Council work programme coming up

An early focus is on establishing the Waikato District and Hamilton City council-controlled operation (CCO), IAWAI – Flowing Waters, by 1 July this year and our first meeting of the year was a joint workshop with Hamilton City Council to begin considering the agreement under which waters assets and resources will be legally transferred to the new entity.

Early preparation for the Council’s next Long Term Plan 2027-37 and renewed top-level ‘community outcomes’ will be the subject of workshops coming up this month. After that the next steps will be to review 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 – sometime early next year. Meanwhile the Council will also be reviewing its Annual Plan budget for 2026-27.

Bylaws under review this year include the Reserves and Beaches Bylaw, Water Supply and Trade Waste & Wastewater Bylaw, Dog Control Bylaw and Livestock Movement Bylaw.

Government consultation on local government reform

This month the Government is running targeted consultation on its proposals for rates capping (2-4%), and simplifying local government (replacing elected regional councllors with Combined Territories Boards made up of Mayors and charged with the responsibility to develop regional reorganisations plans).

It is also seeking public submissions on the Infrastructure Funding and Financing Amendment Bill which will replace development contributions with a national Development Levies system to increase consistency, transparency and reliability in funding growth infrastructure. (Submissions close 20 Feb).

The Government is also consulting on the Planning Bill and Natural Environment Bill which were introduced late last year to replace the Resource Management Act 1991. These Bills replace parts of the previous Government’s repealed Natural and Built Environment Act and Spatial Planning Act, establishing new frameworks for planning and regulating the use, development and enjoyment of land, and for the use, protection and enhancement of the natural environment. They are designed to reduce the number of council district plans by providing for a single combined plan per region that implement national direction and include spatial, natural environment, and land-use plans in one place. (Submission close 13 Feb).

Other legislation and inquiries affecting local government and still open for submissions include the:

• Emergency Management Bill (No2) (submissions close 15 Feb),
• Building (Earthquake-prone Buildings) Amendment Bill (submission close 16 Feb), and the
• Inquiry into the 2025 Local Elections (submissions close 27 February).

Go to https://www3.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/make-a-submission

Tamahere Community Open Day

Congratulations to Tamahere Community Committee for running a successful open day at the Tamahere Community Centre on Saturday (31 January) attracting hundreds of residents to find out more about proposed local developments including:

• Waikato Thoroughbred Racing plans for a greenfields racing and training facility,
• Waikato District Council’s consultation on the future use of the Tamahere Reserve (closing 16 February),
• Titoki Sands’ consideration of post-mining land use
• Hamilton City Council’s plans for developing the Matangi Rd/Morrinsville Rd “peanut-about” during a planned closure of the intersection from Monday 16 February to the end of May, and
• Vision Tamahere 2075, the Tamahere Community Committee’s 50-year community plan for which the committee is seeking community input.

Other local news

• Get involved! Come to the Matangi Community Committee AGM – Matangi Hall, 7.30pm, Tuesday 10 February .
• Congratulations to The Sculpture Park at Waitakaruru Arboretum for gaining a 5-star Garden of National Significance rating and Grade II ArbNet Arboretum accreditation.

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