The figures also reveal that 66 local children were in out-of-home care and protection placements on June 30 compared with 121 at the same time in 2012.
Detective Senior Sergeant Phil Taylor, of the Central District child protection team, said local police had been working alongside CYF to combat child abuse.
"Wanganui police have a dedicated child protection team committed to identifying children in the community who are at risk of abuse and preventing this cycle of abuse from continuing," he said.
National criminal investigations manager Detective Superintendent Rod Drew said child abuse was well documented in New Zealand and "an absolute priority" for police.
"Child abuse happens across all aspects of society and ethnic groups, therefore all adults need to be responsible and speak up to protect children."
Abuse continued to involve family members, partners and happened in community and social settings, Mr Drew said.
But awareness was improving and fewer people were turning a blind eye, he said.
"Often the question is asked by those reporting abuse 'What if I am wrong?'
"But what should be asked is 'What if I am right'.
"It is everyone's responsibility to report child abuse - too many people have failed to speak up when they are aware of or suspect abuse is happening and children have subsequently died."
Children's Commissioner and Hawke's Bay paediatrician Russell Wills said the link between poverty and child abuse was "clear".
Admissions to hospital with inflicted injuries were 10 times more common for the poorest 10 per cent of children compared with the wealthiest 10 per cent.
But the pattern over the past five years showed increasing "societal intolerance" for violence towards children. "We have cases brought to attention earlier in the life of the child, earlier in the life of the violence and that's helping us to intervene earlier before harm is done and that is a good thing."
He credited the changes to developments like the "It's not OK" campaign, anti-smacking legislation and an increase in parents referring themselves to parenting programmes.
"You don't get major societal change quickly ... but I think those are promising early signs.
"In the end, what's going to make the biggest difference is changing attitudes."
Close to 150,000 child abuse notifications were made to CYF nationally in the past year, uncovering 61,877 cases that required further action and 22,984 substantiated cases of abuse. Of these, 12,777 were emotional abuse cases, 3343 physical abuse, 1459 sexual abuse and 5405 cases of neglect.
On June 30 this year, 3844 children were under CYF care - down from 3884 in 2012.
CYF deputy chief executive Bernadine Mackenzie said children came into CYF care for a variety of reasons, ranging from neglect to physical abuse.
"At any time there are around 4000 children and young people who have been taken into the care of the chief executive, living in out-of-home care placements."