Papakura District
| Papakura | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Name | Papakura District |
| Area | 123 km² |
| Regional Council | Auckland |
| Council contacts | |
| Postal Address | 35 Coles Cres, Private Bag 7, Papakura |
| Internet | pdc.govt.nz |
| (@link) | |
| Population | |
| Total | 44 600 (2006) |
| Papakura (central) | 28 010 |
| Takanini | 10 870 |
| Drury | 3360 |
Papakura is an urban area in the North Island of New Zealand. The district forms the southernmost part of the Auckland metropolitan area, 32 km south of downtown Auckland. Originally a country town, the borough eventually became Papakura City and was overtaken by Auckland's urban sprawl. Papakura is flanked by the southern reaches of the Manukau Harbour to the west, and farmland to the east.
Papakura District is managed by the Papakura District Council, formed in 1989 from the previous City Council.
Geography
Papakura is bounded by Manukau City to the north and east, Franklin District to the south and the Manukau Harbour to the northwest. The district is divided into four wards; Ardmore, Drury, Red Hill, and Pahurehure.
- Ardmore Ward is northernmost, including routes to Ardmore, and the suburbs of Takanini, Keri Hill, and Alfriston
- Pahurehure Ward lies to the northwest, including the small suburbs Pahurehure, Conifer Grove, Longford Park, and Hingaia
- Drury Ward is southernmost, and bounded by Franklin. It includes the suburbs Drury, Opaheke, Rosehill, Park Estate, and motorway links and routes to Karaka
- Red Hill Ward lies to the east, and includes the suburb Red Hill, and routes to Hunua or Clevedon.
Inner suburbs include central Papakura, Takanini, Addison, Central Park, Opaheke, and Rosehill. Outer suburbs include Red Hill, Ardmore (however some parts of Ardmore are run by Manukau City), Pahurehure, Keri Hill, Alfriston, and Drury. The district has a few minor beaches to the west, although some of these beaches are unable to be used due to pollution and abnormal features. These beaches are protected and closely watched by regional conservational authorities.
History
Papakura's name originates from Māori words papa, meaning earth or flat (abbreviation of Papatuanuku) and kura meaning red, reflecting the rich, fertile soil upon which the community was founded. The indigeneous Māori people built a Pa named Puke-Kiwi-Riki, at the top of Red Hill, overlooking the Manukau Harbour and surrounding countryside, to Manukau Heights and Redoubt Road. Puke-Kiwi-Riki was once the domain of a diminutive but respected Ngati-Paoa chief named Kiwi.
An old highway, the Great South Road, runs through Papakura, forming its main street. The road was constructed during the New Zealand Wars to transport supplies to the Waikato campaign.
Although Papakura had enjoyed city status through the 1980s, Papakura became a district in the major reformation of local government in 1989. The new district also includes parts of the surrounding rural countryside that had previously been governed by other defunct authorities. Papakura District lies within the Auckland Region. The whole district counts as part of the Auckland urban area for statistical purposes, forming part of its southern boundary.
People
Although a part of Auckland region, Papakura is an independent district. Papakura's population features a mixture of ethnicities which is fairly typical of New Zealand, although over 20% of its residents are Māori and less than 75% are European.[1]
The city council is planning for Papakura's population to more than double within the next 50 years.[2]
Papakura is somewhat isolated from the urban pressures and social problems associated with more urban parts of South Auckland. It has a mix of suburbs near the town centre, and lifestyle blocks around Keri Hill, Ardmore, and Karaka.
- Famous Figures
- The current Mayor is John Robertson
- Sir Edmund Hillary, the mountaineer and explorer, was once a beekeeper in Papakura
- Joe Rokocoko, All Black rugby player
- John Walker, Olympic gold medallist
- Fleur Adcock, OBE, poet
- George Hawkins, MP, was Papakura Mayor for many years
- Tuariki Delamere, former MP
- P-Money, hip-hop DJ
- Blair Pocock, cricketer
- Lance Hamilton, cricketer
Facilities
- Sports
Papakura boasts an Olympic-sized swimming pool at the Massey Park Aquatic Centre (associated with Mount Albert's Philips Aquatic Centre), an international-quality athletics track, and several venues for rugby, netball, golf, tennis, badminton, soccer and other sports.
- Outdoor Recreation
While Papakura is not noted for its beaches, there are beaches nearby at Maraetai, Orere Point, and Kawakawa Bay on the Hauraki Gulf, and Clarks Beach north of Waiuku on the Manukau Harbour. The nearby Hunua Ranges (in Franklin District) feature a waterfall and forested walking tracks. Papakura has no major river, but much of Auckland's water is supplied from reservoirs in the Hunua Ranges.
- Ardmore Airport
The nearby Ardmore Airport serves recreational aviators and private flights. A small aircraft was stolen from Ardmore on election night in 2005, with the pilot threatening to fly into the Sky Tower. He eventually crashed the plane off Kohimarama Beach.[3][4]
- Government
In addition to the District Council Chambers, Papakura is served by a large Police base, a District Courthouse, and a WINZ office. In 2004, the Papakura Courthouse acted as the Supreme Court for Pitcairn Island.
- Army Base
Papakura is home to the New Zealand Army base where its SAS special forces are located.[5]
- Transport
Commuters from Papakura to Auckland are affected by Auckland's acute traffic congestion problems. Auckland's southern motorway and railway route run through Papakura. Bus services provide the bulk of public transport, with commuter trains to Auckland. Recent investment has focused on upgrading and refurbishing the transport equipment and suburban railway stations. Papakura is the final stop for most southbound public transport.
Notes
- ^ "Papakura District Community Profile". Statistics New Zealand. 2003. Retrieved 2006-08-17.
- ^ "Progress Papakura: Long Term Council Community Plan 2006 - 2016: Volume 1" (PDF). 2006. p. 6. Retrieved 2006-08-15.
- ^ "Pilot survives plane crash after drama". TVNZ. Retrieved 2006-08-19.
- ^ "Jilted pilot jailed for NZ tower crash threat". ABC News Online. Retrieved 2006-08-19.
- ^ "Forces and Locations". New Zealand Defence Force. Retrieved 2006-08-19.
External links
- Papakura's District Council
- Interactive Maps: zoomin.co.nz District Plan Wises
- 2001 Census results for Papakura Census
- 2006 Census results (provisional) (Excel format)
- Some histories of Papakura
- Breakwater against the Tide, by Elsdon Craig A definitive history of Papakura.
- Papakura Marae
- Rosehill College
- Papakura High School
- Papakura District Coat of Arms description of civic heraldry