Kawerau

Kawerau is a town in the Bay of Plenty Region on the North Island of New Zealand. It is situated 100 km south-east of Tauranga and 58 km east of Rotorua. It is the seat of the Kawerau District Council, and the only town in Kawerau District.

Kawerau is a small community, with an economy that is largely driven by the nearby pulp and paper mill that is run by Norske Skog and OJI Fibre Solutions. It is located along State Highway 34, southwest of Onepu, and is the terminus of the East Coast Main Trunk Railway, and the commencing point of the Murupara Branch railway.

Kawerau is among the three towns in New Zealand with a majority Māori population, along with Ōpōtiki and Wairoa. Kawerau was one of the worst-affected towns in the 1987 Edgecumbe earthquake.

European settlement
Kawerau, one of the youngest towns in New Zealand, was founded in 1953 as a mill town for the new Tasman pulp and paper mill. The site for the mill was chosen by the Tasman Pulp and Paper Company because of the ready availability of geothermal energy, water from the Tarawera River and the large supply of pine timber from the nearby Kaingaroa Forest. The town site was chosen in February 1953.

Unlike most other towns of its size, Kawerau was carefully planned before construction. The town was built with an impressive number of facilities, to accommodate a multinational specialist workforce. The mill continues to drive the local economy and greatly influences the fortunes of the town. The town's population peaked in the early 1980s (8718 in the 1981 census) but has declined significantly since then due to the restructuring of the mill and of associated industries.

Recent history
In 2012, mill owner Norske Skog said it would be shutting one of the two newsprint machines at the mill. In January 2013, it was confirmed nearly half the mill's jobs would be lost.

Norse Skog of Norway, which is the world's second-biggest producer of newsprint, confirmed the closure of one of its two paper machines at the Tasman Mill at Kawerau with the loss of 110 jobs. The company first announced its intention to shut one machine last September, following a review of its newsprint capacity in Australasia. The remaining Tasman machine would continue to produce newsprint, predominantly for the New Zealand and Australian markets. Norske Skog management would work closely with employees, unions and other stakeholders on the detailed closure arrangements, including a mill-wide restructuring programme. Peter McCartey, General Manager of Tasman Mill said it was widely understood the decision had been brought about by global market forces within the industry. The second paper machine had operated successfully for over 50 years. Norske Skog has the widest geographical spread of all the paper producers, with mills in 11 countries on all continents except Africa.

As of July 16, 2021, all of the three newsprint paper machines have ceased operation due to less demand as the world is going digital.

Kawerau is also home to geothermal power supply Kawerau Power Station for the local industry as well as the rest of New Zealand.

Marae
The local marae, Tohia o te Rangi, is affiliated with the Ngāti Tūwharetoa hapū of Ngāi Tamarangi. It features the Waitaha Ariki Kore meeting house.

Demographics
Kawerau District covers 23.56 km2 and had an estimated population of as of  with a population density of  people per km2.

Kawerau District had a population of 7,539 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 393 people (5.5%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 1,176 people (18.5%) since the 2013 census. There were 2,826 dwellings. The median age was 38.6 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 1,680 people (22.3%) aged under 15 years, 1,335 (17.7%) aged 15 to 29, 2,997 (39.8%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,524 (20.2%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 53.8% European/Pākehā, 63.2% Māori, 4.7% Pasifika, 3.3% Asian, 0.3% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders, and 0.9% other. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

Kawerau District had a population of 7,146 at the 2018 New Zealand census. There were 2,499 households, comprising 3,540 males and 3,606 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.98 males per female.

The percentage of people born overseas was 10.1, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 48.9% had no religion, 29.5% were Christian, 9.6% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.5% were Hindu, 0.2% were Muslim, 0.3% were Buddhist and 1.1% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 390 (7.2%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 1,542 (28.4%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $20,600, compared with $31,800 nationally. 426 people (7.8%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 1,857 (34.2%) people were employed full-time, 684 (12.6%) were part-time, and 549 (10.1%) were unemployed.

Geography
The 820 m volcanic cone of Mount Edgecumbe/Putauaki lies 3 km to the east of Kawerau, and is easily visible from the town. The Tarawera River straddles Kawerau to the east and continues north to the Bay of Plenty. Water is supplied to the town from two natural springs. Kawerau's water was judged the best-tasting in New Zealand in 2003 and 2004.

Kawerau has access to vast geothermal resources. There are a number of geothermal hot springs in the surrounding bush owned and operated by local families. The Kawerau geothermal field provides steam power for the paper mill, and a 90 MW geothermal power station is currently under construction.

The District has a land area of 23.56 km2, making it the smallest territorial authority in New Zealand in terms of land area. It is completely surrounded by the Whakatāne District.

Climate
During summer (December to February), the average daily maximum temperature in Kawerau is 23.7 °C. In January 2008, the temperature exceeded 30 °C for five days. In winter (July to August) crisp early morning frosts are usually followed by clear, sunny days, and the average daily maximum temperature is around 15.6 °C.

Rainfall is spread throughout the year, though it is not uncommon to experience a drought during summer.

Events
Kawerau hosts a number of events each year, including the National Woodskills Festival, 'King of the Mountain' race and the Tarawera 100 motorcycle endurance race. Kawerau is also growing as an event venue for white water rapid competitions such as kayaking and rafting. Kawerau was a venue for the 2013 World Rafting Championships.

Kawerau Woodfest & National Woodskills Competition
The National Woodskills Festival is a competition that encompasses a broad spectrum of wood craftsmanship and wood art. Some of the competitors are professionals, but many are amateurs. The Woodskills Festival was first held in Kawerau in 1989 as a local competition. By 1991, the event had become such a popular annual competition that it was developed into a national event, attracting exhibitors from throughout New Zealand. The competition has now developed into a broader range of attractions which captivates many skills from the Forestry Industry and now takes over the town for the weekend, in what is known as Kawerau Woodfest.

The annual Kawerau Woodfest attracts hundreds of visitors from around the country, making it the town's largest event and, as a result, is the highest economic beneficial event in Kawerau. As well as the Woodskills Festival, there is an Arts & Crafts Festival with displays open on Saturday and Sunday at various venues around Kawerau.

Education
Kawerau has two co-educational state primary schools for Year 1 to 6 students: Kawerau Putauaki School, with a roll of ; and Kawerau South School,  with a roll of.

Te Whata Tau o Putauaki is a co-educational Year 1 to 8 state primary school, with a roll of.

Tarawera High School is the town's Year 7 to 13 secondary school, with a roll of. The Kawerau Teen Parent Unit is located in an old school house.

Notable residents

 * Danielle Hayes, model
 * Gill Gatfield, sculptor
 * John Rowles, singer
 * Ria van Dyke, model
 * Sarah Walker, Women's BMX world champion
 * William Warbrick, rugby league player