by stopbanks, but there is the continuing threat of flooding as the result of extreme precipitation from time to time. This threat was realised in the flood of 1985, but the river has been contained since then even if smaller streams and storm water drains have caused problems in the face of continued well above average rainfall. On a positive note, the land adjacent to the river is protected as reserve and provides a much appreciated recreational feature with walking tracks and grassed areas over the 10 or so kilometres encompassed by the City.
Hills to about 350 m (1000 ft) line both sides of the valley within the city limits over a distance of approx. 10 km. The western hills have been populated as residential areas but the eastern side is protected and clad in native bush and scrub including the ubiquitous gorse in areas that have been cleared as a result of scrub fires or earlier human activity. Large areas of reserve land with native bush is held in both the western and eastern hills and certain species of native bird life are common, including the wood pigeon (kereru), tui, fantail, waxeye, shining cuckoo (in season), grey warbler, morepork (native owl) as well as introduced species such as blackbird, song thrush, sparrow, goldfinch, chaffinch, starling, magpie.
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