Manawatū District

Manawatū District
Territorial authority
Rongotea Community Centre and Library (Dec. 2011)
Coordinates: 40.093°S 175.782°E / -40.093; 175.782
Land	Neuseeland
Region	Manawatū-Whanganui
Wards	Feilding Rural
Seat	Feilding
Regierung
• Mayor	Helen Worboys
• Deputy Mayor	Michael Ford
• Territorial authority	Manawatū District Council
Area
• Land	2,566.59 km2 (990.97 sq mi)
Population  (June 2023)
• Total	33,900
Time zone	UTC+12 (NZST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+13 (NZDT)
Postcode(s)	Map of postcodes
Website	Manawatū District Council

The Manawatū District is a local government district in the Manawatū-Whanganui Region in the North Island of New Zealand.

The district is based on the town of Feilding and includes most of the area between the Manawatū River in the south and the Rangitīkei River in the north; stretching from slightly south of the settlement of Himatangi in the south, to just south of Mangaweka in the north; and from the Rangitīkei River to the summits of the Ruahine Ranges in the east. The district does not include the area around Foxton, Foxton Beach or the mouth of the Manawatū River. It also excludes the area around the city of Palmerston North (including Ashhurst). The district has an area of 2,624 km².

Name

Manawatū is said to have been named by Hau, a great Māori explorer. When searching for his wife who had left him for another lover, Hau is said to have pursued her along the south west coast of the North Island. As he travelled, he came across and named river mouths including Whanganui, Whangaehu and Rangitīkei according to events that befell him at the time. He came across a large, wide river mouth. In awe of the sight and in fear he might not be able to cross it, he stated "Ka tū taku manawa" (My heart stands still).

The term Manawatū (often the Manawatu) also refers to the whole geographical region centred on the floodplain of the Manawatū River, with Palmerston North as its principal city. Like several other geographical regions in New Zealand, such as Wairarapa and the King Country, the Manawatū in this sense never had precisely defined borders, its extents determined largely by custom and preference. Always included however are Palmerston North and all of today's Manawatū District and usually included is that part of Horowhenua district lying north of Levin. Parts of Rangitikei and/or Tararua districts might also be included.

Demographics

Manawatu District covers 2,566.59 km² (990.97 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 33,900 as of June 2023, with a population density of 13.2 people per km². Feilding, the district seat, has a population of 17,750 and is the only town in the district with a population over 1,000. Other towns and settlements in the district include Halcombe, Himatangi Beach, Kimbolton, Pohangina, Rongotea, Sanson, and Tangimoana.

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
2006	26,070	—
2013	27,459	+0.74%
2018	30,165	+1.90%
Source:

Manawatu District had a population of 30,165 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 2,706 people (9.9%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 4,095 people (15.7%) since the 2006 census. There were 11,193 households. There were 14,943 males and 15,222 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.98 males per female. The median age was 41.3 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 6,282 people (20.8%) aged under 15 years, 5,004 (16.6%) aged 15 to 29, 13,473 (44.7%) aged 30 to 64, and 5,406 (17.9%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 89.2% European/Pākehā, 16.5% Māori, 2.0% Pacific peoples, 2.6% Asian, and 2.0% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 10.6, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people objected to giving their religion, 52.4% had no religion, 35.4% were Christian, 0.4% were Hindu, 0.2% were Muslim, 0.3% were Buddhist and 2.7% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 3,657 (15.3%) people had a bachelor or higher degree, and 5,595 (23.4%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $32,400, compared with $31,800 nationally. 3,549 people (14.9%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 12,321 (51.6%) people were employed full-time, 3,498 (14.6%) were part-time, and 726 (3.0%) were unemployed.

Individual statistical areas (2018 boundaries)

Name	Area (km2)	Population	Density (per km2)	Households	Median age	Median income
Northern Manawatu Rural Ward	1,904.36	6,588	3.46	2,337	42.7 years	$36,900
Southern Manawatu Rural Ward	638.59	7,779	12.18	2,871	41.1 years	$36,500
Feilding Ward	23.79	15,798	664.06	5,985	40.8 years	$28,900
Neuseeland					37.4 years	$31,800

Local government

St. Andrews Combined Church and hall, Bainesse, Manawatū

Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Rongotea (built c. 1895)

District Council

Manawatū District Council was formed by the amalgamation of the Feilding Borough, Kiwitea County, Manawatū District, Oroua County and Pohangina County Councils in the 1989 local government reforms.

For the purposes of representation, Manawatū District is divided into two wards:

Ward name	Number of councillors	Area included
Feilding	4	Feilding (urban)
Rural	5

In 2021, the council decided to establish a Māori ward from the 2022 local election.

The council is responsible for day-to-day administration and services:

• Animal control
• Bylaws
• Cemeteries
• Community grants and funding
• Infrastructure such as roads, drains, rubbish collection.
• Library services
• Liquor licensing
• Property profiling.

Mayor

Mayor of Manawatū Margaret Kouvelis in 2015

Ian McKelvie was first elected mayor in a by-election in November 2002. After being elected to Parliament in the 2011 election, he resigned from the mayoralty on 15 December 2011. Deputy Mayor Matt Bell was then acting mayor until a by-election held on 7 March 2012. The by-election was narrowly won by Margaret Kouvelis from Feilding, who beat councillor Steven Gibson by just 14 votes (3293 votes to 3279). Helen Worboys won the mayoralty from the incumbent Margaret Kouvelis in the 2016 Local Government elections.

Horizons Regional Council

Manawatū District is in the Manawatū-Whanganui Region, which is governed by the Horizons Regional Council. For electoral and representation purposes, the district is divided into:

• Horowhenua-Kairanga Ward: rural area south of Feilding, including the entire Horowhenua District.
• Manawatū-Rangitikei Ward: Feilding and rural area to the north, and including the entire Rangitikei District.

Tourism

The Manawatū district includes both plains and hills, and is visited by cyclists and others for the views of the Central North Island volcanoes on clear days. The western coast has swimming beaches and large sand dunes, while the Ruahine Ranges in the east has walking tracks and views over the district from the Wharite mountain or from the Saddle Road.

In the middle of the district is Feilding, with its saleyards, equestrian and motorsport venue (Manfeild), boutique shopping and historical landmarks and collections.

Manawatū is the location of the Royal New Zealand Air Force's main base, RNZAF Base Ohakea.

Schools

Main article: List of schools in Manawatū-Whanganui § Manawatū District

Secondary

• Feilding High School - Feilding
• Hato Paora College - Cheltenham

Further reading

• Davies, D. A. & Clevely, R. E. (1981) Pioneering to prosperity 1874–1974: a centennial history of the Manchester Block. Feilding: Fisher Printing.
• Holcroft, M. H. (1977) The line of the road: a history of Manawatu County, 1876–1976. Palmerston North: Manawatu County Council.
• Knight, Catherine (2014) Ravaged Beauty: An Environmental History of the Manawatu. Auckland: Dunmore Press. ISBN 978-1-927212-13-4

External links

• Manawatū District Council
• History, Manawatū District Council
• Manawatū and Horowhenua, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand
• Manawatu & City Business Directory