North Shore City | |
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City of New Zealand | |
1989–2010 | |
North Shore City within the North Island of New Zealand | |
History | |
History | |
• Established | 1989 |
• Disestablished | 2010 |
Today part of | Auckland Region |
North Shore City was a territorial authority unit in the Auckland Region of New Zealand that was governed by the North Shore City Council. It existed from 1989 until November 2010, when the council was incorporated into Auckland Council. It had an estimated population of 229,000 at 30 June 2010, making it the fourth most populous city in New Zealand prior to the 2010 reorganisation. It was the country's fourth largest city in land, with an area of 129.81 square kilometres (50.12 sq mi) and a coastline of 141 kilometres (88 mi). It was the most densely populated city in the country, because most of its area was urban or suburban in nature, unlike other New Zealand cities.
The North Shore comprised a large suburban area to the north of downtown Auckland; linked to the rest of the greater Auckland metropolitan area by two harbour bridges - the Auckland Harbour Bridge crosses the inner Waitemata Harbour to Auckland City, while the Upper Harbour Bridge provided a connection to Waitakere City across the northern stretches of the harbour.
The administrative area of North Shore City Council was bounded by Rodney District to the north, Waitemata Harbour to the south and the Rangitoto Channel of the Hauraki Gulf to the east. The seat of the council was in Takapuna.
Today, the entire area has been divided between four local boards of the amalgamated Auckland Council: Devonport-Takapuna, Kaipātiki, Upper Harbour (along with part of the former Waitakere City) and Hibiscus and Bays (along with part of the former Rodney District).
Prior to being merged into Auckland Council in 2010, North Shore City was divided into three wards, with each of them dividing into two community boards [1] for a total of six within the city; with each of them further consisting of the following populated places (i.e.: suburbs, towns, localities, settlements, communities, hamlets, etc.):
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The North Shore was first administered by highway districts, which operated from the 1860s onwards, pooling local residents' resources to improve infrastructure. [2] In 1876, the Waitemata County was established across the North Shore and West Auckland after the abolition of the Auckland Province, and was one of the largest counties created in New Zealand. [3] Between 1886 and 1954, areas of the North Shore voted to become independent areas separate from the council, establishing boroughs. The first of these was Devonport in 1886, soon followed by Birkenhead in 1888. Northcote was declared a borough in 1908, and Takapuna in 1913. The final borough that split from the Waitemata County was East Coast Bays in 1954. [4] On 1 August 1974, the Waitemata County was dissolved, [5] leading to Glenfield, Albany and Long Bay being incorporated into Takapuna City. [6]
In 1989, Devonport, Birkenhead, Northcote, Takapuna and East Coast Bays amalgamated to form North Shore City [7] in the 1989 New Zealand local government reforms. North Shore City was amalgamated into Auckland Council in November 2010. [8]
The city was run by the 15-member North Shore City Council and mayor, democratically elected every three years using the first-past-the-post voting system. The last mayor was Andrew Williams. The mayor was a strong critic of the 'Super City' proposals, which would see North Shore City amalgamated into a larger Auckland authority. [9] Williams voiced strong opposition to Transit New Zealand's delays regarding bus lanes. [10] He was a proponent of the $300 million joint busway venture. [10] While the Auckland Regional Council had power to impose property tax rates on suburban areas such as North Shore City, local residents voiced strong opposition. [11] [12] There was a pattern of conflict between local authorities and Auckland city officials regarding many matters, such as transportation, land purchases [13] and decay of wharf facilities. [14] The issue of whether Auckland should be a single city, or a collection of autonomous cities, was a subject of debate. [15]
Between 1989 and 2010, North Shore City had five mayors. [16] The mayor was directly elected using a first-past-the-post electoral system. The councillors were elected from three wards: Northern, Harbour and Central. The elections were held every three years. [17] [18]
The following persons served as mayor of North Shore City:
Name | Portrait | In office | Terms | |
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1 | Ann Hartley | 1989–1992 | 1 | |
2 | Paul Titchener | 1992–1995 | 1 | |
3 | George Gair | 1995–1998 | 1 | |
4 | George Wood | 1998–2007 | 3 | |
5 | Andrew Williams | 2007–2010 | 1 |
North Shore City formerly contributed over 6% of New Zealand's GDP. The city also topped the nation's growth rates for numbers of businesses, growing 29.3% between 1998 and 2002. [19] Areas of the North Shore City boasted some of the most expensive real estate in New Zealand. The stretch of coast that runs North from Takapuna Beach to Milford, often referred to as the "Golden Mile", [20] had many properties there have sold for several million dollars (NZ$) particularly because of the beaches, Lake Pupuke, popular schools and shopping centres. In 2005, one beachfront property sold for $12.8 million. [21] Rents in North Shore City, as well as property prices, are high in relative terms, with average weekly rents (in 2002) of $243 versus $237 for Wellington and $236 for Auckland. [22]
In the 2006 census, the median income for North Shore residents over 15 years was $29,100, compared with a national average of $24,400.
The racial makeup of the city was 67.5% European, 18.5% Asian, 6.3% Māori, 3.4% Pacific Islander, and 1.8% from the Middle East, Africa or Latin America. Just under 10% gave their ethnicity as "New Zealander", [23] with most of this group having identified itself as European in former Census surveys.
North Shore City was a sister city of:
Devonport is a harbourside suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. It is located on the North Shore, at the southern end of the Devonport Peninsula that runs southeast from near Lake Pupuke in Takapuna, forming the northern side of the Waitematā Harbour. East of Devonport lies North Head, the northern promontory guarding the mouth of the harbour.
The North Shore is one of the major geographical regions of Auckland, the largest city in New Zealand. The area is defined as the northern shores of the Waitematā Harbour as far north as the Ōkura River.
Waitākere City was a territorial authority in West Auckland, New Zealand; it was governed by the Waitākere City Council from 1989 to 2010. It was New Zealand's fifth-largest city, with an annual growth of about 2%. In 2010 the council was amalgamated with the other authorities of the Auckland Region to form the current Auckland Council.
Waitematā Harbour is the main access by sea to Auckland, New Zealand. For this reason it is often referred to as Auckland Harbour, despite the fact that it is one of two harbours adjoining the city. The harbour forms the northern and eastern coasts of the Auckland isthmus and is crossed by the Auckland Harbour Bridge. It is matched on the southern side of the city by the shallower waters of the Manukau Harbour.
East Coast Bays is a string of small suburbs that form the northernmost part of the North Shore, part of the contiguous Auckland metropolitan area in New Zealand. The suburbs line the north-east coast of the city along the shore of the Hauraki Gulf and Rangitoto Channel. They include, from north to south, Long Bay, Torbay, Waiake Bay, Browns Bay, Rothesay Bay, Murrays Bay, Mairangi Bay, Campbells Bay and Castor Bay.
Takapuna is a suburb located on the North Shore of Auckland, New Zealand. The suburb is an isthmus between Shoal Bay, arm of the Waitematā Harbour, and the Hauraki Gulf. Lake Pupuke, a volcanic maar and one of the oldest features of the Auckland volcanic field, is a freshwater lake located in the suburb.
Glenfield is a suburb of Auckland, New Zelaand, located on the North Shore. Established as a rural community in the 1850s, the area developed as a suburban part of Auckland after the completion of the Auckland Harbour Bridge in 1959.
Auckland City was a territorial authority with city status covering the central isthmus of the urban area of Auckland, New Zealand. It was governed by the Auckland City Council from 1989 to 2010, and as a territory within the wider Auckland Region, was also governed by Auckland Regional Council. Auckland City was disestablished as a local authority on 1 November 2010, when Auckland City Council was amalgamated with other councils of the Auckland Region into the new Auckland Council. At the time of its disestablishment, the city had a resident population of around 450,000.
Mairangi Bay is a coastal suburb of North Shore, Auckland, located in the northern North Island of New Zealand, on the south-east-facing peninsula forming the northern side of the Waitematā Harbour. Mairangi Bay came under the local governance of the North Shore City Council until subsumed into the Auckland Council in 2010.
Greenhithe is a northwestern suburb of Auckland, New Zealand, located on the North Shore. Greenhithe was the location of Tauhinu, a fortified Te Kawerau ā Maki and Ngāti Whātua pā which overlooked the entrance to Oruamo or Hellyers Creek, that was settled until the 1820s. In the 1860s, the Forgham family established a community at Greenhithe, which by the 1880s had become a major fruit producer for Auckland. Boat repair and construction became major industries in Greenhithe in the 1960s.
Waitemata City was a New Zealand city in the greater Auckland area. It was formed in 1974 from the western part of the old Waitemata County, with both the County and City taking their names from Waitemata Harbour. In 1989, when New Zealand local government bodies underwent a major re-organisation, Waitemata City joined with its southern neighbours, the boroughs of Henderson, Glen Eden, and New Lynn, to form the modern city of Waitakere.
Castor Bay is a bay and suburb of the North Shore, located in Auckland which is in the North Island of New Zealand. Located between Milford and Campbells Bay, it is part of the East Coast Bays. To the east lies the islands of Rangitoto and Motutapu, which are easily visible from land. The suburb is in the North Shore ward, one of the thirteen administrative divisions of Auckland Council.
Rothesay Bay is a small suburb in Auckland's East Coast Bays region. The suburb is roughly the same size as Murrays Bay, the suburb to the immediate south.
Long Bay is one of the northernmost suburbs of the North Shore, part of the contiguous Auckland metropolitan area located in New Zealand.
Campbells Bay is a suburb of the North Shore located in Auckland, New Zealand. Centennial Park is a popular recreational space that has walking tracks and stunning harbour views.
Wairau Valley is a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. The area is predominantly light industrial/commercial. The Northern Motorway passes to the east, and the Wairau Park shopping complex extends to the north. The valley is drained by the Wairau Creek, which flows on through Milford and discharges into the Hauraki Gulf from an estuary at the northern end of Milford Beach.
Schnapper Rock is a western suburb on the North Shore of Auckland, New Zealand. The suburb is currently under local governance of Auckland Council. The area was known for a gum digging hut used by early European settlers in the mid-19th century. North Shore Memorial Park was opened area in 1974, and the area developed into suburban housing in the early 2000s.
The Waitemata County was one of the counties of New Zealand in the North Island. Established in 1876, the county covered West Auckland, Rodney and the North Shore. The county shrunk in size between 1886 and 1954 when various urban areas on the North Shore and in West Auckland became boroughs and established their own local councils. The Waitemata County was dissolved in 1974, with the county council area being taken over by the newly established Waitemata City in the west, and by Takapuna City and Rodney Council in the north.
West Auckland is one of the major geographical areas of Auckland, the largest city in New Zealand. Much of the area is dominated by the Waitākere Ranges, the eastern slopes of the Miocene era Waitākere volcano which was upraised from the ocean floor, and now one of the largest regional parks in New Zealand. The metropolitan area of West Auckland developed between the Waitākere Ranges to the west and the upper reaches of the Waitematā Harbour to the east. It covers areas such as Glen Eden, Henderson, Massey and New Lynn.
The Upper Waitematā Harbour is an estuary of the Waitematā Harbour in the Auckland Region of New Zealand. It flows south-east from the town of Riverhead, and was historically the border between Waitakere City and North Shore City in Auckland.