Priority One | Growing, Going, Gone....Anticipating Demographic Transformation

Growing, Going, Gone...Anticipating Demographic Transformation

Priority One presents Professor Paul Spoonley of Massey University

Date: Monday 8 September 2025

Time: 4.00pm - 6.00pm

Venue: Priority One, 29 Grey Street, Tauranga

New Zealand’s demography began to change significantly in 2013. There was a pause during COVID but subsequently, change has continued. The 2020s will see a number of tipping points being reached and then a very clear demography for the country – and regions – will have emerged by the 2030s. The Western Bay of Plenty is one of the “fast” areas in terms of growth and a very different age profile and cultural diversity will characterise the area – and already does so.

About Distinguished Professor Emeritus Paul Spoonley FRSNZ

Priority One is pleased to host Distinguished Professor Paul Spoonley, who was previously Pro Vice-Chancellor of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Massey University. Once he stepped down, he was appointed to advise the Police Commissioner (2022-25) and then as Co-Director of the National Centre for Countering Violent Extremism (2022-23). He has led major research programmes on immigration, diversity and inter-group relations and been extensively involved in policy development and evaluation, both in New Zealand internationally. Paul is a Fellow of the Auckland Museum and a Board member and a Visiting Research Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity, Göttingen, Germany. He was awarded the Science and Technology Medal by the Royal Society in 2009 for cross-cultural understanding and the following year, he was a Fulbright Senior Scholar at the University of California Berkeley. He is the author or editor of 29 books, including The New New Zealand. Facing Demographic Disruption (2021).

Spaces are limited—register now. Light refreshments will be provided.