Wainuiomata

Wainuiomata
A view of Wainuiomata as seen from above Sunny Grove looking North.
A view of Wainuiomata as seen from above Sunny Grove looking North.
Nickname: 
Nappy Valley (historic)[1]
Map
Coordinates: 41°15′41″S 174°57′3″E / 41.26139°S 174.95083°E / -41.26139; 174.95083
CountryNew Zealand
RegionWellington
Territorial authorityLower Hutt City
WardWainuiomata
Community boardWainuiomata Community Board[2]
Electorates
Government
 • Territorial AuthorityHutt City Council
 • Regional councilGreater Wellington Regional Council
 • Hutt South MPChris Bishop
 • Ikaroa-Rāwhiti MPCushla Tangaere-Manuel
Area
 • Total12.76 km2 (4.93 sq mi)
Elevation
86 m (282 ft)
Population
 (June 2024)[4]
 • Total20,250
 • Density1,600/km2 (4,100/sq mi)
Postcode
5014
Websitewww.wainuiomata.co.nz
An aerial view of the Wainuiomata Valley. The Hutt Valley and Wellington Harbour appear on the left, with Moores Valley to the right.

Wainuiomata (/ˌwniˈɔːmɑːtə/) is a large dormitory suburb of Lower Hutt, in the Wellington metropolitan area in New Zealand. Its population was estimated as being 20,250 as of June 2024,[4] with a density of 1,600 people per km2. European settlement of Wainuiomata began in the 1850s with timber-felling and farming and began to grow in the 1920s. After World War 2 there was rapid population expansion, with Wainuiomata earning the nickname 'Nappy Valley' because of the large number of families with young children. From the late 1980s the economy slowed and the population decreased, but since about 2020 there has been a housing boom and corresponding increase in population. Wainuiomata is noted for being the origin of New Zealand's kōhanga reo (Māori-language immersion preschool) movement.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Te Ara was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Community Boards". www.huttcity.govt.nz. Hutt City Council. 25 November 2021. Archived from the original on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Area was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b "Aotearoa Data Explorer". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 26 October 2024.