Waitaki District

Waitaki District is a territorial authority district that is located in the Canterbury and Otago regions of the South Island of New Zealand. It straddles the traditional border between the two regions, the Waitaki River, and its seat is Oamaru.

History
Waitaki District is made up of the former Waitaki County, Waihemo County and Oamaru Borough, which were amalgamated in 1989. It is governed by the Waitaki District Council.

Name
During the colonial period, the area was also known as Molesworth. However, the Maori name Waitaki eventually prevailed.

Geography
It has a land area of 7107.73 km2, of which 4195.17 km2 or 59.02% is in the Canterbury Region and 2912.56 km2 or 40.98% in the Otago Region. It is the only district in the South Island that lies in two regions.

A major reason for this split was the governance of the Waitaki River, which forms a political boundary between Canterbury and Otago. With major hydro schemes on this river, it was decided to place the entire catchment in one administrative region, thus forming the split. Some people who fall into the Canterbury Region of Waitaki District still regard themselves as part of Otago, and attempts have been made in the past to change the boundary. The district, which is agricultural by nature, comprises the wide alluvial fan of the river, and runs inland along the banks of the river, forming a roughly triangular region.

Urban areas and settlements
Oamaru, the district seat, is the only town in the Waitaki district with a population over 1,000. It is home to people, 0/0*100% of the district's population.

Other settlements and localities in the district include:

Ahuriri Ward:


 * Aviemore
 * Benmore
 * Black Point
 * Bortons
 * Clearburn
 * Danseys Pass
 * Duntroon
 * Earthquakes
 * Kokoamo
 * Kurow
 * Ōhau
 * Lake Waitaki
 * Lindis Pass
 * Livingstone
 * Maerewhenua
 * Omarama
 * Otekaieke
 * Otematata
 * Otiake
 * Pukeraro
 * Strachans
 * Waikaura
 * Wharekuri

Waihemo Ward:


 * Billys Flat
 * Dunback
 * Flag Swamp
 * Glenpark
 * Goodwood
 * Green Valley
 * Hampden
 * Hillgrove
 * Inch Valley
 * Kaika
 * Kātiki
 * Macraes
 * Makareao
 * Meadowbank
 * Moeraki
 * Moonlight Flat
 * Morrisons
 * Nenthorn
 * Palmerston
 * Pleasant Valley
 * Shag Point
 * Shag Valley
 * Stoneburn
 * Trotters Gorge
 * Waianakarua
 * Waihemo
 * Wairunga
 * Waynes
 * Puketapu

Corriedale Ward:


 * Airedale
 * All Day Bay
 * Awamoko
 * Cormacks
 * Corriedale
 * Elderslie
 * Enfield
 * Five Forks
 * Fuchsia Creek
 * Georgetown
 * Herbert
 * Hilderthorpe
 * Incholme
 * Island Cliff
 * Island Stream
 * Kakanui
 * Kauru Hill
 * Kia Ora
 * Kuriheka
 * Maheno
 * Maraeweka
 * Marakerake
 * Maruakoa
 * Ngapara
 * Otepopo
 * Papakaio
 * Peebles
 * Pukeuri
 * Queens Flat
 * Reidston
 * Richmond
 * Rosebery
 * Tapui
 * Taranui
 * Teschemakers
 * Tokarahi
 * Totara
 * Waimotu
 * Waitaki Bridge
 * Whitecraig
 * Whitstone
 * Windsor Park
 * Windsor

Oamaru Ward:
 * Ardgowan
 * Oamaru
 * Weston

Demographics
Waitaki District covers 7107.94 km2 and had an estimated population of as of  with a population density of  people per km2.

Waitaki District had a population of 23,472 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 1,164 people (5.2%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 2,643 people (12.7%) since the 2013 census. There were 12,240 dwellings. The median age was 46.1 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 4,038 people (17.2%) aged under 15 years, 3,510 (15.0%) aged 15 to 29, 10,314 (43.9%) aged 30 to 64, and 5,607 (23.9%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 85.0% European/Pākehā, 9.5% Māori, 5.5% Pasifika, 6.9% Asian, 0.7% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders, and 1.5% other. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

Waitaki District had a population of 22,308 at the 2018 New Zealand census. There were 9,171 households, comprising 10,974 males and 11,331 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.97 males per female.

The percentage of people born overseas was 15.4, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 47.9% had no religion, 41.5% were Christian, 0.2% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.6% were Hindu, 0.3% were Muslim, 0.5% were Buddhist and 1.6% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 2,331 (12.8%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 4,719 (25.9%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $27,700, compared with $31,800 nationally. 2,019 people (11.1%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 8,529 (46.8%) people were employed full-time, 2,826 (15.5%) were part-time, and 441 (2.4%) were unemployed.

Economy
A relatively sparsely settled area, the District has a large number of farms. However, in recent times (late 2000s), numerous proposals for new farming operations have locals fearing that the agriculture will be transformed from often family-held farms to large agribusiness operations, causing local ecological damage and siphoning off capital overseas.