| Maketu | |
| Settlement Type: | Town |
| Coordinates: | -37.7594°N 176.4517°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | New Zealand |
| Subdivision Name1: | Bay of Plenty |
| Subdivision Type2: | Territorial authority |
| Subdivision Name2: | Western Bay of Plenty |
| Subdivision Type3: | Ward |
| Subdivision Name3: | Maketu-Te Puke |
| Subdivision Type4: | Community |
| Subdivision Name4: | Maketu Community |
| Leader Title: | Territorial authority |
| Leader Name: | Western Bay of Plenty District Council |
| Leader Title1: | Regional council |
| Leader Name1: | Bay of Plenty Regional Council |
| Seat Type: | Electorates |
| Unit Pref: | Metric |
| Area Total Km2: | 5.15 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Postal Code Type: | Postcode(s) |
| Postal Code: | 3189[1] |
Maketu is a small town on the Western Bay of Plenty coast in New Zealand.[2]
Maketu has an estuary from which the Kaituna River used to flow,[3] until 1956, when it was diverted to the Bay of Plenty,[4] about upstream.[5] It is also adjacent to Newdicks Beach located on the south eastern side of Okurei Point.
Maketu is rich in ancestral Māori culture, specifically the Te Arawa tribe. Maketu was the landing site of the Arawa canoe. The chief who led the voyage of the Arawa waka from Hawaiki to New Zealand/Aotearoa was Tama-te-kapua. Many of the arrivals settled in Maketu, but some continued their journey inland, using the Kaituna River as far as Rotorua. Maketu is named after an ancient kūmara (sweet potato) pit in Hawaiki, the Māori ancestral homeland.[2]
Maketu has a predominantly Māori population, although in recent years there has been an influx of many cultures to Maketu.
In 2011, Maketu was one of many areas along the Bay of Plenty coast affected by the grounding of the MV Rena and the subsequent oil spill.[6]
The Waihi Estuary Wildlife Management Reserve is near Maketu.[7]
Maketu is described by Statistics New Zealand as a small urban area. It covers 5.15km2[8] and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2.
Maketu had a population of 1,197 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 150 people (14.3%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 21 people (1.8%) since the 2006 census. There were 408 households, comprising 594 males and 606 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.98 males per female. The median age was 41.1 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 231 people (19.3%) aged under 15 years, 228 (19.0%) aged 15 to 29, 522 (43.6%) aged 30 to 64, and 219 (18.3%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 47.6% European/Pākehā, 66.9% Māori, 7.8% Pacific peoples, 1.0% Asian, and 0.8% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
The percentage of people born overseas was 9.8, compared with 27.1% nationally.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 48.4% had no religion, 35.3% were Christian, 5.8% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.3% were Hindu and 2.3% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 114 (11.8%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 255 (26.4%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $26,100, compared with $31,800 nationally. 87 people (9.0%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 477 (49.4%) people were employed full-time, 129 (13.4%) were part-time, and 66 (6.8%) were unemployed.
Maketu has two marae:
Maketu School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 6 students,[12] with a roll of as of [13]