Wairarapa District Health Board


The Wairarapa District Health Board is a district health board with the focus on providing healthcare to the Masterton, Carterton, and South Wairarapa districts of New Zealand.

History

The Wairarapa District Health Board, like most other district health boards, came into effect on 1 January 2001 established by the New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000.
The Wairarapa DHB was the last DHB in New Zealand to operate its own ambulance service. In March 2012, the ambulance service was outsourced to Wellington Free Ambulance.

Geographic area

The area covered by the Wairarapa District Health Board is defined in Schedule 1 of the New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000 and based on territorial authority and ward boundaries as constituted as at 1 January 2001. The area can be adjusted through an Order in Council.

Governance

The initial board was fully appointed. Since the 2001 local elections, the board has been partially elected and in addition, up to four members get appointed by the Minister of Health. The minister also appoints the chairperson and deputy-chair from the pool of eleven board members.

Demographics

Wairarapa DHB served a population of 45,327 at the time of the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 4,215 people since the 2013 census, and an increase of 6,714 people since the 2006 census. There were 17,913 households. There were 22,164 males and 23,163 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.96 males per female. Of the total population, 8,628 people were aged up to 15 years, 6,966 were 15 to 29, 19,995 were 30 to 64, and 9,744 were 65 or older. Figures may not add up to the total due to rounding.
Ethnicities were 87.5% European/Pākehā, 18.0% Māori, 3.1% Pacific peoples, 3.2% Asian, and 1.7% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
The percentage of people born overseas was 14.7, compared with 27.1% nationally.
Although some people objected to giving their religion, 52.1% had no religion, 36.2% were Christian, and 3.9% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 6,441 people had a bachelor or higher degree, and 8,022 people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $29,200. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 17,151 people were employed full-time, 5,955 were part-time, and 1,179 were unemployed.