Opotiki District

Opotiki District
Geographical location
Location of the Opotiki District
Photo from the Opotiki District
Te Ara Ki Te Rawhiti - The Path to Sunrise - Waiotahi Beach
Local authority
Country	New Zealand
island	North island
region	Bay of Plenty
Local authority	District
Council	Opotiki District Council
Headquarters of the administration	Opotiki
mayor	John Forbes
founding	1989
Post Code	3079, 3197-3199, 4079
Telephone code	+64 (0) 7
Website	www.odc.govt.nz
presentation
Motto	Strong Community - Strong Future ( Strong Community - Strong Future )
geography
Region ISO	NZ-BOP
Coordinates	38 ° 0 ′  S , 177 ° 17 ′  E Coordinates: 38 ° 0 ′  S , 177 ° 17 ′  E
Highest elevation	1475 m
Lowest point	Height of sea level
surface	3 089  km 2
Residents	8th 436 (2013)
Population density	2.73 inhabitants per km 2
Statistical data
Public revenue	NZ $ 12.4 million  (2015)
Public expenditure	NZ $ 11.6 million  (2015)
Number of households	4th 251 (2013)
Ø income	NZ $ 20,700  (2013)
Māori population	53.6% (2013)

The Opotiki District is an administrative unit in the Bay of Plenty region in New Zealand . The district council, called the Opotiki District Council , has its seat in the city of Opotiki , as does the district administration.

geography

Geographical location

With 3089 km² of pure land, the district is the second largest district in the Bay of Plenty region. With 8436 inhabitants in 2013, the district has a population density of 2.7 inhabitants per km² and is therefore the district with the lowest population density.

The Opotiki District borders only on two districts, in the west on the Whakatāne District and in the south to east on the Gisborne District . In the north, the coast to the Pacific Ocean forms the natural border.

The Opotiki District has 160 km of coastline that extends from Ohiwa Harbor in the west to just before Potaka , a small settlement in the east 15 km beyond Cape Runaway . With the exception of a few sections of the coast, the entire district is forested. In it lie the forests of the Waioeka Conservation Area , Urutawa Conservation Area and Raukumara Conservation Area with some over 1000  m high mountains, such as the Kaharoa with 1025  m , the Ta Waiti Hill with 1011  m , the Rangipoua with 1041  m , the Puketoetoe with 1113  m m and the highest mountain in the district at 1426  m , Potts Peak .

Of the thirteen rivers, all of which flow north or northwest and there flow into the Pacific Ocean, the Motu River , Otara River, and Waioeka River are the most significant. The only town in the district with over 1000 inhabitants is Opotiki , which has just under 4200 inhabitants.

climate

The climate is comparable to that of the Whakatāne District , with very warm, sometimes tropical, summers and quite mild winters. The coast is protected by the mountains to the south from the occasional cool south-westerly wind, which can sometimes have a grip on all of New Zealand. On the other hand, the foothills of tropical storms can rain down their considerable amounts of rain on the coast. The region is considered to be the sunniest region in New Zealand.

population

Population development

Of the 8,436 inhabitants of the district in 2013, 4,518 inhabitants were of Māori origin (53.6%). This means that 0.8% of the country's Māori population lived in the Opotiki District . The median income for the population in 2013 was NZ $ 20,700  compared to NZ $ 28,500 national average.

Origin and languages

When asked about ethnic group membership in the 2013 census, 52.0% said they were European, 60.6% said they had Māori roots, 2.9% came from the islands of the Pacific and 2.5% % came from Asia (multiple answers were possible). 7.9% of the population said they were born overseas and 23.8% of the population spoke Māori , 37.8% of the Māori .

politics

administration

The Opotiki District is again divided into three wards , the Opotiki Ward with three Councilors (council members), the Waioeka / Waiotahi Ward with two and the Coast Ward with one Councilor . Together with the Mayor (mayor) they form the District Council (district council). The mayor and the six council members are re-elected every three years.

economy

By far the largest economic factor in the district is agriculture . With a gross national product of around NZ $ 65 million , the industry is a good two and a half times larger than forestry and fishing combined and makes up around 35% of the district's total product. Although around 16,000  hectares of foreign forest are available for forestry, the forest cannot be fully used economically due to a lack of income.

In agriculture, over 400 farms produce on an area of ​​around 75,660 hectares. 38% of this area is used for meat production and dairy farming. With around 22,000  cows , 100 farms produce around 80 million liters of milk per year. The cultivation of corn and other crops is another source of income, as is the breeding of deer and sheep .

A planned port expansion and a 3800 hectare mussel farm six kilometers off the coast should bring the city of Opotiki and the Opotiki District Council urgently needed jobs and an economic upswing for the region. It was estimated that around 900 jobs would bring a household income of NZ $ 27 million and thus purchasing power and would bring about NZ $ 34 million into the district's coffers. Eastern Seafarms Limited , a company founded with the participation of the local Iwi Whakatōhea (54%), the company Sealord (26%) and NZ Sea Farms (20%), started its mussel farm off the coast in September 2010 with the construction of the first mussel beds began. A Chinese company has also shown interest in collaborating in aquafarming. In August 2013, the project was approved by the region's administration for a two-year funding of NZ $ 18 million. The contract to expand the port is due to be signed in 2017. ^[outdated]

Infrastructure

traffic

The Opotiki District is connected to traffic by the New Zealand State Highway 2 , which, coming from the northwest in the city of Opotiki, bends south into the hinterland and continues to Gisborne . The State Highway 35 runs along the entire coast to the east, to later in Gisborne to end.

tourism

The Opotiki District Council , together with Gisborne and the Wairoa District , tries to market Eastland as a region for tourism. The more than 10,000 km² natural landscape primarily attracts nature-loving travelers. Bathing beaches are not to be expected here and the mountains mostly only offer untouched nature. From Opotiki , hikers are led on the Tauranga Track , the Pakihi Track or the Te Waiti Track . All three lead into the mountains. In contrast, the Opape Coastal Walkway leads from the small town of Opape , which is just 18 km east of Opotiki , a good hour along the coast. On the rivers Waioeka River and Motu River can Kayak and jetboat ride. The fishing is possible anywhere. There are numerous small towns with a majority Māori population along State Highway 35 . In some of them one can find wharenui (meeting houses) richly decorated with wood carvings .

Attractions

About eight kilometers south of the center of Opotiki is 4.5 of  hectares large Hukutaia domain to find a park where different both estimated 1,500 plant species, a 2000 year old Puriri -tree ( vitex lucens stands) in the cavity at the base of Baums Māori buried the bones of their dead. The park was founded in 1926 and was looked after by Norman Potts , who traveled through New Zealand as an amateur botanist , collected native plants and planted them in the park, until his death in 1970.

literature

• Opotiki & District 10,000 Club Inc. (Ed.): Opotiki, East Cape & beyond via the Pacific Coast Highway . Opotiki 2009 (English).

Web links

• Homepage . Opotiki District Council,accessed June 16, 2016. 

Individual evidence

1. ^ Postcode Boundaries - Opotiki District . (PDF 1.7 MB) New Zealand Post , accessed on May 3, 2017 (English).  
2. ↑ ^{a b c d e} 2013 Census QuickStats about a place : Opotiki District - Population and dwellings . Statistics New Zealand , accessed June 16, 2016 .  
3. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g} Opotiki District Council . In: Local Councils . Department of Internal Affairs , accessed June 16, 2016 .  
4. ↑ ^{a b c} Topo250 maps . Land Information New Zealand , accessed June 16, 2016 .  
5. ↑ 2013 Census QuickStats about a place : Opotiki District - Cultural diversity . Statistics New Zealand , accessed June 16, 2016 .  
6. ↑ Mayor and Councilors . Opotiki District Council , accessed May 5, 2019 .  
7. ^ Economic Solutions Ltd (Ed.): Opotiki District Economic Profile and Trends Report . June 2009 (English).
8. ↑ About Our District . Opotiki District Council , accessed May 5, 2019 .  
9. ^ Opotiki Harbor Development . Opotiki District Council , archived from the original on September 14, 2010 ; accessed on June 20, 2014 (English, original website no longer available).  
10. ^ Opotiki Harbor Development - Economic and Social Benefits . Opotiki District Council , archived from the original on March 6, 2010 ; accessed on June 16, 2016 (English, original website no longer available).  
11. ↑ Michael Dickison : Seafood firm in China shells out for Kiwi mussels . New Zealand Herald , August 16, 2010, accessed June 16, 2016 .  
12. ^ Ōpōtiki Harbor Development - Update . (PDF 1.3 MB) Opotiki District Council , November 2010, archived from the original on July 24, 2011 ; accessed on June 16, 2016 (English, original website no longer available).  
13. ↑ Media Release - March 2014 . Opotiki District Council , March 2014, archived from the original on June 16, 2016 ; accessed on May 5, 2019 (English, original website no longer available).  
14. ↑ Media Release - May 2016 . Opotiki District Council , May 2016, archived from the original on June 16, 2016 ; accessed on May 5, 2019 (English, original website no longer available).  
15. ↑ Hukutaia Domain . Opotiki District Council , archived from the original on March 31, 2014 ; accessed on January 20, 2016 (English, original website no longer available).