Waitakere, New Zealand
| Waitakere | |
| Country: |
 New Zealand
|
 |
|
| The darker orange shows the urban area within the (grey) greater Auckland conurbation. | |
| Population |
(territorial) |
| Urban Area | |
|---|---|
| Extent: | East to New Lynn and Green Bay. South to Manukau Harbour. West to Waitakere Ranges foothills. North to Whenuapai. |
| Area | 82 km2 (31.7 sq mi) – 23% of city land area |
| Territorial Authority | |
 |
|
| Name: | Waitakere City |
| Extent: | East to Auckland City boundary at New Lynn and Green Bay. South to Manukau Harbour. West to Tasman Sea. North to Rodney District boundary at Bethells Beach, Waitakere township and Whenuapai. |
| Land Area: | 367 km2 (141.7 sq mi) |
Waitakere City is a former territorial authority district in the west of Auckland, New Zealand, which was governed by the Waitakere City Council from 1989 to 2010. It was New Zealand's fifth largest city, with an annual growth of about 2%. In 2010 the council was amalgamated with other regional authorities into one new Auckland Council.
The name "Waitakere" comes from the Waitakere River in the Waitakere Ranges and was applied to Waitakere County, which covered much of the later city.
Before being settled by Europeans, the Māori iwi Te Kawerau a Maki and Ngāti Whātua had already settled in the Waitakere area. In the 1830s, European settlers started to arrive, concentrating on timber milling, kauri gum digging and flax milling, with brickworks and pottery industries following later.
In the 20th century, industry and service trades started to grow, with population taking off after World War II, partly due to improved transport links with Auckland City, such as the Northwestern Motorway, whose first section opened in 1952. Suburbs like New Lynn, Glen Eden and Henderson grew to prominence in the following decades.
In February 1993 the council developed the "Greenprint" as an Agenda 21 initiative and declared itself to be an eco-city.
Waitakere City was formed by the amalgamation of Waitemata City with the boroughs of Henderson, New Lynn, and Glen Eden in the 1989 nationwide re-organisation of local government. There were just two mayors of Waitakere during its existence, Assid Corban (previously mayor of Henderson Borough) from 1989 to 1992, and Bob Harvey from 1992 to 2010.
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Wikipedia