The Land

Matamata-Piako District is bounded in the east by the Kaimai Ranges and in the west by older ranges. In between lies the valley of the Hauraki Plains. Over time the Waihou, Waitoa and Piako Rivers have moved back and forth across the Plains, depositing shingle and silt and creating swamps and wetland areas, and helping to create the present landscape of flat alluvial plains and peat swamp.

The Piako-Waitoa River catchment occupies a significant proportion of the District. The catchment has medium rainfall, negligible summer flow, and downstream of Morrinsville the catchment was swamp before it was drained. The Piako River Scheme provides river widening, deepening, straightening and stop-banking. Much of the catchment is now used for dairying whilst the adjacent Waihou catchment has a significant proportion of indigenous bush along the Kaimai-Mamaku Ranges. The middle reaches of the Waihou catchment are developed for bloodstock and dairying, with sheep and dry stock on the western hills.

Much of the agricultural development and the lower areas of Te Aroha are dependent on the river drainage schemes. Springs are notable in the Waihou catchment. The Waihou River has major flood protection structures.

The District is 182,150ha in area of which 3,560ha are held in Maori title. The four tribal groups with Mana Whenua in the District are Paoa, Tainui, Raukawa and Hauraki. Te Whenua, the land, is to the Maori one of the most important aspects of their culture providing economic opportunities and societal identity, spiritual strength and a symbol of social stability.

The District has a well- established dairy industry with 82% of the total land area being modified for farming and in grassland, lucerne and tussock. Dairy cattle are by far the most numerous of the livestock (368,237 cattle September 1996) with sheep being the next highest productive group at 108,730 animals. The District supplies approximately 12% of total New Zealand milk fat (by weight). Beef, deer, pigs and goats are also notable productive groups. In February 1996 there were 1,184 people working full-time or part-time on 2,762 full time properties. Overall, thirty five percent of the labour force of the District is employed in the primary sector (i.e. agriculture, hunting and forestry).