The Hauraki District spans from the Kaiaua
(Seabird) Coast along the reclaimed, rich dairy lands of the Hauraki
Plains which border the Firth of Thames, and then onto the rugged
Karangahake and Kaimai/Coromandel ranges before reaching the Golden
Valley farmlands in the northeast and the Pacific Ocean at Whiritoa.
The Hauraki District is a relatively small territorial area,
although it is geographically very diverse. All up the District
covers an area of 1,269 square kilometres.
Dramatic scenery and rural tranquility, arts, crafts, cafés and
restaurants, wineries, history and heritage, and excellent sports
facilities are all to be found in the Hauraki District. The District
has a range of community facilities including swimming pools, halls,
parks and reserves as well as a full range of utilities including
water supplies, water treatment plants and transfer stations.
The three largest urban centres in the District are
Waihi, Paeroa
and Ngatea, and the District also includes a number of smaller
townships including Turua, Kerepehi, Mackaytown, Waikino and the
coastal communities of Whiritoa and Kaiaua. The Hauraki District has
three Wards which are Paeroa,
Plains and Waihi.
The Hauraki District’s climate is relatively moderate, with warm
summers and moderate winters. The District has a fairly high
rainfall although it varies across the District depending on
location and topography.
The Hauraki District benefits from its central location with
Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga, cities all within an hour to two
hours drive and the beautiful Coromandel Peninsula on its doorstep.
The District’s population, according to the last New Zealand Census
in 2006, was 17,190 people. In November 2010 the Seabird Coast
became part of the District and this increased the population by
around 650 people. Taking into consideration this population
increase, as well as the projected population growth for the
District, Statistics New Zealand estimated that the Hauraki
District’s population is around 18,750 (as of 30 June 2011).
Key Industries Farming Mining Tourism Population Sports Clubs View maps of the Hauraki District See also: Paeroa Ward | Plains Ward | Waihi Ward
Key Industries
There are a number of key industries established within
the Hauraki District. The District has a rich farming history, with a lot of
business supporting and servicing the farming industry. Mining is another key
industry for the Hauraki District, with the well known open pit Martha Mine in
Waihi town centre, along with a number of underground mines, located on the
doorstep of the township. Tourism is a steadily growing industry for the
District, with Hauraki being home to a number of tourist attractions including
the recently established Hauraki Rail Trail, the Karangahake Gorge and the
Seabird Coast.
The horticultural industry provides seasonal work with a number of kiwifruit
orchards, some flower growing, grapes and cropping. The District also has a
large number of light engineering firms serving the farming and transport
industries.
Manufacturing businesses produce a wide range of products including electronic
equipment, press metal work, furniture, farm accessories, trellis, timber,
concrete, roading aggregate and meat products. The main urban centres have a
good selection of retail outlets and places to eat.
The industries that the Hauraki District is most well known for are farming,
mining and more recently the growing tourism industry.
In 1908 the Land Drainage Act provided for
extensive land drainage work to be undertaken on the Hauraki Plains.
In 1910, 6,600 hectares was made available in Hauraki for settlement
and by 1930 around 17,400 hectares of Crown land had been opened up
for farming. Today, over 1,000 kilometres of drains and canals,
together with many kilometres of stopbanks and floodgates protect
64,700 hectares of farmland.
Dairy farming is an important sector in the farming industry for
Hauraki and has traditionally been the principle type of agriculture
within the District due to the flat land and rich soil of the
Hauraki Plains combined with a mild climate and moderate rainfall.
The following tables provide a breakdown of the farming industry in
the Hauraki District:
| Dairy Farms in the Hauraki District | |
| Dairy Farms | 412 |
| Cows | 113,554 |
| Hectares | 40,788 |
| Kilograms/Milk Solids | $278.5 million |
|
Approximate figures Source: Fonterra 2010 |
|
| Other Farms in the Hauraki District | |
| Beef farms | 140 |
| Cattle | 22,000 |
| Sheep farms | 230 |
| Sheep | 42,000 |
| Approximate figures (2008) | |
Mining
The Martha (open pit), Favona
(underground) and Trio Mines (underground) in Waihi are three of only a handful
of mines in the developed world that operate within an established residential
community. As such, a paramount link to the mine’s success and on-going
development is its relationship with the surrounding community and the Hauraki
District Council.
The mining licence for Martha Mine was granted in 1987, although mining in this
area dates back to the mid-to-late 1800s. The Favona underground mine begun
operation in 2004 and the development of the Trio mine began in 2010. According
to Newmont Waihi Gold the Martha and Favona mines produced around 107,942 ounces
of gold in 2011 and 522,129 ounces of silver in 2011. These mines contribute
significantly to the Hauraki District’s economy; the mining activity in Waihi
contributes approximately 25% of Waihi’s GDP.
Newmont Waihi Gold has recently announced its intention to establish another
underground mine called Correnso. The proposed Correnso mine will extend under
some residential and commercial properties in the eastern part of the Waihi
Township. The Council is working closely with the community and the mining
company regarding issues surrounding the proposed Correnso mine and the other
mines in the Waihi area.
