1.
Territorial authorities of New Zealand
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Territorial authorities are the second tier of local government in New Zealand, below regional councils. There are 67 territorial authorities,12 city councils,53 district councils, Auckland Council, six territorial authorities also perform the functions of a regional council and thus are unitary authorities. A unitary authority may also have local boards, currently only Auckland Council has them, territorial authority districts are not subdivisions of regions, and some of them fall within more than one region. Taupo District has the distinction of straddling the boundaries of four different regions, Regional council areas are based on water catchment areas, whereas territorial authorities are based on community of interest and road access. Some activities are delegated to council-controlled organisations, the boundaries of councils tended to follow the edge of the built-up area, so little distinction was made between the urban area and the local government area. Regional councils were reduced in number from 20 to 13, territorial authorities from 200 to 75, the new district and city councils were generally much larger and most covered substantial areas of both urban and rural land. Many places that once had a city council were now being administered by a district council, as a result, the term city began to take on two meanings. The word city came to be used in a formal sense to describe major urban areas independent of local body boundaries. This informal usage is jealously guarded, gisborne, for example, adamantly described itself as the first city in the world to see the new millennium. Gisborne is administered by a council, but its status as a city is not generally disputed. Under the current law the minimum population for a new city is 50,000, since the 1989 reorganisations, there have been few major reorganisations or status changes in local government. Incomplete list,1991, Invercargill re-proclaimed a city,1992, Nelson-Marlborough Regional Council abolished by a Local Government Amendment Act. Of its territorial authorities, Kaikoura District was transferred to the Canterbury Region,2004, Tauranga became a city again on 1 March. 2006, Banks Peninsula District merged into Christchurch City as a result of 2005 referendum,2010, Auckland Council, a unitary authority, replaced seven local councils and the regional council. Reports on completed reorganisation proposals since 1999 are available on the Local Government Commissions site, the split areas as well as the current North Shore City would form a Waitemata local council. Waitakere local council would consist of the current Waitakere City as well as the Avondale area, tamaki Makaurau would consist of the current Auckland City and Otahuhu Manukau local council would consist of the urban parts of the current Manukau City and of the Papakura District. Hunua local council would consist of the entire Franklin District, much of which is currently in the Waikato Region, along with areas of the current Papakura District. The entire Papakura District would be dissolved between urban and rural councils, the National-led Government responded within about a week
2.
New Zealand
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New Zealand /njuːˈziːlənd/ is an island nation in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The country geographically comprises two main landmasses—the North Island, or Te Ika-a-Māui, and the South Island, or Te Waipounamu—and around 600 smaller islands. New Zealand is situated some 1,500 kilometres east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and roughly 1,000 kilometres south of the Pacific island areas of New Caledonia, Fiji, because of its remoteness, it was one of the last lands to be settled by humans. During its long period of isolation, New Zealand developed a distinct biodiversity of animal, fungal, the countrys varied topography and its sharp mountain peaks, such as the Southern Alps, owe much to the tectonic uplift of land and volcanic eruptions. New Zealands capital city is Wellington, while its most populous city is Auckland, sometime between 1250 and 1300 CE, Polynesians settled in the islands that later were named New Zealand and developed a distinctive Māori culture. In 1642, Dutch explorer Abel Tasman became the first European to sight New Zealand, in 1840, representatives of Britain and Māori chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi, which declared British sovereignty over the islands. In 1841, New Zealand became a colony within the British Empire, today, the majority of New Zealands population of 4.7 million is of European descent, the indigenous Māori are the largest minority, followed by Asians and Pacific Islanders. Reflecting this, New Zealands culture is derived from Māori and early British settlers. The official languages are English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language, New Zealand is a developed country and ranks highly in international comparisons of national performance, such as health, education, economic freedom and quality of life. Since the 1980s, New Zealand has transformed from an agrarian, Queen Elizabeth II is the countrys head of state and is represented by a governor-general. In addition, New Zealand is organised into 11 regional councils and 67 territorial authorities for local government purposes, the Realm of New Zealand also includes Tokelau, the Cook Islands and Niue, and the Ross Dependency, which is New Zealands territorial claim in Antarctica. New Zealand is a member of the United Nations, Commonwealth of Nations, ANZUS, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Pacific Islands Forum, and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation. Dutch explorer Abel Tasman sighted New Zealand in 1642 and called it Staten Landt, in 1645, Dutch cartographers renamed the land Nova Zeelandia after the Dutch province of Zeeland. British explorer James Cook subsequently anglicised the name to New Zealand, Aotearoa is the current Māori name for New Zealand. It is unknown whether Māori had a name for the country before the arrival of Europeans. Māori had several names for the two main islands, including Te Ika-a-Māui for the North Island and Te Waipounamu or Te Waka o Aoraki for the South Island. Early European maps labelled the islands North, Middle and South, in 1830, maps began to use North and South to distinguish the two largest islands and by 1907, this was the accepted norm. The New Zealand Geographic Board discovered in 2009 that the names of the North Island and South Island had never been formalised and this set the names as North Island or Te Ika-a-Māui, and South Island or Te Waipounamu
3.
Regions of New Zealand
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New Zealand is divided into sixteen regions for devolved local government. Eleven are administered by councils, and five are administered by unitary authorities. The Chatham Islands Council is similar to an authority, authorised under its own legislation. The regional councils are listed in Part 1 of Schedule 2 of the Local Government Act 2002, the Act requires regional councils to promote sustainable development – the social, economic, environmental and cultural well-being of their communities. The current regions and most of their councils came into being through a government reform in 1989 that took place under the Local Government Act 1974. In addition they took over roles that had previously been performed by county councils. Auckland Regional Council, formed in 1989, was replaced by Auckland Council, the boundaries of the regions are based largely on drainage basins. This anticipated the responsibilities of the Resource Management Act 1991, most regional boundaries conform with territorial authority boundaries but there are a number of exceptions. An example is Taupo District, split between four regions, although most of its area is in the Waikato region, property rates are used to fund both regional and territorial government activities. There is often a degree of co-operation between regional and territorial councils as they have complementary roles. Regional councils have these specific functions under the Resource Management Act 1991, notes, These regions have unitary authorities. The Gisborne Region is still widely but unofficially known by its name or as East Coast. Some outlying islands are not included within regional boundaries, the Chatham Islands is not in a region, although its council has some of the powers of a regional council under the Resource Management Act. Councils may use a first past the post or single transferable vote system, the chairperson is selected by the elected council members. The Auckland Regional Council was preceded by the Auckland Regional Authority, the Wellington Regional Council was first formed in 1980 from a merger of the Wellington Regional Planning Authority and the Wellington Regional Water Board. In 1978, legislation was passed enabling the formation of regions with united councils, twenty regions were designated, excluding the Auckland and Wellington areas. For most of the country this was the first regional level of government since the abolition of provinces in 1876, councillors were not elected directly – they were appointed from the various territorial local authorities within the region. For example, in a number of cases the united council took responsibility for the allocation of revenue from regional petrol taxes, the united councils were based in the facilities of the largest TLA in the region and largely dependent on the TLAs for resources
4.
Waikato
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Waikato is a local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato, Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsula, the northern King Country, much of the Taupo District and it is governed by the Waikato Regional Council. It is usually referred to by using the definite article, the Waikato, broadly, the extent of the region is the Waikato River catchment. Other major catchments are those of the Waihou, Piako, Awakino, the region is bounded by Auckland on the north, Bay of Plenty on the east, Hawkes Bay on the south-east, and Manawatu-Wanganui and Taranaki on the south. Waikato Region is the fourth largest region in the country in area and population, It has an area of 25,000 km², the region encompasses all or part of eleven territorial authorities, the most of any region of New Zealand. It is centred on the Waikato which consists of Waikato District, Matamata-Piako District, Waipa District, South Waikato District, the name for the region is taken from the Waikato River, waikato is a Māori word traditionally translated as flowing water. To the west, the region is bounded by the Tasman Sea, the coastal region is largely rough hill country, known locally as the Hakarimata Range, though it is more gently undulating in the north, closer to the mouth of the Waikato River. The coast is punctured by three natural harbours, Raglan Harbour, Aotea Harbour, and Kawhia Harbour. The area around Raglan is noted for its black sand beaches and for its fine surfing conditions at Manu Bay. To the east of the hills lies the broad floodplain of the Waikato River. The area around Cambridge has many thoroughbred stables, the north of the region around Te Kauwhata produces some of New Zealands best wines. Dozens of small lakes lie in this area, the largest of which is Lake Waikare. To the east, the land rises towards the slopes of the Kaimai. The upper reaches of the Waikato River are used for hydroelectricity, the lowest and earliest-created such lake is Lake Karapiro, now developed as a world-class rowing centre, where the world championships were held in 2010. The climate is mild and temperate with rainfall of 1200–1600mm per annum. Summers are drier with maximum temperatures of 25–28 degrees Celsius, summer droughts occur one year in ten. Winter maxima are 12–15 degrees Celsius, the lower areas experience regular morning fog, under anticyclonic conditions, which burns off by late morning to produce many still, clear sunny days. Morning frosts are common during winter anticyclones
5.
Districts of New Zealand
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A district in New Zealand is a territorial authority area governed by a District Council as a second-tier local government unit. They were formed as a result of government reforms in 1989. Banks Peninsula District became part of Christchurch as a result of 2005 referendum, franklin District, Papakura District and Rodney District no longer exist as of 2010. They became part of districts and Auckland Region
6.
Thames, New Zealand
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Thames /ˈtɛmz/ is a town at the southwestern end of the Coromandel Peninsula in New Zealands North Island. It is located on the Firth of Thames close to the mouth of the Waihou River, the town is the seat of the Thames-Coromandel District Council. The Māori iwi are Ngāti Maru, who are descendants of Marutuahus son Te Ngako, Ngāti Maru is part of the Ngati Marutuahu confederation of tribes or better known as Hauraki Iwi. Many people migrated to Thames at its peak, and it was soon the second-largest city in New Zealand, however, as the gold began to diminish, so did the number of inhabitants, and although Thames never shrank, it has never grown much either. It is still the biggest town on the Coromandel, the population in the 2006 census was 6,756, an increase of 51 since 2001. Until 2016, an oak tree that was planted by Governor George Grey stood on the corner of Grey. Thames was formed from two towns, Grahamstown and Shortland, of which many original buildings still stand. Shortland was to the south of Thames and was founded on 27 July 1867 when James Mackay, civil commissioner for the Hauraki District, the land was rented for mining purposes for the sum of £5,000 per year, a colossal sum in the mid 19th century. This agreement secured the rights to mineral deposits leading to the proclamation of the Thames Goldfield on 1 August. The leasing of the land for such an income was a source of great envy by other Maori iwi. Grahamstown was founded the year at the northern end of present Thames. The two towns merged in 1874 after it emerged the heart of the Goldfield was in Grahamstown, Shortland waned in importance until the turn of the century when the Hauraki Plains were developed for farming and the Shortland railway station was opened. The town was built during a gold rush, with the first major discovery of gold being made on 10 August 1867 by William Hunt. The subsequent mine produced more than 102, 353oz bullion and was known as the Shotover, the era from 1868 to 1871 were the bonanza years for the town with gold production topping one million pounds sterling at its peak. Official figures for production of the Thames Mines recorded a yield of 2,327, the three richest fields were the Manukau / Golden Crown / Caledonian mines but many others yielded near equivalent amounts. Towards the end of the 19th century, Thames was the largest centre of population in New Zealand with 18,000 inhabitants and well over 100 hotels, for a while, it was thought it would replace Auckland as the major town in the area. Thames also benefited from a period of extensive Kauri logging in the ranges around the same time. The land involved in goldmining in Thames was Māori-owned, important parts of the goldfield were owned by the Ngāti Maru rangatira Rapana Maunganoa and the Taipari family
7.
Daylight saving time
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Daylight saving time is the practice of advancing clocks during summer months by one hour so that evening daylight lasts an hour longer, while sacrificing normal sunrise times. Typically, regions that use Daylight Savings Time adjust clocks forward one hour close to the start of spring, American inventor and politician Benjamin Franklin proposed a form of daylight time in 1784. New Zealander George Hudson proposed the idea of saving in 1895. The German Empire and Austria-Hungary organized the first nationwide implementation, starting on April 30,1916, many countries have used it at various times since then, particularly since the energy crisis of the 1970s. The practice has both advocates and critics, DST clock shifts sometimes complicate timekeeping and can disrupt travel, billing, record keeping, medical devices, heavy equipment, and sleep patterns. Computer software often adjusts clocks automatically, but policy changes by various jurisdictions of DST dates, industrialized societies generally follow a clock-based schedule for daily activities that do not change throughout the course of the year. The time of day that individuals begin and end work or school, North and south of the tropics daylight lasts longer in summer and shorter in winter, with the effect becoming greater as one moves away from the tropics. However, they will have one hour of daylight at the start of each day. Supporters have also argued that DST decreases energy consumption by reducing the need for lighting and heating, DST is also of little use for locations near the equator, because these regions see only a small variation in daylight in the course of the year. After ancient times, equal-length civil hours eventually supplanted unequal, so civil time no longer varies by season, unequal hours are still used in a few traditional settings, such as some monasteries of Mount Athos and all Jewish ceremonies. This 1784 satire proposed taxing window shutters, rationing candles, and waking the public by ringing church bells, despite common misconception, Franklin did not actually propose DST, 18th-century Europe did not even keep precise schedules. However, this changed as rail transport and communication networks came to require a standardization of time unknown in Franklins day. Modern DST was first proposed by the New Zealand entomologist George Hudson, whose shift work job gave him time to collect insects. An avid golfer, he also disliked cutting short his round at dusk and his solution was to advance the clock during the summer months, a proposal he published two years later. The proposal was taken up by the Liberal Member of Parliament Robert Pearce, a select committee was set up to examine the issue, but Pearces bill did not become law, and several other bills failed in the following years. Willett lobbied for the proposal in the UK until his death in 1915, william Sword Frost, mayor of Orillia, Ontario, introduced daylight saving time in the municipality during his tenure from 1911 to 1912. Starting on April 30,1916, the German Empire and its World War I ally Austria-Hungary were the first to use DST as a way to conserve coal during wartime, Britain, most of its allies, and many European neutrals soon followed suit. Russia and a few other countries waited until the year
8.
North Island
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The North Island or Te Ika-a-Māui is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the slightly larger but much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The islands area is 113,729 square kilometres, making it the worlds 14th-largest island and it has a population of 3,596,200. Twelve main urban areas are in the North Island, about 77% of New Zealands population lives in the North Island. Although the island has been known as the North Island for many years, in 2009 the New Zealand Geographic Board found that, along with the South Island, after a public consultation, the board officially named the island North Island or Te Ika-a-Maui in October 2013. In prose, the two islands of New Zealand are called the North Island and the South Island, with the definite articles. It is normal to use the preposition in rather than on, for example Hamilton is in the North Island, maps, headings, tables and adjectival expressions use North Island without the. According to Māori mythology, the North and South Islands of New Zealand arose through the actions of the demigod Māui, Māui and his brothers were fishing from their canoe when he caught a great fish and pulled it from the sea. While he was not looking his brothers fought over the fish and this great fish became the North Island and thus a Māori name for the North Island is Te Ika-a-Māui. The mountains and valleys are believed to have formed as a result of Māuis brothers hacking at the fish. Until the early 20th Century, an alternative Māori name for the North Island was Aotearoa, in present usage, Aotearoa is a collective name for New Zealand as a whole. The sub-national GDP of the North Island was estimated at US$102.863 billion in 2003, the island has an extensive flora and bird population, with numerous National Parks and other protected areas. Nine local government regions cover the North Island and all its adjacent islands, healthcare in the North Island is provided by fifteen District Health Boards. Organised around geographical areas of varying sizes, they are not coterminous with the Local Government Regions
9.
Coromandel Peninsula
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It is 40 kilometres wide at its broadest point. Almost the entire population lies on the narrow coastal strips fronting the Hauraki Gulf, in fine weather the peninsula is clearly visible from Auckland, the countrys biggest city, which lies on the far shore of the Hauraki Gulf,55 kilometres to the west. The peninsula is part of the government areas of Thames-Coromandel District. The peninsula is steep and hilly, and is covered in temperate rainforest. Great Barrier is separated from Cape Colville on the northern coast by the Colville Channel. A forest park covers much of the peninsulas interior, the peninsula shows considerable signs of past volcanism. It comprises the eroded remnants of the Coromandel Volcanic Zone, which was active during the Miocene and Pliocene periods. Volcanic activity has since primarily shifted southeast to the Taupo Volcanic Zone, geothermal activity is still present on the Peninsula, with hot springs in several places, notably at Hot Water Beach, in the central east coast between Whitianga and Tairua. Owing to the nature of the land, much of the Coromandels population clusters in a number of towns. Only five towns on the peninsula have populations of over 1000, several small towns dot the coast of the Firth of Thames in the southwest. Other small towns on the peninsula include Te Puru, Matarangi, Whangapoua, Whiritoa, Hikuai, Port Jackson, Port Charles, Tairua, Pauanui, the population of several of these centres is highly seasonal, with many Aucklanders having holiday homes in the Coromandel. The peninsula has become a place to live for those who have chosen an alternative lifestyle. As of 2010, increasing numbers of affluent Aucklanders have started moving to the Coromandel, the population density decreases with both distance from the coast and distance north. Of the main centres, only Coromandel, Colville, Matarangi and Whitianga lie in the north of the peninsula. The area was known largely for its hardrock gold mining and kauri industries. A forest park occupies much of the centre of the peninsula, the Moehau Ranges even have an imagined monster, the Hairy Moehau. Evidence of the regions geothermal origins can be found in hot springs, the town of Whangamata is a popular holiday retreat, and Whitianga on Mercury Bay is renowned for its yachting. The peninsulas waters are also a destination for scuba divers
10.
Hikutaia
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Hikutaia is a locality on the Hauraki Plains of New Zealand. It lies on State Highway 26, south east of Thames, the Hikutaia River runs from the Coromandel Range through the area to join the Waihou River. The area has a history of Māori settlement, with several pā in the vicinity. The local iwi are Ngāti Maru and Ngāti Paoa, james Cook and Joseph Banks rowed up the Waihou River on 20 November 1769 and disembarked near Hikutaia. They were impressed by the kahikatea which formed a dense forest in the area, Banks described it as the finest timber my Eyes ever beheld. At least five ships came for more timber by the end of the century, four Europeans were living at Hikutaia in 1799, assisting the trade in timber and the sale of Māori labour. These men lived with and married Māori, cultural misunderstandings between traders and Māori sometimes led to violence. Hikutaia was known for its factory in the mid 1960s. Hikutaia School is a full primary school with a decile rating of 4
11.
Whitianga
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Whitianga is a town on the Coromandel Peninsula, in the Waikato Region of New Zealands North Island. The town is located on Mercury Bay, on the northeastern coast of the peninsula, the town has a permanent population of 4,790 as of June 2016, making it the second-largest town on the Coromandel Peninsula behind Thames. Whitianga is located on the side of the Coromandel Peninsula,208 km from Auckland,93 km from Thames,42 km from Tairua. It is situated on the coast of Mercury Bay along the 5 km long east-facing Buffalo Beach, the town centre is at the southern end of the beach. Buffalo Beach is named after the HMS Buffalo, which was wrecked during a storm while anchored in Mercury Bay and her anchor can be seen at a monument at Buffalo Beach. A passenger ferry crosses from Whitianga to Ferry Landing, close to Cooks Beach, the alternative to the two-minute ferry crossing is a 45-minute drive around Whitianga Harbour. Whitianga has been occupied for more than a thousand years since Māori explorer Kupe’s tribe settled here after his visit in about 950 AD. Following this visit, many of Kupes tribe settled here, Te Whitianga o Kupe is the original place name of the town, meaning Kupes crossing place. Whitianga Pā, located on the landing side of the river is a notable site. According to Ngati Hei history the earliest known chief occupying the rock was Hei Turepe, the pa is protected on three sides by sheer cliffs. The hill leading up to the pa on the side is defended by a 22-foot man made ditch which is now part of the track leading down to Back Bay where pa inhabitants had access to shellfish. Whitianga rock has several holes cut into the stone that were used as firepits, water stores, Cook noted burnt palisade stumps as evidence that an earlier attack had evicted the ancient pas residents. The people of Hei commemorated their leader in a few names, one being the bay at the head of which he had settled. This large sheltered bay was renamed by Captain James Cook when he came here in November 1769 to observe the transit of Mercury. Cook was accompanied by Charles Green, the Royal Society expedition astronomer who died on the journey in 1771. Cook also named the Whitianga Harbour River of Mangroves and this area is referred to as The River. He observed the transit of Mercury and named this bay, the original European settlement was situated on the opposite side of the river from approximately 1836 to 1881. HMS Buffalo is a wreck in Mercury Bay, this ship was the first ship to settle the people of the Adelaide company who established the city of Adelaide in South Australia
12.
Whangamata
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The town of Whangamatā is sited on the southeast coast of the Coromandel Peninsula in the North Island of New Zealand. It is located 30 kilometres north of Waihi, to the north of the extremity of the Bay of Plenty. The population of Whangamatā was 3471 in the 2013 Census, a decrease of 84 from 3555 in the 2006 Census, in holiday times the population swells considerably, New Years celebrations fill the town to over 25,000 though this falls soon after New Years Day. A number of islands can be seen from the beach. Hauturu or Clark Island is accessible by wading at low tide and is popular in summer months for rock-pool fossickers and kayakers, Whenuakura, sometimes known as Donut Island, sits about a kilometre east of the southern part of Whangamatā beach. Tuatara roamed on Whenuakura until fairly recently, Whenuakura Island has a large collapsed blow hole which has formed a small beach inside the island - hence the alternative name. The town has two beaches, both of which are extremely safe for swimming and surfing. There is a boating harbour at the North end of the town. 15 minutes drive south of Whangamatā is the popular beach Whiritoa. Other beaches just north of Whangamatā are Onemana and Opoutere, the name of Whangamatā comes from the Māori words whanga, which means bay, and matā, which means a hard stone, in reference to the obsidian which washes up on the beach. Whangamatā Area School is a composite school with a roll of approximately 387 students. A controversial marina has been constructed on the Whangamatā Estuary, the Whangamatā estuary is the shallowest on the North Island, with approximately 75% of the estuary’s water volume leaving on the low tide. The new marina basin at low tide is below sea level, surfers, environmentalists and Māori have opposed the marina due to the effects upon a major wetland area and the risk to a world-class left hand surf break. An Environment Court hearing stipulated that the marina could go ahead as long as conditions were met. Chris Carter, a former Minister of Conservation, blocked the development, several rare species were displaced or exterminated for the development, including the rare Oligosoma moco skink. The marina opened in November 2009, even so, the surveys were showing a degraded surfing quality on the Bar. However, while WRC acknowledges that the Whangamatā Bar has degraded, the Environmental Defence Society has offered to host a workshop to find positive outcomes. To date, the Waikato regional Council have not taken up this offer, Whangamata Beach Hop Whangamata promotional page Whangamata Area School Whangamata Surf Lifesaving Club Inc
13.
Coromandel, New Zealand
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Coromandel is a town on the Coromandel Harbour, on the western side of the Coromandel Peninsula, which is on the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is 75 kilometres east of the city of Auckland, although the road between them, which winds around the Firth of Thames and Hauraki Gulf coasts, is 190 km long, the population was 1,660 as of June 2016. The town was named after the peninsula, which was named after HMS Coromandel, at one time Coromandel Harbour was a major port serving the peninsulas gold mining and kauri industries. An old gold stamper battery is still in fully working order. Today, the main industries are tourism and mussel farming. Coromandel Harbour is a bay on the Hauraki Gulf guarded by several islands. The town and environs are a summer holiday destination for New Zealanders. Coromandel is noted for its artists, crafts, alternative lifestylers, mussel farming, one of the most popular tourist attractions is the Driving Creek Railway. Coromandel Area School is a state composite school with a decile rating of 3. Coromandel Rudolf Steiner School was a small private full primary school and it closed at the end of 2007. The Reed Dictionary of New Zealand Place Names
14.
Statistics New Zealand
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Statistics New Zealand is the public service department of New Zealand charged with collecting and producing information of a statistical nature. Standards and Methods studies statistical methods, statistical education and research, solutions and capabilities, information management, there is one general manager in Christchurch and one in Auckland. It develops products and services, manages publishing and customer services, industry and Labour Statistics studies business indicators, finance and performance, agriculture, energy and work knowledge and skills. Many of the powers, duties, and responsibilities are governed by acts of the New Zealand Parliament. The agency is a state organisation of New Zealand operating under the authority of the Statistics Act 1975. The department conducts the census five years. The census is officially done on one day, the most recent census was on 5 March 2013. This information is helpful for business purposes, government decision making, media purposes, foreign policy, journalism, public information, planning, the department supplies a wide variety of information. In addition, it analyzes trends and publishes forecasts, the agency does not involve itself with political polling generally. The agency provides information to the public, many surveys and reports are available free of charge on its website, users can download spreadsheets electronically. Information from demographers is used as material by journalists for articles. Sometimes statistics can influence public policy, for example, Statistics New Zealand demographers in 2008 spotted a trend of fewer women having children and wrote, Deciding not to have children happens as a consequence of other life events. Education, career, mortgages, changes in family and partners for many couples and their report was picked up by journalists at the Sunday Star-Times to form the basis of an article with the headline New Zealand women stop having babies. The article discussed ramifications, such as possible workforce shortages and increased cost of elderly care, newspaper headlines can influence public opinion which may impact policy decisions. Statistics New Zealand information is used by government to explore tough problems, agency data is quoted by a wide variety of sources, even in the footnotes of books. For example, in Connecting the Clouds - the Internet in New Zealand, author Keith Newman cites agency statistics regarding telecommunications cost decreases, data is used to help retailers spot trends and act accordingly. A newspaper article on decreased do-it-yourself retail spending in 2008 quoted an agency source and this information helps businesses adjust to new realities. Radio programmes such as Radio New Zealand National have quoted agency data, some agency policies result in controversy
15.
Auckland Council
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The Auckland Council is the local government council for the Auckland Region in New Zealand. The governing body consists of a mayor and 20 councillors, elected from 13 wards, There are also 149 members of 21 local boards who make decisions on matters local to their communities. It is the largest council in Australasia, with a $3 billion annual budget, $29 billion of ratepayer equity, and 9,870 full time staff as of 30 June 2016. The council began operating on 1 November 2010, combining the functions of the regional council. The Council was established by a number of Acts of Parliament, both the means by which the Council was established and its structure came under repeated criticism from a broad spectrum during the establishment period. The initial Council elections in October 2010 returned a mostly centre-left council with Len Brown as mayor, Brown was re-elected in October 2013, again with a largely supportive council. The 2016 mayoral election was won by Labour MP Phil Goff, the Auckland Regional Council was formed in 1989, replacing the Auckland Regional Authority. Until 2010, the Auckland Region had seven City/District authorities, plus one Regional authority, in 2007, the government set up a Royal Commission on Auckland Governance to report on what restructuring should be done. Some recommendations of the Royal Commission which have not been adopted or implemented, 6B The Mayor of Aucklands annual State of the Region address should describe progress towards the attainment of the vision. 19C, Leadership support and development programmes for elected councillors should be strengthened, 21D, Auckland Council CCOs and their statements of intent should be subject to performance review by the proposed Auckland Services Performance Auditor. 21A 22A Two Māori members should be elected to the Auckland Council by voters who are on the parliamentary Māori Electoral Roll, 22B There should be a Mana Whenua Forum, the members of which will be appointed by mana whenua from the district of the Auckland Council. Where appropriate, current structures and/or memoranda of understanding should be transferred to local councils, 24F Auckland Council should consider creating an Urban Development Agency, to operate at the direction of the Auckland Council, with compulsory acquisition powers. The Auckland Council should determine the extent to which responsibilities for the delivery of services are shared between local councils and Watercare Services Limited. 26I Watercare Services Limited should be required by legislation to demand management. 26M Watercare Services Limited should be required to prepare an action plan. 27D The Auckland Council should prepare an e-government strategy as an part of its proposed unified service delivery. B) require Auckland Council CCOs providing council services to adopt the councils ICT infrastructure standards, the role of the Performance Auditor will include a) reviewing the adequacy and relevance of CCO performance targets. B) protecting the interests and advocating for them in respect of the reliability and affordability of council services
16.
Hamilton, New Zealand
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Hamilton is a city in the North Island of New Zealand. It is the seat and most populous city of the Waikato region with a population of 161,200. Initially an agricultural centre, Hamilton now has a growing and diverse economy and is the third fastest growing urban area in New Zealand, behind Pukekohe. Education and research and development play an important part in Hamiltons economy, the area now covered by the city was originally the site of a handful of Māori villages, including Pukete, Miropiko and Kirikiriroa, from which the city takes its Māori name. Magistrate Gorst, estimated that Kirikiriroa had a population of about 78 before the Waikato Kingitanga wars of 1863–64, the government estimated the Waikato area had a Maori population of 3,400 at the same time. Missionaries arrived in the area in the 1830s, at the end of the Waikato Campaign in the New Zealand wars the four regiments of the Waikato Militia were settled as a peace-keeping force across the region. The 1st Regiment was at Tauranga, the 2nd at Pirongia, the 3rd at Cambridge, many of the soldier/settlers who intended to farm after the 1863 war, walked off their land in 1868 disgusted at the poor quality of the land. Much of the land was swampy or under water, in 1868 Hamiltons population, which was about 1,000 in 1864, dropped to 300 as farmers left. The road from Auckland reached Hamilton in 1867 and the railway in December 1877 and that same month, the towns of Hamilton West and Hamilton East merged under a single borough council. The first traffic bridge between Hamilton West and Hamilton East, known as the Union Bridge, opened in 1879 and it was replaced by the Victoria Bridge in 1910. The first railway bridge, the Claudelands Bridge, was opened in 1884 and it was converted to a road traffic bridge in 1965. Hamilton reached 1,000 people in 1900, and the town of Frankton merged with the Hamilton Borough in 1917, between 1912 and 1936, Hamilton expanded with new land in Claudelands, Maeroa, and Richmond – modern day Waikato Hospital and northern Melville. Hamilton was proclaimed a city in 1945, from 1985 MV Waipa Delta provided excursions along the river through the town centre. In 2009 Waipa Delta was moved to provide trips on Waitemata Harbour in Auckland and that too ceased operation and the pontoon at Parana Park was removed in 2013. The Delta moved to Taupo in 2012, the former Golden Bay vessel, Cynthia Dew, has run 4 days a week on the river since 2012. On 10 March 2013 a statue was erected in honour of Captain John Charles Fane Hamilton, Hamiltons population growth has been rapid in recent decades – Hamilton Central, on the Waikato River, is a bustling retail precinct. The entertainment area is quite vibrant due to the student population. Many of the venues and attractions are located on the old Town Belt, including Hamilton Gardens, Waikato Stadium, Seddon Park, Founders Theatre
17.
Tauranga
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Tauranga is the most populous city in the Bay of Plenty Region of the North Island of New Zealand. It was settled by Māori late in the 13th century and by Europeans in the early 19th century and was constituted as a city in 1963, Tauranga City is the centre of the fifth largest urban area in New Zealand, with an urban population of 134,400. The city lies in the corner of the Bay of Plenty. Tauranga is one of New Zealands main centres for business, international trade, culture, fashion, the Port of Tauranga is New Zealands largest port in terms of gross export tonnage and efficiency. This sudden population growth has made Tauranga New Zealands 5th largest city, the earliest known settlers were Māori who arrived at Tauranga in the Takitimu and the Mataatua waka in the 13th century. At 9 am on Friday 23 June 1826 the Herald was the first European ship to enter Tauranga Harbour, henry Williams conducted a Christian service at Otamataha Pā. In December 1826 and again on March 2007 the Herald travelled to Tauranga from the Bay of Islands to obtain supplies of potatoes, pigs, in 1835 a Church Missionary Society mission station was established at Tauranga by William Wade. Rev. Alfred N. Brown arrived at the CMS mission station in 1838, john Morgan also visited the mission in 1838. Europeans trading in flax were active in the Bay of Plenty during the 1830s, some were transient, others married local women and settled permanently. The first permanent non-Maori trader was James Farrow, who travelled to Tauranga in 1829, obtaining flax fibre for Australian merchants in exchange for muskets and gunpowder. Farrow acquired an area of 2,000 square metres on 10 January 1838 at Otumoetai Pā from the chiefs Tupaea, Tangimoana and Te Omanu. In 1840, a Catholic mission station was established, bishop Pompallier was given land within the palisades of Otumoetai Pā for a church and a presbytery. The mission station closed in 1863 due to wars in the Waikato district. The Tauranga Campaign took place in and around Tauranga from 21 January to 21 June 1864, the Battle of Gate Pa is the best known. The battle of Gate Pā was an attack on the well fortified Pā and its Māori defenders on 29 April 1864 by British forces made up of approximately 300 men of the 43rd Regiment and a naval brigade. It was the single most devastating loss of life suffered by the British military in the whole of the Māori Wars, the British casualties were 31 dead including 10 officers and 80 wounded. The Māori defenders abandoned the Pā during the night with casualties estimated at 25 dead, under the Local Government Order 2003, Tauranga became legally a city for a second time, from 1 March 2004. In August 2011, Tauranga received Ultra-Fast Broadband as part of the New Zealand Governments rollout, Tauranga is located around a large harbour that extends along the western Bay of Plenty, and is protected by Matakana Island and the extinct volcano of Mauao
18.
Napier, New Zealand
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Napier is a New Zealand city with a seaport, located in Hawkes Bay on the eastern coast of the North Island. The population of Napier is about 62,100 as of the June 2016, about 18 kilometres south of Napier is the inland city of Hastings. These two neighbouring cities are often called The Bay Cities or The Twin Cities of New Zealand, Napier is about 320 kilometres northeast of the capital city of Wellington. The City of Napier has an area of 106 square kilometres. Napier has also become an important grape and wine production area, with the grapes grown around Hastings, large amounts of sheeps wool, frozen meat, wood pulp, and timber also pass through Napier annually for export. Smaller amounts of materials are shipped via road and railway to the large metropolitan areas of New Zealand itself, such as Auckland. Napier is a popular tourist city, with a concentration of 1930s Art Deco architecture. It also has one of the most photographed tourist attractions in the country, thousands of people flock to Napier every February for the Tremains Art Deco Weekend event, a celebration of its Art Deco heritage and history. Other notable tourist events attracting many outsiders to the region annually include F. A. W. C, food and Wine Classic events, and the Mission Estate Concert at Mission Estate and Winery in the suburb of Taradale. Later, the Ngāti Kahungunu became the dominant force from Poverty Bay to Wellington and they were one of the first Māori tribes to come in contact with European settlers. The rivers were continually feeding freshwater into the area, captain James Cook was one of the first Europeans to see the future site of Napier when he sailed down the east coast in October 1769. He commented, On each side of this head is a low, narrow sand or stone beach. He said the harbour entrance was at the Westshore end of the shingle beach, the site was subsequently visited and later settled by European traders, whalers and missionaries. By the 1850s, farmers and hotel-keepers arrived, the Crown purchased the Ahuriri block in 1851. In 1854 Alfred Domett, a future Prime Minister of New Zealand, was appointed as the Commissioner of Crown Lands, Domett named many streets in Napier to commemorate the colonial era of the British Indian Empire. Napier was designated as a borough in 1874, but the development of the surrounding marshlands, development was generally confined to the hill and to the port area of Ahuriri. There was a swamp between the now Hastings Street and Wellesley Road and the sea extended to Clive Square, on 3 February 1931, most of Napier and nearby Hastings was levelled by an earthquake. The collapses of buildings and the fires killed 256 people
19.
Palmerston North
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Palmerston North, commonly referred to by locals as Palmerston, or colloquially Palmy, is the main city of the Manawatu-Wanganui region of the North Island of New Zealand. Palmerston North is located inland, in the eastern Manawatu Plains, the city is 35 km from the rivers mouth and 12 km from the end of the Manawatu Gorge. It is about 140 km north of the capital, Wellington, the city covers a land area of 395 square kilometres. The citys location was once more than a clearing in a forest and occupied by small communities of indigenous Māori. In the mid 19th century, it was discovered and settled by Europeans, on foundation, the settlement was bestowed the name Palmerston, in honour of Viscount Palmerston, a former Prime Minister of Great Britain. The suffix North was added in 1871 by the Post Office to distinguish the settlement from Palmerston in the South Island, the Māori transliteration of Palmerston North, is Pamutana. However, Te Papaioea is the preferred Māori name, Palmerston North is the countrys seventh-largest city and eighth largest urban area, with an urban population of 84,300. Ngāti Rangitāne were the local Māori iwi living in the known as Te Ahu-ā-Tūranga. He came on a ship and explored possibly as far inland as the site of Woodville. He reported his discovery on arrival back to Porirua, colonel Wakefield heard of the potential that the Manawatu had for development and visited in 1840. In 1846 Stephen Charles Hartley, another trader, heard from tangata whenua of a clearing in the Papaioea forest and he proceeded through the bush and forest. In 1858, the Government began negotiations with local iwi to purchase land in Manawatu, there was a dispute at the time between rival iwi Ngāti Rangitāne and Ngāti Raukawa as to who has the right to sell. The dispute is resolved in favour of Rangitāne, in 1864, Te Ahu-a-Turanga Block was sold by Rangitāne to the Government for £12,000, in an effort to open the Manawatu to settlement. Stewart returned in 1866 on behalf of the Wellington Provincial Council and made the original survey, the focal point was an open space of 17 acres subsequently known as The Square. On 3 October 1866, Palmerston was formally endorsed after Isaac Earl Featherston signed a proclamation defining the boundaries of the settlement, the first sections were sold after. Among the first settlers included Scandinavians, who arrived in 1871 and they established settlements at Awapuni and Whakarongo/Stoney Creek. Later the same year, the suffix North was added to distinguish the settlement of the name in the South Island. In 1872 a petition was launched to change the name of the settlement, a public meeting in 1873 ends with no clear decision on the name
20.
Porirua
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Porirua is a city in the Wellington Region of the North Island of New Zealand, and one of the four cities that constitute the Wellington metropolitan area. It almost completely surrounds Porirua Harbour at the end of the Kapiti Coast. Pauatahanui Inlet, the inlet of the harbour, is notable for its world-class estuarine values. The population at the June 2016 was 55,200, the name Porirua has a Māori origin, it may represent a variant of pari-rua, a reference to the two arms of the Porirua Harbour. In the 19th century the name designated a district that stretched from Kaiwharawhara on the north-west shore of Wellington Harbour northwards to. The road climbing the hill from Kaiwharawhara towards Ngaio and Khandallah still bears the name Old Porirua Road, in the 19th century a small European settlement grew up, partly because of the need for a ferry across the harbour. At the time a small Māori settlement already existed, the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company opened a railway line to Porirua in 1885, linking the city with Wellington. The railway reached Longburn in 1886 to connect with the Governments lines to Taranaki, with the acquisition of the company by the government in 1908, the line to Porirua formed part of the North Island Main Trunk railway. The railway contributed much to the growth of Plimmerton and Paremata by making day-trips to the beaches from Wellington relatively easy, the line through to Porirua was electrified in 1940 following the construction of the Tawa Flat deviation. The 1880s and 1890s saw the establishment of the Porirua Lunatic Asylum on the hill south-west of the village, following the Mental Defectives Act of 1911, the Asylum became Porirua Mental Hospital. In the late 1940s state planning envisaged Porirua becoming a city of Wellington with state housing. Since then Porirua has grown to a city population approaching 51,000, major territorial additions to the city occurred in 1973 and 1988 as part of the reduction and eventual abolition of Hutt County. Substantial industrial areas, generally west of the city centre, have evolved, during the 1960s Kodak, UEB Industries and many small businesses opened at Elsdon. During the following decade, Ashley Wallpapers developed the former UEB property and after negotiations with the government. On 7 June 1976, New Zealands first McDonalds restaurant opened in Porirua, on the corner of Cobham Court, the original restaurant closed on 24 April 2009, and the store relocated to Kenepuru Drive. The area is administered by Porirua City Council and Greater Wellington Regional Council, four years later the population was officially estimated at over the 20,000 threshold then necessary for Porirua to be declared a city. On 1 April 1973 large areas to the north-east were transferred to the city from Hutt County by popular vote, Mana Island was added to the city at the same time. In 1988 a further addition was the Horokiri riding of the county, containing most of the new Whitby suburb
21.
Upper Hutt
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Upper Hutt is a city in the Wellington Region of the North Island of New Zealand, and one of the four cities that constitute the Wellington metropolitan area. Upper Hutt is approximately 30 km north-east of Wellington, the citys main urban area is on this plain. A smaller flood plain lies upstream, above the Kaitoke Gorge, Upper Hutt has a temperate climate however due to its sheltered valley location, it generally tends to be warmer than inner city Wellington in summer and much colder in the winter. It is not uncommon in summer for temperatures to reach the mid 30s Celsius, snow generally doesnt fall below 300m, but in 2011 Upper Hutt sea level snow occurred twice, as part of 2011 New Zealand snowstorms. On 25 July and again between 14 and 16 August which was the heaviest blizzard in Upper Hutt since 1976 and came as a novelty to residents. Upper Hutt receives about 1400mm of rain per year, Upper Hutt City Council administers the city with its surrounding rural areas, parks and reserves. Its area is 540 km², the third-largest area of city council in New Zealand, after Dunedin, New Zealand local authorities with a large land area are usually termed districts, but Upper Hutt maintains its status as a city largely because of its high degree of urbanisation. Upper Hutt was originally administered by the Hutt County Council, which was constituted in 1877, the Town Board was proclaimed on 24 April 1908. Upper Hutt became a Borough on 26 February 1926 and a City on 2 May 1966, on 1 April 1973, the Rimutaka Riding of Hutt County was added to the city. Today, Upper Hutt City falls entirely within the boundaries of the Rimutaka electorate, Upper Hutt was represented by the Heretaunga electorate prior to the introduction of MMP in 1996, when the seat was merged with Eastern Hutt to form Rimutaka. The main urban area of the city has a population of 40,100, developments in the area include Mount Marua, Marua Downs, Waitoka Estate, and Riverstone Terraces. A development called The Lanes was proposed but rejected by the Lanes Commissioners appointed by the Council and this decision was made as to ensure the maintenance of the significant rural character and amenity in the Mangaroa Valley. Upper Hutt is in an area known as Orongomai. The first residents of the area were Māori of the Ngai Tara iwi, various other iwi controlled the area in the years before 1840, and by the time the first colonial settlers arrived the area was part of the Te Atiawa rohe. Orongomai Marae is to the south of the city centre. Richard Barton, who settled at Trentham in 1841 in the now known as Trentham Memorial Park, was the first European resident. Barton subsequently subdivided his land and set aside an area that was turned into parkland. James Brown settled in the area became the Upper Hutt town in 1848
22.
Lower Hutt
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Lower Hutt is a city in the Wellington Region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is administered by the Hutt City Council and is one of the four cities that constitute the Wellington metropolitan area and it is New Zealands seventh most populous city, with a population of 103,400. The city covers an area of 377 km2 around the half of the Hutt Valley. It is separated from Wellington proper by the harbour, and from Upper Hutt by the Taitā Gorge, though it is administered by the Hutt City Council, neither the New Zealand Geographic Board nor the Local Government Act recognise the name Hutt City. This name has led to confusion, as Upper Hutt is administered by a city council, the Upper Hutt City Council. Before European settlement, thick forest covered most of the Hutt Valley, Māori inhabited the shoreline, with a pa at each end of Petone beach. The local Māori welcomed the arrival of the New Zealand Company ship Tory in 1839, the first immigrant ship, the Aurora, arrived on 22 January 1840, still celebrated every year on the Monday closest as Wellingtons Anniversary Day. A settlement, Britannia, grew up close to the mouth of the Hutt River, the city takes its name from the river, named after the founding member, director and chairman of the New Zealand Company, Sir William Hutt. Within months of settlement the river flooded, and in March 1840 the majority of Britannia settlers decided to move to Thorndon, in the 1840s an area on the west bank of the Hutt River formed the village then known as Aglionby. In 1846 conflict arose between settlers and Māori, which led to skirmishes in the Hutt Valley Campaign, the 1855 Wairarapa earthquake raised part of the lower valley, allowing reclamation of land from swamp. The fault escarpment from the earthquake is still visible, notably at Hutt Central School, the railway line from central Wellington reached Lower Hutt station in April 1874, with the line travelling north up the west side of the river to Silverstream opening two years later. Before the Second World War, urban settlement in the lower Hutt Valley concentrated mainly on Petone, central Lower Hutt and Eastbourne, two years later the railway workshops moved from Petone to a new larger site off the new branch at Woburn. By the end of the 1950s, Lower Hutt had a population of 80,000, the Hutt City Council is made up of a mayor and 12 councillors. Ray Wallace was elected Lower Hutt mayor in 2010, succeeding David Ogden, the citys six electoral wards each elect two councillors. Neighbouring councils are Wellington City Council, Porirua City Council to the north, Upper Hutt City Council to the north-east, the boundaries of the Lower Hutt city local body have evolved from a series of amalgamations and boundary changes over the years. The Hutt County Council was established in 1877 and covered the region from Wellingtons south coast up to Waikanae, in 1941 Lower Hutt became a city. Lower Hutt is covered by two electorates, Hutt South and Rimutaka and two Māori electorates, Ikaroa-Rāwhiti and Te Tai Tonga. The city centres on the valley of the Hutt River
23.
Wellington City Council
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Wellington City Council is a territorial authority in New Zealand, representing the countrys third-largest city by population, behind Auckland and Christchurch. The city adjoins Porirua in the north and Hutt City in the north-east, Wellington attained city status in 1886. The settlement had become the capital and seat of government by 1865. Parliament officially sat in Wellington for the first time on 26 July 1865, during the last half of the nineteenth century Wellington grew rapidly from 7,460 residents in 1867 to 49,344 by the end of the century. The council represents a population of 207,900, and consists of a mayor and it administers public works, sanitation, land use and building consents, among other local services. The council has used the marketing slogan Absolutely Positively Wellington in an official capacity since the early 1990s, the territorial authority is one of many councils in the greater Wellington area. All councillors are members of Council, the City Strategy Committee, one mayor is elected at large from the entire Wellington City district. The Eastern ward returns three councillors to the Wellington City Council, the Lambton ward returns three councillors to the Wellington City Council. The Northern ward returns three councillors to the Wellington City Council, the Onslow-Western ward returns three councillors to the Wellington City Council. The Southern ward is the ward that returns two councillors to the Wellington City Council. The City of Wellington has a Coat of Arms, crest, On a Mural Crown Argent a Dolphin Naiant Azure, Mantled Gules. Supporters, On the dexter side a Lion gorged with a Collar and Chain reflexed over the back Or, and on the sinister side a Moa proper. Motto, Suprema a Situ Translation of the Blazon, The shield is divided vertically and horizontally quarter of which the first and fourth are red, a golden cross is placed over the entire shield centrally between these quarters. The top left quarter contains a golden fleece, the second quarter is depicted as a silver sailing ship with its sails furled as it would be in port but with its flags flying, placed on waves in their natural colour. The third quarter contains a golden wheat sheaf, and the fourth has five silver discs arranged in a saltire, the mural crown is common as a crest in city coats of arms. It is coloured silve, and from its top comes a swimming dolphin, around the crest is mantling in red. The supporters on either side of the shield are a heraldic lion with a chained collar around its neck to the left. The base on which the supporters stand is normally not emblazoned but is left to the artist to decide, the Motto may be translated as Supreme by position
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South Island
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The South Island or Te Waipounamu is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, the South Island covers 150,437 square kilometres and has a temperate climate. In the early stages of European settlement of the country, the South Island had the majority of the European population, in prose, the two main islands of New Zealand are called the North Island and the South Island, with the definite article. Charcoal drawings can be found on rock shelters in the centre of the South Island. The drawings are estimated to be between 500 and 800 years old, and portray animals, people and fantastic creatures, possibly stylised reptiles, some of the birds pictured are long extinct, including moa and Haasts eagles. They were drawn by early Māori, but by the time Europeans arrived, early inhabitants of the South Island were the Waitaha. They were largely absorbed via marriage and conquest by the Kāti Mamoe in the 16th century, Kāti Mamoe were in turn largely absorbed via marriage and conquest by the Kāi Tahu who migrated south in the 17th century. While today there is no distinct Kāti Mamoe organisation, many Kāi Tahu have Kāti Mamoe links in their whakapapa and, a notable feature of the Moriori culture, an emphasis on pacifism, proved disadvantageous when Māori warriors arrived in the 1830s aboard a chartered European ship. In the early 18th century, Kāi Tahu, a Māori tribe who originated on the east coast of the North Island, There they and Kāti Mamoe fought Ngāi Tara and Rangitāne in the Wairau Valley. Ngāti Māmoe then ceded the east coast regions north of the Clarence River to Kāi Tahu, Kāi Tahu continued to push south, conquering Kaikoura. By the 1730s, Kāi Tahu had settled in Canterbury, including Banks Peninsula, from there they spread further south and into the West Coast. In 1827-1828 Ngāti Toa under the leadership of Te Rauparaha successfully attacked Kāi Tahu at Kaikoura, Ngāti Toa then visited Kaiapoi, ostensibly to trade. When they attacked their hosts, the well-prepared Kāi Tahu killed all the leading Ngāti Toa chiefs except Te Rauparaha, Te Rauparaha returned to his Kapiti Island stronghold. After destroying Te Maiharanuis village they took their captives to Kapiti, John Stewart, though arrested and sent to trial in Sydney as an accomplice to murder, nevertheless escaped conviction. In the summer of 1831–32 Te Rauparaha attacked the Kaiapoi pā, Kaiapoi was engaged in a three-month siege by Te Rauparaha, during which his men successfully sapped the pā. They then attacked Kāi Tahu on Banks Peninsula and took the pā at Onawe, in 1832-33 Kāi Tahu retaliated under the leadership of Tūhawaiki and others, attacking Ngāti Toa at Lake Grassmere. Kāi Tahu prevailed, and killed many Ngāti Toa, although Te Rauparaha again escaped, fighting continued for a year or so, with Kāi Tahu maintaining the upper hand. Ngāti Toa never again made an incursion into Kāi Tahu territory
25.
Nelson, New Zealand
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Nelson is a city on the eastern shores of Tasman Bay, and is the economic and cultural centre of the Nelson Region. Nelson is the oldest city in the South Island and the second-oldest settled city in New Zealand, Nelson city is bordered to the west and south-west by the Tasman District Council and the north-east, east and south-east by the Marlborough District Council. The city does not include Richmond, the areas second-largest settlement, Nelson City has a population of around 50,000, making it New Zealands 12th most populous city and the geographical centre of New Zealand. When combined with the town of Richmond which has close to 14,000 residents, Nelson is well known for its thriving local arts and crafts scene, Each year, the city hosts events popular with locals and tourists alike, such as the Nelson Arts Festival. The annual Wearable Art Awards began near Nelson and a local museum, Nelson was named in honour of the Admiral Horatio Nelson who defeated both the French and Spanish fleets at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Many roads and public areas around the city are named after people and ships associated with that battle, inhabitants of Nelson are referred to as Nelsonians. Nelsons Māori name, Whakatū, means build, raise, or establish, in an article to The Colonist newspaper on 16 July 1867, Francis Stevens described Nelson as The Naples of the Southern Hemisphere. Today, Nelson has the nicknames of Sunny Nelson due to its high sunshine hours per year or the Top of the South because of its geographic location, settlement of Nelson began about 700 years ago by Māori. There is evidence the earliest settlements in New Zealand are around the Nelson-Marlborough regions, the earliest recorded iwi in the Nelson district are the Ngāti Kuia, Ngāti Tumatakokiri, Ngāti Apa and Rangitane tribes. Raids from northern tribes in the 1820s, led by Te Rauparaha and his Ngāti Toa, soon decimated the local population, the New Zealand Company in London planned the settlement of Nelson. They intended to buy cheaply from the Māori some 200,000 acres which they planned to divide into one thousand lots, the Company earmarked future profits to finance the free passage of artisans and labourers and their families, and for the construction of public works. However, by September 1841 only about one third of the lots had sold, despite this the Colony pushed ahead, and land was surveyed by Frederick Tuckett. Three ships sailed from London under the command of Captain Arthur Wakefield, however, after some delay, Hobson allowed the Company to investigate the Tasman Bay area at the north end of the South Island. The Company selected the now occupied by Nelson City because it had the best harbour in the area. The Company secured a vague and undetermined area from the Māori for £800 that included Nelson, Waimea and this allowed the settlement to begin, but the lack of definition would prove the source of much future conflict. The three colony ships sailed into Nelson Haven during the first week of November 1841, within 18 months the Company had sent out 18 ships with 1052 men,872 women and 1384 children. However, fewer than ninety of the settlers had the capital to start as landowners, the early settlement of Nelson province included a proportion of German immigrants, who arrived on the ship Sankt Pauli and formed the nucleus of the villages of Sarau and Neudorf. These were mostly Lutheran Protestants with a number of Bavarian Catholics
26.
Christchurch City Council
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The Christchurch City Council is the local government authority for Christchurch in New Zealand. It is a territorial authority elected to represent the 375,000 people of Christchurch, since October 2013, the Mayor of Christchurch is Lianne Dalziel, who succeeded Bob Parker. The council currently consists of 13 councillors elected from seven wards, and is presided over by the Mayor, at the 2016 election, this will increase to 16 councillors. On 6 March 2006, Banks Peninsula District Council merged with Christchurch City Council, councillor Yani Johanson campaigned since 2010 to live-stream council meetings for more transparency. Whilst the technology had been installed well before the 2013 local body election, is has only been used since the change in mayor, the Council is elected every three years using the first-past-the-post voting system. The vote is conducted by postal ballot, the most recent elections, which closed on 13 October 2007, had a turnout of 41. 7%. Prior to the 2004 local elections, there were 24 councillors in Christchurch, at that election, the number of councillors halved to 12. For electoral purposes, Christchurch was divided into six wards from 2004, the six metropolitan wards each elected two councillors, with the remaining councillor elected for the sparsely populated Banks Peninsula ward. The 2016 representation review by the Local Government Commission has resulted in 16 wards, with each electing one councillor. Party politics are less influential in elections to the Council than is the case for the House of Representatives. In 2007, the Mayor and a majority of Councillors were elected as independent candidates, political groupings represented on the Council are the centre-right Independent Citizens and the centre-left The Peoples Choice. The election held via postal vote on 8 October 2016, was the first to use the new wards as a result of the representation review, five of the thirteen councillors did not stand for re-election in 2013. Another four councillors failed to get re-elected, hence, only four councillor were returned for another term, to be joined by nine new members plus a new mayor. For the 2013–2016 term, the composition of the Council is as follows, During the 2010–2013 term, the Press in an editorial described the situation during the three years as often tumultuous and there were many calls for a cleanout of elected members at the 2013 local body elections. During the term, the government appointed an overseer to council, five city councillors and the mayor did not stand for re-election. Under most circumstances, the Council is presided over by the Mayor. At its first meeting after an election, the Council elects from among its members a Deputy Mayor. The Deputy Mayor also presides at meetings if the Mayor is not present, the Deputy Mayor is recommended by the Mayor and is either confirmed or replaced in a vote of the first council meeting
27.
Dunedin
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Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago region. It is named for the capital of Scotland, generally Anglicised as Edinburgh, Dunedin was the largest New Zealand city by territorial land area until superseded by Auckland on the creation of the Auckland Council in November 2010. Dunedin was the largest city in New Zealand by population from the 1860s until about 1900, the city population at 5 March 2013 was 120,246. The Dunedin urban area lies on the central-eastern coast of Otago, the harbour and hills around Dunedin represent the remnants of an extinct volcano. The city suburbs extend out into the valleys and hills, onto the isthmus of the Otago Peninsula, and along the shores of the Otago Harbour. The citys most important activity in economic terms centres around tertiary education – Dunedin is home to the University of Otago, New Zealands first university, and the Otago Polytechnic. Students account for a proportion of the population,21.6 percent of the citys population was aged between 15 and 24 at the 2006 census, compared to the New Zealand average of 14.2 percent. In 2014 Dunedin was designated as a UNESCO Creative City of Literature, archaeological evidence shows the first human occupation of New Zealand occurred between AD 1250–1300, with population concentrated along the southeast coast. A camp site at Kaikai Beach, near Long Beach, has dated from about that time. There are numerous sites in what is now Dunedin, several of them large and permanently occupied. The population contracted but expanded again with the evolution of the Classic culture which saw the building of several pā, fortified settlements, notably Pukekura at, there was a settlement in what is now central Dunedin occupied as late as about 1785 but abandoned by 1826. Maori tradition tells first of a people called Kahui Tipua living in the area, then Te Rapuwai, semi-legendary, the next arrivals were Waitaha followed by Kāti Mamoe late in the 16th century and then Kai Tahu who arrived in the mid 17th century. These migration waves have often represented as invasions in European accounts. They were probably migrations like those of the European which incidentally resulted in bloodshed, the sealer John Boultbee recorded in the 1820s that the Kaika Otargo were the oldest and largest in the south. Lieutenant James Cook stood off what is now the coast of Dunedin between 25 February 1770 and 5 March 1770, naming Cape Saunders and Saddle Hill and he reported penguins and seals in the vicinity, which led sealers to visit from the beginning of the 19th century. Permanent European occupation dates from 1831, when the Weller brothers founded their whaling station at Otago, modern Otakou, epidemics badly reduced the Maori population. By the late 1830s the Harbour had become an international whaling port, johnny Jones established a farming settlement and a mission station, the South Islands first, at Waikouaiti in 1840. After inspecting several areas around the eastern coast of the south island, the name comes from Dùn Èideann, the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland
28.
Invercargill
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Invercargill is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world. It is the centre of the Southland region. It lies in the heart of the expanse of the Southland Plains on the Oreti or New River some 18 km north of Bluff. Many streets in the city, especially in the centre and main shopping district, are named after rivers in Great Britain, mainly Scotland. These include the main streets Dee and Tay, as well as named after the Forth, Tyne, Esk, Don, Thames, Mersey, Ness, Yarrow, Spey. The 2013 census showed the population was 51,696, up 2. 7% on the 2006 census number, Southland was a scene of early extended contact between Europeans and Maori, notably whalers and missionaries – Wohlers at Ruapuke. In 1853, Walter Mantell purchased Murihiku from local Maori iwi, Otago, of which Southland was itself part, was the subject of planned settlement by the Free Church, an offshoot of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. Settlement broadened with the discovery of gold in Central Otago in the 1860s, today, traces of Scottish speech persist in Southland voices, with R often pronounced with a rolling burr. This is more noticeable among country people, in 1856, a petition was put forward to Thomas Gore Browne, the Governor of New Zealand, for a port at Bluff. Due to the Otago gold rush, the population grew during the 1860s with the settlement of Bluff. Browne agreed to the petition and gave the name Invercargill to the settlement north of the port, the settlements chief surveyor was John Turnbull Thomson, a British civil engineer. Under the influence of James Menzies, Southland Province seceded from Otago in 1861 following the escalation of political tensions, however, rising debt forced Southland to rejoin Otago in 1870 and the provincial system, and with it the province of Otago, was abolished entirely in 1876. This debt was caused by a population decline stemming from poor returns from pastoral farming, in 1874, Invercargills population was less than 2,500 which reflected the drift north to large centres. In the 1880s, the development of an industry based on butter. In December 1905, Invercargill voted in local prohibition of alcohol sales and this lasted for 40 years until voted out by returning servicemen in the Second World War. When prohibition ended, a committee of citizens persuaded the Government to give the monopoly on sales in Invercargill to the specially formed Invercargill Licensing Trust. Based on a scheme in Carlisle, England, it returns profits to city amenities, even today, alcohol is not sold in supermarkets. In recent years, publicity has been brought to the city by the election of Tim Shadbolt
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Far North District
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The Far North District of New Zealand, as its name suggests, is the northernmost district within New Zealand, consisting of the northern tip of the North Island. The current mayor is former local Member of Parliament John Carter, the Far North District is the largest of three territorial authorities making up the Northland Region. It borders on the Kaipara and Whangarei Districts, which are the two territorial authorities in the Northland Region. The northernmost town in the district is Kaitaia, the district has 62,000 people, of whom 40 percent are Māori. Over the last 10 years the population has defied national trends by becoming increasingly rural. The largest town is Kerikeri with a population of 6507, followed by Kaitaia with 4887, and Kaikohe, the Far North District Council was formed through the amalgamation of the former Counties of Mangonui, Hokianga, Whangaroa and Bay of Islands and the Boroughs of Kaitaia and Kaikohe. The district has three wards – Te Hiku, Kaikohe/Hokianga and Bay of Islands/Whangaroa, list of regions in New Zealand Territorial Authorities of New Zealand Far North District Council
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Whangarei District
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The Whangarei District is located in Northland, New Zealand. Whangarei City is the town and the district seat. Other towns include Hukerenui, Hikurangi, Titoki, Portland, Ruakaka, the main airport for the district is Whangarei Airport. The district extends as far south as Bream Bay, north towards the Cape Brett Peninsula and it also includes the Hen and Chicken Islands and the Poor Knights Islands. The mayor of Whangarei District is Sheryl Mai, the district population is 87,700 from the June 2016. Territorial authorities of New Zealand Regions of New Zealand The district councils website The official website for the Whangarei District
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Kaipara District
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The Kaipara District is located in the Northland Region in northern New Zealand. Kaipara District is located in the hills around the northern shores of the Kaipara Harbour. Kaipara District Council shares management of the harbour with other organisations, most notably Northland Regional Council. The roughly triangular district stretches from a thinning of the Northland Peninsula south of Kaiwaka, the region is bisected by the Northern Wairoa River and its tributaries, which flow into the northern end of the Kaipara Harbour. It has a population of 21,700, of whom about 4450 live in Dargaville, the area around Dargaville is noted for the high proportion of residents of Dalmatian descent and has an active Dalmatian Club. The nearest city is Whangarei,45 kilometres northeast of Dargaville, community spirit is strong among the various rural communities, as is evident by the numerous local clubs, volunteer organisations and other initiatives. Dargaville has an annual Arts and Crafts Festival run by the local Rotary club, Maungaturoto has a monthly market on a Friday from 4pm to 7pm at the Maungaturoto Hall and also has a volunteer group dedicated to beautifying the town. A similar volunteer group also exists in Ruawai and Paparoa, Kaipara District is divided into 3 wards, Dargaville, Otamatea, Central and West Coast. On 6 September 2012, commissioners were appointed by the Minister of Local Government to take over the governance of the Kaipara District Council, the review team concluded that the challenges were beyond the ability of the mayor and councillors to manage. The elected council agreed and asked the Minister to appoint commissioners, the Kaipara District Council commissioners are John Robertson, Richard Booth, Colin Dale and Peter Winder. Regions in New Zealand Territorial authorities of New Zealand Kaipara District Council website Maungaturoto Website
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Hauraki District
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Hauraki District is a territorial authority within the Waikato Region of New Zealand. The seat of the council is at Paeroa, the area covered by the district extends from the southwest coast of the Firth of Thames southeast towards Te Aroha, although that town lies beyond its boundaries. It extends eastwards to the Bay of Plenty coast, taking in the southernmost part of the Coromandel Peninsula, the rest of the peninsula is part of the Thames-Coromandel district. Features of the include the Karangahake Gorge, Whiritoa, the Hauraki Plains, Ngatea. The district covers 1,144 km², and has a population of approximately 19,550 residents, of whom 3,978 live in Paeroa and 4,503 live in Waihi. In 2010, the neighbouring Franklin District was abolished during the creation of the Auckland Council, the current mayor is John Tregidga and deputy mayor is Toby Adams. The councils site The councils public librarys site
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Waikato District
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Waikato District is a territorial authority of New Zealand, in the northern part of Waikato Region, North Island. Waikato District is administered by the Waikato District Council, with headquarters in Ngaruawahia, the district is centred to the north and west of the city of Hamilton, and takes in much of the northern Waikato Plains and also the Hakarimata Range. The north of the district contains swampy floodplain of the Waikato River and several small lakes, other than Ngaruawahia, the main population centres are Huntly, Raglan, and Te Kauwhata. The main industries in the district are dairy farming, forestry, there is a major coal-fired power station at Huntly. Te Kauwhata is at the centre of a wine region. At the 2006 census the district had a population of 43,959, of these,6834 lived in Huntly,5106 in Ngaruawahia,2637 in Raglan, and 1294 in Te Kauwhata. The districts population at the June 2016 Census was 71,200, the County Councils had lasted over a hundred years from their formation in 1876. They had been preceded by Highways Boards, formed from 1866, prior to that there had been many complaints about Auckland Province spending a disproportionate amount in Auckland. Auckland Province passed a Highways Act in 1862 allowing their Superintendent to define areas of settlement as Highways Districts. By a notice in the Provincial Government Gazette on 25 August 1866, the deputy Superintendent, Daniel Pollen, declared Whaingaroa Highway District, a public meeting in the Raglan courthouse on 20 October 1866 was followed by a meeting a week later to elect 5 trustees. Raglan Town Board was formed in 1868, Karioi Board in 1870 by division of Whaingaroa Highway District, from 1872 government assistance more than matched rates collected, today government funding through NZTA mainly matches rates funding. Raglan County was divided into five ridings, Karioi, Pirongia, with 2 councillors each, and Te Akau, Onewhero and Whangape, with one. Only 3 of the Ridings were represented at the first meeting, W. H. Wallis and John Pegler, Karioi Riding, James Sherrett, Pirongia, at the next meeting in Whatawhata there was only one other councillor present, from Pirongia. Many of the areas had not had Highway Boards and were sparsely populated, by 1887 there were 8 nominations for the 7 seats. Some areas were transferred to neighbouring councils, the far south of Raglan went to Kawhia County when it was formed, but in 1952, the Local Government Commission put Makomako back in Raglan. On 1 October 1944, an area of Huntly West went to Huntly Borough. Other minor alterations were gazetted at intervals over the years, in 1954 a Raglan Town Committee was formed. Under the Local Government Act 1974, Raglan and Rotowaro became community towns, Raglan had also had a Town Board from 1906 to 1938
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Matamata-Piako District
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The Matamata-Piako District is a local government area in the Waikato region of New Zealand. It lies to the east of the city of Hamilton, the district encompasses the southern end of the Hauraki Plains and much of the Thames Valley, and is bounded in the east by the Kaimai Range. The rivers Piako and Waihou run through the district, the towns of Matamata, Morrinsville and Te Aroha are all within the district, with the Councils head office based in Te Aroha. The main industry in the region is farming and Thoroughbred breeding and training. Other communities in the district include Mangateparu and Waitoa, the districts population at the June 2016 was 34,100, of whom 6,606 lived in Morrinsville,6,309 in Matamata, and 3,768 in Te Aroha. Matamata-Piako is twinned with, Ballina, New South Wales, Australia District councils site Te Aroha i-SITE Information Centre Matamata i-SITE Information Centre
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Waipa District
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Waipa District Council in the Waikato region of New Zealand is a municipality that covers Te Awamutu, Cambridge and several small towns. The seat of the council is at Te Awamutu, the districts population at the June 2016 was 51,600, of whom approximately 35% lived in each of the main two towns. The district has an area of 1,473.47 km². It has five wards, Te Awamutu, Cambridge, Pirongia, Maungatautari, the district is located due south of the city of Hamilton. The regions economy is based largely on farming and cereal production. The southeastern corner of the district includes the project at Karapiro
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South Waikato District
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The South Waikato District is a municipality in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is located between the cities of Hamilton to the north, Rotorua to the east, Taupo to the south, the seat of the South Waikato District Council is at Tokoroa, the biggest town. The other main towns are Putaruru, Tirau and Arapuni, the districts population at the June 2016 was 23,800, of whom 58% lived in Tokoroa. Putarurus population was 3,777, and Tiraus was 690, the regions population decreased markedly during the 1990s, dropping over 4000 since the 1991 census. Ngāti Raukawa is the Maori tribe of the area and goes back 20–25 generations, the districts main industries are forestry and timber production, however land previously in plantation forest is increasingly being converted to dairy production. Several hydroelectric projects are located at the western edge. Council website South Waikato District Community Outcomes Long Term Council Community Plan 2006-2016 Fast Forward South Waikato
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Otorohanga District
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Otorohanga District is a municipality in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand. It was formed in 1979 by renaming Otorohanga County, Max Baxter has been the mayor of Otorohanga District since 2013. Otorohanga District is located south of Hamilton, west of Rotorua, adjacent districts are Waikato, Waipa, South Waikato, Taupo, and Waitomo. The seat of the council is in the town of Otorohanga. The districts population at the June 2016 was 9,980, other places in the district include Oparau, Hauturu, Owhiro, Honikiwi, Puketotara, Te Kawa, Otewa, Maihiihi, Wharepuhunga, and Kawhia. The district has an area of 1,976 square kilometres. Otorohanga is the gateway to the Waitomo Caves, which is located 15 minutes away, after the land wars, the wider area of the King Country was a refuge for Tāwhiao, the second Māori King, and his followers. From 1864 to 1883, pākehā were not allowed into the area unless they had express permission, the district was used for farming from the late 19th century onwards. The first municipal government, Otorohanga County, was formed in 1922, in 1956, the northern part of Kawhia County and Otorohanga County were amalgamated. On 1 November 1971, Otorohanga Borough was subsumed into Otorohanga County, the Otorohanga District was declared in 1979 by renaming Otorohanga County. The district council is headed by a mayor, and complemented by seven councillors from five wards, the council wards are Kawhia/Tihiroa, Waipa, Wharepuhunga, Kiokio/ Korakonui, and Otorohanga. The current mayor is Max Baxter, who in the 2013 local elections succeeded Dale Williams
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Rotorua
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Rotorua is a city on the southern shores of the lake of the same name, in the Bay of Plenty Region of New Zealands North Island. It is the seat of the Rotorua District, a territorial authority encompassing Rotorua, the majority of the Rotorua District is in the Bay of Plenty Region, but a sizeable southern section and a small western section are in the Waikato Region. Rotorua is in the heart of the North Island,60 kilometres south of Tauranga,80 km north of Taupo,105 km east of Hamilton, and 230 km southeast of the nations most populous city, Auckland. Rotorua has a permanent population of 57,800, making it the countrys 10th largest urban area. The Rotorua District has an estimated population of 70,500. Rotorua is a destination for both domestic and international tourists, the tourism industry is by far the largest industry in the district. It is known for its activity, and features geysers – notably the Pohutu Geyser at Whakarewarewa –. This thermal activity is sourced to the Rotorua caldera, on which the town lies, Rotorua is home to the Waiariki Institute of Technology. The Lakes of Rotorua are a collection of many lakes surrounding Rotorua, the name Rotorua comes from Māori, the full name being Te Rotorua-nui-a-Kahumatamomoe, roto means lake and rua two – Rotorua thus meaning Second lake. Kahumatamomoe was the uncle of the Māori chief Ihenga, the explorer of the Te Arawa. It was the major lake the chief discovered, and he dedicated it to his uncle. It is the largest of a multitude found to the northeast, all connected with the Rotorua Caldera, the name can also mean the equally appropriate crater lake. The area was settled by Māori of the Te Arawa iwi. The first European in the area was probably Phillip Tapsell who was trading from the Bay of Plenty coast at Maketu from 1828 and he later married into Te Arawa and became highly regarded by them. Missionaries Henry Williams and Thomas Chapman visited in 1831 and Chapman and this was abandoned within a year but Chapman returned in 1838 and established a second mission at Mokoia Island. The lakeshore was a prominent site of skirmishes during the New Zealand Wars of the 1860s, a special town district was created in the 1883, to promote Rotoruas potential as a spa destination. Rotorua was established as a borough in 1922, elected its first mayor in 1923, the area of Rotorua has a relatively high altitude, measuring up to 290m or 950 ft. The Rotorua region enjoys a temperate climate
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Waitomo District
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Waitomo District is a territorial authority, located in the Waikato region, at the north of the King Country area in the North Island of New Zealand. A small part of the district, the town of Tiroa, however, the seat of the Waitomo District Council is at Te Kuiti, which has a population of 4,419. No other village in the district has a population of over 500, the districts total population at the 2006 census was 9,441, of whom 39% were Māori. The district has an area of 3,546.76 km2,94. 87% of which lies in the Waikato Region. The Waitomo district was declared in 1976, the current district mayor is Brian Hanna, who defeated incumbent Mark Ammon in the local body elections. The district is a rural, predominantly dairy farming, region, the areas main industries include sheep farming, forestry, and limestone quarrying. The area is known for the popular Waitomo Caves, a system with stalactites, stalagmites. Waitomo also has an old hotel first built in 1908. Waitomo Caves Hotel overlooks Waitomo Village, Te Anga Road, a windy road from State Highway 3 towards Marokopa, leads past the Waitomo Caves, Mangapohue Natural Bridge, Piripiri Caves, and Marokopa Falls. Numerous other limestone caves are found throughout the Waitomo district, Waitomo District Council Destination Waitomo Hamilton & Waikato Regional Tourism
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Taupo District
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The Taupo District is a district in New Zealand. It covers 6,350 km² of land, as well as a further 610 km² of lake area, the district stretches from the small town of Mangakino in the northwest to the Tongariro National Park in the south, and east into the Kaingaroa Forest. The districts population is located in the two main centres, Taupo and Turangi. The district is governed by the Taupo District Council, with the vast majority of the district falling within the jurisdiction of Environment Waikato regional council. Little is known about early Māori settlement near Taupo, although Ngati Tuwharetoa have been the main iwi of the area for several hundred years, major pa were situated at the southern end of the lake to the west of the modern town of Turangi. Taupo town was founded in 1869 as a town during the New Zealand Wars. It was not until the 1950s that the region started to develop, with forestry, the town of Taupo is situated on the north-eastern shore of the lake, and Turangi is at the lakes southern extremity. State Highway 1 winds along the shore of Lake Taupo
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Western Bay of Plenty District
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The Western Bay of Plenty District is a municipality in the Bay of Plenty Region of New Zealand. The district envelops Tauranga City by land, and includes Matakana Island, the districts population at the June 2016 census was 47,800, of whom 16% are Maori. Of these,1773 live in Waihi Beach,3579 in Katikati, the district has a land area of 2,120.675 km². The seat of the Western Bay of Plenty District Council is at Greerton in Tauranga City, the district came into being in the local government reorganisation of 1989, with minor modifications to the boundaries, it merged the old Tauranga County and Te Puke Borough. The wards are Waihi Beach, Katikati, Kaimai, Te Puke and Maketu
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Whakatane
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Whakatāne is a town in the eastern Bay of Plenty Region in the North Island of New Zealand,90 km east of Tauranga and 89 km north-east of Rotorua, at the mouth of the Whakatāne River. Whakatāne District is the territorial authority, which covers an area to the south and west of the town. Whakatāne has an population of 19,600, making it New Zealands 24th largest urban area. Another 15,400 people living in the rest of the Whakatāne District, around 40% of the districts population have Māori ancestry. The District has an area of 4,442.07 km2. Whakatāne District was created in 1976, Whakatāne forms part of the parliamentary electorate of East Coast, represented by Anne Tolley of the New Zealand National Party. It is the seat of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Whakatāne was affected by the 1987 Edgecumbe earthquake. The site of the town has long been populated, Māori pā sites in the area date back to the first Polynesian settlements, estimated to have been around 1200 CE. According to Māori tradition Toi-te-huatahi, later known as Toi-kai-rakau, landed at Whakatāne about 1150 CE in search of his grandson Whatonga. Failing to find Whatonga, he settled in the locality and built a pa on the highest point of the now called Whakatāne Heads. Some 200 years later the Mataatua waka landed at Whakatāne, the name Whakatāne is reputed to commemorate an incident occurring after the arrival of the Mataatua. The men had gone ashore and the canoe began to drift, wairaka, a chieftainess, said “Kia Whakatāne au i ahau”, and commenced to paddle, and with the help of the other women saved the canoe. The region around Whakatāne was important during the New Zealand Wars of the mid 19th century, particularly the Volkner Incident. Its role culminated in 1869 with raids by Te Kootis forces, Whakatāne beach heralded an historic meeting on 23 March 1908 between Prime Minister Joseph Ward and the controversial Māori prophet and activist Rua Kenana Hepetipa. Kenana claimed to be Te Kootis successor, the town was a notable shipbuilding and trade centre from 1880 and with the draining of the Rangitikei swamp into productive farmland from 1904, Whakatāne grew considerably. In the early 1920s it was the fastest growing town in the country for a period of three years and this saw the introduction of electricity for the first time. The board mill at Whakatāne began as an operation in 1939 but has grown over the years. Remnants of the watercourse remain as Lake Sullivan and the Awatapu lagoon
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Kawerau
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Kawerau is a town in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is situated 100 km south-east of Tauranga and 58 km east of Rotorua and it is the seat of the Kawerau District Council, and the only town in Kawerau District. Kawerau is a community, with an economy that is largely driven by the nearby pulp and paper mill that is run by Norske Skog. It is located along State Highway 34, southwest of Onepu, and is the terminus of the East Coast Main Trunk Railway, Kawerau was one of the worst-affected towns in the 1987 Edgecumbe earthquake. Kawerau is one of the youngest towns in New Zealand and it was founded in 1953 as a mill town for the new Tasman pulp and paper mill. The site for the mill was chosen because of the availability of geothermal energy, water from the Tarawera River. Unlike most other towns of its size, Kawerau was carefully planned before construction, the town was built with an impressive number of facilities, to accommodate a multinational specialist workforce. The mill continues to drive the economy and greatly influences the fortunes of the town. The towns population peaked in the early 1980s but has declined significantly since then due to the restructuring of the mill, in 2012 mill owner Norske Skog said it would be shutting one of the two newsprint machines at the mill. In January 2013 it was confirmed nearly half the jobs would be lost. Norse Skog of Norway which is the second biggest producer of newsprint confirmed closure of one of its two paper machines at the Tasman Mill at Kawerau with the loss of 110 jobs. The company first announced its intention to one machine last September. The remaining Tasman machine would continue to produce newsprint predominantly for the New Zealand, Norske Skog management would work closely with employees, unions and other stakeholders on the detailed closure arrangements, including a mill-wide restructuring programme. Peter McCartey, General Manager of Tasman Mill said it was understood the decision had been brought about by global market forces within the industry. The second paper machine had operated successfully for over 50 years, Norske Skog has the widest geographical spread of all the paper producers, with mills in 11 countries on all continents except Africa. Kawerau is also home to power supply Kawerau Power Station for the local industry as well as the rest of New Zealand. The total population of the Kawerau District was 6,363 at the time of the 2013 census, the population ranks 64th, out of 67 districts total, based on population size. In the census 51. 8% of residents said they belong in the European ethnic group, in contrast 14. 9% of people in the whole of New Zealand responded as being Maori, meaning that Kawerau has a significantly higher Maori population than New Zealand as a whole
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Opotiki
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Opotiki /ɔːpɔːˈtɪki/ is a small town in the eastern Bay of Plenty in the North Island of New Zealand. Its Māori population ranks 36th in size out of the 73 districts in New Zealand,0.9 percent of New Zealands Māori population usually live in Opotiki District. Iwi based within the district are, Te Whakatōhea from Ohiwa Harbour to Opape, ngāti Tai are based in Torere. Te Whānau-ā-Apanui and hapu Te Ehutu cover the area from Hawai to Potaka, the district is predominantly steep hills dissected by fast-flowing rivers, the largest being the Motu. The coastal riverine floodplains and terraces provide the only flat land, Opotiki township is situated on the largest flat at the conjunction of two of these, the Otara River and the Waioeka River. Current human population is concentrated in the coastal southwest. The district has an area of 3,104.54 km². The town of Opotiki is situated exactly on latitude 38° South, summer temperatures reach the mid-20s on the coast and encourage a continuation of the beach culture of the Bay of Plenty. Winter days are often cloudless, the temperature never drops below freezing. Winter snow falls along the crest of the ranges, and on the peaks may remain for a few weeks. Severe localised rainstorms may occur in the country and have caused flash flooding including past inundations of Opotiki township. The active volcano Whakaari/White Island lies offshore and represents a tsunami risk, earthquakes are also a risk, but the district lies just off to the east of major fault lines and the risk is less than in other nearby areas. There are no mineral resources, although the greywacke contains rare decapitated guyots which have been mined in the past for gold. Natural vegetation is preserved in parts of the district because of the unsuitability of steep land for cultivation. The district is at a geographic and climatic boundary. A remnant sea-level stand of an alpine southern beech exists at the head of Ohiwa Harbour, coastal forest consists of pōhutukawa trees, nikau palms, and many small shrubs belonging to genera such as Pseudopanax, Coprosma etc. Of particular note are a daisy-flowered shrub Olearia pachyphylla endemic to the district, the canopy is dominated by tall trees such as tawa, puriri and pukatea heavily populated by epiphytes and lianas which include a pandanaceous climber. The understory contains many ferns of various sizes including tree ferns up to 10 m high, the giant stinging nettle Urtica ferox, in mountainous areas the rainforest gives way to less dense Nothofagus beech forest
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Gisborne District
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The Gisborne District or Gisborne Region is an area of northeastern New Zealand governed by the Gisborne District Council. It is named after its largest settlement, the city of Gisborne, the region is also sometimes referred to as the East Cape, although that also refers specifically to the promontory at the northeastern extremity. More recently, it has been called Eastland, although that can also include Opotiki in the eastern Bay of Plenty to the northwest, and Wairoa to the south. Its Māori name, Te Tai Rāwhiti, means the Coast of the Sunrise, the district is located in the northeastern corner of the North Island. It ranges from the Wharerata Hills in the south, which divide it from the Wairoa district in the Hawkes Bay region, the western boundary runs along the Raukumara Range, which separates it from the Opotiki district. In the southwest, its boundary runs along the edge of Te Urewera National Park. It is sparsely inhabited and isolated, with small settlements mainly clinging to small bays along the shore including Tokomaru Bay. Three-quarters of the population –36,100 – lives in the city of Gisborne, no other settlement has a population of over 1000. The largest other settlements are the towns of Tolaga Bay and Ruatoria, inland, the land is rough, predominantly forested, hill country. A spine of rough ridges dominates the centre of the region and this mountain is the fifth highest mountain in the North Island, and the highest that is not a volcano. Regarded as sacred by the Māori, there is some justification to the claims that this is the first mountain to see the sun in summer. The regions population has higher than the average proportion of Māori - over 50% in some areas -. The predominant iwi are Ngāti Porou, Rongowhakaata, Ngai Tamanuhiri, Gisborne District Council is a unitary territorial authority, which means that it performs the functions of a regional council as well as those of a territorial authority. It includes a mayor,13 elected councillors, a chief executive officer,4 department managers. Its headquarters are in the city of Gisborne, the area it governs is constituted as both the Gisborne District and the Gisborne Region. Gisborne District Council was created as part of a major reform of local government in 1989. It was the unitary authority in New Zealand until three others were created in 1992. The sub-national GDP of the Gisborne region was estimated at US$1.031 billion in 2003, the region is sheltered by high country to the west and has a dry, sunny climate
Coromandel Peninsula travel guide from Wikivoyage