View source for Kaipara District

{{Use New Zealand English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Kaipara District
| settlement_type    = [[Districts of New Zealand|Territorial authority district]]
| total_type         = Total
| image_skyline      = Kaipara_District_Council_Building,_Dargaville.JPG
| image_caption      = Kaipara District Council building in [[Dargaville]]
| image_shield       = 
| shield_size        = 
| image_map          = Kaipara in the North Island.svg
| mapsize            = 
| map_caption        = Kaipara district within the [[North Island]]
| coordinates        = {{coord|-36.06|174.09|region:NZ-NTL_type:adm2nd|display=title,inline}}
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = [[New Zealand]]
| subdivision_type1  = [[Regions of New Zealand|Region]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Northland Region|Northland]]
| subdivision_type2  = Wards
| subdivision_name2  = Wairoa<br/>Otamatea<br/>Kaiwaka-Mangawhai<br/>Te Moananui o Kaipara&nbsp;(Māori) 
| established_title  = 
| established_date   = 
| seat_type          = 
| seat               = [[Dargaville]]
| leader_title       = [[Mayor of Kaipara|Mayor]]
| leader_name        = [[Jonathan Larsen (mayor)|Jonathan Larsen]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kaipara.govt.nz/news/post/905-Declaration-of-official-local-elections-results|title=Declaration of official local elections results|publisher=Kaipara District Council|date=17 October 2025}}</ref>
| leader_title1      = Deputy Mayor
| leader_name1       = 
| leader_title2      = [[Territorial authorities of New Zealand|Territorial authority]]
| leader_name2       = [[Kaipara District Council]]
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="Area"/>
| area_land_km2      = 3109.09
| population_as_of   = {{NZ population data 2018|||y}}
| population_footnotes = {{NZ population data 2018||||y|}}
| population_total   = {{NZ population data 2018|Kaipara district|y}}
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_urban   = 
| timezone           = [[Time in New Zealand|NZST]]
| utc_offset         = +12
| timezone_DST       = NZDT
| utc_offset_DST     = +13
| postal_code_type   = Postcode(s)
| postal_code        = [http://www.nzpost.co.nz/sites/default/files/uploads/shared/postcodemaps/kaipara-district.pdf Map of postcodes]
| area_code          = 
| website            = [http://www.kaipara.govt.nz/ Kaipara District Council]
}}

'''Kaipara District''' is a [[Territorial authorities of New Zealand|territorial authority district]] in the [[Northland Region]] of [[New Zealand]].

==History==
Kaipara District was formed through the [[1989 New Zealand local government reforms]] and was constituted on 1 November 1989. It was made up of five former boroughs and counties: all of [[Hobson County, New Zealand|Hobson County]], [[Dargaville Borough]], [[Otamatea County]], and parts of [[Rodney County, New Zealand|Rodney County]] and [[Whangarei County]]. In addition, it took over the functions of the Raupo Drainage Board, Kaiwaka Reserve Board, and the Pahi Reserve Boards.<ref name="kaipara">{{Cite web |url= http://www.kaipara.govt.nz/teuri.htm |agency=Kaipara District Council |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081014032812/http://kaipara.govt.nz/teuri.htm |archive-date=14 October 2008 |url-status=dead |title=Management Implementation of Memorandum Understanding Between Kaipara District Council and Te Uri O Hau, Ngati Whatua |publisher=[[Kaipara District Council]]}}</ref>

==Geography==
Kaipara District is located in the rolling hills around the northern shores of the [[Kaipara Harbour]], a large natural harbour open to the [[Tasman Sea]]. Kaipara District Council shares management of the harbour with various other organisations, most notably Northland Regional Council (in the north) and [[Auckland Council]] to the south.<ref name=FACINGCRISIS>{{cite news|title=Kaipara facing 'ecological crisis'|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/auckland-region/news/article.cfm?l_id=117&objectid=10734070|access-date=29 June 2011|work=[[The New Zealand Herald]]|date=24 June 2011}}</ref>

The roughly triangular district stretches from a thinning of the [[Northland Peninsula]] south of [[Kaiwaka]] and [[Mangawhai]] in the southeast to the [[Waipoua Forest]] in the northwest. The district's western boundary is defined by [[Ripirō Beach]], which stretches down Northland's west coast from [[Maunganui Bluff]] and the [[Waipoua Forest]] in the north, to [[Pouto Peninsula|Pouto]] at the entrance to [[Kaipara Harbour]]. The region is bisected by the northern [[Wairoa River (Northland)|Wairoa River]] and its tributaries, which flow into the northern end of Kaipara Harbour.

===Population centres===
The district has a population of {{NZ population data 2018|Kaipara district|y|y|y|(|),}} most of whom live rurally, with the rest in small settlements scattered amongst the rolling hills or nestled on the shores of the harbour. [[Dargaville]], located in the west, is the largest town, the primary service centre and seat of the district council, with {{NZ population data 2018|Dargaville|y}} residents. Other towns and villages include [[Ruawai]], [[Matakohe]], [[Paparoa]], [[Maungaturoto]], [[Kaiwaka]], [[Mangawhai]], [[Te Kōpuru]], [[Kaihu]] and the harbour villages of [[Pahi, New Zealand|Pahi]], [[Tinopai]] and Whakapirau. The district has no major urban centre; the nearest one is the city of [[Whangārei]], 45 kilometres northeast of Dargaville.

The area around Dargaville is noted for the high proportion of residents of [[Dalmatia]]n descent and has an active Dalmatian Club. Community spirit is strong in the rural communities, as evidenced by the numerous local clubs, volunteer organisations and other initiatives. Dargaville has an annual Arts and Crafts Festival run by the local [[Rotary Club|Rotary club]] and also features weekly Riverside Produce Markets on Thursday afternoons. Maungaturoto has a monthly market on a Friday from 4pm to 7pm at the Maungaturoto Hall and also has a volunteer group (Maungaturoto Residents Association)<ref>{{cite web |title= Maungaturoto Residents Association |url=http://www.northlandinc.co.nz/links/maungaturoto |website=Northland Inc. |access-date=30 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150113195535/http://www.northlandinc.co.nz/links/maungaturoto |archive-date=13 January 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> dedicated to beautifying the town. A similar volunteer group exists in Ruawai and Paparoa (Progressive Paparoa).

==Demographics==
Kaipara District covers {{Convert|3109.09|km2||abbr=on}}<ref name="Area">{{Cite web|title=ArcGIS Web Application|url=https://statsnz.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=6f49867abe464f86ac7526552fe19787| access-date=28 February 2022|website=statsnz.maps.arcgis.com}}</ref> and had an estimated population of {{NZ population data 2018|Kaipara district|y}} as of {{NZ population data 2018|||y|y||,}} with a population density of {{Decimals|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Kaipara district|y}}|R}}/3109.09|1}} people per km<sup>2</sup>.

{{Historical populations|18,135|2013|2013|18,963|2018|22,869|2023|25,899|percentages=pagr|align=left|source=<ref name="Census 2023"/><ref name="Census 2018">{{NZ census 2018|Kaipara District (003)|kaipara-district|Kaipara District}}</ref>}}
[[File:Maungaturoto Markets.JPG|thumb|Maungaturoto Markets are held on the 1st Friday of the month.]]
[[File:Typical Maungaturoto View.jpg|thumb|Photo taken from View Road, Maungaturoto]]

Kaipara District had a population of 25,899 in the [[2023 New Zealand census]], an increase of 3,030 people (13.2%) since the [[2018 New Zealand census|2018 census]], and an increase of 6,936 people (36.6%) since the [[2013 New Zealand census|2013 census]]. There were 12,960 males, 12,849 females and 84 people of [[non-binary gender|other genders]] in 10,191 dwellings.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://explore.data.stats.govt.nz/vis?fs[0]=2023%20Census%2C0%7CTotals%20by%20topic%23CAT_TOTALS_BY_TOPIC%23&pg=0&fc=Variable%20codes&bp=true&snb=9&df[ds]=ds-nsiws-disseminate&df[id]=CEN23_TBT_005&df[ag]=STATSNZ&df[vs]=1.0&dq=doTotal%2Bdo1.w_00303%2Bw_00302%2Bw_00301%2B003.2023&ly[rw]=CEN23_TBT_DWD_003|publisher=Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer|access-date=3 October 2024|title=Totals by topic for dwellings, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses}}</ref> 2.2% of people identified as [[LGBTQ|LGBTIQ+]]. The median age was 46.8 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 4,734 people (18.3%) aged under 15 years, 3,480 (13.4%) aged 15 to 29, 11,376 (43.9%) aged 30 to 64, and 6,309 (24.4%) aged 65 or older.<ref name="Census 2023"/>

People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 83.7% [[European New Zealanders|European]] ([[Pākehā]]); 25.4% [[Māori people|Māori]]; 4.8% [[Pasifika New Zealanders|Pasifika]]; 3.6% [[Asian New Zealanders|Asian]]; 0.5% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 3.0% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 97.7%, Māori language by 4.7%, Samoan by 0.3% and other languages by 6.3%. No language could be spoken by 1.7% (e.g. too young to talk). [[New Zealand Sign Language]] was known by 0.4%. The percentage of people born overseas was 15.7, compared with 28.8% nationally.

Religious affiliations were 30.5% [[Christianity in New Zealand|Christian]], 0.5% [[Hinduism in New Zealand|Hindu]], 0.2% [[Islam in New Zealand|Islam]], 2.3% [[Religion of Māori people|Māori religious beliefs]], 0.4% [[Buddhism in New Zealand|Buddhist]], 0.6% [[New Age]], 0.1% [[Judaism in New Zealand|Jewish]],  and 1.1% other religions. People who answered that they had [[Irreligion in New Zealand|no religion]] were 56.0%, and 8.5% of people did not answer the census question.

Of those at least 15 years old, 2,391 (11.3%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 12,051 (56.9%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 6,009 (28.4%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $31,600, compared with $41,500 nationally. 1,557 people (7.4%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 8,946 (42.3%) people were employed full-time, 3,240 (15.3%) were part-time, and 546 (2.6%) were unemployed.<ref name="Census 2023">{{Cite web|url=https://explore.data.stats.govt.nz/vis?fs[0]=2023%20Census%2C0%7CTotals%20by%20topic%23CAT_TOTALS_BY_TOPIC%23&pg=0&fc=Variable%20codes&bp=true&snb=9&df[ds]=ds-nsiws-disseminate&df[id]=CEN23_TBT_008&df[ag]=STATSNZ&df[vs]=1.0&dq=hq011%2Bhq010%2Bhq009%2Bhq008%2Bhq007%2Bhq006%2Bhq005%2Bhq004%2Bhq003%2Bhq002%2Bhq001%2Bhq000%2Bws1%2Bsp99%2Bra80%2Bra08%2Bra07%2Bra06%2Bra05%2Bra01%2Bra04%2Bra03%2Bra02%2Bra00%2Brb1%2Bls66%2Bls03%2Bls02%2Bls05%2Bls04%2Bls01%2Beg6%2Beg5%2Beg4%2Beg3%2Beg2%2Beg1%2BbiTotal%2Bbi0%2Bbi1%2BasTotalLG%2Bas4%2Bas3%2Bas2%2Bas1%2Bws4%2Bws3%2Bws2%2Bge3%2Bge2%2Bge1%2Brc%2BasMed%2BegTotal%2BlsTotal%2BgeTotal%2BrbTotal%2BraTotal%2BhqTotal%2BibTotal%2Bibmed%2BwsTotal.003.2013%2B2018%2B2023&to[TIME]=false&ly[rw]=CEN23_TBT_IND_003&ly[cl]=CEN23_YEAR_001|publisher=Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer|access-date=3 October 2024|title=Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses|at=Kaipara District (003)}}</ref>
[[File:2023 NZ Census Population Density - Kaipara District.png|thumb|Population density in the 2023 census]]
{| class="wikitable"
|+Individual wards
|-
!Name !! Area<br/>(km<sup>2</sup>) !! Population !! Density<br/>(per km<sup>2</sup>) || Dwellings !! Median age !! Median<br/>income
|-
| Wairoa General Ward || style="text-align:right;"|1,952.70 || style="text-align:right;"|10,695 || style="text-align:right;"|5.5 || style="text-align:right;"|4,176 || 44.8 years || $30,200<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://explore.data.stats.govt.nz/vis?fs[0]=2023%20Census%2C0%7CTotals%20by%20topic%23CAT_TOTALS_BY_TOPIC%23&pg=0&fc=Variable%20codes&bp=true&snb=9&df[ds]=ds-nsiws-disseminate&df[id]=CEN23_TBT_008&df[ag]=STATSNZ&df[vs]=1.0&dq=hq011%2Bhq010%2Bhq009%2Bhq008%2Bhq007%2Bhq006%2Bhq005%2Bhq004%2Bhq003%2Bhq002%2Bhq001%2Bhq000%2Bws1%2Bsp99%2Bra80%2Bra08%2Bra07%2Bra06%2Bra05%2Bra01%2Bra04%2Bra03%2Bra02%2Bra00%2Brb1%2Bls66%2Bls03%2Bls02%2Bls05%2Bls04%2Bls01%2Beg6%2Beg5%2Beg4%2Beg3%2Beg2%2Beg1%2BbiTotal%2Bbi0%2Bbi1%2BasTotalLG%2Bas4%2Bas3%2Bas2%2Bas1%2Bws4%2Bws3%2Bws2%2Bge3%2Bge2%2Bge1%2Brc%2BasMed%2BegTotal%2BlsTotal%2BgeTotal%2BrbTotal%2BraTotal%2BhqTotal%2BibTotal%2Bibmed%2BwsTotal.w_00301.2013%2B2018%2B2023&to[TIME]=false&ly[rw]=CEN23_TBT_IND_003&ly[cl]=CEN23_YEAR_001|publisher=Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer|access-date=3 October 2024|title=Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses|at=Wairoa General Ward}}</ref>
|-
| Otamatea General Ward || style="text-align:right;"|796.92 || style="text-align:right;"|5,835 || style="text-align:right;"|7.3|| style="text-align:right;"|2,274 || 47.0 years || $31,000<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://explore.data.stats.govt.nz/vis?fs[0]=2023%20Census%2C0%7CTotals%20by%20topic%23CAT_TOTALS_BY_TOPIC%23&pg=0&fc=Variable%20codes&bp=true&snb=9&df[ds]=ds-nsiws-disseminate&df[id]=CEN23_TBT_008&df[ag]=STATSNZ&df[vs]=1.0&dq=hq011%2Bhq010%2Bhq009%2Bhq008%2Bhq007%2Bhq006%2Bhq005%2Bhq004%2Bhq003%2Bhq002%2Bhq001%2Bhq000%2Bws1%2Bsp99%2Bra80%2Bra08%2Bra07%2Bra06%2Bra05%2Bra01%2Bra04%2Bra03%2Bra02%2Bra00%2Brb1%2Bls66%2Bls03%2Bls02%2Bls05%2Bls04%2Bls01%2Beg6%2Beg5%2Beg4%2Beg3%2Beg2%2Beg1%2BbiTotal%2Bbi0%2Bbi1%2BasTotalLG%2Bas4%2Bas3%2Bas2%2Bas1%2Bws4%2Bws3%2Bws2%2Bge3%2Bge2%2Bge1%2Brc%2BasMed%2BegTotal%2BlsTotal%2BgeTotal%2BrbTotal%2BraTotal%2BhqTotal%2BibTotal%2Bibmed%2BwsTotal.w_00302.2013%2B2018%2B2023&to[TIME]=false&ly[rw]=CEN23_TBT_IND_003&ly[cl]=CEN23_YEAR_001|publisher=Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer|access-date=3 October 2024|title=Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses|at=Otamatea General Ward}}</ref>
|-
| Kaiwaka-Mangawhai General Ward || style="text-align:right;"|359.47 || style="text-align:right;"|9,369 || style="text-align:right;"|26.1 || style="text-align:right;"|3,741 || 48.5 years || $34,000<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://explore.data.stats.govt.nz/vis?fs[0]=2023%20Census%2C0%7CTotals%20by%20topic%23CAT_TOTALS_BY_TOPIC%23&pg=0&fc=Variable%20codes&bp=true&snb=9&df[ds]=ds-nsiws-disseminate&df[id]=CEN23_TBT_008&df[ag]=STATSNZ&df[vs]=1.0&dq=hq011%2Bhq010%2Bhq009%2Bhq008%2Bhq007%2Bhq006%2Bhq005%2Bhq004%2Bhq003%2Bhq002%2Bhq001%2Bhq000%2Bws1%2Bsp99%2Bra80%2Bra08%2Bra07%2Bra06%2Bra05%2Bra01%2Bra04%2Bra03%2Bra02%2Bra00%2Brb1%2Bls66%2Bls03%2Bls02%2Bls05%2Bls04%2Bls01%2Beg6%2Beg5%2Beg4%2Beg3%2Beg2%2Beg1%2BbiTotal%2Bbi0%2Bbi1%2BasTotalLG%2Bas4%2Bas3%2Bas2%2Bas1%2Bws4%2Bws3%2Bws2%2Bge3%2Bge2%2Bge1%2Brc%2BasMed%2BegTotal%2BlsTotal%2BgeTotal%2BrbTotal%2BraTotal%2BhqTotal%2BibTotal%2Bibmed%2BwsTotal.w_00303.2013%2B2018%2B2023&to[TIME]=false&ly[rw]=CEN23_TBT_IND_003&ly[cl]=CEN23_YEAR_001|publisher=Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa - Aotearoa Data Explorer|access-date=3 October 2024|title=Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses|at=Kaiwaka-Mangawhai General Ward}}</ref>
|-
! New Zealand !! !! !! !! !! 38.1 years !! style="text-align:left;"| $41,500
|}

==Local government==
Prior to 2022, Kaipara District was divided into four wards:

* West Coast-Central
* Dargaville
* Otamatea
* Kaiwaka-Mangawhai

Since 2022, it is now reverted back into three wards (which is the last amount since the 2016 elections). This time both West Coast-Central and Dargaville Wards were merged to form into Wairoa Ward.

On 6 September 2012, commissioners were appointed by the [[Minister of Local Government (New Zealand)|Minister of Local Government]] to take over the governance of the Kaipara District Council. The appointment followed the completion of the work of the review team, which had been put in place by the Minister of Local Government in June 2012 to assess the financial management and governance challenges facing the 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 were John Robertson (chairman), Richard Booth, Colin Dale and Peter Winder.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kaipara.govt.nz/uploads/open/Open%20Letter%20Sept.pdf|title=Open Letter to all Kaipara District Council residents and ratepayers|date=September 2012|publisher=Kaipara District Council}}</ref>

In 2016, a new Kaipara District Council was elected, with Peter Winder guiding the council as Crown manager. In 2019, the council returned to full self-management.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503450&objectid=12272704|title=Kaipara District Council gets vote of confidence from Crown manager|first=Lindy|last=Laird|newspaper=The Northern Advocate|date=4 October 2019}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commonscatinline}}
* [http://www.kaipara.govt.nz/ Kaipara District Council website]
* [https://archive.today/20130413224407/http://www.maungaturotomatters.co.nz/  Maungaturoto Website]

{{Adjacent communities
 | title = Adjacent cities and districts
 | Centre = Kaipara
 | N = [[Far North District|Far North]]
 | E = [[Whangarei District|Whangarei]]<br/>''[[Pacific Ocean]]''
 | S = [[Auckland]]
 | W = ''[[Tasman Sea]]''
}}
{{Kaipara District}}
{{Cities and districts of New Zealand}}

[[Category:Kaipara District| ]]