Please note our Whitianga office will be closed to the public on Tuesday, 16 September and Wednesday, 17 September 2025. You can still contact our staff on freephone 0800 800 401 or via an online form.

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  5. Whitianga/Mercury Bay HCMP

About the Whitianga/Mercury Bay harbour and catchment area

The harbour and catchment plan for Whitianga/Mercury Bay will cover from Waitaia Bay to Sailors Grave, including land area, and Whitianga Harbour and Purangi Estuary.

The land area is about 54,000 hectares and includes 198 kilometres of streams and rivers. It’s made up of 11 sub-catchments:

  • Wharekaho
  • Tuputapuatea/Tarapatiki
  • Mahakirau/Kaimarama
  • Mill Creek
  • Waiwawa
  • Kapowai
  • Cook
  • Purangi
  • Wigmore
  • Whenuakite
  • Hot Water Beach.

Of the land area:

  • 65 per cent is in indigenous vegetation
  • 24 per cent is in pasture
  • 8 per cent is in exotic vegetation (6 per cent in plantation forest)
  • 51 per is moderately steep to very steep (between 21 to >35 degrees)
  • 33 per cent is in sheep and dairy farming.

Whitianga Harbour is about 1690 hectares, has about 74 kilometres of harbour margins and 141 kilometres of coastline.

Click here to view / download a map of the area