Have Your Say Before Waikato District’s Next Long Term Plan Takes Shape - Councilors Report

In this month's Councilors Report, Tamahere-Woodlands Councillors Crystal Beavis and Mike Keir are encouraging residents to get involved early as Waikato District Council begins shaping its next Long Term Plan, with a community discussion in Tamahere being considered for late September or early October.

The Council expects to begin informal community discussions on its next Long Term Plan (LTP) within the coming month. A Sunday afternoon session in Tamahere is being explored, potentially on 4 October, with 27 September as a fallback date.

This early stage is important. Residents will be asked what matters most to them and where they believe Council priorities should lie before the formal draft LTP is prepared.

Formal consultation is expected in March next year, but by then much of the plan will have taken shape. For Tamahere residents wanting to influence priorities, expenditure and future investment, the coming informal consultation may therefore be the better opportunity to be heard.

Rates pressure and infrastructure priorities

Preparing the next LTP will not be straightforward.

Council must accommodate the Government's incoming rates cap as well as prepare for possible changes arising from local government amalgamation.

Recent Council workshops have also highlighted pressure on infrastructure budgets. More work is needed to ensure stormwater operating budgets can meet additional regulatory and consenting requirements, while current planning provides for around 3% roading renewals when an estimated 6–8% is required for sustainable long-term management.

Council is also scrutinising budget carry-forwards to ensure available funding remains aligned with its strategic priorities.

These competing demands make the question of where Council spends — and what communities such as Tamahere receive in return for their rates — particularly important.

Why your rates invoice looks different

Residents will notice a change to their rates invoices this financial year following the transfer of water services to IAWAI – Flowing Waters Ltd, the council-controlled organisation jointly owned by Waikato District and Hamilton City councils.

Fixed water and wastewater charges are now shown separately from other Council rates. However, the method used to set the charges has not changed and everything is combined into one total for payment.

Residents using automatic payments do not need to make a separate arrangement for their water charges.

Fast Track projects continue to grow

Waikato District now has 16 projects either listed or referred through the Government's Fast-track process, with the Green Steel project already approved.

Those projects represent nearly half of the 34 projects referred for Fast Track across the wider Waikato region so far.

Two further Waikato District proposals — The Rest Tauwhare and Horsham Downs Estate — are awaiting ministerial consideration for referral.

Slow Fashion September

More than 533 tonnes of fabric waste ends up in Waikato District landfill each year, and Council is using September to encourage residents to rethink what they throw away.

Slow Fashion September includes online clothing-repair workshops, stylist sessions around the district, an OpShop bus tour and a bra donation drive.

The programme is supported through Ministry for the Environment Waste Minimisation Funding. Details are available through the Waikato District Council website.

Koroneihana 2026

Koroneihana celebrations began at Tuurangawaewae Marae in Ngaruawahia on Sunday, 30 August and continue for a week, recognising the legacy of the Kiingitanga movement and honouring Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po.

A section of River Road will be closed during the celebrations, with detours and traffic delays expected around the marae.

Your Councillors

Crystal Beavis crystal.beavis@waidc.govt.nz

Mike Keir mike.keir@waidc.govt.nz

Tamahere Forum will publish details of the proposed local Long Term Plan discussion once the date is confirmed. In the meantime, residents should start thinking about the priorities they want Council to hear, particularly where Tamahere's rates should be invested over the years ahead.

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