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Economy
Whangarei District’s 74,500 people are spread through urban and rural communities, on a land area of 270,000 hectares along the eastern seaboard of Northland, from Langs Beach in the south to Bland Bay in the north. With more than 100 beaches and numerous estuaries, no one in Whangarei lives more than 40 kms from the reach of the tide.
Approximately 27,000 people work in over 6,500 businesses in the Whangarei District
The city of Whangarei is the largest urban centre north of Auckland. The fast growing District has approximately 27,000 people working in over 6,500 businesses, many of which are rapidly growing. This growth complements a solid industry base of pastoral farming, horticulture, manufacturing and construction, forestry, wood processing and tourism. Other key sectors are retail and the arts.
New Zealand’s newest deepwater port is located at Marsden Point, just south of Whangarei city and adjacent to the country’s only oil refinery and other large industrial services. A major dairy processing plant is situated at Kauri, just north of the city.
With the country’s largest east coast harbour, boat building and marine servicing industries also feature prominently.
