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.^[6] The settlement has a rugby club, a lawn bowls club, a golf course and various shops.^[7]

Tahuna
Coordinates: 37.501475°S 175.494258°E / -37.501475; 175.494258
Country	New Zealand
Region	Waikato
District	Matamata-Piako District
Ward	Morrinsville General Ward
Electorates	Waikato Hauraki-Waikato (Māori)
Government
• Territorial Authority	Matamata-Piako District Council
• Regional council	Waikato Regional Council
• Mayor of Matamata-Piako	Adrienne Wilcock[1]
• Waikato MP	Tim van de Molen[2]
• Hauraki-Waikato MP	Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke[3]
Area [4]
• Total	0.55 km2 (0.21 sq mi)
Population  (June 2024)[5]
• Total	140
• Density	250/km2 (660/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+12 (NZST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+13 (NZDT)
Postcode	3373
Area code	07

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 2008 election.^[8]

A town water supply was proposed in the 1980s and installed in the 2000s.^[7]

History

Tahuna was opened for selection in 1902 and 1903.^[9]

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.^{[10][11][non-tertiary source needed]}

Demographics

Stats NZ describes Tahuna as a rural settlement. It covers 0.55 km² (0.21 sq mi)^[4] and had an estimated population of 140 as of June 2024,^[5] with a population density of 255 people per km². Tahuna is part of the larger Tahuna-Mangateparu statistical area.^[12]

Historical population for Tahuna settlement

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
2013	144	—
2018	135	−1.28%
2023	135	+0.00%
Source: [13]

Kopu and barge unloading at Tahuna in 1922. Steamers continued for another 5 years

Tahuna had a population of 135 in the 2023 New Zealand census, unchanged since the 2018 census, and a decrease of 9 people (−6.2%) since the 2013 census. There were 60 males and 72 females in 45 dwellings.^[14] 2.2% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 40.9 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 24 people (17.8%) aged under 15 years, 21 (15.6%) aged 15 to 29, 66 (48.9%) aged 30 to 64, and 24 (17.8%) aged 65 or older.^[13]

People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 80.0% European (Pākehā), 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.^[13]

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.^[13]

Of those at least 15 years old, 15 (13.5%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 57 (51.4%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 39 (35.1%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $41,800, compared with $41,500 nationally. 9 people (8.1%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 60 (54.1%) people were employed full-time and 18 (16.2%) were part-time.^[13]

Tahuna-Mangateparu statistical area

Tahuna-Mangateparu statistical area, which includes Mangateparu, covers 238.92 km² (92.25 sq mi)^[15] and had an estimated population of 1,730 as of June 2024,^[16] with a population density of 7.2 people per km².

Historical population for Tahuna-Mangateparu

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
2006	1,419	—
2013	1,491	+0.71%
2018	1,569	+1.03%
2023	1,650	+1.01%
Source: [17][18]

Tahuna-Mangateparu had a population of 1,650 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 81 people (5.2%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 159 people (10.7%) since the 2013 census. There were 837 males, 807 females and 9 people of other genders in 579 dwellings.^[19] 2.0% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 36.7 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 369 people (22.4%) aged under 15 years, 273 (16.5%) aged 15 to 29, 777 (47.1%) aged 30 to 64, and 231 (14.0%) aged 65 or older.^[13]

People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 85.6% European (Pākehā); 14.5% Māori; 2.5% Pasifika; 6.7% Asian; 1.3% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); 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% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.2%. The percentage of people born overseas was 13.6, compared with 28.8% nationally.^[17]

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.^[17]

Of those at least 15 years old, 198 (15.5%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 750 (58.5%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 336 (26.2%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $44,800, compared with $41,500 nationally. 135 people (10.5%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 771 (60.2%) people were employed full-time, 201 (15.7%) were part-time, and 30 (2.3%) were unemployed.^[17]

Education

Tahuna School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 6 students,^[20][21] with a roll of 83 as of July 2025.^[22] The school opened in 1905.^[23]