Ōpōtiki
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use New Zealand English Template:Infobox settlement Ōpōtiki (Template:IPAc-en; from Ōpōtiki-Mai-Tawhiti)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> is a town in the eastern Bay of Plenty in the North Island of New Zealand. It houses the headquarters of the Ōpōtiki District Council, the mayor of Ōpōtiki and comes under the Bay of Plenty Regional Council.
History
The place name, Ōpōtiki-mai-tawhiti, originally belonged to a pond on a hill east of the mouth of the Waiotahe River. It means "the place of Pōtiki from afar" and refers to Pōtiki-mai-tawhiti who is said to have come from Hawaiki to Aotearoa in pre-contact times. but came to be used for the wider region. The name subsequently came to be used for the region as a whole and was applied to the site of the settlement by the first European settlers in 1840.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
In 1840, the New Zealand Church Missionary Society (CMS) established a station in Ōpōtiki. Ōpōtiki was the traditional centre of the Māori iwi (tribe) Te Whakatōhea.<ref name="Te Ara Ōpōtiki">Template:Cite web</ref> On 2 March 1865, CMS missionary Carl Völkner was killed by local Māori for acting as a spy for the New Zealand Government. In response to Völkner's death, the New Zealand Government dispatched military expeditions to Ōpotiki to hunt down his killers. Several local people were arrested, with some being executed. The Government also confiscated a large area of land stretching from Matatā to the east of Ōpōtiki from local Bay of Plenty tribes including Te Whakatōhea.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Te Ara Ōpōtiki" />
Military settlers settled in Ōpōtiki, which became the main government centre in eastern Bay of Plenty. By 1882, Ōpotiki had become a town district and subsequently became a borough in 1908. Between 1901 and 1936, the population rose from 627 to 1,437.<ref name="Te Ara Ōpōtiki" />
Ōpōtiki's economy was based on agriculture, becoming a bustling dairy town until the 1980s.<ref name="Te Ara Ōpōtiki" /><ref name="1News 25 Feb 2024">Template:Cite news</ref> During the 1980s, the town was adversely affected by economic reforms which led to the closure of two clothing factories in nearby Waimana and layoffs in the public works. Between 1996 and 2001, the population declined by 3.7%.<ref name="Te Ara Ōpōtiki" /> During the early 21st century, the town's economy was boosted by the development of horticulture plantations and an offshore mussel farm.<ref name="Te Ara Ōpōtiki" />
By the 2020s, Ōpōtiki had developed a reputation nationally for its significant gang presence and their associated criminal activities.<ref name="1News 25 Feb 2024" /><ref name="Stuff 18 Jun 2023">Template:Cite news</ref> According to 1News, the three dominant gangs in Ōpōtiki are the Black Power chapter Mangu Kaha, the Ōpōtiki Mongrel Mob and the Mongrel Mob Barbarians.<ref name="1News 25 Feb 2024" /> On 14 June 2023, a Template:Lang (funeral) procession led to the temporary closure of several local schools and public transportation. This became a political issue with the Prime Minister, Chris Hipkins, commenting on it.<ref name="NZH 14 Jun 2023">Template:Cite news</ref>
Geography
The town of Ōpōtiki is situated exactly on latitude 38° South. The climate is temperate. Summer temperatures reach the mid-20s (Celsius, mid-70s Fahrenheit) on the coast and encourage a continuation of the beach culture of the Bay of Plenty. Winter days are often cloudless, the daytime temperature never drops below freezing but there may be a mild frost at night. Winter snow falls along the crest of the ranges, and on the higher peaks (over 1000 m) may remain for a few weeks. Rain occurs at any season. Severe localised rainstorms ('cloudbursts') may occur in the high country and have caused flash flooding including past inundations of Ōpōtiki township.<ref>Heginbotham & Esler p. 379-381 give a useful scientific summary.</ref>
Demographics
Stats NZ describes Ōpōtiki as a small urban area which covers Template:Convert.<ref name="Area">Template:Cite web</ref> It had an estimated population of Template:NZ population data 2018 as of Template:NZ population data 2018 with a population density of Template:Decimals people per km2.
Template:Historical populations Ōpōtiki had a population of 4,839 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 48 people (1.0%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 768 people (18.9%) since the 2013 census. There were 2,358 males, 2,472 females, and 12 people of other genders in 1,605 dwellings.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 2.2% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 35.0 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 1,164 people (24.1%) aged under 15 years, 957 (19.8%) aged 15 to 29, 1,902 (39.3%) aged 30 to 64, and 813 (16.8%) aged 65 or older.<ref name="Census 2023"/>
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 46.6% European (Pākehā); 68.4% Māori; 5.3% Pasifika; 4.7% Asian; 0.3% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 1.3% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 95.8%, Māori by 20.4%, Samoan by 0.5%, and other languages by 4.5%. No language could be spoken by 2.3% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.8%. The percentage of people born overseas was 8.9, compared with 28.8% nationally.<ref name="Census 2023"/>
Religious affiliations were 26.2% Christian, 0.7% Hindu, 0.2% Islam, 16.4% Māori religious beliefs, 0.2% Buddhist, 0.3% New Age, 0.1% Jewish, and 1.8% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 47.5%, and 7.3% of people did not answer the census question.<ref name="Census 2023"/>
Of those at least 15 years old, 378 (10.3%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 2,076 (56.5%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 1,227 (33.4%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $31,100, compared with $41,500 nationally. 117 people (3.2%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 1,659 (45.1%) full-time, 366 (10.0%) part-time, and 237 (6.4%) unemployed.<ref name="Census 2023">Template:Cite web</ref>
| Name | Area (km2) |
Population | Density (per km2) |
Dwellings | Median age | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woodlands | 2.85 | 1,053 | 369 | 405 | 47.5 years | $35,500<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| Ōpōtiki | 5.74 | 3,786 | 660 | 1,200 | 31.8 years | $29,900<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| New Zealand | 38.1 years | $41,500 |
Amenities
Marae
Ōpōtiki contains three marae:
- Maromahue Marae and Te Poho o Kahungunu meeting house is a traditional meeting place of the Whakatōhea hapū of Te Ūpokorehe.<ref name="tkmentry">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="maorimaps">Template:Cite web</ref> In October 2020, the Government committed $364,597 from the Provincial Growth Fund to upgrade the marae, creating 16 jobs.<ref name="maraepgf">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Te Rere Marae and Te Iringa meeting house is a meeting place of the Whakatōhea hapū of Ngāti Ngahere.<ref name="tkmentry" /><ref name="maorimaps" /> In October 2020, the Government committed $744,574 to upgrade it and two other marae, creating 30 jobs.<ref name="maraepgf" />
- Rongopopoia Marae, also known as Te Kahikatea Marae, is a meeting place of the Tūhoe hapū of Upokorehe.<ref name="tkmentry" /><ref name="maorimaps" />
Museum
Opotiki Heritage and Agricultural Society runs a museum in Ōpōtiki.<ref name="nzmuseums-Opotiki Heritage and Agricultural Society">Template:Cite web</ref> It opened in 2001.<ref name="efisher">Template:Cite news</ref>
Transport and infrastructure
Ōpōtiki is situated at the northern junction of State Highway 2 and State Highway 35. To the west, State Highway 2 connects Ōpotiki to Whakatāne, Rotorua and Tauranga. To the south and east, State Highway 2 provides a direct inland route to Gisborne, while State Highway 35 follows the coast via Te Araroa.
Coastal shipping used Opotiki Harbour until the mid-1960s. As of 2023, a project is underway to reconstruct the harbour, including the wharf and harbour entrance.
Horizon Networks owns and operates the electricity distribution network in Ōpōtiki, with electricity fed from Transpower's national grid at its Waiotahi substation.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Natural gas arrived in Ōpōtiki in 1984, as part of the construction of the Kawerau to Gisborne high-pressure pipeline. Today, First Gas owns and operates both the high-pressure pipeline and the local distribution network supplying the town.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Education
Ōpōtiki College is a state high school for Year 9 to 13 students,<ref name="official148">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="moe148">Template:Cite web</ref> with a roll of Template:NZ school roll data.<ref name="ero148">Template:Cite web</ref> It opened as Ōpōtiki District High School in 1922, and became Ōpōtiki College on its present site in 1953.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Ōpōtiki has three primary schools for Year 1 to 8 students: Opotiki School,<ref name="moe1866">Template:Cite web</ref> established in 1873,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> with a roll of Template:NZ school roll data;<ref name="ero1866">Template:Cite web</ref> Ashbrook School,<ref name="moe1689">Template:Cite web</ref> established in 1859,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> with a roll of Template:NZ school roll data;<ref name="ero1689">Template:Cite web</ref> and Woodlands School,<ref name="moe2092">Template:Cite web</ref> established in 1921,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> with a roll of Template:NZ school roll data.<ref name="ero">Template:Cite web</ref>
St Joseph's Catholic School is a state-integrated Catholic primary school for Year 1 to 8 students,<ref name="moe1950">Template:Cite web</ref> with a roll of Template:NZ school roll data.<ref name="ero1950">Template:Cite web</ref> The school started at a convent in 1890, and the current buildings date from 1920.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
All these schools are co-educational. Rolls are as of Template:NZ school roll data
Notable people
- James Rolleston, an actor in Boy and Vodafone NZ advertisements, lives and was raised in Ōpōtiki.
- René Lannuzel, priest from Pen Allan Garo, Plourin who was posted in Ōpōtiki until his death. He is buried in Ōpōtiki.
- Sholto Kairakau Black, teacher and community leader
Climate
Notes
References
- M. Heginbotham & A.E. Esler, "Wild vascular plants of the Opotiki-East Cape region, North Island, New Zealand". NZ Journal of Botany, 1985, vol. 23: 379–406.