Settling In Palmerston North and Feilding - Human Rights Commission

Context2.1 Palmerston North and Feilding– a ProfilePalmerston North city and the township of Feilding are both situated in the wider Manawatu region 6 .This part of the country is often thought of as the ‘gateway’ to the central and lower North Island – its unique position allows easy access to adjoiningdistricts such as Wanganui, Rangitikei, southern Hawke’s Bay, Tararua and Horowhenua, while other regional cities like New Plymouth and Napierare only two to three hours drive away. New Zealand’s capital city, Wellington, is less than two hours by road south of Palmerston North.The strategic location and agricultural wealth of the Manawatu have defined the character of the region today.Palmerston NorthSETTLING IN PALMERSTON NORTH AND FEILDINGPalmerston North, or ‘Papaioea’, is a rural city with a central business district centred around a leafy square. Palmerston North is vibrant andyouthful with an active student population and a growing reputation as a leading knowledge centre for New Zealand. It is home to MasseyUniversity, one of the country’s main tertiary institutions, the Universal College of Learning (UCOL), Te Wananga o Aotearoa and the InternationalPacific College (IPC), with Linton Military Camp situated nearby. Other significant institutions based in the city include Plant & Food Research, AgResearch, Landcare Research, Fonterra and the Leather & Shoe Research Association.Palmerston North has a fortunate geographic location, situated on the banks of the Manawatu River and nestled at the foot of the impressiveTararua mountain range. This affords the city’s residents access to a wide range of outdoor and recreational opportunities, in addition to the manycultural, sporting and more cosmopolitan activities on offer within the city itself. The subdivision of Palmerston North began in 1866, with pastoralfarming fueling economic development in the region and stimulating town growth. Palmerston North quickly developed to become a major servicecentre for the lower North Island. Since the 1930s, the city’s economic base was broadened by the establishment of Massey University and theNew Zealand Dairy Research Institute. The tertiary education, research and central government sectors now play a big part in the city’s economy.Palmerston North continues to attract and support a range of new business developments and innovations; it is promoted as an incubation site forcutting edge technology and creativity, and boasts a high concentration of bio-industry researchers and scientists.From its earliest beginnings, Palmerston North has been able to maintain a complementary relationship between the modern conveniences andtechnology of big city life, and the quality and ease of small town lifestyle. It prides itself on being able to offer visitors and residents alike ‘the bestof both worlds’. The city continues to grow, with a projected population of around 94,000 by 2031.FeildingFeilding is the major town of the Manawatu District. The District of Manawatu was established on 1 November 1989 when the five former authoritiesof Oroua, Kiwitea, Pohangina, Manawatu and Feilding amalgamated.It stretches from Rangiwahia in the north to Himatangi Beach and Palmerston North in the south. The western boundary is the Rangitikei Riverand the eastern boundary the Ruahine ranges.Manawatu District comprises three wards: Kiwitea Pohangina (northern part ofthe district); Kairanga (southern part of the district); and Feilding. The ManawatuDistrict is characterised by its beautiful natural features, from the peaks of theRuahine ranges to the beautiful Pohangina Valley to the windswept West Coastbeaches and dunes.The district has a diverse economy that in 2007 comprised 4030 businessesgenerating $712 million in GDP. Agriculture is the key driver industry in thedistrict (mainly dairy and cattle farming, and livestock and cropping farming) whilemanufacturing (mainly food processing) accounts for around 13% of employmentin the district. The district also has a large defence industry at Ohakea, whichmakes up around 8% of employment. An extensive infrastructure connects andsupports the district, including a number of parks, reserves, sports grounds andpublic halls, and eight libraries.Mayor Jono Naylor and facilitators at a meeting126The individual territorial local authorities (TLAs) that make up the wider Manawatu region are ManawatuDistrict, Horowhenua District, Tararua District and Palmerston North City.