Red Beach, New Zealand

Red Beach
Red Beach
Suburb
	Red Beach in 2010
	Coordinates: 36°36′22″S 174°41′53″E / 36.606°S 174.698°E
Country	New Zealand
City	Auckland
Local authority	Auckland Council
Electoral ward	Albany ward
Local board	Hibiscus and Bays
Area
• Land	431 ha (1,065 acres)
Population (June 2024)
• Total	9,750
Postcode(s)	0932

(Orewa River)	Orewa
Millwater	Red Beach	(Whangaparaoa Bay)
Silverdale	(Weiti River)	Stanmore Bay

Red Beach is a suburb surrounding the beach of the same name on the Hibiscus Coast, Auckland, New Zealand, at the base of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula. The suburb of Silverdale is to the south-west, and Orewa to the north.

Geography

The beach is on the Hauraki Gulf and the suburb is bounded by two estuaries, that of the Weiti River to the south and the Orewa River to the north. The beach is named for its reddish colour.^[3] The sand is light brownish-grey in colour and its "red" colour is due to fragments of dark orange-brown, iron-stained, fossil shell. The majority of the iron-stained shells consists of highly fragmented bivalve shells, which are less than 2 cm (0.79 in) across.^[3]^[4]

The Hibiscus Coast Highway runs through the suburb. This was previously State Highway 1^[5] and then State Highway 17. The majority of highway traffic now travels along the Northern Motorway inland instead, as the motorway was redesignated as State Highway 1 when an extension was completed in 2009. All road access to the rest of Whangaparaoa Peninsula currently^[update] runs through the suburb.

History

Red Beach was named after the red shells found along the beach.^[6]

The 44 hectare Peninsula Golf Course, established in 1956, was rezoned for residential development in 2013, despite local opposition^[7] and Fletcher Living gained resource consent to build 520 houses on the site in December 2014.^[8]

Demographics

Red Beach covers 4.31 km² (1.66 sq mi)^[1] and had an estimated population of 9,750 as of June 2024,^[2] with a population density of 2,262 people per km².

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
2006	6,423	—
2013	7,551	+2.34%
2018	8,346	+2.02%
Source: ^[9]

Red Beach had a population of 8,346 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 795 people (10.5%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 1,923 people (29.9%) since the 2006 census. There were 3,027 households, comprising 3,975 males and 4,374 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.91 males per female, with 1,548 people (18.5%) aged under 15 years, 1,368 (16.4%) aged 15 to 29, 3,531 (42.3%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,908 (22.9%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 88.9% European/Pākehā, 7.5% Māori, 2.5% Pacific peoples, 7.3% Asian, and 2.6% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 29.7, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 47.5% had no religion, 42.6% were Christian, 0.1% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.8% were Hindu, 0.3% were Muslim, 0.5% were Buddhist and 1.5% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 1,554 (22.9%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 990 (14.6%) people had no formal qualifications. 1,488 people (21.9%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 3,177 (46.7%) people were employed full-time, 1,095 (16.1%) were part-time, and 174 (2.6%) were unemployed.^[9]

Individual statistical areas
Name	Area (km²)	Population	Density (per km²)	Households	Median age	Median income
Kingsway	0.90	2,187	2,430	705	37.8 years	$40,100^[10]
Red Beach West	1.84	2,136	1,161	789	50.3 years	$25,100^[11]
Red Beach East	1.56	4,023	2,579	1,533	44.9 years	$36,300^[12]
New Zealand					37.4 years	$31,800

Landmarks and attractions

Popular attractions include:

The Red Beach Surf Club
Totara Views
William Bayes play ground
Red Beach Shops

Annual events

Red Beach School Gala
Streetlight Competition

Education

Red Beach School is a contributing primary (years 1–6) school with a roll of 536 students.^[13] The school opened in 1989 covering years 1–8, but reduced its age range when Hibiscus Coast Intermediate opened in 1997 (the intermediate later became part of Whangaparaoa College).^[14]

KingsWay School is a state integrated composite (years 1–13) school with a roll of 1845 students.^[15]^[16] The school provides a non-denominational Christian-based education.^[17]

Both schools are coeducational. Rolls are as of August 2024.^[18]

Notes

^ ^a ^b "ArcGIS Web Application". statsnz.maps.arcgis.com. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
^ ^a ^b "Aotearoa Data Explorer". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
^ ^a ^b Hayward, B.W., 2020. Mountains, volcanoes, coasts and caves: origins of Aotearoa New Zealand’s natural wonders Auckland, New Zealand, Auckland University Press. 384 pp.
^ Hayward, B.W., 2023. Red Beach - What's in a name? Geocene. 32, pp. 16-17.
^ Peter Dowling, ed. (2004). Reed New Zealand Atlas. Reed Books. pp. map 11. ISBN 0-7900-0952-8.
^ Grover, Robin (2008). Why the Hibiscus? Place Names of the Hibiscus Coast. Silverdale Printing. p. 27. ISBN 978-0-473-13484-6.
^ "500-house development at Red Beach tees off locals". The Aucklander. 3 February 2012.
^ Trayes, Caralise (28 September 2015). "Red Beach residential development moving". Rodney Times.
^ ^a ^b "Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census". Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. Kingsway (113600), Red Beach West (113900) and Red Beach East (114000).
^ 2018 Census place summary: Kingsway
^ 2018 Census place summary: Red Beach West
^ 2018 Census place summary: Red Beach East
^ Education Counts: Red Beach School
^ "About Our School – General Information". Red Beach School. Retrieved 26 August 2008.
^ Education Counts: KingsWay School
^ "Kingsway School - 08/11/2017". Education Review Office. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
^ "Education Review Report – KingsWay School". Education Review Office. April 2006. Retrieved 26 August 2008.^{[dead link‍]}
^ "New Zealand Schools Directory". New Zealand Ministry of Education. Retrieved 17 September 2024.