Region of New Zealand
Region in South Island, New Zealand
The
West Coast
(
M?ori
:
Te Tai Poutini
,
lit.
'The Coast of Poutini, the
Taniwha
')
[6]
is a
region of New Zealand
on the west coast of the
South Island
. It is administered by the
West Coast Regional Council
, and is known co-officially as
Te Tai Poutini
. It comprises the
territorial authorities
of
Buller District
,
Grey District
and
Westland District
. The principal towns are
Westport
,
Greymouth
and
Hokitika
. The region, one of the more remote areas of the country, is also the most sparsely populated. With a population of just 32,900 people, the West Coast is the least populous region in New Zealand. The population in the region grew by 0.4% over the year to July 2023.
[7]
The region has a rich and important history. The land itself is ancient, stretching back to the
Carboniferous period
; this is evident by the amount of carboniferous materials naturally found there, especially
coal
. First settled by
K?i Tahu
in approximately 1200 AD, the area was famous across New Zealand for its richness in
pounamu
greenstone. K?i Tahu traded millions of modern
New Zealand dollars
' worth of the stone across
New Zealand
, making Te Tai Poutini one of the wealthiest regions in the country.
[8]
After the arrival of Europeans, the region became famed for its vast and mostly untapped
gold
reserves, which historically had not been highly valued.
[9]
The region was subsequently settled by thousands of
Irish Catholics
after the
Irish Famine
,
[10]
who constitute the majority of the population, alongside the indigenous K?i Tahu and those who come from admixing between the two populations. The region was also heavily sought after by
nuclear weapons states
in the 1950s for its abundant resources of
uranium
, which many West Coasters found objectionable.
[11]
The West Coast is the only region of New Zealand where
coal mining
is still widely practiced.
Naming
[
edit
]
The name
Westland
is used by some New Zealanders to refer to the whole of the West Coast, including
Grey District
,
Buller District
and
Fiordland
,
[
citation needed
]
and can also refer to the short-lived
Westland Province
of 1873?76.
Fiordland
is on the west coast, but is in the
Southland Region
rather than the West Coast Region.
Inhabitants of the West Coast are colloquially known as "Coasters".
[12]
[13]
Geography
[
edit
]
The region reaches from
Kahurangi Point
in the north to
Awarua Point
in the south, a distance of 600 km. It has an area of 23,276 km
2
. To the west is the
Tasman Sea
(which like the
Southern Ocean
can be very rough, with four-metre swells common), and to the east are the
Southern Alps
. Much of the land is rugged, with a coastal plain where much of the population resides. It is divided into the three
local government districts
of (from north to south)
Buller
,
Grey
and
Westland
.
The land is very scenic, with wild coastlines, mountains and a very high proportion of native
bush
, much of it native temperate
rain forest
. It is the only part of New Zealand where significant tracts of lowland forest remain: elsewhere, for instance on the
Canterbury Plains
and in the
Firth of Thames
, they have been almost completely destroyed for settlement and agriculture.
Scenic areas include the
Haast Pass
,
Fox
and
Franz Josef Glaciers
,
Hokitika Gorge
,
Lake Brunner
, the Pancake Rocks at
Punakaiki
, the
Oparara Arches
and the
Heaphy Track
.
The region has very high rainfall due to the prevailing northwesterly wind pattern and the location of the Southern Alps, which give rise to heavy
orographic
precipitation
. The
rain shadow
effect is responsible for the relatively arid climate of the Canterbury Plains on the other side of the Southern Alps.
Climate data for
Hokitika Airport
(1936?2015, Humidity 1961?2015, Sunshine 1964?2015)
|
Month
|
Jan
|
Feb
|
Mar
|
Apr
|
May
|
Jun
|
Jul
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
Year
|
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)
|
19.4
(66.9)
|
19.8
(67.6)
|
18.8
(65.8)
|
16.6
(61.9)
|
14.3
(57.7)
|
12.3
(54.1)
|
11.9
(53.4)
|
12.6
(54.7)
|
13.8
(56.8)
|
14.9
(58.8)
|
16.4
(61.5)
|
18.2
(64.8)
|
15.7
(60.3)
|
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)
|
11.7
(53.1)
|
11.9
(53.4)
|
10.7
(51.3)
|
8.5
(47.3)
|
6.0
(42.8)
|
3.8
(38.8)
|
2.9
(37.2)
|
4.0
(39.2)
|
5.8
(42.4)
|
7.3
(45.1)
|
8.7
(47.7)
|
10.7
(51.3)
|
7.7
(45.9)
|
Average rainfall mm (inches)
|
242.3
(9.54)
|
178.9
(7.04)
|
215.0
(8.46)
|
235.8
(9.28)
|
242.1
(9.53)
|
249.3
(9.81)
|
219.3
(8.63)
|
231.9
(9.13)
|
256.5
(10.10)
|
276.3
(10.88)
|
239.6
(9.43)
|
268.5
(10.57)
|
2,849.7
(112.19)
|
Average rainy days
(≥ 1.0 mm)
|
12.4
|
10.4
|
12.6
|
13.3
|
14.7
|
13.8
|
13.5
|
14.8
|
16.8
|
17.3
|
15.0
|
15.8
|
170.5
|
Mean monthly
sunshine hours
|
209.5
|
186.8
|
171.9
|
139.9
|
119.2
|
104.0
|
124.3
|
138.9
|
142.8
|
164.1
|
181.1
|
194.6
|
1,877
|
Source: CliFlo
[14]
|
Climate data for West Coast
|
Month
|
Jan
|
Feb
|
Mar
|
Apr
|
May
|
Jun
|
Jul
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
Year
|
Record high °C (°F)
|
34.5
(94.1)
|
33.5
(92.3)
|
30.2
(86.4)
|
26.0
(78.8)
|
26.7
(80.1)
|
21.4
(70.5)
|
20.0
(68.0)
|
20.8
(69.4)
|
24.8
(76.6)
|
26.2
(79.2)
|
30.9
(87.6)
|
30.6
(87.1)
|
34.5
(94.1)
|
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)
|
19.9
(67.8)
|
20.4
(68.7)
|
19.1
(66.4)
|
16.6
(61.9)
|
14.2
(57.6)
|
11.9
(53.4)
|
11.6
(52.9)
|
12.5
(54.5)
|
13.9
(57.0)
|
15.1
(59.2)
|
16.7
(62.1)
|
18.5
(65.3)
|
15.9
(60.6)
|
Daily mean °C (°F)
|
15.5
(59.9)
|
15.9
(60.6)
|
14.6
(58.3)
|
12.2
(54.0)
|
9.9
(49.8)
|
7.7
(45.9)
|
7.1
(44.8)
|
8.1
(46.6)
|
9.6
(49.3)
|
11.0
(51.8)
|
12.5
(54.5)
|
14.3
(57.7)
|
11.5
(52.7)
|
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)
|
11.2
(52.2)
|
11.4
(52.5)
|
10.1
(50.2)
|
7.9
(46.2)
|
5.7
(42.3)
|
3.6
(38.5)
|
2.7
(36.9)
|
3.8
(38.8)
|
5.4
(41.7)
|
6.9
(44.4)
|
8.3
(46.9)
|
10.2
(50.4)
|
7.3
(45.1)
|
Record low °C (°F)
|
0.2
(32.4)
|
0.1
(32.2)
|
?2.5
(27.5)
|
?5.0
(23.0)
|
?8.0
(17.6)
|
?9.2
(15.4)
|
?9.2
(15.4)
|
?7.0
(19.4)
|
?7.1
(19.2)
|
?6.4
(20.5)
|
?3.0
(26.6)
|
?2.0
(28.4)
|
?9.2
(15.4)
|
Average rainfall mm (inches)
|
267.8
(10.54)
|
219.9
(8.66)
|
239.7
(9.44)
|
248.7
(9.79)
|
250.2
(9.85)
|
250.0
(9.84)
|
213.2
(8.39)
|
254.5
(10.02)
|
276.0
(10.87)
|
272.3
(10.72)
|
260.2
(10.24)
|
305.5
(12.03)
|
3,058
(120.39)
|
Average rainy days
(≥ 1.0 mm)
|
14.5
|
12.6
|
14.7
|
15.1
|
16.6
|
15.8
|
15.5
|
17.2
|
19.3
|
19.6
|
17.5
|
18.0
|
196.4
|
Source: Weatherbase
[15]
|
History
[
edit
]
The region is home to
Ng?i Tahu
, who value it for the
greenstone
(pounamu) found there in abundance.
The region was only occasionally visited by Europeans until the discovery of
gold
near the Taramakau River in 1864 by two M?ori, Ihaia Tainui and Haimona Taukau. By the end of the year there were an estimated 1800 prospectors, many of them around the Hokitika area, which in 1866 was briefly the most populous settlement in New Zealand.
The region was divided between
Nelson Province
and
Canterbury Province
from 1853: in 1873 the Canterbury portion of the region formed its own province, the
Westland Province
, until the abolition of the provincial system in 1876.
The
West Coast Gold Rush
between 1864 and 1867 created numerous gold rush towns such as ?k?rito, which at one time was the largest town on the West Coast but quickly almost vanished as miners moved on. After that time, the population dwindled, but the main towns that still exist had become established.
Following greenstone and gold, the next valuable mineral was coal. Discovered near the
Buller River
in the mid-1840s, mining began in earnest during the 1860s. By the 1880s coal had become the region's main industry, with mines throughout the northern half of the region, especially around
Westport
. Many of these continued in operation until the mid-20th century, and several survive.
Timber has also long been a major industry, although in recent years there has been an uneasy balance between forestry for wood and forestry for conservation. Much of the region is public land administered by the
Department of Conservation
and the region has some of the best remaining stands of native forest, along with a wealth of rare wildlife.
Ecotourism
is now an important industry, and this goes hand in hand with the conservation efforts.
Population
[
edit
]
The West Coast region covers 23,245.65 km
2
(8,975.20 sq mi)
[2]
and has an estimated population of 32,900 as of June 2023, 0.6% of New Zealand's population. It is the least populous of New Zealand's sixteen regions.
[3]
The West Coast is also the most sparsely populated region, with just 1.42 people per square kilometre (3.67 per square mile).
Ethnicities, 2023 Census
Ethnicity
|
Population
|
New Zealand European
|
|
M?ori
|
|
Pasifika
|
|
Asian
|
|
MELAA
|
|
Other
|
|
Historical population
Year
| Pop.
| ±% p.a.
|
---|
1991
| 31,563
| ?
|
---|
1996
| 32,511
| +0.59%
|
---|
2001
| 30,303
| ?1.40%
|
---|
2006
| 31,326
| +0.67%
|
---|
2013
| 32,148
| +0.37%
|
---|
2018
| 31,575
| ?0.36%
|
---|
2023
| 33,390
| +1.12%
|
---|
Source:
[16]
[17]
|
West Coast Region had a population of 33,390 in the
2023 New Zealand census
, an increase of 1,815 people (5.7%) since the
2018 census
, and an increase of 1,242 people (3.9%) since the
2013 census
. There were 18,564 dwellings. The median age was 48.1 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 5,448 people (16.3%) aged under 15 years, 4,515 (13.5%) aged 15 to 29, 15,867 (47.5%) aged 30 to 64, and 7,560 (22.6%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 89.7% European/
P?keh?
, 13.5%
M?ori
, 1.6%
Pasifika
, 4.0%
Asian
, 0.5% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders, and 2.2% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
[16]
West Coast Region had a population of 31,575 at the
2018 New Zealand census
. There were 13,503 households, comprising 16,041 males and 15,534 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.03 males per female.
The percentage of people born overseas was 12.0, compared with 27.1% nationally.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 53.2% had no religion, 35.1% were
Christian
, 0.3% had
M?ori religious beliefs
, 0.6% were
Hindu
, 0.2% were
Muslim
, 0.3% were
Buddhist
and 1.7% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 2,934 (11.3%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 7,026 (27.1%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $26,400, compared with $31,800 nationally. 3,078 people (11.9%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 12,501 (48.1%) people were employed full-time, 4,083 (15.7%) were part-time, and 822 (3.2%) were unemployed.
[18]
Cities and towns
[
edit
]
There are only four towns with a population over 1,000:
Greymouth
,
Westport
,
Hokitika
and
Runanga
. These four towns, plus
Reefton
(population 910), are recognised as urban areas by Statistics New Zealand.
During the gold rush days, Hokitika had a population of more than 25,000 with more than 100
pubs
. A recreation of an
early New Zealand
settlement is at
Shantytown
.
Other towns and settlements include:
Regional council
[
edit
]
The West Coast region is governed by the West Coast Regional Council. Currently, it is chaired by Peter Haddock.
[19]
Councillors
[
edit
]
- Brett Cummings
- Allan Birchfield
- Andy Campbell
- Frank Dooley
- Mark McIntyre
- Peter Ewen
Economy
[
edit
]
The subnational
gross domestic product
(GDP) of the West Coast was estimated at NZ$2,373 million in the year to March 2022, 0.7% of New Zealand's national GDP. The regional GDP per capita was estimated at $72,127 in the same period.
[20]
The region had one of the strongest growing regional economies of New Zealand in 2022,
[21]
though from a rather small base.
Industries include
mining
for
coal
and
alluvial
gold
,
forestry
and wood processing,
fishing
(including
whitebaiting
),
tourism
and farming.
Dairy farming has grown strongly ? the local dairy co-operative
Westland Milk Products
remained independent when most others merged to form
Fonterra
in 2001. In the 2019?2020 season, there were 150,000 milking cows on the West Coast, 3.0% of the country's total herd. The cows produced 50,700 tonnes of milk solids, worth $365 million at the national average farmgate price ($7.20 per kg).
[22]
Other industries are the manufacturing and sales of
greenstone
jewellery,
sphagnum moss
gathering and stone-collection for garden landscaping.
Monteith's
brewery is in Greymouth.
The region has been included in the "Top 10 Coastal Drives of the World" by
Lonely Planet
.
[23]
Flora and fauna
[
edit
]
The region has the only New Zealand nesting place of the
k?tuku (white heron)
, at the
Waitangiroto Nature Reserve
, visited by tours from the small farming township of
Whataroa
. This rare bird appears on the $2 coin.
[24]
Over 80% of West Coast land is administered by the Department of Conservation, much of this being in National Parks. These include from north to south, parts of Kahurangi NP, Paparoa NP, parts of Arthurs Pass NP, Westland NP, parts of Aspiring NP plus the South Westland World Heritage Area. Each of these parks have flora and fauna common to all areas, as well as species, like kiwi, particular to those areas.
Transport
[
edit
]
Four roads run into the West Coast Region. The main road running the length of the region is
State Highway 6
. It connects to the
Tasman District
in the north through the
Buller Gorge
, and to
Otago
in the south via
Haast Pass
. Two roads connect to
Canterbury
to the east,
State Highway 7
through
Lewis Pass
to North Canterbury and
State Highway 73
via
Arthur's Pass
to
Christchurch
.
The
Midland railway line
is the only railway line into the region. It links to Christchurch via Arthur's Pass. The
TranzAlpine
train service runs return between Christchurch and Greymouth daily and freight lines extend to
Ng?kawau
and
Hokitika
.
Daily passenger flights operate into the region. Air New Zealand flies between Christchurch and Hokitika and Sounds Air between
Wellington
and Westport.
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Naish, Joanne (28 March 2023).
"Allan Birchfield removed as West Coast Regional Council chairperson"
.
Stuff
.
- ^
a
b
"ArcGIS Web Application"
.
statsnz.maps.arcgis.com
. Retrieved
26 February
2022
.
- ^
a
b
c
"Subnational population estimates (RC, SA2), by age and sex, at 30 June 1996-2023 (2023 boundaries)"
.
Statistics New Zealand
. Retrieved
25 October
2023
.
(regional councils);
"Subnational population estimates (TA, SA2), by age and sex, at 30 June 1996-2023 (2023 boundaries)"
.
Statistics New Zealand
. Retrieved
25 October
2023
.
(territorial authorities);
"Subnational population estimates (urban rural), by age and sex, at 30 June 1996-2023 (2023 boundaries)"
.
Statistics New Zealand
. Retrieved
25 October
2023
.
(urban areas)
- ^
"Regional gross domestic product: Year ended March 2022"
.
Statistics New Zealand
. 24 March 2023
. Retrieved
4 April
2023
.
- ^
"Sub-national HDI ? Area Database ? Global Data Lab"
.
hdi.globaldatalab.org
. Retrieved
18 February
2023
.
- ^
He Korero P?r?kau Mo Ng? Taunahanahatanga a Ng? T?puna (Place Names Of The Ancestors) ? A M?ori Oral History Atlas (14 September 2018).
"Poutini: A Guardian Taniwha"
.
Land Information New Zealand
. Retrieved
26 November
2021
.
- ^
"Population growth in all New Zealand regions"
.
Statistics New Zealand
. 25 October 2023.
- ^
"Encounters | NZHistory, New Zealand history online"
.
nzhistory.govt.nz
. Retrieved
26 November
2021
.
- ^
Taonga, New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu.
"M?ori and Chinese miners"
.
teara.govt.nz
. Retrieved
26 November
2021
.
- ^
Taonga, New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu.
"Settlement"
.
teara.govt.nz
. Retrieved
26 November
2021
.
- ^
Taonga, New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu.
"West Coast uranium rush, 1955?56"
.
teara.govt.nz
. Retrieved
26 November
2021
.
- ^
West Coast ? Regional Information
(from 'New Zealand Tourism Online' website)
- ^
The West Coast New Zealand
(from 'A New Zealand Travel Guide' website)
- ^
"CliFlo ? National Climate Database"
. NIWA
. Retrieved
13 December
2015
.
- ^
"Weatherbase"
. CantyMedia
. Retrieved
20 March
2021
.
- ^
a
b
"2023 Census national and subnational usually resident population counts and dwelling counts"
(Microsoft Excel)
. Stats NZ - Tatauranga Aotearoa
. Retrieved
29 May
2024
.
- ^
"2001 Census: Regional summary"
.
archive.stats.govt.nz
. Archived from
the original
on 29 September 2020
. Retrieved
28 April
2020
.
- ^
"Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census"
. Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. West Coast Region (12).
2018 Census place summary: West Coast Region
- ^
"Your Councillors - The West Coast Regional Council"
.
www.wcrc.govt.nz
. Retrieved
9 June
2024
.
- ^
"West Coast region economic profile"
.
Infometrics
. March 2022.
- ^
Quinlivan, Mark (19 August 2022).
"West Coast revealed as New Zealand's fastest growing economic region in new Infometrics figures"
.
Newshub
.
- ^
"New Zealand Dairy Statistics 2019-20"
.
dairynz.co.nz
. Retrieved
8 March
2021
.
- ^
"West Coast, New Zealand official site: Find activities, accommodation, events"
. Westcoastnz.com
. Retrieved
16 October
2012
.
- ^
New Zealand Coinage Specifications
(from the
Reserve Bank of New Zealand
website. Accessed 2008-03-26.)
External links
[
edit
]
|
---|
|
Administrative areas
| |
---|
Towns and settlements (upstream to downstream)
| |
---|
Major tributaries (upstream to downstream by
confluence
)
| |
---|
Lakes in catchment (upstream to downstream by location or tributary)
| |
---|
Longest New Zealand rivers
| |
---|
|
---|
|
Populated places
| Inangahua Ward
| |
---|
Seddon Ward
| |
---|
Westport Ward
| |
---|
|
---|
Geographic features
| |
---|
Facilities and attractions
| |
---|
Government
| |
---|
Iwi
| |
---|
|
---|
|
Populated places
| Greymouth
Central Ward
| |
---|
Eastern Ward
| |
---|
Northern Ward
| |
---|
Southern Ward
| |
---|
|
---|
Geographic features
| |
---|
Facilities and attractions
| |
---|
Government
| |
---|
Organisations
| |
---|
|
---|
|
Populated places
| Northern Ward
| |
---|
Hokitika Ward
| |
---|
Southern Ward
| |
---|
|
---|
Facilities and attractions
| |
---|
Government
| |
---|
|
---|
International
| |
---|
National
| |
---|
Geographic
| |
---|