Help shape your Council’s Long Term Plan
The Council is holding informal discussions with the community on its next Long Term Plan (LTP) this month – and invite Matangi residents and ratepayers to a drop-in session at the Tamahere Community Centre in Devine Rd on Sunday 18 October, 2-5pm. We’re seeking community perspectives on key topics to help shape the plan, and we invite your thoughts about what matters for you and for your community. This is the best opportunity for meaningful input to help guide development of a draft LTP. Formal consultation is expected to be held in March next year once there is a formal draft plan to share, but with less opportunity to effect change. The LTP will need to allow for the incoming 4% rates cap as well as for upcoming Council amalgamation, and a recent Council workshop identified more work is required to stretch budgets to allow for sustainable stormwater and roading maintenance. This is also the time to hear about what you think the Council’s budget priorities should include.
Last call for Rural Ward Fund applications
The Rural Ward fund is now open for applications and closes 30 September. About $30,000 is available for distribution to not-for-profit organisations in the District who are located outside a Community Board area. (This means organisations in Tamahere-Woodlands are eligible.) Applicants must show how the project will benefit the rural area they serve. As the funding is limited, smaller applications are encouraged. See www.waikatodistrict.co.nz/funding.
Matangi recreation reserve redevelopment
It’s hoped the Council will soon give the go-ahead for community consultation on a plan to redevelop the Matangi recreation reserve on Tauwhare Rd, so watch out for the opportunity to have your say. A local steering group has been working with Council staff on a proposal that would see the addition of hard multi-courts, upgraded car parking, modern lighting for the rugby fields, and other improvements.
Ngaati Hauaa taonga in a major new exhibition
Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum & Gallery
Ngaati Hauaa taonga from collections across Aotearoa have been brought together for the first time in a major new exhibition now open at Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum & Gallery. The exhibition “Whakahokia! Ngaati Haua, our taonga, whakapapa and koorero” brings together treasured objects from local and national collections and follows a national survey of Ngaati Hauaa taonga. It shares the history of Ngaati Hauaa from their own perspective, in a celebration of whakapapa. Entry is free and the exhibition will run until 6 Feburary 2028.
Ngaati Hauaa have a rich history in the Waikato. Ngaati Hauaa chief Tarapipipi Te Waharoa, or Wiremu Tamihana, was known as the Kingmaker for his role in establishing the Kiingitanga. He was also known as a peacemaker. A carved pou at 649 Bruntwood Rd, Tamahere, commemorates Te Maungaarongo, the Covenant of Peace, signed between Wiremu Tamihana and General Carey in May 1865, ending the land war in the Waikato.
On 15 September Parliament passed the Local Government (System Improvements) Amendment Act. It takes councils back to a focus on core services (roads, water, rubbish, libraries, parks and the like), requires more regular reporting to ratepayers on performance and spending, gives councillors a clearer legal right to the information they need to do their job, and, from next year, means only elected members (not appointed members) can vote on council committees. It also lets councils recover growth costs from developments approved under the Government’s Fast Track process, which matters to us more than most: 16 projects have been listed or referred for fast track consideration in our district, and nearly half of them are in the Tamahere-Woodlands ward.
Building Amendment Bill
The Government is seeking feedback on a wide-ranging package of building system reforms aimed at reducing costs and delays, including changes to liability, professional indemnity insurance, building warranties, solar energy approvals, and granny flat regulations. This is a significant opportunity for communities, homeowners, and the building sector to influence proposed changes, with submissions closing after the elections in November 2026. For more info visit https://bills.parliament.nz/
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
View online.
