Bay of Plenty region was formed in 1989 after a nationwide review and shakeup of top-level local government in New Zealand. The new region incorporated the former counties of Tauranga, Rotorua, Whakatane and Opotiki. On 5 October 2011, the MV Rena ran aground on the Astrolabe Reef in the bay causing a large oil spill, described as New Zealand's worst ever environmental disaster. The region is subdivided into territorial authorities, which include the Western Bay of Plenty District, Tauranga City, Whakatane District, Kawerau District and Opotiki District, as well as parts of Rotorua District and the town of Rangitaiki in Taupo District. The
Bay of Plenty (New Zealand electorate) each review. For the 2008 election, the eastern boundary moved far westwards to the eastern fringe of Te Puke, in the process abandoning sections of the central coast to the Rotorua and East Coast seats. Bay of Plenty was created for the change to the mixed-member proportional (MMP) representation voting system; it was carved out of parts of the old seats of Kaimai, Tarawera and Eastern Bay of Plenty. Its original incarnation was based mostly around Whakatane and Opotiki districts, with the remaining population coming from Te Puke and parts of greater Tauranga. Bay of Plenty has been a safe