About our RegionNgā kōrero o tō tātau rohe

Our region, location, and climate

Hawke’s Bay is a region of New Zealand located in the east of the North Island on the Pacific Ocean coast.

Hawke’s Bay has a mild Mediterranean climate. Summer can be sunnier and hotter than the average for New Zealand with long dry periods and droughts occurring regularly. Winters are mild, although frosts and occasional snow do happen.

The region’s total land area is around 14,200 square kilometres (1.42 million hectares). It includes mountain ranges to the north and west, 350km of diverse coastline (cliffs, estuaries, sand beaches, gravel beaches), and productive plains and hill country.  Te Urewera (formerly a national park, now iwi managed) has Lake Waikaremoana on our northwest border, while other natural reserves include White Pine Bush and Ruahine Forest Park. Cape Kidnappers is the iconic image of the central region.

Regions are determined by river catchments and Hawke’s Bay has 7 major rivers - (from the north) Wairoa, Mohaka, Esk, Ngaruroro, Tutaekuri, Tukituki, Waipawa.

Regional Councils have responsibilities for managing the use of natural resources (air, water, land, coast, biodiversity) while 4 local councils manage local services (water supply, sewage, rubbish, roading, civic amenities such as sports, event and library facilities) – Wairoa District, Hastings District, Central Hawke’s Bay District and Napier City Councils.  

Find out about Hawke's Bay Regional Council here

Our people

Approximately 150,000 people live in Hawke’s Bay.

The main cities are located close to each other - Napier on the coast, and Hastings 17 km inland. Smaller towns are Wairoa, Waipawa and Waipukurau and other small settlements are found throughout the region.

For the latest information on dwellings, employment etc, please go to Statistics New Zealand. 

Our environment

Hawke’s Bay’s environment has been highly modified through generations of forestry, farming and development. We want to protect and enhance what remains. Fortunately there is a public eagerness to restore native bush, improve water quality, and produce crops in keeping with our climate and soil.

People can get involved by joining in with organisations that are doing habitat protection and enhancement work. Locals can help out with a beach or river clean up, and do what you can to reduce, reuse, recycle at home.

Our economy

Farming, horticulture (apples, stone fruit, vegetables), wine and tourism are key industries.

Hawke’s Bay has a low amount of industry but several significant national and international companies are based here.

As major river flow across Hawke's Bay, flood protection is an important function of the regional council to protect homes, industry, productive land and cultural/environmental values.

Napier Port is a major export and transport hub on the East Coast. The Port was listed on the New Zealand Stock Exchange in August 2019 following public consultation, with Hawke’s Bay Regional Council retaining a 55 per cent majority shareholding through its investment company, HBRIC.