Matatā is a town in the Bay of Plenty in the North Island of New Zealand, to the north-west of Whakatāne. Much of the town was relocated between the years 2006 and 2021 due to increased natural threats arising from climate change. As an example of forced retreat, Matatā is seen as providing lessons for future actions elsewhere. History and culture Recent history In 2005 the town was inundated by two debris flows from the Awatarariki and Waitepuru Streams that devastated a number of buildings, but did not cause any casualties. The debris flows were caused by a band of intense rain, at a rate of over 2 mm per minute, that fell into the catchments southwest of Matatā, dislodging a huge amount of debris that had built up behind a temporary dam. From January 2005 the area was subject to hundreds of shallow, low intensity earthquakes, with the most intense swarms occurring in 2005 and 2007, but continuing to at least February 2009. The largest event was of magnitude 4.2 in May 2007. In 2016, scientists discovered a large amount of volcanic activity, including "an inflating magma" buildup, below the surface of the town. In 2019, the name of the town was officially gazetted as "Matatā". Forced retreat under climate change As a result of the 2005 landslides, Whakatāne District Council began to plan for a managed retreat over the next decade. The vast majority of residents accepted the need to relocate and did so with council assistance and compensation but one resident has rejected both the process and the need to move and is now the township's sole remaining occupant. NIWA coastal hazards expert, Rob Bell, says the general issue of forced retreat is primarily sociopolitical rather than technocratic. Marae Matatā has four marae: Iramoko Marae and Te Paetata meeting house, affiliated with the Ngāti Awa hapū of Te Tāwera. Ngāti Umutahi Marae and Umutahi meeting house, affiliated with the Ngāti Tūwharetoa hapū of Ngāti Iramoko, Ngāti Umutahi and Te Tāwera. Ōniao Marae Tūwharetoa meeting house, affiliated with the Ngāti Tūwharetoa hapū of Ngāi Tamarangi, Ngāti Umutahi and Ngāti Manuwhare. Rangitihi Marae and Rangiaohia meeting house is affiliated with Ngāti Rangitihi. In October 2020, the Government committed $1,646,820 from the Provincial Growth Fund to upgrade Rangitihi Marae and five other local marae, creating 10 jobs. Demographics Matatā is described by Statistics New Zealand as a rural settlement, and