Trial bus service for Tamahere, Matangi and Tauwhare Pa:
Two new services using a 14-seater Sprinter bus now connect Tamahere, Matangi and
Tauwhare Pa residents to the city bus network. Seven round trips a day connect Tamahere and Matangi (route 28) with the University of Waikato transport hub inside Gate 1 off Knighton Rd and provide access to the Hillcrest (10), University (13) and Hamilton Gardens (17) routes as well as the Meteor and Orbiter services. The alternating route to Tauwhare Pa (27) will offer six round trips a day. Waikato District Council will fund the trial for two years to assess passenger uptake. If the trial is successful we hope there might be an opportunity to expand the service. Details are available on www.busit.co.nz
Long Term Plan and rating
After three open workshops on the Waikato District Council’s upcoming Long Term Plan held over the past month, a view is emerging that general rates may need to increase by 13-14% in order to cope with a range of increased costs.
Cost challenges include inflation, interest rates, increasing compliance requirements, and increasing asset maintenance costs, among others. The last LTP planned for inflation levels of 2-3% whereas in practice costs for the Council have inflated at least 17% over the past 3 years, with the current cost of civil construction being 26% higher than three years ago.
In order to keep general rates to the level currently being discussed, the Council has had to find about $2m in operational efficiencies, and reduce expectations with regards our roading network, for example, for which we are looking at a possible overall budget of $147m which will afford only a small lift in resurfacing and rehabilitation work.
Targeted rates are also set to rise for the same reasons above, and to accommodate the new Government’s decision to reverse the direction set by the previous Government on Three Waters. The cost of waste management is also rising and rubbish sticker prices are under review. They have not changed since 2017 when our waste management costs were $4.5m compared with $7.5m in 2022 and forward projections of costs rising to $11m by 2028.
Adoption of the draft LTP budget is scheduled for 28 February to allow for public consultation in March-April.
Local projects update:
Tauwhare sculpture blessing – Your Councillors look forward to the blessing and official unveiling of the Tauwhare sculpture next to the Tauwhare War Memorial Hall at 4pm on Saturday 2 March. Representing Tauwhare, ‘house or place of rest’, it is the realisation of a vision created with the availability of a Waikato District Council arts grant in 2016, and kept alive by the ongoing support of a group of local people. Thanks to artist Marti Wong for the design and Tauwhare Hall chair Lockie Verner for the construction.
Tamahere Park toilets upgrade - extra ramp installed to provide easier access to the disability toilet.
Jack Foster Reserve car park, Matangi - delayed until early 2025 to allow for new classroom construction to occur at Matangi School first.
Contact your Tamahere-Woodlands Councillors:
Crystal Beavis, mob 0275 957 927, email
Mike Keir, mob 027 449 3012, email
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