Rosedale, Auckland

Suburb in Auckland, New Zealand

Rosedale
Suburb
Rosedale Park
Coordinates: 36°44′49″S 174°42′40″E / 36.747°S 174.711°E / -36.747; 174.711
Country	New Zealand
City	Auckland
Local authority	Auckland Council
Electoral ward	Albany ward[1]
Local board	Upper Harbour Local Board
Area [2]
• Land	549 ha (1,357 acres)
Population  (June 2024)[3]
• Total	830
Postcode(s)	0632

Albany	Pinehill	Windsor Park
Schnapper Rock	Rosedale	Windsor Park
Schnapper Rock	Unsworth Heights	Sunnynook

Rosedale is a suburb on the North Shore of Auckland, New Zealand. It is located 12 kilometres north of the city centre, to the south of the suburbs of Pinehill and Albany. It is under the local governance of the Auckland Council. Northern Rosedale is also known by the name Upper Harbour.^[4]

The business and light industrial area of Rosedale was given the name North Harbour Industrial Estate when construction commenced on it in the 1990s. The former North Shore City Council the changed the name of this area back to Rosedale in 2009, as a result of a broader review of suburb names and boundaries in the North Shore.^[5] This area is sometimes referred to by the former name. Business North Harbour, the association responsible for the area's business improvement district, retains the place name of North Harbour in their name. Business North Harbour was unhappy with the name change to Rosedale, describing the name as a "stinker" due to the association with the Rosedale Wastewater Treatment Plant and former landfill located in the suburb.^[6] Some businesses in Rosedale use North Harbour in their names and as the suburb in their addresses.

This area of the suburb is also sometimes referred to as Interplex, arising from the 47 hectare "interplex@albany" business park subdivision that commenced construction in 2001 and was completed in 2006.^[7]

On the name of Rosedale, The New Zealand Geographic board states "the name for Rosedale has existed for many years, but the current boundary is newly defined. In 1961 new large Oxidation Ponds were built in the valley between Rosedale Road in the North and Sunset Road in the South. They were named Rosedale Oxidation Ponds and at that time were surrounded by rural holdings."^[8] Newspaper articles from the 1890s show that there was a Rosedale estate in the Albany area owned by the Stevenson family, where an orchard was cultivated.^[9][10]

The suburb is home to the Rosedale Wastewater Treatment Plant, the second largest sewage works in Auckland. The plant was initially opened in 1962, and now processes the wastewater of an estimated 253,000 inhabitants, servicing the area of the North Shore from Devonport to Long Bay.^[11] A notable feature of the area is Rosedale Dam, containing treated wastewater fed from the sewage works. The dam is visible when travelling through State Highway 1. In the event of a dam breach, the dam poses a risk of flooding to the local community within the flow path hazard zone. The dam is at the greatest risk of a breach during an earthquake or high rainfall event.^[12]

Rosedale is also known for the large general refuse landfill that operated from the 1950s to 2009, accepting only clean fill from 2002 to 2008.^[13] The landfill was bordered by Greville Road on the north, Rosedale Road on the south, State Highway 1 on the west and Hugh Green Drive on the east. The area is now the Rosedale Landfill Reserve and public access is prohibited due to toxic gas and liquid run off. The high levels of volatile methane gas present are harnessed for power generation.^[14] The suburb remains a hub for refuse services with a Waste Management transfer station operating adjacent to the bottom of the former landfill site on Rosedale Road. A large Envirowaste transfer and recycling facility is also located in the suburb on Constellation Drive.

North Harbour statistical area (i.e. Rosedale) covers 5.49 km² (2.12 sq mi)^[2] and had an estimated population of 830 as of June 2024,^[3] with a population density of 151 people per km².

North Harbour had a population of 816 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 252 people (44.7%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 366 people (81.3%) since the 2006 census. There were 276 households, comprising 432 males and 387 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.12 males per female. The median age was 38.7 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 84 people (10.3%) aged under 15 years, 186 (22.8%) aged 15 to 29, 366 (44.9%) aged 30 to 64, and 183 (22.4%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 64.7% European/Pākehā, 5.9% Māori, 1.1% Pacific peoples, 29.0% Asian, and 4.0% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 45.2, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 52.6% had no religion, 37.5% were Christian, 2.2% were Hindu, 1.8% were Muslim, 1.5% were Buddhist and 1.5% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 192 (26.2%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 93 (12.7%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $34,900, compared with $31,800 nationally. 117 people (16.0%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 381 (52.0%) people were employed full-time, 84 (11.5%) were part-time, and 15 (2.0%) were unemployed.^[15]

Albany Junior High School is a school catering for year 7-10 students, with a roll of 1229 students as at August 2024.^[16][17] It was opened in 2005.^[18] Albany Senior High School opened in Albany in 2009 for year 11-13 students.^[19]