41-451: Ōtorohanga District is a territorial authority in the King Country area and Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is a mostly rural area, with Ōtorohanga town being by far the biggest urban area, with a population nearing 3,000. The District was called Otorohanga County from 1971 to 1979. Ōtorohanga District is located south of Hamilton , west of Rotorua , and northwest of Taupō . It stretches from Kawhia Harbour on
82-531: A major programme for it. Auckland University of Technology (AUT) offers a 3-year Bachelor of Arts course with an NZSL-English Interpreting major. Differences in lexicon in New Zealand Sign Language have largely developed through the student communities surrounding five schools for the deaf in New Zealand: ^b Denotes the number (if known) of languages within the family. No further information
123-549: A mayor–council government . Mayors in New Zealand are directly elected— at-large , by all eligible voters within a territorial authority—in the local elections to a three-year term. The Local Government Act 2002 defines the role of a mayor as having to provide leadership to the other elected members of the territorial authority, be a leader in the community and perform civic duties. New Zealand Sign Language New Zealand Sign Language or NZSL ( Māori : te reo Turi )
164-407: A city council were now being administered by a district council. As a result, the term "city" began to take on two meanings. City also came to be used in a less formal sense to describe major urban areas independent of local body boundaries. This informal usage is jealously guarded. Gisborne, for example, adamantly described itself as the first city in the world to see the new millennium. Gisborne
205-692: A combination of rural and urban communities, while city councils administer the larger urban areas . Five territorial authorities ( Auckland , Nelson , Gisborne , Tasman and Marlborough ) also perform the functions of a regional council and thus are unitary authorities . The Chatham Islands Council is a sui generis territorial authority that is similar to a unitary authority. Territorial authority districts are not subdivisions of regions, and some of them fall within more than one region. Regional council areas are based on water catchment areas, whereas territorial authorities are based on community of interest and road access. Regional councils are responsible for
246-619: A comprehensive NZSL dictionary by Victoria University of Wellington and the Deaf Association of NZ. It contains some 4000 signs (which correspond to many more meanings than the same number of English words, because of the way signs can be modulated in space and time), sorted by handshape, not English meaning, and coded in the Hamburg Notational System, HamNoSys , as well as pictorially. In 2011, Victoria University launched an Online Dictionary of New Zealand Sign Language based on
287-431: A language and much advocacy by deaf adults, parents of deaf children (both hearing and deaf) and educationalists, NZSL has since become — in tandem with English — part of the bilingual/bicultural approach used in public schools (including Kelston Deaf Education Centre and Van Asch Deaf Education Centre ) since 1994. Victoria University of Wellington has courses in New Zealand Sign Language, although it has yet to develop
328-788: A majority favoured captioned programmes. Many Deaf people felt they had been misled by the survey. There has been no regular programming in NZSL since. Between August 2012 to August 2013 the Human Rights Commission carried out an inquiry into the use and promotion of New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL). The inquiry has focused on working with key government agencies and the Deaf community around the inquiry's three terms of reference 1) The right to education for deaf people and potential users of NZSL. 2) The rights of deaf people, and other potential users of NZSL, to access communication, information and services, and
369-518: A number of islands where the Minister of Local Government is the territorial authority, two of which have a 'permanent population and/or permanent buildings and structures.' The main islands are listed below (population according to 2001 census in parentheses): In addition, seven of the nine groups of the New Zealand outlying islands are outside of any territorial authority: Territorial authorities have
410-454: A population density of 5.5 people per km in June 2024. Ōtorohanga District had a population of 10,410 in the 2023 New Zealand census , an increase of 306 people (3.0%) since the 2018 census , and an increase of 1,269 people (13.9%) since the 2013 census . There were 5,499 males, 4,893 females and 21 people of other genders in 3,699 dwellings. 2.0% of people identified as LGBTIQ+ . The median age
451-608: A region and a territorial authority. It incorporated the recommendations of the Royal Commission and was established via legislation. Auckland Council is uniquely divided into "local boards" representing the lowest tier of local government. Under the terms of the Local Government Act 2002 , district councils have to represent the interests of their future communities and consider the views of people affected by their decisions. To fulfill that requirement and give young people
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#1732877225230492-568: A say in the decision-making process, many councils have a youth council. In late December 2023, the Ashburton District Council scrapped their youth council, stating they could engage better with younger people online and describing the current youth council as "a youth club where they ate pizza." In early January 2024, the Gore District Council opted to restructure its youth council and ruled out dismantling it. In April 2024,
533-456: A week. Its plan, which went to a Select Committee, accepted the proposal for supercity and many community boards, but rejected proposals for local councils and, initially, no separate seats for Māori . Public reaction to the Royal Commission report was mixed, especially in regards to the Government's amended proposal. Auckland Mayor John Banks supported the amended merger plans. Criticism of
574-670: Is a fully-fledged language, with a large vocabulary of signs and a consistent grammar of space. The New Zealand Sign Language Teachers Association (NZSLTA - formerly known as the New Zealand Sign Language Tutors Association) was set up in 1992. Over the next few years adult education classes in NZSL began in several centres. In 1997 a Certificate in Deaf Studies programme was started at Victoria University of Wellington, with instruction actually in NZSL, designed to teach deaf people how to competently teach NZSL to
615-421: Is administered by a district council, but its status as a city is not generally disputed. Under current law, an urban area has to be at least 50,000 residents before it can be officially proclaimed as a city. Since the 1989 reorganisations, there have been few major reorganisations or status changes in local government. Incomplete list: Reports on completed reorganisation proposals since 1999 are available on
656-527: Is the main language of the deaf community in New Zealand . It became an official language of New Zealand in April 2006 under the New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006. The purpose of the act was to create rights and obligations in the use of NZSL throughout the legal system and to ensure that the Deaf community had the same access to government information and services as everybody else. According to
697-553: The ACT party opposing, because the government was not providing funding for NZSL. It passed the third reading on 6 April 2006 by the same margin. The bill received Royal assent on 10 April 2006 and became law the following day. The use of NZSL as a valid medium of instruction has not always been accepted by the government, the Association of Teachers of the Deaf, nor by many parents. However, in light of much research into its validity as
738-736: The Whanganui District Council proposed scrapping its youth council by June 2024 as part of budget saving measures. There are currently 67 territorial authorities. Before the Auckland Council "super merge" in November 2010, there were 73 territorial authorities. Before the Banks Peninsula District Council merged with the Christchurch City Council in 2006, there were 74 territorial authorities. There are
779-903: The local government reforms of 1989 , a borough with more than 20,000 people could be proclaimed a city . The boundaries of councils tended to follow the edge of the built-up area, so little distinction was made between the urban area and the local government area. New Zealand's local government structural arrangements were significantly reformed by the Local Government Commission in 1989 when approximately 700 councils and special purpose bodies were amalgamated to create 87 new local authorities. Regional councils were reduced in number from 20 to 13, territorial authorities (city/district councils) from 200 to 75, and special purpose bodies from over 400 to 7. The new district and city councils were generally much larger and most covered substantial areas of both urban and rural land. Many places that once had
820-611: The 2013 Census, over 20,000 New Zealanders know NZSL. New Zealand Sign Language has its roots in British Sign Language (BSL), and may be technically considered a dialect of British, Australian and New Zealand Sign Language (BANZSL). There are 62.5% similarities found in British Sign Language and NZSL, compared with 33% of NZSL signs found in American Sign Language . Like other natural sign languages , it
861-808: The Local Government Commission's site (link below). On 26 March 2009, the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance recommended the Rodney, North Shore, Waitakere, Auckland City, Manukau, Papakura and Franklin territorial councils and the Auckland Regional Council be abolished and the entire Auckland region to be amalgamated into one "supercity". The area would consist of one city council (with statutory provision for three Māori councillors), four urban local councils, and two rural local councils: The National-led Government responded within about
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#1732877225230902-458: The Milan congress of deaf educators of 1880 (to which no deaf people were invited) that teaching should be oral only, and that sign language should be forbidden. (He would not even admit pupils who could sign, so only 14 were admitted.) This was the policy of the school until 1979. A documentary film about the school made in the 1950s makes no mention of sign language. Similar policies were maintained at
943-457: The Sumner School, but the signing it used was "Australasian Sign Language" an artificial signed form of English . As a result, younger signers use a number of Australasian signs in their NZSL, to such an extent that some call traditional NZSL "Old Sign". NZSL was adopted for teaching in 1994. In 1985, Marianne Ahlgren proved in her PhD thesis at Victoria University of Wellington that NZSL
984-446: The administration of many environmental and public transport matters, while the territorial authorities administer local roading and reserves, water supply and sanitation , building consents , the land use and subdivision aspects of resource management, and other local matters. Some activities are delegated to council-controlled organisations . The scope of powers is specified by the Local Government Act 2002 . For many decades until
1025-506: The amended proposal came largely from residents in Manukau, Waitakere and North Shore Cities. In addition, Māori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples spoke against the exclusion of the Māori seats, as recommended by the Royal Commission. Opposition Leader Phil Goff called for a referendum on the issue. Auckland Council was created on 1 November 2010—a unitary authority that is classed as both
1066-415: The census question. Of those at least 15 years old, 810 (9.9%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 4,776 (58.3%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 2,364 (28.9%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $ 38,000, compared with $ 41,500 nationally. 645 people (7.9%) earned over $ 100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15
1107-507: The mayor since the 2013 local elections . The District is entirely within the wider Waikato Regional Council area. The district's population in June 2024 was 11,050. The town of Ōtorohanga, located at about the centre of the district, is the largest town, with a population of 3,360. Other communities include Hauturu , Honikiwi , Kawhia , Maihiihi , Oparau , Ōtewā , Owhiro , Puketotara , Te Kawa and Wharepuhunga . The district covers 1,999.19 km (771.89 sq mi) and had
1148-472: The need for sign language interpreters. Other than a one-off course run in 1985, this was the first time a professional training programme with a qualification was offered in New Zealand. Many of those who have gone on to work as professional NZSL interpreters began their journey in NZSL community classes taught by members of the NZSLTA. An important step toward the recognition of NZSL was the publication in 1998 of
1189-399: The original 1998 work, which includes video clips of each sign with examples and the ability to search for signs based on features of the sign (handshape, location, etc.) as well as the sign's English gloss. For some years, TVNZ broadcast a weekly news programme, "News Review", interpreted in NZSL. This was discontinued in 1993 after a joint survey of deaf and hearing-impaired people found
1230-515: The right to freedom of expression and opinion, through the provision of professional NZSL interpreter services and other NZSL services and resources. 3) The promotion and maintenance of NZSL as an official language of New Zealand. The full report of the inquiry, A New Era in the Right to Sign , was launched in Parliament by the Minister for Disability Issues, Tariana Turia, on 3 September 2013. NZSL became
1271-455: The schools at Titirangi and Kelston that opened in 1940 and 1958. Unsurprisingly, the children used sign language secretly and after leaving school, developing NZSL out of British Sign Language largely without adult intervention for over 100 years. The main haven for NZSL was the Deaf Clubs in the main centres. In 1979, "Total Communication" (a "use anything that works" philosophy) was adopted at
Ōtorohanga District - Misplaced Pages Continue
1312-425: The second Māori King , and his followers. From 1864 to 1883, pākehā (white settlers) were not allowed into the area unless they had express permission. The district was used for farming from the late 19th century onwards. The first municipal government, Otorohanga County , was formed in 1922. In 1956, the northern part of Kawhia County and Otorohanga County were amalgamated. On 1 November 1971, Otorohanga Borough
1353-547: The third official language of New Zealand on 11 April 2006, joining English and Māori. The parliamentary bill to approve this passed its third reading on 6 April 2006. At the first reading in Parliament, on 22 June 2004, the bill was supported by all political parties. It was referred to the Justice and Electoral Committee, which reported back to the House on 18 July 2005. The second reading passed by 119 to 2 on 23 February 2006 with only
1394-536: The west coast inland to the Pureora Forest Park . Adjacent local government districts are (clockwise from the north) Waikato , Waipā , South Waikato , Taupō , and Waitomo . The district has a land area of 1,999.18 square kilometres (771.89 sq mi). It is a mostly rural area, with significant areas of native forest. After the land wars , the wider area of the King Country was a refuge for Tāwhiao ,
1435-636: The wider public. Also in 1992 an interpreter training programme was established at the Auckland Institute of Technology, now known as Auckland University of Technology . This programme was first directed and taught by Dr Rachel Locker McKee (hearing) and Dr David McKee (deaf) and came about due to lobbying by the New Zealand Deaf Community and others who recognised the need for safer and more professional interpreting services. They had as early as 1984 sought support for more research to determine
1476-556: Was 38.3 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 2,223 people (21.4%) aged under 15 years, 1,740 (16.7%) aged 15 to 29, 4,683 (45.0%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,764 (16.9%) aged 65 or older. People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 76.3% European ( Pākehā ); 32.5% Māori ; 3.2% Pasifika ; 4.4% Asian ; 0.6% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 2.8% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English
1517-523: Was Dorcas Mitchell, who taught the children of one family in Charteris Bay, Lyttelton Harbour , from 1868 to 1877. By 1877 she had taught 42 pupils. When the first school for the deaf (then called the Sumner Deaf and Dumb Institution) was opened at Sumner, south east of Christchurch in 1878, Mitchell applied unsuccessfully for the position of principal. Instead it went to Gerrit Van Asch, who agreed with
1558-724: Was devised by and for deaf people, with no linguistic connection to a spoken or written language . NZSL uses the same two-handed manual alphabet as BSL (British Sign Language) and Auslan (Australian Sign Language). It uses more lip-patterns in conjunction with hand and facial movement to cue signs than BSL, reflecting New Zealand's history of oralist education of deaf people. Its vocabulary includes Māori concepts such as marae and tangi , and signs for New Zealand placenames (e.g., Rotorua – mudpools, and Christchurch – 2 Cs, represents ChCh. ) The early British immigrants to New Zealand who were deaf brought British Sign Language with them. The first known teacher of sign language
1599-556: Was spoken by 96.9%, Māori language by 7.7%, Samoan by 0.3% and other languages by 5.1%. No language could be spoken by 2.2% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.5%. The percentage of people born overseas was 11.5, compared with 28.8% nationally. Religious affiliations were 26.8% Christian , 0.7% Hindu , 0.1% Islam , 2.5% Māori religious beliefs , 0.3% Buddhist , 0.3% New Age , 0.1% Jewish , and 1.5% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 60.0%, and 7.8% of people did not answer
1640-524: Was subsumed into Otorohanga County. The Otorohanga District was declared in 1979 by renaming Otorohanga County. It was reconstituted as part of the 1989 local government reforms , with a nearly identical area. The seat of Ōtorohanga District Council is in the town of Ōtorohanga. The council is headed by a mayor, and complemented by seven councillors from five wards. The council wards are Kawhia/Tihiroa (two councillors), Waipa, Wharepuhunga, Kiokio/ Korakonui, and Ōtorohanga (two councillors). Max Baxter has been
1681-509: Was that 4,230 (51.7%) people were employed full-time, 1,155 (14.1%) were part-time, and 234 (2.9%) were unemployed. Territorial authorities of New Zealand Territorial authorities ( Māori: mana ā-rohe ) are the second tier of local government in New Zealand , below regional councils . There are 67 territorial authorities: 13 city councils , 53 district councils and the Chatham Islands Council . District councils serve