The Rangitikei District is a territorial authority district located primarily in the

Manawatū-Whanganui Manawatū-Whanganui (; spelled Manawatu-Wanganui prior to 2019) is a region in the lower half of the North Island of New Zealand, whose main population centres are the cities of Palmerston North and Whanganui. It is administered by the Manawat ...

region in the

North Island The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-largest ...

of New Zealand, although a small part, the town of

Ngamatea Ngamahanga is a rural community, in the northeastern part of Rangitikei District, in the Hawke's Bay region of New Zealand's North Island. The rest of the Rangitikei District is located in the Manawatū-Whanganui region. Ngamahanga has been farm ...

(13.63% by land area), lies in the

Hawke's Bay Region Hawke's Bay ( mi, Te Matau-a-Māui) is a local government region on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island. The region's name derives from Hawke Bay, which was named by Captain James Cook in honour of Admiral Edward Hawke. The region is ...

. It is located in the southwest of the island, and follows the catchment area of the

Rangitīkei River The Rangitīkei River is one of New Zealand's longest rivers, long. Its headwaters are to the southeast of Lake Taupō in the Kaimanawa Ranges. It flows from the Central Plateau south past Taihape, Mangaweka, Hunterville, Marton, and Bu ...

. The Rangitikei District Council is the local government authority for this district. It is composed of a

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

, currently Andy Watson, and 11 councillors, one of whom is the deputy mayor.

History

The Rangitikei District was established in 1989 as part of the 1989 local government reforms.

Government and politics

Local government

The current

Mayor of Rangitikei The Mayor of Rangitikei is the head of the Rangitikei District Council in New Zealand. The role was created in 1989 with the formation of the Rangitikei District as part of the 1989 local government reforms. The current mayor since 2013 is Andy ...

is Andy Watson, elected in

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...

and re-elected in

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...

and 2019. Watson was first elected in 2013 by obtaining 1,983 votes (41.5%) of the vote and a majority of 486 (10.2%) beating incumbent mayor Chalky Leary. Rangitikei District Council is served by eleven councillors elected across five wards. Two councillors are elected from the Bulls ward, one from the Hunterville ward, four from the Marton ward, three from the Taihape ward and one from the Turakina board.

Regional government

Rangitikei District is one of ten districts located partially or entirely within the

region. As such it is represented on the Manawatū-Whanganui Regional Council, known as Horizons Regional Council. Two of the twelve regional councillors are elected by the district in the Manawatu - Rangitikei ward; the two regional councillors elected in the 2016 elections are Bruce Gordon and Gordon McKellar.

National government

Rangitikei is located in the general electorate of Rangitīkei and in the Māori electorate of

Te Tai Hauāuru Te Tai Hauāuru electorate boundaries used since the Te Tai Hauāuru is a New Zealand parliamentary Māori electorate, returning one Member of Parliament to the New Zealand House of Representatives, that was first formed for the . The electorate ...

. Rangitīkei is a safe National Party seat since the 1938 election with the exception of 1978–1984 when it was held by

Bruce Beetham Bruce Craig Beetham (16 February 1936 – 3 May 1997) was an academic and politician from New Zealand, whose career spanned the 1970s and early 1980s. A lecturer at Hamilton's University of Waikato and at the Hamilton Teachers' Training Colle ...

of the Social Credit Party. Since

2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...

it is held by

Ian McKelvie Ian Robert Flockhart McKelvie (born 1952) is a New Zealand politician and a member of the New Zealand House of Representatives. He is a member of the National Party. Early life and career McKelvie was born to parents John and Rosemary in Palmer ...

. Te Tai Hauāuru is a more volatile seat, having been held by three different parties since 1996, i.e.

New Zealand First New Zealand First ( mi, Aotearoa Tuatahi), commonly abbreviated to NZ First, is a nationalist and populist political party in New Zealand. The party formed in July 1993 following the resignation on 19 March 1993 of its leader and founder, Winst ...

, the

Māori Party Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

and the Labour Party. Since 2014 it is held by

Adrian Rurawhe Adrian Paki Rurawhe (born 1961) is a New Zealand Labour Party politician of Ngāti Apa descent. He is the speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives, the second Māori to hold the position, and Member of Parliament for Te Tai Hauāuru. ...

of the Labour Party.

Geography

Located north of

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

, the district stretches from the

South Taranaki Bight The South Taranaki Bight is a large bay on the west coast of New Zealand, south of Taranaki, west of the Manawatu, north and west of the western entrance of Cook Strait and north of the South Island. The name is sometimes used for a much smaller ...

toward the

North Island Volcanic Plateau The North Island Volcanic Plateau (often called the Central Plateau and occasionally the Waimarino Plateau) is a volcanic plateau covering much of central North Island of New Zealand with volcanoes, lava plateaus, and crater lakes. It contains ...

, forming a trapezium-shaped block that includes the towns of

Taihape Taihape is in the Rangitikei District of the North Island of New Zealand. It serves a large rural community. State Highway 1, which runs North to South through the centre of the North Island, passes through the town. History and culture Early ...

, Bulls, Marton,

Hunterville Hunterville is a small community on State Highway 1, in the Rangitikei district of the North Island of New Zealand. It is located halfway between Taupo and Wellington and has a population (2018 census) of 411, a decrease of 18 people from 2013 ...

, and Mangaweka. The district has a land area of 4,483.91 km².

Climate

Rangitikei's climate is temperate and has few extremes compared to many parts of New Zealand. According to the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

, this climate is classified as

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...

(Cfb). Summers are warm with average temperatures in the low 20s. The most settled weather occurs in summer and early autumn. Winters are mild near the coast and on the plains; it is colder inland and in the hill country, but often frosty, clear and calm. Snowfall occasionally settles in areas 400 m above sea level, such as Taihape. Annual rainfall is moderate and annual hours of bright sunshine can average over 2,000.

Demographics

Rangitikei District covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km². Rangitikei District had a population of 15,027 at the

2018 New Zealand census Eighteen or 18 may refer to: * 18 (number), the natural number following 17 and preceding 19 * one of the years 18 BC, AD 18, 1918, 2018 Film, television and entertainment * ''18'' (film), a 1993 Taiwanese experimental film based on the sho ...

, an increase of 1,008 people (7.2%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 315 people (2.1%) since the

2006 census 6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number. In mathematics Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second small ...

. There were 5,721 households. There were 7,554 males and 7,473 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.01 males per female. The median age was 41.4 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 3,135 people (20.9%) aged under 15 years, 2,586 (17.2%) aged 15 to 29, 6,492 (43.2%) aged 30 to 64, and 2,814 (18.7%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 79.2% European/Pākehā, 26.2% Māori, 5.6% Pacific peoples, 2.1% Asian, and 1.7% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas was 12.1, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people objected to giving their religion, 46.1% had no religion, 38.5% were Christian, 0.2% were Hindu, 0.2% were Muslim, 0.2% were Buddhist and 6.2% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 1,365 (11.5%) people had a bachelor or higher degree, and 2,964 (24.9%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $27,200, compared with $31,800 nationally. 1,242 people (10.4%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 5,742 (48.3%) people were employed full-time, 1,884 (15.8%) were part-time, and 417 (3.5%) were unemployed.

Transport

Roads

State Highway 1 The following highways are numbered 1. For roads numbered A1, see list of A1 roads. For roads numbered B1, see list of B1 roads. For roads numbered M1, see List of M1 roads. For roads numbered N1, see list of N1 roads. For roads numbere ...

goes through Bulls. The North Island portion of this national state highway, one of only eight in New Zealand, begins at

Cape Reinga / Te Rerenga Wairua , type =Cape , photo = Cape Reinga, Northland, New Zealand, October 2007.jpg , photo_width = 270px , photo_alt = , photo_caption = , map = New Zealand , map_width = 270px ...

and ends at

Wellington International Airport Wellington International Airport (formerly known as Rongotai Airport) is an international airport located in the suburb of Rongotai in Wellington. It lies 3 NM or 5.5 km south-east from the city centre. It is a hub for Air New Zealand an ...

—passing through Bulls at 925 km. State Highway 3 State Highway 3 NZ

passes through Bulls. This highway connects Woodville (25 km east of

Palmerston North Palmerston North (; mi, Te Papa-i-Oea, known colloquially as Palmy) is a city in the North Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Manawatū-Whanganui region. Located in the eastern Manawatu Plains, the city is near the north bank of the ...

) and

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

via

New Plymouth New Plymouth ( mi, Ngāmotu) is the major city of the Taranaki region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after the English city of Plymouth, Devon from where the first English settlers to New Plymouth migrated. ...

. State Highway 54 State Highway 54 NZ

connects Palmerston North and SH 1 at Vinegar Hill via

Feilding Feilding ( mi, Aorangi) is a town in the Manawatū District of the North Island of New Zealand. It is located on State Highway 54, 20 kilometres north of Palmerston North. The town is the seat of the Manawatū District Council. Feilding has ...

Public transport

InterCity InterCity (commonly abbreviated ''IC'' on timetables and tickets) is the classification applied to certain long-distance passenger train services in Europe. Such trains (in contrast to regional, local, or commuter trains) generally call at m ...

runs five daily and three non-daily bus services in Marton and Bulls. These include

Whanganui Whanganui (; ), also spelled Wanganui, is a city in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand. The city is located on the west coast of the North Island at the mouth of the Whanganui River, New Zealand's longest navigable waterway. Whangan ...

–

, Palmerston North–

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

Tauranga Tauranga () is a coastal city in the Bay of Plenty region and the fifth most populous city of New Zealand, with an urban population of , or roughly 3% of the national population. It was settled by Māori late in the 13th century, colonised by ...

–Wellington, Wellington–New Plymouth and Auckland–Palmerston North. Marton used to be serviced by the

North Island Main Trunk The North Island Main Trunk (NIMT) is the main railway line in the North Island of New Zealand, connecting the capital city Wellington with the country's largest city, Auckland. The line is long, built to the New Zealand rail gauge of and ser ...

(or Overlander), a railway line connecting Auckland and Wellington. However, in 2012 the Overlander was replaced by the Northern Explorer, which has fewer stops and does not stop in Marton. The nearest airports to the district are

Whanganui Airport Whanganui Airport (named Wanganui Airport until 2016) is the airport that serves Whanganui, New Zealand . It is located to the south of Whanganui River, approximately 4 km from the centre of Whanganui. The airport has a single asphalt runwa ...

, located 37 km west (of Marton), and

Palmerston North Airport Palmerston North Airport , originally called Milson Aerodrome, is an airport in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand, serving Palmerston North City and the Central North Island regions. It is located in the suburb of Milson, on ...

, located 44 km southeast. Both airports are domestic only.

Education

;Secondary schools *

Rangitikei College Rangitikei College, formerly known as Marton District High School, is a state secondary coeducational school located in Marton, Rangitikei District, New Zealand. It is located towards the east of the town centre on 24 Bredins Line. The school pr ...

, Marton * Nga Tawa Diocesan School, Marton *

Turakina Maori Girls' College Turakina Māori Girls' College (1905 to 2016) was a Presbyterian boarding school for young Māori women. The school was founded in Turakina, New Zealand, in 1905, by A. G. Hamilton.. It was relocated to Marton in 1927, but retained its previous ...

, Marton (until 2015, now closed) * Taihape Area School,

(years 1–13)

References

External links

Rangitikei.com

Recreation

a
www.movetothecountry.co.nz
{{Cities and districts of New Zealand