Have your say: LTP & Waters CCO - Councillor update Mar-Apr 2025

Consultation opens Friday 11 April on Waikato District Council’s Long Term Plan and proposal for a Waters CCO with Hamilton City. The draft plan sets out our district vision, priorities, and how we’ll fund and deliver services and projects that matter most to our communities over the next nine years until 2034. It will be published on the Council’s website for your feedback from 11 April to 11 May. 

Drop-in sessions will be run for those interested to discuss the plan with staff.  In Tamahere-Woodlands Ward these are planned for 6.30pm, Tuesday 6 May in the Tamahere Hall, 6.30pm, Thursday 8 May in the Gordonton Hall (both these sessions just prior to the local Community Committee meetings), and there will also be virtual online sessions available – currently proposed for 7-8pm on March 14 and 29, and 12.30-1.30pm on Friday 2 May.

The proposed LTP is based on a general rate increase of 4.25% for the first year (2025/26), before falling to an increase of 3.05% in 2026/27, then forecast to be between 1.5% and 4.5% in subsequent years. (These rates exclude public transport costs which will be rated directly by the Waikato Regional Council from 2025/26.)

There will be options to consider as affordability is still a concern, with overall rates (general and targeted rates together) in our townships likely to rise between 7.8% and 10.8% in the first year, compared with about 6.7% in country living areas and 4.8% in rural areas, where properties are not subject to significant targeted rates. (A waters CCO will eventually bring relief to those on targeted waters rates, but it will take 5-10 years to realise the full benefits.)  For more information and to have your say from 11 April to 11 May, go to the Council website here: www.waikatodistrict.govt.nz/say-it.

Waters CCO

As part of this Long Term Plan we’re also seeking your feedback on a new model for managing water services. This involves creating a Council-Controlled Organisation (CCO), which Waikato District Council recommends be jointly owned by Waikato District Council and Hamilton City, but with opportunities for other councils to join the CCO in the future. The reason for a CCO is to gain economies of scale that will, over time, help control the rising costs of treating and managing our drinking water and wastewater.

The CCO would be governed by an independent Board of Directors, chosen for their expertise in areas like finance, infrastructure, legal matters, and more. They would be appointed by a Shareholders’ Forum that would include representatives from Hamilton City, Waikato District, and Waikato-Tainui. Ownership of the Council’s waters assets would be transferred to the CCO, but could not be privatised. Read more about “Local Water Done Well” on the Council website here: www.waikatodistrict.govt.nz/water.

Waste management consultation

The Council’s Waste Minimisation and Management Plan (WMMP) is also up for review and for consultation in the next month. This plan establishes how best to manage our waste services, to increase recycling and reduce waste to landfill. This includes everything from your weekly rubbish and recycling collection to funding for community initiatives. For more info on the WMMP consultation go to: www.waikatodistrict.govt.nz/say-it.  As a flow-on from this review, the Council is proposing changes to our waste services for inclusion in our upcoming Long Term Plan. For example, the cost of rubbish bag stickers is expected to increase from $1.50 to $3 after LTP pre-engagement showed most people (67%) supported increasing this ‘user pays’ element to help cover the increasing costs of running our rubbish services.

Make waste management fun and meaningful

• Apply for funding for your waste minimisation project now!

Our waste minimisation fund supports projects costing up to $10,000 that involve and help educate the Waikato district community about reducing waste to landfill. Standard funding ranges from $1,000-$5,000, and special projects $5,000-$10,000. The Tamahere furniture restoration repair café (29 March at St Stephens Tamahere) was an example of a project supported by the fund.  Projects funded may include educational programmes, events and workshops, feasibility studies, R&D to find alternatives for waste disposal, and social enterprise start-ups that use waste as a resource.  Applications close on Friday 18 April. Go to www.waikatodistrict.govt.nz/funding.

Speed Management Plan (SMP)

As a result of the Government’s requirement for Councils to review their SMPs, proposed changes to WDC’s SMP were consulted on and hearings held last month. The report for the hearings can be found on the Council website at www.waikatodistrict.govt.nz/your-council. As a result of the hearings, during deliberations a few changes were recommended to the proposed Speed Management Plan which is expected to go to the Council for adoption on 14 April and be posted on the Council website with the agenda papers.

ANZAC Day services in Tamahere-Woodlands ward

Come to a local ANZAC Day service on 25 April in Waikato district. Services in our district are expected to include a dawn service at the Gordonton cenotaph, 1024 Gordonton Rd, and a 10am service at the Eureka cenotaph, cnr of Hunter Rd and SH 26. Watch out for confirmation of final details for this year’s services on the District Council’s events page www.waikatodistrict.govt.nz/events - or just google ‘ANZAC Day services Waikato District’ for info before the day.

Contact your Tamahere-Woodlands Councillors:

Crystal Beavis, mob 0275 957 927, email 

Mike Keir, mob 027 449 3012, email