Northland Region

Population density for Northland in the 2023 census

Northland (Template:Langx), officially the Northland Region,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="ReorgOrder2392">Template:Cite journal</ref> is the northernmost of New Zealand's 16 local government regions. The region is known for its warm weather. The major population centre is the city of Whangārei, and the largest town is Kerikeri. At the 2018 New Zealand census, Northland recorded a population growth spurt of 18.1% since the previous 2013 census, placing it as the fastest growing region in New Zealand, ahead of other strong growth regions such as the Bay of Plenty Region (2nd with 15%) and Waikato (3rd with 13.5%).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Geography

Template:See also The Northland Region occupies the northern 80% (Template:Convert) of the Template:Convert Northland Peninsula, the southernmost part of which is in the Auckland region.<ref name="nlrg">Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> It is bounded to the west by the Tasman Sea, and to the east by the Pacific Ocean. The land is predominantly rolling hill country. Farming and forestry occupy over half of the land and are two of the region's main industries.<ref name="nlrg" />

Although many of the region's kauri forests were felled during the 19th century, some areas still exist where this rare giant grows tall. New Zealand's largest tree, Tāne Mahuta, stands in the Waipoua Forest<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> south of the Hokianga Harbour. These kauri forests are also home to Te Raupua at Template:Convert, the highest point in the region. Northland has many endemic plant and invertebrate species<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> such as the endangered snail pūpū harakeke (Placostylus ambagiosus), stick insects and the Northland green tree gecko (Naultinus grayii).<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

The western coast is dominated by several long straight beaches, the most famous of which is the inaccurately-named 88 km stretch of Ninety Mile Beach in the region's far north. The slightly longer Ripiro Beach lies further south. Two large inlets are also located on this coast, the massive Kaipara Harbour in the south, which Northland shares with the Auckland region, and the convoluted inlets of the Hokianga Harbour.

The east coast is more rugged, and is dotted with bays and peninsulas. Several large natural harbours are found on this coast, from Parengarenga close to the region's northern tip, then Whangaroa Harbour, and past the famous Bay of Islands down to Whangārei Harbour, on the shores of which is situated the largest population centre. Numerous islands dot this coast, notably the Cavalli Islands, the Hen and Chicken Islands, Aorangaia Island and the Poor Knights Islands.

The northernmost points of the North Island mainland lie at the top of Northland. These include several points often confused in the public mind as being the country's northernmost points: Cape Maria van Diemen, Spirits Bay, Cape Reinga, and North Cape. The northernmost point of the North Island is actually the Surville Cliffs, close to North Cape although the northernmost point of the country is further north, in the Kermadec chain of islands. Cape Reinga and Spirits Bay, however, have a symbolic part to play as the end of the country. In Māori mythology, it is from here that the souls of the dead depart on their journey to the afterlife.

Climate

Northland has an oceanic climate (Cfb in the Köppen climate classification), but a subtropical climate in the Trewartha climate classification, with warm humid summers and mild wet winters. Due to its latitude and low elevation, it has the country's highest average annual temperature,<ref name="nldhb">Template:Cite web</ref> although, as with other parts of New Zealand, the weather is changeable. In summer, maximum temperatures range from 22 °C to 26 °C, not often rising above 30 °C. In winter, maximum temperatures vary between 14 °C and 17 °C,<ref name="tearane">Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> while minima vary between 7 °C and 12 °C.

Ground frosts are rare due to the region being encircled by the moderating Pacific and Tasman waters, but light frosts do occur infrequently around Dargaville in the lowlands.<ref name="nldhb" /> The hottest months are January and February. In January 2009, excessive sunlight hours and below-average rainfall resulted in the region being declared a drought zone.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Typical annual rainfall for the region is 1500–2000 mm but varies at different altitudes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Northland has an average of 2000 sunshine hours annually.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Winds are predominantly from the southwest. Occasionally in summer, the region experiences stormy conditions from former tropical cyclones,<ref name="tearane" /> which generally become much weaker once they leave tropical latitudes.

Government

The Northland Region has been governed by the present Northland Regional Council since 1989.<ref name="ReorgOrder1989">Template:Cite journal</ref> The seat of the council is in Whangārei.

Regional council members represent 8 constituencies: Far North, Bay of Islands-Whangaroa, Mid North, Coastal Central, Coastal South, Whangārei City, Kaipara and Te Raki.

There are three territorial authorities in the region:

• Far North District Council, based in Kaikohe
• Whangarei District Council, based in the city centre.
• Kaipara District Council, based in Dargaville

Until 1989 Northland was governed by several councils and an earlier Northland Regional Council known as the Northland United Council.<ref name=ReorgOrder1989/> (It had been part of Auckland Province from 1853 until government was centralised in 1876. Long after Auckland Province ceased, the region continued to be known as North Auckland.)<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> In 1989, Kaitaia Borough, Mangonui County, Whangaroa County, Bay of Islands County, Hokianga County, and Kaikohe Borough were amalgamated to become the Far North District. Whangarei City, Whangarei County, and Hikurangi Town Councils became the Whangarei District, with Dargaville Borough and Otamatea County becoming the Kaipara District. The Northland Regional Council became a tier of local government above these territorial authorities.

A proposal to merge the three district councils and the regional council into a unitary authority to be known as the Northland Council was rejected by the Local Government Commission in June 2015.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Timeline of councillors

Constituency	1989			1990												1991												1992												1993												1994												1995												1996												1997<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>												1998												1999												2000<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>												2001<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>												2002												2003												2004<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>												2005												2006												2007<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>												2008												2009												2010<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>												2011												2012												2013<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>												2014												2015												2016<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>												2017												2018												2019<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>												2020												2021												2022<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>												2023												2024<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>												2025
	O	N	D	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Far NorthTemplate:Efn	missing info																																																											Robin Shepherd																																																																Ian Walker																																																																<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>			Monty Knight																																	Mike Finlayson																																				Colin Toss																																				sum|2|Template:Multiply|12}}" style="background-color:lightgrey"|Joe Carr
Hokianga-KaikoheTemplate:Efn	Jim Peters																																																																Joe Carr																																																																Justin Blaikie																																																																abolished
Template:NowrapTemplate:Efn	missing info																																																																Dover Samuels																																				Lorraine Hill																																																																Bronwyn Hunt																																				Bill Shepard																																																																sum|36|2|Template:Multiply|12}}" style="background-color:lightgrey"|Marty Robinson
Kaipara	missing info																																					Mark Farnsworth																																																																Graeme Ramsay																																																																Penny Smart																																																																sum|2|Template:Multiply|12}}" style="background-color:lightgrey"|John Blackwell
Mid NorthTemplate:Efn	missing info																																					Peter Jensen																																																																Tony Davies-Colley																																				Dover Samuels																																				Jocelyn Yeoman																																																																sum|2|Template:Multiply|12}}" style="background-color:lightgrey"|Geoff Crawford
Coastal CentralTemplate:Efn	missing info																																																																Derek Keene																																				Bill Rossiter																																																																Paul Dimery																																																																sum|36|2|Template:Multiply|12}}" style="background-color:lightgrey"|Amy Macdonald
Coastal SouthTemplate:Efn	Rod McKay																																																																Craig Brown																																																																sum|36|36|2|Template:Multiply|12}}" style="background-color:lightgrey"|Rick Stolwerk
Whangārei UrbanTemplate:Efn	Joyce Ryan																																																																Briar Snelling																																				Stan Semonoff																																																																John Bain																																																																<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>			Terry Archer																					abolished
Whangārei CentralTemplate:Efn																																																																	David Sinclair																																																																sum|36|2|Template:Multiply|12}}" style="background-color:lightgrey"|Jack Craw
Te Raki Māori																																																																	sum|2|Template:Multiply|12}}" style="background-color:lightgrey"|Tui Shortland
Te Raki Māori																																																																	sum|2|Template:Multiply|12}}" style="background-color:lightgrey"|Peter-Lucas Jones

Demography

Northland Region covers Template:Convert<ref name="Area">Template:Cite web</ref> and 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.

Mature kauri tree (Agathis australis)

Northland Region had a population of 194,007 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 14,931 people (8.3%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 42,318 people (27.9%) since the 2013 census. There were 95,697 males, 97,776 females and 528 people of other genders in 71,778 dwellings.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 2.4% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 43.2 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 38,067 people (19.6%) aged under 15 years, 29,856 (15.4%) aged 15 to 29, 83,790 (43.2%) aged 30 to 64, and 42,288 (21.8%) aged 65 or older.<ref name="Census 2023"/>

People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 73.0% European (Pākehā); 37.4% Māori; 4.9% Pasifika; 4.8% Asian; 0.7% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 2.3% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 97.0%, Māori language by 10.1%, Samoan by 0.4% and other languages by 7.1%. No language could be spoken by 1.9% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.5%. The percentage of people born overseas was 16.9, compared with 28.8% nationally.

Religious affiliations were 31.2% Christian, 0.7% Hindu, 0.2% Islam, 3.8% Māori religious beliefs, 0.5% Buddhist, 0.5% New Age, 0.1% Jewish, and 1.2% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 54.2%, and 7.8% of people did not answer the census question.

Of those at least 15 years old, 20,514 (13.2%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 87,414 (56.1%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 41,562 (26.7%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $33,100, compared with $41,500 nationally. 11,367 people (7.3%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 67,788 (43.5%) people were employed full-time, 21,735 (13.9%) were part-time, and 5,469 (3.5%) were unemployed.<ref name="Census 2023">Template:Cite web</ref>

Māori refer to Northland – and by extension its Māori people – as Te Taitokerau (the northern tide) and Māori language and traditions are strong there.<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> Major tribal groups include Ngāpuhi, Te Aupōuri, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Kahu, Ngāti Kurī and Ngāti Whātua.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Several of these tribes form a loose association known as the Muriwhenua.<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref>

Approximately one third of the region's population are Māori; the majority of the remainder is of European lineage. Compared to the rest of the country, Pacific Islanders are under-represented in Northland.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Although most of the region's European population are British (as is true with the rest of the country), certain other ethnicities are represented as well. These include a sizeable Croatian community from the Dargaville area north, particularly around Kaitaia.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Largest groups of overseas-born residents<ref name="NZdotstat">Template:Cite web</ref>

Nationality	Population (2018)
England	8,607
Australia	3,429
South Africa	1,923
India	1,365
United States	1,059
Philippines	1,014
Netherlands	957
Germany	909
Scotland	804
Fiji	729

Urban areas

Northland is New Zealand's least urbanised region, with 50% of the population of Template:NZ population data 2018 living in urban areas. Whangārei is the largest urban area of Northland, with a population of Template:NZ population data 2018 The region's population is largely concentrated along the east coast, due to the west coast being more rugged and less suitable for urbanisation.

Urban area	Population (Template:NZ population data 2018	% of region
Whangārei	Template:NZ population data 2018	Template:Decimals%
Kerikeri	Template:NZ population data 2018	Template:Decimals%
Kaitaia	Template:NZ population data 2018	Template:Decimals%
Dargaville	Template:NZ population data 2018	Template:Decimals%
Kaikohe	Template:NZ population data 2018	Template:Decimals%
One Tree Point	Template:NZ population data 2018	Template:Decimals%
Ruakākā	Template:NZ population data 2018	Template:Decimals%
Mangawhai Heads	Template:NZ population data 2018	Template:Decimals%
Moerewa	Template:NZ population data 2018	Template:Decimals%
Hikurangi	Template:NZ population data 2018	Template:Decimals%
Opua	Template:NZ population data 2018	Template:Decimals%
Paihia	Template:NZ population data 2018	Template:Decimals%
Kawakawa	Template:NZ population data 2018	Template:Decimals%
Waipu	Template:NZ population data 2018	Template:Decimals%
Ngunguru	Template:NZ population data 2018	Template:Decimals%
Haruru	Template:NZ population data 2018	Template:Decimals%

History

Kerikeri, Bay of Islands. Stone Store (left), St James (rear), and the country's oldest surviving building, Mission House (right).

According to Māori legend, the North Island of New Zealand was an enormous fish, caught by the demigod Māui. For this reason, Northland is sometimes referred to as "The tail of the fish", Te Hiku o Te Ika.

Northland iwi claim that Kupe made landfall at the Hokianga (although others claim this was at Taipa) in the northwest of Northland, and thus the region claims that it was the birthplace of New Zealand. Some of the oldest traces of Māori Template:Lang (fishing villages) can be found here.

If the Māori regard the region as the legendary birthplace of the country, there can be no doubt that it was the European starting-point for the modern nation of New Zealand. Traders, whalers and sealers were among the first arrivals, and the gum and timber of the mighty kauri trees brought more colonisers.

In the Bay of Islands, Russell, formerly known as Kororareka, was the first permanent European settlement and Kerikeri contains many historic buildings, including the Stone Store, New Zealand's oldest extant stone building. The nearby settlement of Waitangi was of even more significance, as the signing place of New Zealand's founding document, the Treaty of Waitangi between the Māori tribes and the British Crown, on 6 February 1840.

Between 1870 and 1920, the major industry in Northland was kauri gum digging, which by the 1910s was centred around the townships of Ahipara and Houhora.<ref name="HaywardGum">Template:Cite book</ref>

Economy

The subnational gross domestic product (GDP) of Northland was estimated at NZ$7.86 billion in the year to March 2019, 2.6% of New Zealand's national GDP. The regional GDP per capita was estimated at $42,104 in 2019, the lowest of all New Zealand regions. In the year to March 2018, primary industries contributed $984 million (13.1%) to the regional GDP, goods-producing industries contributed $1.59 billion (21.2%), service industries contributed $4.30 billion (57.1%), and taxes and duties contributed $645 million (8.6%)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Fence on a sheep farm

The region's economy is based on agriculture (notably beef cattle and sheep), fishing, forestry, and horticulture. Northland has Template:Convert of horticultural land as of 2017. Significant crops include avocadoes, kumara, kiwifruit, citrus fruit and olives.<ref name="tearanrfaf">Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Extensive forests are a feature of the Northland landscape. For this reason wood and paper manufacturing industries also make a large contribution to the region's economy.<ref name="tearanrfaf" /> The railway system, which once ran as far north as Okaihau, has been historically important for the transport of timber to Auckland.

Northland is a favourite tourist destination, especially to the Bay of Islands and the historic town of Kerikeri. Diving and fishing are also popular visitor activities, especially around the Bay of Islands and the Poor Knights Islands.

Northland was formerly home to New Zealand's only oil refinery, located in Marsden Point, a town, close to Whangārei across the harbour. New Zealand's natural fuel resources in Taranaki account for a little under half of the refinery's intake, with the rest coming predominantly from the Middle East. The nearby Marsden A thermal power station originally utilised heavy oil from the refinery for electricity production, but no longer does so.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

External links

• Northland Regional Council
• Northland regional information