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

Waikato residents asked to speak up on key issues for the district

By Peter Tiffany
Waikato Herald·
8 Apr, 2021 03:28 AM4 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

Waikato district is "looking down the barrel" of rising costs in the three waters area, mostly because of stricter controls for water quality and by growth in the district. Photo / File

Waikato district is "looking down the barrel" of rising costs in the three waters area, mostly because of stricter controls for water quality and by growth in the district. Photo / File

Waikato District residents are what rate increase option they prefer, whether the council should sell its pensioner housing and whether it should continue its inorganic rubbish collection.

Feedback opened this week on Waikato District Council's consultation document as it looks to prepare the district's plan of attack for the next 10 years with public drop-in sessions starting on Sunday and running through the month.

The 2021-31 Long Term Plan is reviewed and updated every three years. The council is also asking for feedback on the way it hands out funding, user fees and charges, its development contributions policy and the community hall catchment review.

Public drop-in sessions start on Sunday and run through the month. The first one is here at the Port Waikato community hub. Photo / Supplied
Public drop-in sessions start on Sunday and run through the month. The first one is here at the Port Waikato community hub. Photo / Supplied
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The council is proposing a "hard and fast" general rate increase in year 1 of 9 per cent and then 3.5 per cent for year 2 and 3 of the plan. The other option is to set the general rate increase at 7 per cent in year 1, 6 per cent in year 2 and 4 per cent in year 3.

The inorganic kerbside rubbish collection service is popular but is becoming harder and harder to deliver, not just because of rising costs, the council says.

And it has 34 pensioner flats in Tuakau, Huntly and Ngaruawahia, which it is proposing selling to a dedicated social housing provider.

District mayor Allan Sanson says the council needs to balance what it can deliver with what is affordable in terms of rates and debt.

"As a fast-growth area council, this balancing act will prove to be a huge challenge for us all in the coming years. We need to keep up with this growth, while making sure our community is a desirable place to live, work and play," he says.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"As we worked through preparing for the next 10 years, we knew we were looking down the barrel of rising costs in the Three Waters area. This is mostly by stricter controls for water quality and by the growth in our district.

"We need to balance the services we provide with what our community can afford. As elected members representing you, we have had to make some tough decisions as we have prepared this LTP.

"We've had to weigh up what is best and right for the district, with what we feel is affordable. Trust me when I say there have been many sleepless nights mulling this dilemma over."

The issues are outlined in a consultation document, which will be available from next week at all council offices and libraries or by phoning 0800 492 452, otherwise check out www.waikatodistrict.govt.nz/ltp for more information. Submissions close at 5pm on Friday May 7.

Discover more

Aucklanders encouraged to explore south of the Bombays

28 Mar 09:45 PM

Safety improvements coming for high-risk Waikato roads

03 Apr 07:14 PM

PM and MPs celebrate new Te Huia train service

30 Mar 09:15 PM

City councillors aim to revoke Māori wards vote

07 Apr 05:14 AM

Coming to a town near you

To make sure everyone can get involved, the council will have drop-in sessions where people may ask questions or get help making a submission.

Waikato district Mayor Allan Sanson says the council needs  to balance what it can deliver with what is affordable in terms of rates and debt. Photo / File
Waikato district Mayor Allan Sanson says the council needs to balance what it can deliver with what is affordable in terms of rates and debt. Photo / File

• Port Waikato: Sunday April 11, 11am-2pm, Port Waikato Community Hub.

• Pokeno: Monday April 12, 6.30pm-8pm, Pokeno Hall; Sunday April 18, 8am-2pm, Pokeno Market.

• Tuakau: Tuesday April 13, 6.30pm-8pm, Tuakau Hall.

• Te Akau: Tuesday April 13, 6.30pm-8pm, Te Akau Complex.

• Glen Murray: Wednesday April 14, 6.30pm-8pm, Glen Murray Hall.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

• Te Kauwhata: Wednesday April 14, 6.30pm-8pm, Aparangi, Simmons Hall.

• Huntly: Thursday April 15, 6.30pm-8pm, Huntly Memorial Hall.

• Taupiri: Friday April 16, 11am-2pm, Farmsource Taupiri (barbecue).

• Ngaruawahia: Monday April 19, 6.30pm-8pm, Ngaruawahia War Memorial Hal.l

• Mangatangi: Monday April 19, 6.30pm-8pm, Mangatangi Hall.

• Otaua: Tuesday April 20, 6.30pm-8pm, Otaua Hall.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

• Gordonton: Wednesday April 21, 6.30pm-8pm , Gordonton Hall.

• Te Kowhai: Thursday April 22, 6.30pm-8pm, Te Kowhai Hall.

• Tamahere: Tuesday April 27, 6.30pm-8pm, Tamahere Model Country School, After School Building. Saturday April 17, 8.30am-1pm, Tamahere Market.

• Matangi: Wednesday April 28, 6.30pm-8pm, Matangi Hall.

• Raglan: Thursday April 29, 6.30pm-8pm, Raglan Supper Room. Sunday April 11, 9am-2pm, Raglan Creative Market.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Waikato News

Waikato Herald

State of emergency declared for Tasman region, severe weather warnings across NZ

10 Jul 07:04 AM
Waikato Herald

‘Lock all your doors’: Neighbours recount gunman on loose after Hamilton homicide

10 Jul 07:00 AM
Waikato Herald

'Highly venomous': Deadly sea snake washes up on Coromandel beach

10 Jul 05:38 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Waikato News

State of emergency declared for Tasman region, severe weather warnings across NZ
Waikato Herald

State of emergency declared for Tasman region, severe weather warnings across NZ

10 Jul 07:04 AM

Heavy rain and strong winds are expected in Auckland and Northland.

‘Lock all your doors’: Neighbours recount gunman on loose after Hamilton homicide
Waikato Herald

‘Lock all your doors’: Neighbours recount gunman on loose after Hamilton homicide

10 Jul 07:00 AM
'Highly venomous': Deadly sea snake washes up on Coromandel beach
Waikato Herald

'Highly venomous': Deadly sea snake washes up on Coromandel beach

10 Jul 05:38 AM
Man accused of fatal shooting, stealing car at gunpoint appears in court
Waikato Herald

Man accused of fatal shooting, stealing car at gunpoint appears in court

10 Jul 02:50 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

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