Westland District
Westland District | |
---|---|
UTC+13 (NZDT) | |
Postcode(s) | |
Area code | 03 |
Website | www |
Westland District is a
History
Westland was originally a part of Canterbury Province, administered from Christchurch, on the east coast. The booming population as a result of the gold rush, together with the difficulty of travel and communication across the Southern Alps, led first to the creation of a special Westland County, then the formal separation of Westland from Canterbury to form the short-lived Westland Province (1873–1876). Westland Province also included what is now the southern portion of Grey District, with the provincial boundary at the Grey and Arnold rivers. Greymouth proper was in Westland Province, Cobden, on the north bank of the Grey River, was in Nelson Province.
After the abolition of the provinces in 1876, a new Westland County was created with roughly the same borders as the province. About this time, the population relative to the rest of the country began to decline, as the easily accessible gold soon ran out and the conditions were not ideal for farming. Local government changes saw the hinterland of Greymouth on both sides of the Grey River transformed into Greymouth Borough and Grey County and subsequently into Grey District, which includes portions of both historical provinces.
Westland as a unit of government emerged largely intact from the local government reforms of the 1980s and 1990s, merely changing from a county to a district and incorporating the Borough of Hokitika.
Recently, the population has begun to grow more quickly due to "lifestyle" residents moving into the district.
Geography
The district consists of a long, thin strip of land between the crest of the
In the north, the Taramakau River, the largest river in the district, forms the boundary with the Grey District. The crest of the Southern Alps marks the eastern boundary. A small southern boundary lies between Westland proper and Fiordland, which lies within the Southland District. This boundary cannot be crossed by road.
Urban areas and settlements
Hokitika, the district seat, is the only town in the Westland District with a population over 1,000. It is home to 3,120 people, 34.9% of the district's population.[2]
Other settlements and localities include:
Hokitika Ward:
Northern Ward:
Southern Ward:
- Bruce Bay
- Fox Glacier
- Franz Josef / Waiau
- Haast
- Hannahs Clearing
- Hari Hari
- Jackson Bay
- Neils Beach
- Ōkārito
- Okuru
- Pukekura
- Te Taho
- Whataroa
- Fergusons
- Kakapotahi
- Waitaha
- Herepo
- The Forks
- Tatare
- Gillespies Beach
- Karangarua
- Jacobs River
- Mahitahi
- Lake Paringa
- Haast Junction
- Haast Beach
- Waiatoto
- Arawhata
- Rotokino
- Lake Moeraki
- Haast Pass/Tiriopatea
Notes: bold - settlement; normal text - locality; italics - minor locality
Demography
Westland District covers 11,827.86 km2 (4,566.76 sq mi)[1] and had an estimated population of 8,940 as of June 2023,[2] with a population density of 0.76 people per km2. The district is the most sparsely populated of New Zealand's 67 territorial authorities.
Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
---|---|---|
2006 | 8,403 | — |
2013 | 8,304 | −0.17% |
2018 | 8,640 | +0.80% |
Source: [3] |
Westland District had a population of 8,640 at the
Ethnicities were 86.5% European/Pākehā, 14.4% Māori, 2.0% Pasifika, 5.2% Asian, and 3.0% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
The percentage of people born overseas was 16.3, compared with 27.1% nationally.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 51.4% had no religion, 36.7% were Christian, 0.3% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.9% were Hindu, 0.3% were Muslim, 0.5% were Buddhist and 1.7% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 1,056 (14.7%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 1,656 (23.0%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $29,600, compared with $31,800 nationally. 960 people (13.4%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 3,975 (55.3%) people were employed full-time, 1,137 (15.8%) were part-time, and 153 (2.1%) were unemployed.[3]
SA2 name | Area | Population | Density | Median age | Median income |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Arahura-Kumara | 262.57 km2 (101.38 sq mi) | 1,233 | 4.70/km2 (12.17/sq mi) | 49.8 years | $31,000 |
Haast | 4,099.09 km2 (1,582.67 sq mi) | 258 | 0.06/km2 (0.16/sq mi) | 52.6 years | $27,000 |
Hokitika | 3.91 km2 (1.51 sq mi) | 2,892 | 739.64/km2 (1,915.66/sq mi) | 47.5 years | $27,300 |
Hokitika Rural | 154.13 km2 (59.51 sq mi) | 1,440 | 9.34/km2 (24.19/sq mi) | 46.2 years | $34,100 |
Hokitika Valley-Otira | 1,614.48 km2 (623.35 sq mi) | 651 | 0.40/km2 (1.04/sq mi) | 36.6 years | $28,500 |
Waitaha | 1,499.99 km2 (579.15 sq mi) | 450 | 0.30/km2 (0.78/sq mi) | 51.7 years | $24,300 |
Westland Glaciers-Bruce Bay | 3,057.41 km2 (1,180.47 sq mi) | 1,074 | 0.35/km2 (0.91/sq mi) | 31.3 years | $33,000 |
Whataroa-Harihari | 1,136.25 km2 (438.71 sq mi) | 642 | 0.57/km2 (1.48/sq mi) | 40.7 years | $31,400 |
Name | Area (km2) | Population | Density (per km2) | Households | Median age | Median income |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Northern Ward | 2,344.82 | 2,907 | 1.24 | 1,197 | 46.9 years | $30,100 |
Hokitika Ward | 16.56 | 3,651 | 220.47 | 1,605 | 47.4 years | $28,400 |
Southern Ward | 9,466.43 | 2,082 | 0.22 | 945 | 35.0 years | $31,500 |
New Zealand | 37.4 years | $31,800 |
Government
The Westland District is governed by an elected
The district is one of three included within the
Economy
In the early years of settlement in Westland, gold was a major commodity, bringing prospectors flocking into the area. After the gold ran out, those who remained turned to pastoral farming. (Unlike the more northern parts of the West Coast, Westland has not developed coal mining.) Recently, tourism has become more important, with drawcards such as the glaciers, and events such as the Hokitika Wildfoods Festival.
References
- ^ a b "ArcGIS Web Application". statsnz.maps.arcgis.com. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Subnational population estimates (RC, SA2), by age and sex, at 30 June 1996-2023 (2023 boundaries)". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 25 October 2023. (regional councils); "Subnational population estimates (TA, SA2), by age and sex, at 30 June 1996-2023 (2023 boundaries)". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 25 October 2023. (territorial authorities); "Subnational population estimates (urban rural), by age and sex, at 30 June 1996-2023 (2023 boundaries)". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 25 October 2023. (urban areas)
- ^ a b "Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census". Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. Westland District (057). 2018 Census place summary: Westland District
- ^ "2018 Census place summaries | Stats NZ". www.stats.govt.nz. Retrieved 2020-12-14.