Back to Blog

Tamahere – Are You Ready to Vote? Make Sure You’re Enrolled

Local elections are coming up fast, and if you live in the Waikato District, including here in Tamahere, this is your chance to help shape the future of our community.Waikato District Council is urging all eligible residents to enrol to vote ahead of the Friday 1 August deadline for the 2025 local government elections. Voting gives you the power to choose who represents Tamahere and the wider district—on Council, on community boards, and even on key decisions like whether to keep Maori wards.A...

Water Future Secured as Hamilton and Waikato Councils Launch $3.6 Billion Joint Plan

Big changes are flowing our way.Hamilton City and Waikato District Councils have become the first in New Zealand to receive formal approval for a joint Water Services Delivery Plan, laying the foundation for major investment in our region’s essential water infrastructure.The green light came from Paul James, Secretary for Local Government, and clears the path for a $3.6 billion investment over the next 10 years across both council areas.This long-term plan will service around 280,000 people th...

Tamahere Residents Speak Up on Traffic as Survey Reveals Strong Community Sentiment

Image showing the WDC's failed attempt to control traffic on Birchwood Lane earlier this year....

Tamahere Country Market – A Community Favourite Since 2004

Rain or shine, the Tamahere Country Market rolls out every third Saturday of the month, welcoming locals and visitors alike to one of the Waikato’s most popular community gatherings.Run by St Stephen’s Church, the Market has been a local staple since 2004, showcasing a wide variety of New Zealand-made, grown, or created goods. From sculptured garden rocks to handmade skincare, children’s wear, doggy treats, and seasonal plants, there’s something for everyone among the 100+ stalls (a few ...

Is Tamahere Getting Its Fair Share? Resetting the Blueprint for Our Future - TCC Meeting

The well attended meeting threw the spotlight on local priorities at the latest meeting, especially when it comes to the stark mismatch between what Tamahere pays and what Tamahere gets.$125 million in rates over 9 years. Just $480,000 allocated.That’s the current forecast for Tamahere alone in the Waikato District Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP) 2025–34. Only $480k is tagged for spending in our area during the next two years. In response, the TCC has begun a full-scale refresh of the ...

Waikato District Council Confirms Nine-Year Plan to Support Growth, Services, and Sustainability

Waikato District Council has officially adopted its 2025–2034 Long Term Plan (LTP), setting a course for the next nine years that aims to balance essential investment with affordability for ratepayers.The plan, adopted on Monday 30 June, outlines how the Council will continue to invest in key services, such as roads, water, libraries, and parks—while maintaining a firm focus on financial responsibility. A general rates increase of 4.25% from 1 July 2025 has been confirmed, with additional ta...

Thinking About Standing for Council? Here’s What You Need to Know

Members of the WDC Council 2025 - Image from WDC...

Tamahere: It’s Decision Time — Reserve, Roads, and a 50-Year Vision on the Table

Tamahere’s future is up for debate, and your Community Committee wants every voice in the room. Tuesday, 1 July 2025 at 7 : 30 pm, you are invitred to the Tamahere Community Centre to thrash out the big issues shaping our corner of the Waikato.Top of the agenda is the Tamahere Reserve concept plan. The 43-year-old pines have had their day and should they all come down, just a few, or none at all? Bring your view, because Council staff are listening.Growth is another hot button. Waikato Distric...

Tamahere Community Committee Meeting – Key Outcomes from 3 June 2025

It was a full house at the Tamahere Community Centre for the June TCC meeting, with residents, committee members, and representatives from WDC, Tamahere Lions, and other local organisations coming together to tackle both strategic and on-the-ground issues affecting our growing community.Birchwood Lane Speeding: Community Speaks, TCC RespondsHot on the heels of a public meeting, TCC formally submitted its recommendations to Waikato District Council regarding the controversial traffic calming meas...

Leaders Meeting Tuesday 10th June to Tackle Rural Mail Theft – Tamahere Community Centre, 3PM

A timely and important Leaders Meeting, Tuesday 10 June at 3:00 PM, at the Tamahere Community Centre, bringing together key figures to address the growing issue of mail theft in rural Waikato communities.While Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has sent his apologies, he expressed strong support for the kaupapa – an echo of the concern and commitment already voiced by many of you.In attendance will be Waikato MP Tim van de Molen, Minister of Police Mark Mitchell, representatives from NZ Police, ...

Field Days Traffic Plan Same As last Year But With a Couple of Tweaks

The traffic management plan for Field Days 2025 only has minor adjustments from the previous year's event. The only change is that in the afternoon, there will be no access north towards Tamahere from Hamilton Airport from 4 pm to 6 pm. As with last year, there will be a no-through road system on SH21 (Airport Road) from Raynes Road in the morning. Traffic using SH3 into Hamilton to travel south on SH1 should expect this journey to take an additional 10 minutes based on the travel informati...

Tamahere Community Calls for Safer, Smarter Solutions on Birchwood Lane

A packed public meeting at the Tamahere Community Centre offered residents a long-awaited opportunity to voice their views on the controversial Birchwood Lane traffic calming trial. Organised by Waikato District Council (WDC), the session drew more than 70 attendees and resulted in a renewed call for collaborative solutions moving forward.WDC’s Megan May opened the evening with a public apology, acknowledging that the original implementation of the traffic calming trial lacked sufficient commu...

Tamahere Community Comittee Meeting Agenda 3rd June, 2025

DOWNLOAD THE FULL AGENDA BELOWThe Tamahere Community Committee will meet at 7.30pm at the Tamahere Community Centre, immediately following the Public Meeting on Birchwood Lane traffic calming (6.00pm–7.30pm).Key items on the agenda include:Council Service Update: Including second toilet block location at Recreation Park, Sanderson Group development, and Tamahere Reserve tree removal.Councillors’ Report from Crystal Beavis and Mike Keir.Birchwood Lane Discussion: Reflecting on outcomes from t...

Tamahere-Woodlands Councillors’ Update – June 2025

Here is a summary of the key points arising from Councillors Beavis and Mike Keir Report for June, 2025Tamahere Reserve Cleanup UnderwayTree removal in Tamahere Reserve begins this week (from 3 June), with final clearing of the main track to follow. A new concept plan for the reserve will be developed with input from the Tamahere Community Committee and Tamahere-Mangaone Restoration Trust. This will include renaming and reclassifying the reserve.Birchwood Lane Traffic Calming TrialA community me...

Mayoral Race Heats Up as Aksel Bech Throws His Hat Back in the Ring

Tamahere’s own Aksel Bech has confirmed he’ll stand again for Waikato District mayor in this year’s local body elections, promising a "reset" for a system he says is under pressure from unsustainable rates and outdated governance structures.Aksel Bech, who previously represented Tamahere- Woodlands on the council for six years and served as deputy mayor, says the time has come to “return power to the people” and tackle what he calls a tipping point in rates affordability.“Rates affor...

Public Meeting on Birchwood Lane Traffic Measures – Let’s Find a Way Forward Together

All Tamahere residents are warmly invited to attend a Public Meeting at the Tamahere Community Centre on Tuesday 3 June 2025 at 6:00 pm, followed by the scheduled Tamahere Community Committee (TCC) meeting at 7:30 pm.This meeting has been arranged in consultation with the Waikato District Council and comes in response to the recent installation, and subsequent removal, of traffic calming measures along Birchwood Lane. These measures, which included plastic...

Public Meeting Called To Combat Mail Theft In Tamahere–Matangi

Destroyed Mail - Image Shared...

More 'Wet and Forget' on Te Awa Cycle Way This Wednesday & Thursday

PUBLIC NOTICE: Wet & Forget Application on Te Awa Cycleway – Wednesday 21 & Thursday 22 May,2025Please be advised that contractors will be applying Wet & Forget to several shaded sections of the Te Awa Cycleway this Wednesday and Thursday (weather permitting), as part of ongoing maintenance to manage moss and mould in low-sunlight areas.Key Locations Targeted:Strip alongside Tamahere Village shopsSection on Tamahere Drive near the car restoration businessPencarrow and Hooker Road c...

Call for Calm as Birchwood Lane Bollards Are Ripped Out — Locals, Council, and Common Sense Must Now Share the Road

They went in without consultation. Now the bollards and chicanes are gone in less than 2 days.The bollards, single-lane chicanes, and road-mounted sticks installed just days ago, along Birchwood Lane in Tamahere, have been removed and without explanation. A Waikato District Council  spokesperson has confirmed the removal was not undertaken by them. Which leaves only one conclusion: Locals. Whoever it was, the message is clear: Tamahere has had enough.In response, Tamahere Co...

WDC LTP Submissions FINAL DAYS - Minutes of the TCC May Meeting

The May meeting of the Tamahere Community Committee focused on upcoming deadlines, local development projects, and civic engagement opportunities. Below is a summary of the key items discussed:WDC Long Term Plan (LTP) Submissions Close SoonThe most pressing matter is the Waikato District Council's Long Term Plan (2025–2034). Submissions close this Sunday, 11 May. Residents are urged to have their say via WDC's online portal. While the online tool is quick, it tends to direct submitters along p...

Tamahere Voices Needed as Council Seeks New Way to Care for Water and Awa

As Waikato District Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP) consultation nears its final week, a major proposal on the table could reshape how local water is managed and protect the region’s most significant natural asset, the Waikato River.The Council has announced a proposed partnership with Hamilton City Council to create a new joint Council-Controlled Organisation (CCO) to manage water services across both areas. The move comes as part of the government’s wider “Local Water Done Well” refor...

Agenda - TCC Meeting 6th May, 2025

Next Tamahere Community Committee Meeting – Monday 6 May, 7:30pmThe Tamahere Community Committee will meet next on Monday 6 May at 7:30pm at the Tamahere Community Centre on Devine Road. Locals are warmly encouraged to attend and stay informed on key matters affecting our area.This month’s focus is on community submissions – including the Waikato District Council's Long Term Plan (LTP), recent Waikato Regional Council feedback on the public transport rate (Now closed but up for discussion)...

Tamahere Reserve Gets a New Look as Pine Tree Risk Removed Just in Time

Just days before a critical deadline, Waikato District Council has completed the removal of ageing and hazardous pine trees along the Tauwhare Road edge of the Tamahere Reserve, also known locally as Crawfords Quarry. The work, carried out ahead of the 30 April cut-off, comes as a direct response to mounting community safety concerns — and the swift action has been welcomed.For months, the Tamahere Community Committee has urged Council to prioritise removal of the most dangerous trees, citing ...

Time to Speak Up as Mayor Calls on Tamahere Locals to Have Their Say on the District’s Future

As Tamahere continues to grow and evolve, Mayor Jacqui Church is urging locals to get involved in shaping the district’s future by giving feedback on Waikato District Council’s 2025–2034 Long Term Plan (LTP). With submissions open until 11 May, now is the time to speak up.From roads to rubbish, water to wastewater, the LTP lays out how the Council plans to deliver and invest in the everyday services that residents rely on. And while these may sound like the “basics,” Mayor Jacqui says ...

Small Scale Community Initiatives Fund - Do you Qualify ?

SSCIF is opening next month! The Small Scale Community Initiatives Fund round for 2025 is opening on Friday 9 May and will close on Friday 30 May. Information about the fund is available on the WDC website (link below). As usual, this fund is to support community groups and individuals with pest animal control and/or pest plant control up to the value of $5000. The application form will be available as a read-only on our website within the next two weeks. Please read this ahead of star...