North Shore, New Zealand
Encyclopedia
North Shore City was the name of a city that existed in the Auckland
region of New Zealand
from 1989 until 2010. The city had a population of making it the fourth most populous city in New Zealand prior to November 2010. The former city was also the country's fourth largest city in land, with an area of 129.81 square kilometres and a coastline of 141 kilometres. It was also the most densely populated city in the country because, unlike other New Zealand cities, most of the city's area is urban or suburban in character.
crosses the inner Waitemata Harbour to Auckland City
, while the Upper Harbour Bridge provides a connection to Auckland's western suburbs Waitakere
across the northern stretches of the harbour.
The North Shore has been administered by various forms of council over the years, most recently as North Shore City. On 1 November 2010, North Shore City, along with the six other local councils and the Auckland Regional Council merged to create Auckland Council.
The former administrative area of North Shore City was bounded by Rodney District
to the north, Waitemata Harbour
to the south and the Rangitoto Channel
of the Hauraki Gulf
to the east. The seat of the North Shore City Council was in Takapuna
. The city was divided into three wards, Harbour, Northern and Central, and each ward is further divided into two community boards. Inner suburbs include Milford
, Takapuna
, Belmont
, Devonport
, Bayswater
, Northcote
, Birkenhead
, Highbury, Hillcrest
, Glenfield
, Wairau Valley
, Westlake
and Forrest Hill
. Outer suburbs include Birkdale
, Beach Haven
, North Harbour
, Albany
, Greenhithe
, Long Bay
*, Torbay
*, Waiake*, Browns Bay
*, Rothesay Bay
*, Murrays Bay
*, Mairangi Bay*, Campbells Bay
*, Sunnynook and Castor Bay
.
Those here with an asterisk, along with several other beaches on the Hauraki Gulf coast, are collectively known as East Coast Bays
.
Today, the entire area has been divided into two wards, named Albany and North Shore which are just two of the thirteen new administrative areas in the newly amalgamated Auckland Council.
This changed significantly with the construction of the Auckland Harbour Bridge
in 1959, which opened up the Shore for Auckland expansion - vehicle volumes on the bridge became three times the forecast volume within the first decade - and began turning parts of it into a dormitory town
for people working in the Auckland CBD or further south. Eventually the growth became significant enough for the North Shore to be considered a city in its own right, though densities remained (and remain as of the 2000s) still below what is typical south of the Harbour.
On November 1, 2010 the North Shore boundaries were amalgamated with the rest of the entire Auckland Region
, and the North Shore City Council was abolished and replaced by a single unitary city authority. All council services and facilities are now under authority of the Auckland Council
.
. Several options for new bridges and tunnels have been studied in depth, but at the moment, the official position is to mitigate congestion effects instead of providing new infrastructure.
Public transport has been upgraded in an attempt to reduce the city's car dependence. The Northern Busway
along the Northern Motorway, together with new park and ride
facilities in Albany and Constellation Drive (completed in late 2005), is to serve as the spine of a bus-based new rapid transit system for North Shore City and Hibiscus Coast citizens. In 2003, there were indications that the early stages of the busway project were generally regarded as a success but that important tasks regarding integration of bus lines were unresolved. The North Shore City Council increased the number of these facilities with more park and ride stations in Sunnynook, Smales Farm and Akoranga park. These were completed in February 2008. In January, 2009, the Northern Busway began trial runs featuring New Zealand's first "bus-dedicated roadway."
A number of North Shore suburbs have a regular ferry service to Auckland City, including Devonport, Stanley Bay, Bayswater, Birkenhead. Others are planned for Takapuna and Browns Bay. A plan to turn the city's streets into a venue for a three-day V8 supercar race has generated controversy; traffic experts were hired by the North Shore City Council to assess whether such a race was possible "without causing mayhem on the roads."
. The mayor was a strong critic of the 'Super City' proposals which would see North Shore City amalgamated into a larger Auckland authority. Mayor Williams voiced strong opposition to Transit New Zealand
's delays regarding bus lanes. He was a proponent of the $300 million joint busway venture. While the Auckland Regional Council
has power to impose property tax rates on suburban areas such as North Shore City, local residents have voiced strong opposition. There is a pattern of conflict between local authorities and Auckland city officials regarding many matters, such as transportation, land purchases and decay of wharf facilities. The issue of whether Auckland should be a single city, or a collection of autonomous cities, has been a subject of debate in recent years.
For the purposes of general elections, the city contained three whole electorate
s, being Northcote
, North Shore
and East Coast Bays
. The electorate of Helensville
also takes in portions of the northwest of the city. Politically the city tends to lean to the right: in the 2005
and 2008 General elections
, all four electorate MPs were the National Party candidates.
The last five years have seen tremendous growth in the Albany area. This once quiet rural suburb has become the commercial centre of the North Shore. A number of retailers like Westfield
are building or have built "super stores" in the area, anticipating ongoing commercial growth and expansion. The area has also experienced the construction of intense cheaper housing, and thousands of acres of farmland has been turned into mini-suburbs comprising hundreds of houses all of a similar design. As such, the Albany area has attracted hundreds of millions of investment dollars.
The Royal New Zealand Navy
has its main base in Devonport
which is a significant employer and industry.
Residential development on the North Shore continues to rapidly sprawl
northwards. The Rodney
township of Orewa
and the Whangaparaoa Peninsula
, 25 kilometres north of Takapuna, was once something of a holiday resort. It is now linked by the Northern Motorway
and may eventually be continuous with the North Shore's northward urban expansion.
Some parts of the North Shore boasts some of the most expensive real estate in New Zealand. The stretch of coast that runs North from Takapuna Beach to Milford, often referred to as the "Golden Mile", has many properties there have sold for several million dollars (NZ$) particularly because of the beaches, Lake Pupuke
, popular schools and shopping centres. In 2005, one beachfront property sold for $12.8 million. Rents in North Shore City, as well as property prices, are high in relative terms, with average weekly rents (in 2002) of $243 versus $237 for Wellington and $236 for Auckland.
, the median income for North Shore residents over 15 years was $29,100, compared with a national average of $24,400.
The racial makeup of the city was 67.5% Europe
an, 18.5% Asian
, 6.3% Māori, 3.4% Pacific Islander
, and 1.8% from the Middle East, Africa or Latin America. Just under 10% gave their ethnicity as "New Zealander", with most of this group having identified itself as European in former Census surveys.
A notable amount of South African expatriates have made North Shore their home, where some estimates have them as 10% (or more) of the total population with most residing in the East Coast Bays
.
(It was previously primarily filmed there but still has scenes on the North Shore).
Go Girls
is another popular show set on the North Shore.
Prime TV channel has its studios and base in Albany
.
who compete in the Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Division 2
.
Taichung City, Taiwan
, 17 December 1996 Qingdao
, People's Republic of China
, 9 August 2008
Auckland Region
The Auckland Region was one of the sixteen regions of New Zealand, named for the city of Auckland, the country's largest urban area. With one third of the nation's residents, it was by far the biggest population and economy of any region of New Zealand, but the second-smallest land area.On 1...
region of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
from 1989 until 2010. The city had a population of making it the fourth most populous city in New Zealand prior to November 2010. The former city was also the country's fourth largest city in land, with an area of 129.81 square kilometres and a coastline of 141 kilometres. It was also the most densely populated city in the country because, unlike other New Zealand cities, most of the city's area is urban or suburban in character.
Geography
The North Shore comprises a large suburban area to the north of downtown Auckland; linked to the rest of the greater Auckland metropolitan area by two harbour bridges - the Auckland Harbour BridgeAuckland Harbour Bridge
The Auckland Harbour Bridge is an eight-lane box truss motorway bridge over the Waitemata Harbour, joining St Marys Bay in Auckland with Northcote in North Shore City, New Zealand. The bridge is part of State Highway 1 and the Auckland Northern Motorway...
crosses the inner Waitemata Harbour to Auckland City
Auckland City
Auckland City was the city and local authority covering the Auckland isthmus and most of the islands of the Hauraki Gulf, in the North Island of New Zealand. On 1 November 2010 it was amalgamated into the wider Auckland Region under the authority of the new Auckland Council...
, while the Upper Harbour Bridge provides a connection to Auckland's western suburbs Waitakere
Waitakere
Waitakere City was the name of a city which existed from 1989 until 2010 in the Auckland region. It was New Zealand's fifth largest city, with an annual growth of about 2%...
across the northern stretches of the harbour.
The North Shore has been administered by various forms of council over the years, most recently as North Shore City. On 1 November 2010, North Shore City, along with the six other local councils and the Auckland Regional Council merged to create Auckland Council.
The former administrative area of North Shore City was bounded by Rodney District
Rodney District
The Rodney District of New Zealand was a local government area in the northernmost part in New Zealand's Auckland Region, created in 1989 from the amalgamation of Helensville Borough and Rodney County. The seat of the district council is at Orewa, and the district includes Kawau Island to the...
to the north, Waitemata Harbour
Waitemata Harbour
The quite famous Waitemata Harbour is the main access by sea to Auckland, New Zealand. For this reason it is often referred to as Auckland Harbour, despite the fact that it is only one of two harbours surrounding the city, and is crossed by the Auckland Harbour Bridge. The Waitemata forms the north...
to the south and the Rangitoto Channel
Rangitoto Channel
The Rangitoto Channel is one of several passes between the islands of the inner Hauraki Gulf, close to the mouth of the Waitemata Harbour to the east of Auckland in New Zealand...
of the Hauraki Gulf
Hauraki Gulf
The Hauraki Gulf is a coastal feature of the North Island of New Zealand. It has a total area of 4000 km², and lies between the Auckland Region, the Hauraki Plains, the Coromandel Peninsula and Great Barrier Island...
to the east. The seat of the North Shore City Council was in Takapuna
Takapuna
Takapuna is a central, coastal suburb of North Shore City, located in the northern North Island of New Zealand, at the beginning of a south-east-facing peninsula forming the northern side of the Waitemata Harbour...
. The city was divided into three wards, Harbour, Northern and Central, and each ward is further divided into two community boards. Inner suburbs include Milford
Milford, New Zealand
Milford is a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand's largest city. Located on Auckland's North Shore and part of North Shore City, Milford is located on the northern side of Lake Pupuke. It also has a popular swimming beach, which runs some two kilometers from Black Rock in the south to Castor Bay in the...
, Takapuna
Takapuna
Takapuna is a central, coastal suburb of North Shore City, located in the northern North Island of New Zealand, at the beginning of a south-east-facing peninsula forming the northern side of the Waitemata Harbour...
, Belmont
Belmont, Auckland
Belmont is an Auckland suburb. The name, which means "good view or hill" derives from a farm estate called "Belmont" subdivided in 1885.The population of the "Seacliffe" statistical area, which is substantially the same as Belmont, was 3,297 in the 2006 Census, an increase of 162 from 2001...
, Devonport
Devonport, New Zealand
Devonport is a harbourside suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. It is located on the North Shore, at the southern end of a peninsula that runs southeast from near Lake Pupuke in Takapuna, forming the northern side of the Waitemata Harbour...
, Bayswater
Bayswater, New Zealand
Bayswater is a suburb of Auckland City in New Zealand. It lies on a peninsula which juts into the Waitemata Harbour. The population was 2,307 in the 2006 Census, a reduction of 3 people from 2001....
, Northcote
Northcote, New Zealand
Northcote is a suburb of North Shore City, one of several cities in the Auckland metropolitan area in northern New Zealand. It is located on the north shore of the Waitemata Harbour, four kilometres northwest of the Auckland city centre....
, Birkenhead
Birkenhead, New Zealand
Birkenhead is a suburb of Auckland, in northern New Zealand. It is located on the north shore of the Waitemata Harbour, four kilometres northwest of the Auckland city centre....
, Highbury, Hillcrest
Hillcrest, Auckland
Hillcrest is a suburb of North Shore City, one of several cities in the Auckland metropolitan area in northern New Zealand. It is surrounded by Glenfield, Wairau Valley, Northcote and Birkenhead. The Auckland Northern Motorway passes to the east...
, Glenfield
Glenfield, New Zealand
Glenfield is a suburb of North Shore, one of several cities in the Auckland metropolitan area in northern New Zealand. It is located to the north of the Waitemata Harbour, nine kilometres northwest of the Auckland city centre....
, Wairau Valley
Wairau Valley, Auckland
Wairau Valley is a suburb of North Shore, one of several cities in the Auckland metropolitan area in northern New Zealand. The area is predominantly light industrial/commercial. New Zealand State Highway 1 passes to the east and the Wairau Park shopping complex extends to the north...
, Westlake
Westlake, New Zealand
Westlake is a suburb of North Shore City, one of the four cities comprising New Zealand's Auckland urban area. It lies eight kilometres to the northwest of the Auckland CBD between the major suburbs of Milford and Glenfield...
and Forrest Hill
Forrest Hill, New Zealand
Forrest Hill is a suburb of Auckland .Forrest Hill is under the local governance of the North Shore City Council. The population was 5,283 in the 2006 Census, an increase of 372 from 2001.-Association football:...
. Outer suburbs include Birkdale
Birkdale, New Zealand
Birkdale is a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. The population was 6,798 in the 2006 Census, an increase of 429 from 2001. The suburb is in the North Shore ward, one of the thirteen administrative divisions of Auckland City.-Education:...
, Beach Haven
Beach Haven, New Zealand
Beach Haven is a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand and is located north-west from the city's CBD. It has 3396 households and 9834 residents.- History :...
, North Harbour
North Harbour, New Zealand
North Harbour is the name of a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. It is located 12 kilometres north of the city centre, to the south of the suburb of Albany, close to the northern edge of the city....
, Albany
Albany, New Zealand
Albany is a northern suburb of Auckland, one of the several cities in northern New Zealand. The name derives from Alba and its Latinisation. It is located to the north of the Waitemata Harbour, 15 kilometres northwest of the Auckland city centre. The suburb is in the Albany ward, one of the...
, Greenhithe
Greenhithe, New Zealand
Greenhithe is an Auckland suburb. As from 1 November 2010, Greenhithe is under the governance of the Auckland Council.According to the 2001 census, Greenhithe had a population of 4,170. Greenhithe has however shown dramatic growth since the North Shore City Council determined that Greenhithe was to...
, Long Bay
Long Bay, New Zealand
Long Bay is a suburb of North Shore, now incorporated into the greater Auckland metropolitan area in northern New Zealand.The population was 954 in the 2006 Census, an increase of 210 from 2001....
*, Torbay
Torbay, New Zealand
Torbay is an Auckland suburb.Torbay was under the local governance of the North Shore City Council but was amalgamated into the Auckland "Supercity" in 2010.The name Torbay comes from the area of the same name in the south east of Devon, England....
*, Waiake*, Browns Bay
Browns Bay, New Zealand
Browns Bay is an Auckland suburb. It is one of the East Coast Bays suburbs, and is well known for its shops and beaches.Browns Bay is under the local governance of the Auckland Council, and is located in the North Shore ward of the new Auckland city, one of the thirteen newly amalgamated...
*, Rothesay Bay
Rothesay Bay
- to the east - to the south - to the south-west - to the north-west Browns BayHauraki GulfMurrays BayPinehillNorthcrossRothesay Bay is a small suburb in North Shore City's East Coast Bays region...
*, Murrays Bay
Murrays Bay
Murrays Bay is a small suburb in Auckland's East Coast Bays region. The suburb is roughly the same size as Rothesay Bay, the suburb to the immediate north. It is primarily a residential area but does have a community centre, restaurant and takeaway...
*, Mairangi Bay*, Campbells Bay
Campbells Bay
Campbells Bay is a suburb in Auckland City in New Zealand. The suburb is under the local governance of the Auckland Council. The population was 2,316 in the 2006 Census, an increase of 111 from 2001...
*, Sunnynook and Castor Bay
Castor bay
Castor Bay is a bay and suburb of Auckland in the North Island of New Zealand. Located between Milford and Campbells Bay it forms part of Auckland's East Coast Bays. To the east lies the islands of Rangitoto and Motutapu which are easily visible from land...
.
Those here with an asterisk, along with several other beaches on the Hauraki Gulf coast, are collectively known as East Coast Bays
East Coast Bays
East Coast Bays is the collective name for a series of small suburbs of North Shore City, in the Auckland metropolitan area of New Zealand, which line the northeast coast of the city along the shore of the Hauraki Gulf and Rangitoto Channel...
.
Today, the entire area has been divided into two wards, named Albany and North Shore which are just two of the thirteen new administrative areas in the newly amalgamated Auckland Council.
History
The European history of the North Shore was initially dominated by very rural settlement, with people from the "main" Auckland generally venturing there only during weekends, when the beaches and many coastal settlements were favourite daytripper goals reached by the ferries connecting the North Shore to Auckland. By the 1950s, only about 50,000 people lived on the Shore, and its growth rate was still about half that of the areas south of the Waitemata, partly because few jobs were on offer.This changed significantly with the construction of the Auckland Harbour Bridge
Auckland Harbour Bridge
The Auckland Harbour Bridge is an eight-lane box truss motorway bridge over the Waitemata Harbour, joining St Marys Bay in Auckland with Northcote in North Shore City, New Zealand. The bridge is part of State Highway 1 and the Auckland Northern Motorway...
in 1959, which opened up the Shore for Auckland expansion - vehicle volumes on the bridge became three times the forecast volume within the first decade - and began turning parts of it into a dormitory town
Commuter town
A commuter town is an urban community that is primarily residential, from which most of the workforce commutes out to earn their livelihood. Many commuter towns act as suburbs of a nearby metropolis that workers travel to daily, and many suburbs are commuter towns...
for people working in the Auckland CBD or further south. Eventually the growth became significant enough for the North Shore to be considered a city in its own right, though densities remained (and remain as of the 2000s) still below what is typical south of the Harbour.
On November 1, 2010 the North Shore boundaries were amalgamated with the rest of the entire Auckland Region
Auckland Region
The Auckland Region was one of the sixteen regions of New Zealand, named for the city of Auckland, the country's largest urban area. With one third of the nation's residents, it was by far the biggest population and economy of any region of New Zealand, but the second-smallest land area.On 1...
, and the North Shore City Council was abolished and replaced by a single unitary city authority. All council services and facilities are now under authority of the Auckland Council
Auckland Council
The Auckland Council is the council for the Auckland Region in New Zealand. It began operating on 1 November 2010, combining the functions of the existing regional council and the region's seven previous city and district councils into one "super council" or "super city" governed by a mayor, 20...
.
Transport
Commuting within the North Shore itself can be done relatively easily, but those who commute to Auckland City and need to cross the Auckland Harbour Bridge face severe traffic congestion. The alternative route through western suburbs is also prone to nose-to-tail traffic at peak times. As with the greater Auckland area, there has been much discussion regarding the problem at both national and local government levels, but very little concrete action, mostly related to the high cost and difficulty providing additional crossings over the Waitemata HarbourWaitemata Harbour
The quite famous Waitemata Harbour is the main access by sea to Auckland, New Zealand. For this reason it is often referred to as Auckland Harbour, despite the fact that it is only one of two harbours surrounding the city, and is crossed by the Auckland Harbour Bridge. The Waitemata forms the north...
. Several options for new bridges and tunnels have been studied in depth, but at the moment, the official position is to mitigate congestion effects instead of providing new infrastructure.
Public transport has been upgraded in an attempt to reduce the city's car dependence. The Northern Busway
Northern Busway, Auckland
thumb|Passengers boarding a [[MAXX Regional Transport]] Northern Express service operated by [[Ritchies Coachlines]].The Northern Busway is a physically separated busway with dedicated park & ride facilities along State Highway 1 in the north of Auckland, New Zealand, linking the North Shore with...
along the Northern Motorway, together with new park and ride
Park and ride
Park and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...
facilities in Albany and Constellation Drive (completed in late 2005), is to serve as the spine of a bus-based new rapid transit system for North Shore City and Hibiscus Coast citizens. In 2003, there were indications that the early stages of the busway project were generally regarded as a success but that important tasks regarding integration of bus lines were unresolved. The North Shore City Council increased the number of these facilities with more park and ride stations in Sunnynook, Smales Farm and Akoranga park. These were completed in February 2008. In January, 2009, the Northern Busway began trial runs featuring New Zealand's first "bus-dedicated roadway."
A number of North Shore suburbs have a regular ferry service to Auckland City, including Devonport, Stanley Bay, Bayswater, Birkenhead. Others are planned for Takapuna and Browns Bay. A plan to turn the city's streets into a venue for a three-day V8 supercar race has generated controversy; traffic experts were hired by the North Shore City Council to assess whether such a race was possible "without causing mayhem on the roads."
Local government
The city was run by a 15 member council (North Shore City Council) and mayor, democratically elected every three years using the First Past The Post voting system. The last mayor was Andrew WilliamsAndrew Williams (New Zealand)
Andrew Williams is a New Zealand politician. In 2007 he was elected as Mayor of North Shore City, New Zealand's fourth largest city. Williams served on a community board during 2004-07, and was a councillor in the term before that in 2001-04. North Shore City Council was abolished in October...
. The mayor was a strong critic of the 'Super City' proposals which would see North Shore City amalgamated into a larger Auckland authority. Mayor Williams voiced strong opposition to Transit New Zealand
Transit New Zealand
Transit New Zealand was, from 1989 to 2008, the New Zealand Crown entity responsible for operating and planning the New Zealand State Highway network...
's delays regarding bus lanes. He was a proponent of the $300 million joint busway venture. While the Auckland Regional Council
Auckland Regional Council
The Auckland Regional Council was the regional council of the Auckland Region. Its predecessor the Auckland Regional Authority was formed in 1963 and became the ARC in 1989...
has power to impose property tax rates on suburban areas such as North Shore City, local residents have voiced strong opposition. There is a pattern of conflict between local authorities and Auckland city officials regarding many matters, such as transportation, land purchases and decay of wharf facilities. The issue of whether Auckland should be a single city, or a collection of autonomous cities, has been a subject of debate in recent years.
For the purposes of general elections, the city contained three whole electorate
Electoral district
An electoral district is a distinct territorial subdivision for holding a separate election for one or more seats in a legislative body...
s, being Northcote
Northcote (New Zealand electorate)
Northcote is a New Zealand Parliamentary electorate, returning one Member of Parliament to the New Zealand House of Representatives. The current MP for Northcote is Jonathan Coleman of the National Party. He has held this position since 2005....
, North Shore
North Shore (New Zealand electorate)
North Shore is a New Zealand Parliamentary electorate returning one Member of Parliament to the New Zealand House of Representatives. The current MP for North Shore is Wayne Mapp MP of the National Party...
and East Coast Bays
East Coast Bays (New Zealand electorate)
East Coast Bays is a New Zealand parliamentary electorate. It was first formed in 1972 and has existed apart from a break lasting two parliamentary terms. The electorate is currently held by Murray McCully.-Population centres:...
. The electorate of Helensville
Helensville (New Zealand electorate)
Helensville is a New Zealand Parliamentary electorate, returning one Member of Parliament to the New Zealand House of Representatives. The current MP for Helensville is John Key, leader of the National Party and Prime Minister of New Zealand. He has held this electorate since 2002...
also takes in portions of the northwest of the city. Politically the city tends to lean to the right: in the 2005
New Zealand general election, 2005
The 2005 New Zealand general election held on 17 September 2005 determined the composition of the 48th New Zealand Parliament. No party won a majority in the unicameral House of Representatives, but the Labour Party of Prime Minister Helen Clark secured two more seats than nearest rival, the...
and 2008 General elections
New Zealand general election, 2008
The 2008 New Zealand general election was held on 8 November 2008 to determine the composition of the 49th New Zealand parliament. The conservative National Party, headed by its Parliamentary leader John Key, won a plurality of votes and seats, ending 9 years of government dominated by the social...
, all four electorate MPs were the National Party candidates.
Economy
There are over 22,000 businesses located in North Shore City, contributing to over 6% of New Zealand's GDP. The city also tops the nation's growth rates for numbers of businesses, growing 29.3% between 1998 and 2002.The last five years have seen tremendous growth in the Albany area. This once quiet rural suburb has become the commercial centre of the North Shore. A number of retailers like Westfield
The Westfield Group
The Westfield Group is an Australian shopping centre group undertaking ownership, development, design, construction, funds/asset management, property management, leasing and marketing activities...
are building or have built "super stores" in the area, anticipating ongoing commercial growth and expansion. The area has also experienced the construction of intense cheaper housing, and thousands of acres of farmland has been turned into mini-suburbs comprising hundreds of houses all of a similar design. As such, the Albany area has attracted hundreds of millions of investment dollars.
The Royal New Zealand Navy
Royal New Zealand Navy
The Royal New Zealand Navy is the maritime arm of the New Zealand Defence Force...
has its main base in Devonport
Devonport, New Zealand
Devonport is a harbourside suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. It is located on the North Shore, at the southern end of a peninsula that runs southeast from near Lake Pupuke in Takapuna, forming the northern side of the Waitemata Harbour...
which is a significant employer and industry.
Residential development on the North Shore continues to rapidly sprawl
Urban sprawl
Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a multifaceted concept, which includes the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to low-density and auto-dependent development on rural land, high segregation of uses Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a...
northwards. The Rodney
Rodney District
The Rodney District of New Zealand was a local government area in the northernmost part in New Zealand's Auckland Region, created in 1989 from the amalgamation of Helensville Borough and Rodney County. The seat of the district council is at Orewa, and the district includes Kawau Island to the...
township of Orewa
Orewa
Orewa, a town in New Zealand's North Island lies on the Hibiscus Coast, just north of the base of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula and 40 kilometres north of central Auckland. Orewa's population was 7,326 in the 2006 Census, an increase of 1,692 from 2001. It is a popular holiday destination...
and the Whangaparaoa Peninsula
Whangaparaoa Peninsula
Whangaparaoa Peninsula is a peninsula and suburban area, around 25 km north of Auckland, New Zealand. Part of Rodney District, as of 2006, it had 22,788 residents, many of them in the eponymous town of Whangaparaoa on its southern side.-Geography:...
, 25 kilometres north of Takapuna, was once something of a holiday resort. It is now linked by the Northern Motorway
Auckland Northern Motorway
The Auckland Northern Motorway is a major motorway in the Auckland Region of New Zealand, linking central Auckland City and Puhoi in the Rodney District, via the Hibiscus Coast and North Shore...
and may eventually be continuous with the North Shore's northward urban expansion.
Some parts of the North Shore boasts some of the most expensive real estate in New Zealand. The stretch of coast that runs North from Takapuna Beach to Milford, often referred to as the "Golden Mile", has many properties there have sold for several million dollars (NZ$) particularly because of the beaches, Lake Pupuke
Lake Pupuke
Lake Pupuke is a heart-shaped freshwater lake occupying a volcanic explosion crater between the suburbs of Takapuna and Milford on the North Shore of Auckland, New Zealand. The heart shape is a result of its formation by the linking of two circular craters - a larger one forming most of the lake...
, popular schools and shopping centres. In 2005, one beachfront property sold for $12.8 million. Rents in North Shore City, as well as property prices, are high in relative terms, with average weekly rents (in 2002) of $243 versus $237 for Wellington and $236 for Auckland.
Demographics
In the 2006 censusNew Zealand Census of Population and Dwellings
The New Zealand government department Statistics New Zealand conducts a census of population and dwellings every five years. The census scheduled for 2011 was cancelled due to circumstances surrounding the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, however, and legislation introduced to hold the next...
, the median income for North Shore residents over 15 years was $29,100, compared with a national average of $24,400.
The racial makeup of the city was 67.5% Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an, 18.5% Asian
Asian people
Asian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...
, 6.3% Māori, 3.4% Pacific Islander
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islander , is a geographic term to describe the indigenous inhabitants of any of the three major sub-regions of Oceania: Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia.According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, these three regions, together with their islands consist of:Polynesia:...
, and 1.8% from the Middle East, Africa or Latin America. Just under 10% gave their ethnicity as "New Zealander", with most of this group having identified itself as European in former Census surveys.
A notable amount of South African expatriates have made North Shore their home, where some estimates have them as 10% (or more) of the total population with most residing in the East Coast Bays
East Coast Bays
East Coast Bays is the collective name for a series of small suburbs of North Shore City, in the Auckland metropolitan area of New Zealand, which line the northeast coast of the city along the shore of the Hauraki Gulf and Rangitoto Channel...
.
Television
North Shore City is the onscreen home of New Zealand's most successful soap opera: Shortland StreetShortland Street
Shortland Street is a New Zealand prime-time soap opera, first broadcast on Television New Zealand's TV2 on 25 May 1992. It is the country's longest-running drama and soap opera, being broadcast continuously for over 4500 episodes and 19 years, and is one of the most watched television programs in...
(It was previously primarily filmed there but still has scenes on the North Shore).
Go Girls
Go Girls
Go Girls is a New Zealand comedy/drama television series centering around four adult friends, Amy, Britta, Cody and Kevin, who live on the North Shore, Auckland...
is another popular show set on the North Shore.
Prime TV channel has its studios and base in Albany
Albany, New Zealand
Albany is a northern suburb of Auckland, one of the several cities in northern New Zealand. The name derives from Alba and its Latinisation. It is located to the north of the Waitemata Harbour, 15 kilometres northwest of the Auckland city centre. The suburb is in the Albany ward, one of the...
.
Association football
North Shore City is home to North Shore UnitedNorth Shore United
North Shore United is a semi-professional football club based in North Shore, Auckland, New Zealand. They compete in the Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Division 2.Their home ground, Allen Hill Stadium, is located in the suburb of Devonport.-History:...
who compete in the Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Division 2
Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Division 2
The Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Division 2 is a New Zealand Association football semi-professional status league competition that is run by the Auckland Football Federation and includes soccer clubs located in the northern part of the North Island, New Zealand. It is open to clubs from the Northland,...
.
Notable people
- Wayne "Buck" ShelfordWayne ShelfordWayne Thomas "Buck" Shelford is a New Zealand former rugby union footballer and coach who represented and captained New Zealand in the late 1980s...
- All Black Legend (Rugby Player) - Frank SargesonFrank SargesonFrank Sargeson was the pen name of Norris Frank Davey. He is considered one of New Zealand's foremost short story writers. Like Katherine Mansfield, Sargeson helped to put New Zealand literature on the world map....
- Writer - Rachel HunterRachel HunterRachel Hunter is a New Zealand born American model, actress and reality TV show host who now resides in the U.S. She is best known for her appearance in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues and her longtime marriage to singer Rod Stewart, which ended in 2006...
- Actress/Model - Judy BaileyJudy BaileyJudy Ann Bailey ONZM is a former news presenter for ONE News, the highest rated evening television news programme in New Zealand. She has been called the "Mother of the Nation"....
- Retired Newsreader - Rosita VaiRosita VaiRosita Vai is a New Zealand R&B singer who rose to musical fame as the winner of the Second season of New Zealand Idol in 2005.Prior to her win, Rosita managed to stay out of the 'bottom three' contestants for the entire competition...
- NZ Idol 2 Winner - Sir Peter BlakePeter Blake (yachtsman)Sir Peter James Blake, KBE was a New Zealand yachtsman who won the Whitbread Round the World Race, the Jules Verne Trophy – setting the fastest time around the world of 74 days 22 hours 17 minutes 22 seconds on catamaran Enza, and led his country to successive victories in the America’s Cup...
- Yachtsman - Ian Ferguson - Olympian
- John HoodJohn HoodJohn Hood was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford from 5 October 2004 until 30 September 2009. He was the first Vice-Chancellor to be elected from outside Oxford's academic body, and the first to have addressed the scholars' congregation via a webcast...
- Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford - Dean Barker - Yachtsman
- Peter Montgomery - Broadcaster
- Luke McAlisterLuke McAlisterCharles Luke McAlister is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He plays first five-eighths and second five-eighths ....
- Rugby Player - Ian Jones - Ex All Black Rugby Player
- Bert SutcliffeBert SutcliffeBert Sutcliffe MBE was a New Zealand Test cricketer. Sutcliffe was a successful left-hand batsman. His batting achievements on tour in England in 1949, which included four fifties and a century in the Tests, earned him the accolade of being one of Wisden's Five Cricketers of the Year...
- New Zealand Cricketer - Danny MorrisonDanny Morrison (cricketer)Daniel Kyle Morrison is a former New Zealand cricketer . He specialised as a pace bowler with a useful outswinger. He made his test debut for New Zealand in 1987 at the age of 21 against Australia....
- New Zealand Cricketer - Nick Evans - Rugby Player
- Kirk PenneyKirk PenneyKirk Samuel Penney is a New Zealander professional basketball player.-University of Wisconsin :...
- Basketball Player - Winston Reid - Footballer
Sister cities
North Shore City is a sister city of:Taichung City, Taiwan
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
, 17 December 1996 Qingdao
Qingdao
' also known in the West by its postal map spelling Tsingtao, is a major city with a population of over 8.715 million in eastern Shandong province, Eastern China. Its built up area, made of 7 urban districts plus Jimo city, is home to about 4,346,000 inhabitants in 2010.It borders Yantai to the...
, People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, 9 August 2008
External links
- North Shore City Council website
- North Shore City (from WikitravelWikitravel-External links:* *...
project) - Enterprise North Shore (business association website)
- Takapuna Beach (business association website)
- Webcam over Takapuna (from the official Council website)