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41-662: The Whangamarino Wetland in the Waikato District is the second largest wetland complex of the North Island of New Zealand . Encompassing a total area of more than 7200 hectares, the Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai manages 5,923 hectares of peat bog , swamp , mesotrophic lags, open water and river systems listed as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention . Fish and Game New Zealand are

82-728: A major coal-fired power station at Huntly . Te Kauwhata is at the centre of a major wine region. At the 2006 census, the district had a population of 43,959. Of these, 6834 lived in Huntly, 5106 in Ngāruawāhia, 2637 in Raglan, and 1294 in Te Kauwhata. In 2010, the district acquired part of the adjacent Franklin District , which was dissolved as part of the creation of the Auckland Council , increasing

123-497: A 1927 fire, until the Board again merged with the County. From 1876 to 1888, Raglan County Council meetings were held in Raglan. However, Raglan wasn't central for the county, so meetings then alternated between Raglan and Whatawhata. On 15 May 1901, Raglan County held its first meeting in its new chambers at Ngāruawāhia, though continuing with at least an annual meeting in Raglan. In 1908,

164-503: A hundred years from their formation in 1876. They had been preceded by Highways Boards, formed from 1866. Before that, there had been many complaints about Auckland Province spending a disproportionate amount in Auckland. For example, in 1867 27 Raglan settlers petitioned the House of Representatives asking it to replace provinces with local government and saying that, out of a £500,000 loan to

205-486: A loom factory, when it burnt down on 18 November 1971. Waikato District has 5 community boards covering Huntly , Ngāruawāhia and Raglan (formed 1989), Taupiri (added 1992) and Onewhero- Tuakau (added in 2010 covering part of the former Franklin District). The District also has 5 Community Committees for the townships of Meremere, Te Kauwhata (they had Community Boards from 1992 to 1995), and Tamahere ward, along with

246-465: A number of projects to enhance wetland habitat in the Whangamarino for gamebirds. Research carried out to date includes studies on sediment sources and accumulation rates, ecohydrology and peat oscillation, water quality, vegetation monitoring and monitoring of mammalian predators. Waikato District The district is centred to the north and west of the city of Hamilton , and takes in much of

287-589: A rate. From 1889 to 1902 the Highways Boards were gradually merged into the County. Until 1943, each riding paid for its own roads and bridges, supplemented by council funds. The northern portion of Raglan County was added to Franklin District in 1989 when the rest joined WDC. Raglan had also had a Town Board from 1883 to 1889 and from 1906 to 1938. Raglan Town Board had its offices in the Municipal Buildings in Raglan from their rebuilding in 1928, after

328-474: A rich and representative variety of wetland ecosystems (peat bog, swamp, mesotrophic lags, open water and river systems); one of the features that lent support to its designation under the Ramsar Convention. 239 species of wetland plants are found in the Whangamarino, 60 percent of which are indigenous . A number of these are uncommon or extremely rare, including the water milfoil Myriophyllum robustum ,

369-517: A seasonal hydrological cycle. The single-track North Island Main Trunk railway line crosses the wetland, and it has been proposed that two million tonnes of spoil from the Auckland City Rail Link could be used to double-track the busy section of line which is a bottleneck on the section between Auckland (Papakura) and Hamilton. Sometimes known as 'nature's benefits’, ecosystem services are

410-512: A short track to Te Teoteo's pā and the Whangamarino Redoubt at the confluence of the Whangamarino and Waikato Rivers. Here, visitors can stand at the site where two forty-pound Armstrong guns fired on Māori entrenchments at Meremere pā and also obtain a good scenic view looking south over the northern part of the wetland. Whangamarino Wetland has been subject to intensive biodiversity management, research, and community awareness campaigns by

451-565: Is also home to longfin and shortfin eel/tuna and other galaxiid species. Introduced invasive fish species are also present in Whangamarino Wetland; koi carp ( Cyprinus carpio ) and brown bullhead catfish ( Ameiurus nebulosus ) are a particular problem as their aggressive feeding behaviour stirs up bottom sediments, affecting bank stabilisation and aquatic plant life. A study of koi carp otoliths undertaken by University of Waikato MSc student Jennifer Blair found that Lake Waikare and

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492-797: The 2018 census , and an increase of 22,590 people (35.6%) since the 2013 census . There were 43,305 males, 42,426 females and 234 people of other genders in 28,401 dwellings. 2.4% of people identified as LGBTIQ+ . The median age was 38.0 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 18,675 people (21.7%) aged under 15 years, 14,931 (17.4%) aged 15 to 29, 40,224 (46.8%) aged 30 to 64, and 12,138 (14.1%) aged 65 or older. People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 73.6% European ( Pākehā ); 26.9% Māori ; 5.5% Pasifika ; 9.1% Asian ; 1.1% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 2.6% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English

533-519: The clubmoss Lycopodium serpentinum , and the critically endangered swamp helmet orchid Corybas carsei , now found nowhere else in the world. Baumea spp., mānuka ( Leptospermum scoparium ) and wire rush ( Empodisma minus ) are the dominant vegetation of the peat bogs, while greater species diversity is found in the mineralised swamp zones, including introduced species such as grey willow ( Salix cinerea ) and crack willow ( Salix × fragilis ). Mosses and lichens are also well represented in

574-612: The 7 seats. As the population grew, the original 5 ridings were split - Karamu from Pirongia (28 November 1889), Whaingaroa from Karioi 1902, Pukekawa from Onewhero and Port Waikato from Te Akau 1911, Pukemiro from Whangape 1913 and Waingaro from Te Akau 1920. In 1923, Raglan County covered 934 sq mi (2,420 km ) and had a population of 4,912, with 162 mi (261 km) of gravel roads , 465 mi (748 km) of mud roads and 234 mi (377 km) of tracks. Some areas were transferred to neighbouring councils. The far south of Raglan went to Kawhia County when it

615-629: The Counties Act, 1876, in a NZ Gazette Supplement of Thursday, December 28, 1876, the Governor General set the first county council meetings at noon, Raglan County's being in The Resident Magistrate's Court, Raglan on Tuesday, 9 January 1877. Raglan County was divided into five ridings (based on the distance a horse could travel in a day): Karioi, Pirongia , with 2 councillors each, and Te Akau, Onewhero and Whangape, with one. Only 3 of

656-574: The Department of Conservation as part of the Arawai Kākāriki wetland restoration programme. Conservation measures taken to maintain or improve biodiversity include controlling weeds, particularly grey willow, aquatic grasses, yellow flag iris, alligator weed and gorse, and mammalian pests, including mustelids, rodents, cats and possum. The Whangamarino weir was repaired in 2010 and is now operating as it should to help maintain minimum summer water levels in

697-474: The Department of Conservation to improve wetland habitat and control predators around popular hunting sites. Whangamarino is located within the rohe (area) of the Waikato-Tainui iwi (tribe) and is considered a taonga (treasure) by local hapū . Early Māori utilised the wetland as a source of eel/tuna and birds for food, and flax/harakeke ( Phormium tenax ) for traditional cultural purposes. The rivers of

738-603: The North East Waikato Committee, covering Mangatawhiri, Mangatangi and Maramarua. An extensive community master planning exercise was completed in 2019 resulting in the adoption by the Council of Community "BluePrints" to capture community aspirations and guide future development. Sand mining Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include

779-539: The Pungarehu Stream appear to be a source of recruits, with koi carp moving from these areas into the Waikato River and Lake Waahi. Hydrology is a driving component of wetlands, with many plants and animals uniquely adapted to the seasonal wet/dry cycle. Whangamarino Wetland is fed by a catchment area of approximately 48,900 hectares. During the 1960s the hydrology of the Whangamarino was significantly impacted by

820-599: The Ridings were represented at the first meeting; W. H. Wallis (elected chairman) and John Pegler, Karioi Riding; James Sherrett, Pirongia; and Richard Robert Hunt, Onewhero. At the next meeting in Whatawhata there was only one other councillor present, from Pirongia. Many of the areas had not had Highway Boards and were sparsely populated (874 people in 175 houses across the whole county), so voters had problems getting together to nominate councillors. By 1887 there were 8 nominations for

861-518: The Waikato Region $ 5.2 million (in 2007 dollars) by limiting damage to surrounding farmland during times of peak flood events. Farmers are a particular benefactor of wetland ecosystem services. On good quality wetland margins, damp soils and dense pockets of native rushes and sedges are effective in: Whangamarino is a popular duck hunting location and recreational fishers targeting koi carp, rudd, catfish, goldfish, eel and mullet are regularly seen in

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902-406: The Whangamarino is visited by other unusual birds such as royal spoonbill/kōtuku-ngutupapa ( Platalea regia ) and Japanese snipe ( Gallinago hardwickii ), which helps keeps amateur ornithologists interested in the site. The wetland provides habitat for a diverse range of native freshwater fish, including a significant population of the threatened black mudfish/waikaka ( Neochanna diversus ). It

943-596: The Whangamarino until it is released back into the Waikato River via flood gates on the Whangamarino River . In 1994 the construction of a rock rubble weir on the Whangamarino River was commissioned by the Department of Conservation and the Auckland/Waikato Fish and Game Council. The weir maintains minimum summer water levels in approximately 1,400 hectares of the mineralised wetland and helps recreate

984-414: The area to 4,405 km (1,701 sq mi). and adding the growing settlements of Tuakau and Pōkeno. Waikato District covers 4,404.07 km (1,700.42 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 92,500 as of June 2024, with a population density of 21.0 people per km . Waikato District had a population of 85,968 in the 2023 New Zealand census , an increase of 10,350 people (13.7%) since

1025-716: The benefits (usually to humans) provided by natural ecosystems. They include provisions such as clean drinking water, supporting processes like the decomposition of wastes, and cultural benefits such as spiritual or recreational opportunities. Wetlands provide an astonishing array of ecosystem services for the local community. These include mitigating the effects of flood and drought, replenishing groundwater , helping filter sediment and nutrients and purify water, providing reservoirs of biodiversity and wetland resources, providing for cultural values, recreation and tourism, and climate change mitigation and adaptation. The Lower Waikato-Waipa Flood Protection Scheme has been estimated to save

1066-424: The census question. Of those at least 15 years old, 10,914 (16.2%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 36,840 (54.7%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 16,293 (24.2%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $ 45,300, compared with $ 41,500 nationally. 9,165 people (13.6%) earned over $ 100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15

1107-564: The council agreed to sell the old office for £227 10s. and build larger offices on the Raglan side of the Waipā Bridge. W. J. Smith of Raglan built them for £625. The new office opened in 1909. On 27 May 1961, a new £40,000, 16-room, brick building, on the Great South Road, was officially opened by the Minister of Works, Stanley Goosman . The old office was sold in 1961 and was being used as

1148-464: The direction of the Te Onetea Stream was reversed to transport water from the Waikato River into Lake Waikare during high river flows, while the level of Lake Waikare was lowered by one metre. The lake is kept to a strict fluctuation regime of approximately 0.3 metres and flood gates control the movement of water into the Whangamarino Wetland via the artificial Pungarehu Canal. Water is then stored in

1189-538: The implementation of the Lower Waikato-Waipa Flood Control Scheme managed by Waikato Regional Council, and has also been impacted by the extraction of sand and hydro-power generation on the Waikato River . The flood control scheme is intended to replicate the natural water storage function of Lake Waikare and Whangamarino Wetland in a highly manipulated and more controlled way. To do this,

1230-459: The northern Waikato Plains and also the Hakarimata Range . The north of the district contains swampy floodplain of the Waikato River and several small lakes, of which the largest is Lake Waikare . Other than Ngāruawāhia, the main population centres are Huntly , Raglan , and Te Kauwhata . The main industries in the district are dairy farming , forestry , and coal mining . There is

1271-419: The province, only £500 was spent in all the country districts. Auckland Province passed a Highways Act in 1862 allowing their Superintendent to define given areas of settlement as Highways Districts, each with a board of trustees elected by the landowners. Land within the boundaries of highway districts became subject to a rate of not more than 1/- an acre, or of 3d in the £ of its estimated sale value, and that

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1312-485: The second largest landowner, managing 748 hectares of the wetland primarily as gamebird hunting habitat. The site is also one of three of New Zealand’s foremost wetlands included in the Arawai Kākāriki wetland restoration programme, which aims to “enhance the ecological restoration of three of New Zealand’s foremost wetland/freshwater sites, making use of strong community involvement and promoting research into wetland restoration techniques”. Whangamarino Wetland consists of

1353-471: The wetland were used for travel and recreation and the peat margins were used to preserve taonga such as waka , tools and weapons. Dense vegetation inhibited further use of the wetland, although it was used as a sanctuary during times of war. The Waikato War of 1863–1864 saw several major battles take place in the Whangamarino area, including the fierce land battle at Rangiriri. A small remnant of Rangiriri pā remains today; further north visitors can walk up

1394-670: The wetland. These diverse ecosystems provide habitat to a wide range of native wetland birds, including the Australasian bittern/matuku ( Botaurus poiciloptilus ). Approximately 20 percent of New Zealand's breeding bittern population can be found in the Whangamarino. The wetland is also an important site for a number of other rare or threatened wetland birds, including spotless crake/pūweto ( Porzana tabuensis plumbea ), marsh crake/koitareke ( Porzana pusilla ), North Island fernbird/mātātā ( Bowdleria punctata vealeae ), and New Zealand dabchick/weweia ( Poliocephalus rufopectus ). Occasionally

1435-417: The wetland. Bow hunting for koi carp is increasing in popularity, while bird watching and kayaking are also commonly undertaken activities. 748 hectares of the wetland is owned by the Auckland/Waikato Fish and Game Council and thousands of gamebirds frequent the wetland annually, attracting hunters from Auckland and the greater Waikato area. The Fish and Game Council and gamebird hunters are working together with

1476-466: The wetland. Fencing to exclude stock from wetland areas and restoration plantings have also taken place. Monitoring of Australasian bittern/matuku and other cryptic wetland birds including spotless crake/pūweto, marsh crake/koitareke, and fernbird/mātātā is regularly carried out, as is monitoring of black mudfish/waikaka and threatened plants such as Anzybas carseii and Lycopodium serpentinum . The Auckland/Waikato Fish and Game Council have also implemented

1517-581: Was elected chairman, but he and 3 other trustees resigned after they couldn't collect rates from absent owners and the Province didn't pay anything. Raglan Town Board was formed in 1868, Karioi Board in 1870 by division of Whaingaroa Highway District and by 1871 eleven board chairmen met in Ohaupo to ask for more government help. From 1872 government assistance more than matched rates collected; today government funding through NZTA mainly matches rates funding. Under

1558-612: Was formed, but in 1952, the Local Government Commission put Makomako back in Raglan. On 1 October 1944, a coal-bearing area of Huntly West went to Huntly Borough. Other minor alterations were gazetted at intervals over the years. In 1954, a Raglan Town Committee was formed. Under the Local Government Act 1974 , Raglan and Rotowaro became community towns, governed by elected councils. The county relied on government grants until 1887, when government cuts forced it to set

1599-557: Was spoken by 96.2%, Māori language by 7.5%, Samoan by 0.5% and other languages by 10.5%. 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 18.9, compared with 28.8% nationally. Religious affiliations were 29.3% Christian , 1.8% Hindu , 0.6% Islam , 1.7% Māori religious beliefs , 0.5% Buddhist , 0.4% New Age , 0.1% Jewish , and 2.2% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 56.3%, and 7.4% of people did not answer

1640-536: Was that 36,426 (54.1%) people were employed full-time, 9,432 (14.0%) were part-time, and 1,827 (2.7%) were unemployed. Under the Local Government (Waikato Region) Reorganisation Order 1989, nearly all of Waikato County Council was added to the Boroughs of Huntly, Ngāruawāhia, most of Raglan County Council and a small part of Waipa County Council to form Waikato District Council. The County Councils had lasted over

1681-541: Was to be equalled by a grant from the Province. By a notice in the Provincial Government Gazette on 25 August 1866, the deputy Superintendent, Daniel Pollen, declared Whaingaroa Highway District, the first in the future Raglan County. A public meeting in the Raglan courthouse on 20 October 1866 was followed by a meeting a week later to elect 5 trustees. The largest landowner in the district, Captain Johnstone,

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