Rotorua Lakes District

Rotorua Lakes District or Rotorua District is a territorial authority district in the North Island of New Zealand. It has one urban area of significant size, the city of Rotorua. The district is governed by Rotorua Lakes Council, which is headquartered in Rotorua and is headed by a mayor. The district falls within two regional council areas, with the majority of the area and Rotorua city in the Bay of Plenty Region and the rest in the Waikato region.[3] Tania Tapsell has been the mayor of Rotorua since the 2022 local elections.

Rotorua Lakes District
District
Rotorua Lakes, split by a regional boundary
Rotorua Lakes, split by a regional boundary
Coordinates: 38°13′48″S 176°16′41″E
CountryNew Zealand
Regions
WardsNone
Main towns and settlementsRotorua, Ngongotahā
Government
 • MayorTania Tapsell
 • Parliamentary electorateRotorua
 • Territorial authorityRotorua Lakes Council
Area
[1]
 • Land2,409.30 km2 (930.24 sq mi)
Population
 (June 2023)[2]
 • Total78,200
Time zoneUTC+12 (NZST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+13 (NZDT)
Postcode(s)
Map of postcodes
Area code07
Websitewww.rotorualakescouncil.nz
For the lakes see, see Lakes of Rotorua.

History

Rotorua has an unusual history, as the town was built by the Government as a tourist destination in the 1880s.[4] Through the Rotorua Borough Act 1922, which achieved royal assent on 28 September 1922, the Rotorua Borough was formed.[5] The inaugural elections for mayor were held in February 1923 and Cecil Clinkard was successful.[6][7] In 1962, Rotorua was proclaimed a city.[8] In 1979, the status was changed to a district when Rotorua City and Rotorua County amalgamated.[9] The district council held its first meeting on 2 April 1979.[10] At the 27 November 2014 council meeting, it was decided to change the operating name of the council to Rotorua Lakes Council, while the official name would remain unchanged.[11] Since then, the district has been known as Rotorua Lakes and the council's web domain changed from www.rdc.govt.nz to rotorualakescouncil.nz.

Geography

Rotorua Lakes covers 2,409 square kilometres (930 sq mi).[12] The district's area is 61.52% in the Bay of Plenty region and 38.48% in the Waikato region. Adjacent districts (in a clockwise direction starting in the north) are Western Bay of Plenty, Whakatāne, Taupō, and South Waikato.[13][14]

The Bay of Plenty portion of the district includes the settlements of Rotorua, Ngongotahā Valley, Mamaku, Hamurana, Mourea, Rotoiti Forest, Lake Rotoma, Lake Okareka, Lake Tarawera, Rerewhakaaitu, and Kaingaroa Forest. The Waikato portion includes the settlements of Waiotapu, Reporoa, Broadlands, Mihi, Waikite Valley, Ngakuru, and Ātiamuri.

Demographics

Rotorua District covers 2,409.30 km2 (930.24 sq mi)[1] and had an estimated population of 78,200 as of June 2023,[2] with a population density of 32 people per km2.

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
200665,901—    
201365,280−0.14%
201871,877+1.94%
Source: [15]

Rotorua District had a population of 71,877 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 6,597 people (10.1%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 5,976 people (9.1%) since the 2006 census. There were 25,056 households, comprising 35,148 males and 36,729 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.96 males per female. The median age was 36.4 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 16,113 people (22.4%) aged under 15 years, 14,148 (19.7%) aged 15 to 29, 31,248 (43.5%) aged 30 to 64, and 10,365 (14.4%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 63.3% European/Pākehā, 40.1% Māori, 5.4% Pacific peoples, 9.5% Asian, and 1.6% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 17.8, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 49.9% had no religion, 35.0% were Christian, 3.1% had Māori religious beliefs, 1.8% were Hindu, 0.3% were Muslim, 0.5% were Buddhist and 2.5% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 9,876 (17.7%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 10,434 (18.7%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $28,000, compared with $31,800 nationally. 7,122 people (12.8%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 27,117 (48.6%) people were employed full-time, 8,541 (15.3%) were part-time, and 3,378 (6.1%) were unemployed.[15]

Local government

Local council

Every three years, a mayor and the district councillors are elected in local elections. In the most recent elections in 2019, Steve Chadwick was re-elected as mayor and ten councillors were returned. Rotorua Lakes uses the first-past-the-post (FPP) voting system and elects its councillors at-large.[16]

Coat of arms
Coat of arms of Rotorua Lakes Council
Notes
The council has a coat of arms. The blazon is:[17]
Crest
On a wreath of the colours a male huia bird standing in a brake of New Zealand fern proper.
Escutcheon
Azure on a chevron or a rainbow trout leaping proper between in chief a pine tree and a sprig of kōwhai leaved slipped and flowered and a geyser issuing from rock in base all also proper.
Supporters
On the dexter side a figure representing a farm settler of the nineteenth century, at his feet a cattle dog sejant and on the sinister side a figure representing a Māori chieftain all proper.
Motto
Tātau tātau (We together or We are one).

Sister cities

Rotorua has four sister cities:[18]

References
  1. "ArcGIS Web Application". statsnz.maps.arcgis.com. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  2. "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)
  3. "About the Rotorua District". Rotorua Lakes Council. 3 July 2019. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  4. "Rotorua". Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  5. "Rotorua Borough Act 1922". Parliamentary Counsel Office. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  6. "Cecil Clinkard". Rotorua District Library. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  7. "Mayor of Rotorua". Auckland Star. 28 February 1923. p. 3. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  8. McKinnon, Malcolm (25 May 2015). "Volcanic Plateau places - Rotorua city". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  9. "John Keaney, CBE QSO". Rotorua District Library. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  10. "Coat of Arms". Rotorua Lakes Council. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  11. "District council becomes Rotorua Lakes Council" (Press release). Rotorua: Rotorua Lakes Council. 1 December 2014. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  12. "Rotorua District Council". Department of Internal Affairs. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  13. "Waikato Regional Council". Department of Internal Affairs. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  14. "Bay Of Plenty". Department of Internal Affairs. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  15. "Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census". Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. Rotorua District (024). 2018 Census place summary: Rotorua District
  16. Lampp, Warwick (17 October 2019). "Rotorua Lakes Council – 2019 Triennial Elections – Declaration of Results" (PDF). Rotorua Lakes Council. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  17. "Coat of Arms - Rotorua Lakes Council". Rotorua Lakes Council. Archived from the original on 1 August 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  18. "Rotorua Sister Cities". Rotorua Lakes Council. 20 November 2019. Retrieved 14 May 2020.

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