The Pines Beach

The Pines Beach is a small town situated roughly 4 km east of Kaiapoi in the Canterbury region of the South Island of New Zealand. It is 1 km north of the mouth of the Waimakariri River. It takes its name from its close proximity to both a pine forest and the beach.

The Pines Beach
Rural settlement
Pines Beach after the 2010 Canterbury earthquake
Coordinates: 43°22′48″S 172°42′06″E
Country	New Zealand
Region	Canterbury
Territorial authority	Waimakariri District
Ward	Kaiapoi-Woodend Ward
Community	Kaiapoi-Tuahiwi Community
Electorates	Waimakariri Te Tai Tonga (Māori)
Government
• Territorial Authority	Waimakariri District Council
• Regional council	Environment Canterbury
• Mayor of Waimakariri	Dan Gordon
• Waimakariri MP	Matthew Doocey
• Te Tai Tonga MP	Tākuta Ferris
Area
• Total	0.60 km2 (0.23 sq mi)
Population  (June 2024)
• Total	340
• Density	570/km2 (1,500/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+12 (NZST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+13 (NZDT)
Postcode	7692
Area code	03
Local iwi	Ngāi Tahu

The Pines Beach is a relatively small town. The majority of the area consists of residential housing and a park called "The Pines Beach Oval". The village store was demolished after the September 2010 Canterbury earthquake, along with a considerable number of the houses in the village, which were placed into a residential red zone by the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority. Empty green spaces upon entering the village from Beach Road is all that remains of these earlier parts of the settlement.

The Oval is a small section of land in the centre of the town. It is in the shape of an oval and has a playground, basketball court, swings, a skate park and a BMX track. An annual gala is held on the Oval.

Demographics

The Pines Beach is described by Statistics New Zealand as a rural settlement and covers 0.60 km² (0.23 sq mi). It had an estimated population of 340 as of June 2024, with a population density of 567 people per km². The Pines Beach is part of the larger Pegasus Bay statistical area.

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
2006	486	—
2013	354	−4.43%
2018	327	−1.57%
Source:

The Pines Beach had a population of 327 at the 2018 New Zealand census, a decrease of 27 people (−7.6%) since the 2013 census, and a decrease of 159 people (−32.7%) since the 2006 census. There were 126 households, comprising 174 males and 153 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.14 males per female, with 57 people (17.4%) aged under 15 years, 57 (17.4%) aged 15 to 29, 177 (54.1%) aged 30 to 64, and 36 (11.0%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 85.3% European/Pākehā, 19.3% Māori, 2.8% Pasifika, 0.9% Asian, and 1.8% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 64.2% had no religion, 23.9% were Christian, 0.9% had Māori religious beliefs and 0.9% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 42 (15.6%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 57 (21.1%) people had no formal qualifications. 33 people (12.2%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 141 (52.2%) people were employed full-time, 42 (15.6%) were part-time, and 15 (5.6%) were unemployed.

Pegasus Bay statistical area

Pegasus Bay statistical area, which also includes Woodend Beach and Kairaki, covers 23.53 km² (9.08 sq mi). It had an estimated population of 1,080 as of June 2024, with a population density of 46 people per km².

Historical population for Pegasus Bay

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
2006	1,158	—
2013	1,059	−1.27%
2018	1,047	−0.23%
Source:

Before the 2023 census, the statistical area had a larger boundary, covering 24.57 km² (9.49 sq mi). Using that boundary, Pegasus Bay had a population of 1,047 at the 2018 New Zealand census, a decrease of 12 people (−1.1%) since the 2013 census, and a decrease of 111 people (−9.6%) since the 2006 census. There were 402 households, comprising 570 males and 477 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.19 males per female. The median age was 46.7 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 177 people (16.9%) aged under 15 years, 141 (13.5%) aged 15 to 29, 555 (53.0%) aged 30 to 64, and 177 (16.9%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 90.8% European/Pākehā, 13.2% Māori, 1.4% Pasifika, 1.4% Asian, and 1.4% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 12.9, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 58.7% had no religion, 28.7% were Christian, 1.4% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.3% were Muslim, 0.3% were Buddhist and 2.3% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 102 (11.7%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 240 (27.6%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $30,400, compared with $31,800 nationally. 105 people (12.1%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 402 (46.2%) people were employed full-time, 144 (16.6%) were part-time, and 48 (5.5%) were unemployed.