The
Bay of Plenty Region is in the Central North Island.
The
east coast of the region takes in the broad curve of the bay from Waihi
Beach to Lottin Point.
The Waikato,
Hawke's Bay and Gisborne
regions flank the region to the west, south and south east.
The
Kaimai Range marks the north-western border with the Waikato, while the
Raukumara and Kahikatea Ranges
adjoin
the border with the Gisborne
region.
The Bay of Plenty is split into
two distinct areas; a
high
volcanic plateau and coastal lowland. An area of hill country
divides
these two sections, breaking up the
eight rivers and
numerous streams that run from the volcanic plateau.
The
rivers are the Wairoa, Kaituna, Tarawera, Rangitaiki, Whakatane,
Waioeka, Motu and Raukokore.
The main
urban centres in the
region are Tauranga, Rotorua, Whakatane and Kawerau.
Population: In 2005 the region's
population was 260,300. The population has been growing steadily, up by
6.1% from
2000, which is slightly lower than the national rate of
growth of 7.0% over this period.There is a strong contrast between the
fast-growing Tauranga and Western Bay of Plenty districts and the rest
of the region, particularly Kawerau
district.
For example:
Tauranga
saw its resident population grow from 74,700 in 1995 to 103,800 in
2005, a total increase of 39.0%. In
the Western Bay of Plenty there was 27.9% growth. By contrast, in
Kawerau, the population is small and declining,
falling
from 8,000 in
1995 to 6,620 in 2005. The other districts of Whakatane, Rotorua and
Opitiki saw very little
change in
population over this period.
According to the 2001 Census, 29% of the resident population identified
as Maori compared to 15% nationally.
The
proportion identifying as
Pakeha/European was 78%, which was similar to the national average of
79%.
Accessibility
and Infrastructure:
The Bay of Plenty region has an
extensive roading
infrastructure.
Rural roads provide strong links between
forestery areas
and the Port of Tauranga, and the Desert Road,
which is the
main
roading link between the north and south regions
of the North
Island.Tauranga is the main port of loading for the huge timber
industry of the central North Island, and is the largest log export
port in the country.The rail network runs freight between Auckland and
Rotorua and Tauranga. There are also three domestic airports at
Rotorua, Tauranga and Whakatane.
Attractions and Features:
The
region has a temperate climate supporting a large horticultural
industry. Tauranga, the largest urban area in the region,
has on
average 2,270 sunshine hours per annum, the third-highest number
experienced by urban areas nationally.
The Bay of Plenty is a mild and
fertile region, and is a significant producer of horticultural
products, particularly kiwifruit.
The region includes some of
the
most active volcanic areas in the country, as is apparent in the
numerous volcanoes,
hot
pools and geysers found there, including the
nation's most active volcano at White Island (Whakaari).
Most
mountains
in the region are volcanic in origin, and the highest mountain is Mount
Tarawera (1,111 metres).
Mount Maunganui and Putauaki/Mount
Edgecombe
are also prominent volcanic cones. The eruption of Mount Tarawera
in
1886 was the largest eruption in New Zealand's recorded history. There
are a series of lakes, of which Lake Rotorua
(80 square km) is the
largest.Volcanic activity, Maori culture, the pleasant climate and
scenic coastline all attract visitors
to the
region. Rotorua is
probably the oldest tourist destination in New Zealand. In the
nineteenth century visitors
flocked to the district to see the famous
pink and white terraces before the eruption of Mount Tarawera destroyed
them. Nowadays visitors observe geysers, bubbling mud pools and
experience the sulphur-infused exhalations of the earth.
The
local Te Arawa people give many visitors to the region and New Zealand
their first experience of the rich cultural
tradition of the Maori.The
waters around the Bay of Plenty attract divers and big-game-fishing
enthusiasts from around
the world. Inland,
Te Urewera National Park,
212,675 hectares in total, provides extensive areas of native bush,
and
is home to some of New Zealand's endangered birds such as the kokako.
The
region's numerous rivers provide jet boating and white-water rafting
experiences. Arts and crafts, restaurants and wineries provide
attractions of a more leisurely
nature.Opotiki hosts an
annual
Fibre and Fleece Festival where local
designers experiment
by creating
clothing from natural fibres, while Whakatane hosts an annual Summer
Arts Festival.
Facts
and Statistics:
The
Bay of Plenty region employed 100,473 people in 2005.The retail and
distribution sector is the region's largest employer,
with
27,164
FTEs.In 2005, there were 29,663 businesses in the Bay of Plenty.In 2004
the median income of people in the
Bay of Plenty region was $20,696,
compared to $21,944 for the rest of New Zealand.
Average house sale
prices in Bay of Plenty in the year to June 2005 were $296,820,
compared to $308,513 for
New Zealand as a whole. The
population of the
region was 260,300 in 2005.
In the Bay of Plenty region 78% of
the resident population identify as Pakeha/European and 29% as Maori.
The
Bay of Plenty region covers an area of 12,472 square kilometres.
Working
in Bay of Plenty:
The retail and
distribution industry is the Bay of Plenty's
largest employer, with 27,164 FTEs in 2005.
Manufacturing
and building
was also a significant sector, with 23.4% of FTEs and 23.0% of GDP.
The
mild climate and fertile soils of the Bay of Plenty region support
primary industries such as pastoral farming,
horticulture
and forestry.
There is a relatively large primary sector, with 13.1% of FTEs.
This
compares to a national
average of 8.2% of FTEs in the primary
sector.
The standout performer for the region in terms of
economic
performance was Tauranga. With 43,108 FTEs in 2005, Tauranga accounted
for nearly 60% of the region's employment growth between 2000 and 2005.
It also accounted for nearly 50% of the increase in the region's
business units over this period.
Primary
Industries:
Forestry
Forestry
is one of the Bay of Plenty region's main industries, and along with
wood processing employs a significant
proportion of the
region's
workers. Forestry thrives because of the favourable climate, soils and
topography,
especially on the large, flat volcanic plateau. In common
with the rest of New Zealand radiata pine dominates, and
Douglas fir is
the second most common species. The establishment of large state
forests on the volcanic plateau
and in the Whakatane and
Kawerau
districts opened up another source of employment.
The
well-developed
roading system makes transportation of logs fast and efficient, and the
port of Tauranga ships the
largest volumes of log exports in
the
country. There are several major forestry companies in the region as
well as research companies including the Forest Research Institute.
Horticulture:
The Bay of Plenty is
one of the main sub-tropical fruit-growing regions in New Zealand. It
supplies more than
75% of
the country's total kiwifruit production,
but also produces tangelos, nashi, avocado, feijoas, tamarillos
and
passionfruit. It is the second largest fruit-growing area in New
Zealand behind neighbouring Hawke's
Bay.
Agriculture:
A
substantial proportion of farming land in the region is occupied by
pastoral farming. Cattle farming, particularly
dairying,
is of major
importance to the region. In 2004, there were 321,000 dairy cattle and
117,000 beef cattle.
There were also 409,000 sheep, as well as
goat and
deer farms.
Tourism:
Tourism
is one of the region's major industries, with Rotorua featuring on most
tourist itineraries.
This is reflected in the importance of
the retail
and distribution sector to the region. In 2004, there were
3.78
million
visitor nights in the
Bay of Plenty region, of which domestic
visitors accounted for 78.1% and international visitors
for
21.9%.
Total expenditure was $411.2 million.
Manufacturing
and Building:
Manufacturing
and building was the second largest sector in terms of employment, with
23,548 FTEs in 2005.
Construction and related trade services employed
9,518 FTEs in 2005, up 866 from 2004 and 2,212 higher than in 2000.
This reflected the growing
population and prosperity of the
region.Forestry is also important to manufacturing,
with
4,199 (17.8%)
of the people employed in the manufacturing industry employed in wood
and paper product manufacturing.
Energy:
The
chief form of power produced by the Bay of Plenty comes from its
volcanic heritage.
The Bay of Plenty and Waikato are the
main geothermal power generating regions in New Zealand, although
there are small plants in Northland and Hawke' Bay. There
are geothermal resources at Kawerau, one of the main reasons for the
location of major
wood processing plants there, and at
Rotorua. There
is also a 72 megawatt hydro generator at Matahina, south of Whakatane.
Developing
and Emerging Industries
Social Services:
The
Bay of Plenty region, particularly Tauranga and the Western Bay of
Plenty, has experienced significant population increases. The
region has also become popular for older people looking to retire in a
warm
coastal climate.
The growing
numbers of elderly, a consequence of the
country's ageing population, means there will continue to be
considerable investment in
health services.In 2005, there were 9,225
FTEs in health services and community services combined.
This
was up from 8,435 FTEs in 2004 and continues strong growth over the
last decade.
Tourism:
The
tourism industry is expected to show strong growth. By 2011, the number
of guest nights is expected to reach
4.25 million, with much
of the
increase coming from international visitors.
Expenditure is expected to
rise to $553.4 million by 2011.With this growth in tourism, the large
retail and distribution industry and recreation services will benefit.
Employment in the recreation services sector has increased steadily and
employed 5,320 FTEs in 2005.
Summary:
The
Bay of Plenty has a
warm climate and fertile soils, making it an important horticultural
producer, particularly of kiwifruit.
It
also cultivates a significant area of commercial forest.The
climate is also attracting retirees, and consequently, there is an
ageing population, and an increase in the services required
Western
districts have enjoyed substantial economic prosperity and population
growth compared to the lower than average incomes in other parts of the
region.
Tourism is one of the mainstays
of the Bay of Plenty
economy, with the geothermal activity, especially in Rotorua,
and
the
Maori culture attracting international as well as domestic visitors.
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BirdLife:
Endangered Kokako!
Partnership Is The Key.
For
A Success
Formula, Which is Helping to Save
The KOKAKO in
MY BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY NEW
ZEALAND! Native Forest between BAY
of PLENTY
(East Coast of the
North Island New Zealand)and Lake Rotoma 20 Km's
Inland from Bay of Plenty
Have their own SUCCESS
FORMULA. Success
with the KOKAKO (which is a Bird).
In 1997 only Three Pairs, and a Few Single Birds, of the Nationally
Threatened Kokako..
Remained at Manawahe (Bay of Plenty).To Prevent
Local Extinction Local Volunteers Formed..
"The Manawhe Kokako Trust"
Began a Pest Control Programme (Possums and Rats). Plus Lot's of
Fencing..
Only Part of Their Challenge to Protect those Precious Birds...
The Munawahe Project Covers a Strip of
about 4,000 Hectares, Cutover Native Forest
which,
Despite Former Podocarp Logging it is in
Very Good Condition. It Is The Home to a Wide
Range of Native Birds...
By 2005
Kokako Bird Breeding Pairs have Increased to 21 .....
The Total Polulation to more than 50 Kokako Birds..
SO THAT FOR SURE MANAWAHE HAVE A SUCCESS
FORMULA. In
Saving Those Nearly Extinct Kokako Birds,
In The Bay of Plentry. They Have a Lot of Work,
Still to be Done.
But with so Many Motivated and Organised People Swinging in Behind the
Project.
It Cannot Help, but to Succee,.their Legacy will
be a Forest Full of Birds Singing in the Tree Top's..
That's My Beautiful
Country. New Zealand. Success Formula...
Compiled
By Elsie Hagley
I will be
updating this website often, Please return and check it out.
Urenui, New Zealand.