Waikato Herald
  • Waikato Herald home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Locations

  • Hamilton
  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Matamata & Piako
  • Cambridge
  • Te Awamutu
  • Tokoroa & South Waikato
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Weather

  • Thames
  • Hamilton
  • Tokoroa
  • Taumarunui
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Waikato News

Hamilton City Council mourns sudden loss of friend and colleague from medical event

Waikato Herald
29 Jul, 2021 04:17 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Luke O'Dwyer, Hamilton's city planning manager, died suddenly at home on Wednesday night. Photo / Hamilton City Council

Luke O'Dwyer, Hamilton's city planning manager, died suddenly at home on Wednesday night. Photo / Hamilton City Council

Hamilton City Council staff and elected members are devastated by the sudden death of city planning manager, Luke O'Dwyer.

Mr O'Dwyer died at his home in Hamilton last night following an unexpected medical event. He leaves behind his wife Kylie and two young children, as well as extended family and many friends.

Chief executive Richard Briggs said he had advised all Council staff at a pre-planned team meeting this morning.

"Announcing Luke's passing was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. Losing someone so young and so unexpectedly is hard to fathom and this will take some time to process. Luke was a hugely respected and very well-liked member of the HCC family and his passing leaves a massive, massive gap," Briggs said.

O'Dwyer had worked at Hamilton City Council for nine years, joining the city from senior planning roles in both the public and private sector in New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

His current role saw him responsible for managing Hamilton's urban growth through the city's district plan and other planning tools. He advised the city's urban design and heritage panels and also played an important role regionally and nationally.

He had a key role in the multi-agency FutureProof partnership which helps plan for the wider Waikato region and was an advisor on urban issues at a national level. He was also an honorary lecturer in urban and regional planning at the University of Waikato.

"Everyone across the region and nationally would agree Luke was the go-to guy for the region when it came to planning matters," Briggs said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"He had an outstanding depth of knowledge and took a very strategic and long-term focus. He truly wanted the very best for our city. It is hard to exaggerate what a loss this is for Hamilton and the wider region," Briggs said.

Mayor Paula Southgate said councillors were shattered by the news.

"We are all incredibly sad and our love goes out to his family and colleagues. Luke was the most lovely, helpful man, who had a real knack of explaining complex issues in an easy way. He had the most wonderful warm smile and easy going way of dealing with all people.

"His passing is a huge loss to the city, his work has shaped much of the important work to build a strong future for Hamilton. We will always remember that."

Discover more

Lance Vervoort is new city council chief

03 Sep 07:09 PM

Council postponed Thursday's formal Strategic Growth Committee meeting where O'Dwyer was due to present a number of reports and recommendations. Briggs said Council's immediate focus was on supporting Luke's family and his colleagues.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Waikato News

live
Sport

Crusaders claim Super Rugby Pacific title

21 Jun 08:57 AM
Waikato Herald

Nurse conned $112k from workmates for gigs, gambling

20 Jun 11:00 PM
Premium
Waikato Herald

'It was my calling': Inside the Taupō farm taming wild horses

20 Jun 10:00 PM

Jono and Ben brew up a tea-fuelled adventure in Sri Lanka

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Waikato News

Crusaders claim Super Rugby Pacific title
live

Crusaders claim Super Rugby Pacific title

21 Jun 08:57 AM

All the action as the Crusaders and Chiefs clash for the title.

Nurse conned $112k from workmates for gigs, gambling
Waikato Herald

Nurse conned $112k from workmates for gigs, gambling

20 Jun 11:00 PM
Premium
'It was my calling': Inside the Taupō farm taming wild horses
Waikato Herald

'It was my calling': Inside the Taupō farm taming wild horses

20 Jun 10:00 PM
My father was a community hero - he also sexually abused me
Waikato Herald

My father was a community hero - he also sexually abused me

20 Jun 05:00 PM
Help for those helping hardest-hit
sponsored

Help for those helping hardest-hit

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Waikato Herald e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Waikato Herald
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP