Let's talk about dogs, parks, roads - Councillor update July 2025
- Crystal Beavis
- Jul 15
- 6 min read
Let’s talk about dogs!
A friendly reminder that annual dog registrations are due and are discounted if paid by 31 July. The Council recommends desexing dogs not intended for breeding, and you can apply for one year’s free registration if you desex your dog and provide evidence from your vet. Financial assistance with desexing is available if you have a community services or gold card. To keep registration costs down you can also apply for a select dog owner classification if you meet the criteria which includes a fenced dog-proof area in your property. For details go to www.waikatodistrict.govt.nz/dogs.
Adopt a dog
It’s a big decision, and dogs are adopted out to responsible new owners only. But if you’re interested, phone one of our Animal Control Officers on 0800 492 452 and watch the Waikato Pound Pups Facebook page www.facebook.com/waikatopoundpups for dogs up for adoption. The Pound Pups page currently advertises dog adoption fees as $300, which include a first parvo vaccination, de-flea and worming, desexing, microchipping and Council registration. For details go to www.waikatodistrict.govt.nz/dogs.
SH1B Telephone Rd rail crossing re-opening end of July
The Telephone Rd rail crossing is expected to open at the end of July. Watch: www.nzta.govt.nz/projects.
New model for delivering roading and transport services
The Council’s roading contract with Downer operating through the Waikato District Alliance has now been replaced with new roading and lighting contracts for maintaining and upgrading our roads across the Waikato District. Core transport functions have been brought in-house to give Council greater oversight of network activity and future capability, and new contracts established for the north and south of the District. The new model is designed to deliver better value for money and more efficient planning and delivery.
From July our new providers are Higgins (northern contract) and Fulton Hogan (southern contract – including Tamahere-Woodlands Ward.) Lighting services throughout the district will be provided by Horizons and Odyssey.
Hearings on neighbourhood parks and sports parks 5-6 August
Consultation closed this week (14 July) on the draft management plans for Neighbourhood Parks and Sports Parks – thank you to all who submitted to let Council know if changes are needed. Hearings will be held on Tuesday 5 August with extra time reserved on 6 August if required.
In Tamahere-Woodlands Ward the Neighbourhood Parks covered by these plans are: Good Street Reserve and Jack Foster Reserve in Matangi, Hukanui Park in Gordonton, and Te Awa Reserve in Tamahere. The Sports Parks in the Ward are: Gordonton Reserve on College Dr, Matangi Recreation Reserve at the Sports Club on Tauwhare Rd, and Tamahere Park which runs between Devine Rd and Wiremu Tamihana Dr. Any other open spaces are categorised differently and managed under different plans. For more info, go to www.waikatodistrict.govt.nz/say-it.
Tamahere Reserve
Tamahere Reserve (off Tauwhare Rd) is not currently categorised as a neighbourhood or sports park and will be managed separately. Council plans to appoint Boffa Miskel to establish a concept plan for the reserve including safe vehicle access, in consultation with the community. Meanwhile, following the recent tree felling, the track into the reserve will be cleared of debris and boardwalks fixed if repairs are required.
Community volunteers honoured with Mayoral Awards
Congratulations to all Waikato District Mayoral Award recipients, and thank you for your outstanding voluntary contributons over many years to your community. The awards were presented at a ceremony in the Council chambers last month. Tamahere-Woodlands Ward recipients this year are:
Gayle and Lionel Orr who have volunteered in the Eureka community for nearly 20 years. They have both served on the hall committee and worked together to lead the annual ANZAC service at Eureka. Gail has also served on the Eureka Express community newspaper over that time.
Charles Fletcher, chair of Tamahere Community Committee (and a committee member for 15 years). Charles has brought up a family in Tamahere and been a strong community advocate for 40+ years, lobbying on key local issues to ensure Tamahere continues to thrive.
John Sheat, a founding trustee of Tamahere-Mangaone Restoration Trust, which was established in 2012. John has been actively involved in conservation work for more than 20 years, volunteering at Maungatautari and in the Tamahere gully system, undertaking environmental restoration and creating opportunities to lift awareness and connect the community through walkways.
Long Term Plan (LTP) adopted 30 June
The Council adopted the Long Term Plan 2025-34 in time for the start of the new financial year on 1 July. After further work on the plan, the increase in the general rate will fall from 4.25% in 2025/26 to 3.0% in Year 2, 2.5% in Year 3 and to 1.5% from Year 4. Targeted rate increases for water services will continue to be significant until the new Waters CCO, IAWAI Flowing Waters, established with Hamilton City Council, introduces price harmonisation across the two Council areas over a 5-year transition period. You can check the effect on your rates for the new financial year by going to our rating information database on www.waikatodistrict.govt.nz/rid.
New Waters CCO incorporated, Establishment Board appointed
The establishment board for the new Waikato District and Hamilton City waters services CCO has been named as Kevin Lavery (Executive Chair) with Tim Manukau (Tainui) and Dave Chambers as directors. Kevin Lavery is an experienced local government CEO in both the UK and NZ; Tim Manukau is an independent hearing commissioner, former resource management consultant and former environmental research director; and Dave Chambers is an experienced company director who has just finished a term as CEO of Watercare. The name chosen for the company is IAWAI Flowing Waters. Iawai means flowing waters and also incorporates the word ‘awa’ or river in a palindrome. At a council meeting on 30 June Waikato District Council approved the Company Constitution, Shareholders’ Agreement and Water Services Delivery Plan ahead of the company’s incorporation on July 1. The Plan includes a combined water and wastewater capital investment programme of $3.66 billion to 2033/34, two thirds of which is responding to growth.
Remember to use two blue stickers on rubbish bags
Two blue stickers are now required on rubbish bags that you put out for collection in July and August. Rubbish bag sticker charges rose from $1.50 to $3.00 from 1 July as part of the Council’s Long Term Plan changes to fees and charges. You can keep using two blue stickers on bags until the end of August. After that please swap any leftover blue stickers for the equivalent value in new pink stickers at any Council office. New pink stickers will be on sale from mid-August. For more info go to www.waikatodistrict.govt.nz/rubbish.
Rubbish stickers haven’t increased in price since they were first introduced in July 2016, but landfill fees have more than doubled over that time, and so the Council has to ensure those costs are covered. Early public consultation on the LTP in October last year determined that most people wanted to keep a reasonable proportion of rubbish costs on user pays rather than targeted rates, so that people pay for what they use and will benefit from keeping their rubbish down.
Minister refers Gordonton retirement village for Fast Track consideration
On 30 June the Minister for Infrastructure referred the Gordonton Country Estate development project at 57 Piako Rd, Gordonton, to the fast track approvals process under the Fast-track Approvals Act 2024. The applicants now have two years to make a substantive application for consideration by an expert panel (appointed by the Government). The proposal is to construct a retirement village of about 659 residential units - see the relevant documents here: www.fasttrack.govt.nz/projects/gordonton-country-estate-development.
The fast track process limits comment on the development to people and groups identified in the Act and is largely confined to comment on technical and planning matters from local and requiring authorities, cultural issues from iwi authorities, specific environmental matters, and comment by owners/occupiers of the land and adjacent land. The Act does not allow an expert panel to give public or limited notification for comments, only to invite comment from persons they consider appropriate. Otherwise only the Minister can specify people to be invited to comment in addition to those identified within the provisions of the Act.
Contact your Tamahere-Woodlands Councillors:
Crystal Beavis, mob 0275 957 927, email
Mike Keir, mob 027 449 3012, email
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