74-546: Manawatū-Whanganui ( [manawaˈtʉː ˈʔwaŋanʉi] ; 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 Manawatū-Whanganui Regional Council, which operates under the name Horizons Regional Council . The region takes its name from
148-612: A glottal stop , but to non-locals the name sounds like "Wanganui" and is hard to reproduce. In 1991 the New Zealand Geographic Board considered demands from some local Māori to change the name of the river to Whanganui. After widespread controversy for many years, in September 2019 the New Zealand Geographic Board announced that from 18 October 2019 the name of the Manawatu-Wanganui region, and
222-499: A local government reform in 1989 that took place under the Local Government Act 1974 . The regional councils replaced the more than 700 ad hoc bodies that had been formed in the preceding century – roads boards, catchment boards, drainage boards, pest control boards, harbour boards, domain and reserve boards. In addition they took over some roles that had previously been performed by county councils. The boundaries of
296-595: A city council. The governing body of the regional council consists of 12 councillors from 6 constituencies across the region, elected by the public; from the north: Ruapehu (1 councillor), Whanganui (2), Manawatū-Rangitikei (2), Palmerston North (4), Horowhenua (2), Tararua District (1). It sits in Palmerston North. It has the responsibility for managing natural and physical resources, providing flood protection and monitoring environmental problems and fresh air, clean water, productive land and natural eco-systems. It
370-465: A general geographic region, or merely gave a waka name. Initiatives like the Iwi Helpline are trying to make it easier for people to identify their iwi , and the proportion who "don't know" dropped relative to previous censuses. Some established pan-tribal organisations may exert influence across iwi divisions. The Rātana Church, for example, operates across iwi divisions, and
444-414: A generally recognised territory ( rohe ), but many of these overlap, sometimes completely. This has added a layer of complication to the long-running discussions and court cases about how to resolve historical Treaty claims. The length of coastline emerged as one factor in the final (2004) legislation to allocate fishing-rights in settlement of claims relating to commercial fisheries. Iwi can become
518-748: A group), Ngāti Poneke (Māori who have migrated to the Wellington region), and Ngāti Rānana (Māori living in London). Ngāti Tūmatauenga ("Tribe of Tūmatauenga ", the god of war) is the official Māori-language name of the New Zealand Army , and Ngā Opango ("Black Tribe") is a Māori-language name for the All Blacks . In the southern dialect of Māori, Ngāti and Ngāi become Kāti and Kāi , terms found in such iwi as Kāti Māmoe and Kāi Tahu (also known as Ngai Tahu). Each iwi has
592-538: A major producer of energy or minerals. Some new power schemes are operating, including the southern hemisphere's largest collection of wind farms , with 194 installed turbines and more planned. The New Zealand Defence Force maintains three bases in the Manawatū-Whanganui region: Waiouru Military Camp in the Ruapehu district, RNZAF Base Ohakea near Bulls, and Linton Military Camp near Palmerston North. For
666-449: A particular hapu may have belonged to different iwi at different times, the tension caused by the social and economic power moving from the iwi down rather than from the hapu up, and the fact that many iwi do not recognise spouses and adoptees who do not have kinship links. In the 2006 census, 16 per cent of the 643,977 people who claimed Māori ancestry did not know their iwi . Another 11 per cent did not state their iwi , or stated only
740-458: A population of 1,000 or more include: Other towns and settlements include: In the 2023 census, people could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 78.1% European ( Pākehā ); 25.1% Māori ; 5.0% Pasifika ; 7.7% Asian ; 1.0% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 2.7% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English
814-822: A population of 251,412 in the 2023 New Zealand census , an increase of 12,615 people (5.3%) since the 2018 census , and an increase of 28,740 people (12.9%) since the 2013 census . There were 123,594 males, 126,804 females and 1,011 people of other genders in 96,291 dwellings. 3.2% of people identified as LGBTIQ+ . The median age was 39.7 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 48,645 people (19.3%) aged under 15 years, 46,077 (18.3%) aged 15 to 29, 107,565 (42.8%) aged 30 to 64, and 49,122 (19.5%) aged 65 or older. Religious affiliations were 31.4% Christian , 1.2% Hindu , 0.8% Islam , 2.1% Māori religious beliefs , 0.6% Buddhist , 0.6% New Age , 0.1% Jewish , and 1.3% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 54.3%, and 8.0% of people did not answer
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#1732790915228888-438: A prospective vehicle for ideas and ideals of self-determination and/or tino rangatiratanga . Thus does Te Pāti Māori mention in the preamble of its constitution "the dreams and aspirations of tangata whenua to achieve self-determination for whānau , hapū and iwi within their own land". Some Tūhoe envisage self-determination in specifically iwi -oriented terms. Increasing urbanisation of Māori has led to
962-480: A situation where a significant percentage do not identify with any particular iwi . The following extract from a 2000 High Court of New Zealand judgment discussing the process of settling fishing rights illustrates some of the issues: ... 81 per cent of Maori now live in urban areas, at least one-third live outside their tribal influence, more than one-quarter do not know their iwi or for some reason do not choose to affiliate with it, at least 70 per cent live outside
1036-531: Is 4.0 to 7.9 °C (39.2 to 46.2 °F), while inland areas are considerably colder. Waiouru has a minimum mid-winter daily average of 0.1 °C (32.2 °F). Rainfall on the plains is slightly below average, with Palmerston North receiving 960 mm (38 in), while the rest of the region receives the New Zealand average rainfall of 1,000 to 2,000 mm (39 to 79 in). The region contains areas of great ecological significance, reflected in
1110-425: Is a mixture of elected councillors and government appointed commissioners. Councils may use a first-past-the-post or single transferable vote system. The chairperson is selected by the elected council members. Regional councils are funded through property rates , subsidies from central government, income from trading, and user charges for certain public services. Councils set their own levels of rates, though
1184-418: Is also a permanent home to 13 species of birds, six species of fish and four plants species, all of which are threatened. It regularly supports about one percent of the world population of wrybills. Manawatū-Whanganui Region covers 22,220.64 km (8,579.44 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 263,300 as of June 2024, with a population density of 12 people per km. Manawatū-Whanganui Region had
1258-579: Is also responsible for public transport. The region is dominated and defined by two significant river catchments, the Whanganui and the Manawatu . The Whanganui River, in the northwest, is the longest navigable river in New Zealand. The river was extremely important to early Māori as it was the southern link in a chain of waterways that spanned almost two-thirds of the North Island. It was one of
1332-559: Is located on these plains, and is an important service city for the southern North Island as a whole. This river is unusual, in that it passes from hill country to plains through a gorge cut into much higher country, an indication that the hills have risen since the river formed. To the southeast, a further, more sparsely populated area of the Tararua District lies between the sources of the Manawatū River near Norsewood and
1406-420: Is of note as having one of the most diverse ranges of wetlands birds to be seen at any one place in New Zealand. A total of 95 species have been identified at the estuary. It is a significant area of salt marsh and mudflat and a valuable feeding ground for many birds including the migratory Eastern bar-tailed Godwit, which flies all the way from Siberia to New Zealand to escape the harsh northern winter. The estuary
1480-577: Is still heavily forested. As late as the 1950s the Whanganui River remained a river of mystery. Since then exploitation of the river's commercial potential has opened up the area, often causing friction with local Māori, who have long-standing grievances. Manawatū-Whanganui as a whole is one of the most important pastoral areas in New Zealand, its status recognised when the government opened the Massey Agricultural College in
1554-728: The Māori King Movement , though principally congregated around Waikato / Tainui , aims to transcend some iwi functions in a wider grouping. Many iwi operate or are affiliated with media organisations. Most of these belong to Te Whakaruruhau o Nga Reo Irirangi Māori (the National Māori Radio Network), a group of radio stations which receive contestable Government funding from Te Māngai Pāho (the Māori Broadcast Funding Agency) to operate on behalf of iwi and hapū . Under their funding agreement,
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#17327909152281628-566: The Resource Management Act 1991 : Regional councils have responsibility for functions under other statutes; Notes: (1) These regions have unitary authorities . (2) The Gisborne Region is still widely but unofficially known by its former name East Cape or as the East Coast. Some outlying islands are not included within regional boundaries. The Chatham Islands is not in a region, although its council has some of
1702-515: The Volcanic Plateau are higher and more rugged, often subject to harsh temperatures in winter. The Manawatū District has a much gentler topography, consisting mainly of the flat, tree-studded Manawatū Plains that run between the ranges and the sea. The land was under the sea till about 500,000 years ago and still has a very thick layer of marine sediment , which is about five or six million years old. A block faulting system underneath
1776-496: The original migration voyages ). These super-groupings are generally symbolic rather than logistical. In pre-European times, most Māori were allied to relatively small groups in the form of hapū ( ' sub-tribes ' ) and whānau ( ' family ' ). Each iwi contains a number of hapū ; among the hapū of the Ngāti Whātua iwi, for example, are Te Uri-o-Hau , Te Roroa , Te Taoū , and Ngāti Whātua-o-Ōrākei . Māori use
1850-440: The 1920s. Much of Manawatu-Wanganui was fertile and bush -covered when Europeans arrived and developed the area as a source of timber . Saw milling and flax milling dominated the 19th century, followed by an influx of sheep farmers who exploited the newly cleared ground. Deforestation , burn-offs of timber and scrub and large scale drainage combined with overgrazing , resulted in considerable environmental degradation . In
1924-694: The Hawke's Bay Region, then flows through a deep gorge to the Manawatu Plains before exiting in the Tasman Sea . The river is also unique in New Zealand (and rare worldwide) in that this gorge (the Manawatū Gorge ) is a water gap through recently uplifted rock, causing the river to flow from relatively low-lying land along an eroded course through higher terrain. The Whanganui District is more rugged, with canyon -like valleys and gorges carved out of
1998-681: The Manawatu River. Whanga nui is a phrase meaning "big bay" or "big harbour". The first name of the European settlement at Whanganui was Petre (pronounced Peter), after Lord Petre, an officer of the New Zealand Company , but the name was never popular and was officially changed to "Wanganui" in 1854. In the local dialect, Māori pronounce the wh in Whanganui as [ˀw] , a voiced labial–velar approximant combined with
2072-484: The North Island and the fourth-highest figure in the country behind Canterbury, Southland and Otago . Barley , which is used for the manufacture of stock feed and for malting, is grown. The region produces the largest quantities of barley in the North Island, providing 10% of the national refined crop of 302,804 tonnes in 1995. The region has 4,062 hectares (10,040 acres) of horticultural land, of which 3,647 hectares are used for vegetable growing. While only having 8% of
2146-453: The North Island, falling to −13.6 °C (7.5 °F) on 7 July 1937. In summer the region is warm, with a maximum mid-summer daily average of between 20.1 and 22.9 °C (68.2 and 73.2 °F). Sunshine hours approximate the national average for much of the region (1,800-2,000 hours per annum) but Palmerston North is defined as cloudy with an average of 1,725 sunshine hours. In the winter the minimum mid-winter daily average for coastal areas
2220-515: The North Island. Soils are productive with the addition of nitrogen fertiliser . In the Manawatū and Horowhenua districts there are sandy soils and swampy hollows around the coast with loess -covered terraces and river flats inland. These river flats and swamp areas contain fertile alluvial and organic soils. On the drier terraces inland yellow-grey earths predominate. The flatter more fertile soils suit intensive sheep farming and cropping while
2294-790: The Pacific coast. This area, often historically connected with both the Hawke's Bay Region to the north and the Wairarapa to the south, was historically simply known as Bush, a name which still survives in some businesses and organisations, most notably the Wairarapa Bush Rugby Football Union . The two river catchments have very different natures. While the open Manawatu Plains became more densely settled by Europeans, inland Ruapehu , Rangitikei , and Whanganui remained more Māori-dominated, remote and independent, and
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2368-565: The bones" — literally to the burial-areas of the ancestors . Māori author Keri Hulme 's novel The Bone People (1985) has a title linked directly to the dual meaning of bone and "tribal people". Many iwi names begin with Ngāti or with Ngāi (from ngā āti and ngā ai respectively, both meaning roughly ' the offspring of ' ). Ngāti has become a productive morpheme in New Zealand English to refer to groups of people: examples are Ngāti Pākehā ( Pākehā as
2442-425: The census question. Of those at least 15 years old, 28,686 (14.1%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 112,935 (55.7%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 52,803 (26.0%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $ 36,400, compared with $ 41,500 nationally. 15,501 people (7.6%) earned over $ 100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15
2516-429: The chief areas of Māori settlement with its easily fortified cliffs and ample food supplies. Legends emphasise the importance of the river and it remains sacred to Whanganui iwi . Māori along the coast and lowland plains grew kumara and other crops. The Manawatū River runs across the centre of the region, from rolling hill country in the east to the fertile Manawatū Plains in the west. The main city of Palmerston North
2590-578: The college into animal genetics in the 1930s led to the development of new breeds of sheep, the Drysdale and the Perendale , which became commercially significant after World War II. Agriculture dominates land use although there are areas of forestry and horticulture . Soils and climate favour pastoral farming. There were 6,344 farm holdings on 30 June 1996, which was almost a tenth of all farm holdings in New Zealand. Farming occupied 72.5% of land, which
2664-403: The country's 45,000-hectare vegetable-growing land, the Manawatū-Whanganui region grows 26% of New Zealand's asparagus , 20% of its lettuce , 19% of its brassicas ( broccoli , cabbage and cauliflower ), and 10% of its carrots and potatoes . The region is one of the most significant forestry areas in the southern North Island. The predominant soil type, yellow-brown earths, when enhanced by
2738-451: The designation of approximately a seventh of its land area as part of the nation's conservation estate. Tongariro National Park is the largest park in the region (795.98 km [307.33 sq mi]) and is the oldest national park in the country, established in 1887. The volcanoes Tongariro, Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe are sacred to Māori and were given to the nation by Te Heuheu Tukino IV , paramount chief of Ngati Tuwharetoa . They form
2812-465: The early 1900s authorities realised that careful management was needed to maintain this important agricultural area. Manawatū-Whanganui takes up a large proportion of the lower half of the North Island. It is the second-largest local government region in the North Island and the sixth-largest in New Zealand, totalling 22,215 km (8,577 sq mi) (8.1% of New Zealand's land area). The region stretches from north of Taumarunui to south of Levin on
2886-403: The economy. A higher than average proportion of businesses were engaged in the agriculture , forestry and fishing industries, 6.3% compared with 4.4% nationally. Businesses engaged in retail trade were dominant numerically. In 1997 there were 2,300 businesses, employing a total of 10,380 full-time equivalents (FTEs). The percentage of businesses engaged in manufacturing was slightly higher than
2960-570: The eight quarters between September 1996 and June 1998 the region averaged 4.1% of total guest nights in New Zealand. This was close behind Wellington at 6.7% and greater than Hawke's Bay, which averaged 3.1%. Occupancy rates, at 20.1%, were the fourth-lowest in the country for the June 1998 quarter. Rates for the city of Palmerston North were significantly higher than the national average (39.5% compared with 25.8%) whereas districts such as Ruapehu are far more seasonal with fairly low occupancy rates except in
3034-688: The functions of regional councils. The Chatham Islands Council is not a region but is similar to a unitary authority, authorised under its own legislation. The regional councils are listed in Part 1 of Schedule 2 of the Local Government Act 2002 , along with reference to the Gazette notices that established them in 1989. The Act requires regional councils to promote sustainable development – the social, economic, environmental and cultural well-being of their communities. The current regions and most of their councils came into being through
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3108-506: The growing New Zealand Māori population tried to keep a connection to their culture, family history, spirituality, community, language and iwi . The Victoria University of Wellington Te Reo Māori Society campaigned for Māori radio, helping to set up Te Reo o Poneke, the first Māori-owned radio operation, using airtime on Wellington student-radio station Radio Active in 1983. Twenty-one iwi radio stations were set up between 1989 and 1994, receiving Government funding in accordance with
3182-413: The hill country of Rangitikei favours semi-intensive sheep and beef farming. Areas close to the volcanic plateau consist largely of pumice soils which lack some essential trace elements but within the region much of this land is occupied by national parks. The region has a comparatively mild climate with greater climatic extremes inland. Chateau Tongariro experienced the lowest temperature recorded in
3256-767: The largest social units in New Zealand Māori society . In Māori , iwi roughly means ' people ' or ' nation ' , and is often translated as " tribe ", or "a confederation of tribes". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, and is typically pluralised as such in English. Iwi groups trace their ancestry to the original Polynesian migrants who, according to tradition, arrived from Hawaiki . Some iwi cluster into larger groupings that are based on whakapapa (genealogical tradition) and known as waka (literally ' canoes ' , with reference to
3330-415: The legislation were coordination of civil defence and development of a regional plan, although the constituent TLAs could agree on additional responsibilities at the point of formation of each united council. For example, in a number of cases the united council took responsibility for the allocation of revenue from regional petrol taxes. The united councils were based in the facilities of the largest TLA in
3404-433: The major animal pest since they damage native forests and endanger cattle production through the spread of bovine tuberculosis . Eradication programmes also concentrate on rabbits , rooks and feral goats , while other exotic species such as Parma wallaby ( Macropus parma ), wasps , ferrets , stoats and weasels are a source of concern. The internationally recognised Ramsar estuarine wetlands site at Foxton Beach
3478-778: The mechanism for collecting it usually involves channelling through the territorial authority collection system. The Auckland Regional Council (now the Auckland Council ) was preceded by the Auckland Regional Authority (ARA), which existed from 1963 to 1989. The Wellington Regional Council was first formed in 1980 from a merger of the Wellington Regional Planning Authority and the Wellington Regional Water Board. In 1978, legislation
3552-421: The most of any region. In descending order of land area the territorial authority districts are Ruapehu , the major parts of Tararua District and Rangitikei , Manawatū , Whanganui , Horowhenua , and small parts of Stratford , Waitomo , and Taupō . The largest city is Palmerston North , with a population of 85,300 (June 2012 estimate). It is the only territorial authority in the region to be administered by
3626-458: The national average and manufacturing employed the greatest number of people (12,830 FTEs). The region is known for its strong agricultural base, which prompted the establishment of an agricultural college there in the 1920s. The government wanted to promote scientific farming and established colleges in two of the most important farming areas, Canterbury and the Manawatū. Research by members of
3700-466: The nucleus of the park, which is designated a World Heritage Site . Whanganui National Park is slightly smaller (742.31 km [286.61 sq mi]) and was established 99 years later when a series of reserves were incorporated into one area and given national park status. There are two state forest parks in the rugged, bush-clad Ruahine Range and Tararua Range. The four parks offer skiing , tramping , jetboating and white-water rafting and
3774-533: The opportunity to appreciate the environment. The regional council, responsible for managing natural and physical resources, provides flood protection and monitors environmental problems such as pest infestation and pollution. Invasive plant pests such as African feathergrass , goats rue and nodding thistle pose a threat to pastureland in this heavily agricultural-dependent region, and the council has instituted control campaigns. The council has also instituted animal pest control programmes. Possums are perceived as
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#17327909152283848-914: The peak ski season. Key cultural institutions in the region include Te Manawa in Palmerston North, the Whanganui Regional Museum , the Sarjeant Gallery and the Quartz Museum of Studio Ceramics in Whanganui, the National Army Museum in Waiouru, and the multi-cultural Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom in Foxton . State Highway 1 , the main highway, and the North Island Main Trunk railway, which both link Auckland and Wellington , run through
3922-539: The powers of a regional council under the Resource Management Act 1991 . The Kermadecs and the subantarctic islands are inhabited only by a small number of Department of Conservation staff and there is no regional council for these islands. Regional councils are popularly elected every three years in accordance with the Local Electoral Act 2001, except for the Canterbury regional council, which
3996-713: The region and largely dependent on the TLAs for resources. They were allowed to levy rates but in most cases had minimal operating budgets (below $ 100,000 per annum). The notable exception was Canterbury, where the united council had a number of responsibilities. Only one united council undertook any direct operational activity – a forestry project in Wanganui. Source: Summary of the Functions and Activities of United Councils . Dept of Internal Affairs, 1984. Iwi Iwi ( Māori pronunciation: [ˈiwi] ) are
4070-599: The region. The Palmerston North–Gisborne Line and State Highway 3 follow the Manawatū Gorge , linking the region with Hawke's Bay. The Marton–New Plymouth Line provides a railway link with Taranaki, and from this line the short Wanganui Branch runs to Whanganui . Road and rail transport give the region's exporters easy access to ports. The region has approximately 16% of the North Island's road length. There are 8,732 km (5,426 mi) of road, of which two-thirds are sealed. Approximately 12% of roads are classified as urban and three-quarters as rural, with almost half of
4144-414: The region: the Whanganui (290 km [180 mi]), Manawatū (182 km [113 mi])), and Rangitīkei (241 km [150 mi]). The Whanganui is the second-longest river and has the second-largest catchment in the North Island, draining most of the inland region west of Lake Taupō . There are few roads in this area, which contains some of the largest surviving areas of native bush in
4218-483: The regional council, would incorporate both the letter "h" and a macron, becoming "Manawatū-Whanganui". This became the official spelling of the name on 18 October, although the Manawatū-Whanganui Regional Council would continue to use the trading name of Horizons Regional Council. See: Controversy over Wanganui/Whanganui spelling . The region covers all or part of ten territorial authority areas. Parts of five of these are covered by five other regions of New Zealand ,
4292-586: The regions are based largely on drainage basins . This anticipated the responsibilities of the Resource Management Act 1991 . Most regional boundaries conform with territorial authority boundaries but there are a number of exceptions. An example is Taupo District , split between four regions, although most of its area is in the Waikato region. There is often a high degree of co-operation between regional and territorial councils as they have complementary roles. Regional councils have these specific functions under
4366-429: The rural roads being unsealed. With 945.9 km (587.8 mi) the region has the second-highest length of state highways in the North Island, after Waikato. Regions of New Zealand New Zealand is divided into sixteen regions for local government purposes. Eleven are administered by regional councils, and five are administered by unitary authorities , which are territorial authorities that also perform
4440-584: The soft rock by rivers and ocean waves. The region includes a series of mountain ranges, notably the Tararua Range and the Ruahine Range and the three major active volcanoes of the North Island. Mount Ruapehu at 2,797 m is the tallest mountain in the North Island, Ngauruhoe 2,291 m and Tongariro 1,968 m. During the last 100 years Ruapehu has experienced six significant eruptions, and last erupted in 1995 and 1996. Three major rivers divide
4514-498: The soils. Forestry largely disappeared until the early twentieth century. In an attempt to combat erosion problems in sandy soils the government planted forests in the Foxton/Levin area in the early twentieth century. Inland forests were planted later. Some private native forest has been set aside for sustainable logging but most forestry depends on exotic plantings. Unlike its neighbour Taranaki , Manawatū-Whanganui has not been
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#17327909152284588-483: The stations must produce programmes in the local Māori language and actively promote local Māori culture. A two-year Massey University survey of 30,000 people published in 2003 indicated 50 per cent of Māori in National Māori Radio Network broadcast areas listened to an iwi station. An Auckland University of Technology study in 2009 suggested the audience of iwi radio stations would increase as
4662-517: The thick sediment has raised a series of domes and gentle depressions. These structures can provide natural storage areas for oil and some of the Manawatu domes have been drilled. The domes have shaped the course of the Manawatū River, giving it a meandering path which, uniquely among New Zealand rivers, begins close to the east coast and exits on the west coast. The Manawatū River begins just inside
4736-408: The traditional tribal territory and these will have difficulties, which in many cases will be severe, in both relating to their tribal heritage and in accessing benefits from the settlement. It is also said that many Maori reject tribal affiliation because of a working-class unemployed attitude, defiance and frustration. Related but less important factors, are that a hapu may belong to more than one iwi,
4810-591: The tribe has collective assets under management of $ 1.85 billion. Iwi affairs can have a real impact on New Zealand politics and society. A 2004 attempt by some iwi to test in court their ownership of the seabed and foreshore areas polarised public opinion (see New Zealand foreshore and seabed controversy ). In Māori and in many other Polynesian languages , iwi literally means ' bone ' derived from Proto-Oceanic * suRi ₁ meaning ' thorn, splinter, fish bone ' . Māori may refer to returning home after travelling or living elsewhere as "going back to
4884-590: The two major rivers flowing through it: the Manawatū River and the Whanganui River . In the Māori language , the name Manawatū is a compound word that originates from an old Māori waiata (song). The waiata "Ka tatū e hine ko Manawatū" describes the search by an early ancestor, Haunui-a-Nanaia, for his wife, during which he named various waterways in the district, and says that his heart ( manawa ) settled or momentarily stopped ( tatū ) when he saw
4958-427: The use of fertilisers, is very suitable for forestry. Forestry has a long history in the Manawatū since Palmerston North developed as a saw-milling town, and the region's initial prosperity depended on heavy exploitation of native timbers. But land use practices inhibited the long term viability of this indigenous forestry industry. Severe burn-offs destroyed large areas of native forest and subsequent overgrazing affected
5032-422: The west coast, and across to the east coast from Cape Turnagain to Owhanga. It borders the Waikato , Taranaki , Hawke's Bay and Wellington regions and includes river catchment areas that run from the volcanic plateau to the sea. The Pacific Ocean is the eastern boundary and the Ruahine Range forms a natural boundary with Hawke's Bay. The area includes a variety of landscape formations. Districts close to
5106-546: The word rohe to describe the territory or boundaries of iwi. In modern-day New Zealand , iwi can exercise significant political power in the management of land and of other assets. For example, the 1997 Treaty of Waitangi settlement between the New Zealand Government and Ngāi Tahu , compensated that iwi for various losses of the rights guaranteed under the Treaty of Waitangi of 1840. As of 2019
5180-464: Was estimated at NZ$ 11.60 billion in the year to March 2019, 3.8% of New Zealand's national GDP. The regional GDP per capita was estimated at $ 46,764 in the same period. In the year to March 2018, primary industries contributed $ 1.26 billion (11.5%) to the regional GDP, goods-producing industries contributed $ 2.01 billion (18.3%), service industries contributed $ 6.76 billion (61.6%), and taxes and duties contributed $ 942 million (8.6%). Agriculture dominates
5254-415: Was much higher than the national average of 60.1%. Approximately 80% of this land was used for agricultural purposes (grazing, arable, fodder and fallow land). In the Manawatū, Rangitikei and Tararua Districts this percentage rose to over 90% of total land. The region is one of the most important areas of pastoral farming in New Zealand. It had 7,216,177 sheep (at 30 June 1996), the largest number of sheep in
5328-490: Was passed enabling the formation of regions with united councils . Twenty regions were designated, excluding the Auckland and Wellington areas. For most of the country this was the first regional level of government since the abolition of provinces in 1876. Councillors were not elected directly – they were appointed from the various territorial local authorities (TLAs) within the region. The only responsibilities mandated by
5402-565: Was spoken by 96.6%, Māori language by 6.0%, Samoan by 1.0% and other languages by 8.5%. No language could be spoken by 2.1% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.8%. The percentage of people born overseas was 15.9, compared with 28.8% nationally.Ethnicities in the 2018 census were 79.4% European/Pākehā, 22.9% Māori, 4.2% Pacific peoples, 6.4% Asian, and 2.2% other ethnicities (totals add to more than 100% since people could identify with multiple ethnicities). The subnational gross domestic product (GDP) of Manawatū-Whanganui
5476-483: Was that 97,110 (47.9%) people were employed full-time, 27,678 (13.7%) were part-time, and 6,198 (3.1%) were unemployed. There are two major urban areas. Palmerston North , with a resident population of 83,100 (June 2024 estimate), expanded as an educational centre and a supply centre for the surrounding rural hinterland. It became a city in 1930. The other major urban area is Whanganui , with an estimated resident population of 42,500 as of June 2024. Urban areas with
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