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Ōpōtiki
Minor urban area
Church Street, Ōpōtiki
Coordinates: 38°00′15″S 177°17′14″E / 38.00417°S 177.28722°E / -38.00417; 177.28722
Country	New Zealand
Region	Bay of Plenty
Territorial authority	Ōpōtiki District
Ward	Ōpōtiki Ward
Electorates	East Coast Waiariki (Māori)
Government
• Territorial authority	Ōpōtiki District Council
• Regional council	Bay of Plenty Regional Council
Area
• Urban	8.59 km (3.32 sq mi)
Population
• Urban	5,180
• Urban density	600/km (1,600/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	3122
Website	The council's site

Ōpōtiki (/ɔːpɔːˈtɪki/; 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

On 22 October 2024, Ōpōtiki was the focus of a North Island-wide Police operation called "Operation Highwater" targeting the Mongrel Mob Barbarians MC gang's East Bay chapter in the town. Police arrested 28 people and seized about NZ$800,000 in assets. In response, Te Pati Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi and local Māori leader Te Aho accused the Police of terrorising Māori families during the operation. Police Minister Mark Mitchell defended Police's conduct during the operation, rejecting accusations of racism and bias. The Police also countered that Operation Highwater had the support of local Māori leaders across Whakatōhea.

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 8.59 km (3.32 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 5,180 as of June 2024, with a population density of 603 people per km.

Before the 2023 census, the town had a larger boundary, covering 10.15 km (3.92 sq mi). 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 306 as of August 2024.

Ōpōtiki has three co-educational primary schools for Year 1 to 8 students: Opotiki School, with a roll of 271; Ashbrook School, with a roll of 78; and Woodlands School, with a roll of 191.

St Joseph's Catholic School is a co-educational state-integrated Catholic primary school for Year 1 to 8 students, with a roll of 171 as of August 2024.

Notable people

• James Rolleston, an actor known for his role in Boy and Vodafone NZ advertisements, lives and was raised in Ōpōtiki.

• René Lannuzel, popular priest from Pen Allan Garo, Plourin who was posted in Ōpōtiki until he passed away. He is buried in Ōpōtiki.

Climate

Notes

1. ^ "ArcGIS Web Application". statsnz.maps.arcgis.com. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
2. ^ "Aotearoa Data Explorer". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
3. "Ōpōtiki District – the pet fish from afar".
4. "Major investigation prevented killings, led to 28 arrests, and recovered $800,000, police say". Stuff. 22 October 2024. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
5. Ensor, Jamie (23 October 2024). "Ōpōtiki: Te Pāti Māori's Rawiri Waititi says police Mongrel Mob gang operation 'terrorism', Mark Mitchell calls claims 'ridiculous'". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
6. Los'e, Joseph (31 October 2024). "Gang Crackdown: Māori leaders push back on police tactics, rhetoric over Mongrel Mob raids". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
7. Heginbotham & Esler p. 379-381 give a useful scientific summary.
8. ^ "Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census". Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. Woodlands (204300) and Ōpōtiki (204400).
9. 2018 Census place summary: Woodlands
10. 2018 Census place summary: Ōpōtiki
11. ^ "Te Kāhui Māngai directory". tkm.govt.nz. Te Puni Kōkiri.
12. ^ "Māori Maps". maorimaps.com. Te Potiki National Trust.
13. ^ "Marae Announcements" (Excel). growregions.govt.nz. Provincial Growth Fund. 9 October 2020.
14. "Opotiki Heritage and Agricultural Society on NZ Museums". nzmuseums.co.nz. Te Papa.
15. Fisher, Elaine (6 October 2009). "Town spirit brings history alive". APN News & Media. Bay of Plenty Times.
16. "Network Coverage". Horizon Networks. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
17. "Our Network – First Gas". firstgas.co.nz. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
18. "The Story of Gas in New Zealand". www.gasindustry.co.nz. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
19. "Opotiki College Official School Website". opotikicol.school.nz.
20. "Opotiki College Ministry of Education School Profile". educationcounts.govt.nz. Ministry of Education.
21. "Opotiki College Education Review Office Report". ero.govt.nz. Education Review Office.
22. "Opotiki School Ministry of Education School Profile". educationcounts.govt.nz. Ministry of Education.
23. "Opotiki School Education Review Office Report". ero.govt.nz. Education Review Office.
24. "Ashbrook School Ministry of Education School Profile". educationcounts.govt.nz. Ministry of Education.
25. "Ashbrook School Education Review Office Report". ero.govt.nz. Education Review Office.
26. "Woodlands School Ministry of Education School Profile". educationcounts.govt.nz. Ministry of Education.
27. "Woodlands School Education Review Office Report". ero.govt.nz. Education Review Office.
28. "St Joseph's Catholic School Ministry of Education School Profile". educationcounts.govt.nz. Ministry of Education.
29. "St Joseph's Catholic School Education Review Office Report". ero.govt.nz. Education Review Office.
30. "CliFlo – National Climate Database : Opotiki". NIWA. Retrieved 20 May 2024.

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
• Ōpōtiki Information Centre
• Ōpōtiki travel guide from Wikivoyage
• Photo of Ōpōtiki-Gisborne Road c1928
• Photo of Captain Porter and Maori auxiliaries at Ōpōtiki 1871

• Ōpōtiki District
• Populated places in the Bay of Plenty Region
• Territorial authorities of New Zealand
• Ōpōtiki