Whakatāne District Explained

Whakatāne District
Settlement Type:	Territorial authority district
Total Type:	Total
Subdivision Type:	Country
Subdivision Name:	New Zealand
Subdivision Type1:	Region
Subdivision Name1:	Bay of Plenty
Subdivision Type2:	Wards
Seat:	Whakatāne
Leader Title:	Mayor
Leader Name:	Victor Luca
Leader Title1:	Deputy Mayor
Leader Name1:	Lesley Immink
Leader Title2:	Territorial authority
Leader Name2:	Whakatāne District Council
Area Total Km2:	4465
Area Land Km2:	4449.71
Population Density Km2:	auto
Timezone:	NZST
Utc Offset:	+12
Timezone Dst:	NZDT
Utc Offset Dst:	+13
Postal Code Type:	Postcode(s)
Postal Code:	Map of postcodes
Area Code:	07

Whakatāne District is a territorial authority district on the North Island of New Zealand. The Whakatāne District Council is headquartered in the largest town, Whakatāne. The district falls within the Bay of Plenty Region. Victor Luca has been the mayor of Whakatāne since the 2022 local elections.

The district has an area of 4465 square kilometres, of which 4450 square kilometres are land.^[1] The population was as of

History

A Whakatane County Council was established in 1876, and covered a wider area than the present district, including Ōpōtiki. Whakatane Road Board was established at the same time.

The county was split into Whakatane and Opotiki counties in 1900, and the Road Board was made part of Whakatane County. In 1913, the Whakatane Harbour Board was established, and in 1914, Whakatane Town became a separate entity from Whakatane County. The town became Whakatane Borough in 1917. Kawerau Town and Murupara Town District split in 1954 and 1955, and both became boroughs in 1962.

In 1976, Whakatane County, Whakatane Borough and Whakatane Harbour Board amalgamated to form Whakatane District. This expanded in 1989 by amalgamating with Murupara Borough, and taking parts of Opotiki and Taupo districts.^[2] ^[3]

Populated places

Whakatāne District consists of the following towns, localities, settlements and communities:

Rangitaiki Ward
- Awakaponga
- Awakeri
- Edgecumbe
- Hauone
- Manawahe
- Matatā
- Onepu
- Otakiri
- Otamarakau (east portion)
- Pahou
- Paroa
- Pikowai
- Poroporo
- Taiwhakaea
- Te Mahoe
- Te Teko
- Thornton
- White Pine Bush
Whakatāne-Ōhope Ward
- Allandale
- Coastlands
- Hillcrest
- Kohi Point
- Maraetotara
- Mokorua Bush
- Ōhiwa Harbour
- Ōhope Beach
- Ōhope
- Orini
- Otarawairere
- Piripai
- Port Ōhope
- Trident
- Whakatāne

Te Urewera Ward
- Tāneatua-Waimana Community Board
  - Cheddar Valley
  - Hopeone
  - Kererutahi
  - Matahapa
  - Matahi
  - Nukuhou
  - Nukuhou North
  - Opouriao
  - Ōtāne
  - Paraoanui
  - Pekatahi
  - Raora Pa
  - Ruatoki
  - Ruatoki North
  - Tahora
  - Tanatana
  - Tāneatua
  - Tataiāhapi Pa
  - Tauwhare
  - Tauwharemanuka
  - Tāwhana
  - Te Urewera
  - Waikirikiri
  - Waimana
  - Waingarara
  - Wainui
  - Whakarae Pa

- Galatea-Murupara Community Board
  - Galatea-Waiohau Subdivision
    - Galatea
    - Horomanga
    - Kaingaroa Forest (east portion)
    - Kopuriki
    - Matahina
    - Waiohau
    - Wairapukao
  - Te Urewera Subdivision
    - Heipipi
    - Mātatua
    - Maungapohatu
    - Minginui
    - Ngaputahi
    - Ōhāua
    - Pāpueru
    - Ruatāhuna
    - Te Waiiti
    - Te Whaiti
  - Murupara Subdivision
    - Murupara

Notes:

Demographics

Whakatāne District covers 4449.71km2^[4] and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km².

Whakatāne District had a population of 37,149 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 1,449 people (4.1%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 4,458 people (13.6%) since the 2013 census. There were 18,210 males, 18,852 females and 84 people of other genders in 13,185 dwellings.^[5] 1.8% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 40.2 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 7,776 people (20.9%) aged under 15 years, 6,324 (17.0%) aged 15 to 29, 15,837 (42.6%) aged 30 to 64, and 7,218 (19.4%) aged 65 or older.

People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 62.3% European (Pākehā); 48.6% Māori; 3.9% Pasifika; 4.3% Asian; 0.5% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 2.1% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 96.2%, Māori language by 17.5%, Samoan by 0.2% and other languages by 5.5%. No language could be spoken by 2.2% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.5%. The percentage of people born overseas was 12.8, compared with 28.8% nationally.

Religious affiliations were 29.3% Christian, 0.4% Hindu, 0.2% Islam, 9.1% Māori religious beliefs, 0.4% Buddhist, 0.4% New Age, and 1.2% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 52.2%, and 7.5% of people did not answer the census question.

Of those at least 15 years old, 3,861 (13.1%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 16,800 (57.2%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 7,572 (25.8%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $35,600, compared with $41,500 nationally. 2,463 people (8.4%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 13,185 (44.9%) people were employed full-time, 4,275 (14.6%) were part-time, and 1,365 (4.6%) were unemployed.^[6]

Individual wards
Name	Area (km²)	Population	Density (per km²)	Dwellings !	Median age	Median income
Rangitāiki General Ward	631.90	9,864	15.6	3,318	39.5 years	$38,100^[7]
Whakatāne-Ōhope General Ward	56.91	19,359	340.2	7,461	43.2 years	$36,300^[8]
Te Urewera General Ward	3,760.90	7,923	2.1	2,403	34.1 years	$30,700^[9]
New Zealand					38.1 years	$41,500

Sister cities

Kamagaya, Chiba, Japan^[10] (since 1997)
Warwick, Queensland, Australia^[11] (since 1994)

Whakatāne has a friendship agreement with Shibukawa, Gunma, Japan.^[12]

External links

Whakatāne District Council

Notes and References

Web site: Data Table Territorial Authority 2020 Clipped (generalised) Stats NZ Geographic Data Service. 2020-09-25. datafinder.stats.govt.nz.
Web site: Council History. Whakatāne District Council. 29 December 2020.
Web site: Historical Information. December 2010. Whakatane District Council.
Web site: ArcGIS Web Application. 13 October 2024. statsnz.maps.arcgis.com.
Web site: https://explore.data.stats.govt.nz/vis?fs[0=2023%20Census%2C0%7CTotals%20by%20topic%23CAT_TOTALS_BY_TOPIC%23&pg=0&fc=Variable%20codes&bp=true&snb=9&df[ds]=ds-nsiws-disseminate&df[id]=CEN23_TBT_005&df[ag]=STATSNZ&df[vs]=1.0&dq=doTotal%2Bdo1.025%2Bw_02501%2Bw_02502%2Bw_02503.2023&ly[rw]=CEN23_TBT_DWD_003 Totals by topic for dwellings, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses]. Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer. 3 October 2024.
Web site: https://explore.data.stats.govt.nz/vis?fs[0=2023%20Census%2C0%7CTotals%20by%20topic%23CAT_TOTALS_BY_TOPIC%23&pg=0&fc=Variable%20codes&bp=true&snb=9&df[ds]=ds-nsiws-disseminate&df[id]=CEN23_TBT_008&df[ag]=STATSNZ&df[vs]=1.0&dq=hq011%2Bhq010%2Bhq009%2Bhq008%2Bhq007%2Bhq006%2Bhq005%2Bhq004%2Bhq003%2Bhq002%2Bhq001%2Bhq000%2Bws1%2Bsp99%2Bra80%2Bra08%2Bra07%2Bra06%2Bra05%2Bra01%2Bra04%2Bra03%2Bra02%2Bra00%2Brb1%2Bls66%2Bls03%2Bls02%2Bls05%2Bls04%2Bls01%2Beg6%2Beg5%2Beg4%2Beg3%2Beg2%2Beg1%2BbiTotal%2Bbi0%2Bbi1%2BasTotalLG%2Bas4%2Bas3%2Bas2%2Bas1%2Bws4%2Bws3%2Bws2%2Bge3%2Bge2%2Bge1%2Brc%2BasMed%2BegTotal%2BlsTotal%2BgeTotal%2BrbTotal%2BraTotal%2BhqTotal%2BibTotal%2Bibmed%2BwsTotal.025.2013%2B2018%2B2023&to[TIME]=false&ly[rw]=CEN23_TBT_IND_003&ly[cl]=CEN23_YEAR_001 Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses]. Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer. 3 October 2024. Whakatane District (025).
Web site: https://explore.data.stats.govt.nz/vis?fs[0=2023%20Census%2C0%7CTotals%20by%20topic%23CAT_TOTALS_BY_TOPIC%23&pg=0&fc=Variable%20codes&bp=true&snb=9&df[ds]=ds-nsiws-disseminate&df[id]=CEN23_TBT_008&df[ag]=STATSNZ&df[vs]=1.0&dq=hq011%2Bhq010%2Bhq009%2Bhq008%2Bhq007%2Bhq006%2Bhq005%2Bhq004%2Bhq003%2Bhq002%2Bhq001%2Bhq000%2Bws1%2Bsp99%2Bra80%2Bra08%2Bra07%2Bra06%2Bra05%2Bra01%2Bra04%2Bra03%2Bra02%2Bra00%2Brb1%2Bls66%2Bls03%2Bls02%2Bls05%2Bls04%2Bls01%2Beg6%2Beg5%2Beg4%2Beg3%2Beg2%2Beg1%2BbiTotal%2Bbi0%2Bbi1%2BasTotalLG%2Bas4%2Bas3%2Bas2%2Bas1%2Bws4%2Bws3%2Bws2%2Bge3%2Bge2%2Bge1%2Brc%2BasMed%2BegTotal%2BlsTotal%2BgeTotal%2BrbTotal%2BraTotal%2BhqTotal%2BibTotal%2Bibmed%2BwsTotal.w_02501.2013%2B2018%2B2023&to[TIME]=false&ly[rw]=CEN23_TBT_IND_003&ly[cl]=CEN23_YEAR_001 Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses]. Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer. 3 October 2024. Rangitāiki General Ward.
Web site: https://explore.data.stats.govt.nz/vis?fs[0=2023%20Census%2C0%7CTotals%20by%20topic%23CAT_TOTALS_BY_TOPIC%23&pg=0&fc=Variable%20codes&bp=true&snb=9&df[ds]=ds-nsiws-disseminate&df[id]=CEN23_TBT_008&df[ag]=STATSNZ&df[vs]=1.0&dq=hq011%2Bhq010%2Bhq009%2Bhq008%2Bhq007%2Bhq006%2Bhq005%2Bhq004%2Bhq003%2Bhq002%2Bhq001%2Bhq000%2Bws1%2Bsp99%2Bra80%2Bra08%2Bra07%2Bra06%2Bra05%2Bra01%2Bra04%2Bra03%2Bra02%2Bra00%2Brb1%2Bls66%2Bls03%2Bls02%2Bls05%2Bls04%2Bls01%2Beg6%2Beg5%2Beg4%2Beg3%2Beg2%2Beg1%2BbiTotal%2Bbi0%2Bbi1%2BasTotalLG%2Bas4%2Bas3%2Bas2%2Bas1%2Bws4%2Bws3%2Bws2%2Bge3%2Bge2%2Bge1%2Brc%2BasMed%2BegTotal%2BlsTotal%2BgeTotal%2BrbTotal%2BraTotal%2BhqTotal%2BibTotal%2Bibmed%2BwsTotal.w_02502.2013%2B2018%2B2023&to[TIME]=false&ly[rw]=CEN23_TBT_IND_003&ly[cl]=CEN23_YEAR_001 Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses]. Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer. 3 October 2024. Whakatāne-Ōhope General Ward.
Web site: https://explore.data.stats.govt.nz/vis?fs[0=2023%20Census%2C0%7CTotals%20by%20topic%23CAT_TOTALS_BY_TOPIC%23&pg=0&fc=Variable%20codes&bp=true&snb=9&df[ds]=ds-nsiws-disseminate&df[id]=CEN23_TBT_008&df[ag]=STATSNZ&df[vs]=1.0&dq=hq011%2Bhq010%2Bhq009%2Bhq008%2Bhq007%2Bhq006%2Bhq005%2Bhq004%2Bhq003%2Bhq002%2Bhq001%2Bhq000%2Bws1%2Bsp99%2Bra80%2Bra08%2Bra07%2Bra06%2Bra05%2Bra01%2Bra04%2Bra03%2Bra02%2Bra00%2Brb1%2Bls66%2Bls03%2Bls02%2Bls05%2Bls04%2Bls01%2Beg6%2Beg5%2Beg4%2Beg3%2Beg2%2Beg1%2BbiTotal%2Bbi0%2Bbi1%2BasTotalLG%2Bas4%2Bas3%2Bas2%2Bas1%2Bws4%2Bws3%2Bws2%2Bge3%2Bge2%2Bge1%2Brc%2BasMed%2BegTotal%2BlsTotal%2BgeTotal%2BrbTotal%2BraTotal%2BhqTotal%2BibTotal%2Bibmed%2BwsTotal.w_02503.2013%2B2018%2B2023&to[TIME]=false&ly[rw]=CEN23_TBT_IND_003&ly[cl]=CEN23_YEAR_001 Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses]. Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer. 3 October 2024. Te Urewera General Ward.
Web site: International Exchange. List of Affiliation Partners within Prefectures. Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR). 21 November 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304204202/http://www.clair.or.jp/cgi-bin/simai/e/03.cgi?p=12&n=Chiba%20Prefecture. 4 March 2016. dead. dmy-all.
Web site: Sister cities. Whakatāne District Council. 25 November 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20190403203816/https://www.whakatane.govt.nz/about-the-council/sister-cities. 3 April 2019. live. 15 May 2019. dmy-all.
Web site: Sister Cities . Whakatāne District Council . 31 December 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120423045512/http://www.whakatane.govt.nz/About-the-Council/Sister-Cities/ . 23 April 2012 . live . dmy-all .