A new survey showing reduced vacancy rates for central city retail sites is a positive economic sign for Hamilton, says Mayor Julie Hardaker. A CB Richard Ellis occupancy survey shows vacancy rates for retail space in Hamilton’s central business district at 11. 3 per cent for December 2011, down from 12. 7 per cent for June 2011 - the equivalent of more than 10,000 square metres. Ms Hardaker says ... more...

Get the family on their bikes and pedal down to one of Hamilton’s February Bike Wise Month events to be in with a chance win a brand new bicycle. Hamilton City Council is giving away six new bicycles – three for children and three for adults – as part of three community events during a month aimed at encouraging New Zealanders to enjoy the fun, freedom and health benefits of cycling. The three c... more...

An independent review of Claudelands’ Business Plan will see Council setting more realistic financial and business targets which better reflect the reality of operating the city’s prime convention, exhibition and events facility. The report by Horwath HTL received this week, was commissioned last December by Council once it became aware of budget shortfalls at Claudelands. It will be discussed by... more...

Work on a major upgrade of the Parana Park children’s play area on Memorial Drive begins this month, and will include installation of a new water feature for pre-school children. Acting Parks and Gardens Manager Sally Sheedy said the upgrade had been made possible by a significant grant from Potter Masonic Trust, and the project would be a much-needed refurbishment of an ageing play area which re... more...

Events to mark Waitangi Day 2012 in Hamilton will be held in the city centre. Supported by Hamilton City Council, Te Runanga o Kirikiriroa and Te Puni Kokiri, the city’s official Waitangi Day events will start at 7am, beginning with a whakatau. Mayor Julie Hardaker will formally open proceedings at Civic Square at 7am, while representatives of Tainui and local ethnic communities will also speak ... more...

The rates and financial challenge issued to councils by Local Government Minister Nick Smith is already being tackled by Hamilton City Council, which has proposed a fixed 3. 8% rate increase for each of the next 10 years. Hamilton Mayor Julie Hardaker says the Council has been working hard to get its budget into shape and address issues including rates increases, debt and spending of ratepayers mo... more...

Hamilton City Council has appointed Sean Murray as its new Events and Economic Development General Manager. Sean, who is presently an Auckland based independent business consultant, will oversee Council’s economic development opportunities and management, events facilities, major events and sponsorship, property portfolio management, commercial activities, and Hamilton Zoo. He starts in the posit... more...

Residents in Hamilton and the Waikato district are permitted to use domestic sprinkler and irrigation systems between 6am-8am and 6pm-8pm only, following the introduction of water alert level 1 today. The need for water restrictions in Hamilton and the Waikato district has been triggered by a significant increase in water consumption over the past two weeks, largely due to increasing periods of h... more...

Both lanes of Hamilton’s Resolution Drive will be closed until early next week while pavement maintenance work is completed. City Transportation Manager Phil Consedine said pavements running alongside the arterial road, in the city’s northeast, are being strengthened through a cement stabilising method. The work is part of a renewal programme, and is done frequently on Hamilton’s busier roads. “... more...

It’s all about the kids in Garden Place for the next couple of Saturdays. Hamilton City Council’s Summer in Garden Place programme of events will see the More FM Kids Water Carnival fill the city square tomorrow (14 January), followed next Saturday (21 January) by a Trade Toy Fair where young entrepreneurs can buy and sell old toys. Garden Place Space Manager Greg Stack says the More FM Kids Wat... more...

Work to remove the Garden Place Peace Wall has started, marking the final phase of Hamilton City Council’s CityHeart project.   Contractors last week erected a fence around the Peace Wall, which will be demolished in coming weeks as Worley Place and Alexandra Street are connected.   CityHeart Programme Manager Jason Harrison said the two-metre high perimeter fence would remain in pla... more...

Following extensive consultation and a record number of submissions, Council has decided to keep Hamilton’s existing land value based rating system, rather than move to a capital value based system. Council made the decision at last week’s 10-Year Plan meetings. This follows a comprehensive 6 week consultation which saw 2,763 submissions made, and 106 submitters speaking to their submission durin... more...

Hamilton City Council is continuing to take action following the Audit NZ report into its handling of the V8 Supercars event, with it’s Deputy Chief Executive being demoted for his role in the event. Council Chief Executive Barry Harris today announced DCE Blair Bowcott will be demoted from Deputy Chief Executive to General Manager Performance, from 1 January 2012. Barry Harris says: “This acti... more...

An extended section of the public walkway along the western bank of the Waikato River through central Hamilton has been closed due to a landslip. The riverbank walkway between London Street and the Claudelands Bridge was closed yesterday, 19 December, until further notice, said Council’s Acting Parks and Gardens Manager Sally Sheedy. The slip is approximately 30 metres north of an existing walkw... more...

Hundreds of plants have been stolen from two of Hamilton’s public parks. Hamilton City Council’s Parks and Gardens Manager Sally Sheedy said more than 600 bedding plants, mainly begonias and marigolds, had been taken from gardens in Memorial Park and Parana Park. The two parks are on the eastern side of the Waikato River. Miss Sheedy says the thefts had occurred over the past two weeks, and staf... more...

A new electronic waste collection facility is scheduled to open early next year in Hamilton. The new facility, at 8A Jolly Street in Frankton, will collect and disassemble a range of domestic electrical appliances (“e-waste”) so components and materials can be reused and recycled. The Hamilton RCN e-Cycle site will be operated by Raglan-based recycling organisation Xtreme Waste Incorporated, in ... more...

Hamilton Mayor Julie Hardaker has welcomed the appointment of Nick Smith as Minister for Local Government in the National Government’s new Cabinet. Mayor Hardaker said Mr Smith’s appointment to the Local Government portfolio fitted well with his Environment portfolio, and he would bring considerable experience and acumen to his new role overseeing Local Government in New Zealand. “I have congrat... more...

Hamilton Gardens may soon have some special new residents, with six artificial bat houses to be installed at the site this week as part of Project Echo. Project Echo is a multi-agency collaborative initiative to encourage the conservation of long-tailed bats in Hamilton’s urban areas, and to monitor what is hoped will be a growth in their population. Hamilton City Council (through its Parks and G... more...

A junior club rugby stalwart, a life member of the Lions Club and a long-serving Hamilton dance tutor and choreographer will be among the recipients of the 2011 Hamilton Civic Awards this week. The Awards will be presented on Friday morning (9 December) Council Chamber, and recognise the efforts of a range of residents who have undertaken considerable voluntary work throughout their lives. This ... more...

The direction of Hamilton city for the next 10 years, and the rating system it has will be the focus of a week long series of meetings at Council from Monday. Five days of meetings from 12-16 December will see Council making key decisions about what should go forward into the city’s draft 10-Year Plan, as well as the rating system the city should have. Decisions made will progress into the draft ... more...

Regional interdependence and meeting Auckland’s industrial land needs are two of the key aspects of Hamilton City Council’s submission to the Draft Auckland Plan. Hamilton Mayor Julie Hardaker presented the submission yesterday (5 December) to the Auckland Council, highlighting how Hamilton can further develop its relationship with its northern metropolitan neighbour and continue to enhance the U... more...

Ruakura residents and landowners have been invited to learn about and comment on what is being planned for the Ruakura area at two open days next week. Hamilton City Council’s Fast Forward team is holding the Draft Ruakura Structure Plan open days on the 5th and 6th of December. The open days are the start of a consultation process for the long term blueprint for land use in Ruakura going forward... more...

A major change to one of Hamilton’s busiest car parks gets its first green light this weekend as part of the CityHeart project. From Saturday, 3 December, vehicles using the Garden Place car park will now only enter and exit the facility on Anglesea Street, where new traffic signals have been installed and tested, and new traffic islands are in place. There will no longer be entry from Alexandra ... more...

The jolly man in the red suit will leave the reindeer to graze for a few extra days and arrive in a hot rod for Enderley’s Christmas in the Park next month. The annual event, to be held on December 9, will also give Santa Claus a chance to replenish his energy levels ahead of the big day, with numerous food stalls and a kids barbecue also arranged. Shannon Kelly, Hamilton City Council’s Hamilto... more...

Olly Te Ua has been appointed Hamilton City Council’s new Organisational Development General Manager. Olly, who starts in the position at the end of January, is presently Council’s Community Development Unit Manager. He brings with him a range of front line experience from his six years at Council and previously at the Ministry of Social Development and Ministry of Maori Development. He has ser... more...

Hamilton City Council will not pursue a bid to host games during the FIFA Under 20 World Cup in 2015. At Council’s Ordinary Meeting at Western Community Centre, Councillors today voted 7-4 against submitting a bid to New Zealand Football to hold matches in the Tournament. The bid Request for Proposal, sought by New Zealand Football, would have been the Council’s first major step toward the city... more...

A delegation of Chinese Local Government officials will visit Hamilton’s Waiwhakareke Natural Heritage Park next week. The six-strong group includes five representatives of the People’s Government of Nansha District, from the south-east China province of Guangdong. Among the group are two Vice-Directors of the Nansha District People’s Government, and the Director of the Nansha District Government... more...

Don’t be surprised if you are one of only a few people moving in Garden Place about 12. 30pm on Friday. The city’s main public square is the location for a “Flash Freeze” event during which participants will spontaneously freeze on the spot to show their support for White Ribbon Day, a one-day nationwide campaign to condemn violence against women. Participants in the Flash Freeze are urged to wear... more...

Council has turned down an approach by the organisers of the Erotica Lifestyles Expo to hold the event at Claudelands next March. The Strategy and Policy Committee yesterday rejected the proposal, viewing the event to be held at the Council-run Claudelands events venue as unsuitable for the city. The Committee agreed that a report into the need for a policy on appropriate events to be held at Co... more...

Hamilton City Council has decided against pursuing an investigation at this time into a claim against a former Chief Executive for payments connected to the city's hosting of the V8 Supercars event. The matter was considered in a public excluded Council meeting yesterday (21 November) where advice was received from Council’s solicitors. This follows a recent report from Audit New Zealand into th... more...

A significant new public artwork will be unveiled in Hamilton’s Garden Place this Friday, 25 November. The sculpture by renowned New Zealand artist Neil Miller was commissioned as part of the CityHeart Garden Place development works and represents a number of aspects of the site’s history and cultural significance. An official unveiling for the sculpture will be held in Garden Place from 7. 30am ... more...

A rose named after Hamilton Gardens has claimed a category award at the annual Pacific Rose Bowl. The Pacific Rose Bowl was held at Hamilton Gardens over four days from 17 November, and includes seven different award categories: Rose of the Year, Best Floribunda Rose, Best Climbing Rose, Best NZ Breed Rose, Best Fragrant Rose, Children's Award and Best Hybrid Tea. The event draws entrants from ar... more...

A lease agreement between Hamilton City Council and AA Insurance Limited will bring up to 80 new jobs to the city. The agreement will see AA Insurance lease the third floor of the BNZ Building at 354 Victoria Street from 1 January 2012 for a call centre, which will employ up to 80 staff. The BNZ Building is one of the investment assets of Council’s Municipal Endowment Fund. Hamilton Mayor Juli... more...

Hamilton City Council has kept its same favourable AA- credit rating, following Fitch Ratings recent review of Council after Audit New Zealand’s report into Council’s V8 Supercars race processes. Fitch Ratings’ Sydney office affirmed Council’s long term currency ratings at AA- and its short term local currency rating at F1+. The outlook continues as stable. In confirming the ratings Fitch said t... more...

The Waikato Times Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival has been crowned the Outstanding Event by the New Zealand Recreation Association at its annual awards. The awards, held on Thursday night (17 November) in Dunedin, recognise contribution to the parks and recreation sector. The festival was launched in 1998, and was originally run by Hamilton Gardens staff. It is now run by a trust and has become... more...

A report to Hamilton City Council’s Ordinary Meeting next week recommends the city consider making a bid for matches as part of the 2015 FIFA Under 20 World Cup in New Zealand. Council will receive the report, for consideration by the Mayor and Councillors, during the open section of its meeting, which will be held on 24 November at Western Community Centre on Hyde Avenue. Lance Vervoort, Acting... more...

Hamilton City Council has appointed Jason Dawson as its new Customer Relationships General Manager. Jason, who is currently General Manager Community Relations at Northland Regional Council, will start in the role in February. He will oversee Council’s customer strategy and delivery, governance and democratic support, I-site and communication, marketing and online. He brings with him a range of ... more...

Students from Hamilton’s Whitiora School will take part in a mock Council meeting in the Hamilton City Council Chamber next Wednesday, 23 November as part of an ‘Adopt a Councillor’ initiative. A concept of Hamilton City Councillor Angela O’Leary, Adopt a Councillor aims to build relationships between Hamilton primary school-aged students and Council by inviting schools to ‘adopt’ a City Councill... more...

Hamilton Lake will be no place for cats next weekend when the city’s annual Paws in the Park dog walk event is held. One of New Zealand’s largest canine events, Paws in the Park draws hundreds of dog owners and their pooches to the dog exercise area at Innes Common adjacent to Hamilton Lake Domain. This year the event is on Saturday, 26 November – election day – and is hosted by Hamilton City Cou... more...

Close collaboration between Hamilton City Council and Kiwi Income Property Trust will result in an extensive redevelopment of the Centre Place retail complex, complementing Hamilton’s CityHeart Revitalisation project. The Trust today announced the $39. 9 million redevelopment of Centre Place, which includes the formal closing of Ward Street between Anglesea Street and Worley place – with Worley Pl... more...

Members of the public will be able to question representatives from the country’s three largest political parties when transport and road safety issues are debated at the New Zealand Traffic Institute (TRAFINZ) conference in Hamilton today. The national conference, co-hosted by Hamilton City Council at Claudelands, includes a debate this afternoon between National’s Hamilton East MP David Bennett... more...

A talk by New Zealand’s road policing manager, a cross-party political debate and an explanation of how teenage boys’ mentality can relate to driving decisions are features of the New Zealand Traffic Institute (TRAFINZ) conference at Claudelands this week. The conference, to be held at Hamilton’s new Claudelands events and exhibition centre and co-hosted by Hamilton City Council, opens today (Mon... more...

Hamilton City Council is not removing the Rogers Rose Garden. At a Council meeting this week removal of Rogers Rose Garden at Hamilton Gardens was put forward by staff as a cost-saving option in a Parks and Open Space report presented to Council. The option had no backing from Council and was rejected. Opening hours for Hamilton City Council’s Public Libraries will be slightly reduced under a p... more...

Two brand new bicycles will be among the spot prizes up for grabs at the inaugural Crawshaw Duathlon this Sunday, 13 November at Crawshaw Park. A joint initiative between Hamilton City Council, Sport Waikato and Crawshaw School, the duathlon was the brainchild of Council Youth Advisor Ani Nock and Community Advisor Ioana Manu who wanted to help encourage Crawshaw families to be active together. ... more...

Recommended changes in the wake of the Audit New Zealand report into the city’s V8s have been unanimously supported by Hamilton City Council, and mark a new path forward for the organisation. At Council’s Extraordinary Meeting today, Chief Executive Barry Harris tabled his response to the Audit New Zealand report, with 27 recommendations which will ensure Councillors are provided with timely and ... more...

Mayor Julie Hardaker, Councillor Martin Gallagher and Chief Executive Barry Harris met with Local Government Minister Rodney Hide today, where the findings of the Audit New Zealand report where the subject of extensive discussion. Mr Hide voiced serious concerns about the findings of the report, which detailed serious shortcomings in the financial reporting, delegation of authority and contract m... more...

Significant changes to Hamilton City Council’s reporting procedures and project business case assessment are likely to result from the Audit NZ report on the handling of the city’s V8 Supercars event. In his response to the Audit NZ report, Council Chief Executive Barry Harris has announced 27 recommended actions in a report and supporting documents which will be tabled at Wednesday’s Extraordina... more...

One hundred and seventy submitters will voice their opinions on the proposed changes to Hamilton’s rating system when four days of hearings get underway this week. The hearings will be held on 10 November, 11 November, 14 November and 21 November in the Council Chamber. In August Council gave the go-ahead to consult on the proposal to move Hamilton from the current land based rating system to Ca... more...

Hamilton City Council has acknowledged the immense contribution made to the city by the late Brian Perry. Mr Perry, who established the Perry Group in the 1950s, passed away on Thursday. He was a noted philanthropist who had “given back” to the Hamilton and Waikato communities through the Brian Perry Foundation. An astute businessman, Mr Perry’s commercial operations employed hundreds of Hamilto... more...

Budget-conscious festivities are the focus of the Low Cost Living Christmas Expo at the Western Community Centre tomorrow. Hamilton City Council Community Advisor Ioana Manu said expo will be a great opportunity for families to learn and participate in activities and services that will support them to live effectively within their income. The expo will include food tasting, recipe books, ideas ... more...

Innovation Waikato Limited has been given approval for a capital investment company to take a 50% shareholding in the company valued at $13. 2 million. Innovation Waikato Limited (IWL) is currently owned by Hamilton City Council (19. 8%) and Katolyst Trust (80. 2%). At its Ordinary Meeting this week, Council voted unanimously to allow Eden Agricapital Ltd to invest in news shares to provide a capit... more...

Hamilton City Council remains supportive of a commuter rail service between the city and Auckland, but believes the time is not right to fund it. Council today voted 7-4 in principle to support the proposed service, but will not commit finances to it. The project to provide supporting rail infrastructure will be identified as an unfunded project in the draft 10-Year Plan. The public will then be... more...

Hamilton City Council will hold its November Ordinary Meeting at the Western Community Centre, just the second time Council has met outside the Council Chamber. The move to have meetings in venues other than the Council Chamber is a new initiative, said Democratic Services Manager Anthony Dick. Council has held an Ordinary Meeting outside the Council Chamber on only one previous occasion, when ... more...

A revised business plan for Claudelands will be put in place and its financial situation tracked monthly as Hamilton City Council works to overcome its budgetary shortfalls. At its monthly meeting today, Council’s Finance and Monitoring Committee passed a resolution which also set up a new working party to monitor Claudelands’ performance. The working group comprises Mayor Julie Hardaker, Finance... more...

Hamilton City Council and the Chiefs Super Rugby franchise have agreed a new deal for the use of Waikato Stadium. The deal, announced today, will see the Chiefs play a minimum of five Super Rugby matches at the venue, with Council to receive a competitive percentage of the combined gross ticket sales from each game, in line with current sporting event market practice. Should the Chiefs host the c... more...

Economic development and promotion of Hamilton, capital expenditure, funding depreciation of the city’s assets, and further Parks and Gardens budget savings are among the items to be discussed during Hamilton City Council’s next 10-Year Plan meeting. Council meets again on Monday, 31 October, to examine a range of 10-Year Plan proposals. It is the eighth in a series of meetings during which Counc... more...

Recommendations and learnings from Audit New Zealand’s report into Hamilton’s V8 Supercar event will be the focus of Council as it works to ensure there is no repeat of issues highlighted in the review. The report, presented to Council yesterday (27 October), was commissioned by Council for an independent review of the process followed for the annual races which have run on the streets of Hamilto... more...

Hamilton’s events venue Claudelands has received two New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA) Waikato Bay of Plenty Architecture Awards. The venue received local NZIA Awards in the ‘Public Architecture’ and ‘Resene Colour Award’ categories. As a recipient of the local NZIA awards, Claudelands is now in the running for the national NZIA Architecture Awards to be judged next year. Claudelands wa... more...

Waikato Museum is open for business today and this weekend after it was given priority gas supply by Genesis Energy. Yesterday it appeared the Museum would need to close as a result of disrupted gas supply stemming from the Maui pipeline rupture which has affected much of the North Island. Museum director Kate Vusoniwailala said there had been concerns about the environmental conditions inside t... more...

Hamilton children are in for a treat on Saturday when the annual Treats in the Park is held at Elliott Park. The community-focussed event, from 2pm to 7. 30pm, brings families and neighbours together in a safe environment, and is themed around Halloween. Youth advisor Ani Nock, who is based at the Western Community Centre, says this year’s Treats in the Park will feature volleyball, dodgeball, gr... more...

Waikato Museum will close for at least three days as a result of the Maui gas pipeline rupture. Museum director Kate Vusoniwailala said that with gas supply to the facility disrupted, the museum’s ability to control internal environmental conditions was affected. Ms Vusoniwailala said the best way to control the environment and temperature inside the museum was to close the doors altogether. “T... more...

Waikato’s three Rugby World Cup-winning All Blacks will be honoured at a special civic event in Garden Place tomorrow. Stephen Donald, Richard Kahui and Mils Muliaina will arrive at Garden Place at 12. 30pm on Friday, 28 October, and will be presented with gifts from the city. The trio will also take a few questions from Waikato Rugby stalwart, former All Black and broadcaster Matthew Cooper on t... more...

Immediate steps are being taken to help boost revenue and event bookings at Claudelands after early forecasts show the venue is not on track to meet its targets for this financial year. A report outlining Claudelands’ current financial situation and forecasts, and the venue’s response will be discussed at Council’s Finance and Monitoring Committee next Tuesday (1 November). Factors behind the f... more...

Hamilton City Council has begun cutting off natural gas supplies to a number of its sites following the Maui pipeline rupture. Ray Pooley, Council’s property manager, said Genesis Energy had asked Council to shut off gas supply to sites which include Founders Theatre, parts of Hamilton Gardens (including the workshop and nursery), the Meteor Theatre, changing rooms at Council-owned sports grounds... more...

Hamilton’s ‘Christmas at Clarence St’ theatre programme is back for its fifth year, with a great line-up of entertainment to celebrate the festive season. The Christmas at Clarence St programme began in 2007 after being initiated by Hamilton City Theatres in partnership with local and national organisations. Hamilton City Theatres Business Development Manager Megan Lyon said that five years on,... more...

Eight Yahoo! NZ Northern Knights cricket stars will be swapping cricket bats for library books when they visit four Hamilton libraries this Friday at 10am in an effort to encourage children to develop their love of reading. The visits are part of a partnership between the Yahoo! NZ Northern Knights, Hamilton City Libraries and Duffy Books in Homes programme, which works with low decile schools to... more...

A diverse range of contemporary and classic music will add ambience to Garden Place from today. The refurbished city square’s new sound system will be switched on today, and will play a broad selection of music from 10am to 4pm from Monday to Friday. Garden Place Space Manager Greg Stack said the sound system playlist included American soul music, classical music, vintage rock’n’roll, contempora... more...

Proposals around reducing library hours, cutting the book collections budget and charging for adult fiction borrowing at Hamilton’s six libraries have been pulled back by Council at yesterday’s meeting. Councillors did not accept the recommendation from staff to charge $2 per book for adult fiction borrowing, and modified the proposed book collections budget from a $500,000 reduction to $200,000,... more...

Clad yourself in black or blue, bring down your beanbag, and settle in for the biggest match of the year. Hamilton’s Rugby World Cup 2011 Fanzone will reopen on Sunday night for the Tournament’s showpiece match, a rematch of the inaugural 1987 Final between the All Blacks and France. The Fanzone will open at 7pm, and added attractions include a Rugby bungy, an inflatable pirate ship for kids to ... more...

Audit New Zealand has today confirmed they will present their audit report into the processes around Hamilton’s V8 Supercar event at Council’s 27 October meeting. The report has been commissioned by Council for an independent review of the process followed by Council. V8 races on the streets of Hamilton have run annually since 2008, and it has recently been announced 2012 will be the last V8 Supe... more...

Hamilton City Council has appointed two new trustees to the Vibrant Hamilton Trust. The Vibrant Hamilton Trust promotes the social, economic, environmental and cultural wellbeing of the City of Hamilton and its communities. It has replaced the now dissolved Waikato Foundation Trust. Hamilton lawyer Thomas Gibbons and experienced trustee and former City Councillor Malcolm Brooker have taken the ... more...

Savings and revenue proposals across Hamilton’s libraries, cemeteries and crematorium, and funding for Maori and Pacific projects are under the spotlight at this week’s Council meeting as it builds towards a draft 10-Year Plan to consult on. The meeting on Thursday 20 October, is the sixth being held over September and October reviewing the entire business of Council as part of its drive to make ... more...

Savings of $808,000 and increased revenue of $1. 18 million across five core areas of Council business covering water, waste and transportation were agreed yesterday for taking forward into Council’s draft 10-Year Plan. Council agreed the savings and revenue gains at the meeting, one of a series reviewing the entire business of Council to making operational savings of $14. 5 million in order to sta... more...

Increases to a range of fees and charges including building consents, planning and dog registration, agreed at last week’s Council meeting will go forward into the city’s draft 10-Year Plan. Council agreed the changes at the midway point of a series of meetings taking place over September and October reviewing the entire business of Council as part of building the 2012-22 Plan. The public will ha... more...

Savings in the areas of water, waste and transportation are up for discussion when Hamilton City Council meets on Tuesday, 11 October. The meeting will be the fifth of seven held throughout September and October to review the entire business of Council as part of its drive to make operational savings of $14. 5 million in order to stabilise the city’s debt and rates. At Tuesday’s meeting Council w... more...

Hamilton City Council will undertake a full consultation process to determine the long-term future of the Frankton Market. The market, a fixture of the Hamilton suburb for more than 15 years, has traditionally been held on Saturday mornings. The market takes place on Commerce Street, Frankton’s main retail boulevard, and requires a full road closure. However, major retailer Forlongs has voiced c... more...

Nominations for the 2011 Civic Awards, among the city’s highest awards, have now opened. The annual awards recognise the contribution of tireless and proactive individuals to Hamilton and its community, and culminate with a special ceremony in the Council Chamber on 9 December, when a maximum of 20 awards will be bestowed on Hamiltonians. Nominations are sought for individuals whose efforts in s... more...

Members of the public will next week have a final chance to hear a presentation from the Deputy Mayor and talk to Councillors and staff about proposed changes to the city’s Rating System. Council is proposing a change from a land value-based rating system to one based on capital value. It is proposed this would be implemented over five years from July 2012. Other proposed changes include rating f... more...

Proposals to increase revenue by $1. 5 million and make savings of $740,000 across seven wide ranging areas of Hamilton city’s business are up for discussion this week at a key Council meeting. The meeting on Thursday 6 October is the next in a series taking place over September and October reviewing the entire business of Council as part of building a 10-Year Plan for 2012-22. Waikato Museum, Sw... more...

The sale of all or part of Hamilton City Council’s Housing for Older Persons portfolio is on the cards after elected members voted 9-1 in support of the move at Friday’s meeting to form a draft 10-Year Plan. The meeting was the latest in a series taking place throughout September and October to make operational savings of $14. 5 million in order to keep the city’s debt under control. Council endo... more...

Hamilton City Council will not pursue a partnership with Rotorua-based Te Arawa Group Holdings to develop a hotel on land behind the ArtsPost building on Victoria Street. Te Arawa’s proposal was for the construction of a $25 million 150-room 3. 5-4 star hotel on the site, which is currently a carpark. Council considers the land as having strong ties to the city’s art precinct, and believes hotel ... more...

Hamilton City Council will broadcast its Council meeting via the internet for the first time this Thursday (29 September), following the installation of web cameras in the Chamber. Three web cameras have been positioned in the Chamber (on the back wall behind the public gallery and on pillars on either side of the room) and have been tested in preparation for tomorrow’s meeting. The cameras wil... more...

A 5% reduction in its Parks and Open Spaces budget is part of Hamilton City Council’s drive for $14. 5 million operations expenditure savings. The 5% reduction (equating to $1. 1 million), as part of a report into Parks and Open Spaces levels of service was endorsed by Council during today’s 10-Year Plan meeting. Council voted 5 to 4 to request staff examine the feasibility of a further 5% cost sav... more...

Council scrutiny of all its business as part of developing a 10-Year Plan for Hamilton, this week focuses on housing, parks and open spaces and indoor recreation. The meetings are the second and third of seven which are reviewing the entire business of Council as part of its drive to make operational savings of $14. 5 million in order to keep the city’s debt under control. At its Tuesday 27 Septe... more...

Tangi hotuhotu ana te manawa mou kua wehe neiTakoto mai te uri o PuhiTakahia atu ra te ara o ngaa tuupunaKi te huinga o te KahurangiMoe mai ra I roto I te Ariki TRANSLATION:One’s heart is grieved exceedingly by your passingRest oh child of Puhi (Nga Puhi)And walk the path of your ancestorsTo the gathering place of nobilityThere sleep in the arms of God On behalf of Hamilton, it is with insurmoun... more...

The outstanding achievements of Hamilton youth will be celebrated at the Recognyz Youth Awards 2011 at Founders Theatre next Friday, 30 September from 7. 30pm. Now in its seventh year, the Recognyz Youth Awards showcase the amazing and often unnoticed contributions that young people aged 12-24 years old make to Hamilton. Awards will be presented in seven categories, as well as an overall Suprem... more...

The next step in the Wairere Drive section of the Ring Road project is about to begin, with work getting underway on Pukete Bridge in preparation for the new pedestrian and cyclist clip-on. The bridge work will begin on Monday and take about nine months to complete. It is planned that the bridge will remain open to all road users including pedestrians and cyclists while the work is carried out, ... more...

The first difficult decisions required of Council to meet its operational savings target of $14. 5 million were made today, with services to the community under the spotlight. Council agreed with a number of recommendations from staff covering the Community Development Unit, which if adopted as part of the 10-Year Plan would see savings of $1. 26 million. The savings agreed today will accompany ot... more...

Hamilton is to introduce a 40km/h speed limit in eight areas of the city in an effort to make suburban streets safer. Council’s Strategy and Policy Committee yesterday (21 September) gave their approval to reduce the speed limits as part of a national demonstration project for ‘Safer Speed Areas’. This follows recent consultation with the community and key stakeholders over four weeks which saw ... more...

The first in depth scrutiny of Council’s business as part of the drive to make operational savings of $14. 5million gets underway next week. The Extraordinary Council meeting on 22 September as part of the 10-Year Plan process will be taking a close look at the work of the Community Development Unit. The meeting is the first of seven which will be reviewing the entire business of Council in order... more...

Council-owned parking facilities will stay open for extended hours this weekend to cater for Rugby World Cup 2011 fans and visitors. Fans attending Friday and Sunday’s matches at Waikato Stadium are being urged to use the Walking Route to the venue to avoid traffic congestion, or to take the rugby shuttle bus operating every 10 minutes around the city centre. The Walking Route will have volunteer... more...

Around 51,000 letters are this week being sent to Hamilton property owners, outlining Council’s proposal to change Hamilton’s rating system, as well as giving information about how their rates could change. Consultation on the proposal to change from a land based rating system to capital value (CV) opened on 1 September and runs until 12 October when submissions close. The proposal to move to CV... more...

Live music, the switching on of a new fountain and ice skating displays will be part of next week’s opening of Hamilton’s revitalised Garden Place. Mayor Julie Hardaker will officially open Garden Place in an action-packed evening from 5. 00pm on Thursday, 15 September. Part of the CityHeart project, Garden Place has rejuvenated and beautified for Hamiltonians and visitors, and next Thursday’s la... more...

Improved pedestrian access from the central city to Claudelands is the major focus of work beginning next week. Part of the CityHeart project, the City to Claudelands Link Project includes refurbishment of footpaths and grass verges on O’Neill Street, new traffic and pedestrian-controlled crossing on River Road, and new landscaping in the Sonning Carpark. The project will also see removal of riv... more...

  Live music, a giant video screen, competitions and a Zumba dance session will be features of Hamilton’s family-friendly Rugby World Cup FanZone.   The FanZone, comprising parts of Hood Street and Alexandra Street in Hamilton’s central business district, will be open for six nights during Rugby World Cup 2011 – including the night of the Tournament Final.   Waikato bands The M... more...

Hamilton voters will be given the opportunity to decide which voting system they want when they vote at the next council elections. Council agreed at their 25 August meeting that a poll be held at the 2013 elections where voters will be able to choose which voting system to use for the 2016 elections. A public information campaign would be held before the 2013 elections to inform voters about th... more...

Four courageous Hamiltonians will be presented with bravery awards from the Royal Humane Society of New Zealand tomorrow in recognition of their efforts during two separate rescue attempts on the Waikato River. Hamilton Mayor Julie Hardaker, who is a Vice-Patron of the Royal Humane Society of New Zealand, will present the awards on the Society’s behalf during tomorrow’s Council Meeting. Jessica ... more...

Hamilton City Council’s ongoing enhancement of the cultural and social well-being of its community has been recognised with the New Zealand Diversity Award.   The annual award was presented last night at the 2011 New Zealand Diversity Forum function, held at Claudelands, and  was presented by the Race Relations Commissioner, Joris de Bres. The award recognised Council’s support of a nu... more...

  Hamilton City Council will discuss future electoral system options at its Ordinary Council meeting this Thursday, 25 August.   Under the Local Electoral Act 2011, Council must consider the electoral system under which its 2013 and 2016 triennial elections are held, said Democratic Support Services Manager Anthony Dick.   Mr Dick said Council will receive a report, by Independ... more...

The New Zealand flag outside Hamilton City Council’s chamber will fly at half-mast today in honour of the New Zealand Defence Force soldier killed in Afghanistan.   The flying of the flag at half-mast is at the request of Prime Minister John Key, and applies to all Government buildings.   The flag will be lowered again on the day of the soldier’s funeral, the date of which has not ye... more...

Hamilton City Council is seeking feedback on a proposal to introduce a 40km/h speed limit in eight areas of the city as part of the first stage of a national road safety initiative aimed at making urban streets safer. The national Safer Journeys demonstration project aims to reduce the number and severity of crashes occurring on urban roads by establishing ‘Safer Speed Areas’ – residential areas ... more...

A fairer and simpler rating system for Hamilton are behind Council’s decision to consult on a new Capital Value (CV) rating system. Councillors this week (18 August) gave the go-ahead to consulting around changing from the current land based rating system to capital value which is one which includes both the land and buildings value on a property. The proposal, to be introduced over 5 years fro... more...

An independent review into the recent overflow at Hamilton’s Wastewater Treatment Plant found there was a good response to the spill, but that some improvements could be made to processes. Council has already implemented a number of the recommendations contained in the report by consultants MWH into the 31 July spill, and has an action plan to ensure the completion of the remaining actions. The ... more...

  Hamilton City Youth Council will be showcased at the New Zealand Diversity Forum next week.   The Diversity Forum, to be held at Claudelands, is an annual event jointly hosted by the New Zealand Human Rights Commission and the Hamilton Multicultural Services Trust. The Forum’s goal is to encourage people to get involved in race relations and human rights issues, celebrate cultural ... more...

Organic blueberry ice cream, drinks, muffins and pies will feature on the menu, when the first retail kiosk opens in the new-look Garden Place next month. Monavale Blueberries Ltd will be the first business to occupy a retail kiosk in Garden Place, after its concept for a kiosk was recently given the green light by Council. In addition to the blueberry-based products, the kiosk will also offer fr... more...

Hamilton’s rating system review, changes to fees and charges, spending on future projects, the city’s assets and investments, including housing for older people will all come under scrutiny by Council this week. The Extraordinary Council meeting on Thursday 18 August is the third of eight being held between June and November which will provide guidance and direction for the drafting of the Counci... more...

The New Zealand flag outside the Hamilton City Council Chamber will fly at half-mast for the next three days in honour of the late Sir Paul Reeves.   Sir Paul, Anglican Archbishop and Primate of New Zealand from 1980 to 1985 and the New Zealand Governor-General between 1985 and 1990, died on Sunday after a battle with cancer.   Hamilton Mayor Julie Hardaker said: “He was a great cont... more...

Hamilton City Council has confirmed 11 hectares of land in the city’s northeastern suburbs can be used by the Ministry of Education for a new high school.   Council’s Statutory Management  voted unanimously to accept the Rototuna site, near North City Road and bordering land designated for a further extension of the Waikato Expressway, for educational purposes.   City Planning U... more...

  The efforts of a group of Melville mothers to have a new children’s play facility built in their neighbourhood culminates on Friday with the official opening of the Pine Avenue playground.   The idea for a new playground in the Bader neighbourhood reaches back to 2009, and stemmed from regular Friday morning meetings by mothers in the area. Many of the women were without transport, ... more...

  A Shakespearean production, a community shed for men to tinker and network, and traditional youth groups such as Scouts and Sea Cadets are among recipients of the annual Hamilton City Council Community Well-Being Grants.   Council has made grants to more than 130 organisations as part of the annual Community Well-Being funding round which saw $209,000 allocated. Thirty-four applican... more...

Hamilton City Council has commissioned a new research of its economic development initiatives as it strives to maximise the benefit from its range of investments.   The research, part of the ongoing 10-Year Plan process, will be undertaken by University of Waikato’s Institute of Business Research, and examine how Council stimulates economic growth through various parts of its business. &nb... more...

The sale of a Hamilton City Council commercial investment property to Tourism Holdings Limited has been finalised today (Friday, 5 August). The property at 32 Kaimiro Street, Pukete, has been sold for $7,335,000. Tourism Holdings Limited has tenanted the property since July 2007, following the relocation of its caravan and motorhome manufacturing business Ci Munro from Otorohanga to Hamilton. 32... more...

Realigning key areas of work to better meet the future needs of Hamilton city is the driver behind Hamilton City Council’s group reorganisation. Taking effect from 8 August, and announced today (3 August), the changes see Council’s work organised into seven key areas which better reflect the city’s challenges ahead as well as working towards a financially sustainable future. The key changes are ... more...

A full investigation is underway by Hamilton City Council following a wastewater spill at Hamilton’s Wastewater Treatment Plant yesterday (31 July). The fully treated wastewater sludge overflowed its tank, flowing into the Treatment Plant’s storm water system and from there into the Waikato River. Around 140m3 of sludge overflowed, but it is unclear how much of this flowed into the storm water an... more...

A partnership approach between Hamilton City Council and Tainui Group Holdings has this week seen formal agreement reached and a resource consent issued for the final stage of development at The Base. The site, between The Base Parade and Te Kowhai Rd will be developed by Tainui Group Holdings (TGH) over the next five years. It will contain a mix of large scale retail space, office space, trainin... more...

Sue Duignan, Hamilton City Council’s People and Performance general manager, is leaving the organisation after 15 years.   She has held a number of positions within Council, including leading the Community Services Group for nine years.   “Her contributions to the organisation, the city, and the community have been significant and hugely valued,” said chief executive Barry Harris. ... more...

    Hamilton City Council regulatory unit staff will host a second information session this month to give guidance on how businesses and organisations can operate during Rugby World Cup 2011.   The Major Event Management Act (MEMA) requires Council to enforce regulations pertaining to events near Rugby World Cup 2011 stadia, as well as protecting the Tournament’s trademarked log... more...

      The services provided by Hamilton City Council, along with funding and grants made to external organisations, are the focus of today’s Council meeting.   The Extraordinary Council meeting which takes place from 9am on Thursday (14 July) is the second of six between June and November which will provide guidance and direction fo... more...

The creative efforts of more than 30 city school children have been incorporated into a new Hamilton City Council traffic calming measure.   Students from Woodstock School and St Joseph’s School Fairfield have added their artistic flair to six poles which will form part of a new series of measures designed to make roads near the two schools safer.   The streets subject to the new me... more...

Claudelands will be a temporary campervan park for Rugby World Cup 2011 visitors.   Hamilton City Council Event Facilities Manager Mark Christie said the temporary facility will be set up adjacent to The Grandstand, and cater for up to 300 campervans.   It will be open from 9am on 15 September to 4 pm on 19 September, coinciding with the New Zealand vs Japan and Wales vs Samoa matche... more...

Hamilton Mayor Julie Hardaker today met with Prime Minister John Key in a meeting involving discussion of a broad range of city and national issues.    Mayor Hardaker said her meeting with Mr Key was a good demonstration of how local and central government can share information and work together, and the Prime Minister was very positive about the region and its potential for economic g... more...

Hamilton City Council has agreed in principle to support Innovation Waikato Limited’s (Innovation Park) move to explore options for the involvement of new equity partner. At its recent meeting, Councillors agreed to a resolution to which gave approval to the company’s board of directors to undertake further detailed discussion with a new capital investor. The transaction being explored would see... more...

Hamilton City Council will assume operational responsibilities for the Hamilton Municipal Pools, following the voluntary liquidation of Hamilton Amateur Swimming Club. The Council-owned pools on Victoria Street have been operated by the club for more than a decade, under a Service Level Agreement. Council’s Leisure Facilities Manager Jason Rogers said Council staff had been working closely wit... more...

Hamilton City Council has reconfigured its committee structure to increase focus on setting strategy and policy and to deal with Council business more efficiently. At its meeting today, Council unanimously agreed to the formation of four committees: Strategy and Policy, Finance and Monitoring, Operations and Activity Performance, and Statutory Management. The revised Committee structure will co... more...

Hamilton City Council electoral officer Anthony Dick has officially declared the results of Saturday’s local election. The official declaration was made yesterday afternoon [14 October 2010]. The final results confirm that Julie Hardaker won the mayoral race by 956 votes. The successful West Ward Councillors are confirmed as Martin Gallagher, John Gower, Ewan Wilson, Angela O’Leary, Dave Macphe... more...

Voting papers will begin arriving in mailboxes throughout Hamilton this week in the lead-up to the 2010 Local Elections. The voting papers will be posted from this Friday [17 September], with all papers expected to be delivered by Wednesday, 22 September. Those who do not receive their papers by this date should contact Hamilton City Council electoral officer Anthony Dick on 07 838 6699 or 0800 C... more...

More than 40 candidates will be contending for seats on Hamilton City Council in the upcoming local elections to be held on Saturday, 9 October. When the deadline for nominations passed at midday today there were seven nominations for Mayor, 18 nominations for the six East Ward Councillor seats and 21 nominations for the six West Ward Councillor seats. Hamilton City Council electoral officer Ant... more...

Those wanting to stand in the 2010 local elections have until noon this Friday [20 August] to get their nominations in. Hamilton City Council electoral officer Anthony Dick urged potential candidates not to wait until closing day. “If you do leave it until the last minute and there is something wrong with or missing from your application there will not be any time extension,” he said. To stan... more...

Now is your chance to give local politics a go and have a say in the future of your city, with nominations for the triennial Local Government elections opening tomorrow, Friday, 23 July 2010. Elections are being held for Hamilton City Council for the positions of mayor and 12 councillors, for Environment Waikato’s four regional councillors, and for seven board members of Waikato District Health B... more...

Starting next week (Monday 26 April), Hamilton City Council will begin a survey of parking behaviour around the city, focussing on the central city. Over the next two months the survey will collect quantitative information on where vehicles park and how long they park there for. The information will be collected via: Temporary sensors in parking bays that can tell when a car arrives and leaves... more...

Promoting an active city through strong partnerships underpins the Active Communities Strategy launched in Hamilton.   SPARC board member Nicki Turner is the keynote speaker at the launch of the document which aims to encourage people to live healthy lifestyles and increase participation in - and strengthen the delivery of - sport and recreation in Hamilton. The strategy identifies three p... more...

Hamilton Mayor Bob Simcock has come out in support of local government amalgamation, but not the model proposed by former Mayor Margaret Evans. Mayor Simcock says it makes sense to think about amalgamation of councils where there is a real sense of shared interest between the effected communities. Forcing an amalgamation of communities that do not have that sense of common purpose will only end ... more...

Following an extensive tender and vendor proposal evaluation process, Foster Construction Ltd has been nominated as the preferred contractor for the proposed Claudelands Arena build. Event facilities manager Mark Christie says that early engagement with the preferred supplier allows for the final detailed designs to be worked through extensively in terms of construction process. “Early appointme... more...

Hamilton City Council last night voted in favour of committing up to $300,000 to build a slipway at Horotiu in order to retain the Waipa Delta for the city. The vote came after consideration of a report which outlined various options available to support the Waipa Delta which is considering a move to Auckland because of difficulties in taking the vessel out of the river for marine surveys. The C... more...

Retailers and restaurants on the south end of Victoria Street are getting together this Easter to celebrate the revitalised streetscape that is being revealed as construction workers finish up and move out. Finished improvements to Victoria St include the widening of the central median, permanently one-laning traffic in each direction, enhanced lighting, attractive landscaping, partial pavement r... more...

Hamilton’s Long-Term Council Community Plan for 2009-19 has been released for review, consultation and submission this week. Each council in New Zealand is required to produce a document which outlines its plans over a 10-year period. It examines proposed activities, their costs, how they will be paid for and how they benefit the community. The Plan is then re-examined every three years. The ove... more...

The second phase of Hamilton's CityHeart project begins soon with construction along Victoria Street between Collingwood and Alma Streets. The revitalisation work requires the closure of the southbound traffic lane until the end of June. A detour will be in effect from 9am on Monday 23 March. During the week of the Hamilton 400 event, the road will be reopened for normal traffic flow from the eve... more...

Hamilton City Council has accepted a recommendation from the Remuneration Authority for an increase in its remuneration pool for elected members. The recommendation to increase the pool from $965,972 to $1,014,770 for 2009/2010 was discussed at a Council meeting last night. The indicative remuneration pool was calculated by the Remuneration Authority and incorporates a three per cent increase in... more...

Hamilton’s boundaries are to be extended in the east and north of the city to cope with future expansion as part of an agreement between Hamilton City Council and Waikato District Council. A comprehensive Strategic Land Agreement was signed between the two Councils in 2004 after extensive consultation with the community. The Agreement identified the future city boundary, the parcels of land to be... more...

Hamilton City Council has signed off its Proposed 2009-2019 Long Term Council Community Plan (LTCCP) and budget for community consultation. The plan reflects the tight economic environment and incorporates significant spending cuts while ensuring major city infrastructure investments are protected and future growth is catered for. Subject to public consultation, Council propose a rates rise for t... more...

The first stage of the CityHeart revitalisation is set to commence on 7 January with Victoria Street improvements starting between Hood and Collingwood Streets. The CityHeart project is Council’s response to the development of the city centre as committed to as part of the city’s long term planning. Its intent is to create a vibrant and distinctive heart for Hamilton by delivering shared spaces ... more...

The four growth propositions outlined in the proposed Hamilton Urban Growth Strategy (HUGs) were adopted at a full Council meeting today. The Hamilton Urban Growth Strategy is one of the eight city strategies that make up Council’s Strategic Framework. It represents the culmination of the Enquiry by Design (EbD) workshop process undertaken in March 2008 and subsequent detailed work undertaken whi... more...

Hamilton’s new central city Christmas tree is nearing completion with lights and decoration on track to be completed this weekend. The first illumination of the tree will be part of a Christmas celebration event this Sunday [7th December] evening at 9pm. The celebrations commence with entertainment from 8. 25pm with a Gospel Choir and traditional Chinese instrumental music. There will be a series... more...

Some of New Zealand's most distinguished dignitaries will join Hamilton City Council and the Te Parapara Garden Trust on 2 December as they unveil a significant development in the creation of Te Parapara at Hamilton Gardens. Te Parapara Gardens Trust chairperson Mavora Hamilton says "The newest addition to Hamilton Gardens, Te Parapara is a garden unique to New Zealand. " Te Mara, stage two of th... more...

The first of three public information meetings regarding the proposed Hamilton Urban Growth Strategy is to take place tomorrow evening. The three separate meetings to be held in North, Central and South of Hamilton and are taking place to give the community the opportunity to explore in depth the themes and recommendations outlined in the proposed strategy. Meeting schedule: NORTH Wednesday 2... more...

Dame Cheryll Sotheran DNZM has been named as Chair of the Board of the country’s first dedicated creative industries business incubator, SODA Inc. SODA Inc. aims to encourage and enable economically successful businesses within the creative industries sector to thrive in Hamilton. This New Zealand first initiative has been established to encourage growth in the local economy by retaining, attra... more...

Wintec and Hamilton City Council yesterday jointly announced the official establishment of SODA Inc. , the city’s new creative industries business incubator that’s aimed at encouraging and enabling economically successful businesses within the creative industries sector to thrive in Hamilton. The name SODA Inc. reflects both its location at the historic Innes soft drink bottling factory at The Me... more...

The introduction of Sunday buses to Hamilton’s streets from 28 September will also bring the introduction of Sunday parking enforcement. With the new 7-day bus service, the Hamilton parking team will be out and about to help keep bus stops clear. Previously, with no buses running on Sundays, parking staff were not on duty. Parking enforcement manager Janice Burns says that staff will be activel... more...

A recommendation for a new Community Rate for Hamilton City Theatres was made by the Environment and Community Committee today with a proposed fixed rate being available for the benefit of non-profit Hamilton community groups. The recommendation is to be submitted to Council for consideration at its meeting on 24 September. Criteria for eligibility for the rate will align with national standards ... more...

The Matakanohi Walkway on the west side of the Waikato River has been closed due to a major slip between Ann St and St Andrews Terrace. The slip has rendered the walkway unusable and presents a significant danger to the public. Residents are advised to stay away from this section of the walkway due to the potential threat of further erosion. The slip has occurred on private land above the walkway... more...

Heavy rainfall overnight has put continued pressure on the city's storm and wastewater network today. Many areas of the city have been affected, with flooding causing the closure of Aberdeen School in Frankton. All flooding issues are being responded to by Council staff as they arise. Water & Waste Services manager Shaun Hodson says that saturated ground conditions will continue to force wa... more...

As a result of continued heavy rain overnight the Waikato River has reached the 15m level in the city. Water levels have reached walkways in some areas and subsequently large sections of walkways around the river will be closed. A significant landslide has occurred overnight on the river bank between Hamilton Parade, London St and Bryce St. The area is very dangerous as sections of the walkway ... more...

Unusually high levels of rainfall in the past 48 hours which have been exacerbated by an intense storm overnight have caused significant volumes of water to enter Hamilton's storm and wastewater network today. Hamilton received 26 mm of rain in the last 12 hours. Water & Waste Services manager Shaun Hodson says that overall the system is coping well within its designed limits, however due to... more...

A significant piece of land earmarked for city growth has been purchased by Council. 17 hectares of farmland situated northeast of the city has been identified for potential future urban development and is the site of the proposed new Rototuna town centre. The land, farmed for many years by the Kimpton family, is proposed to become the location for a new sports park, library and swimming pool com... more...

A unique initiative designed to deliver a safer, more consistent and vibrant entertainment industry for the city will be unveiled today. The launch of the Hamilton Alcohol Accord is the product of a unique collaborative project between the city's liquor licensees, The Police, Health Waikato and Council. The Accord's purpose is to agree a consistent industry approach to responsible and quality pra... more...

Annual plan meetings for 08/09 held this week saw important progression of the next phase of the CityHeart project including a decision to cease any further investigation of a lane though the northern end of Garden Place. The CityHeart community consultation attracted a wide range of formal and informal submissions which influenced final recommendations. Whilst the majority of design concepts for... more...

A strong deterrent for illegally parking in spaces allocated to those displaying a Mobility Parking Permit will be introduced from 26 June. The parking infringement for parking in a mobility carpark without a permit has been $40 to date. This fine will increase to $150 this month following to a change in Land Transport (Offences and Penalties) Amendment regulations. Enforcement Manager Animal Ca... more...

Hamilton City Council has completed its final budget meeting for the 2008/2009 financial year and has confirmed an average rate rise to existing ratepayers of 5. 29%, being lower than the 6. 56% rise forecasted in the 2006-16 Long Term Plan. Hamilton mayor Bob Simcock says that the 08/09 Plan for the city reflects a level of renewed fiscal restraint which is in direct response to a period of financ... more...

Council CEO Michael Redman announced today that Brian Croad has been appointed as the new General Manager Environmental Services. Brian comes to Council with extensive experience in local government both in New Zealand and Australia. Earlier in his career Brian was Principal Planner at Tauranga City Council. From 1989 –2005 he held various senior management roles at Western Bay of Plenty District... more...

In response to notification from Environment Waikato regarding declining river levels, Council is proactively preparing for the possibility of levels dropping below the natural intake points for the city's water treatment plant. A 14 m barge will be launched into the Waikato River today to form part of a pumping system being tested in contingency planning to ensure undisrupted water supply to the ... more...

Environment Waikato and Hamilton City Council are to help shift more than 200,000 litres of contaminated liquids and sludge away from the site of the still burning Tamahere industrial fire. After the fire broke out on Saturday, Environment Waikato staff went to the site to carry out the regional council's primary role in this disaster of ensuring that the health of waterways are protected. Liqui... more...

The total ban on sprinkler use in Hamilton will continue indefinitely due to the persistent drought conditions in the city and surrounding region. The ban has been subject to a formal assessment each fortnight for the last six weeks. Drought conditions have not eased in this time and subsequently the ban will continue beyond the earlier anticipated end date of March 31. Works and Services gener... more...

Waikato tourism operators are being invited to participate in reinforcing the region as a destination through the Visit Hamilton Tourism Conference 2008 on 31 March 2008 from 1pm-10pm. Council is collaborating with Tourism New Zealand and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise to host the Visit Hamilton Tourism Conference: On Track to Success. The impetus behind the conference is to offer local and reg... more...

Waikato Museum has just completed its most successful February in terms of visitor numbers since 2000. The total number of visits made to Waikato Museum in the month of February has significantly exceeded previous February totals, reaching 8800. This marks a substantial increase from last year's February visitor numbers of 7159. Visitor numbers have been consistently increasing on a month-by-mon... more...

Hamilton Zoo has become the first zoo in New Zealand to attain accreditation from the Australasian Regional Association of Zoological Parks and Aquaria (ARAZPA). Hamilton Zoo was a founding member of ARAZPA and became the first New Zealand zoo to undergo an accreditation review when the organisation launched its accreditation programme last year. The International Antarctic Centre in Christchurch... more...

The first tangible works in the development of a new landmark facility at Claudelands Events Centre will begin this month as the historic Claudelands Grandstand is set to be relocated east. Council went through the Contract Sub-committee process to obtain approval for the $1. 5m relocation project and gained resource consent in September 2007. Council has contracted specialist heritage architects... more...

A complete ban on sprinkler use in Hamilton will continue until the end of March following a review of local and regional conditions. The ban will be subject to a formal assessment of the situation every fortnight and if conditions improve significantly consideration will be given to lifting the ban earlier. Water & Waste Services manager Shaun Hodson says that the domestic sprinkler ban put ... more...

General Manager Environmental Services Graeme Fleming is leaving Council to head up what is thought to be New Zealand's biggest environmental project. Graeme has been with Council for nearly 29 years, starting first as an environmental health officer, later working in environmental policy development before becoming a general manager 12 years ago. His new role is with the newly formed Lake Taupo... more...

Council has established a free service for Hamiltonians to recycle their mercury lighting, adding a further dimension to its energy efficiency initiatives. The recycling programme will initially be run as a one-year trial. The impetus behind the programme is to encourage Hamilton households to use energy efficient mercury lighting plus a free and simple means of disposal. Two recycling drop-off ... more...

Hamilton City Libraries patrons have the opportunity to get up close and personal with their favourite State Northern Knights at several community libraries this week. On Friday, 15 February from 10. 30am-11. 30am, members of the State Northern Knights will be visiting Chartwell, Dinsdale, Glenview, Hillcrest and St Andrews community libraries. The Knights will be reading to school children, talki... more...

A much-valued member of the Hamilton City Council team recently celebrated the extraordinary achievement of 50 years service to the city. Dan Tawha joined Council on 17 January 1958 as a Leading Hand in the Water Department. Since then Dan has held several positions within the water section of Council and has had played a role in many of the major projects in Hamilton. Dan is now Contracts Engine... more...

Hamilton City Councillors meet next week to consider the Proposed Annual Plan for the 2008/09 financial year with the likelihood that the average rate rise will be below what was forecast in the long-term plan. Councillors will be meeting to go through the budget on Tuesday and Wednesday next week. The budget papers currently show an average rates increase to existing ratepayers for the coming ye... more...

Hamilton Zoo has today released a NZ falcon chick at Kakepuku Mountain, celebrating the city's first successful raising of this rare bird of prey. Once widespread throughout New Zealand, there are now only isolated populations of 3000 to 4500 pairs nationwide, reflected by this bird's classification as Vulnerable to Endangered. Hamilton Zoo is working with Kakepuku Mountain Conservation Society, ... more...

Hamilton City Council is introducing a total ban on domestic garden sprinklers until further notice in order to reduce the amount of water being used by the city. It is the first time in more than 20 years such a measure has been taken. Acting General Manager Works and Service, Barry Bergin, says the amount of water being used is at an unprecedented and unacceptably high level. Yesterdays consump... more...

A 38 square metre screen will be set up in Garden Place Hamilton to broadcast the state funeral of Sir Edmund Hillary next Tuesday [22 January 2008]. The screen will show the live broadcast of the service to be held at St Mary's Church in Parnell. The large screen will be positioned so members of the public can gather together on the green and share in the service. The state funeral for Sir Edmun... more...

Artistic will meet arterial as a new piece of public art is set to grace the intersection of Borman Road and Resolution Drive in Hamilton's Growth Node of Rototuna. Council consulted the Public Art Committee to commission this significant new piece of public art for Rototuna in recognition of its status as one of Hamilton's primary growth areas. In line with its CityScope and Creativity and Ident... more...

The Civic Awards ceremony is held annually near Council's birthday to honour some of the individuals who have contributed to making Hamilton a better place to live. There are six award categories being: Art and Culture; Education; Environment; Human Rights; People and Well-being; and Sport. This year, nine finalists received awards in one or more of the categories. Hamilton mayor Bob Simcock say... more...

A revised Liquor Control bylaw that introduces a liquor ban to the Te Rapa industrial area was adopted at last night's Council meeting [5 December 2007]. The Public Places Liquor Control Bylaw 2007 differs from the 2005 bylaw due to the inclusion of a clause that allows liquor ban areas to be added, amended or deleted by Council resolution. The bylaw also includes a list of six criteria that must... more...

Winners of the Fieldays No. 8 Wire National Art Award 2007 were announced this evening, Friday, 30 November at ArtsPost. The Fieldays No. 8 Wire National Art Award is a national competition where entrants create a sculptural art piece out of No. 8 wire. The award has a total prize pool of $10,000 which is sponsored by New Zealand National Agricultural Fieldays. This year's winner, Hamiltonian Elsa ... more...

CEO Michael Redman today announced the appointment of Council's Blair Bowcott to the role of Deputy CEO and General Manager of Programme and Finance. Mr Redman says that Mr Bowcott's appointment is a reflection of his significant experience, high regard within the organisation and clear future potential. "Blair's appointment reflects his solid credentials particularly given the high level calibr... more...

An appeal lodged in the Court of Appeal to quash the Hamilton City Council Prostitution Bylaw 2004 was today dismissed. Three Court of Appeal judges today unanimously agreed to dismiss the appeal lodged by Ms Julie Conley, owner of Hamilton brothel Toni's Escort Agency. The decision also included an order for the respondent to pay costs of $6,000 plus usual disbursements to Council. The Prosti... more...

Victorious Melbourne Cup winner and proud Hamiltonian Graeme Rogerson was honoured yesterday [Tuesday, 27 November 2007] in a civic event organised by Hamilton mayor Bob Simcock. The impetus of the event was to celebrate and recognise both Mr Rogerson's international thoroughbred accomplishments and his strong contribution to Hamilton city. Invited guests gathered to honour Mr Rogerson at the Ham... more...

Hamilton residents have very high quality of life and the city's economy is performing steadily in an environment of rapid population growth, according to a new report. The 2007 Quality of Life report, released by the Metropolitan Sector Group today, provides a comprehensive assessment of the quality of life in 12 New Zealand cities, as part of a multi-council initiative. The report showed 91% o... more...

Waterworld's two new speed slides have been temporarily closed until next Monday [3 December 2007] for improvement works. Both speed slides are having side barriers installed to enhance water retention and user safety during heavy traffic times. The high speed of exit by speed slide users resulted in two minor incidents over the opening weekend at Waterworld that prompted an examination of the sp... more...

Next week [19-23 Nov], Hamilton embarks on the most significant city design initiative the city has seen in recent times. The City Heart Revitalisation project commences its first phase with a four-day design workshop that will result in the first concept plans for the vision of future city design and development. Hamilton mayor Bob Simcock says that the City Heart project is about the creation... more...

Hamilton City Council is being recognised for being one of only three councils nationwide to respond to central Government's call to make it easier for homeowners to adopt energy efficient heating in their homes through the waiver of consent fees. The New Zealand Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy launched in October this year is a key part of the Government's response to meeting its ene... more...

On the eve of the opening of the 2007 Ellerslie International Flower Show, Hamilton City Council has received a bronze award for its entry in the Local Authority Flower Bed competition. The award represents a new category at the show that challenges councils to reflect their region or demonstrate the 'spirit' of the area within a garden plot area of 7m x 4m. Council Parks and Gardens contracts s... more...

Today's first meeting of the new Council determined Council committee memberships, delegations and appointments to external agencies. Hamilton mayor Bob Simcock says that given Council's endorsement from the election result, there was little need for substantial change to the way Council organises its work programme. "During the week following the election, I had open and frank discussions with ... more...

Council CEO Michael Redman today announced the appointment of Chris Allen to the role General Manager Works and Services for Council. Chris is currently Transit New Zealand Regional Manager. The role of General Manager Works and Services provides leadership for the long-term strategic development of the city's infrastructure and ensures the provision and maintenance of core assets and services fo... more...

Hamilton Central Library users can expect restricted access to the facility from 5-23 November 2007 as it undergoes re-carpeting. The library will remain open throughout the re-carpeting though public access will be restricted according to work-zones. From 5- 9 November, public access to Level 2 stack and the staircase will be restricted. From 12-23 November, Level 3 will be closed to the public. ... more...

Hamilton City Council CEO Michael Redman has announced the separation of City Libraries and Waikato Museum into stand-alone entities. The libraries and museum have been operationally joined in the Arts and Culture Unit of the Council for more than ten years. The restructure will see the disestablishment of the Arts and Culture Unit. The merger has been the subject of long-standing and strong op... more...

Hamilton city has elected Bob Simcock as mayor. Progressive results based on 96% of voting papers processed at 12noon today, has Bob Simcock elected with a resounding lead of over 10,000 votes more than nearest candidate Roger Hennerbry. Bob Simcock received 16,013 votes while Roger Hennerbry received 5,693 votes and Gordon Chesterman polled a close third to Hennebry with 4,533 votes. Mr Simcoc... more...

Avid Hamilton City Library-users are about to receive some 'elf-help' in the form of a free email reminder service known as ELF launching 15 October 2007. ELF is a web-based and email tool for library users that enables individuals to keep track of their library borrowings and when reserved items become available. Library users can subscribe to the ELF service free of charge by registering online... more...

Increased responsibility will fall on those seeking a building consent for a new pool from 1 October 2007 due to a new requirement of the Waikato Building Consent Group. The Waikato Building Consent Group will require that in respect to new pools, doors from buildings that open directly into an immediate pool area must now be self-closing and self-latching. If the doors do not meet these requirem... more...

Heavy mailbags arriving at the electoral office this week indicate a healthy early turnout in voting following the delivery of voting papers to households this week. While the bulging bags are encouraging, statistics show that voter response is slightly down compared to the same period in the 2004 election. On the fourth day of voting 7. 2% of voters have returned their papers compared to 8. 6% in 2... more...

Council will be increasing the number of inspections and work it carries out in relation to the issuing of building consents in response to the Department of Building and Housing (DBH) accreditation requirements. As a result of the additional work required by Council, building consent costs will increase by 5 per cent from 1 November 2007 The increase was confirmed at an extraordinary Council me... more...

The national Building Bridges to Wellbeing Conference opened today [19 September 2007] at Novotel Tainui, signifying Hamilton's first-time hosting of this biennial conference. The conference will run from 19-21 September and is for community development practitioners from local authorities, government organisations and community groups to meet, share ideas and gain new insights. Council's Socia... more...

Hamilton City Council has been granted a landmark 20-year resource consent for the management and discharge of wastewater at the Wastewater Treatment Plant in Pukete. Hamilton's wastewater scheme is a critical part of city infrastructure that contributes significantly to the health, safety and well-being of the community. Its requirement to deliver continuous high-level service in the long term i... more...

Hamilton City Council has this week euthanized a dog that has been the centre of a six-month dispute regarding registration. The unregistered dog was seized from Massey St in April this year and has remained in the care of the unit since. At the time of impounding Council requested its owners register the dog. This was refused, and as the nature of the animal was such that it could not be re-ho... more...

The closing of nominations for the 2007 Triennial elections has resulted in a nominee's list that will provide plenty of choice and fodder for public discussion. Nominations closed at midday today and saw a final tally of seven nominations for the seat of Mayor, 14 nominations for the six East Ward seats and ten nominations for the six West Ward seats. Communication manager Sarah Bettle says tha... more...

With only a week to go to for potential candidates to put their hat in the ring for the upcoming Triennial elections, the list of nominees remains alarmingly low. Finance and Administration manager Blair Bowcott says that given the number of seats to be filled, the level of registered candidates at this point in time is disappointing. "So far we have two nominations for the position of Mayor an... more...

Hamilton City Council has just awarded a contract to Fulton Hogan for construction of the Wairere Drive extension between Hukanui Road and Tramway Road. The $20m project is the largest Council has ever awarded. Funding assistance of 55 per cent of $15. 3m had been approved by the Land Transport New Zealand Board for the Wairere Drive extension. The balance of the project cost is for water and was... more...

Those who have ever considered a career in local body politics get the opportunity to start the process from tomorrow [Friday, 27 July 2007] when nominations for the Triennial Local Government elections open. Elections are to be held for Hamilton City Council for the positions of Mayor and twelve Councillors, for Environment Waikato's four regional Councillors and for seven board members of Waika... more...

Major works required to prepare the Rostrevor and Tristram Streets roundabout start this week. The Rostrevor/Tristram roundabout will be taken out and replaced with an innovative sectional and removable rubber roundabout. Additional work needed to prepare the circuit includes pavement alignment, surfacing and the removal of throat islands that approach the roundabout. The roadwork project will req... more...

Hamilton City Council's move to reduce the ratepayer subsidy on cemetery burial fees will see a rise of several hundred dollars in fees in the coming year. There is currently a 26 per cent subsidy on the cost of a burial plot provided by Hamilton City Council. The $1393 includes maintenance costs in perpetuity. Under the new burial fee structure, a plot purchase will rise to $2253 and will reduce... more...

Internationally renowned authority on city futures Charles Landry, will be visiting Hamilton next week. Hamilton City Council has with the support of New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, secured Charles Landry's services as a world-class creative thinker and facilitator to assist in the development of Hamilton's Creativity and Identity Strategy. The Creativity and Identity Strategy is a key compone... more...

This election, Hamilton children will have their say about who they think should run the city thanks to a new initiative being offered to schools. 'Kids Voting' gives students the opportunity to participate in an authentic voting experience at school. Students vote for real candidates using real ballot papers, and compare the results from the Kids election with the results of the real election. ... more...

A fish pass, which allows small fish to access one of the streams running into the Waikato River when water levels are low, has just been built at Bankwood Stream. The sloping concrete channel with inset rocks, allows the fish to swim and climb up it to gain access from the river to Bankwood Stream at Swarbricks Landing, off River Rd. The fish pass, a joint project between Hamilton City Council... more...

Bob Simcock has been appointed as Hamilton mayor at this evening's Council Meeting. The Local Electoral Act 2002 determines that when an extraordinary vacancy occurs within 12 months of a triennial election, the position must be filled via the appointment of one of the current elected members. This evening, nominations were called for and Mr Simcock was the single nominee put forward by his coll... more...

A three-week trial cull of feral pigeons on central Hamilton bridges will begin on Monday, 28 May 2007. Victoria, Claudelands and Fairfield Bridges have become overpopulated by feral pigeons. The impetus behind the cull is to relieve heavy fouling of river walkway areas that sit beneath these bridges. Pigeon fouling causes a build-up of excrement that is unsanitary and over time, the high acid co... more...

A new mayor is to be appointed at this evening's Ordinary Meeting of Council. Last week's appointment of incumbent mayor Michael Redman to the role of CEO has necessitated reference to the Local Government Act 2002 and the Local Electoral Act 2002 to determine the path forward for Council leadership. According to Section 117 to 120 of the Local Electoral Act 2002, when an extraordinary vacancy o... more...

Cars infringing parking restrictions on city clearways and bus stops now run a higher risk of being towed. Vehicles transgressing parking restrictions during the daytime have previously been penalised with a parking infringement fine. This week, Council will introduce active vehicle towing from clearways and bus stops to enable unrestricted traffic flow and to provide a strong deterrent for offen... more...

Michael Redman is to relinquish the mayoralty with his appointment to the role of chief executive at Hamilton City Council. The announcement was made on Friday by deputy mayor Bob Simcock following an extraordinary meeting of Council Thursday afternoon where the decision to appoint Mr Redman as CEO was made. Mr Redman resigns as Hamilton mayor at the end of the month and will begin his new role a... more...

To help residents understand recent property revaluations, and their impact on rates for next year, a rating and property search has been made available online at the Hamilton website www. hamilton. co. nz . Hamilton City Council has this week put its Rating Information Database on the website to help people easily and quickly access rating and property information about their property and any other... more...

Council is currently considering a suite of hard hitting responses intended to directly reduce the negative impact of 'boy racer' activity on the city's residents and business owners. Statutory Management Committee chair John Gower says that Council has been looking into this serious issue for over six months and has met with Police, local residents and businesses to discuss the best steps forwar... more...

At this year's second citizenship ceremony held last night [Monday, 7 May 2007], Hamilton welcomed 300 new citizens. The ceremony was held at Founders Theatre and welcomed new citizens to our country and our city from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds. People from 28 different countries can now call New Zealand home. Hamilton Mayor Michael Redman says Hamilton is proud of its diversity and the ... more...

A 2. 9 metre tall soldier statue memorialising the New Zealand Navy, Army and Air Force will be officially presented to the city at Hamilton Park Cemetery's Totara Services lawn this Sunday [13 May] at 10am. Hamilton mayor Michael Redman will officially unveil and accept the statue on behalf of the city from James R. Hill Funeral Directors who initiated the statue as a permanent memorial to servic... more...

Bus patronage levels in Hamilton are at an all time high with the 2 million journey mark past in March and 2. 5 million rides forecast for the full financial year. Councillor and Transport Committee chair Dave Macpherson today congratulated Environment Waikato staff for their contribution towards achieving Access Hamilton's objective of providing an accessible and viable public transport service f... more...

Hamilton City Libraries is throwing a pyjama party for children and caregivers from 6. 30pm-7. 30pm on 10 May as part of the New Zealand Post Book Awards festival which runs from 7-16 May. Chartwell Library will host the pyjama party where story-time, games, biscuits and hot chocolate will be on offer together with a special reading of Kylie Mewburn's book entitled Kiss Kiss Yuck Yuck. The book is ... more...

The Trust Waikato National Contemporary Art Awards are now open – and for the first time, entrants will be able to submit their entry electronically this year. The online entry form is available at Waikato Museum's website: www. waikatomuseum. co. nz/contemporaryartaward. The impetus behind moving to online entry is to increase accessibility and convenience for entrants. The online form allows ent... more...

Council has received a report identifying the cost of compliance to new central Government legislation since 2000 following a resolution by the Finance and Audit committee to identify the real impact of these costs to ratepayers. The report identifies 60 new pieces of Government legislation enacted since 2000 and summarises the resulting cost to Council though their implementation. Chair of the ... more...

Hamilton will host a unique ANZAC Day this year as it recreates the famous Belgium Menin Gate ceremony and incorporates the presence of a visiting delegation from Ieper (pronounced ee-per), Belgium. The city's 10am civic ANZAC Day ceremony held at Memorial Park, Memorial Drive will follow the same format as the extended Menin Gate ceremony and incorporate several distinctive factors to make the c... more...

Hamilton's ANZAC Day celebrations continue to take shape as the visiting delegation from Ieper, Belgium arrives in the city tomorrow [Saturday, 21 April]. The four-person delegation comprises Mayor of Ieper Luc Dehaene, Chairman of the Last Post Association Benoit Mottrie and two buglers from the Last Post Association, Mr Raf Decombel and Mr Rik Vandekerckhove. Hamilton mayor Michael Redman will ... more...

Two descendants of a local soldier who fell in the Battle of Passchendaele will accompany Hamilton mayor Michael Redman and Mayor of Ieper Luc Dehaene in laying the Civic ANZAC Day wreath at Hamilton's 10am Civic ANZAC Day ceremony. Sarah (12 years old) and Barclay (nine years old) Kneepkens are the great great niece and nephew of Charles Richard Tarrant, 17835, who was working for the Waikato Da... more...

At its Council meeting on 11 April, Council resolved to give the new two lane divided road (whose working title was Rototuna Minor Arterial) the official name of Borman Road. In the February edition of City News, the public were invited to submit suggestions for a new name for the Rototuna Minor Arterial. All suggestions were considered by Council in arriving at their decision. General manager W... more...

Hamilton City Councillor Peter Bos (MBE (Mil) ED) was officially awarded two significant honours for his service in East Timor at a private ceremony held at Council yesterday [10 April]. Hamilton mayor Michael Redman presented Cr Bos with the New Zealand Operational Service Medal and the East Timor Medal on behalf of the NZ Defence Force. Cr Bos' close family, friends and army colleagues were pre... more...

Baby fever has hit Hamilton Zoo as white rhinoceros Caballe delivered a new female rhino into the family last night [26 March 2007] at approximately 9pm. Caballe and breeding male Zambese, both of Hamilton Zoo, are the proud third-time parents. Their union is significant because both parents were wild-caught in Kruger National Park in South Africa and imported to Hamilton in 1999. Their three off... more...

ANZAC Day in Hamilton will recreate the famous Belgium Menin Gate Ceremony and incorporate the unique presence of a visiting delegation from Ieper (pronounced ee-per), Belgium. Four Belgium delegates being the Mayor of Ieper, the Chairman and two buglers from the Last Post Association, have been invited by Council to participate in the 10am ANZAC ceremony at Memorial Park. The impetus behind th... more...

An increasingly scarce breed of fish has been found at Taitua Arboretum and Council is working in partnership with DOC to ensure its preservation. A population of giant kokopu, numbering between 15 and 20 adult fish, has been located in a lowland stream area of the arboretum. A connecting spring appears to have enabled the species to prosper by maintaining its favoured lowland stream habitat. T... more...

Get up close and personal with your favourite Chiefs and State Northern Knights at Hamilton City Libraries this month as part of a national campaign to show public libraries as being inspirational, modern and fun. The nationwide Inspire Me campaign was launched on 11 March. The Chiefs and the Knights are lending their support to Hamilton City Libraries' local initiatives. On Wednesday, 28 March... more...

Hamilton and New Zealand's only V8 Supercar franchise Team Kiwi Racing have agreed a highly valuable sponsorship which will see the Hamilton logo appear on the bonnet of the team's new car. The city will be the home for a new street race for seven years from 2008, which will be New Zealand's only round of the V8 Supercar Championship. Team Kiwi Racing owner David John says while the details of t... more...

Hamilton's Dog Day Afternoon returns to Innes Common on 3 March for its fifth year to promote positive and responsible dog-ownership in Hamilton. This year's theme is the Adopt a Dog programme that is run by Council's Animal Care Centre. The dog adoption programme provides a mechanism to re-home suitable dogs with responsible dog owners. All adopters receive a complimentary 2kg bag of Nutro Food ... more...

Hamilton Zoo is set to welcome a brand new resident into its giraffe herd on Wednesday [28 February]. Dume, who celebrated his first birthday in January, is being transported by road from his birthplace at Auckland Zoo to Hamilton Zoo. At Auckland Zoo, Dume has been living with his father, Zabulu and his mother, Kay together with an un-related enclosure-mate named Rukiya. Upon relocating to Ham... more...

Release of two significant surveys have returned the highest ever satisfaction levels for Hamilton city and Council across a range of areas. The national Quality of Life Survey (QLS) and the local Residents Survey (RS) show that Hamiltonians enjoy a high quality of life and have high satisfaction with many aspects for their city and Council. The 2006 QLS shows that 91 per cent of respondents say... more...

Council's swimming facilities have successfully registered with Swimming New Zealand as a Quality Swim School (QSS) under the new industry standards launched on 7 February 2007. Waterworld and Gallagher Aquatic Centre join two other swimming establishments in the Waikato Region to achieve the nationally recognised QSS standards set out by Swimming New Zealand. The QSS standards signify the firs... more...

A third destination playground is now open in Hamilton at Tauhara Park as the Potter Children's Playground was officially opened on 13 February. Council jointly funded the playground in conjunction with the Potter Trust administered from the national office of the Freemasons of New Zealand and the WEL Energy Trust. Council also provided public toilets and a car park to serve Tauhara Park. A play... more...

Hamilton City Council CEO Tony Marryatt has resigned his position to take up the CEO job at Christchurch City Council. Mr Marryatt has been chief executive at HCC for more than 11 years and recently had his contract in Hamilton renewed for a further five years. Hamilton mayor Michael Redman says it is naturally disappointing to lose a CEO who has had so much experience working in local governmen... more...

Repainting work on Council's Municipal Building will be carried out during weekends to minimise impact on commuter carparking during February and March. Patrons will experience marginal restrictions on access to three inner-city car parks for designated weekend periods between mid-February and 1 April due to the re-painting project. Parking spaces located within areas in which painting work is un... more...

Council has progressed its commitment to future-proofing the city as a $22 million upgrade of Hamilton's Water Treatment Station is now complete. In 2003 Council commissioned GHD, an independent professional services company, to produce a 20-year plan for the Water Treatment Station. The upgrade is a critical component of the 20-year plan and addresses issues of taste and odour, toxin management ... more...

A three-month project involving the exterior repainting of Council's Municipal building in Garden Place is scheduled to begin in mid-February. The $435,000 project encompasses the Council tower block, Chamber wing and Community Building that faces onto Caro Street. The works will be delivered over three months and in three stages. Stage one began on 30 January and involves the washing of the Mun... more...

The first blog to be launched from a Hamilton City Council website is now live on Hamilton Libraries website www. hamiltonlibraries. co. nz . This new public blog space is available to all users of the Hamilton Libraries website and will open with the thread: Should Hamilton Libraries have a blog? Hamilton City Libraries director Faye Clark says the key proposition driving the new blog is greater c... more...

  Hamilton City Council has completed its budget meeting for the proposed 2007/2008 financial year and is planning a reduction in rates from what was outlined in the ten year plan adopted last year. Council is proposing an average rates rise of just over half a percent less for the coming year, compared with what was forecast in the ten-year Long Term Plan adopted in 2006. Council is propo... more...

Resurfacing work along a busy section of road will be carried out during off-peak hours this week to minimise the effect on traffic. This Thursday and Friday [1-2 February], Knox Street from Victoria Street to Anglesea Street is being milled - removing the road's top layer - and resurfaced. The road works are dependent on weather conditions. If rain causes delays, the road works will be resched... more...

Resurfacing work along a busy section of road will be carried out during off-peak hours this week to minimise the effect on traffic. On Wednesday and Thursday [31 January-1 February], Anglesea Street from Bryce Street to London Street is being milled - removing the road's top layer - and resurfaced. The road works are dependent on weather conditions. If rain causes delays, the road works will b... more...

Council has partnered with Transit New Zealand to deliver a significant Access Hamilton project ahead of schedule to achieve four-laning of Wairere Drive from Te Rapa Road to Pukete Road by April 2007. The four-laning project was initially scheduled for delivery under Council's 2006-16 Long Term Plan in 2008/09. As a result of four-laning improvements being carried out by Transit on Te Rapa Road ... more...

Hamilton has had its biggest demand on water for more than two years during the last few days and city residents are being urged to adhere to water restrictions. Residents returning to the city after holiday breaks are thought to have been responsible for large volumes of water being used late Sunday afternoon and again yesterday. Water consumption jumped from 56 million litres of water used on ... more...

A major refurbishment of Council's 13 Graham Street housing complex will begin on 15 January 2007 and run through until 13 July 2007. The impetus behind the upgrade is to improve the quality of life and comfort for residents of Council housing complexes. The upgraded units at Graham Street will have refurbished kitchen facilities, self-contained laundries, improved insulation and modern decking. ... more...

On 9 January 2007, development of the first stage of a major new transport link will begin at the north end of Resolution Drive and continue 1. 2 km east to just beyond Moonlight Drive. This stage of the project is currently called the Rototuna Minor Arterial until a new road name is selected. The Rototuna Minor Arterial is part of a designated corridor that links Resolution Drive to Horsham Downs... more...

This year's winner was Irene Wilcocks of Waihi, whose entry was entitled The Games People Play – Whai. Ms Wilcocks won a prize of $5000 cash for her winning entry. In announcing Ms Wilcocks as the winner, judge Linda Tyler said the entry best captured what no. 8 wire is and does. "For me, The Games People Play – Whai captured what no. 8 is and does the best. We use our hands to work it and it buil... more...

The Civic Awards ceremony is held annually near Council's birthday to honour some of the individuals who have contributed to making Hamilton a better place to live. There are six award categories being: Art and Culture; Education; Environment; Human Rights; People and Well-being; and Sport. This year, 13 finalists received awards in one or more of the categories. Hamilton mayor Michael Redman sa... more...

Tony Marryatt has been re-appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Hamilton City Council following his re-application for the position. His appointment was decided at a Council meeting yesterday afternoon. It is a statutory requirement that the position of Chief Executive Officer is appointed for a period of no more than five years, and that the vacancy is widely advertised at the expiry of that a... more...

Summer water consumption in Hamilton is expected to be high with the possibility of another hot, dry summer. To help manage the peak demands the alternate day water-sprinkling ban will be in force from Friday 1 December 2006 to Thursday 1 March 2007. This ensures water is provided for everyone, and at reasonable cost. Householders should only use sprinklers, including irrigation systems, on alte... more...

A Medium artillery gun will be in officially presented to the city at Hamilton's Memorial Park Cenotaph this Saturday, [2 December] in recognition of the New Zealand Artillery and the Army. The artillery have has had a presence in Hamilton for 88 years, beginning with the formation of Waikato artillery battery on 19 March 1911. This original G Battery served in Gallipoli, France and Belgium. T... more...

White Ribbon Day will again be recognised by Hamilton city on Saturday, 25 November with the distribution of white ribbons. White Ribbon Day is an international initiative for the elimination of family violence. Hamilton mayor Michael Redman says initiatives such as White Ribbon Day serve an important function in raising awareness of social issues that impact directly on the quality of life and ... more...

Local balloonist Andrew Parker this week launched his new Hamilton branded balloon as part of celebrations around the World Rally Championships coming to the city. The balloon has been sponsored by Hamilton City Council as part of its events strategy and is designed to deliver high impact leverage of the Hamilton brand for the city. Pilot, Andrew Parker has been an extreme ballooning enthusiast ... more...

Hood Street is the official starting point for Propecia Rally New Zealand as opening celebrations begin at 4pm tomorrow [Thursday, 16 November 2006]. Rally cars will be on public display from 4pm with street entertainment and a big screen playing World Rally Championship footage. World Rally Championship drivers and teams will be signing autographs and meeting rally fans along Hood Street from 5p... more...

Hamilton residents responded enthusiastically to Council's October offer of two free rides on the local bus network. 6,780 free rides were taken on Hamilton buses during the month. The promotion was designed to encourage ongoing use of public transport and to thank Hamiltonians who are already using the bus service. Coupons were issued city wide in the October edition of City News. Hamilton cit... more...

The three yearly general revaluation of Hamilton city, released today has shown substantial increases in property values. The revaluation carried out by Quotable Value New Zealand Limited office has shown that the capital value (land plus improvements) of the city has increased from $12. 4 billion in September 2003 to $21. 8 billion in September 2006. Hamilton Mayor Michael Redman says that the i... more...

The first stage of installation of a memorial 5. 5 inch Medium artillery gun will take place at Memorial Park at 8am on Saturday, 4 November. The gun will remain under cover until its official unveiling at a public dedication ceremony on Saturday, 2 December. The impetus behind the gun's installation is to recognise the strong history of past and present members of the Royal New Zealand Artillery... more...

1 November 2006 Immediate release Recent publicity regarding the relationship between the S. P. C. A and Hamilton City Council has concerned Councillor John Gower, given the long-standing cooperative relationship the organisations have historically enjoyed. Mr Gower says that recent media attention focusing on the difficulties that the SPCA are experiencing has neglected to acknowledge Councils ... more...

At the 2006 Food Safety Awards today [25 October], 29 Hamilton food businesses received Excellence awards for the safe handling of food. The twelfth annual Food Safety Awards were held at the Waikato Stadium this morning with Andrew McKenzie, executive director of the New Zealand Food Safety Authority, as guest speaker. In addition to the Excellence awards, 11 Hamilton food businesses received ... more...

A Council committee is to consider a more commercial focus for a proposed indoor events arena at Claudelands that would provide a venue for music concerts and an increased income stream. The Community and Leisure Committee meets on Wednesday to make its recommendation to Council on the Claudelands project. The project has been re-evaluated to focus on concerts, conferences, exhibitions and event... more...

Hamilton Central Library will be closed for seven days from 30 October to 5 November to enable re-carpeting to take place. Upon re-opening on 6 November, access to the library will be restricted to levels one and three while level two undergoes re-carpeting. Hamilton Libraries director Faye Clark says that Central Library is mindful of the impact of the temporary closure on patrons and encourage... more...

Hamilton City Council has launched a bus promotion campaign which is both encouraging ongoing use of public transport and thanking people who are already using the buses. In recent months, bus patronage in Hamilton has continued to increase. Latest figures show a 15 per cent month on month increase. In the October edition of City News, which will be distributed to Hamilton mailboxes this Tuesday... more...

The proposed Rotokauri Structure Plan has been recommended for withdrawal in its entirety. Following consideration of submissions, Council's City Development Committee recognised that progression of the current plan would not achieve its CityScope and Access Hamilton objectives as well as the outcomes now sought by stakeholders. Accordingly, it is recommending to Council that the variation be wit... more...

At this year's third citizenship ceremony held tonight [Monday, 25 September] Hamilton will welcome an increased number of new citizens. The ceremony will be held at Founders Theatre tonight at 7pm. The city's citizenship ceremonies normally welcome 200 citizens per time, but at tonight's function there will be 250 new citizens welcomed. The range of countries represented at tonight's citizens... more...

A landmark plan for the future development of the Peacocke area was approved by Council last night [20 Sept 2006]. The Peacocke Structure Plan outlines Council's vision for the future development of the southern part of Hamilton. The plan is the first to fully incorporate the philosophies underpinned in the CityScope and Access Hamilton strategies that are driven by best practice planning princip... more...

Waikato Museum is calling for entries to the Fieldays No. 8 Wire National Art Award which will run from 15 December 2006 till 9 January 2007. The No. 8 Wire National Art Award has been part of the Fieldays programme for 10 years. The awards are a national competition where competitors transform No. 8 wire into a piece of sculpture. This year, the $5000 prize has been consolidated into one winning... more...

The Civic Trust Awards, which have been administered by the Hamilton Civic Trust over the last 30 years, will conclude this year. A meeting between Hamilton Civic Trust president Maurice Boswell and Hamilton mayor Michael Redman identified that the work that the Trust has historically done to recognise outstanding civic development can now be incorporated into Council initiatives driven by the Ci... more...

Hamilton City Council is seeking applications for the position of chief executive and will be advertising the role commencing this weekend. The Local Government Act requires all Councils to consider and publicly advertise their CEO position at least every five years. Mr Marryatt's position was due to be considered around the middle of next year. Hamilton mayor Michael Redman says Council is taki... more...

Hamilton has secured $3. 29 million of government funding towards a major broadband initiative for the city. The funding is from the Ministry of Economic Development as part of the government's digital strategy. Hamilton is one of a handful of centres to be granted substantial funding. The Hamilton urban fibre network is a collaborative project that has been led by Hamilton City Council with stro... more...

Hamilton City Council is one of three councils taking part in a progressive national pilot scheme to make information on eco-friendly home design more accessible. Council joins Waitakere City Council and Kapiti Coast District Council in a 10 month pilot scheme launched by BRANZ Ltd, which places eco-design advisors into the three participating councils to advise on sustainability issues and options... more...

Council's annual survey of city residents has shown that high levels of satisfaction for key areas reached in last year's survey have been backed up again this year. Satisfaction with Council staff, elected members and Hamilton as a place to live remain extremely high, along with the rating of Quality of life in Hamilton, Quality of Council facilities and services, the Overall performance of Coun... more...

Council is inviting the public to pay their respects to Dame Te Atairangikaahu by signing a remembrance book in her honour. The book is located on the ground floor of Hamilton City Council's main building in Garden Place along with a memorial image and wreath. The pages collected will be professionally bound into a permanent book and presented to Dame Te Atairangikaahu's family. Communication m... more...

Two new shared-use cycle and walkways signify another dimension to Council's initiatives to improve transport infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists and implementation of Access Hamilton. A new shared-use route has been completed on Cobham Drive while the existing Hayes Paddock walkway has been widened to meet the specifications for shared use between cyclists and walkers. The new section c... more...

Hamilton mayor Michael Redman is calling upon the Hamilton community to identify people who deserve one of the city's highest honours. Nominations are now open for the 2006 Civic Awards, which reward significant community achievement in six different categories: People and Well-being; Art and Culture; Education; Environment; Enterprise; and Sport. Mr Redman says there are many worthy award recip... more...

Hamilton city libraries continue to diversify their community appeal and improve access to information by providing public internet access at all local library sites. Hamilton Libraries director Faye Clark says that the provision of public internet access to customers at community libraries is another example of libraries' growing profile as an information and learning hub within the community. ... more...

Council's annual survey of city residents has shown that high levels of satisfaction for key areas reached in last year's survey have been backed up again this year. Satisfaction with Council staff, elected members and Hamilton as a place to live remain extremely high, along with the rating of Quality of life in Hamilton, Quality of Council facilities and services, the Overall performance of Coun... more...

The Trust Waikato National Contemporary Art Award 2006 drew 270 entries and from these 48 finalists have been selected. Seven of the finalists are local artists from Hamilton being Mark Curtis, Andrea Wilkinson, Bruce Phillips, C. K. Reynolds, Lynda Wilson, Kelly Gent and Mark Purdom. The Trust Waikato National Contemporary Art Awards is renowned for the challenging and often controversial entr... more...

The first phase of the Te Parapara Garden was officially unveiled at Hamilton Gardens today [20 July 2006] signifying the newest addition to the Hamilton Gardens themed garden collection. In July 2003, as part of Annual Plan submissions, Council accepted a proposal by Nga Mana Toopu O Kirikiriroa for the establishment of a traditional Maori plantation garden at Hamilton Gardens. The first phase o... more...

Hamilton City Council has won a landmark High Court decision that has totally upheld its 2004 Prostitution Bylaw that restricts commercial sexual services to defined areas in the city. Justice Ellen France has thrown out an appeal against the Bylaw from a Hamilton brothel and awarded costs to the city council. In her judgment, the judge said that the council Bylaw is not contrary to the Prostitu... more...

Hamilton mayor Michael Redman has been recognised by the Sir Peter Blake Trust as one of New Zealand's emerging leaders. The Sir Peter Blake Leadership Awards were announced at Parliament at the weekend. Mr Redman was one of six people to be recognised as an emerging leader along with: Emeline Afeaki-Mafile'o, founder of Affirming Works in Manukau; Andrew Berry, Senior Sergeant, Otara Polic... more...

Patronage of Hamilton's CBD shuttle continues to go from strength to strength, as the June figures released this week show strong growth in passenger numbers. In only its second full month over 8,000 passengers utilised the service. The service began in April 2006 and was used by 2,095 passengers. In May this number increased to 7,409 and in June, 8,277 patrons used the service. The free CBD Shu... more...

Live poetry readings on Hamilton buses as part of Montana Poetry Day celebrations [21 July] is set to become a national first. On 21 July from 7am till 9am, passengers onboard the CBD Shuttle, Chartwell Direct and Orbiter buses will be treated to some of New Zealand's best-known poetry presented live by local actors. This initiative is thought to be a first in New Zealand. Council has partnered ... more...

Following extensive community consultation, Council is pursuing a new approach to Hamilton's wastewater scheme by seeking a 35-year timeframe for three key operational resource consent applications. The three consents required are: discharge of treated wastewater to the Waikato River; discharge to air; and the placement and use of the wastewater outfall structure in the Waikato River bed. The cur... more...

Council this week gave its approval for a unique subdivision concept to be developed on surplus Council land located in Rotokauri adjacent to the Lake Waiwhakareke Natural Heritage Park. The development is a signature project that embraces principles of urban design and sustainable development that have been articulated through Council's CityScope strategy. CityScope delivers a framework for sust... more...

A low response for dog registrations in Hamilton may be attributed to confusion over requirements for micro-chipping of new dogs. Hamilton has approximately 8,000 dogs that need to be registered before the end of the month & and currently fewer than half of these dogs have been registered. Dog owners who complete their dog registration by 30 June will receive a prompt payment discount on the... more...

Hamilton will welcome 200 new citizens tonight [Monday, 26 June 2006] at this year's second citizenship ceremony. The ceremony will be held at Founders Theatre at 7pm. The new citizens that are being welcomed to our country and our city come from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds. People from 27 different countries, including Malaysia, Romania, Korea and Canada can now call New Zealand home. H... more...

The first planting of kowhai trees for what is set to become an annual event in Hamilton took place along the Waikato River bank today [Tuesday, 20 June]. In July 2005, Council provided $20,000 in response to a proposal by Nga Mana Toopu O Kirikiriroa for the planting of 500 kowhai trees along the riverbank. The first of those 500 trees were planted today using a ko which is a ceremonial digging ... more...

Hamilton will officially re-launch the convention bureau formerly operated by Tourism Waikato at an industry gathering in Christchurch next month. A large number of conference and convention facility operators from throughout the country will meet with domestic and international conference organisers at MEETINGS, the annual trade event held in Christchurch 19 and 20 July. Hamilton City Council h... more...

Council's finalised its 2006-16 Long-Term Plan today after a dynamic consultation and consideration of public submissions. Hamilton Mayor Michael Redman says the finalising of the long-term plan is a significant milestone for Council and Hamilton. It's a forward thinking plan, inflation proofed and provides a blueprint for the development of Hamilton over the next 10 years which continues to expe... more...

Tokopikowhakahau, the meeting house standing within Waikato Museum's marae atea, is bound for Asia early next year. The meeting house forms part of a 120 taonga exhibition from the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa (Te Papa) that will be on exhibition at the Tokyo National Museum, Japan, from January to March 2007. The exhibition will then travel to other potential venues in Asia including ... more...

A dog identified as being responsible for a serious attack on a woman in Frankton last week has been seized by Council's Animal Care team. It is believed that immediately after the attack the animal was removed from the city, possibly to avoid detection from authorities. The seized dog has been impounded at the Animal Care Centre while Council considers prosecution of the owner. Animal Care and... more...

Three-laning work on one of Hamilton's most congested areas will begin next Wednesday [14 June] to help traffic move more easily along Boundary Road. The three-laning project is part of Access Hamilton and aims to provide relief from excessive congestion along Boundary Road during peak travel times. Access Hamilton is the city's transport strategy which aims to improve transport efficiency and en... more...

Council is appealing to the Frankton community to help locate a dog that made an attack yesterday [Wednesday, 31 May]. The dog made an attack on a walker along Hawk Street in Frankton. Council's Animal Care unit responded immediately upon receiving notification of the attack but has not yet been able to locate the dog. The victim suffered facial injuries and required medical attention. She's now... more...

Remedial work on one of Hamilton's most congested areas will begin on Thursday [25 May] to help traffic move more easily over Fairfield Bridge. The two-phase project is part of Access Hamilton and aims to provide relief from excessive congestion in and around Fairfield Bridge during peak travel times. Access Hamilton is the city's transport strategy which aims to improve transport efficiency and ... more...

Hamilton City Council is expecting a substantial correction and apology from the Waikato Times over its reporting of the court hearing on the city's prostitution bylaw in today's paper. Council has been in the High Court this week defending an attempt by a Hamilton brothel to have the bylaw thrown out. Hamilton City Council has not backed down on its anti suburban brothel stance as reported by t... more...

The preliminary result of a Hamilton City Council referendum, for which voting closed at midday today, has come out in favour of continuing with both the fluoridation of the city's water and with the first-past-the post electoral system. The referendum for the two issues was held by postal vote and had a voter turn out of 38 per cent. As well as deciding on whether or not Hamilton should have fl... more...

Submissions on Council's Proposed 2006-16 Long-Term Plan closed this week having received 202 submissions. A breakdown of the submissions received is outlined below: Nature of submission Percentage TransportRates/FinancialCity Growth 44 per cent Parks and Gardens/RecreationHydrotherapy PoolHamilton Gardens/PavilionEconomic Development 32 per cent Claudelands Developm... more...

The 2006 Trust Waikato National Contemporary Art Awards will have a bigger prize pool as principle sponsor Trust Waikato has increased it's sponsorship to $15,000. This year the winning prize for the awards will be increased from $10,000 to $15,000 per annum for a period of three years. Trust Waikato chief executive Bev Gatenby says the impetus behind increasing sponsorship is recognition of the... more...

Council indicated today that $230,000 of funding that had previously been directed to the Katolyst Group for the operation of its allied organisation Tourism Waikato would cease effective 1 July 2006. The intended change is a result of a review of Hamilton's events based tourism strategy and subsequent realignment of funds for regional economic development. Hamilton mayor, Michael Redman says ... more...

Autumn is the season of splendour at Taitua Arboretum as thousands of trees are ignited with colour. Arboretum manager Adrian Jepson says autumn presents an ideal opportunity to experience Taitua Arboretum at its full magnificence. "Thousands of trees are reaching their full autumn glory over the next couple of weeks so it's a superb time to visit the arboretum. Many of the trees in the arboretu... more...

Local art and artists continue to be a focal point and unique drawcard at ArtsPost as the 14 finalists of the McCaw Lewis Chapman Inaugural Art Award 2006 go on display on 29 April 2006. The awards are a joint initiative between ArtsPost, Waikato Society of Arts and local law firm McCaw Lewis Chapman (MLC). The impetus behind the awards was MLC's desire to select a piece of local art for their ... more...

Hamiltonians are once again invited to attend this year's ANZAC Day commemoration services at Memorial Park on 25 April. Two commemoration services are held in Hamilton. The first is a dawn service beginning at 6am. The second is a civic service beginning at 10am. As part of both services, ex-servicemen and many relatives of those who served in the war march to Memorial Drive from the corner of ... more...

Voting papers for Council's upcoming binding referendum will be posted to electors from this Friday [21 April]. There are approximately 88,563 electors on the residential electoral roll that will receive voting papers. Anybody living outside Hamilton but who owns a property within the city is also eligible to vote as part of the ratepayers electoral roll. Electors have three weeks to complete an... more...

Knox Street commuter car park was officially opened by Hamilton mayor Michael Redman this morning. After cutting the ceremonial ribbon, Mr Redman led guests into the car park behind the wheel of the Holden Commodore of Kayne Scott, current leader of the New Zealand V8 touring car championship. Mr Redman says that the opening of the Knox Street commuter car park signifies the first tangible proje... more...

Hamilton City Council is taking a lead response to a just published New Zealand Police Alcohol Action Plan in the follow up to an alcohol-fuelled skirmish in central Hamilton at the weekend. Hamilton Mayor Michael Redman says in spite of improving statistics around violent offending in the Hamilton Central Business District and the fact that the city has already been proactively working to addres... more...

The 14 volunteer members of Operation Phoenix have been awarded the New Zealand Special Service medal (Asian Tsunami). The New Zealand Defence Force instituted the award in December 2005 to recognise New Zealanders who were involved in rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts in areas devastated by the earthquake off the coast of Sumatra and the resulting tsunami of 26 December 2004. Hamilton m... more...

Council has received an independent review of the Prostitution Bylaw 2004 by the city solicitor in light of a local challenge to the bylaw and recent judgements made in Auckland and Christchurch determining that those cities bylaws were partially invalid. A High Court challenge against the Prostitution Bylaw 2004 has been filed by Tonis Escort Agency. Tonis is a large parlour brothel located outs... more...

Council's proposed 2006 - 16 Long-Term Plan was signed off today. The Long-Term plan provides a blueprint for the development of Hamilton over the next 10 years. The plan is based on predicated growth of 11,000 new homes and a population increase of almost 25,000 people over the next 10 years. Highlights from the plan include CityScope - the city design strategy - , the CBD upgrade, t... more...

Council pushing ahead with Xtreme Games concept 16 August 2004 For Immediate Release Hamilton City Council's Event Sponsorship Sub-Committee has decided to push ahead with an investigation to look at holding a new Xtreme games event in the city, following Wellington's buy-out of the X-Air event established in Hamilton. Chairman of the Event Sponsorship Sub-Committee, Peter Stubbs, says Hamilto... more...

Hamilton City Libraries has installed listening posts in three of its libraries so customers can listen to CDs of their choice. Libraries director Faye Clark says local company Scytect, with help from Starbucks, has installed the listening posts in central, Dinsdale and Hillcrest libraries. "Through these listening posts, customers will be able to listen to tracks from our CD collection. ... more...

Due to safety concerns, Hamilton City Council has temporarily reduced Thomas Road’s speed limit to 50km from 70km, effective Friday, 15 November. Roads and traffic manager Cliff Boyt says the road cannot cope with increased traffic dem... more...

An official ceremony and community day are planned for Saturday, 16 November (10am - 2pm) to mark the opening of Fairfield Park's new skateboard bowl. Recreation planner Mike Hodges says construction finished on the Clarkin Road skateboa... more...

Resurfacing work is scheduled for the Pukete/Wairere Drive roundabout on Saturday 9 November as part of Council's maintenance programme. Work to prepare for resurfacing has been carried out on Wednesday, resulting in a rough surface, a... more...

A fun family event is planned for Saturday, 9 November (11am-1pm) to mark the opening to the public of Hamilton's newest park, Claudelands Park. Recreation planner Mike Hodges says with the fences finally down, it is a good opportunity... more...

The December/January issue of City News will have a fresh new look and format, going to a 16 page magazine style of publication. Economic development chairman Ewan Wilson says the friendly and glossy magazine will reflect the modern fa... more...

Efforts by a Hamilton group to attract the internationally renowned cow parade arts exhibition have been thwarted by Auckland city. Chairman of Council's Economic Development Committee Ewan Wilson says it appears Auckland has invested ... more...

Five hundred residents in Hamilton will be surveyed over the next five weeks as part of research into the quality of life in New Zealand's eight largest cities. The telephone survey, managed by AC Nielsen on behalf of the Councils of ... more...

Work on stage one of the walkway around Hamilton Lake is expected to get underway in the next fortnight and be finished before Christmas. Stage one is an exposed aggregate concrete pathway beginning from the childrenâ¬"s playground area to approximately half way to the lake yacht club. Social and community committee chair, councillor Pippa Mahood, says the start of the work is a tr... more...

Five hundred residents in Hamilton will be surveyed over the next five weeks as part of research into the quality of life in New Zealand's eight largest cities. The telephone survey, managed by AC Nielsen on behalf of the Councils of Hamilton, Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Manukau, North Shore, Waitakere and Wellington cities, is an integral part of the big cities quality of life project laun... more...

Exscite's latest science exhibition, Wellâ¦, Puzzle Me! kicks off from 12 October, and uses puzzles and games to explore and stimulate the mind and body. Education officer, Ray Mayes says Wellâ, Puzzle Me! tackles many different topics including science, technology and mathematics. One area is a giant digestive tract that you enter through a huge mouth and then play a game where you e... more...

Time is running out for those wishing to make nominations for this year's Civic Awards, one of the city's highest honours. The 2002 Civic Awards will reward significant community achievement in six different categories: People and Well-being, Art and Culture, Education, Environment, Enterprise, and Sport. A total of 133 people have been honoured with a Civic Award since its inception in 1991. T... more...

From Monday [30 September] parking pay and display ticket machines will be operational at the car parks of Founders Memorial Theatre, The Meteor, and the museum. Roads and traffic manager Cliff Boyt says the car parks were provided for the users of the leisure facilities, however, because of their locations and lack of time controls, they have tended to be used for general and commuter parking. ... more...

Hamilton Zoo has had to put down a long-serving and rare attraction, the Asiatic Golden cat, Charles. Team leader mammals Mark Bryant says the cat had protracted kidney problems and developed major liver cancer so it was a mercy to put it to sleep. "Charles was about 17 years old, which is very old so when the vet examined him last week and found a large lump in his liver, we decided it was a me... more...

Community groups and the general public are being encouraged to contact Council now and register their involvement in Clean Up Hamilton Day this Saturday [21 September]. Environmental projects officer Liz Bell says about 600 people have currently expressed interest and that there is still room for many more to be involved. "We have identified a number of parks and reserves that need a good spruc... more...

Hamilton City Council is putting on a commemoration service in conjunction with the Waikato Rivertones Chorus of Sweet Adelines to mark the anniversary of the 11 September atrocities. Hamilton mayor David Braithwaite says the event is an opportunity for the community to come together to remember the events of 11 September and the lives lost. "Last year's terrorist attacks shocked the world. Coun... more...

Council's Food Safety Awards are to be presented tomorrow morning (7. 30am), with 33 food outlets recognised for excellence in food safety practices. Environmental health manager Peter McGregor says the awards are a positive way for his unit to promote food safety in Hamilton. "As a unit we want to encourage food outlets to maintain the very good food safety record we have in Hamilton. These awar... more...

Hamilton City Council has commissioned research to help develop a picture of the city's recreation and leisure needs. Recreation planner Mike Hodges says about 2400 Hamilton residents will be surveyed in the next six months and is urging people to take part if called. "This information will help Council tailor its recreation and leisure planning to best meet the community's needs, so it is impor... more...

The Board of Transit New Zealand has visited Hamilton today to see and hear first-hand the issues around State Highway access to the north and west side of the city. The Board made site visits to Te Rapa Road north of the Wairere/Avalon Drive roundabout and to Avalon Drive west of the city. The Board also heard presentations from Hamilton City Council and Waikato District Council. Hamilton City... more...

Hamilton Mayor David Braithwaite is inviting the public to join him in a civic ceremony to recognise and celebrate the achievements of some of our local athletes. "The recent success of local Commonwealth Games athletes and the Waikato Titans and Lady Titans winning their respective National Basketball Leagues has prompted me to organise a celebration so that we can personally congratulate them. ... more...

The Waikato Museum of Art and History is hosting Waikato Baroque for a free concert on 10 August at 1pm. Education services team leader Kirsty Glengarry says Waikato Baroque has received wide acclaim since forming in January 2000, and it is a treat to host the trio at the museum. "It is not often we get to see such a polished group of talented performers playing some wonderful pieces by the ba... more...

Maintenance work on the Killarney Road rail crossing is scheduled to continue this weekend with a second road closure on Sunday 4 August. The work is part of Hamilton City Council and Tranz Rail's maintenance programmes and includes removing redundant tracks and resurfacing the road. The road was also closed the previous Sunday. Minor work will be carried out on Saturday, 3 August in preparation... more...

Hamilton City Council has confirmed it's Annual Plan and budget for the 2002/03 year with a small increase in rates over what went out for public consultation in the draft plan. Changes made to the draft plan will result in a total rate take of $65,955,000 for the current year. The rates differential adopted by Council will see residential ratepayers facing an average increase in their rates of... more...

An economic impact assessment commissioned by Waikato Rugby Union and Hamilton City Council has shown that $1. 24 million of 'new money' flowed into the Hamilton economy as a result of the recent All Black vs Italy rugby match at Waikato Stadium, which in turn generated nearly $1 million of added value to the local economy. The assessment showed that, of the 26,000 people who attended the game at ... more...

Motorists are being asked to avoid the Bridge/Victoria Street intersection tomorrow, due to road works cutting access down to a single lane. Council road maintenance manager Dawn Inglis says urgent repairs are taking place between 9am-4pm and is encouraging traffic to find alternative routes during this time. "With only a single lane operating, it will get very tight in that intersection tomorro... more...

The service provided by Council staff to residents of Hamilton continues to be highly rated according to the topline results from the Annual Residents Survey recently carried out. The Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) for staff service has remained the same as last year with a score of 80. A score of 80 or above is regarded as 'outstanding' by the independent research company, Research Solutions... more...

Hamilton Libraries is backing up its revamped image with a range of new services that libraries director Faye Clark says are designed to better meet customers' needs and to challenge people's perceptions of libraries. "Our new aggressive approach to business has revealed a number of ways to save time and money, and we are passing those benefits on to the customer. For example, we now have four su... more...

Hamilton City Council is congratulating city householders for their response to kerbside recycling that got underway this week. Water, drainage and refuse manager, Leroy Leach, says the way in which the people of Hamilton have supported kerbside recycling is tremendous. "We anticipated strong support for recycling, because the community has been telling us for a while they wanted the service ava... more...

The political task force on the Mercer to Cambridge expressway will meet in Hamilton again on Wednesday afternoon to 'keep up the pressure' on having the road completed by 2010. The task force members are Hamilton City Mayor David Braithwaite, Waikato District Mayor Peter Harris, Waipa District Mayor Alan Livingston and Chairman of Environment Waikato Neil Clarke. The group wants to ensure that ... more...

Council received 193 submissions to the draft plans and policy that were open for public submission from 29 April to 30 May. The submissions were received for three documents: Council's Draft Annual Plan 2002/03 and Draft Financial Management Policy 2002/03 - 2011/12, and Hamilton's Draft Strategic Plan 2002-2012. To support their submission 104 submitters have asked to be heard. The draft ann... more...

The job of distributing over 40,000 new recycling crates to residences in Hamilton got off to a good start on Saturday [15 June]. Design Engineering Ltd, is delivering one 45 litre recycling crate to each and every rateable property within Hamilton, except for inner-city apartments that are identified as being excluded from both the kerbside refuse and recyclables services. The crates are being ... more...

On Monday, 24 June 2002, 147 people became new citizens of New Zealand in a citizenship ceremony at Founders Theatre. The new citizens come from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds from countries including:  Britain, South Africa, Taiwan, India and Somalia. Mayor David Braithwaite says Hamilton has over 80 ethnic organisations representing over 70 ethnic groups in the city. Hamilton's ethni... more...

The Hamilton Lake Residents Society has withdrawn its appeal against the resource consents for the construction of the Hamilton Lake Walkway. This means that there is now no legal impediment to the project proceeding and work on the first stage will proceed as soon as tenders can be let and ground conditions allow. In return for the Society's withdrawal Council will meet further with Society m... more...

What:                               Local youth taking part in mural painting Where:                           &nb... more...

Waterworld and the Gallagher Aquatic Centre are urging parents to take advantage of free swim skills assessments carried out by professional swimming instructors. Waterworld's customer services co-ordinator Tina Farrant says this is a great opportunity for parents to get an objective, professional assessment of their children's swimming abilities. "Many parents may not know how well their childr... more...

What:                                Media Briefing and demonstration                              ... more...

Waterworld and the Gallagher Aquatic Centres' latest fitness event, The Arctic Challenge, has already attracted more than 400 entries. Waterworld's customer services co-ordinator Tina Farrant says registration forms are flooding in, reflecting the appeal of the fun event. "We have run similar challenges before where we set a destination and track people's progress. The idea is to make a clear li... more...

Hamilton City Council is looking for the public's help in what will be one of the largest tree plantings it has attempted on Arbor Day [5 June]. Community planting co-ordinator Gerard Kelly says he has more than 2000 trees to plant at Pukete Farm Park. "It is a big target to achieve, but there are some important long-term benefits from this planting. The trees will be able to reduce noise, the e... more...

Temple View will become part of Hamilton. Council decided last night [22 May] to accept the Waipa District Council's decision that Temple View and its environs should be incorporated into the city. Strategic planning and policy co-ordination committee chairman, Mayor David Braithwaite says Council had the option of appealing to the Local Government Commission but chose not to use it. "We could h... more...

Hamilton Libraries has produced a new library card to reflect its revamped image and is inviting customers with old, damaged cards to visit their local library for a replacement. Libraries director Faye Clark says the new card is teal with the bright orange ticket that will be the major feature on all Hamilton Libraries and wants to phase out the old library cards over the next 12 months. "Those... more...

New Zealand's best diving hopes for the Commonwealth Games plan to exhibit their skills to the public on Saturday [25 May] from 1pm at Hamilton City Council's Waterworld. Customer services co-ordinator Tina Farrant says Waterworld is sponsoring the exhibition as Hamilton's chance to see New Zealand's best at springboard and platform diving. "This is a unique opportunity to watch some spectacular... more...

Libraries and museum manager Geoff Williams has hired Kate Vusoniwailala as the new Waikato Museum of Art and History Director. Geoff says he is delighted Kate accepted the position. "Kate has a great deal of experience with eight years as the Fiji National Museum Director and founding member of the Pacific Islands Museum Association and former committee member and treasurer. "She has demonstrat... more...

In spite of increasingly improving standards of food hygiene in the city, Hamilton City Council's Environmental Health Unit has recently completed its first food premise prosecution in the city for a number of years. The prosecution of a takeaway food bar came after a number of inspections and requests to comply with food safety laws. Council's Environmental Health Manager, Peter McGregor, says ... more...

Hamilton City Council has approved a Proposed Variation to the Hamilton City Proposed District Plan in relation to Residential Centres. The proposed variation relates to the required standards for Residential Centres that are built in the city's Residential Zone. Included as part of the proposed changes, is that car parking standards increase to require more car spaces in the developments and tha... more...

What:                          Laying of foundation stone for Indian Char Bagh Garden's development Where:                        Hamilton Gardens, Paradise Co... more...

Hamilton City Council is seeking feedback on how Hamiltonians feel about their city and Council in the Annual Residents Survey beginning Friday [17 May]. Strategic unit planner Kirsten Edlington says the survey is now in its 18th year and is Council's main barometer for gauging community satisfaction with the services and facilities it provides. "Council measures its performance against communit... more...

King Kong has taken a grip on the upper floors of the Hamilton City Council building. The massive replica of King Kong, made famous in the movie of the same name, has made the trip to Hamilton as part of the Special FX exhibition at Exscite which opened today. The exhibition, including King Kong, is originally from Perth in Western Australia. Libraries and museum manager Geoff Williams says Spe... more...

Council's libraries and museums manager Geoff Williams is to present to 53 other library managers the strategy that is resulting in a radical new image for Hamilton libraries. Mr Williams says the conference on 6-7 May is the third annual North Island Managers Meeting and he is looking forward to reactions to his presentation. "Hamilton libraries is really pushing ahead to take on the challenge ... more...

On 29 April, Council released for public consultation the Draft Annual Plan 2002/03. Council's draft Financial Management Policy 2002/03-2011/12 and Hamilton's Draft Strategic Plan 2002-2012 are also open for public submissions. There is a four-week period for people to make submissions, which closes Thursday 30 May 2002. Before the submission period closes, Chief Executive Tony Marryatt will pr... more...

Hamilton libraries are embarking on a programme of radical self promotion and are launching a new image based on a theme of 'taking your mind somewhere'. Director libraries, Faye Clark says stage one of the new image for the Central, Glenview and Dinsdale libraries features a stylised bright orange ticket painted on a blue backdrop. "The ticket is symbolic of an airport ticket and represents the... more...

What:                         Anzac Day Civic Ceremony Where:                       Cenotaph, Memorial Drive When:         ... more...

Hamilton City Council has dealt with two small sewage discharges into the Waikato River in the past week. One of the spills was from a sewage connection serving Environment Waikato in Hamilton East which had been damaged by tree roots. It resulted in a discharge from a manhole late last week, which found its way into a stormwater connection. Council staff responded within an hour of the discharge... more...

Scheduled resurfacing of Clyde Street between Grey Street and Galloway Street is expected to cause major traffic delays this weekend [20-21 April]. Roads and traffic contracts supervisor Martyn Smith says the length of road being resurfaced will be a contributing factor to traffic delays. "Heavily reduced lane width added to a long stretch of road works is likely to slow traffic down significant... more...

Mayor David Braithwaite is to host a civic reception to launch Kidney Awareness Week on Tuesday [23 April]. Mayor Braithwaite says he is pleased to be part of the national launch and represent Hamilton in this worthy cause. "Awareness weeks have proven to be a popular and effective way for different groups and organisations to raise the profile of issues New Zealanders need to consider. It is an... more...

Hamilton's Water Treatment Station will provide water directly to the CBD and Waikato Hospital when the Ruakiwi reservoir is taken out of service for approximately two weeks. Planning and water manager Bob Sang says the reservoir, which provides a gravity supply to the CBD, is due for an inspection, engineering survey and cleaning after 10 years' continuous service. "This work is scheduled maint... more...

Exscite's talented exhibition co-ordinator Paul Wilcox has been awarded a week-long scholarship [14-20 April] to Australia due to his exhibition design and construction skills. Mr Wilcox says he is excited about the trip to Perth's Scitech Discovery Centre - one of the southern hemisphere's largest science exhibition centres - and what he will learn there. "I am interested to see how Scitech cre... more...

Mayor David Braithwaite today hosted a delegation from Hamilton's sister city in China, Wuxi as part of their lightning visit to New Zealand. Mayor Braithwaite says the sister city programme has provided vital international contacts and hosting this delegation was an opportunity to strengthen those ties with Wuxi. "Hamilton has already greatly benefited from our close relationship with Wuxi. Our... more...

On Monday, 25 March 2002, 176 people became new citizens of New Zealand in a citizenship ceremony at Founders Theatre. The new citizens come from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds from countries including: Britain, South Africa, Taiwan, Korea, India and Somalia.   Mayor David Braithwaite says Hamilton has over 80 ethnic organisations representing over 70 ethnic groups in the city. Hamilt... more...

Hamilton City Council is proposing a rate increase to existing ratepayers of 2. 4 per cent in the coming year. A special meeting of Council [Wednesday 20 March] recommended a total rate of $65. 525 million as part of the draft annual budget for the financial year 1 July 2002 to 30 June 2003. This is an average increase of 2. 4 per cent over the 2001/02 year to all existing ratepayers and an... more...

What:                                Quarterly Youth Network Meeting  Where:                           ... more...

Hamilton City Council's parks and gardens unit has been given resource consents for the building of two major pieces of city walkway. The consents are for the walkway around Hamilton Lake (Lake Rotoroa) and the section of Waikato River walkway between St Andrews Terrace and Ann Street. Work on both walkways will begin in six weeks subject to there being no appeals to the granting of the resource ... more...

What:                                Mayor receiving bell for Russian Bell Tower from Russian Ambassador Where:                     &nb... more...

Council is reassuring residents in Frankton west that discoloured water is safe to drink.   The discolouration has been caused by the commissioning of a powerful pump in the Dinsdale roundabout stirring up sediment. Planning and water manager Bob Sang says the sediment is a build up over many years of fine particles in Hamilton's treated water. "The water has already been treated to nation... more...

Community groups are being encouraged to put in an application in the latest funding round of the Community Well Being and Maori Grants Fund. Community development's Anita Stokes says this is a great chance for community groups to obtain funds for worthwhile projects and services. "Funding is targeted at strengthening the community and making a real difference to people in need. With four di... more...

Scheduled resurfacing of the Peachgrove Road/Clyde Street intersection is expected to cause traffic delays on Monday [18 February]. Roads and traffic contracts supervisor Martyn Smith says although preparation work will be carried out on Saturday [16 February], traffic delays are not expected until Monday when the work is completed. "Milling will be completed early on Saturday after which tr... more...

Hamilton City Council has flushed pipes mainly in Frankton west to clear any sediment in preparation for the trial and commissioning of a powerful pump. Planning and water manager Bob Sang says the flushing will minimise the potential for brown water when the pump in the Dinsdale roundabout is switched on. "We have flushed the principal pipes in the area for the last three weeks and expect t... more...

Resurfacing work at the River Road/Fairfield Bridge roundabout this weekend will mean the bridge will be closed to traffic while workers are on site [16-17 February]. Roads and traffic contracts supervisor Martyn Smith says the bridge will be closed for the worker's safety from 12 noon to 8pm on Saturday and 6am to 8pm Sunday. "It is a tight intersection leaving no room for both traffic and ... more...

The recent musty taste in Hamilton's drinking water is due to a bloom of algae in the Waikato River and is likely to continue through February. Water, drainage and refuse manager, Leroy Leach says the water is regularly monitored and despite the taste, the water is safe to drink and continues to comply with New Zealand drinking water standards. "The taste is linked to particular types of algae. ... more...

Resurfacing is scheduled for three separate areas, including two major intersections, as part of Hamilton City Council's maintenance programme. Council contracts supervisor Martyn Smith, says preparation work will be done on Saturday [2 February] and traffic can expect a rough surface. Resurfacing will then be completed in the following three days. "The contractor has a rolling schedule to resur... more...

Hamilton residents' refuse will be a bags-only collection from 1 July this year. In a special Council meeting today Councillors confirmed a new refuse and kerbside-recycling bylaw, which sets out the bags-only procedure. As well, the bylaw makes way for kerbside recycling which will also begin from 1 July. Water, drainage and refuse manager, Leroy Leach says the move to bags-only improves the me... more...

Claudelands Road and bridge will remain closed tomorrow [Thursday 24 January] so resurfacing work can be completed. Hamilton City Council engineer Tim Cavanagh says the final stage in the resurfacing has taken longer than expected. "It is unfortunate to keep the road and bridge closed another day, but it is necessary to complete the work. "... more...

Claudelands Road and bridge have been reopened today but, depending on fine weather, are expected to close for a maximum of two days next week. Hamilton City Council engineer Tim Cavanagh says most of the resurfacing work that had closed the road and bridge, is complete and what is left to do relies on dry weather. "Weather forecasts showed we would not get the critical two days' dry weather thi... more...

Improved weather forecasted for tomorrow and Wednesday has prompted Hamilton City Council engineer Tim Cavanagh to close Claudelands Road and bridge over that time to complete resurfacing work.   "Contractor Works Infrastructure requires dry weather to finish the resurfacing work. Consecutive days of dry weather have been hard to come by so we need to move fast to take advantage of this oppor... more...

Claudelands Road and bridge will be closed 14-18 January so Claudelands Bridge can be resurfaced. Hamilton City Council's design services engineer, Tim Cavanagh says the existing surface was laid in 1965 when the bridge was converted from rail to road traffic, and needs to be renewed. "Unfortunately, the bridge is too narrow for traffic to pass during resurfacing, so it will have to be closed. " ... more...

Hamilton Zoo achieved a New Zealand first when a male white rhinoceros was born early on Sunday morning. Zoo director Shane Noyes says this birth is unique for New Zealand in that the rhino was conceived here by parents captured in the wild as part of a programme aimed at boosting the numbers of the endangered animal. "In December 1999 Hamilton received two females and a male after six years of ... more...

Hamilton City Council has set up a condolence book in partnership with Centre Place in response to the tragic loss of Sir Peter Blake. Mayor David Braithwaite says the book is a chance for Hamilton people to pass on prayers and condolences to Lady Pippa and the children. "There has been an amazing outpouring of sympathy and support for the Blakes, which is important for people to express. A cond... more...

Animal care and control has had to close its doors and is unable to take unwanted dogs now its kennels are totally occupied. The new centre has been overwhelmed by irresponsible owners dumping their dogs signing across ownership and responsibility. Centre manager, Marion Peck says they have been receiving on average a dog a day since late November. This included a mother dog with four puppies. "... more...

Hamilton City Council roads and traffic is concerned the rapid rise in thefts of catch-pit grates could cause serious injuries and is seeking the public's help to solve the problem. Maintenance engineer Dawn Inglis says 30 grates have gone missing along River Road between Swarbrick Landing and Harrowfield in the last three weeks. "With grates missing, cyclists and pedestrians are in danger of fa... more...

Recipients of this year's Civic Awards are being announced tomorrow at 10am at the awards ceremony in the Civic Chambers. Civic events co-ordinator Fleur Yates says there were 61 nominations this year, with 16 finalists receiving awards in one or more of the six categories. "All nominations were of a very high quality making it hard work for the judges. However, the finalists all had an 'X' fact... more...

Marie Flynn has been appointed to the position of community development manager after a large number of very high calibre applications were received. Community support manager Donna Lewin says the selection process was very tough and that the interview panel were very impressed by all the candidates who were interviewed. Marie will take up her new post on Monday 14 January. Meantime Denise Whit... more...

News that Industry New Zealand 's announcement that it will provide $2 million in funding for an innovation park near Hamilton has been welcomed as a massive boost for the future of the Waikato economy. The announcement was made by Deputy Prime Minister Jim Anderton during a visit to Hamilton today in his capacity as Minister of Economic Development. The funding has been made available under the... more...

Hamilton mayor David Braithwaite has welcomed Industry New Zealand's $2 million funding for the region's proposed innovation park. Industry New Zealand has committed $2 million to the project, conditional on additional community funding, including up to another $2 million from Hamilton City Council. "This is great news for the city and the region. Often as a community we have not always pushed o... more...

Waikato Museum of Art and History is the only Australasian venue to host the major German installation art exhibition QUOBO, opening on 9 December. Programmes and collections manager Kent Ericksen says the exhibition is coming straight from a very successful showing in Berlin, where the art was created. "This is an important exhibition in that it features 10 years of art dating from the fall of ... more...

Winners in Hamilton's Civic Trust Awards and Keep Hamilton Beautiful Garden Competition 2001 have been released ahead of the official ceremony on Thursday, 6 December at 2pm. Trust president Maurice Boswell, says the awards began in 1975 and recognise improvements to Hamilton's environment. "There are a lot of individuals, organisations and groups that contribute to make Hamilton a great place i... more...

The Waikato Stadium Management Committee has postponed the stadium opening after it was unable to get a guaranteed completion date for the construction of the facility. The Management Committee had previously voted unanimously to give the Stadium Trust a further two days to come up with a completion date that would allow the opening to take place on 9 February. Stadium Committee chairman, Coun... more...

The introduction of kerbside recycling in Hamilton from July next year took another step today [Tuesday, 27 November 2001] when the Strategic Planning and Policy Co-ordination committee endorsed the recommendation for it. The recommendation, which will go to be considered for resolution at the full Council meeting next week [2-4pm, Thursday, 6 December] provides for kerbside recycling and the cha... more...

Waikato Stadium's more than 20,000 plastic seats are now being installed. Council's stadiums manager, Mark Christie, who will operate the facility when it is handed over at its completion, says the seats are extremely comfortable and should add a lot of colour. "They are a terracotta colour, so should stand out, but the design was the most important aspect. The seat chosen is a very comfortable ... more...

World-famous Raglan folk singer Chris Thompson is to perform at the Waikato Museum of Art and History on Saturday, 17 November. The museum's programmes and collections manager Kent Ericksen says Chris gained world-wide recognition for his guitar folk music style while in London in the early 1970s, and it is a treat to host a performer of his calibre. "Chris is a rare talent in that although he i... more...

Hamilton's Five Crossroads roundabout is to be resurfaced this weekend (17-19 November) as part of Hamilton City Council's maintenance programme. Council's maintenance engineer Dawn Inglis, says people can expect a rough surface on Saturday and traffic delays Sunday and Monday. "Work to prepare for the resurfacing will begin early Saturday, and will result in a very rough surface but traffic del... more...

WestpacTrust Park's new lights are to be flicked on for the first time tonight in a commissioning service starting at 7. 30pm. Stadiums manager Mark Christie says the lights are an essential part of the planned upgrade. "The lights make Westpac Trust Park a more flexible, and desirable venue. Sports events can now run into the night, making it easier for workers to get along as spectators to enjo... more...

Six-term Hamilton City Councillor, Pippa Mahood, is to address newly elected council members throughout the country in a series of workshops organised by Local Government New Zealand. Mrs Mahood says it is an honour to have been asked to help with the workshops and that it reflects Hamilton's reputation for excellent public consultation and the city's close relationship with tangata whenua. "Thi... more...

Hamilton City Council is sponsoring a seminar on Wednesday, to advise event organisers of the dangers of potential legal action. Council's event executive Karen Watkins says New Zealand's leading event and sponsorship lawyer, Peter Stubbs, has been brought in for the seminar. "Peter is a great speaker and has a wealth of experience as a partner in Simpson Grierson and as a board member of Touris... more...

Hamilton Transport Centre building was cleared today of people and cordoned off at 4pm after security discovered an unclaimed parcel. The centre will remain cordoned off until the police have determined the security of the object is safe. Hamilton City Council property manager Ken Cunningham says the call to cordon off the building is a precautionary measure. "The public safety is the number ... more...

Lights are being installed at WestpacTrust Park in time for the Trans Tasman Touch test series being held there in November. Event organiser Hugh McGahan says it will be a gripping series, with New Zealand extremely keen to take on the world champions Australia in nine test matches from 8-10 November. "It's going to be a thrilling event. Australia currently holds the title of world champions as ... more...

New Hamilton Mayor David Braithwaite is inviting the public to a community celebration of the Swearing In of the new Council on Saturday [27 October]. Mayor Braithwaite says entertainment will be provided so the whole community can enjoy what is an important civic event. "The Swearing In is the first official step for this new Council, and I would like the community to join us in celebrating thi... more...

Seddon Road, between the Waikato Stadium entrance and Goldsmith Street, is to be closed to all traffic from 23 October to 19 November so work can be done to address a long-standing stability issue in the fill material. Project manager Dawn Inglis says slips in the area have affected the road and footpath and with approximately 3500 vehicles a day using the road it is important the area is strengt... more...

Hamilton City Council's electoral officer Blair Bowcott declared today the final result in the local body triennial elections, following the special vote count. The final result does not alter Saturday's election, other than the margins, with Mayor elect David Braithwaite increasing his lead over incumbent Mayor Russ Rimmington by 92 votes (18131 votes to 10351). Final result will be on Council'... more...

Time is running out for those wishing to make nominations for this year's Civic Awards, one of the city's highest honours. The 2001 Civic Awards will reward significant community achievement in six different categories: People and Well-being, Art and Culture, Education, Environment, Enterprise, and Sport. A total of 117 people have been honoured with a Civic Award since its inception in 1991. Th... more...

ftware Following a thorough evaluation process the AUTHORITY computer system from Sanderson Australia has been chosen for implementation within Hamilton City Council. AUTHORITY will replace the current rates and revenue system, LIS and the dog control system. The decision to go with AUTHORITY was made after a thorough and detailed evaluation over... more...

Hamilton has a new Mayor. Hamilton city voters have dumped incumbent mayor Russ Rimmington and given new Mayor David Braithwaite a landslide victory. Mr Braithwaite polled nearly twice as many votes as Mr Rimmington and had a preliminary count majority of 7,688 votes. The new Hamilton Mayor continues a family tradition; his father Roderick Braithwaite was Mayor of Hamilton for two terms from 195... more...

Voting papers received overnight for the Hamilton City Council and mayoralty elections takes the total number to 46. 23 per cent of the electoral roll. The voting period closes at 12 noon and Council electoral officer Blair Bowcott says there has been a steady stream of people coming in all morning to vote. "From the numbers of people coming through the door today, I think we can expect about a 48 p... more...

The Waikato Museum of Art and History is hosting and taking part in a workshop aimed at increasing understanding of visitors to ultimately attract more customers. Museum programmes and collections manager Kent Ericksen says today's [Friday] workshop, 'Know Your Visitors' put on by Te Papa's Kay Haughey, should be a great refresher and help with strategies to improve customer numbers. "The m... more...

The hit one-woman play 'Blossom' that opened the Fuel 2000 'Festival of NZ Theatre' is coming back to Hamilton for a short season this month. Presented by Theatre Stampede and Montana, Blossom will open on Thursday 18 and run to Saturday 20 October at 8pm at the Meteor Theatre. Theatre services manager Richard Sutherland says the show is fresh from a South Island tour. SThe production stars Alis... more...

Hamilton City Council, at its last full meeting before the election, has proposed speed limit changes on River Road and Silverdale Road. Council is proposing River Road's speed limit between the Fairfield Bridge and Sylvester Road, be increased to 60km/hr and be decreased along Silverdale Road between Ruakura Road and Orchard Park to 50km/hr from 70km/hr. Roads and traffic manager ... more...

Missing: one banner poster of a semi-nude woman from the Waikato Museum of Art and History. Museum's programmes and collections manager Kent Ericksen says the banner promoting the One Night of Love exhibition opening today [5 October] had only just been put up. "Unfortunately the scaffolding used to install the banner was still there, giving whoever took it a relatively easy leg-up. They h... more...

Hamilton City Council is updating its website (www. hcc. govt. nz) daily to show the number of voting papers returned from the more than 78,000 mailed out. Council's electoral officer Blair Bowcott says the website has a break down of voting papers received by ward, a total for the city and what this means as a percentage. "Council's website has become a valuable tool for passing on important and int... more...

Hamilton City Council is passing on the city's condolence books set up in response to the terrorist attacks in the United States of America, to the American Embassy in Wellington. Mayor Russ Rimmington says there has been an amazing outpouring of sympathy over the tragedy, and the books have been a good way to pass on messages of support and sorrow to the US. "Hamiltonians have shown great ... more...

What:                        Official opening of the hamilton wastewater treatment plant stage II extension Where:                      Hamilton City Council Wastewater Treatment Plant Pukete Road (... more...

The footpath on Cobham Drive between Melville Park to the south side of Cobham Bridge will be closed to pedestrians. The footpath will be closed from 9. 30am to 3pm on Wednesday 26 to Friday 28 September so that arboricultural work can be carried out without risk to the public safety. Pedestrians in the area are recommended to cross Cobham Drive by the closure points as there is good visibility a... more...

Voting papers for the triennial local body elections in Hamilton will be posted beginning Friday, 21 September. Hamilton City Council's electoral officer Blair Bowcott says there are more than 78,000 voting papers to go out over six days [21-26 September].   "This means there are more than 78,000 voters in Hamilton enrolled and ready to make a difference in this year's election, which is a g... more...

What:               Special combined community service for tragedy in US Where:             Central Baptist Church, 33 Charlemont Street When:              2pm, Sunday 16 September Mayor Russ Rimmington will attend a special comb... more...

The first 'publicly visible' work on the multi million dollar Claudelands Park development in Hamilton has got underway with the demolition of old horse boxes on the Heaphy Terrace boundary of the park. Council parks and gardens manager, Bill Featherstone, says there is a considerable amount of demolition to be carried out at the site, including pulling down the old Thompson Stand. "As a result of... more...

Hamilton City Council is providing a book for the public to write messages of condolence in response to the terrorist attacks in the US. Mayor Russ Rimmington says everyone has been touched by the disaster and felt it was necessary Hamiltonians were given an outlet to voice their sorrow. "This tragedy is on a scale most of us cannot comprehend. Being able to write a message of hope or prayer tha... more...

What:                         Food Safety Awards 2001 Where:                       Waikato Polytechnic (Tristram Room) When:             ... more...

Clean Up Hamilton week, starting Monday [17 September] has the Waikato River in its sights this year with a number of activities planned to tidy it up. Hamilton City Council's environmental projects officer Liz Bell, has organised the event as part of her role as Keep Hamilton Beautiful co-ordinator. She says Council's focus this year has been to tie in with Youth Week by putting on youth-orient... more...

What:        Morning tea to celebrate the Waikato Titans winning the NBL. Where:      Hamilton Mayor Russ Rimmington's office When:       10 September, 2001 at 10am Mayor Russ Rimmington is to celebrate with the Waikato Titans basketball team after their victory over the Wellington Saints to win the Nat... more...

What:      Open session of Youth Council Where:    Youth Zone When:     Thursday 13 September, 8pm Hamilton's inaugural Youth Council is offering the public a chance to meet them at their third formal meeting. Hamilton City Council's research and policy advisor, Hope Simonsen, says the Youth Council has been busy until now getting set up, but... more...

Voting papers for the triennial local body elections are to be mailed in two weeks, using the recently compiled electoral roll. Hamilton City Council electoral officer Blair Bowcott says the roll closed on Friday, 31 August and the mail out will be based on that information, however, a special vote is still possible. People can still enrol but they will not get voting papers in the mail. Instead... more...

Theatre Services has secured the sell out musical comedy 'The Girl from Tokoroa' show after approaching the producers showing them the production would be well received in Hamilton. Theatre services manager, Richard Sutherland says people should book now to make sure they get a seat at the Meteor Theatre for the September show. "This is part of the initiative we are undertaking to encourage prof... more...

The preliminary electoral roll for this year's local body elections closes this Friday [31 August], and Hamilton City Council is reminding anyone not registered after this date, can still enrol to vote. Council's electoral officer Blair Bowcott says potential voters not registered have until Friday, 12 October to get on the electoral roll but with one difference.   "Those who enrol after 31 Au... more...

What:                      Launch of Land Transport (Street and Illegal Drag Racing) Amendment Bill Where:                    135 Ulster Street When:                  ... more...

Hamilton's mayor and local MPs turned off the city's bridge (Victoria and Fairfield) and parks feature lighting (Memorial and Ferry Bank) while appealing to businesses to switch off lights and machines when not in use. The group acknowledges the effort many businesses are taking by switching off non-essential lighting at night but say some businesses are not pulling their weight and not making a c... more...

What:                   Nestle Write Around New Zealand programme Waikato King Country zone                             presentation Where:     &nbs... more...

Nominations for Hamilton City Council and the mayoralty closed today at noon with 40 candidates for Council and eight for the mayoralty. The list of candidates, together with contact details, is available from Council's website www. hcc. govt. nz. Bellow is the complete list of nominated candidates:Mayoralty: Russ RimmingtonDavid BraithwaiteKevin DeanTeKararehe HoaniZuben WeedsMark BuntingJody Gar... more...

Nominations for Hamilton City Council and the mayoralty close noon tomorrow [24 August] with 35 nominations received so far. Four candidates are vying for the mayoralty and 31 are seeking seats on Council. Council's electoral officer Blair Bowcott says the number of nominations arriving has picked up dramatically in the last few days. "Most of the nominations have arrived in the last week. The e... more...

Hamilton Mayor Russ Rimmington is asking for the public's help to identify people who deserve one of the city's highest honours. Nominations are now open for the 2001 Civic Awards, which reward significant community achievement in six different categories:People and Well-beingArt and CultureEducationEnvironmentEnterpriseSport. Hamilton City Council's civic event co-ordinator Fleur ... more...

Council's community development team has won the Facilitation Award at the National Local Government Community Development Awards on Friday [17 August] for the festival 'Indigo', "a gathering of cultures". Community development manager Linda Moltzen says the award has been well received and says three people in particular deserve praise. "This award is a real tribute to Puna Povaru, Tracey Wood ... more...

Hamilton City Council has received 16 nominations in total for Council or the Mayoralty in this year's local body elections with only one week left for nominations to be received. Council's electoral officer Blair Bowcott says all nominations must be in before the period closes at noon, 24 August. In order to qualify to stand as a candidate in the Hamilton elections for either Council or Mayor y... more...

Hamilton City Council has received five more nominations for this year's local body elections bringing the number of Council and Mayoralty candidates to 12. The new nominations are: South ward - Mike Roberts, Destry Fell, Bill Ward, Rowena J Robinson West ward - Dave Macpherson. Visit Council's website www. hcc. govt. nz to get the full list of nominations and each candidate's details. Hamilt... more...

The Waikato Stadiums Management Committee has released the logo that will be used to brand the redevelopment once construction is complete and Hamilton City Council's Mark Christie steps in to manage the facility as well as the upgraded WestpacTrust Park. Committee chairman and city councillor Peter Bos is delighted with the logo that has a stylised version of the new stand's roof as one of it's... more...

Nominations for Hamilton City Council and the mayoralty are at the half-way point with six nominations received. Four of the six were received today from Hamilton First candidates Mavora Hamilton, John Gower, Steve Cortesi and Patrick Lennan seeking to represent the west ward. Councillor Brian Farrell's nomination to represent the south ward again was received the minute nominations opened two w... more...

Hamilton City Council last night approved Waikato Regional Airport Limited's (WRAL) recommendation to buy neighbouring farmland so Hamilton International Airport can extend its runway. Hamilton Mayor Russ Rimmington says a longer runway will mean larger jets such as 767s can use the airport, increasing Hamilton's appeal as an international tourist destination. "Hamilton International Airport is ... more...

The definitive collection of New Zealand rugby cartoons is to open this Saturday [11 August] at the Waikato Museum of Art and History. 'Guts and Glory' consists of more than 70 cartoons of rugby greats such as Jonah Lomu and Sean Fitzpatrick, as well as political figures such as Jim Bolger and Peter Fraser. Famous New Zealand cartoonists Murray Ball, Peter Bromhead and Murray Webb are but three ... more...

Hamilton Zoo's fund-raising to complete the cheetah enclosure is to end in style with a fashion and hair show. Zoo manager Jillian Prew says groups such as the Waikato Master Builders Association, New Zealand Contractors Federation together with several other companies, have already donated thousands of dollars worth of services and products, but more is still needed. "A lot of time and resource... more...

Hamilton City Councillors Garry and Alison Mallett are proud new parents to a baby boy, Lachlan and girl, Isabel. The twins were born just before 4pm yesterday [8 August] and Mr Mallett says although they were five weeks premature, all is fine with mother and children.   "They were under observation for the first night but are breathing well and with mum now,", he says. Lachlan... more...

Hamilton City Council's Animal Care and Control successfully impounded three dogs believed to have been responsible for roaming and killing a number of cats in the Pukete area of Hamilton. Animal care and control manager, Marion Peck, says they are confident that the dogs they seized were the animals they've were looking for. "These dogs certainly fit the descriptions of the dogs we have been lo... more...

Hamilton City Council arborist Tony Wilson is to represent New Zealand at the International Tree Climbing Competition in the US. Tony qualified for the competition in Milwaukee on 12 August by winning last year's National Competition in Wellington.   "I am excited about going but it's going to be the toughest field I have faced, with the best climbers in the world there, many of whom train f... more...

With New Zealand facing the possibility of an electricity crisis Council has accepted the Government’s challenge of reducing its energy demand on the national grid by 15 per cent. The Minister of Energy, Pete Hodgson, held top-level talks last Friday [27 July] with electricity industry representatives looking for ways to avert low hydro lake levels in the South Island falling to a critical point... more...

What:             Youth Council to be formally introduced to Hamilton City Council Where:           Hamilton City Council Chambers When:            7. 30pm, Wednesday 8 August Hamilton's inaugural Youth Council is to be formally introduced to Hamilton City Council at the next ful... more...

Hamilton City Council's Draft Aquatic Facilities Strategic Plan is now available for public comment and submission. Leisure facilities manager Shane Noyes says Council endorsed the strategy as draft for public consultation at the last full Council meeting. "The draft is a future-focused document aimed at ensuring quality swimming facilities catering to the entire community for the next 10 years. ... more...

Hamilton residents will be able to participate in a comprehensive kerbside recycling programme from July next year, following a decision on a new 15-year refuse collection and disposal contract for the city. The contract has been won by Waste Management NZ Ltd. Hamilton Mayor Russ Rimmington says the new refuse contract is good news for the city as it brings in kerbside recycling as soon as poss... more...

Hamilton businessman John Birch has been appointed to head the Innovation Park planned to serve Hamilton and the Waikato. His appointment is expected to accelerate the building of the facility. The Waikato Technology Foundation and the region's Economic Development Forum have joined forces to provide more impetus for the Innovation Park project and one of the first initiatives is the CEO appoint... more...

New Zealand is facing the possibility of an electricity crisis. Council has accepted the Government’s challenge of reducing our energy demand on the national grid by 15 per cent. The Minister of Energy, Pete Hodgson, held top level talks on Friday with electricity industry representatives looking for ways to avert low hydro lake levels in the South Island falling to a critical point, causing hig... more...

Photo           Opportunity with Mayor What            Sod turning Where          Corner of Hungerford Crescent and Cobham Drive When           10. 30am, Friday 3 August Hamilton Mayor Russ Rim... more...

Nominations opened at 8 o'clock this morning for Hamilton City Council mayoral and councillor elections with the first nomination arriving immediately. Hamilton City Councillor Brian Farrell's was the first nomination in. He is seeking to represent Hamilton's south ward for another term. Nomination forms are available from the first floor of the Hamilton City Council offices, or by phoning 080... more...

Mayoralty and Council nominations for this year's local body elections open tomorrow [27 July]. Nomination forms are available from the first floor of the Hamilton City Council offices, Garden Place or by phoning 0800 COUNCIL (0800 268-6240). Forms are also available in Hamilton City Council's 47-page information book for candidates, which covers a range of subjects such as the voting process an... more...

Lunchtime Poetry Reading Hamilton City Libraries Te Whare Pukapuka o Kirikiriroa Rebecca Edwards Thursday 26th July 2001 Central Library, Garden Place 12:15 - 12:50 Rebecca Edwards is a poet and visual artist from Townsville, Queensland. She is a fluent speaker of Japanese and was an Asialink writer in Residence at Keio University, Tokyo in 2000. She has been the winner of several Australian p... more...

Hamilton City Council last night [18 July] approved funding of $233,000 for refurbishment work at the city's Municipal Pool. A full engineering assessment of the Municipal Pool in May showed the pool needed the work to remain operating. The refurbishment is expected to provide another five years use of the pool. The assessment was carried out as part of the development of a long-term strategy fo... more...

Traffic delays are expected at the intersection of Mill and Commerce Streets/Norton Road tomorrow [Friday, 13 July] due to the traffic signals being turned off. The signals will be out of service from 9am for approximately seven hours while a new controller is installed. Signs will be placed on approaches to the intersection warning motorists the signals are out of service. Hamilton... more...

Hamilton City Council's Animal Care and Control is seeking assistance from the public in the Pukete area of Hamilton in their efforts to catch roaming dogs responsible for the deaths of a number of cats. Animal care and control manager, Marion Peck, says it appears the dogs are attacking in the early hours of the morning and are proving difficult to identify. "We have had a number of description... more...

Hamilton City Council has selected 15 candidates who will be the members of the city's inaugural Hamilton Youth Council. Fifty-seven nominations were received from a diverse range of young people, across age groups (13 to 25 years), ethnic groups and backgrounds. Community development manager, Linda Moltzen says the Youth Council will be a voice for youth and youth issues within the Hamilton Cit... more...

Tuesday night's meeting [3 July] with Council and local residents to discuss protection work and remediation in Hudson Street gully has been described as a constructive step forward. The meeting for the HEIRS group (Hamilton Environmental Improvement in the Riverlea Suburb) was chaired by community member Geoff Pooch. He said the meeting was attended by around 25 residents many of who are committe... more...

Hamilton City Council has achieved a New Zealand first with its recently completed Enviroschools Kit. Sustainable environment manager Alasdair Craig says the kit is a comprehensive guide to creating a sustainable environment in schools through valuable learning experiences for the students. "Council is extremely proud to have produced this resource and is impressed with the Ministry for the Enviro... more...

Hamilton City Council has produced a comprehensive information handbook which is available to anyone considering standing for the Mayoralty or Council at this year's local government elections. The 47 page book gives candidates information on a range of subjects including the voting process through to Councillor's remuneration. The handbook also covers areas where there have been significant change... more...

Staff are being praised for their efforts that have resulted in excellent ratings in this year's Annual Residents Survey. Top line results show 35 Hamilton City Council services have increased their satisfaction rating, with 27 services considered excellent. Council CEO Tony Marryatt says these results reflect the organisation's continual drive toward making a difference in the community. He says ... more...

The Social and Community Committee of Hamilton City Council is recommending funding of $233,000 for refurbishment work at the city's Municipal Pool. A full engineering assessment of the Municipal Pool was completed last month and said the pool was in need of the work to enable it to remain operating. The refurbishment is expected to provide another 5 years use of the pool. The assessment was carr... more...

The figure for the Seddon Road upgrade is $450,000, not $1. 4 million as reported in the previous media release. Hamilton City Council today [June 28] finalised the 2001/02 Annual Plan budget, with a 2. 7 per cent increase for existing ratepayers. The rates revenue requirement of $63. 3 million represents an increase of 4. 1 per cent over the 2000/01 year. After taking account of the city's growin... more...

Hamilton City Council today [June 28] finalised the 2001/02 Annual Plan budget, with a 2. 7 per cent increase for existing ratepayers. The rates revenue requirement of $63. 3 million represents an increase of 4. 1 per cent over the 2000/01 year. After taking account of the city's growing rating base, this represents an increase of 2. 7 per cent to existing ratepayers. Mayor Russ Rimmington says this... more...

Hamilton Mayor Russ Rimmington says Tranz Rail's axing of the Waikato Connection is disappointing and short-sighted. "It was a fantastic service for both Hamilton and Auckland and it is a real shame Tranz Rail has decided to end it," Mr Rimmington says. The decision to end the service comes as Tranz Rail prepares to sell its long-distance passenger business, Tranz Scenic, under which Waikato Con... more...

Hamilton City Council's Stadiums Management Committee has opted for a public opening day for the new Waikato Stadium of Saturday February 9, 2002. Stadiums Committee chairman, Councillor Peter Bos, says indications are that the stadium will be completed before this date, but in order to allow for maximum community involvement the February date was chosen. "The latest word from the Stadium Trust,... more...

Photographic exhibition Magnum: Our Turning World has attracted great numbers in its first two weeks, according to Museum of Art and History communication team leader Cam McCracken. "So far we have had about 3700 visitors, which is a very strong start. Not only that, but everyone has been stunned by the quality of the exhibition making comments like: 'blows your mind'; 'a truly stunning exhibitio... more...

A section of the one-way access road at the Lake Domain (Ruakiwi Rd to Lake Domain Drive) will be closed from today [Monday 25 June] to Friday 29 June, to allow for completion of the road reconstruction works. The section of the road to be closed lies between the skating rink and the model railway track. Parks and gardens manager Bill Featherstone says the closure is necessary so that six speed-b... more...

The Ticketek office and Theatre Services office are being temporarily relocated to WestpacTrust Community Theatre next week [29 June] due to the construction work of the Founders Theatre foyer upgrade. Theatres manager Richard Sutherland says the relocation is expected to be for a three-month period but will not affect the services offered. "Phone, fax and email details remain the same and door ... more...

Local companies under the umbrella of the NZ Contractors Federation are this weekend [23 June] donating labour and product to help complete Hamilton Zoo's cheetah enclosure ready for the big cats' expected arrival this year. Hamilton Zoo manager Jillian Prew says the federation's help is fantastic, and that the community's reaction in general has been incredibly valuable. "The working bee is par... more...

School holidays dragon? Then dragon the kids to Honalee to see the most spectacular children's musical ever written that your family will not want to miss! Puff The Magic Dragon is playing at the WestpacTrust Theatre in Hamilton on Saturday 7 July during the school holidays. There will be only two sessions, 11. 00am and 1. 30pm. Also appearing with Puff are the effervescent Dame Lollipop, Sir Galan... more...

Auckland performance artist Daniel Malone was awarded the prestigious Art Waikato National Contemporary Art Award 2001 on Friday [15 June] at the Waikato Museum of Art and History. Mr Malone, better known for his installations and radical actions in art spaces than for designing objects for gallery walls, received $10,000 for Perfect Pitch. The work occupies an entire wall, and consists of a sequ... more...

Hamilton City Libraries is urging Waikato and King Country kids to get their entries into the Nestle Write Around New Zealand: Nestle Tuhi Amio Whenua creative writing competition before July 6, 2001. Waikato and King Country zone coordinator Fiona Johnson says creative kids have only month to get their imaginative 500 word stories completed to be in to win a share of the $60,000 worth of prizes... more...

Utilities Works labourer Paul Cooper died early this morning after collapsing without warning at the Duke Street depot yard. Paul is survived by his partner Glenda and his twin daughters. Staff who were with him when he collapsed, immediately administered first aid and CPR until ambulance officers arrived. Further medical treatment was also given at the scene. Paul (41) has been with Council s... more...

Criticism of Hamilton City Council's level of rates by the Employment and Manufacturers Association has been refuted by Hamilton Mayor Russ Rimmington. A media release from EMA chief executive Alasdair Thompson claims that the Hamilton commercial sector is carrying an unfair burden of rates and that the city has one the highest level of rates in the country. However, Mayor Rimmington says the fa... more...

Hamilton Zoo's latest member, male giraffe Chitumbi, has settled into his new home so well his handlers have released him for the public to see, two weeks ahead of schedule. Hamilton Zoo manager Jillian Prew says 11-month-old Chitumbi is very calm and has been accepted by the other two males, Ndoki, 3, and Makulu, 20 months, after arriving at the zoo 26 May. Mrs Prew says Chitumbi, like Makulu, ... more...

Work is about to begin to restore and add support for a gully in Hammond Park after erosion has threatened property and a pedestrian bridge. A natural watercourse at Hammond Park that runs through a narrow very steep sided gully into the Waikato River has been eroding at a rapid rate. Water, drainage and refuse manager Leroy Leach says the natural soils in this area are very weak sands. "Even th... more...

The major funders of Waikato Stadium have been assured that the project will be completed with its full specifications and that it is currently without any cost over runs. A meeting today (Friday afternoon) between the Waikato Stadium Trust and the major funders of Hamilton City Council, Trust Waikato and WEL Energy Trust discussed details on the progress of the Stadium project. Stadium Trust Ch... more...

Resolution Drive was fully opened to traffic today [Friday,1 June 2001] as well as the overbridge over Rototuna Rd for pedestrians and cyclists. Minor berm works, the planting and grassing of some areas, are expected to continue for the next couple of weeks. At a total cost of around $3. 5 million (excluding land purchase costs) the 1. 4 kilometre project is one of the most important arterial roa... more...

One of the world's most widely respected photography groups will have an exhibition on at the Waikato Museum of Art and History beginning this weekend (June 10). The Magnum photography group, known for its defining images of photojournalism, will have 320 of its photographs at Waikato Museum. The exhibition is entitled, Magnum: Our Turning World, and features photographs from the decade 1989 to ... more...

Hamilton City Council and its energy manager Martin Lynch were presented awards by Minister of Energy Pete Hodgson [Wednesday 30 May] at the Energy-Wise Awards 2001 in Wellington. The Council won a Highly Commended award in the Public Sector section for its diverse energy management programme, which the judges say is well integrated in the Council's planning and policy structure. They were impre... more...

The next popular Quarterly Youth Network Meeting or Hui Whakapiri will be held on 9am Friday, 15 June at Youth Zone, 44 Bryce Street. Craig Muntz, Council's contract and projects advisor, says the well-attended Hui Whakapiri provides an excellent opportunity for individuals and agencies working with youth to share information and to network with each other. "It's an excellent way to improve co-o... more...

Hamilton's Japanese sister city Urawa has expanded and been renamed. The city is now officially known as Saitama City after being established on 1 May. Urawa and neighbours Omiya and Yono joined together to form the new city. Council decided at last night's [16 May] Council meeting, to transfer its official sister city relationship to the newly created Saitama. Hamilton mayor Russ Rimmington s... more...

Hamilton City Council has voted in favour of closing the proposed Hamilton lake walkway during night time hours. The decision was made at last night's full Council meeting. As a result of the decision, the walkway would be open from 5am to 10pm. Chairman of the social and community services committee, Councillor Dave Macpherson, says while the decision to close the walkway at night was not unani... more...

Hamilton City Council has appointed Mark Christie to the new position of stadiums manager responsible for WestpacTrust Park, the Waikato Events Centre and the soon-to-be-completed Waikato Stadium. Sue Duignan, Council's community services general manager, says the 44 applications received were of very high quality but Mr Christie's stood out. "Mark is extremely qualified having 15 year's experie... more...

A brochure on Hamilton's Walkways is hitting the streets this week, aimed at helping people get the most from one of the city's most popular attractions. Mike Hodges, Hamilton City Council's recreation planner, says the brochure is designed to help Hamiltonians and visitors enjoy the walkways and get fit doing so. "There is a lot of information in the brochure from maps and the attractions you c... more...

Hamilton City Council has appointed a manager, currently with key responsibilities at Auckland City, to the position of libraries and museum manager in Hamilton. Geoff Williams will move to Hamilton from his present position as action manager for Auckland City libraries at the end of June. He replaces Kristine Anderson who is leaving Council. Mr Williams has spent 11 years in management and thre... more...

Hamilton City Libraries is to host creative writing workshops run by experts as part of the Neste Write Around New Zealand programme for kids, beginning next week. Well-known authors Glen Colquhoun and Vince Ford will also hold workshops at other libraries throughout the Waikato for all year seven and eight school pupils eligible to enter the Nestle Write Around New Zealand competition. Hamilton... more...

Hamiltonians are being surveyed on how they feel about the city and the Hamilton City Council in the Annual Residents Survey, which began this week and runs until mid June. Trish Kirkland-Smith, strategic unit planner, says the residents survey is Council's main barometer for gauging community satisfaction with the services and facilities it provides. "Council measures its performance against co... more...

Hamilton City Council has received 138 submissions to its 2001/02 Draft Annual Plan. Submissions ranged from suggesting alternative projects and new projects to supporting those already proposed. General manager strategic, Mike Theelen says the submissions come after a slightly different communication strategy to inform the public of what is proposed in the plan.   "One new strategy was to p... more...

Hamilton Mayor Russ Rimmington has again urged Air New Zealand to consider bringing back the Boeing 737 service between Hamilton and Wellington. The mayor met Air New Zealand executives in Hamilton today.   Air New Zealand says its first priority is to make up the loss of aircraft seat capacity, in and out of Hamilton, following the demise of Qantas New Zealand. Paul Donovan, Air New Zealand... more...

The Hamilton Marist Rugby Club has agreed to move from its present location at Claudelands Park, with help from Hamilton City Council, ensuring that the redeveloped Claudelands Park will be a passive recreation area. As part of the agreement, Council will purchase the club's present facilities and relocate Marist to Dey Street North Reserve in 2004, an area to be renamed Marist Park. The Marist ... more...

Wednesday [May 2] Hamilton personalities including mayor Russ Rimmington, deputy Brian Impson, council managers, sports and media people will wheel out on the streets of the central city for a wheelchair and mobility scooter rally. While the rally is a fun exercise, personalities have been invited to experience the everyday difficulties that motorised wheelchair and scooter-bound people experien... more...

Hamilton Zoo's new critically endangered animals, the Sumatran tiger go on public display from today. The zoo received the trio from the Wellington Zoo where the siblings were born in January 2000. Leisure facilities manager, Shane Noyes says: "This project continues Hamilton City's investment in the development of New Zealand's newest conservation zoo.   This programme has seen the zoo move f... more...

The Waikato Museum of Art and History is seeking memorabilia about the aborted 1981 Springbok match in Hamilton for an exhibition to commemorate the tour's 20th anniversary. Curator of history, Lyn Williams, says she would welcome hearing from people who have memorabilia which could be lent for the exhibition. She is also keen to interview them about their memories of the tour. "Because the tour... more...

Wairere Drive resurfacing from Hukanui Road to River Road this weekend will see it closed to eastbound traffic. Eastbound traffic will be detoured via Glenn Lyne Ave to Hukanui Road from 8am Saturday [5 May], until noon on Sunday by which time the resurfacing is expected to be complete. Roads and traffic manager Peter Bielby says the work is part of a package Council has agreed on, in consultati... more...

What:           Waikato/King Country launch of the Nestle Write Around New Zealand: Nestle Tuhi Amio                    Whenua programme Where:         The Ferrybank Reception Centre, Grantham Street, Hamilton When:          1:30 t... more...

Hamilton Zoo's new Sumatran tigers have more than doubled previous years' April visitor numbers official figures revealed on Tuesday [1 May]. The zoo's public programmes and administration manager, Jillian Prew, says the turnout of more than 23,000 compared with last year's 9000 exceeded all expectations. "The tigers have been a huge success for the zoo and for Hamilton. Judging from the public in... more...

Photography with a difference is how you would describe an exhibition of stunning photographs being exhibited in the Central City Library by the Waikato Photographic Society from 1 to 12 May. These images are from the Urawa Hobby Association Photography Union, a camera club from Hamilton's sister City in Japan. Waikato Photographic Society president John Greenwood says they were brought to New Z... more...

What:                   Billboards going up for red light campaign Where:                 Mill Street When:                  10am, Monday 7 May A campaign aimed at reduc... more...

Hamilton City Council has won the bid to host Touch New Zealand's Transtasman Series in November to be held at the newly completed Waikato Stadium. Council events executive Karen Watkins says having New Zealand and Australia's top teams playing in Hamilton will be great entertainment and a boost for the city economically.   "We hope this series will lead to Hamilton hosting the nationals which... more...

What:               Boy Racer Road Safety Public Meeting Where:             Hamilton City Council Reception Lounge When:              5pm-6. 30pm, Tuesday 8 May The misuse of Hamilton's streets by young drivers racing around causing noise, nuisance and danger to other drivers and pedestrians ha... more...

What:                  Safer Access to Hamilton Gardens Public Meeting Where:                Sillary Indoor Bowling Club, 150 Cobham Drive, by Hungerford Cres When:                 2pm and 7pm, 30 April Council and Transit New Zealand are holding a public open day... more...

On Saturday [21 April] 78 key events people from Hamilton and the wider region attended the all-day Running a Successful Event seminar, and rated it as excellent. Seminar organiser Hamilton City Council events executive Karen Watkins, who is also the Events Sponsorship Association of New Zealand's education portfolio spokesperson, says the seminar was a huge success. "I'm rapt by the turn out and ... more...

The first weekend of May is to be marked by a public open day at the Taitua Arboretum. The arboretum' public park managed by Hamilton City Council' has been undergoing considerable work in preparation for the open day. Taitua arboretum manager, Adrian Jepson says he is looking forward to the public visiting and seeing the trees.   "We have upgraded the car park, are building new toilet facil... more...

Hamilton City Council is lodging its application for stormwater resource consents for the city to Environment Waikato today [Thursday, 12 April]. Water, drainage and refuse manager, Leroy Leach says the application marks the result of a lot of work and consultation with key stakeholders.   "In conjunction with environmental scientists Tonkin and Taylor and NIWA, Council has been assembling d... more...

At its full council meeting [Wednesday, 4 April] Hamilton City Council approved a roundabout as the best all round solution for the entrance of Hamilton Gardens at the intersection of Cobham Drive/Galloway and Hungerford Streets. Mayor Russ Rimmington says safe and easy access to Hamilton Gardens has been a long-standing community issue. "Trying to get across from Galloway Street into Hamilton G... more...

For the first time Hamilton City Council has opted for progressive counting of votes in the week prior to polling day in the local body elections later this year. The voting process was confirmed at last night's [Wednesday, 4 April] full Hamilton City Council meeting. As in past years, Council has also decided the election will be conducted by postal voting. In a report to the Strategic Planning... more...

The four community representatives for the Waikato Stadium management committee have been selected to help run the redeveloped stadium facilities. A total of 46 applications were received from people wanting to take on the position. The community representatives selected are:Ross Brazier. A Hamilton lawyer who has wide experience with community sports bodies including squash, tennis and rugbyMar... more...

Hamilton City Council is proposing a rate increase to ratepayers of 2. 7 per cent in the coming year. A special meeting of Council today [Tuesday 27 February] recommended a total rate of $62. 77 million as part of the draft annual budget for the financial year 1 July 2001 to 30 June 2002. This is an average increase of 2. 7 per cent over the 2000/01 year to all existing ratepayers and an average incre... more...