Maketu

For the man executed in 1842, see Wiremu Kīngi Maketū.

Maketu is a small town on the Western Bay of Plenty coast in New Zealand.^[7] It is located roughly 9 km (5.6 mi) from Paengaroa, 14 km (8.7 mi) from Te Puke, 38 km (24 mi) from Tauranga, 56 km (35 mi) from Rotorua and 62 km (39 mi) from Whakatane.

Maketu
Town
St Peters Catholic Church, Maketu
Coordinates: 37°45′34″S 176°27′6″E
Country	New Zealand
Region	Bay of Plenty
Territorial authority	Western Bay of Plenty
Ward	Maketu-Te Puke Ward
Community	Maketu Community
Electorates	East Coast Waiariki (Māori)
Government
• Territorial authority	Western Bay of Plenty District Council
• Regional council	Bay of Plenty Regional Council
• Mayor of Western Bay of Plenty	James Denyer[1]
• East Coast MP	Dana Kirkpatrick[2]
• Waiariki MP	Rawiri Waititi[3]
Area [4]
• Total	5.15 km2 (1.99 sq mi)
Population  (June 2024)[5]
• Total	1,410
• Density	270/km2 (710/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	3189[6]

Maketu has an estuary from which the Kaituna River used to flow,^[8] until 1956, when it was diverted to the Bay of Plenty,^[9] about 4 km (2.5 mi) upstream.^[10] It is also adjacent to Newdicks Beach located on the south eastern side of Okurei Point.

Maketu is rich in ancestral Māori culture, specifically the Te Arawa tribe. Maketu was the landing site of the Arawa canoe. The chief who led the voyage of the Arawa waka from Hawaiki to New Zealand/Aotearoa was Tama-te-kapua. Many of the arrivals settled in Maketu, but some continued their journey inland, using the Kaituna River as far as Rotorua. Maketu is named after an ancient kūmara (sweet potato) pit in Hawaiki, the Māori ancestral homeland.^[7]

Maketu has a predominantly Māori population, although in recent years there has been an influx of many cultures to Maketu.

In 2011, Maketu was one of many areas along the Bay of Plenty coast affected by the grounding of the MV Rena and the subsequent oil spill.^[11]

The Waihi Estuary Wildlife Management Reserve is near Maketu.^[12]

Demographics

Maketū is described by Statistics New Zealand as a small urban area. It covers 5.15 km² (1.99 sq mi)^[4] and had an estimated population of 1,410 as of June 2024,^[5] with a population density of 274 people per km².

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
2006	1,176	—
2013	1,047	−1.65%
2018	1,197	+2.71%
2023	1,311	+1.84%
Source: [13][14]

The bay of Maketu

Maketū had a population of 1,311 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 114 people (9.5%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 264 people (25.2%) since the 2013 census. There were 630 males and 681 females in 441 dwellings.^[15] 1.4% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 42.9 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 228 people (17.4%) aged under 15 years, 222 (16.9%) aged 15 to 29, 600 (45.8%) aged 30 to 64, and 258 (19.7%) aged 65 or older.^[13]

People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 50.3% European (Pākehā); 68.2% Māori; 6.2% Pasifika; 1.8% Asian; 0.2% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 1.1% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 97.5%, Māori by 19.0%, Samoan by 0.2%, and other languages by 3.9%. No language could be spoken by 1.6% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.7%. The percentage of people born overseas was 9.6, compared with 28.8% nationally.^[13]

Religious affiliations were 32.5% Christian, 0.5% Hindu, 0.2% Islam, 5.3% Māori religious beliefs, 0.2% Buddhist, 0.5% New Age, 0.2% Jewish, and 0.9% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 51.9%, and 8.2% of people did not answer the census question.^[13]

Of those at least 15 years old, 168 (15.5%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 570 (52.6%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 345 (31.9%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $36,700, compared with $41,500 nationally. 60 people (5.5%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 519 (47.9%) full-time, 132 (12.2%) part-time, and 60 (5.5%) unemployed.^[13]

Marae

Kindergarten beach picnic in Maketu

Maketu has two marae:

• Whakaue or Tapiti Marae and its Whakaue Kaipapa meeting house are affiliated with the Ngāti Whakaue hapū of Ngāti Whakaue ki Maketū.^[16][17] In October 2020, the Government committed $4,525,104 from the Provincial Growth Fund to upgrade the marae and nine others, creating an estimated 34 jobs.^[18]
• Te Awhe o te Rangi Marae and meeting house are a meeting place for the Ngāti Mākino hapū of Ngāti Mākino and Ngāti Te Awhe, and the Ngāti Pikiao hapū of Ngāti Pikiao.^[16][17] In October 2020, the Government committed $2,984,246 to upgrade the marae and 5 others, creating 20 jobs.^[18]

Education

Maketu School (also called Te Kura o Maketu) is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 6 students,^[19] with a roll of 42 as of March 2025.^[20][21] It opened in 1866 as Maketū Native School.^[22]