Residents across Tamahere and Tauwhare will begin seeing new speed limit signs installed from 20 July, as Waikato District Council rolls out its 2025 Speed Management Plan across the district. The programme will see approximately 270 sections of road updated, with installation expected to be completed by early September. Each new speed limit becomes legally enforceable once the new signs are in place.

The proposed Waikato Thoroughbred Racing Greenfield Racing Hub at Pencarrow Road, Tamahere, has reached an important milestone after the Minister for Infrastructure accepted the project's referral application into the Government's Fast-track approvals process. While the decision allows the proposed Equine Hub to move to the next stage of assessment, it does not constitute approval for the development.

The future of Waikato wide local government reform should deliver stronger regional coordination without sacrificing the local voices defining communities such as Tamahere, Matangi and Tauwhare. This is the consistent message from Waikato District Mayor Aksel Bech, who responded to seven questions from the Tamahere Community Committee on the Government's proposed local government reforms.

This months Councillors' Report covers several important issue none-the least Tamahere residents are being encouraged to have their say on one of the biggest proposed changes to local government in a generation, with Waikato District Mayor Aksel Bech continuing a series of community "town hall" meetings before public feedback closes on 10 July.

Central Government's Simplifying Local Government programme (Local Government Reform) is exploring the creation of larger Unitary Councils that would combine the functions of regional and district councils into a single organisation. Waikato District Council is currently seeking community feedback before deciding whether to put forward its own proposal through the Government's voluntary "Head Start" process. Importantly, no decisions have been made, and several options remain

The proposed Waikato Thoroughbred Racing (WTR) Equine Hub remains one of the most significant developments under consideration for the Tamahere area. The project would bring together the Waikato, Cambridge and Te Awamutu racing clubs into a single purpose-built racing, training and equine events facility on approximately 160 hectares of land between the Waikato Expressway and Hooker Road, near Duncan and Pencarrow Roads.

Tamahere's commitment to protecting native wildlife continues to deliver impressive results, with Predator Free Tamahere recording more than 13,419 pest animals removed since the community-led programme began in 2022.

Tamahere-Woodlands Ward Councillors Crystal Beavis and Mike Keir say Waikato District Council has entered one of the most significant periods of change in recent years, with local government reform, major development projects and infrastructure planning all gathering pace. Their June update highlights several important issues that will affect residents across Tamahere, Matangi, Gordonton and the wider Waikato District.

The Tamahere Community Committee's recent Open Day has confirmed one thing: residents care deeply about the future of their community. Held as part of the Vision Tamahere 2075 initiative, the event attracted a steady stream of residents who took the opportunity to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing Tamahere over the coming decades.

The Tamahere Community Committee is looking for local residents and businesses willing to display one of our new Tamahere Forum signs on a fence, wall, shop frontage, gate, or other suitable private property location. The signs promote the Tamahere Forum website, tamahereforum.org, which continues to grow as an important place for local people to stay informed, share ideas, and contribute to discussions about issues affecting our community.

Waikato District Council has until 9 August 2026 to decide whether it will submit a voluntary proposal to the Government as part of New Zealand's local government reform programme. If no proposal is made before the deadline, the Government could ultimately determine the future structure of local government across the region with far less opportunity for local communities to influence the outcome.