Pakowhai

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Pakowhai
Settlement
Map
Coordinates: 39°34′53″S 176°52′01″E / 39.581280°S 176.866974°E / -39.581280; 176.866974
CountryNew Zealand
RegionHawke's Bay Region
Territorial authorityHastings District
Ward
  • Heretaunga General Ward
  • Takitimu Māori Ward
Electorates
Government
 • Territorial AuthorityHastings District Council
 • Regional councilHawke's Bay Regional Council
 • Mayor of HastingsWendy Schollum[1]
 • Tukituki MPCatherine Wedd[2]
 • Ikaroa-Rāwhiti MPCushla Tangaere-Manuel[3]
Area
[4]
 • Total
22.90 km2 (8.84 sq mi)
Population
 (2023 Census)[5]
 • Total
222
 • Density9.69/km2 (25.1/sq mi)
Postcode(s)
4183

Pakowhai is a small settlement in the Hastings District and Hawke's Bay Region of New Zealand's North Island. It is a located between Napier and Hastings, north of the Ngaruroro River.[6]

Mission Estate Winery established its first vineyard in Hawke's Bay at Pakowhai in 1851.[7]

The Pakowhai Regional Park is located on the river's south bank. It is a country park,[8] with dog-walking areas and agility features.[9] It hosts community planting days,[10] and attracts kākā from inland mountains.[11]

A new petrol station was controversially proposed for the area in 2019.[12]

Pakowhai was inundated by flooding during Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 after the Ngaruroro River burst its banks. Dozen of houses were destroyed. [13]

Demographics

[edit]

Pakowhai covers 22.90 km2 (8.84 sq mi).[4] It is part of Omahu-Pakowhai statistical area.[14]

Historical population for Pakowhai
YearPop.±% p.a.
2006378—    
2013315−2.57%
2018300−0.97%
2023222−5.84%
The 2006 population is for a larger area of 24.51 km2.
Source: [5][15]

Pakowhai had a population of 222 in the 2023 New Zealand census, a decrease of 78 people (−26.0%) since the 2018 census, and a decrease of 93 people (−29.5%) since the 2013 census. There were 111 males and 108 females in 15 dwellings.[16] There were 33 people (14.9%) aged under 15 years, 39 (17.6%) aged 15 to 29, 102 (45.9%) aged 30 to 64, and 54 (24.3%) aged 65 or older.[5]

People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 78.4% European (Pākehā), 17.6% Māori, 4.1% Pasifika, 8.1% Asian, and 8.1% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 100.0%, Māori by 2.7%, and other languages by 8.1%. New Zealand Sign Language was known by 1.4%. The percentage of people born overseas was 14.9, compared with 28.8% nationally.[5]

Religious affiliations were 28.4% Christian, 1.4% Hindu, 2.7% Māori religious beliefs, 1.4% Buddhist, and 1.4% New Age. People who answered that they had no religion were 55.4%, and 10.8% of people did not answer the census question.[5]

Of those at least 15 years old, 48 (25.4%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 117 (61.9%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 42 (22.2%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. 24 people (12.7%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 90 (47.6%) full-time, 27 (14.3%) part-time, and 3 (1.6%) unemployed.[5]

Omahu-Pakowhai statistical area

[edit]

Omahu-Pakowhai statistical area, which includes Omahu and Waiohiki, covers 57.13 km2 (22.06 sq mi)[17] and had an estimated population of 1,530 as of June 2025,[18] with a population density of 27 people per km2.

Historical population for Omahu-Pakowhai
YearPop.±% p.a.
20061,161—    
20131,413+2.85%
20181,797+4.93%
20231,560−2.79%
The 2006 population is for a smaller area of 45.78 km2.
Source: [19][20]

Omahu-Pakowhai had a population of 1,560 in the 2023 New Zealand census, a decrease of 237 people (−13.2%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 147 people (10.4%) since the 2013 census. There were 792 males, 762 females, and 6 people of other genders in 333 dwellings.[21] 1.2% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 46.4 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 249 people (16.0%) aged under 15 years, 249 (16.0%) aged 15 to 29, 774 (49.6%) aged 30 to 64, and 288 (18.5%) aged 65 or older.[19]

People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 63.7% European (Pākehā); 46.2% Māori; 4.2% Pasifika; 2.5% Asian; 0.6% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 2.3% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 97.7%, Māori by 17.5%, Samoan by 1.3%, and other languages by 4.8%. No language could be spoken by 1.0% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.8%. The percentage of people born overseas was 9.2, compared with 28.8% nationally.[19]

Religious affiliations were 38.5% Christian, 0.2% Hindu, 0.2% Islam, 6.0% Māori religious beliefs, 0.2% Buddhist, 0.4% New Age, and 0.6% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 48.8%, and 5.4% of people did not answer the census question.[19]

Of those at least 15 years old, 243 (18.5%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 762 (58.1%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 309 (23.6%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $40,500, compared with $41,500 nationally. 132 people (10.1%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 678 (51.7%) full-time, 156 (11.9%) part-time, and 54 (4.1%) unemployed.[19]

Education

[edit]

Pakowhai School is a Year 1-6 co-educational state primary school,[22] with a roll of 36 as of July 2025.[23][24] The school was established in 1895.[25]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "2025 Triennial Elections Declaration of Result" (PDF). Electionz. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  2. ^ "Tukituki - Official Result". New Zealand Electoral Commission. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  3. ^ "Ikaroa-Rāwhiti – Official Result". New Zealand Electoral Commission. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
  4. ^ a b "Stats NZ Geographic Data Service". Statistical Area 1 2023 (generalised). Retrieved 23 August 2025.
  5. ^ a b c d e f "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ – Tatauranga Aotearoa – Aotearoa Data Explorer. 7015860, 7033686 and 7033689. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  6. ^ Hariss, Gavin. "Pakowhai, Hawke's Bay". topomap.co.nz. NZ Topo Map.
  7. ^ Dalley, Bronwyn (24 November 2008). "Wine – 19th-century origins". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  8. ^ "Pakowhai Regional Park". hbrc.govt.nz. Hawke's Bay Regional Council.
  9. ^ "Dogs Get More Fun at Pakowhai". hbrb.govt.nz. Hawke's Bay Regional Council. 30 June 2017.
  10. ^ "Big hearted planting at Pakōwhai". scoop.co.nz. Hawke's Bay Regional Council. 31 May 2019.
  11. ^ May, Georgia (14 July 2008). "Cheeky kākā spotted in Pakowhai Regional Park". New Zealand Media and Entertainment. Hawke's Bay Today.
  12. ^ Liang, Doug (23 May 2019). "Fuel station opposition goes to council hearing". New Zealand Media and Entertainment. Hawke's Bay Today.
  13. ^ "Cyclone Gabrielle: Rural Hawke's Bay residents scramble onto roofs to avoid flooding". Radio New Zealand.
  14. ^ "Geographic Boundary Viewer". Stats NZ. Statistical Area 1 – 2023 and Statistical Area 2 – 2023.
  15. ^ "Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census". Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. 7015858, 7015860 and 7015861.
  16. ^ "Totals by topic for dwellings, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ – Tatauranga Aotearoa – Aotearoa Data Explorer. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  17. ^ "Stats NZ Geographic Data Service". Statistical Area 2 2023 (generalised). Retrieved 23 August 2025.
  18. ^ "Subnational population estimates - Aotearoa Data Explorer". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
  19. ^ a b c d e "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ – Tatauranga Aotearoa – Aotearoa Data Explorer. Omahu-Pakowhai (208401). Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  20. ^ "Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census". Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. Omahu-Pakowhai (208400). 2018 Census place summary: Omahu-Pakowhai
  21. ^ "Totals by topic for dwellings, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ – Tatauranga Aotearoa – Aotearoa Data Explorer. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  22. ^ Education Counts: Pakowhai School
  23. ^ "New Zealand Schools Directory". New Zealand Ministry of Education. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
  24. ^ "Education Review Office Report". ero.govt.nz. Education Review Office.
  25. ^ "Pakowhai School Centenary 1895-1995". Hawke's Bay Digital Archives Trust. Retrieved 2 February 2023.