Your District Council and Tamahere-Woodlands Ward

Waikato District

• Waikato District serves a population of 81,473 people

• 26.4% of our population identify as Maaori

• It covers an area of about 450,000 hectares from Pokeno and Port Waikato in the north to curve around Hamilton encompassing Raglan in the southwest and Tamahere in the southeast.  

​Tamahere-Woodlands Ward

• Tamahere-Woodlands ward is one of the three largest wards in the district with a population of 13,350 and served by two Councillors. 

• The Ward includes village and rural communities in the Waikato District area to the south and east of Hamilton, running from Gordonton south to Tamahere and including the communities of Eureka, Matangi, Newstead, Puketaha, and Tauwhare.

• It is home to a wide range of rural industries from dairy to tea (Zealong Tea Estate), and visitor attractions such as the Woodlands Estate and the Sculpture Park at Waitakaruru Arboretum

• Tamahere-Woodlands has a rich, rural history which includes the Matangi Dairy Factory site - first established as a creamery in 1885 and which later played a role in the development of Glaxo as well as the NZ Cooperative Dairy Company (later Fonterra) - and the first herringbone dairy shed designed and built by Gordonton farmer Ron Sharp in 1952.

• The establishment of churches, schools and community halls led the historical pattern of community development. St Stephen’s Tamahere is possibly the oldest parish in the Ward, with the first church built on the site in 1882-83. Tamahere and Tauwhare schools were the first schools, both built in 1884, with Newstead and Gordonton closely following in 1890 and 1891. 

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Waikato District Council business and services

• Uses revenue of about $150m to maintain about $2bn assets

• Employs about 400 full-time and part-time staff 

• Maintains a network of 2,400kms of district roading

• Manages ‘Three Waters’ (water, wastewater and stormwater) and rubbish and recycling services

• Provides and maintains spaces for gathering and recreation both outdoors (including 113 reserves, 56 playgrounds and 3 swimming pools) and indoors (including 6 libraries, and 38 community halls) along with maintaining 60 public toilets

• Controls land and property development through the District Plan as well as building and resource consent processes

• Responsible for noise and animal control, and fire permits

• Inspects and licences food and liquor outlets

• Responsible for Civil Defence in the district