Tahuna, Waikato
Tahuna is a small rural settlement located 18 km north of Morrinsville. In the Māori language Tahuna means sandbank, likely to refer to the sandbanks along the nearby Piako River, where a Māori settlement started. Tahuna is seen as the upper limit for navigatable travel on the Piako River. The settlement has a rugby club, a lawn bowls club, a golf course and various shops.
Although Tahuna is in the Matamata-Piako District for local government, its representation in national government is within the Coromandel electorate due to the abolition of the Piako electorate for the.
A town water supply was proposed in the 1980s and installed in the 2000s.
History
Tahuna was opened for selection in 1902 and 1903.Marae
There are two marae in the Tahuna area:- The Waiti-Raungaunu marae and Paoa meeting house are also associated with the Waikato Tainui hapū of Ngāti Makirangi, and with the iwi of Ngāti Paoa.
- Hoe o Tainui marae and surrounding settlement is affiliated with Ngāti Makirangi.
Demographics
Stats NZ describes Tahuna as a rural settlement. It covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2. Tahuna is part of the larger Tahuna-Mangateparu statistical area.Tahuna had a population of 135 in the 2023 New Zealand census, unchanged since the 2018 census, and a decrease of 9 people since the 2013 census. There were 60 males and 72 females in 45 dwellings. 2.2% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 40.9 years. There were 24 people aged under 15 years, 21 aged 15 to 29, 66 aged 30 to 64, and 24 aged 65 or older.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 80.0% European, 17.8% Māori, 4.4% Pasifika, 11.1% Asian, and 8.9% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 97.8%, Māori language by 4.4%, and other languages by 4.4%. The percentage of people born overseas was 11.1, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 20.0% Christian, 2.2% New Age, and 2.2% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 60.0%, and 13.3% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 15 people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 57 had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 39 people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $41,800, compared with $41,500 nationally. 9 people earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 60 people were employed full-time and 18 were part-time.
Tahuna-Mangateparu statistical area
Tahuna-Mangateparu statistical area, which includes Mangateparu, covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2.Tahuna-Mangateparu had a population of 1,650 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 81 people since the 2018 census, and an increase of 159 people since the 2013 census. There were 837 males, 807 females and 9 people of other genders in 579 dwellings. 2.0% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 36.7 years. There were 369 people aged under 15 years, 273 aged 15 to 29, 777 aged 30 to 64, and 231 aged 65 or older.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 85.6% European ; 14.5% Māori; 2.5% Pasifika; 6.7% Asian; 1.3% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders ; and 1.5% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 96.9%, Māori language by 3.1%, Samoan by 0.4%, and other languages by 6.2%. No language could be spoken by 2.4%. New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.2%. The percentage of people born overseas was 13.6, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 24.5% Christian, 1.1% Hindu, 0.2% Islam, 0.4% Māori religious beliefs, 0.4% New Age, 0.2% Jewish, and 2.5% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 60.7%, and 9.6% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 198 people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 750 had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 336 people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $44,800, compared with $41,500 nationally. 135 people earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 771 people were employed full-time, 201 were part-time, and 30 were unemployed.