natural and petrochemical.
It is also known as a seaside town with a mountain within a 30-minute drive, where New Plymouth residents and visitors can ski, snowboard, water ski and surf in the same day. The County of New Plymouth, which includes the city of New Plymouth and several smaller towns, is the 10th largest county (out of 67) in New Zealand and has a population of 87,700, approximately two thirds of the total population of the Taranaki region and 1. It is also the financial center of the region with the headquarters of TSB Bank (formerly Taranaki Savings Bank), New Zealand's largest remaining non-governmental bank. Companies began searching for oil on the New Plymouth coast in 1865 after small and thick oil deposits were discovered on the coast. Exploration continued sporadically and a refinery was opened in 1913. It is named for the English town of Plymouth, Devon, where the first English settlers in New Plymouth emigrated. Natural gas is supplied by the first gas transmission to a stop at Bell Block. 71 million to invest in infrastructure and community programs to promote activity. There are schools in Fitzroy, Frankleigh Park, Hurdon, Lynmouth, Mangorei, Marfell, Merrilands, Moturoa, Spotswood, Strandon, Vogeltown, Welbourn, Westown and Brooklands.