Summer road works

Summer is on the way and that means the road construction season has started. Road works can be frustrating, but fixing our roads is vital for keeping our communities connected and supporting our economy. So please be patient, knowing that our staff and contractors are working in the heat of summer to keep our roads safe for us. For details of major roadworks in Waikato district see the ‘Current and upcoming roadworks’ page on the Council website and check out our ‘road resealing’ programme too. For information about roadworks on State Highways please go to the NZ Transport Agency’s website or search for NZTA Jouney Planner.

Construction of a “peanut-shaped” roundabout at the intersection of Matangi, Silverdale and Morrinsville Rds is expected to start early in the New Year. For further updates on this project keep watching the “Morrinsville Road fit for purpose upgrades” page on the Hamilton City Council website.

Full Council work programme

Post-election, the Council work programme has continued apace. A key focus is on establishing the Waikato District and Hamilton City council-controlled operation (CCO), IAWAI – Flowing Waters, by 1 July next year. Key milestones include developing a 10-year Waters Services Strategy, transferring and/or hiring staff for the new entity, defining the stormwater services that IAWAI will deliver to each Council, and approving the agreement under which waters assets and resources will be legally transferred.

Early preparation for the Council’s next Long Term Plan 2027-37 is already underway with an expectation that renewed top-level ‘community outcomes’ will be debated early in the New Year, paving the way for updating our financial and infrastructure strategies, levels of service, asset management and work plans, and budgets for the next 10 years. There will be opportunities for informal community involvement and feedback before the LTP is prepared for formal consultation.

Expected changes to resource management frameworks, and local government reform (including the replacement of regional councillors with Combined Territories Boards), is another key focus.

Meanwhile, analysis of early feedback to help shape our new Reserves and Beaches Bylaw is underway now and the Council expects to undertake formal consultation on the new bylaw early in the New Year.

IAWAI CEO named

Peter Winder has been appointed to lead Hamilton City and Waikato District’s new water services company, IAWAI-Flowing Waters. Mr Winder is a former Chief Executive of Auckland Regional Council, Local Government New Zealand and Te Pūkenga. In 2022, he was appointed to the Three Waters National Transition Unit Board and has most recently served as Programme Director for Hamilton City Council’s Waters CCO development. IAWAI will formally take over responsibility for drinking water and wastewater services from Hamilton City and Waikato District Councils on 1 July 2026. It will also manage stormwater services on their behalf.

Southern Wastewater Treatment Plant

The first community information sessions for the proposed Southern Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) were held by Hamilton City Council at the Hamilton Airport JetPark Hotel in November, outlining work undertaken since 2022 on identifying a preferred site and discharge options. This project will be transferred to the Hamilton City and Waikato District Council-Controlled Organisation (CCO) IAWAI-Flowing Waters when it becomes fully operational from July 2026. An overview of the preferred option in the Detailed Business Case says the Southern WWTP will be staged to meet demand to service “the Airport Industrial precinct, Matangi/ Tamahere commercial area and southern Hamilton”. It anticipates wastewater currently treated at the Matangi WWTP and the Tamahere commercial hub on-site system would be conveyed to the Southern WWTP in “around 2040”. Tauwhare Pa WWTP would be retained and upgraded to service local growth “with the potential to be reticulated to the new Southern WWTP… in the future.”

LIM Reports

All Land Information Memorandums (LIMs) issued by Waikato District Council will now include more detailed information about natural hazards and climate-related risks. The change follows national updates to the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (LGOIMA), and the new rules are designed to help property owners and buyers make more informed decisions.

Properties in low-lying or coastal areas such as Huntly, Ngaaruawaahia, Te Kauwhata, Raglan and Port Waikato are more likely to have updated hazard information included in their LIMs. This could cover flooding, coastal erosion, landslides, or climate-related impacts such as sea-level rise and increased rainfall.

Temporary closure Tamahere office

The Council’s Tamahere office was temporarily closed for a week in November as a precautionary measure following the nationwide public recall of some brands of coloured sand play products found to contain naturally occurring asbestos. The office re-opened after testing confirmed no asbestos was present in the sand used there.

Ngaruawahia Library outreach

As part of their regular consignment of books from Ngaruawahia Library, residents of Atawhai Assisi Home in Matangi were recently delighted to receive some mini canvas paintings created by children during a school holiday programme at the library. Each canvas had an individual message on the back for residents to read.  The Ngaruawahia library team deliver books on a regular rotation to rest homes and pre-schools, with each delivery tailored to suit the needs and interests of the recipients. Kohanga, ECE or rest homes interested in the Waikato District Library outreach programme are invited to contact their nearest district library.  

Hillcrest Library at the Gardens

Hillcrest Library now has a temporary home in the former Wintec building at Hamilton Gardens while work continues to restore the Masters Ave site following a recent fire. An agreement between Hamilton City and Waikato District means Tamahere-Woodlands residents are among those who can also use Hamilton City libraries.

Predator Free Tamahere community lecture

Come to hear Waikato University senior researcher Len Trigg talk about using artificial intelligence to help us identify the birds we hear at the Tamahere Community Hall at 5.30pm on Wednesday 3 December.  To make the most of the session you’re advised to download the free Merlin Bird ID and BirdNET apps and try recording some birdsong around your home. This fascinating free session is being hosted by Predator Free Tamahere – who ask that you RSVP on their Facebook page to help them plan for light refreshments on the night.

Predator Free Tamahere volunteers have now removed nearly 10,500 pests from the area since 2022 and are celebrating more kaka (large native parrot) sightings this spring.

Christmas holiday season

Warm wishes for the Christmas holiday season and a happy New Year. Keep safe on the road by giving yourself plenty of time to get to your destination. Enjoy your time with friends and family, and give thought to including someone you know who might be on their own.

Waikato District Council offices will close from 3pm Wednesday 24 December and will re-open on Thursday 8 January, but on-call staff will be available to attend to urgent matters if you phone 0800 492 452. If your rubbish is normally collected on a Thursday or Friday, your collection will be one day later over the two weeks of Christmas and New Year. Check out ‘Holiday hours’ details on the Council’s website.

Contact your Tamahere-Woodlands Councillors:

Crystal Beavis, mob 0275 957 927, email crystal.beavis@waidc.govt.nz   Mike Keir, mob 027 449 3012, email mike.keir@waidc.govt.nz