Rapid urbanisation and population growth was now occurring in the Porirua Basin with the development of state housing in Tītahi Bay, Elsdon, and to the East of State Highway 59, and in 1961 the first municipality to have "Porirua" in its name, the Borough of Porirua, was formed when Makara County was abolished, with the mostly rural western part becoming the Makara Ward of Hutt County and the rapidly growing eastern urban portion (including Tītahi Bay) becoming the Borough of Porirua. Four years later, the population was officially estimated at over the 20,000 threshold then necessary for Porirua to be declared a city.
Rapid urbanisation and population growth was now occurring in the Porirua Basin with the development of state housing in Tītahi Bay, Elsdon, and to the East of State Highway 59, and in 1961 the first municipality to have "Porirua" in its name, the Borough of Porirua, was formed when Makara County was abolished, with the mostly rural western part becoming the Makara Ward of Hutt County and the rapidly growing eastern urban portion (including Tītahi Bay) becoming the Borough of Porirua Four years later, the population was officially estimated at over the 20,000 threshold then necessary for Porirua to be declared a city.