Our Ōpōtiki
Tuhura | Discover
Funding - Sport New Zealand Rural Travel Fund
This fund helps sports clubs and school teams with young people aged between 5 and 18 years get to the game. Find out more and apply.
Te Āhua Noho | The Ōpōtiki lifestyle
Nature: Blessed with natural beauty and coastline as far as the eye can see, Ōpōtiki inspires with season changing beauty.
Culture: Mana whenua, Whakatōhea instill a strong cultural respect and pride within our rohe and we celebrate biculturalism and diversity.
Economy: Ōpōtiki has world-class aquaculture and infrastructure to support a booming industry, as well as a thriving primary industry and unique tourism providers.
Community: Our town’s population is small (at around 4,000), however we are strong, proud and connected.
Tā Mātau Rohe | Our District
We measure success not by numbers, but by the quality of our lifestyle, the opportunities available to us, the value of our connections and the health of our people and place. However, if you're into the numbers, here's some statistics based data on our rohe (district).
Environment
With miles and miles of open sea, 160 kilometres of coastline, 13 clean, fast flowing rivers and 11,200 hectares of native bush and scrubland, the Ōpōtiki District is the perfect home for a community that appreciates and enjoys outdoor activities and the natural environment. The district comprises 25% of the Bay of Plenty region and contains 50% of the Bay of Plenty coastline.
Population
Just over 10,000 people live in the Ōpōtiki District. Each year more than 30,000 visitors experience the environment that we are lucky enough to call home. Just under half of the resident population lives in the Ōpōtiki township with the remainder living in smaller outlying communities. There are 20 marae in the district, which are a focal point for local communities, along with a number of strong farming, lifestyle and coastal settlements.
Demographics
In the 2023 Census approximately 66.2% of people in the Ōpōtiki District said they belong to the Māori ethnic group. The media age in 2023 was 40 years and 8.8% of the population were born overseas.
In 2023 23% were speakers of te reo Māori, far above the 4.3% recorded nationally.
The Economy
The economy is driven primarily by agriculture with over 400 farms amounting to a total area of 75,660 hectares. 38% of this area is in beef and dairy farms, 29% in planted forests and 1% in horticulture units. The majority of horticultural land is planted in kiwifruit with plans for further development within this industry.
Labour Force Participation and Income
In the 2023 Census 6.2% of working age people were unemployed, which is higher than the national average.
The median household income in the Ōpōtiki District in was $66,900 in 2023 compared with $97,000 nationally and the median personal income was $30,500 compared with $41,500 nationally.
Development
In the 2023 Census a high proportion of residents 69.1% own (or partly own) their homes, which is comparable to the Bay of Plenty and national figure. 11.7% of the population live in what is classified as crowded households.
Over the past three years there has been a steady increase in the value of house sales in the district.
Ōpōtiki District Council
Official Website
This is your go-to source for information on rubbish collection days, registering animals and all other areas of council like drinking water, wastewater, local roads, sports fields, council meetings and more.
Engagement Website: Connect | Hono Mai
Councils engagement platform is where you can join our engaged community and have your say on projects and work undertaken by council, to build our vision for the future.
Destination website: Ōpōtiki - www.opotikinz.co.nz
Opotikinz is part of the Ōpōtiki District Council family of websites and is dedicated to showcasing the great things Ōpōtiki has to offer both visitors and residents alike. Covering key areas of live, visit, stay, play and work its a mix of tourism based content with info on living here, finding work and support for business.