Papakura District

The Papakura District is one of the several local territories in New Zealand's Auckland Region. It is nearly the southernmost part of the Auckland metropolitan area, and forms part of the areas informally known as South Auckland and East Auckland .

Originally a small independent city, it became "Papakura District" in the 1989 reorganisation of New Zealand's local governments, and has now been overtaken by Auckland’s urban sprawl. The district is flanked by beaches on the Manukau Harbour to the west, Manukau City to the north, and farmland to the east and south, with Drury the closest town in that direction.

Geography

Papakura is 123 square kilometres in size and is just 32 km from downtown Auckland. Located south of Manukau and Auckland cities, close to Auckland International Airport and with major road networks, excellent rail and motorway access, Papakura maintains its role as a gateway for travel and commerce to the north and south and has preserved much of the character of its origins while becoming an ideal place in which to live and to do business. The geography of the district encompasses fertile plains, the inlets and foreshores of the Manukau Harbour, and the rolling foothills of the Hunua Range; a relatively narrow but strategically well positioned narrow span of land between the Hauraki Gulf and the Manukau Harbour. Much of the district – particularly in the west – is flat to rolling land. There is extensive peat soil in the Takanini area, which was once a vast wetland and peat bog.In the east, low-to-medium sized foothills lead out into the Hunua range. 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 the Hunua or Clevedon.

Keri Hill has pastoral lifestyle blocks overlooking Ardmore; Red Hill offered a strategic vantage point for the indigenous Maori people, but is now a popular suburb; Pahurehure has a harbourside setting on the eastern reaches of Manukau Harbour. Drury is the first genuine country town south of Auckland, and Takanini is Papakura's main industrial zone.

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 indigenous 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".Fact|date=September 2007

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. It was guarded by armed constabulary and was a designated military road.

In the major reformation of local government in 1989, Papakura became a district. Prior to that time, a smaller area was known as Papakura City, which was a small city of New Zealand, but the new area included parts of the surrounding rural countryside that had previously been part of Manukau City. After the major change "“Papakura City”" went to "“Papakura District”", and instead of being an independent city, the area was amalgamated with Auckland, including it into the Auckland Region. The whole district counts as part of the Auckland urban area for statistical purposes, forming part of its southern boundary.

People

Papakura District’s population is estimated to be growing at three times the rate of New Zealand as a whole and is predominantly European.It 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. [cite web|url=http://www2.stats.govt.nz/domino/external/web/CommProfiles.nsf/FindInfobyArea/009-ta| title=Papakura District Community Profile |accessdate=2006-08-17 |year=2003 |publisher=Statistics New Zealand] The city council is planning for Papakura's population to more than triple within the next 50 years. [cite web|url=http://www.papakura.govt.nz/Documents/LTCCP/PDC%20LTCCP%20Volume%20one%20-%20audited%20copy.pdf |title=Progress Papakura: Long Term Council Community Plan 2006 - 2016: Volume 1 |accessdate=2006-08-15 |year=2006 |format=PDF |pages=6]

Populations

* Papakura - 28010
* Takanini - 10870
* Drury (Franklin District) - 3360

Famous Figures

* Sir Edmund Hillary- First to climb Mount Everest
* Kimberley Smith-long-distance runner
* Joe Rokocoko - rugby union player
* David Dixon - American Football Player and Minnesota millionaire
* John Walker- Olympic gold medallist
* Fleur Adcock - poet
* George Hawkins - New Zealand MP
* P-Money - hip-hop DJ
* Blair Pocock - Cricketer
* Lance Hamilton - Cricketer
* Reg Mombassa - Artist and Musician
* Keisha Castle-Hughes
* Paul Holmes

Local Facilities

Government

In addition to the Local Council Chambers, Papakura is served by a large Police Department; one of Auckland's busiest stations, a District Courthouse, and a WINZ office. In 2004, the Papakura Courthouse acted as the Supreme Court for Pitcairn Island.

Armed Forces

Papakura once served a significant military population, but now only the SAS special forces are based at Papakura. [cite web| url=http://www.nzdf.mil.nz/at-a-glance/forces-and-locations.htm | title=Forces and Locations |accessdate=2006-08-19 |publisher=New Zealand Defence Force] . Nearby houses were originally Army Homes, but are now in private hands.

Transport

Auckland's southern motorway and the North Island Main Trunk Railway run through the Papakura District and a large airfield is located nearby at Ardmore. Train and bus services provide the bulk of public transport, with frequent trains on the Southern Line between Papakura and the CBD (Britomart). Recent investment has focused on upgrading and refurbishing the region's trains and suburban railway stations, most recently with the opening of a modern station facility at the town centre. Papakura is the final stop for most southbound public transport in Auckland, and Papakura is the third busiest station on the rail network. Drawn by frequent services into and out of the city, rail commuters come from Papakura itself, Franklin County and the northern Waikato. Though the motorway and Great South Road flow relatively freely at peak times, road commuters are affected by the acute traffic congestion as they get closer to metropolitan Auckland.

Ardmore Airport

Ardmore Airport serves recreational aviators, private and commercial flights. It is the busiest airport in New Zealand based on aircraft movements, and is home to a wide range of innovative small to medium-sized aerospace businesses and popular among the non-commercial aviation sector.Fact|date=April 2008

Recreation

Some notable sports facilities include an indoor-outdoor swimming pool, an international-quality athletics track, a sports stadium, and venues for rugby, netball, golf, tennis, badminton, soccer, and many other sports. The council also operates a library and a theatre. Papakura also has a number of skate parks, a skate bowl and an extensive BMX track that regularly hosts major cycling events.

Future

McLennan

Currently, McLennan Park, the 24ha site is the future site of also a new suburb: "McLennan". The development company "McConnell Property" has agreed to take over the development of the land from "Housing New Zealand", the former owners.

After rezoning approvals McLennan plans to have around about 450 modern homes being built, a new school, a new college, an early childhood service centre, a sports centre with large grounds, and a couple of modern public parks. Again, this project is believed to increase the local market value of the surrounding areas in the future.

Construction will start in approximately early 2007 and the project is believed to be completed in the next 10-12 years.

Local Government

A review of governance in the Auckland region is being conducted by a Royal Commission of Inquiry into Auckland Governance. A proposal to restructure Auckland into one city was announced by the four "city mayors" in late 2006.The proposal of Mayors Hubbard, Harvey, Wood and Curtis sought to replace the current 8 councils formed with one single city council. This evolved into three councils and a plethora of counter-proposals before the Royal Commission was announced.

Notes

External links

* [http://www.papakura.govt.nz/ Papakura District Council]
* Interactive Maps: [http://www.zoomin.co.nz/nz/papakura zoomin.co.nz] [http://www.papakura.govt.nz/Documents/PrintFiles/districtPlan.html District Plan] [http://www.wises.co.nz/?_cmd=Search&_zoom=4&Location=Center,Papakura&_qck
]
* [http://www.stats.govt.nz/NR/rdonlyres/F25B9EE4-30E1-47C6-98C2-A1B09FF36CE3/0/PapakuraDistrict.xls 2006 Census results (provisional)] (Excel format)
* [http://www.aucklandlibrary.co.nz/general.aspx?ct=801#papakura Some histories of Papakura]
* [http://www.elgar.govt.nz/search/X?SEARCH=(breakwater+against+the+tide)&searchscope=2&SORT=R Breakwater against the Tide, by Elsdon Craig] ISBN 0908596170 (definitive history of Papakura)
* [http://countiesmanukau.webhealth.co.nz/page/countiesmanukau_4.php?more=5002325 Papakura Marae]
* [http://intranet.rosehill-college.co.nz/main.asp Rosehill College]
* [http://www.papakurahigh.school.nz/index.html Papakura High School]
* [http://www.ngw.nl/int/nzl/papakura.htm Papakura District Coat of Arms] description of civic heraldry