Whangārei
Whangārei (Māori: [faŋaːˈɾɛi])[3] is the northernmost city in New Zealand and the regional capital of Northland Region. It is part of the Whangarei District, a local body created in 1989 from the former Whangārei City, Whangārei County and Hikurangi Town councils, to administer both the city proper and its hinterland. The city population was estimated to be 56,900 in June 2023,[2] an increase from 47,000 in 2001.
This article is about the city of Whangārei. For the electoral district with the same name, see Whangārei (New Zealand electorate).Etymology[edit]
The origin of the name Whangārei is unclear, as a number of pūrākau (Māori traditional stories) are associated with the harbour. One major tradition involves the sisters Reitū and Reipae of the Tainui migratory waka, who either flew from the Waikato north on the backs of birds, or in the form of birds.[4][5]
Other traditions describe the meaning of Whangārei as "lying in wait to ambush", referring to warriors watching over the harbour from Te Tihi-o-Kahukura / Castle Rock, or Whangārei meaning "to gather", referring to the harbour as a gathering place for whales or for important rangatira.[4]
Government[edit]
National[edit]
Whangārei is within the Whangārei electorate and the Te Tai Tokerau Māori electorate. The current MP of the Whangārei electorate is Shane Reti of the National Party. The current MP of the Te Tai Tokerau electorate is Mariameno Kapa-Kingi of Te Pāti Māori.
Local[edit]
At a local level, Whangārei comes under the Northland Regional Council, of which the city is the seat.
Whangārei is governed locally by the Whangarei District Council. The city is split into two of the council wards, Denby, which takes the northern suburbs, and Okara, which takes the southern half of the city.
Whangārei is covered by the Northland Police District, which is split into two areas, Whangārei/Kaipara and Mid/Far North.
Judicially, the town is served by the Whangārei District Court and is also the base of the region's only High Court.
Arts and culture[edit]
The Whangārei Art Museum is located in the Town Basin. Artisan markets are held at the nearby Canopy Bridge.
The Hundertwasser Art Centre was built on the site of the former Northland Harbour Board building.
The Quarry Arts Centre is located on the edge of the Western Hills in the Avenues.
The Hātea Loop walkway is an accessible, circular walkway which connects Town Basin, William Fraser Memorial Park,Te Matau a Pohe, Canopy Bridge, Clapham's Clocks and Reyburn House gallery. The walkway offers marina views and various family friendly outdoor activities.
The Whangārei Theatre Company (formerly WOADS) has been staging theatre productions in Whangārei since 1946.[45] They have currently made their home at the Riverbank Centre in the town basin.[46]
Disruptive Performers (Theatre Group) was formed in 2019, and they staged their first production in November 2020.[47]
Whangārei is home to many music organisations, such as Whangārei Youth Music,[48] the Northland Sinfonia, and Sistema Whangārei.
Education[edit]
Tertiary education[edit]
NorthTec, with its main campus located in the Whangārei suburb of Raumanga, is the chief provider of tertiary education in the Northland Region. It offers degrees, diplomas and certificates in a wide variety of academic, professional and technical fields. The degrees are nationally monitored for quality and so can lead to postgraduate study at universities and other institutions. NorthTec has around 23,000 students studying either part-time or full-time.
The University of Auckland maintains a campus in the city centre. There are also a number of private tertiary educational organisations that provide technical and vocational training.
Infrastructure and services[edit]
Healthcare[edit]
Whangārei is within the Northland District Health Board. The single primary health care organisation (PHO), Te Kaupapa Mahitahi Hauora Papa O Te Raki Trust, commonly known as Mahitahi Hauora, was created in 2019 through a process of coming together with the previous Northland PHOs.[64] Whangārei Hospital (formerly Northland Base Hospital) is Northland DHB's largest and provides secondary specialist care to all of Northland. It has 246 inpatient beds, and is based in the suburb of Horahora.
Mercy Hospital was established in 1963 by the Sisters of Mercy.[65]
Kensington Hospital, opened in March 2001, is a private healthcare facility.
Utilities[edit]
Northpower owns and operates the local electricity distribution network servicing the city, with electricity supplied from Transpower's national grid at the Maungatapere substation southwest of the city. There is very little generation in Northland and Auckland, so most of the city's electricity is transmitted from the Waikato.
Natural gas arrived in Whangārei in 1983, with the completion of the high-pressure pipeline north from Auckland to the city, now operated by First Gas.[66] First Gas also operates the gas distribution network within the city.