North Shore, New Zealand

North Shore City (orange). The darker orange shows the urban area within the (grey) greater Auckland conurbation's urban area

North Shore City (usually informally just the North Shore, sometimes The Shore or, rarely, North Harbour) in New Zealand is one of several officially recognized cities in the Auckland metropolitan area, and the most densely populated city in the country.

As of 2005, the city had a population of 212,200, making it the fourth most populous in New Zealand.

Geography

North Shore is bounded by Rodney District to the north, Waitemata Harbour to the south and the Rangitoto Channel of the Hauraki Gulf to the east. The Auckland Harbour Bridge connects it to Auckland City on the south side of the Waitemata Harbour, while the Upper Harbour Bridge connects it to Waitakere in the west.

The seat of the North Shore City Council is in Takapuna. The city is 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, Long Bay*, Torbay*, Waiake*, Browns Bay*, Rothesay Bay*, Murrays Bay*, Mairangi Bay*, Campbells Bay* and Castor Bay.

Those here with an asterisk, along with several other minor beaches on the Hauraki Gulf coast, are collectively known as East Coast Bays.

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 Harbour. 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 this car dependance. New designated bus lanes along the Northern Motorway are being constructed; as were new park and ride facilities in Albany and Constellation Drive which were completed in late 2005. The North Shore City Council intends to increase the number of these facilities withWestlake, Sunnynook and Akoranga park and rides by 2008. Critics however expect these to make little difference to congestion levels, partly due to the continuing growth of population in North Shore City and the Auckland region.

Local Government

The city is run by a 15 member council and mayor, democratically elected every three years using the first past the post voting system. The current mayor is George Wood.

For the purposes of general elections, the city is divided into three electorates, being Northcote, North Shore and East Coast Bays. Politically the city tends to lean to the right, with all three Members of Parliament for these electorates being from the National Party.

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.[1]

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.

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 will eventually be swallowed up in the North Shore's northward expansion.

The East Coast Bays boasts some of the most expensive real estate in New Zealand. Running North from Takapuna Beach to Milford, the stretch of coast is often referred to as "the million dollar mile" and many properties there have sold for several million dollars (NZ$) particularly because of the fine beaches, popular schools and shopping centres.

Demographics

As of the 2001 census, the median household income for North Shore residents was $53,355, the second-highest in New Zealand compared with a national average of $39,588.

The racial makeup of the city was 81.80% European, 12.70% Asian, 6.70% Māori, 3.30% Pacific Islander, and 1.60% from other races.

Notable North Shore Residents and ex-Residents:

* Rachel Hunter - Actress/Model
* Judy Bailey - Newsreader
* Elemeno P - Pop/Rock Band
* Diana Byrne - Miss Popularity Contestant/Model
* Rosita Vai - NZ Idol 2 Winner
* Jessie Cassin - NZ Idol 1 Finalist
* Sir Peter Blake - Yachtsman
* Ian Ferguson - Olympian
* Elizabeth Gray - Miss New Zealand Universe 2006
* The Checks - Rock Band
* John Hood - Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford
* Dean Barker - Yachtsman
* Luke McAlister - Rugby Player
* Nick Gordon
* Steve Byrne - Professional Surfer
* Bruce Mason - Playwright, Critic, Fiction Writer
* Bert Sutcliffe - New Zealand Cricketer
* Danny Morrison - New Zealand Cricketer

Major Businesses Headquartered in North Shore City

*Harper Collins New Zealand
*The Warehouse
*Sony New Zealand
*3M New Zealand
*TelstraClear
*Toll New Zealand
*Navman
*Ancare New Zealand
*Chelsea Sugar
*EDS New Zealand
*Reed Publishing
*Penguin Books New Zealand
*Royal New Zealand Navy
*Massey University Auckland Campus
*AC Nielsen New Zealand

External links

* The city council's site
* Wikitravel North Shore page
* [2]
* Takapuna Beach - The Heart of North Shore City