Ōpōtiki

Ōpōtiki (; from ''Ōpōtiki-Mai-Tawhiti'') 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

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. 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.

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.

Ōpōtiki's economy was based on agriculture, becoming a bustling dairy town until the 1980s. 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%. During the early 21st century, the town's economy was boosted by the development of horticulture plantations and an offshore mussel farm.

By the 2020s, Ōpōtiki had developed a reputation nationally for its significant gang presence and their associated criminal activities. 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. On 14 June 2023, a (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.

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.

Demographics

Ōpōtiki covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km².

Before the 2023 census, the town had a larger boundary, covering . Using that boundary, Ōpōtiki had a population of 4,806 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 735 people (18.1%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 363 people (8.2%) since the 2006 census. There were 1,539 households, comprising 2,337 males and 2,472 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.95 males per female, with 1,221 people (25.4%) aged under 15 years, 921 (19.2%) aged 15 to 29, 1,920 (40.0%) aged 30 to 64, and 744 (15.5%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 46.7% European/Pākehā, 67.9% Māori, 4.2% Pacific peoples, 3.7% Asian, and 1.1% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 8.2, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 41.9% had no religion, 30.7% were Christian, 18.0% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.6% were Hindu, 0.3% were Muslim, 0.1% were Buddhist and 2.1% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 303 (8.5%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 1,029 (28.7%) people had no formal qualifications. 174 people (4.9%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 1,530 (42.7%) people were employed full-time, 480 (13.4%) were part-time, and 300 (8.4%) were unemployed.

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. In October 2020, the Government committed $364,597 from the Provincial Growth Fund to upgrade the marae, creating 16 jobs.
* Te Rere Marae and Te Iringa meeting house is a meeting place of the Whakatōhea hapū of Ngāti Ngahere. In October 2020, the Government committed $744,574 to upgrade it and two other marae, creating 30 jobs.
* Rongopopoia Marae, also known as Te Kahikatea Marae, is a meeting place of the Tūhoe hapū of Upokorehe.

Museum

Opotiki Heritage and Agricultural Society runs a museum in Ōpōtiki. It opened in 2001.

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.

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.

Education

Ōpōtiki College is a co-educational state high school for Year 9 to 13 students, with a roll of as of .

Ōpōtiki has three co-educational primary schools for Year 1 to 8 students: Opotiki School, with a roll of ; Ashbrook School, with a roll of ; and Woodlands School, with a roll of .

St Joseph's Catholic School is a co-educational state-integrated Catholic primary school for Year 1 to 8 students, with a roll of as of .

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.

External links

The council's site
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ōpōtiki
*
Ōpōtiki District
Populated places in the Bay of Plenty Region