Commuting patterns in Wellington:

Trends from the Census of Population and Dwellings 2006 and 2013

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Citation

Statistics New Zealand (2015). Commuting patterns in Wellington: Trends from the Census

of Population and Dwellings 2006 and 2013. Available from www.stats.govt.nz.

ISBN 978-0-478-42962-6 (online)

Published in March 2015 by

Statistics New Zealand

Tatauranga Aotearoa

Wellington, New Zealand

Contact

Statistics New Zealand Information Centre: info@stats.govt.nz

Phone toll-free 0508 525 525

Phone international +64 4 931 4610

www.stats.govt.nz

3

Contents

List of tables and figures ................................................................................................... 4

1. Purpose and key findings ............................................................................................. 5

Purpose ............................................................................................................................ 5

Key findings for 2013 ....................................................................................................... 5

2. Introduction: Population of the Wellington region .................................................... 6

3. Working in Wellington ................................................................................................... 7

12 percent of employed people in New Zealand work in Wellington region ................... 7

Central Wellington has greatest employment density in New Zealand ........................... 7

Cars still main mode of commuting, but use decreases in 2013 .................................. 10

Public transport second-most common in region and most area units ......................... 11

Active commutes more popular than public transport in Wellington city ...................... 12

Working from home most common for people in agriculture, forestry, and fishing ...... 14

Professional, scientific, and technical services most common industry in 2013........... 14

4. Conclusion ................................................................................................................... 15

More information .............................................................................................................. 16

Other census information .............................................................................................. 16

Appendix 1: About commuting data............................................................................... 17

Usual residence ............................................................................................................. 17

Workplace address ........................................................................................................ 17

Main means of travel to work ......................................................................................... 18

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List of tables and figures

List of tables

1. Workplace address of people usually resident in the Wellington region, by territorial authority area, 2006 and 2013 Censuses ....................................................................... 7

2. Percentage of workers in the top industry of area units in Wellington region, for area units with largest numbers of workplace addresses, 2013 Census .............................. 14

List of figures

1. Population density of area units in Wellington region, 2013 Census .......................... 6

2. Employment density for selected area units in Wellington region, 2013 Census ....... 9

3. Change in number of workplace addresses, for selected area units in Wellington region, 2006–13 Censuses ............................................................................................ 10

4. Main means of travel to work, for people who gave a workplace address in Wellington region and travelled to work on census day, 2001–13 Censuses .............. 11

5. Percentage of commuters who took a train to work on census day, by area unit of usual residence in Wellington region, 2013 Census ..................................................... 12

6. Percentage of commuters who biked, jogged, or walked to work on census day, by selected area unit of usual residence in Wellington region, 2013 Census ................... 13

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1. Purpose and key findings

Purpose Commuting patterns in Wellington: Trends from the Census of Population and Dwellings 2006 and 2013 gives an overview of the commuting patterns in the Wellington region using census data.

Key findings for 2013 220,434 people gave a workplace address in the Wellington region, which was 12.1

percent of all employed people who had a workplace coded to a region in New Zealand.

The area units where the most people gave a workplace address were Lambton (43,281), Willis Street–Cambridge Terrace (19,110), and Thorndon–Tinakori Road (17,421). These area units make up the central city, and were also the top area units in 2006.

1,848 people commuted to Wellington from Auckland – slightly more than the number commuting to Wellington from the adjoining region, Manawatu-Wanganui.

Fewer people commuted by car on census day, and more by public transport or active modes such as walking, jogging, and cycling.

The location of the workplace affects transport choices – nearly 1 in 3 people who lived in the city centre commuted by public transport.

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2. Introduction: Population of the Wellington region

Wellington is the southernmost region of New Zealand’s North Island. The region contains the city of Wellington – the nation’s capital – and employs nearly over one-quarter of people who work in public administration and safety.

2013 Census results show the region is the third-most populous in New Zealand, with 11.1 percent of the population. It follows Auckland (with 33.4 percent of the nation’s population, or 1,415,550 people) and Canterbury (12.7 percent, or 539,436 people).

The four cities in the Wellington region (Porirua, Upper Hutt, Lower Hutt, and Wellington) contained 80.9 percent of the region’s population in 2013. The largest was Wellington city, with 190,956 usual residents, or 40.5 percent of the region’s population. Figure 1 shows the distribution of the population in the Wellington region by area unit.

Since the 2006 Census, the population of the Wellington region has increased by 5.0 percent. The increase was smaller than that in Auckland (8.5 percent) but larger than that in Canterbury (3.4 percent).

All territorial areas experienced growth, with the largest in Carterton, which expanded 16.0 percent between 2006 and 2013. The slowest growth was in Lower Hutt, with an increase of 0.5 percent.

Figure 1 Population density of area units in Wellington region

2013 Census 1. Population density of area units in the Wellington region, 2013 C ensus

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3. Working in Wellington

12 percent of employed people in New Zealand work in Wellington region Of the employed population of New Zealand who had a workplace address coded to a region, 220,434 people, or 12.1 percent, gave a workplace address in the Wellington region in 2013. This makes it the third-largest labour market in New Zealand, after Auckland (32.8 percent) and Canterbury (14.1 percent).

Not all who work in the Wellington region are usual residents. In 2013, nearly 6,000 people who gave workplace addresses in the Wellington region lived elsewhere. While the Manawatu-Wanganui region adjoins Wellington and provided 1,683 workers, Auckland provided slightly more – 1,848 workers.

People who live in Auckland but work in Wellington were mainly in the following industries: professional, scientific, and technical services (276); public administration and safety (195); and education and training (144).

Within the Wellington region, the four cities – Porirua, Upper Hutt, Lower Hutt, and Wellington – dominate the labour market. These cities contained 86.6 percent of the region’s workplace addresses in 2013.

Table 1 1. Wor kpl ace address of people usually resi dent in the Wellington region, by territorial authority ar ea, 2006 and 2013 Censuses

Workplace address of people usually resident in Wellington region

By territorial authority area 2006 and 2013 Censuses

Central Wellington has greatest employment density in New Zealand Central Wellington has the greatest concentration of employment in New Zealand, with 43,281 people working in the Lambton area unit on census day in 2013. We define the

Territorial authority area

Number of people who gave a workplace address for the area

Change from 2006 to 2013

2006 2013 Number Percent

Porirua city 12,762 14,088 1,326 10.4

Upper Hutt city 10,272 10,545 273 2.7

Lower Hutt city 36,927 37,176 249 0.7

Wellington city 111,660 127,464 15,804 14.2

Total four cities 171,627 189,273 17,646 10.3

Kapiti Coast district 11,901 13,029 1,128 9.5

Masterton district 9,336 9,822 486 5.2

Carterton district 2,682 2,994 312 11.6

South Wairarapa district 3,267 3,543 276 8.4

Total Wellington region(1) 198,819 218,670 19,851 10.0

1. Includes all addresses that could be coded to a territorial authority area. Note: This data has been randomly rounded to protect confidentiality. Individual figures may not add up to totals, and values for the same data may vary in different tables. Source: Statistics New Zealand

Commuting patterns in Wellington: Trends from the Census of Population and Dwellings 2006 and 2013

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Wellington central city as the area units Lambton, Willis Street–Cambridge Terrace, and Thorndon–Tinakori Road.

The next-highest concentrations of employment nationally are in Auckland Central West (27,234), and in Auckland Central East (21,711).

Figure 2 shows employment density (workplace addresses per square kilometre).

Commuting patterns in Wellington: Trends from the Census of Population and Dwellings 2006 and 2013

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Figure 2 2. Empl oyment density for sel ected area units in Wellington region, 2013 Census

Employment density for selected area units in Wellington region

2013 Census

The area units with the most workplaces are in the centre of Wellington city:

Lambton (43,281)

Willis Street–Cambridge Terrace (19,110)

Thorndon–Tinakori Road (17,421).

Commuting patterns in Wellington: Trends from the Census of Population and Dwellings 2006 and 2013

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Of the 10 area units where the largest numbers of people worked, Adelaide and Thorndon–Tinakori Road experienced the fastest growth. Adelaide grew by 44.0 percent between 2006 and 2013 – an increase of 1,350 workers. This increase can partly be attributed to the health services industry, as Wellington Hospital is in Adelaide. The growth of 40.4 percent (or 5,013 people) in Thorndon–Tinakori Road is consistent with the construction of office buildings since 2006.

Figure 3 3. C hange in number of wor kplace addr esses, for sel ected ar ea units in the Wellington region, 2006–13 C ensuses

Cars still main mode of commuting, but use decreases in 2013 Car transport remains the main mode of commuting in Wellington, although car use decreased slightly. It fell by 4.6 percent – from 69.2 percent of employed people that went to work on census day in 2001, to 64.6 percent in 2013. This includes people who drove a private or company car, or were a passenger in one.

Of the four cities in the Wellington region, Wellington city had the largest drop in people commuting by car in 2013, falling by 6.7 percent. This is compared with:

a 1.9 percent decrease in Lower Hutt

a 1.9 percent increase in Porirua.

As shown in figure 4, the decrease in reliance on cars is mirrored by increases for public transport (buses and trains) and active modes of transport (walking, jogging, and cycling).

Commuting patterns in Wellington: Trends from the Census of Population and Dwellings 2006 and 2013

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Figure 4 4. M ain means of travel to wor k, for people who g ave a wor kplace addr ess in Wellington region and travelled to wor k on census day, 2001–13 C ensuses

Public transport second-most common in region and most area units After cars, public transport was the next-most common way to commute in the Wellington region on census day in 2013. This was also true for all the territorial authorities in the region except Wellington city and the Masterton district, where active modes were more popular.

Within the region, public transport was most popular to workplaces in Wellington city – 20.4 percent of commuters in Wellington city took public transport. Lower Hutt followed, with 18.3 percent. For those living in Wellington city, public transport use was most common in Berhampore West, Kilbirnie West–Hataitai South, and Newtown East.

Area units along a railway line – such as Tawa Central, Tawa South, and Waterloo East – had a higher reliance on trains. People who used trains mostly travelled to central Wellington, the main destinations being Thorndon–Tinakori Road, Lambton, and Willis Street–Cambridge Terrace.

Commuting patterns in Wellington: Trends from the Census of Population and Dwellings 2006 and 2013

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Figure 5 5. Percentage of commuters who took a trai n to wor k on census day, by ar ea unit of usual residence in Wellington region, 2013 C ensus

Percentage of commuters who took a train to work on census day

By area unit of usual residence in Wellington region

2013 Census

Active commutes more popular than public transport in Wellington city In Wellington city, active modes of transport are the next-most common after car commutes (44,070 people), and are more popular than public transport (17,706 people). In 2013, 21,912 people walked, jogged, or cycled to work – a 54.7 percent increase since 2001. This is a shift from public transport being preferred to active in 2001. For the region as a whole, active modes increased 2.6 percent.

For people living in the inner city, active modes are the most popular way to commute. For example, on census day in 2013, Willis Street–Cambridge Terrace had 2,943

Commuting patterns in Wellington: Trends from the Census of Population and Dwellings 2006 and 2013

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walkers, joggers, and cyclists, compared with 582 car commuters. Mt Victoria West had 1,977 active commuters and 726 car commuters.

Figure 6 6. Percentage of commuters who bi ked, j ogged, or wal ked to wor k on census day, by sel ected ar ea unit of usual residence in Wellington region, 2013 C ensus

Percentage of commuters who biked, jogged, or walked to work on census day By selected area unit of usual residence in Wellington region 2013 Census

Commuting patterns in Wellington: Trends from the Census of Population and Dwellings 2006 and 2013

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Working from home most common for people in agriculture, forestry, and fishing Not all employed people commute to work. Around 6 percent of employed people in the Wellington region worked at home on census day in 2013. This proportion was much higher for people working in agriculture, forestry, or fishing (35.5 percent); rental, hiring, and real estate services (13.4 percent); and professional, scientific, and technical services (11.4 percent).

Professional, scientific, and technical services most common industry in 2013 In the Wellington region, the most common industry was professional, scientific, and technical services, followed by public administration and safety. These were also the top industries in central Wellington city.

Table 2 2. Percentage of wor kers in the top indus tr y of area units i n Wellington r egion, for area uni ts with l argest numbers of wor kplace addr esses, 2013 C ensus

Percentage of workers in the top industry of area units in Wellington region

For area units with largest numbers of workplace addresses

2013 Census

Area unit of workplace address Top industry Percentage of workers in that

industry

Lambton Professional, scientific, and technical services

25.4

Willis Street–Cambridge Terrace 16.3

Thorndon–Tinakori Road Public administration and safety 41.0

Hutt Central

Retail trade

23.0

Paraparaumu Central 23.9

Masterton Central 27.6

Kilbirnie East 21.1

Johnsonville Central 24.0

Upper Hutt Central 34.5

Porirua Central

Health care and social assistance

20.1

Adelaide 73.4

Epuni West 81.5

Petone Central Manufacturing

21.3

Gracefield 23.4

Kelburn Education and training 53.0

Source: Statistics New Zealand

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4. Conclusion

The labour market and population in the Wellington region have remained stable over recent years, with proportional increases in population and people working within the region. Unlike Auckland, the labour market is concentrated in the central city. See Commuting patterns in Auckland.

The main modes of transport used have changed, with proportionally fewer people commuting by car, and more by public transport or active modes such as walking, jogging, and cycling.

While cars are still the main mode of transport, their use fell 4.6 percentage points in 2013, compared with 2001. Conversely, the proportion of people using active modes of transport have increased 2.6 percentage points across the region.

The location of the workplace affects commuting patterns. Nearly 1 in 3 people living in the city centre area units commuted by public transport on census day in 2013, compared with 1 in 6 for the region. On census day, 1 in 5 commuted by an active mode in the city centre, compared with almost 1 in 7 for the region.

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More information

Other census information 2013 Census

2013 Census QuickStats about transport and communications

Commuting patterns in Auckland: Trends from the Census of Population and Dwellings 2006–13

Commuting patterns in greater Christchurch: Trends from the Census of Population and Dwellings 2006 and 2013

2013 Census products and services release schedule

2013 Census tables in NZ.Stat

2013 Census information by variable

2013 Census definitions and forms

For more information contact our Information Centre:

Email: info@stats.govt.nz

Phone: 0508 525 525 (toll-free in New Zealand)

+64 4 931 4600 (outside New Zealand)

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Appendix 1: About commuting data

The information in this report comes from usual residence, workplace address, and main means of travel to work information in the census.

See 2013 Census information by variable for detailed information.

Usual residence Usual residence is the address of the dwelling where a person considers themselves to usually reside.

We provide guidelines for respondents who aren’t sure what to give for a usual address –for example, for children in shared care. See the guidelines at 2013 Census information by variable – Usual residence

Workplace address Workplace address is the physical location of a workplace. Distinguishing details can include the building name; street number, name and type; suburb or rural locality; and city, town, or district.

The census data on workplace address relates to the workplace address for the main job an individual holds. This is the job in which a person worked the most hours.

The data comes from Question 39 on the census individual form.

Respondents such as milk vendors and sales representatives who have no fixed workplace are asked to state the address of the depot, headquarters, or reporting point from which they operate.

Respondents who have no fixed workplace address at all are asked to respond that they have ‘no fixed workplace address’.

See 2013 Census information by variable – Workplace address

The variable workplace address does not have a non-response category

Respondents who were employed but did not state a workplace address were classified as 'New Zealand not further defined'. Respondents who stated a workplace address that could not be coded were also classified as 'New Zealand not further defined'.

In 2013, 8.5 percent of responses were coded to the 'New Zealand not further defined' category. Respondents who state that they work across multiple areas (e.g. builders) are coded to 'No fixed address'. 0.4 percent of responses were coded to this category in 2013.

In 2013, most of the problems with workplace address stemmed from coding issues. Sometimes these were caused by respondents supplying insufficient detail to workplace addresses to be coded. Where possible, workplace addresses were coded using Statistics NZ's Business Frame.

An issue from previous censuses with regional offices being coded to head offices was resolved for most cases in 2013 (as these occurred in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch), However, some cases of apparent long-distance commutes between other regional centres may be due to miscoding. This situation would have occurred in previous censuses.

Commuting patterns in Wellington: Trends from the Census of Population and Dwellings 2006 and 2013

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2013 Census workplace data is broadly comparable with data from the 2006 and 2001 Censuses. Changes in the data over this time period may be partly due to changes in the collection, definition, or classification of the data rather than to real change.

The Business Frame match rate for workplace address has increased from 60.2 percent in 2006 to 64.6 percent in 2013. This will improve the quality of both workplace address and industry/sector coding relative to 2006.

An issue occurred in 2006 where usable responses were coded to 'New Zealand not further defined' instead of the correct meshblock, leading to a higher ‘New Zealand not further defined’ count. This has affected the comparability of the data over time. In 2001, 12.5 percent of the subject population was coded to 'New Zealand not further defined', compared with 14.5 percent in 2006. Due to better coding, only 8.5 percent of responses were coded to 'New Zealand not further defined' in 2013.

Main means of travel to work Main means of travel to work is the method a person aged 15 years and over used to travel the longest distance to their place of employment on census day (for example, by bicycle, bus, walking, or jogging).

As this data relates to the main means of travel on census day, it does not necessarily indicate a person's usual mode of travel to work and it does not indicate the main means of travel to work for people who did not go to work on census day. In 2013, 10.8 percent of those who answered the question indicated that they did not go to work on census day, compared with 10.8 percent in 2006 and 11.7 percent in 2001.

Data is for New Zealand resident adults employed full or part time. Note that inconsistencies can occur when comparing 'Worked at home' counts from travel to work variable with 'Work at home' for workplace address indicator variable, due to differences in the reference period.

See 2013 Census information by variable – Main means of travel to work