One of Hamilton’s most colourful and iconic personalities will be among the 50 recipients of New Zealand Citizenships at a ceremony in the Hamilton City Council Reception Lounge on Wednesday (14 December). Rocky Horror Show creator Richard O’Brien, who has a strong connection to Hamilton, will receive his citizenship from Hamilton Mayor Julie Hardaker during a private ceremony for the 50 recipien... more...

Two Hamilton primary schools will be presented with top national environmental education awards next week. Rhode St School and Hillcrest Normal School will receive Enviroschools’ Green Gold Awards for their efforts in environmental action and sustainability. The awards will be presented by Deputy Mayor Gordon Chesterman at Hamilton Gardens on Tuesday, 6 December at 1pm. Enviroschools is a whole ... more...

Hamilton has enhanced its reputation as a “can-do” event city with a successful Rugby World Cup 2011 debut last night. Waikato Stadium hosted its first match of the Tournament, between New Zealand and Japan, enjoyed by a capacity 30,000-strong crowd whose behaviour has been praised by police. Many fans heeded the “park and walk” message, making good use of the Walking Route through Hamilton’s CB... more...

Cultural performances, hip hop dancing, buskers and street theatre performers will be part of the entertainment and activities for Hamilton’s Rugby World Cup 2011 Community Days. The revitalised Garden Place will host the Community Days on the three days Hamilton hosts Rugby World Cup 2011 matches – 16 September, 18 September and 2 October. They are free to the public, and coincide with the insta... more...

Hamilton’s official Twitter feed will keep Rugby World Cup 2011 fans updated as the city hosts its first match in the Tournament. New Zealand plays Japan this Friday night at Waikato Stadium in the first of three Rugby World Cup 2011 matches in Hamilton, and the city’s Hamilton_NZ Twitter feed will be operating throughout. The Twitter feed can be accessed through the Hamilton NZ smartphone app, ... more...

Fans heading to Waikato Stadium this weekend for Hamilton’s first two Rugby World Cup 2011 matches are being urged to bring cash, identification and use the walking route to the venue. Hamilton hosts the first two of its three Rugby World Cup matches this Friday (New Zealand vs Japan, 8pm kick-off) and Sunday (Wales vs Samoa, 3. 30pm kick-off), part of the city’s Back to Back Weekend of events. ... more...

The railway crossing on Killarney Road, Hamilton will be closed to vehicles next Sunday, 4 September from 5am-3pm so repairs can be carried out. During the closure a signed detour will be in place for vehicles, while access to the crossing will remain open to pedestrians and cyclists throughout this period. Sunday bus services will continue as normal however will follow a slight detour route in t... more...

The installation of ‘pay and display’ parking machines and parking bay sensors in Hamilton’s Worley Place and Riverbank Carpark will get underway this weekend. The work will begin with the laying of concrete bases for the three ‘pay and display’ machines in Worley Place. The machines will offer cash, credit card and ‘text to park’ payment methods, and will issue printed slips for display on vehic... more...

  Rugby World Cup fans visiting Hamilton can have important event and city information at their fingertips through a free smartphone app available from today.   A Rugby World Cup 2011 ‘plug-in’, specifically for use during the Tournament, has been added to the existing Hamilton NZ app, and has been adapted to enable its use on all types of smartphones.   Described as ‘your esse... more...

The sound of slender ice skating blades slicing across the ice will echo through Garden Place next month.   Hamilton City Council has partnered with Grassroots Trust, Waikato Security Services, Hamilton Waikato Tourism, Waipa District Council and Waikato District Council to bring an ice skating rink in the central city.   Garden Place Ice Rink will open on September 15, coinciding wi... more...

Hamilton residents can now keep up to date with Council business by logging onto Facebook. An official Hamilton City Council Facebook page, www. facebook. com/hamiltoncitycouncil, was recently launched, which will act as a channel for informing residents and ratepayers about decisions made by Council and providing general information on Council activities. Hamilton City Council Communication and M... more...

Changes to on-street parking in Hamilton’s CBD will come into effect from 1 August, in order to align and simplify central city parking restrictions. From Monday, 1 August the time limit for all on-street metered parks and pay-and-display parks in the central city will be increased to 120 minutes and will cost $2 per hour from Mondays to Saturdays. On Sundays and public holidays on-street parking... more...

Hamilton City Council has taken the top prize in the Association of Local Government Information Management’s ‘Project of the Year’ Award. The announcement was made at the Association of Local Government Information Management (ALGIM) Records Management Symposium in Wellington on Monday [25 July], with the award celebrating innovative records management and archiving within local government. Ha... more...

The Municipal Pool on Victoria Street will be closed for at least a week while repairs take place at the facility. The Municipal Pool was unable to open as planned yesterday after staff discovered a circulation pump had failed in the plant room – causing a joint in the pool’s piping to blow and water to drain from the pool. Hamilton City Council leisure facilities manager Jason Rogers said work ... more...

The size and scale of Auckland Theatre Company’s Calendar Girls will see the show hosted at Founders Theatre when the production comes to Hamilton next month. Auckland Theatre Company’s artistic director Colin McColl said this is the third year in a row that Auckland Theatre Company has been able to bring to Hamilton big popular shows immediately following their successful Auckland seasons. “Ou... more...

Rugby fans will get a chance to have their photograph taken with the William Webb Ellis Cup when the Rugby World Cup 2011 Roadshow rolls in to Hamilton this weekend.   The Roadshow is touring New Zealand in a custom-designed truck, and has featured regularly on TVNZ’s Breakfast programme. It includes historic Rugby World Cup footage, interactive footage with previous winning captains, a tas... more...

More than 50,000 Hamilton ratepayers have an opportunity to enjoy two of the city’s most popular visitor attractions, using a free entry coupon included in their next rates notice. Enclosed with each rates notice will be a coupon offering ratepayers a choice of either a free child entry and one free hydroslide at Waterworld, or a free child entry to Hamilton Zoo. The offer will be valid until 21 ... more...

Well-deserved recognition and $2000 dream dollars are up for grabs for Hamilton’s top young achievers, with nominations now open for the Recognyz Youth Awards 2011. From talented musicians and awe-inspiring artists, to strong leaders and cutting-edge innovators, the annual Recognyz Youth Awards showcase the amazing and often unnoticed contributions that young people aged 12-24 years make to Hamil... more...

An unregistered Pit Bull which attacked a guide dog at a Hamilton shopping centre remains impounded while its fate is decided. Hamilton City Council Animal Control staff have imposed a retention order on the dog while an investigation is completed. The female Pit Bull was seized by animal control officers immediately after the attack, and Hamilton Police are investigating laying charges agains... more...

Hamilton City Council’s Rating Review is moving to a pre-consultation phase after Councillors opted to further explore a Capital Value (CV) rating system. Council staff will now speak with a number of key stakeholders in the city to get their input into the Rating Review. Council is undertaking the review as part of the Long Term Plan process, mapping out Council’s focus for the next 10 years. ... more...

Road pavement rehabilitation works and development of a Centre Place dining lane are currently underway along Bryce Street in Hamilton, with more works proposed for the area in the coming months. The project is one of several works currently underway along central city streets. The development of the Centre Place dining lane fronting onto Bryce Street requires Hamilton City Council to relocate t... more...

Hamilton City Council has maintained its favourable credit ratings with global agency Fitch Ratings. Fitch Ratings’ Sydney office affirmed Council’s Local Currency Long-Term Rating at AA-, while its Local Currency Short-Term Rating was affirmed at F1+. Fitch Ratings said both credit ratings reflected Council’s healthy operating margin, solid – although slightly weakened – economic profile, an... more...

A public art panel made up of five local professionals with art, cultural, architecture and urban design expertise has been formed to help guide public art in Hamilton. Dr Carole Shepheard, Darrin Haimona, Antanas Procuta, Margi Moore and Kate Vusoniwailala were appointed to the panel after a public nomination process. Nominees were required to demonstrate passion and commitment to the developme... more...

A forum in which young people can discuss issues relevant to youth in Hamilton will be held in the city this month. The 2011 FYI (For Youth Involvement) Youth Forum will take place on Friday, 24 June from 10am-3. 15pm at Wintec’s Gallagher Hub. A highlight of the forum promises to be a debate between Hamilton City Council elected members and the Hamilton Youth Council on the topic ’young people sh... more...

Claudelands will be holding an Open Day next weekend, providing the public with the chance to be amongst the first to set foot in Hamilton’s newest events venue. Held on Saturday, 18 June from 10am-3pm, the free Claudelands Open Day will begin with a welcome by Hamilton Mayor Julie Hardaker, before doors are opened to the public. Attendees will then be free to make their way through the arena, c... more...

The University of Waikato’s Institute for Business Research is undertaking a social impact study for the Ruakura area which has been identified as an important strategic growth area for Hamilton. The study is part of a number of steps in the preparation for future development. A structure plan will also need to be prepared as part of the city’s District Plan. The concept for the area includes an... more...

The next stage of the redevelopment of the central city is underway with changes to the Garden Place underground car park. The change requires road works, commencing on Tuesday 7 June, which will affect traffic flow on Anglesea St. Motorists are being advised there may be congestion at peak times, and they should use alternative routes where possible. The programme of works allows for Anglese... more...

Hamilton City Council has confirmed an 8 per cent rates increase following its meeting yesterday to set the budget for the year beginning 1 July 2011. Council considered 1605 public submissions last month, the most for more than ten years, before settling on the final rates increase. There was no additional financial expenditure approved following the submission process. Hamilton Mayor Julie Har... more...

  Hamilton City Council is calling for expressions of interest from proprietors to operate two kiosks in Garden Place. The kiosks form part of the new design for Garden Place which is currently undergoing a major upgrade. The new-look Garden Place will be ready for inner city workers, shoppers and visitors to enjoy by 1 September, just before the kick off of Rugby World Cup 2011. Garde... more...

Digging in 30,000 trees is this year’s Arbor Day challenge at Waiwhakareke Natural Heritage Park, New Zealand’s largest inland restoration project. Event organiser Gerard Kelly says planting 30,000 native trees across 3 hectares within 3 hours on the 3rd of June sounds like a tall order. “Actually, with 3000 volunteers having a great day out we can do that – easily! “We’re encouraging over 30 b... more...

Hamilton City Councillors have endorsed the city’s existing parking management strategy, which recognises on-street parking as premium parking for visitors to the central city. Full Council today (Wednesday, 18 May) supported a series of resolutions, to best manage central city parking. These include: ·Retaining the $2 per hour cost for on-street parking. ·Ceasing the free Saturday parking t... more...

A Hamilton flag that was taken into space aboard the space shuttle Discovery earlier this year will be gifted back to the city by a crew of NASA astronauts tomorrow [Tuesday, 17 May]. The six-member crew will present the flag to the city during a special ceremony in Civic Square at 3pm, before it is raised on the Council building’s flagpole by Hamilton Mayor Julie Hardaker. In 2009 NASA space sh... more...

Hamilton’s Parana Park is set to be transformed into a stimulating and exciting Children’s Garden, following an announcement today by the Potter Masonic Trust that it is contributing $200,000 towards the development. This contribution will go towards Stage One of the project, to be known as the Potter Children’s Garden, with Council now seeking the remaining funding required from other sources. ... more...

A new site-specific sculpture has been approved for installation in Garden Place. Approval for the artwork by Neil Miller was finalised by the City Planning and Development Committee on 29 March. Standing 12m-high, the sculpture celebrates the concept of Pleiades/Matariki – its design is a representation of the Pleiades in the form of a growing vine, with the stars of Matariki forming the fruit ... more...

The Remuneration Authority has revised pay rates for Hamilton City Council’s elected members. The Authority is an independent Government agency charged with setting remuneration for elected representatives at Councils around the country. The process is independent of Council. The remuneration pool for Councillors has been increased from $882,110 to $883,575. The mayoral salary has increased fro... more...

More than 1600 submissions have been received for Hamilton City Council’s Proposed 2011/12 Annual Plan. In total 1605 submissions were received during the period from 21 March to 21 April 2011 – making it Council’s biggest Proposed Annual Plan/LTCCP submission process in over 10 years. The main issues referred to in the submissions include the proposed cycling velodrome (over 900 submissions), ... more...

Wild weather has caused a large number of trees and branches to fall throughout Hamilton today. Hamilton City Council arboriculture staff have been kept busy clearing vulnerable and damaged trees throughout the city as winds reached around 130km per hour. Council contract supervisor arboriculture (street trees) Pip Watson said while strong winds alone do not tend to cause problems for the city’s... more...

Hamiltonians are invited to attend the city’s ANZAC Day Commemoration Service at Memorial Park this Monday [25 April] to honour those who have fought and lost their lives at war. The 10am service will include an address from Hamilton Mayor Julie Hardaker and the Deputy Chief of Navy, Commodore Wayne Burroughs, MNZM, RNZN, who particularly wanted to come to Hamilton for this year’s service. This ... more...

Extended off-street parking hours, dedicated parking for tourist coaches, and installing a sound system in Garden Place where among a number of positive measures for the central city approved by Hamilton City Council this week. Council’s City Planning and Development committee met on Tuesday (29 March) and approved the following initiatives to foster greater activity in the central city: Extende... more...

The arts in Hamilton are set to benefit from significant new funding awarded by Creative New Zealand. Under the Regional Arts Presenter fund that Creative New Zealand set up in 2010, the Central North Island Consortium (Hamilton, Hawkes Bay and Taranaki) were successful in securing funding of $400,000 over a three year period from 2011 to 2013 to arrange and execute tours of New Zealand arts to H... more...

Hamilton residents and businesses are urged to switch off for an hour this Saturday [26 March] as the city takes part in the global Earth Hour initiative. Aimed at raising public awareness of environmental issues, Earth Hour will see hundreds of millions of people around the world turn off their lights and non-essential appliances for an hour from 8. 30pm on Saturday. Hamilton mayor Julie Hardake... more...

Hamilton City Council’s Community Development Committee will meet next week to agree the terms on which Council will renegotiate payments of debt from the Waikato Rugby Union. The WRU currently owe Council $953,000 in rent arrears. The Union have twice previously fallen into arrears with Council, in 2009 and 2010. The most recently negotiated 2010 debt repayment plan remains unsettled, with the W... more...

Hamilton City Council formally adopted the city’s proposed Annual Plan today, beginning a month-long public consultation period which will run from 21 March to 21 April. Hamilton Mayor Julie Hardaker describes the Proposed Annual Plan as a financial prudent step towards a more financially sustainable future for the city. With a strong focus on long-term financial sustainability, the proposed Ann... more...

A memorial service will be held in Hamilton’s Garden Place this Friday from 12. 15pm to mark the National Day of Mourning for Christchurch. The Hamilton service will be held to coincide with the National Christchurch Memorial Service in Hagley Park and will include live streaming of the Christchurch service on a big screen and an opening address by Hamilton deputy mayor Gordon Chesterman. Hamilto... more...

All water restrictions have been lifted in Hamilton and the Waikato District following a sustained decrease in daily water consumption. Hamilton City Council city waters manager Tim Harty said that consumption levels have decreased quite significantly in line with the recent drop in temperatures, and he is confident that the demand on water will remain at acceptable levels without the need for f... more...

Local Youth Search and Rescue (YSAR) members will be sharing their experiences of assisting in the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquake during a presentation in the Hamilton City Council reception lounge this Sunday, 13 March from 7pm-9pm. Run in conjunction with the Hamilton Youth Council, the presentation will include firsthand accounts from Hamilton YSAR members who clocked up 15-hour days... more...

The youngest member of Hamilton Zoo’s Southern white rhinoceros herd turns one year old this Saturday. Ubuntu, who is nicknamed ‘Bunty’, will celebrate the milestone with a 1st birthday bash at Hamilton Zoo on Saturday from 11am-1pm. The party will include music, entertainment, a ‘pin the horn on the rhino’ competition, face painting and spot prizes. There will also be free cake and ice block giv... more...

A business help website is to be launched in Hamilton to assist Christchurch businesses who may need urgent short term help. The website will be a joint initiative between Hamilton City Council, Opportunity Hamilton and the Waikato Chamber of Commerce. It is expected that the website will be up and running in a few days. In announcing the creation of the initiative, Hamilton Mayor Julie Hardake... more...

The public are being advised to keep their dogs out of Hamilton Lake (Lake Rotoroa) and avoid all contact with the water due to a potentially toxic bloom of blue-green algae. An initial sample examined by the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) has confirmed the presence of cyanobacteria, otherwise known as blue green algae. This organism may form toxins – leading to a war... more...

Hamilton City Libraries will be celebrating NZ Book Month will a series of free events throughout March. Hamilton City Libraries has worked in collaboration with Wintec, University of Waikato and other interested parties to coordinate the series, with three of the events taking place at Garden Place Library. Hamilton City Libraries acting community programmes manager Bryony Walker said the serie... more...

National Children’s Day will be celebrated in Hamilton this Sunday [6 March] with a range of events throughout the city. The local events are being organised by community groups, Waikato Museum and Hamilton City Council, and will held in each sector of the city – north, south, east, west and central. With this year’s theme being ‘love and affection’ the 11th National Children’s Day aims to heigh... more...

Hamilton City Council has been flooded with generous offers from Hamilton people wanting to do their bit to help the National Emergency in Christchurch. More than 60 Council staff with specialist Civil Defence skills have volunteered to fly to Christchurch and help, if required. Many people have contacted Council wanting to hold fundraising events, and donate money, or goods and services, to s... more...

Hamilton City Council staff are on stand-by to offer assistance to the National Emergency effort, in Christchurch. Staff are volunteering to fill roles in areas including Civil Defence, welfare, building inspection, water, waste, roading, logistics, planning, operations, public information and communication. Council is compiling a list of people available to fly to Christchurch at short notice,... more...

The Waikato Valley EOC (Emergency Operation Centre) has been activated in response to the Christchurch Earthquake. Hamilton's emergency and community safety manager, Paul Blewman asks that people refrain from using landline and mobile phones to lessen overloading. "We have activated the centre to quickly support and provide any assistance we can to authorities dealing with the aft... more...

Hamilton City Council has cut budgets; and proposed an 8 per cent rates increase for existing ratepayers. The decisions were made during the Council’s draft Annual Plan process over the last three days. Mayor Julie Hardaker said all savings made during the budget deliberations and additional rates revenue would go straight into paying debt and addressing the long term need to provide more fund... more...

Approval has been granted for two commercial developments in Hamilton. Council has allowed work to commence on a scaled-down retail and commercial development on the corner of Grey and Clyde Streets in Hamilton East. The other multi-level development is next to Wintec in the central city. The approved plan in Hamilton East is a scaled down version of what was originally put forward by the de... more...

Hamilton City Councillors face some difficult decisions as they consider the city’s draft annual plan this week. Councillors are to decide where to focus Council expenditure, while maintaining the level of council services and facilities expected by ratepayers. They are to sit to consider the Council’s 2011/2012 Annual Plan on Wednesday and Thursday this week (16 & 17 February). Mayor Julie... more...

Hamilton City Council today took action to recommend a number of long-term parking measures that will replace those trials which have been ongoing in the central city. The measures are included in Council’s new Parking Management Action Plan. The Plan aims to take a long-term approach to parking management in the city, based in part on sound research on parking availability and sensitivity to par... more...

Hamilton City Council managers will step outside their comfort zones and work alongside operational staff in different areas of the organisation this Friday during ‘Managers on the Job Day’. Part of ‘SWellcome Back Week’, a week-long internal initiative aimed at reinforcing the importance of safety and wellbeing practises in the workplace, Managers on the Job Day will see 29 managers including ac... more...

A sustained decrease in the amount of water being consumed in Hamilton and the Waikato District has seen the area’s water alert levels drop back to alert level 1 today. Hamilton City Council city waters manager Tim Harty said while unusually high volumes of water were being consumed prior to Christmas, since then consumption has steadily dropped back to more sustainable volumes. Hamilton ma... more...

Mayor Julie Hardaker’s concerns over behaviour in Garden Place have prompted her to invite Garden Place business owners to share their ideas and concerns at a forum with NZ Police and Hamilton City Councillors on next Thursday 3 February. The Mayor says many inner city businesses are understandably frustrated over the impact anti-social behaviour is having on people visiting the central city and ... more...

From 2 February Hamiltonians will have regular and open access to their Mayor Julie Hardaker, as the city’s leader launches a regular public chat ‘Mayor in the Square’. Mayor Hardaker is keen to encourage more public participation in the running of the city. Open drop-in chats already occur in other cities around New Zealand and will begin in Hamilton on 2 February. “Some of the best ideas come ... more...

The closure of Fairfield Bridge for scheduled repair is being extended following damage from extreme weather on the weekend (22-23 January). The unseasonable weather caused considerable damage in places on the bridge and has delayed essential works. The bridge will now be re opened to traffic by Tuesday 1 February 2011. Transportation manager Phil Consedine says the extended closure time will e... more...

A free wireless internet service launched in Garden Place in December has now been expanded to encompass more of central Hamilton. The free WiFi is now also able to be accessed in Hood Street and along a section of Victoria Street between Hood Street and Garden Place. Hamilton mayor Julie Hardaker said the free WiFi service was identified by Hamilton’s Creativity and Identity Strategy Forum and... more...

Council has given the green light to construct a new transport corridor through Ruakura which takes the completion of the city’s strategic ring road a step closer to reality. City planning and development chair Dave Macpherson says that completion of this project is a very important component of the city’s Access Hamilton Strategy in that it supports economic development and productivity by prov... more...

Hamilton City Council has appointed Barry Harris as its new chief executive. Mr Harris comes from the Fonterra senior management team and has previously been CEO at Environment Waikato and the Wellington Regional Council. The appointment was made by all Councillors on Friday night with unanimous agreement. The decision will be formally ratified at a Council meeting this week. Hamilton Mayor Jul... more...

Next year Hamiltonians will have even greater access to Waiwhakareke - the city’s award-winning natural heritage park. WEL Energy Trust has granted the project $25,000 to extend the park’s network of public paths in 2011. A 60 hectare wetland in the heart of Hamilton, Waiwhakareke is an award-winning natural heritage park and New Zealand’s largest inland restoration project. Largely resourced by... more...

The “look and feel” of Hamilton in 2030 was at the heart of robust discussion at the inaugural City Vision Summit yesterday. (Wednesday, 15 December). Mayor Julie Hardaker hosted 50 people representing a broad range of community sectors from students and CEOs, to entrepreneurs and academics, in Council’s reception lounge. It was a place of lively and engaging debate as delegates shared their id... more...

Hamilton leaders have paid tribute to former Hamilton Mayor, Sir Ross Jansen, who has died, aged 78. Sir Ross served as Hamilton Mayor from 1977-1989 and held senior national roles in local government administration. Hamilton Mayor Julie Hardaker said Sir Ross was a visionary leader. “He will be remembered as one of the city’s greatest leaders and also for the role he played in the local governm... more...

A long-serving Rotarian, zoo volunteer, local theatre stalwart and pioneer behind the national toy library movement will be amongst this year’s Hamilton Civic Award recipients. Regarded as one of the city’s highest honours, the 2010 Hamilton Civic Awards will be presented to 14 recipients at a ceremony in the Hamilton City Council Reception Lounge tomorrow [Friday, 10 December] at 10am. Hamilton... more...

Finding a parking space in the central city gets a whole lot easier next Tuesday (14 December) with the launch of live digital signs designed to direct people to the nearest available spots in Council-owned carparks. The launch strengthens $1 parking rates which were launched in September. Parking now costs only $1 per hour for the first four hours at three of the largest and most central car par... more...

As far as ‘super-volunteers’ go, you’d be hard pressed to find one better than Craig Tehuia. With 73 volunteer hours under his belt Craig came off night-shift to join over 60 volunteers last Sunday for a working bee at Waiwhakareke to mark International Volunteer Day. Volunteers ‘liberated’ over 4000 Arbor Day trees from Summer weeds at the event. Many volunteers came from overseas or had sacrifi... more...

Hamilton Mayor Julie Hardaker is delighted by news Hamilton is one of the first cities to benefit from the government’s rollout of ultra-fast broadband (UFB). An announcement today by Hon Steven Joyce, Minister for Communications and Information Technology, revealed that Crown Fibre Holdings had concluded negotiations with two key partners – Northpower Limited and Ultra Fast Fibre Limited, owned ... more...

Hamilton Mayor Julie Hardaker today praised Council staff, the Huntington residents association and Waikato-Bay of Plenty Football for their professionalism, co-operation and common sense approach as Council unanimously voted to look at new options for the proposed Home of Football facility in Hamilton. The Mayor said it was an example of successful Council processes at work. Hamilton City Counc... more...

Water restrictions have been stepped up in Hamilton and the Waikato today, following a dramatic spike in water consumption over recent weeks. Water Alert Level 2 is now in place in Hamilton city and Waikato district, meaning domestic sprinkler systems are permitted between 6am-8am and 6pm-8pm on alternate days only, depending on your street address. This means residents who live at properties t... more...

Hamilton’s population has grown 1. 7 per cent in the past year, strengthening its position as the country’s fourth largest metropolitan city. Statistics New Zealand estimates show Hamilton is growing faster than Tauranga, which had 1. 5 per cent growth. Hamilton had the seventh highest percentage growth out of the New Zealand territorial authorities. The largest annual percentage growth was 2. 5 pe... more...

The introduction of a free wireless internet service in Hamilton’s Garden Place will be celebrated with a special launch this Friday [3 December] from 12pm-1pm. The launch in Garden Place will be a chance for the public to trial the new service, with an iPhone up for grabs for one lucky attendee. The free WiFi is part of plans to revitalise the city centre and was identified by Hamilton’s Creati... more...

25 November 2010 For immediate release A Civic memorial service for the 29 victims of the Pike River Mine disaster is to take place at Hamilton’s Memorial Park on Saturday. People are asked to gather from 7. 30pm for an 8pm start. The service is interdenominational and everyone in Hamilton is invited to attend. Hamilton Mayor Julie Hardaker will speak at the service, which will be led by ... more...

Super Maori Fullas out in Enderleyin support of White Ribbon Daythis 24 November 2010 What do a group of motorcycle riding tough guys, a karaoke competition, and a whole load of sweets have in common? They will be joining the residents of Enderley next Wednesday (24 November) to stand against violence towards women as part of the community’s first White Ribbon Day event. Acting socia... more...

A recent dramatic increase in water consumption levels in Hamilton and the Waikato has seen sprinkler restrictions introduced today – almost a month earlier than restrictions are typically required. The city and district have been placed on water alert level 1, meaning use of domestic sprinkler systems is permitted between 6am-8am and 6pm-8pm only. Water consumption levels in Hamilton have risen... more...

Eighty-nine Hamilton food businesses will be presented with excellence awards during the 2010 Hamilton Food Safety Awards at Wintec’s The Atrium this afternoon. It is the 16th year that Hamilton City Council has held the Food Safety Awards, which aim to recognise and reward businesses that maintain a standard of food safety excellence in their premises above that required by legislation. In add... more...

Those wanting an opportunity to showcase their talents are invited to be part of this year’s Summer in Garden Place. All individuals, community groups, dance and drama groups, schools and musicians are invited to register to be included as part of the 2010/11 Summer in Garden Place programme. This will be the second year that Summer in Garden Place has been held, with the inaugural programme show... more...

Su Scott has been appointed as the new Hamilton City Libraries Director. Community Services general manager Philip Burton says Su will be an extremely valuable addition to Council and the Libraries. “Su comes from a similar role at Waitakere Libraries with comprehensive competencies and experience. In her role she has been responsible for leading team of 190 staff – about double Hamilton Librari... more...

The Hamilton Water Treatment Plant will be opening its door to the public next Saturday [30 October] for the first time in over a decade. Run in partnership with Oxfam Water for Survival, the Water Treatment Plant Open Day will be an opportunity for residents to gain insight into the processes that go into treating the city’s water supply, meet some of the staff who work at the treatment plant, a... more...

Have your say at www. fastforwardhamilton. co. nz With just over two weeks to go before consultation on stage two of Hamilton’s District Plan Review closes (29 October), online forums are making it easier than ever for busy Hamiltonians to have their say. In the last stage of the District Plan Review, residents were asked to help Council indentify what resource management issues were... more...

Tonight’s Preliminary Results count reveals Julie Hardaker has won the race for mayor over Bob Simcock by 940 votes.   Julie Hardaker polled 13,478 votes, Bob Simcock 12,538.   In coming Hamilton Mayor Julie Hardaker says she is delighted with the support from Hamiltonians and is looking forward to getting going.   “I love Hamilton and spend a lot of my time in the city. Durin... more...

Below are the progressive results for the Hamilton City Council elections. They represent approximately 95 per cent of votes cast.   Results have been ranked in descending order from most to least votes received for candidates.   A large number of votes were received earlier today at the Council drive through facility, at the building and at the libraries branches. These votes are n... more...

News of the vote count for the Hamilton City Council elections will be released first on www. hamilton. co. nz/elections .   The progressive results are expected to be posted on the site tomorrow (Saturday, 9 October) around 2pm and the preliminary results around 7. 30pm.   The progressive results are likely to reflect approximately 95 per cent of the votes cast.   The preliminary... more...

Residents only have two weeks left to submit their nominations for one of Hamilton’s highest honours – the Hamilton Civic Awards. Nominations for the awards opened in August and are due to close on 24 October. The Hamilton Civic Awards recognise the invaluable work of the many dedicated individuals who everyday make extraordinary contributions to our city. A maximum of 20 awards are bestowed ... more...

Hamilton City Council CEO resigns to take Super City role 5 October 2010 For immediate release Hamilton City Council Chief Executive Michael Redman has resigned to take up a senior role with the new Auckland Super City. He will finish at the city on Friday 29 October. Mr Redman has been appointed to the position of Chief Executive of the new Auckland Tourism Events and Economic Developmen... more...

Hamilton City Council and Waikato District Council have announced 31 May 2011 as the date that changes to Hamilton’s east and northwest boundaries will take effect, bringing around 120 former Waikato District homes and businesses inside Hamilton’s new city limits. A joint committee of councillors from Hamilton and Waikato District considered submissions to four draft boundary re-organisation sch... more...

When the Victoria Bridge turns 100 on Saturday 16 of October, residents from across the city are invited to join in the celebration by watching the biggest light show ever to be staged in the city. Event co-ordinator Lisa Pemberton says, “Hamilton is known for it’s bridges and the Victoria Bridge in Particular has played an extraordinary role in making the city what it is today. At different time... more...

Hamilton’s award-winning wetland restoration project, Waiwhakareke, will receive another accolade this Sunday at 7. 30pm when it is featured in episode 3 of Prime TV’s high profile documentary, Rivers with Craig Potton. Waiwhakareke is a large scale restoration project on the outskirts of Hamilton. The project aims to re-establish the type of rare wetland that was once common in the Waikato region... more...

The efforts and contributions of Hamilton youth will be celebrated this Friday night at Recognyz Youth Awards 2010. Held at Founders Theatre, the event will see awards presented for seven categories as well as a Supreme Award, and will feature performances by an array of local talent, including Smokefreerockquest regional ‘Best Song Award’ winners ‘From Thy Descent’, and local band ‘Late 80s Merc... more...

Hamilton’s Rugby World Cup organisers say the REAL New Zealand Festival, launched today, will put the beauty, thrills and spills of the Waikato River on show to the world during September and October next year. The name of the festival was unveiled at an event at Eden Park in Auckland today, marking the milestone of ‘One Year To Go’ until the kick off of Rugby World Cup 2011 (RWC 2011). The fest... more...

Hamilton mayor Bob Simcock is delighted by news that the Central North Island Fibre Consortium has been chosen as one of the first three partners to enter formal negotiations with Crown Fibre Holdings over the Government’s Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) Initiative. The announcement was made by Crown Fibre Holdings earlier today, who revealed 14 parties had been shortlisted following a review of the r... more...

From 1 September, the consumption of alcohol will be banned in all of Hamilton’s public places between the hours of 10pm and 6am. The amendment to the Public Places Liquor Control Bylaw was approved by Council last month. It comes into force alongside the 24/7 liquor bans already in place around the city. Te Rapa Straight and the City Heart will continue to remain 24/7 liquor ban areas. Strateg... more...

From 1 September, the consumption of alcohol will be banned in all of Hamilton’s public places between the hours of 10pm and 6am. The amendment to the Public Places Liquor Control Bylaw was approved by Council last month. It comes into force alongside the 24/7 liquor bans already in place around the city. Te Rapa Straight and the City Heart will continue to remain 24/7 liquor ban areas. Strateg... more...

Thieves have stolen over 100 catchpit grates costing the city’s ratepayers thousands of dollars and endangering many people’s safety. Transport manager Phil Consedine says there appears to be an organised group that has been targeting the theft of the catchpit grates. We have had a rash of reports of missing grates for the last couple of months. “The cost of replacing the 50-60 kg cast iron grat... more...

Hamilton City Council is lifting the lid on potential solutions to the city’s most significant issues this week, distributing a summary flyer to all residents from 28 August. The flyer, entitled ‘Snapshot’, takes an easy to read look at how the city hopes to address Hamilton’s most pressing issues, and asks residents their opinion about what Council is thinking so far. Snapshot cov... more...

Nominations are now open for the 2010 Hamilton Civic Awards – one of the city’s highest honours. The Civic Awards recognise the invaluable work of the many dedicated individuals who everyday make extraordinary contributions to our city. A maximum of 20 awards are bestowed annually for everything from longstanding involvement in arts and culture, to dedication to people, education, sport, enterp... more...

City shoppers will be able to park in the central city anytime for as little as one dollar an hour, 7 days a week, from 1 September. The announcement comes following a full meeting of Councillors last night, where the recommendations of the recent Smart Parking trial were heard and adopted. From 1 September parking will cost only $1 per hour for the first four hours at three of the largest and m... more...

Work is about to begin to breathe new life into Garden Place. Hamilton City Councillors last night (Wednesday, 11 August) supported a concept plan for the city’s central square, allowing physical works to commence in the Spring. Council also backed plans by property owner, Kiwi Income Property Trust, to revamp the western part of Ward St as part of a $40m upgrade of its Centre Place interests. ... more...

Residents will have the opportunity to purchase and plant their very own ‘Hamilton icon’ when a Kowhai Tree Sale is held in Garden Place on Saturday, 7 August from 10am-3pm. The tree sale aims to build on the momentum of the city’s kowhai planting programme to help reinstate the many kowhai which once bloomed in Hamilton. Traditionally the banks of the Waikato River in Hamilton were awash with go... more...

Temporary barriers on Victoria and Ulster streets between Mill and Liverpool streets will be removed today following the Transport Committee’s decision based on the findings of a three month trial.   City transportation manager Phil Consedine says he greatly appreciates motorists, cyclists and occupiers in the affected area for their patience and thanks them for bearing with the inconvenie... more...

The first component of the Claudelands development is now complete and will be handed over to Hamilton City Council next week. The enhanced exhibition facilities, consisting of two 2,000sqm exhibition halls, will be handed over to Council by contractor Mainzeal. Claudelands has continued to host events throughout the construction, with shows like the Waikato Home & Garden Show, Motorhome and... more...

Three young Hamiltonians will go head to head with three of the city’s political leaders today in a debate to mark the close of Hamilton’s inaugural Youth Forum. The public debate - involving Deputy Mayor Pippa Mahood, Councillor Daphne Bell, and Green party co-ordinator Mark Servian - will focus on the issue of skateboarding in Garden Place, but with an interesting twist. While Anaru Warren (20 ... more...

A group set up to target anti-social behaviour in Hillcrest Park is celebrating its successes with Hillcrest Park Family Fun Day this Sunday 27 June from 12-4pm. Organised by the Hillcrest Park Guardians and supported by Hamilton City Council, Saturday’s event will be free and family-friendly with a wide range of fun activities on offer including; appearances from the Funky Monkeys and Derkr... more...

Following a recent renovation closure, on Sunday 27 June the Gallagher Aquatic Centre is launching a new season of the facility’s popular Ladies’ Nights. Ladies’ Night runs on the second and fourth Sunday of each month from 6-8pm. Ahead of each night, an all-women staff roster is arranged for the pool including reception staff, lifeguards and a Learn to Swim and Aqua Aerobics instructor. To ensur... more...

After legal advice confirming the law gives local iwi economic advantage, Hamilton City Council has decided against appealing a High Court ruling. Council has decided not to appeal the ruling relating to Variation 21 after receiving legal advice from Auckland Queen’s Counsel, Paul Cavanagh. The ruling, released this month, favoured Tainui who sought a Judicial Review of the process relating to... more...

The Founders Theatre will be pumped this Saturday (12 June) as 14 shortlisted school bands compete to become the region’s Smokefreerockquest winner, securing them the opportunity to represent Hamilton at September’s National Final. Hamilton is the new home of the Smokefreerockquest National Final. This year it will be held on September 11 at the Founders Theatre. From 2011 it will be held at the ... more...

This Friday 11 June will be a mixed bag for Enderley Park Community Centre as it says hello and goodbye to two of its greatest assets. Outgoing Community Constable Mason Lepou’s last act at Enderley will be to unveil the community’s brand new hard courts. An ex-Pistons player himself, Constable Lepou says, “Getting sports courts in Enderley was a dream for all of us who work at the community cen... more...

Hamilton City Council is preparing to appeal a High Court decision relating to consultation over a city planning change. Mayor Bob Simcock has expressed bitter disappointment at the outcome of court action taken by Tainui, which is in a privileged position of being both the local iwi and a substantial commercial property owner in the city. “I am astounded by this court decision which effective... more...

  Applications close on Friday, 11 June 2010. Forms available online at www. communityradio. co. nz Not for Profit organisations in Hamilton are urged to get their applications in by 11 June to be in the running for this year’s $15,000 Community Media Grant. The unique grant, provided jointly by Community Radio Hamilton, bettle and Hamilton City Council, offers one local not-fo... more...

Hamilton Public Art Plan advisor Rob Garrett will visit Hamilton on Wednesday 2 June to give residents a unique and free opportunity to hear more about the plan which provides a guide for investment in public art in the city over the next ten years. Hamilton Mayor Bob Simcock says, “Wherever you are, public art is a topic that always inspires healthy debate. For many cities, it is a valuable ass... more...

    The heart of Hamilton’s CBD, Garden Place, is to get a makeover.   Hamilton City Councillors last night (Wednesday 19 May) endorsed a design brief for Garden Place, allowing further design work to proceed.      The brief was prepared with assistance from Project for Public Places (PPS), engaged by Council late last year to develop an activation pl... more...

A diverse range of musical performances will be held at Hamilton City Libraries this month as part of NZ Music Month celebration Soundz Like Hamilton. It is the sixth year that Hamilton City Libraries has held Soundz Like Hamilton, which aims to showcase and celebrate local music talent. Community programmes librarian Bryony Walker said the Soundz Like Hamilton programme will include everything ... more...

Hamilton youth are in for a treat come this September 11 with news that Smokefreerockquest - New Zealand’s only live, nationwide, youth, original music competition - will hold its national final in the city for the next three years. This year’s Smokefreerockquest national final will be held at Hamilton’s Founders Theatre on September 11, with the event moving to the Vector-style Claudelands Arena... more...

Local teenagers have until this Friday to enter Hamilton Central Library’s ‘Lib Sync’ lip-syncing competition, which will be held later this month in celebration of New Zealand Music Month and Youth Week. Held on 22 May from 12pm-4pm, Lib Sync will see teens perform five minute lip-syncing acts in front of a panel of celebrity judges, including singer/songwriter Annah Mac, Unleashed bass guitaris... more...

Apple skins, human hair and building waste may not be the first things that spring to mind when you think of runway fashion, but these are the exactly types of materials that local design buffs may be rescuing from rubbish bins across the region as entries open for ReStyle 2010. Now in its 10th year ReStyle has wowed Hamilton audiences since 2001 by parading original pieces of wearable art made f... more...

New Zealand’s first example of a Commonwealth War Graves Commission Headstone will be unveiled in Hamilton this Sunday [25 April] as part of the city’s Anzac Day Commemoration Service. The monument is an example of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Headstones found throughout the world and is a gift from the Belgium city of Ieper (pronounced ee-per) – home to the Menin Gate Memorial to the M... more...

Cricket fans – here’s a rare chance to secure your own patch of Hamilton’s Seddon Park. The outfield (excluding the pitch) is being sown with new grass and blocks of the old turf are up for sale. It is all part of the regular turf renewal programme for the city sport’s grounds. It also gives cricket fans a unique opportunity to have a slice of the 15,000 square metres of sports turf where ma... more...

Hamilton Central Library is offering patrons the chance to get locked in the library after hours – all in the name of genealogy. For the third year Hamilton Central Library will be holding Night @ The Library, an evening where those researching their family histories can enjoy eight hours of uninterrupted research time, as well as tutorials and access to areas normally off-limits to the public. ... more...

All water restrictions have been lifted in Hamilton and the Waikato District today following a sustained decrease in daily water consumption levels. Hamilton City Council city waters manager Tim Harty said that with summer officially over and daylight savings ending next weekend, he is confident that the demand on water will remain at acceptable levels without the need for water restrictions. “... more...

Hamilton residents and businesses are urged to switch off for an hour this Saturday [27 March] as the city takes part in the global Earth Hour initiative. Aimed at raising public awareness of environmental issues, Earth Hour will see hundreds of millions of people around the world turn off their lights and non-essential appliances for an hour from 8. 30pm on Saturday. In Hamilton the initiative w... more...

Hamilton City Council’s Proposed 2010/11 Annual Plan is now open for public submissions, with residents invited to learn more about the proposed plan during the Your City Expo this Saturday [27 March]. Held at The Grandstand, Claudelands from 9am-1pm, the expo will be an opportunity for residents to talk to Council staff and elected members about current and upcoming projects in a casual environm... more...

A sustained decrease in the amount of water being consumed throughout Hamilton has seen the city’s water alert levels reduced to alert level 1 today. Hamilton City Council city waters manager Tim Harty said the city’s water consumption had decreased quite significantly over recent weeks, triggering the lowering in water alert levels. “Earlier this summer we were concerned at the high level of wa... more...

For more information visit www. childrensday. org. nz With seven free family events organised across Hamilton this weekend, this year’s 10th annual Children’s Day will be the biggest yet for the city. For the past decade Children’s Day has been putting quality family time back on our agendas, says neighbourhood advisor Andy Mannering. “Every year on the first weekend in March, Childr... more...

A piece of Hamilton’s history will be celebrated this Sunday [7 March] when a civic ceremony is held to mark the completion of the PS Rangiriri restoration project. The year-long project has seen the vessel lifted and conserved, and interpretive panels constructed to education visitors about the vessel’s history and significance. Hamilton City Council initially committed $242,900 towards this w... more...

Hamilton City Council has adopted a new system for listing candidates on voting papers, ahead of the local body elections on 9 October 2010. Councillors have decided to drop the traditional alphabetical order of candidates in favour of a “pseudo-random” system. Under the pseudo-random system, candidates names are drawn “from a hat” then listed in that order on the voting paper. The city’s Ele... more...

Hamilton City Council has approved a $435,000 contract to restore the Bryce Street to London Street section of the riverbank and walkway, washed away by major flooding in 2008. The 2008 floods saw river levels rise to over 16 metres in the city, submerging many low lying roads and areas along the river walkway. The resulting landslide has since rendered the walkway beneath London Street unusable ... more...

Construction of the much-awaited Hydrotherapy Pool will begin this Thursday 25 February at Hamilton City Council’s public pool complex, Waterworld. At a ceremony onsite to mark the occasion, Hamilton Mayor Bob Simcock and Hamilton Hydrotherapy Pool Trust chairman David Peart will together turn the first sod. Invited guests include up to a hundred Trust members, local dignitaries and funders who h... more...

The public are being advised to keep their dogs out of Hamilton Lake (Lake Rotoroa) and avoid all contact with the water due to a potentially toxic bloom of blue-green algae. Hamilton City Council staff raised the alarm about the algae yesterday and an initial sample examined by the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) confirmed the presence of two species of cyanobacteria,... more...

Councillors have identified additional savings in the draft 2010/11 Annual Plan, resulting in a further reduction in the proposed average annual rates increase to 3. 4%. These fresh savings identified at a Council meeting yesterday (Wednesday, 10 February) contribute to a 0. 45% decrease in the proposed annual increase for existing ratepayers, and a 1. 26% reduction from the 4. 66% forecast in the 2... more...

Hamilton residents will receive some budgeting pearls of wisdom as part of an upcoming series of author talks at Hamilton City Libraries. Waikato author Jackie Gower, co-author of ‘The $21 Challenge: We show you how to feed your family for a week on just $21’, will be holding three talks at Hamilton City Libraries throughout February – at Glenview Library on Monday, 8 February at 10. 30am; Dinsda... more...

City residents will get a fresh take on Hamilton this Saturday 6 February as a series of citywide public open days begin for Fast Forward – the Hamilton District Plan Review. The review affects all Hamiltonians. The new District Plan will set out how they and other people can build on, develop and use land in the city. At each location the public open days will cover the biggest issue... more...

Further water restrictions could be introduced in Hamilton in the coming days if residents don’t take steps to reduce water consumption now. Hamilton reached alert level 2 on 8 January due to increasing water consumption levels, prolonged periods of fine weather and an influx of residents returning to the city from summer holiday destinations. The change of alert level brought with it new restric... more...

The city will commemorate Waitangi Day in Garden Place with a free concert by Australian Idol winner Stan Walker. In a major coup for the city, Stan Walker has agreed to perform his first free New Zealand concert in Hamilton – where he attended high school before moving to Australia. It will be an all day alcohol-free event in Garden Place, which this summer has attracted large numbers of peop... more...

Shang-Poh Yu beside his finished mural 'Moonlit Nights' on the corner of Grey and Bridge Streets   Members of the Underwater Collective admire their Adopt-a-Box on the corner of Grey and Clyde Streets   Classic Hits DJ Mark Bunting admires his Adopt-a-Box 'handy' work   Local artist Shang-Poh Yu took out the People's Choice award at Saturday's launch of Adopt... more...

Water supplies are returning to normal after a lightning strike damaged the city’s water treatment plant early today. The electrical storm over Hamilton happened about midnight damaging computers and alarm systems at the Peacockes Rd plant. The plant provides all of the city’s fresh water supply. Many residents phoned council to report they were experiencing low pressure, and in extreme cases... more...

A lightening strike at the city’s water treatment plant has affected water supply in parts of the city. The lightening strike happened about midnight damaging computers and alarm systems at the Peacockes Rd plant. The plant provides all of the city’s fresh water supply. This has effected water to the city and some residents are experiencing low pressure, and in extreme cases, a total loss of... more...

The city's dull traffic signal boxes are set to get a colourful makeover, with the launch of a new community art initiative – Adopt-a-Box on 23 January. Adopt-a-Box lets Hamiltonians make their mark on Hamilton by painting original artwork on traffic signal boxes at every intersection in the city. Hamilton City Council graffiti co-ordinator Casey Molloy expects the project to be a hit with every... more...

Kids – make some pocket money at the city’s first Toy Trade Fair in Garden Place next Sunday (24 January). The fair is for children to sell or trade toys no longer in use – anything from dolls and books, to video games and trading cards. The fair is part of the “Summer in Garden Place” line up of activities in the city centre this summer. The idea was raised by Councillor Peter Bos, who chance... more...

As of today tickets for some of the biggest events in Hamilton can be purchased from Hamilton i-SITE in Garden Place. The i-SITE is one of several new outlets to offer Ticketek sales after an agreement between Hamilton City Council and Ticketek NZ Ltd. The deal sees Ticketek provide a full service ticketing system to Council’s Event Facilities Unit, which includes all Council sport and entertainm... more...

Hamilton residents are now permitted to use their sprinkler systems between 6am-8am and 6pm-8pm on alternate days only, after the city reached water alert level 2 today. The change in water alert levels comes after increasing water consumption over the past weeks and prolonged periods of fine weather. Hamilton City Council city waters manager Tim Harty said that with warm weather predicted ahead... more...

Hamilton residents are permitted to only use their sprinkler systems between 6am-8am and 6pm-8pm, following the introduction of water alert level 1 in the city today. Hamilton City Council City Waters manager Tim Harty said the water alert level was triggered due to increasing daily water consumption figures over the past week and forecasts for fine weather ahead over the Christmas/New Year perio... more...

Santa in a hot rod and a game of dunk-a-cop may not be part of your traditional Christmas celebration, but they'll be the centrepieces of this year's Christmas in Enderley Park event held on Thursday 17 December. A popular but unsung local event, Council's local neighbourhood advisor Hannah Banks says Christmas in Enderley Park will be a great day out for the family. "While he usually rides... more...

From 10 December bollards will no longer be used on Thursday to Saturday nights in the city’s entertainment precinct. Hamilton City Council last night voted to stop the regular closure of Hood and Alexandra Streets with retractable bollards. They were responding to concerns from business owners who say the bollards contributed to reduced patronage at bars and restaurants in the area. The... more...

A voluntary event manager, a community constable, a zoo volunteer and the president of the Waikato Mounted Rifles Association will be amongst the recipients of the 2009 Hamilton Civic Awards. Regarded as one of the city's highest honours, the awards will be presented to 13 worthy recipients at a ceremony in the Hamilton City Council Chambers tomorrow [Friday, 11 December] at 10am. Hamilton Mayor... more...

Thirty-five giant planter boxes have a new home in the V8 Pit Lane on Hamilton’s Mill St. The eco-friendly boxes – made from recycled plastic milk bottles and wood shavings - have been planted with Portuguese Laurel trees. The planters are part of the landscape mitigation activity undertaken for the V8 Resource Consent. The 1200-1200mm planters are located on the east and west sections of Pi... more...

Click here to download the Discussion Document For more information visit www. fastforwardhamilton. co. nz Consultation on a new Hamilton District Plan begins this week with the release of the District Plan review's first public discussion document. The District Plan affects all Hamilton residents as it sets out the rules and policies for how people can develop and use land in the c... more...

The ever-popular Hamilton Christmas Parade is back this year with a trifecta of free and family-friendly celebrations to be staged on Sunday 13 December. From 2pm on Sunday dozens of creative floats will start from Rostrevor Street making their way down the full length of Anglesea Street. The big red man himself will be there along with a vast array of pre-parade entertainment and eve... more...

Council has taken a significant step forward to improve the city’s transport system with recent approvals to progress the extension of Wairere Drive. Council has approved the early completion of a $7m major roundabout at Crosby/Tramway roads. It has also approved a contract to complete the detailed design of the next section of the extension from this roundabout to Cambridge Road, parallel to T... more...

Hamilton has strengthened its sister city relationship with Wuxi in China with the establishment of a school exchange programme. Mayor Bob Simcock and a representative of the Mayor of Wuxi, a city of six million people, have signed an agreement to facilitate exchanges between schools in the two cities. Since 1986 the two cities have enjoyed a close sister city relationship and Mr Simcock said th... more...

One year ahead of schedule, Hamilton City Council has received an 'Aa' grading for its drinking-water supply at Templeview. The new Aa grading at Templeview represents a significant improvement in supply as a result of a recent $1m pipe upgrade. Previously the Templeview water supply had been rated as 'Ab'. The 'Aa' grading also matches the consistently high quality of water supplied to resident... more...

Things are starting to take shape at Claudelands, with the concrete framework for the facility's new indoor arena currently going up and the large roof steel due to be installed early in the new year. Council Event Facilities Manager Mark Christie said while the arena isn't due for completion until the second half of 2011, the method of construction means that the scale of the building will becom... more...

Advocate for victims of sexual abuse, Louise Nicholas comes to Hamilton this Friday 20 November to launch a book which tells the true story of women and gangs in New Zealand. The desire for a better future is what compelled the women of Aroha Trust to tell their stories to writer and fellow trust member Pip Desmond. 'Trust: A True Story of Women & Gangs' is told in the women's ow... more...

Some unlikely spokesmen come to the city on their motorbikes next Friday 27 November to spread the message that family violence is not OK in Hamilton. They may look super tough but the Super Maori Fullas - Roger, Mathew and Mervyn - are riding their Harley Davidson's, from Wellington to Whangarei, spreading their message of love and respect for all as part of White Ribbon Day. Th... more...

Drivers in Hamilton are being advised to avoid the Te Aroha Street/Ruakura Road/Peachgrove Road intersection, following a clay and soil spill this morning. The clay and soil was being transported on the back of a truck when it spilled onto the road, causing the road surface to become slippery. Traffic management are currently at the scene and working to clean the clay/soil off the road. Drivers... more...

A joint committee of Hamilton City and Waikato District Councillors will oversee a number of adjustments to Hamilton’s boundaries in the east and northwest. The proposed changes will bring several areas into the City that have previously been identified for future long-term development and will allow more detailed and integrated planning to take place. Terms have already been agreed and signall... more...

Quotable Value has released its new property valuations for Hamilton. The valuations, carried out every three years, are an important part of the process for setting rates for the 2010/11 financial year. For residential property, the average house value (Capital Value) exclusive of chattels, has increased 1. 17 per cent to $334,520, since the 2006 revaluation. The average section value (Land Va... more...

On 11 November Te Ara Hou, the innovative social services village situated on Morrinsville Road, celebrates 10 years of working together to address social issues in Hamilton. What began as a unique, and sometimes controversial, venture designed to meet and address the complex range of current social and community needs; has now, a decade later, become a blueprint for similar social service project... more...

Council will be distributing flyers on cars in November informing motorists of changes to after-hours parking enforcement in the CityHeart. The four week amnesty will advise motorists that parking areas set aside for taxis, buses and mobility spaces will be enforced from December. The goodwill initiative in the CBD will also assess parking misuse in these areas. Hamilton Central Business Associa... more...

The deadline for submissions on a District Plan variation has been extended. Submissions on Variation 21 will now be accepted until 1 February, 2010. Mayor Bob Simcock said the extension gives submitters more time to consider the implications. “We want to make sure we get this right and we welcome the opportunity to develop the variation with all interested parties. ” Mayor Simcock said the v... more...

A new website that was driven, designed and developed by local youth for local youth is now live at www. htwnyouth. co. nz. The site aims to build a sense of community amongst young Hamiltonians aged 12-18 years by providing a virtual space in which they can connect with other young people, create their own social networking page (similar to Facebook or Bebo), upload photos and videos, start groups ... more...

Seventy-five Hamilton food businesses will be presented with excellence awards during the 2009 Hamilton Food Safety Awards this afternoon. It is the 15th year that Hamilton City Council has held the Food Safety Awards, which aim to recognise and reward businesses that maintain a standard of excellence in their premises above that required by legislation. To mark this milestone, six of this year's... more...

Council is taking a fresh approach to the management of Hamilton Lake, to meet its statutory obligations. The environmental management plan is needed to comply with the 2005 amendment to the Resource Management Act 1991, which classes the lake bed as contaminated land. The lake bed contains traces of arsenic from weed spraying in the late 1950s. A report commissioned last year by Environment Wa... more...

Council’s 2008/09 Annual Report and summary document are now online. The report provides an audited overview of the 2008/09 financial year of how Council has worked towards its long-term vision for a Vibrant Hamilton. It tables key milestones achieved in the city that occurred during challenging times as the effects of the economic downturn impacted on Council and the community. Finance and Audit... more...

Hamilton City Council has adopted a variation to the District Plan zoning rules to better manage future retail, business and industrial activities. The variation recognises the central city as the primary centre for business activity, retailing and entertainment and influences what can happen elsewhere in Hamilton. These changes are intended to make it more attractive to set up and carry out bus... more...

There was a full house at Founders Theatre last night [24 September] for the 2009 Recognyz Youth Awards. These annual awards celebrate the positive contributions that Hamilton youth make to the city. This year's Supreme Award winner was 18-year-old Melville High School student Melandi Slabbert, who stood out for her efforts in demonstrating youth leadership both in her school and community – mos... more...

Hamilton City Libraries will be marking 125 years of service next month – with celebrations set to kick off in truly dramatic style this Saturday [26 September]. On Saturday from 10am a battle re-enactment of the Zulu war in 1879 will be held at Lake Domain below the water tower, where children aged between 5-14 years old will take to the battlefield alongside Alf's Imperial Army, armed with self... more...

The Happy Feet, pilot programme has received a ‘highly commended’ award at the recent National Golden Foot Awards, hosted by Living Streets Aotearoa. Councillor Daphne Bell, who is a keen supporter of the programme represented it and the key partners at the awards says the pilot programme has been an outstanding success. “The pilot was developed when Kids Club 2 kindergarten wanted to start a Wa... more...

New security measures have been put in place and activated today at the city’s seven water reservoir sites. The new measures enhance public safety and reinforce the integrity of security at the facilities. City waters manager Tim Harty says the new measures have been put in place following a review of security at these strategically important city facilities. “Our security has been good, however... more...

Hamilton's young talent will be showcased tomorrow night [24 September] at Founders Theatre for the Recognyz Youth Awards '09. Over 90 young people will take the stage as part of the awards, which promise to be a night of entertainment, inspiration and awe-inspiring stories. The local talent will be complemented by a performance by well-known New Zealand band Nesian Mystik, which will close the a... more...

The 'Christmas at Clarence St' theatre programme is back for 2009 – with an extended season and great line-up of entertainment in time for the festive season. Christmas at Clarence St began in 2007, after it was initiated by Hamilton City Theatres in partnership with local and national organisations. What began as a two-week programme grew to three weeks in 2008, and will this year run as a four-... more...

Work to repair slip damage to a section of the Waikato River pathway in Hamilton, is set to begin in early Summer. The path, between Bryce St and London St (Kirikiriroa Reserve) was badly damaged in heavy rain, last winter. The steep terrain meant the redesign work was complicated and it will cost $720,000 to fix. General Manager Works and Services Chris Allen said the repair cost has been ass... more...

Hamilton City Council contractors are to remove a private deck encroaching on public land at 1156 Victoria St, Hamilton. The property owners have been advised of the removal, which will take place the week beginning 21 September. Parks and Gardens Manager Bill Featherstone said the deck was built on public reserve without Council’s approval. “There hasn’t been the opportunity to put it throug... more...

Dressing up their shop in 'all black' has seen Hamilton's Lone Star win a signed All Blacks jersey and an encounter with a New Zealand rugby legend in the build-up to tomorrow's big test match between the All Blacks and Springboks. Lone Star was one of many central city businesses who took up the challenge of 'blacking out' their premises as part of a competition run by Hamilton City Council and ... more...

Entries are now open for one of Hamilton's highest honours – the Hamilton Civic Awards. Hamilton Mayor Bob Simcock said year after year thousands of people help to make Hamilton a great city through their personal commitment and generosity. "Recognising these exceptional people in our midst is what the Hamilton Civic Awards are all about," he said. "I encourage residents to put forward those who... more...

Prime Minister John Key today launched Future Proof, a new strategy to manage growth in the Future Proof area, which includes Hamilton City, and Waikato and Waipa districts. Kiingi Tuheitia was also in attendance at the launch in Hamilton as a supporter of the strategy which has involved tangata whenua as a key partner. With the sub-region's population set to almost double in the next 5... more...

Hamilton City Council has purchased the Downtown Plaza car park for the strategically important role it will play in the revitalisation of the central city. The underground car park has been bought for $9 million from Metro Parking W and H Limited (operated by Wilson Parking) with ownership changing hands on 1 September 2009. Hamilton Mayor Bob Simcock says the 460-space car park is a critically... more...

Hamilton City Council today welcomed a $938 million investment in the region's roads. The announcement was made by the Transport Minister, Stephen Joyce, as part of the $8. 7 billion National Land Transport Programme. "I am delighted the Government has come through on a commitment made at the election to advance critical roading in the region," says Hamilton mayor Bob Simcock. "Since the Governm... more...

The Hamilton Central Business Association has established its executive committee with the aim of further enhancing the commercial, retail and hospitality sectors of the central city. The Association was required to elect the committee as part of the formation of the Business Improvement District. The election was held last night and results confirmed today. The new committee is Peter Gates (Cha... more...

Residents along a section of Lake Domain Drive in Hamilton are currently without water after a water main broke around 3. 30pm this afternoon. The break occurred when a tapping band broke during a routine disconnection. Properties along Lake Domain Drive from Killarney Road to Lake Road, including Fowlers Avenue, are without water while repairs are underway. Water is expected to be restored to a... more...

It is a case of 'the show must go on' at Claudelands, despite construction now currently underway onsite. The venue is undergoing a $68. 4 million upgrade which will see the construction of a 5,000-capacity indoor multipurpose arena, conference centre capable of holding up to 1,500 delegates and upgraded exhibition facilities. Work began on the arena portion of the development last month and const... more...

The Hamilton Central Business Association will take its last formal establishment step this week before taking up its role as the Business Improvement District (BID) for the central city. As part of the BID Policy, the Association is required to hold an election for the formation of its executive committee. Voting forms have been posted out to retailers and commercial property owners in central c... more...

Hamilton residents will have a chance to 'escape into another world' next week as part of Library Week 2009. A national event that has been held for more than 35 years, Library Week helps to raise the profile of libraries and celebrate the key role they play in our communities. Held from 10-16 August, this year's Library Week theme is 'escape, explore, discover – Ki te whai ao, ki te ao mārama', ... more...

Hamilton City Council has been given an internationally recognised credit rating of AA- by Fitch Ratings, one of the top three credit rating agencies in the world. Council has sought the credit rating to enable access to more competitive borrowing rates and to give greater flexibility when raising loans, including having potentially cheaper sources of loan funding available. Fitch Ratings is one... more...

Nominations are now open for Hamilton's Recognyz Youth Awards '09. The annual awards, which were first held in 2003, are open to all young people aged 12-24 who reside in Hamilton. Awesome musicians, talented artists, ideas people, great leaders, strong role models and members of fantastic groups – every day there are young people throughout the city doing special things that set them apart from ... more...

Results from Hamilton City Council's most recent Residents Survey show that 85% of city residents think a Hamilton to Auckland Passenger Rail Service would be a good idea with over 43% stating that they would use services if they were restarted. The survey which is carried out quarterly and benchmarks residents' satisfaction levels, recently included a question which asked residents if they... more...

Hamilton City Council is concerned that a proposed law change which would see heavier vehicles allowed on Hamilton roads without a permit could compromise road safety, causing more accidents and more damage to roads in what is already, per capita, New Zealand's most trafficked region. Hamilton City Council is preparing a submission against the proposed Land Transport Rule Vehicle Dimensions and M... more...

    Lifeline Waikato were today announced as the second-ever recipient of the Community Media Grant. It is an apt decision which continues the Community Media Grant's year-one tradition of helping helpers and bridging the marketing and promotional funds gap in the not-for-profit sector by providing $15,000 worth of campaign planning, graphic design, advertising and editor... more...

Hamilton Mayor Bob Simcock says he is asking Council staff to withdraw infringement notices issued to people who occupied roofs in an unsafe manner during the V8 supercar event in the city this year. Mayor Simcock says there is no question that the people perching on roofs, which were never intended to be used in that way when constructed, is an illegal and unsafe activity under the Building Act. ... more...

Hamilton City Council welcomes another great mind to the city on Thursday 9 July. World-renowned city development specialist David Engwicht will be the third speaker in Council's free public series Shaping Hamilton. Strategy and research unit manager Tegan McIntyre says, "Pru Sanderson, Phil Jones, Jaime Lerner and David Engwicht – these specialists are world renowned in the art of creative probl... more...

Foster Construction Ltd has been awarded the main contract for construction of Claudelands Arena. The contract was approved at a Hamilton City Council Contracts Sub-committee meeting on 30 June for the provisional contract sum of $36,874,565 plus GST, with the scope of work including construction of the arena and entry plaza, and supply and installation of the seating system and kitchen equipment... more...

Hamilton City Council is urging Hamiltonians to do their bit to help the city to 'Breathe Easy' following the announcement that Hamilton has exceeded the National Environmental Standard for Air Quality (NESAQ) for the month of June. NESAQ sets a standard of no more than one occurrence per 24 hour period of particulate matter (PM10) at a concentration greater than 50µg/m3. PM10 is very small parti... more...

Council has decided to retain its existing Prostitution Bylaw largely unchanged after undertaking a review required of Council under section 158 of the Local Government Act 2002. A handful of minor amendments were made to the existing Bylaw (adopted in 2004) after Council considered 267 submissions on the matter at an Extraordinary Council meeting held on Friday 26 June. The minor amendments inc... more...

Protection of the historically significant vessel the PS Rangiriri received a boost today as the New Zealand Lottery Grants Board announced a $181,000 grant towards the project. The PS Rangiriri was commissioned by the New Zealand colonial government in 1864 for use on the Waikato River during the New Zealand Wars. However, it arrived too late to be involved and was not engaged in any conflict. N... more...

Hamilton City Council achieved an overall 99 per cent efficiency rating for processing resource consent applications in the Ministry for the Environment’s latest two-yearly survey. A 100 per cent score was achieved for non-notified consents as all were processed within the Resource Management Act (RMA) required time of 20 days. Environmental services and city planning general manager, Brian Croa... more...

Hamilton City Council and the Brian Perry Charitable Trust are partnering in a strategic land agreement which will ultimately see better access to the Waikato River from the southern end of Victoria Street. The riverside parcel of land fronting Victoria Street across from Collingwood Street has been purchased by Council from the Brian Perry Charitable Trust for $2 million. As part of the agreeme... more...

The Bader community are set to take matters into their own hands this weekend (13-14 June) as they stage a community clean up in partnership with Hamilton City Council, Te Whare Kokonga, Housing New Zealand, New Zealand Police and Work and Income. Beautifying Bader 2009 is the fourth community clean-up to be to be staged in the last 18 months as part of Council's community development work. Neig... more...

This week and next the Wheel of Risk will be nearby selected intersections in Hamilton. The Wheel of Risk strongly features on the recent New Zealand Transport Agency’s national TV campaign. In seeing the wheel drivers will be reminded of the TV ads and think twice about taking a risk that isn’t worth it. All road users have a responsibility for themselves and others when travelling. By taking m... more...

Council has today finalised its year council community plan after deliberating to consider public submissions and set the level of rates from 1 July 2009. Council believes it has been restrained in producing the 2009-19 Long-Term Council Community Plan (LTCCP) while still delivering largely on community expectations. The extensive consultation process attracted considerable community engagement. ... more...

Arbor Day this year will be celebrated in Hamilton on Friday 5 June, which is also World Environment Day, with a community planting of over two and a half thousand trees at Claudelands Park. Deputy Mayor, Pippa Mahood, Wiremu Puke (NaMTOK) and community planting coordinator Gerard Kelly are looking to mark the occasion and increase awareness of Arbor Day at Claudelands Park as part of the develo... more...

The region's promising young authors have been recognised as part of the New Zealand Post Book Awards' Waikato and King Country Short Story Competition. Coordinated by Hamilton City Libraries and run in conjunction with all libraries throughout the Waikato and King Country region, the awards attracted over 200 entries from budding local authors aged 5-18 years old. Judged by the New Zealand Pos... more...

Local design buffs will be thinking twice about what they throw out in the rubbish, as entries open for ReStyle 09. Previously known as Trash to Fashion, ReStyle is the new name given to the event that has wowed Hamilton audiences for the past nine years by parading original pieces of wearable art made from recycled and reused organic and inorganic materials down the catwalk. Coordinated by The B... more...

Hamilton Central Library will be far from its quiet self later this month, when alternative rock/metal band Chuganaut performs as part of its New Zealand Music Month initiative 'Soundz Like Hamilton'. The one-off free concert will be held in Hamilton Central Library on Saturday, 30 May at 3pm as part of a two-week programme of music, which aims to promote local talent while providing a wide varie... more...

Physical works got underway today on new car park and wetlands facilities at Claudelands. The development will see additional car parking established in two locations, along Heaphy Terrace adjacent to the Holman Stand and off Brooklyn Road within the Claudelands Events Centre site; a driveway constructed from Brooklyn Road to service the function venue, The Grandstand; and a wetland area develope... more...

Public hearings of submissions on Hamilton City Council’s 2009‑2019 Long-Term Council Community Plan (LTCCP) are being held on Tuesday 12 May. Due to the high number of submitters wanting to be heard the hearings are scheduled over four days. Community engagement in Council’s LTCCP and consultation process has been one of the highest in the last 10 years. The plan outlines what Council plans to... more...

Improvements to three intersections along Mill Street are aimed to maximise the capacity of Mill Street, lower congestion at intersections and improve road safety and cycle facilities. Overall the Access Hamilton project will create a northbound two lane priority on Willoughby Street from Liverpool Street right onto Mill Street and left around into Ulster Street. Willoughby Street will be widened... more...

The Waikato Civil Defence Emergency Management Group has appointed Paul Blewman as Hamilton’s Civil Defence Emergency Management Local Controller for the Waikato Valley Emergency Operating Area. The role as controller is an additional responsibility to Mr Blewman’s position as Hamilton’s emergency and community safety manager. He says a Civil Defence emergency can happen without warning; the swin... more...

The publicly notified Resource Consent for the building of the Claudelands indoor arena, as part of the Claudelands redevelopment in Hamilton, has been approved with no appeals lodged. The Resource Consent was heard by an independent commissioner and resulted in 95 submissions being made to the hearing. Approximately two thirds of the submissions were in favour of the indoor arena being built wh... more...

Jump onto your browser and check out the new high resolution satellite imaging of Hamilton on Google Maps. Communication manager Sarah Bette says the high resolution colour maps of the city have just been uploaded by Google and look fantastic. The images are all so clear. “You can zoom right in to the point of seeing the shadows of people walking on the pavement. Previously Hamilton on Google ha... more...

A two-thirds majority of Hamilton’s central city businesses have voted in favour of the Council striking a targeted rate to be used for the promotion and advancement of the CBD. The postal vote closed today with a 34 per cent turn out from an eligible voting pool of 996 voters. The final vote saw 66. 7 per cent in favour of the business district rate and 33. 3 per cent against. The next step in e... more...

Hamiltonians are invited to attend the city's ANZAC Day Commemoration Service at Memorial Park this Saturday [25 April] to honour those who have fought and lost their lives at war. The 10am service will include an address from Hamilton Mayor Bob Simcock and musical pieces from The Hamilton Brass Band, Hamilton Gospel Choir and Hamilton Caledonian Society Pipe Band. Mayor Simcock said ANZAC Day i... more...

A Maori art piece that was recently installed at Dinsdale Community Library will be officially opened this Thursday [23 April] at 7am. The artwork was designed by Whitianga-based artist James Webster and includes a suspended Waka Huia (treasure chest), perspex designed window inserts and kowhaiwhai patterning. Due to limited wall space and an already busy floor area at the facility, the artwork ... more...

Gauging local and regional interest in the re-introduction of commuter rail services from the Waikato to Auckland is the thrust of a special public workshop at 5. 30pm, 16 April, Council’s Reception Lounge.   Submissions to the Regional Land Transport Programme are due on 20 April and it is important that this workshop is held prior to that date to ensure people are well informed about the i... more...

Hamiltonians are less stressed, can visit doctors more easily and are finding themselves using Facebook and public transport more and more each day according to New Zealand's latest Quality of Life survey. Hamilton City Council is one of twelve councils participating in the Quality of Life Project, a survey which is undertaken every two years to collect data from residents on a range of issues fo... more...

The end of daylight savings this weekend will also see the lifting of all sprinkler restrictions in Hamilton, following a sustained decrease in the city's daily water consumption levels. Hamilton's daily water usage peaked on 8 February when the city consumed 75. 66 million litres, despite an increase to water alert level 2 and the introduction of alternate day sprinkler restrictions just 10 days ... more...

A 'significant piece of Maori artwork' will be installed at Dinsdale Library this month. The artwork, which will be installed on the ceiling alcove of the library, has been designed by artist James Webster and includes a suspended Waka Huia (treasure chest), perspex designed window inserts and kowhaiwhai patterning. Hamilton City Libraries Acting Director Robyn Pengelly said the artwork installat... more...

In response to an April Fools Day prank, Hamilton City Council is urging residents to ignore a radio station's fake advice and continue to flush their toilets as normal to avoid stress on the city network. Radioworks stations More FM and The Breeze broadcast a fake news item this morning advising Hamilton residents to hold off from flushing their toilets until 4pm today. Hamilton City Council Wa... more...

Hamilton residents are being encouraged to do their bit to support Earth Hour this Saturday [28 March] from 8. 30-9. 30pm as over 2000 cities prepare to take part in the global initiative. Hamilton Mayor Bob Simcock said that Earth Hour is a great for raising public awareness about environmental issues and despite Hamilton being relatively small on the world scale, the city is committed to doing it... more...

Hamilton City Council are seeking the owners of two horses handed over to Council's City Safe team after Police found them found wandering in a main Hamilton intersection early this morning. The horses are now being safely held in Council's animal holding facility until their owners can be located. Both horses are bay (dark brown) coloured standard bred geldings. The horses have a number of disti... more...

Crime, truancy and the environment will be the target for up to 2000 volunteers hitting the streets of Hamilton this weekend for the 2009 Working Bee. As part of Hamilton City Council’s community development work Council is again joining forces with the New Zealand Police and thousands of Mormon Helping Hands to address crime and truancy hotspots and build on environmental projects in the city. S... more...

Hamilton City Council is encouraging local food businesses to voluntarily implement Food Control Plans now to gain a 'competitive edge' before an upcoming law change. Already four local businesses have registered Plans – Domaine Restaurant on Victoria Street, Longview Taurima Hostel on Cameron Rd, Hamilton Cosmopolitan Club on Claudelands Rd and Shamiana Cuisines of India at Westfield Chartwell – ... more...

Hamilton Mayor Bob Simcock says the city's payment of $6 million into Hamilton Airport as a 50 per cent shareholder is part of supporting a critically important strategic asset. Mayor Simcock says while making the payment of previously uncalled capital is not ideal, it needs to be remembered the city has a $30 million investment for which it will have contributed $7. 5 million following the $6 mil... more...

Lighting in Hood Street will be turned off for one hour on Saturday, 28 March to mark Earth Hour 2009. All street lighting and decorative lighting along the section of Hood Street from Victoria Street to Alexandra Street will be turned off from 8. 30pm-9. 30pm, during which time the public will be entertained by uni-cyclists, buskers and a fire performer. For safety reasons under-verandah lighting ... more...

Rugby New Zealand 2011 announced this afternoon that Hamilton will host three pool games for the Rugby World Cup 2011. Hamilton will host the All Blacks when they take on the winner of the Asia qualifier (likely to be Japan) on 16 September 2011, before hosting Wales twice – first when they go up against the winner of the Oceania qualifier (likely to be Samoa) on 18 September 2011, and then when ... more...

Keeping in touch with old school friends back in America has led to a visit to Hamilton by current space shuttle pilot Colonel Eric Boe. When Hamilton City Council employee Ree Varcoe found out through friends one of her old classmates had just flown a space shuttle mission as captain, the idea of bringing a real NASA astronaut to her sons' school had instant appeal. After some negotiation with ... more...

Amongst the 150 army personnel marching in this Saturday's Army Charter Parade through central Hamilton will be Hamilton City Council Community Development Unit Manager Olly Te Ua, who will be departing next month on a six-month deployment to Afghanistan. Mr Te Ua, who holds the rank of Major, has been an Army Reserve Officer for the past 15 years after originally joining as a Gunner with 4(G) Me... more...

Six armoured light operational vehicles, four Unimog trucks and 150 army personnel will make their way through central Hamilton as part of an Army Charter Parade this Saturday, 14 March. The Waikato Mounted Rifles and 11/4 Battery will be exercising their rights to parade with arms through Hamilton as outlined in their Freedom of the City Charters. The parade will also be an opportunity to renew ... more...

Hamilton City Libraries is looking for local musicians, bands and performers to showcase as part of its New Zealand Music Month celebrations 'Soundz Like Hamilton'. Taking place at Hamilton Central Library during the last two weeks of May, Soundz Like Hamilton aims to promote local talent while providing a wide variety of entertainment to caters to all tastes. Community Programmes Librarian Dawn... more...

Dinsdale Community Library will be closed for five days later this month while a new circulation counter is installed. The closure will run from Thursday, 19 March until Tuesday, 24 March, during which time local library users will be encouraged to access all services including circulation services, internet and Ticket Direct, from the five other branches of Hamilton City Libraries. Hamilton Cit... more...

Hamilton City Council has won silver at the national marketing awards for its strategic planning and vision around the development of the Hamilton brand. Hamilton City Council was the only local government finalist in the awards amongst some of the country's leading companies and brands. Companies such as TVNZ, Ezibuy, Progressive Enterprises and Foodstuffs were represented as finalists in the S... more...

Artist impression of The Verandah at Hamilton Lake Top city chefs Graham McFarlane and Bill MacDonald have signed to bring their culinary talents to The Verandah, Hamilton City Council's new event facility situated on the city's lakefront. Both chefs are international culinary judges and between them will they will bring over 50 years of professional culinary experience to developing ... more...

A new lower speed precinct comes into effect on 1 March. The initiative rides on the back of the successful launch in February last year of the 40km/h variable speed zones around 18 Hamilton primary and intermediate schools. The city’s first 40km/h speed precinct is in the area around the hospital and Hamilton West Primary School (Hammond Street, Horne Street, Park Terrace, Valley Terrace, Tidd S... more...

Council last night asked its chief executive to continue to gather information on what it might cost ratepayers to keep the Waipa Delta operating on the Waikato River in Hamilton. The request for financial information came after CEO Michael Redman tabled updated information at last night's Council meeting after discussions with Waipa Delta owner Mark Goudie. Mr Redman said Mr Goudie had given so... more...

A decrease in the amount of water being consumed in Hamilton and wet weather forecasted for the coming week has seen the city's water alert level drop back to 'alert level one'. Hamilton City Council Treatment Plants Manager Tim Harty said while the city's water consumption was peaking at over 75 million litres during the first week of February, a recent decrease has seen daily consumption sit un... more...

Hamilton City Council has been successfully granted a landmark consent which will renew the city's water take for the next 35 years. The consent, which allows Council to draw 146 million litres of water a day from the Waikato River for municipal water supply, is the first consent to be processed under Environment Waikato's new water allocation guidelines (Regional Policy Variation 6). Hamilton C... more...

Dust off your bike and head into Civic Plaza or the university for a free breakfast on Wednesday 18 February. To finish the day cyclists can participate in the new en masse Pitstop in the Park event. Steve Taylor, Hamilton’s coordinator of the New Zealand wide Bikewise month says all cyclists are welcome at the Go By Bike Day particularly those who don’t usually cycle. “This year’s event we have... more...

Hamilton Mayor Bob Simcock will bestow an Honorary Citizenship upon the Mayor of Ieper next Monday [9 February] in recognition for the Belgium city's ongoing generosity in caring for and remembering the large number of New Zealanders who fell in the battles around Ieper in World War One. Current Mayor of Ieper (pronounced ee-per), Luc Dehaene, will accept the certificate on behalf of his city dur... more...

A total ban on domestic sprinklers could in place in Hamilton by the weekend if residents don't take immediate steps to reduce water consumption. Hamilton reached alert level 2 last Thursday [29 January] after the city consumed over 65 million litres of water per day for the past week. This increased alert level brought with it new restrictions permitting residents to use sprinkler systems betwee... more...

The newly refurbished Claudelands Grandstand will be officially opened this Wednesday [4 February] – marking the next chapter in the rich history of this historic building. The landmark grandstand, which was registered Category II by the Historic Places Trust, was shifted 500m across the Claudelands site last April and has since undergone extensive restoration work. Its $1. 5 million restoration s... more...

Rising demand for water and fine weather forecasts has seen Hamilton's water alert level raised to alert level 2 today. This change means sprinkler systems are now permitted between 6am-8am and 6pm-8pm on alternate days only. There are no restrictions on commercial/non residential properties at this stage. The decision was made to move to alert level two after the city consumed over 65 million li... more...

Hamilton City Council is bringing residents up-to-date with a new strategy outlining the environmental management of the Waikato River for the next 50 years. The strategy is the culmination of a multi-agency project aimed at addressing river instability hazards of which Hamilton City Council was a member. The Central Waikato River Stability Management Strategy 2008-2058 has been developed to prov... more...

Hamilton's city-wide Environmental Sustainability Strategy will have some heavy weight behind it when it is launched this Thursday. Environment Minister the Honourable Dr Nick Smith will be the keynote speaker as the city reveal's its vision to engage residents and businesses in the changes needed to make Hamilton a sustainable city. The strategy is the work of ten key organisations who came toge... more...

As hearings commence today to consider renewal of the city's water take consent Hamilton City Council says the application process has delivered an extremely positive level of co-operation between Council, Environment Waikato and other major water users – one which they say bodes very well for the future health and sustainable management of the Waikato River. Hamilton City Council has applied for... more...

Hamilton residents are encouraged to share their stories on a new website designed to act as a community 'knowledge basket'. The website, Kete (meaning 'basket'), is a digital library of arts, cultural and heritage resources, maintained by Hamilton City Libraries and fuelled by content from community groups and individuals – including digital images, videos, sounds, and documents. Hamilton City ... more...

The New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) has approved $1,072,500 funding (55% of the $1,950,000 project) for the investigation and design phases of the Access Hamilton, Wairere Drive 4-Laning – Pukete Road to Resolution Drive – project.   The project involves widening and improvement of the 2. 1km section of Wairere Drive (Pukete Road to Resolution Drive) from two lanes to four lanes. It will... more...

From Monday 15 to Christmas Eve further free parking will be available for visitors and shoppers in the CityHeart area prior to Christmas.   Parking in the Knox Street car park will be free for a period of up to three hours between the hours of 9am and 3pm.   Works and Services general manager Chris Allen says the three hour free parking offer at Knox Street car park is good news f... more...

93 year old beekeeper and Meals on Wheels deliverer, Dudley Lorimer, is much more used to being the one dishing out the good stuff. But this Friday, after a lifetime of service to business and the community, Dudley will join ten other great Hamiltonians in receiving a 2008 Hamilton Civic Award. Hamilton Mayor Bob Simcock says, "There are some outstanding things being achieved in Hamilton. We owe ... more...

Fans will have the opportunity to enjoy the best of New Zealand theatre right here in Hamilton at the Clarence St Theatre in 2009. Season09is a biennial theatre subscription which runs on alternate years to FUEL Festival of NZ Theatre. The inaugural subscription, Season07, was held in 2007 and featured three productions sourced from Auckland and Wellington. Hamilton City Council Event Facilitie... more...

Council is trialling a street closure for Hood and part of Alexandra streets over the next six months. The trial involves installing retractable bollard fittings in the roadway that will recess underground when not in use. CityHeart representative and place manager Ree Varcoe says the bollards have been installed to make the area safer at night, more inviting and to place a pedestrian priority in... more...

A record number of candidates will vie for election this Friday 5 December, as Hamilton's Council of Elders holds its annual election for the first time in five years. Community development unit manager Olly Te Ua says, "Council are very pleased with the high number of candidates putting their names forward this year. Council of Elders plays a key role in the leadership of the city, providing Ham... more...

High water consumption over the weekend has seen Hamilton reach water alert level 1 – meaning domestic sprinkler systems will now be permitted between 6am-8am and 6pm-8pm only. Hamilton City Treatment Plants Manager Tim Harty said the city experienced a constant increasing demand on water throughout November – with hot weather during the weekend seeing consumption peak at 73 million litres yester... more...

New water alert levels will come into effect in Hamilton next week, as part of a regional collaborative effort aimed at promoting proactive water conservation. Dubbed 'Smart Water Use', the initiative sees Hamilton City Council join forces with Environment Waikato and other territorial authorities throughout the greater Waikato to encourage residents to treat water as a 'limited and precious reso... more...

Hamilton City Council has applied for resource consent to build a 5000-capacity indoor arena at Claudelands Events Centre. The proposed multipurpose arena is part of a major redevelopment project at Claudelands Events Centre, which would see the facility transformed into a premier event and conference venue for Hamilton. Sitting alongside a 1,500-capacity conference centre and upgraded exhibition... more...

Hamilton City Council has bestowed its highest honours on two of the Waikato's most well-known businessmen and community leaders, brothers John and Bill Gallagher. The Freedom of the City was bestowed on the Gallaghers on Saturday night at the Gallagher Group's 70th Birthday celebrations. Hamilton Mayor Bob Simcock says "the award of Freedom Holder of the City is a rare honour given to people wh... more...

Hamilton's kerbside meter parking in the central city is to be free of charge on Saturdays on a trial basis until early next year. Council has decided to introduce the free parking trial as recognition of the inconvenience that maybe caused for some people during CityHeart revitalisation work. Council is also committed to supporting a vibrant and busy CityHeart and is prepared to try new initiati... more...

Fifty-seven Hamilton food businesses received Excellence Awards during the 2008 Hamilton Food Safety Awards this morning. It is the 14th year that Hamilton City Council has held the Food Safety Awards, which aim to recognise and reward businesses that maintain a standard of excellence in their premises above that required by legislation. The awards were originally launched in 1994 as a way of re... more...

Midweek is delicious in the City Heart. From today (30 October) the Hamilton Farmers' Market is now open 3-6. 30pm Thursdays at a fantastic new Civic Square location. Since 2006 the Hamilton Farmers' Market has run Sundays from its Anglesea Street base, doubling the number of stalls over the past two years. Over the last couple of months Hamilton City Council has worked closely with the Hamilton F... more...

If you go down to Elliott Park this Halloween, you are sure for a big surprise – with thousands of people expected to turn out there for Treats in the Park on Friday, 31 October from 3. 15pm-8. 15pm. The inaugural Treats in the Park event was held seven years ago as a way of providing young trick-or-treaters with a safe, controlled environment in which to celebrate Halloween, and has continued to g... more...

Award-winning New Zealand author Dame Fiona Kidman will be holding a public talk at Hamilton Central Library next Thursday [30 October] at 12. 30pm. A prolific author of novels, short stories, poems and plays, Fiona Kidman is highly regarded as one of New Zealand's top writers. Her latest book, At The End of Darwin Road: a Memoir, was published earlier this year and has received rave reviews due ... more...

Hamilton City Libraries' world language collection is about to receive a boost thanks to the generosity of the city's international students. More than 40 international language books will be donated to the world language collection during a ceremony at Central Library next Tuesday [21 October] at 4pm. The donations are the result of a campaign run by Hamilton City Libraries, Waikato Education ... more...

Taking the stage Friday night at the Clarence Street Theatre, Elemeno P frontman Dave Gibson said that for him nights like the Hamilton youth awards was what it was all about. 33 exceptional young people were up for awards for everything from community involvement to innovative ideas, music, culture, arts and overcoming adversity. Gibson kept his promise, at the close of the night the band invitin... more...

It will be a celebration of Hamilton youth at its best tonight during Recognyz 08, the Hamilton Youth Awards. Held at Clarence Street Theatre, the Awards will be headlined by chart toppers and home-grown favourites Elemeno P, and include performances by talented Rockquest finalists Jimmy and The Evergreens and a set from hip hop dance world champions Fusion. Elemeno P frontman Dave Gibson says ... more...

Preparation for another stage of the CityHeart revitalisation is about to get underway with the traffic calming trial on Victoria Street. The purpose of the trial is to assess options that will achieve a safer environment for pedestrians and to encourage traffic that is simply passing though, to take alternative routes. The trial period will run for three months (October to December) and includes... more...

A report concerning a number of Hamilton's key growth issues was considered at an extraordinary Meeting of Council on 26 September. The issues are expected to form the strategic direction for the proposed Hamilton Urban Growth Strategy (HUGS) when public consultation commences in 2 weeks time. Investigations into the direction future growth will take in Hamilton focuses on three areas which will ... more...

Chart toppers and home-grown favourites Elemeno P have been announced as headliners for Recognyz 08, the Hamilton Youth Awards held on 10 October at the Clarence Street Theatre. The band will take the stage with a number of the city's acclaimed young performers as they celebrate Hamilton youth at its best. The night's line up will include performances by talented Rockquest finalists Jimm... more...

The first review of the Prostitution Bylaw 2004 commences this month. All Bylaws created under the Local Government Act 2002 are required to be reviewed within five years from adoption. The Prostitution Bylaw is subsequently due for review by October 2009. The objectives of the existing Prostitution Bylaw 2004 are to support the purpose and intent of the Prostitution Reform Act 2003. The Bylaw en... more...

Hamilton residents will now be able to surf the web and access emails using their own laptop or other wireless capable devices in the comfortable surroundings of their local library – and all for free. Hamilton City Libraries, through the Aotearoa People's Network, is offering free wireless internet broadband at six locations across the city. The new service mirrors the functionality of the exist... more...

Recognyz 08, the Hamilton Youth Awards are being relaunched with a bang this year! Hamilton City Council are staying mum for now on the big kiwi band headlining the stage on awards night, but with just over a week until nominations close on 12 September, the race is on to get nominations in and be into win a fantastic range of prizes – from VIP passes to iPods, fashion and music to $2000 worth of ... more...

Hamilton East residents, business owners and community group representatives will have an opportunity next week to have a say about how their area should be shaped in the future. Hamilton City Council is holding an Information Workshop next Wednesday, 10 September from 10am-8pm at St John's Church Hall, corner of Wellington and Grey Streets, to gauge how the people who live, work and play in Hami... more...

Hamilton library users can now access more than 650 international newspapers from 76 countries hot off the press. Hamilton City Libraries has signed up for a one-month trial of PressDisplay, which is billed as 'the world's largest online newspaper kiosk' and enables users to access complete copies of a wide range of national and international newspapers online. Available at any of Hamilton's six ... more...

The hundreds of thousands of people who visit Hamilton Gardens each year will soon see a unique new sight in the Paradise Gardens collection. Thanks to a grant of $433,000 from the Lottery Significant Project Fund, Hamilton City Council will be able to complete construction of Te Parapara Garden, New Zealand's first public traditional Māori garden. Local Māori leaders have been involved throughou... more...

The Waikato River is expected to reach the 16. 0m mark in Hamilton as more water is released from Karapiro today. The increase in river levels is as a result of controlled release of pressure from Lake Karipiro, in anticipation of continued pressure on Lake Taupo which is currently at capacity. The increased levels may bring the river level closer to residents land in the lower areas of Ann St an... more...

Residents in Ann St and on the east side of Awatere Ave are tonight being contacted by Civil Defence staff to alert them to rising river levels.   The Waikato River level in Hamilton is expected to rise to around 15. 5m this evening as water is released to relieve the pressure on Lake Karapiro. The water was released this evening at 6pm and will start to raise river levels in Hamilton from a... more...

Hamilton City Council receives an award for its action on climate change. While the climate may be changing, Hamilton City Council is making a valuable contribution to reducing the effects of climate change in Hamilton by participating in the Communities for Climate Protection® - New Zealand (CCP®-NZ) Programme and was awarded Milestone 4 at a function on 29 July in Rotorua. Hamilton City Coun... more...

Today [Thursday 24 July] at an extraordinary meeting of the City Development Committee in a unanimous decision identified Hayes Paddock as a heritage precinct overlay in the District Plan for the city. The decision will go to the full Council meeting (13 August) for ratifying. Committee chairman Glenda Saunders says the discussion over Hayes Paddock has been well aired through a robust process an... more...

There's a fishy adventure kicking off from Hukanui Primary School this Friday 25 July. When her newly published book Rusty's Big Adventure is launched at the school, 10 year old Lauren Fletcher's classmates will be the first to read it. Lauren's story was chosen from an overwhelming number of entries in a recent Hamilton City Council competition, which asked schools around the city to tell the... more...

0800 TAGBUSTERS -Hamilton City Council's new tagging hotline goes live to the public today. If they see graffiti anywhere in the city, members of the public can now call 0800 TAG BUSTERS to report it, remove it and stop it. The new hotline operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. When members of the public make a call Council staff will take details of the tagging and its location, give callers th... more...

Artist's impression of The Verandah at Hamilton Lake Hamiltonians won't have to wait long to enjoy The Verandah, Hamilton Lake's new lakefront café and event facility. Demolition of the existing lake kiosk began on June 12 and, following an official tendering process, Hamilton City Council today awarded the $1,923,000 contract to construct The Verandah to Foster Construction. Demol... more...

Volunteering Waikato were today announced as the inaugural recipient of the $15,000 Community Media Grant. It's an apt reward, smack right in the middle of national Volunteering Awareness Week, for their work raising volunteer help for over a hundred community organisations in Hamilton each year. The announcement was jointly made by grant partners Community Radio Hamilton, bettle and Hamilton Cit... more...

Can the children at your school swim? Would the children at your school survive? That's the question being asked in local schools embarking on a Swim For Life event on 19 June at Hamilton City Council's Waterworld swimming complex on Garnett Avenue in Te Rapa. Last year 110 people drowned in New Zealand, but many of them wouldn't have if they knew how to swim says Brendon Ward, Chief Executive o... more...

Designer Shari Boyes and model Tania Forbes. Trash to Fashion Supreme Winner 2006. Trash will be hitting the Hamilton catwalk in the next few months, but not as you know it! Entries are now open for Hamilton's annual Trash to Fashion wearable art awards. Now in its eighth year, the competition is opportunity for design and creativity buffs from Hamilton and the surrounding ... more...

Hamilton City Council are tackling Melville Underpass' persistent vandalism with a roar thanks to some new pint-sized partners. Melville Intermediate's Leo Club (the youth arm of the Lions Club) is newly formed and in their initial meeting students identified tagging in the Melville Underpass as their number one project to pursue. Help from Hamilton City Council has made that possible a... more...

It's time to get loud in the library! During the last two weeks of May, Hamilton Central Library will open the floor to Waikato musicians and performers in celebration of New Zealand Music Month. Running from May 20-29, Soundz Like Hamilton will see local musicians, bands and singers showcase their talent through a series of free lunchtime and evening performances, as well as a day of music on... more...

Once upon a time finding accommodation during major events in Hamilton was like finding a needle in a Fieldays haystack. But those days are numbered thanks to Hamilton City Council's innovative new easy breezy, city-wide accommodation booking service. The accommodation booking service was initially developed for the V8s as a one-stop-shop for all available accommodation and covers the full range ... more...

Cyclist numbers have risen significantly in Hamilton in the last twelve months. Overall, a recent annual cycle cordon count, part of a study which has taken place since 1980, shows that cyclist levels are over 10 percent higher than last year. The rise is a turn up since the cycle use survey began in 1980, which peaked in 1997 and has been in decline to 2007. Active Transport Committee chairman ... more...

The first bus lane in Hamilton will go into operation on Monday 5 May 2008, the first day of the second term. The dedicated lane will run along the east side of Hukanui Road between Elmira Avenue and to the intersection of Clarkin Road/Snell Drive – Davies Corner. Transport committee chairman Dave Macpherson says the lane will mean buses can get a free run that will make a difference especially d... more...

The total ban on sprinkler use in Hamilton will end this month. As of Thursday 1 May, Hamilton residents may resume watering gardens and lawns without restriction. The total sprinkler ban was introduced in January after unprecedented dry weather and high water consumption in the city. With drought conditions persisting for months and the levels of the Waikato River dropping significantly, the ba... more...

When the Last Post echoes out this Anzac Day, special tribute will be paid to the vital part wartime women played in the New Zealand war effort. "Our wartime women were quiet heroes", says Hamilton Mayor Bob Simcock. "whether knitting socks for the boys on the front, stretching rations or being 'manpowered' into essential industries – making do was their mantra". A large number of women were 'ma... more...

Graffiti, litter and community spirit will be the target for over 500 volunteers hitting the streets of Enderley for a clean up this weekend. As part of Hamilton City Council's graffiti co-ordination work Council is joining forces with the New Zealand Police, Enderley residents and hundreds of Mormon Helping Hands volunteers to stage the Enderley Working Bee. On Saturday 8 March volunteers will ... more...

Hamilton City Councillors are proposing an average rates rise for existing city ratepayers of 5. 09 per cent following a meeting this week to consider the 2008/09 Annual Plan. The meeting added a very small amount to the rates from what was earlier forecast. The increase was a result of a change to the criteria for rates remission for hardship relief. Council has changed the threshold limits of t... more...

40km/h variable speed zones have arrived at 18 Hamilton primary and intermediate schools, highlighting another dimension to Council's road safety initiatives as school returns for term one. The 40km/h variable speed zones programme will be launched on Tuesday [5 Feb] at Fairfield Intermediate School by Hamilton mayor Bob Simcock and Minister of Transport Hon. Annette King. Council adopted the 40k... more...

Hamilton is coursing through water at an unprecedented rate, causing concern that a sprinkler ban may need to be put in force. The high demand is peaking at 85 million litres (ML) a day compared to the annual average daily use of 50ML. Water and Waste Services contracts manager Kevin McHugh says the usual summer peak tops out around 80ML a day. "Water supply is not an endless resource. The cit... more...

The Hamilton developer whose excavation work triggered a landslide on Awatere Avenue last year is amongst the first to be prosecuted under the new Building Act. Joe Wright of Wright Construction Limited pleaded guilty to an offence under section 40 of Building Act 2004 when he appeared in Hamilton District Council last week. He was ordered to pay $7,500 in fines plus costs of $3,272. The cour... more...

Saturday's unveiling of traditional Maori carvings at Miropiko Reserve will not only recognise the historic significance of the site but also mark the return of what was once a common sight – pou on the Waikato riverside. Miropiko Reserve is an historic Maori Pa site. Miropiko Pa was one of a number of pa built and occupied by Ngati Hanui, a sub tribe of Ngati Wairere. The pa was one of the last ... more...

This week people throughout Hamilton and New Zealand are wearing white ribbons to show they do not tolerate or condone violence against women. Hamilton's White Ribbon Day Celebration will take place in Garden Place from 11am-2pm on 23 November. The event will launch 16 Days of Activism - a series of events aimed to support abuse victims and encourage men to challenge each other on attit... more...

This week people throughout Hamilton and New Zealand are wearing white ribbons to show they do not tolerate or condone violence against women. Hamilton's White Ribbon Day Celebration will take place in Garden Place from 11am-2pm on 23 November. The event will launch 16 Days of Activism - a series of events aimed to support abuse victims and encourage men to challenge each other on attit... more...

Haven’t got time to post your vote in to make it on time to count. That’s no problem in Hamilton because on Saturday morning from 8am to 12 noon a drive-through voting service will be operating in the Anglesea Street car park by the main Council building.   Electoral official Anthony Dick says the drive-though voting drop off service is a new innovation and is expected to be very popular wi... more...

You must see Hamilton Gardens before you die, according to the book 1001 Gardens to See Before You Die. This week some big international names are taking that advice to heart. From today until October 14 the Gardens will host this year's Botanic Gardens of Australia and New Zealand conference, an occasion that reaches our shores only once a decade. This year speakers include leaders from renowned... more...

The following roads works are scheduled to be undertaken during the period of Thursday 4 to Friday 19 October as part of the programme of works preparing the track for the Hamilton 400 V8 Supercars street race to be held in Hamilton 18–20 April 2008. Tristram Street/Rostrevor Street The installation of a large removable centre island has been completed. Minor trimming works to be done – traffic ... more...

The 'make over' of Heaphy Terrace shopping area has begun and will bring many improvements, primarily safety of pedestrians and cyclists and visually enhance the area. The contractor, Tanlaw Corporation Ltd, has commenced work at the corner of Heaphy Terrace and Howden Road. They have excavated parts of the footpath to prepare the area for new kerb and channel, indented parking, paved areas, and ... more...

Today's launch of the Social Wellbeing Strategy marks a national first as 13 of Hamilton's key social development agencies come together to commit to delivering strong collaborative leadership and working collectively on top priorities to make a real social difference for Hamilton. At the invitation of Hamilton City Council, key social development agencies came together in December 2006 to acknow... more...

Some of Hamilton's older and less able residents are now enjoying a better quality of life thanks to major refurbishments of Hamilton City Council's Graham Street housing complex. The housing upgrade is a joint project between the Council and Housing New Zealand, which will officially be opened onsite by Hamilton Mayor Bob Simcock at 10. 30am on September 7. Mr Simcock says that the $1 million Gra... more...

Hamilton City Council has completed its final budget meeting for the 2007/2008 financial year and is still planning a slight reduction in rates from what was outlined in the ten year plan adopted last year. Council is proposing an average rates rise of 5. 94 per cent for current Hamilton ratepayers, compared to the 6. 08 per cent it had indicated for the 2007/08 year when producing the Long Term Pl... more...

Roundabouts in Hamilton will be patrolled by Police from this week as the next stage of the INDIK8 campaign that began in February. After months of promotion prompting drivers to INDIK8 at roundabouts this stage seeks to ensure drivers are indicating at roundabouts.   Council will place mobile electronic signs at roundabouts this month to help drive home the message.   Hamilton Road... more...

Council received a total of 201 submissions to its Proposed 2007/08 Annual Plan, with 58 people requesting to be heard in support of their written submission. The number is very similar to last year’s 10-year proposed long-term plan which received 202 submissions.   Hamilton mayor Michael Redman says he is pleased with the response, especially as the 2007/08 year is year two of the long-ter... more...

The first 14 schools in Hamilton to get 40kph zones will be selected as part of the programme to have all primary and intermediate schools in the city with 40kph zones.   The initial scheme is in partnership with Land Transport New Zealand (LTNZ) and will be implemented in the next financial year 2007/08.   Transport committee chairman Dave Macpherson says that while it is Council’s ... more...

Land Transport New Zealand (LTNZ) has given Hamilton’s local roads a big tick for the quality of roading maintenance.   The periodic review (previous review was in May 1996) focused on roads and improvements in Hamilton that have been funded by LTNZ.   The review concluded that Council has made very good progress since the last review, and that maintenance costs have fallen in real t... more...

Hamilton City Council last night unanimously agreed the appointment of an acting chief executive position, which will follow the departure of current CEO Tony Marryatt on 11 May 2007.   General Manager Environmental Services Graeme Fleming will fill the role until the appointment of a permanent CEO.   An executive search is currently underway to find Mr Marryatt’s replacement. It is... more...

A later than usual summertime has seen water consumption in Hamilton hit repeated and consecutive highs. As a result, sprinkler restrictions are being extended until the 25 March to help manage water demand.   The water sprinkler restrictions period usually runs from 1 December to 1 March. However, unusually high, water consumption has brought about the need to extend the restrictions. &nb... more...

Funding for one of Access Hamilton’s major projects, Wairere Drive extension, has been approved by the Land Transport New Zealand Board. The funding assistance, 55% of $15. 3m, is the largest the city has received for any project to date.   Transport Committee chairman Dave Macpherson says the funding recognises the importance of completing the city’s ring road and the special transportation... more...

 It’s new, it’s fresh, it’s out now [Tuesday/Wednesday 30/31 January].  The refreshed new look City News has a vibrancy that reflects the heart of Hamilton’s growth and it’s coming of age as an emerging metropolitan centre.   Editor of City News Curt Christiansen says the new look of City News is in line with the new Hamilton brand.   “City News is a very successful publica... more...

Efforts are to be made this week to drastically reduce the burgeoning rabbit population in the Hamilton East Cemetery and surrounding area. Hamilton City Council contractors will put in place a poisoning programme on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday this week (18, 19 and 20 December). Signs will be put up alerting the public to the fact that poison has been laide Wherever possible, the poison will ... more...

A Versus Research opinion poll conducted last week has shown an overwhelming number of Hamilton residents support city buses being run by the city. The random telephone survey of 790 people has a margin of error of plus or minus 3. 49 per cent. In answer to the question: who should be responsible for bus services in the city? 71 per cent of respondents said Hamilton City Council, 9 percent said s... more...

The World Rowing Championships at Lake Karapiro in 2010 means a major role for Hamilton as part of the staging of the event. Hamilton is the official Host City for the world championships and as a significant sponsor will play a key part in supporting the regatta. Hamilton's $300,000 sponsorship of the World Rowing Championships includes staging the opening ceremony, funding of special transpor... more...

Hamilton City Council will be moving to a two-ward electoral system with fewer Councillors at the next local body election. Council voted in favour of moving from three-wards to two-wards at a meeting last year, but an appeal to the Local Government Commission has until now prevented the Council decision being confirmed. The appeal by the Temple View Residents Association has now been withdrawn ... more...

Waiwhakareke Natural Heritage Park is set to reach another milestone in its quest to restore 50 hectares of native vegetation over a 20 year period when memoranda of understanding are signed on 13 April from 11. 30am-12. 30pm. Hamilton mayor Michael Redman will join representatives from WINTEC, University of Waikato and Tui 2000 in Council's Reception Lounge to sign the memoranda and formalise the ... more...

Hamilton's new 21 million litre Hamilton South Reservoir on Chinaman's Hill will be brought into service this week. Water and waste services manager Leroy Leach says the $3. 9m reservoir is part of a larger project which includes new bulk main pipelines, increased pumping capacity and upgraded control systems. "The total value of these works is $9. 3m. This level of investment is necessary ... more...

It's not to late to get into the big picture as the Waikato Society of Arts National Painting and Printmaking Award entrants and winner are on display at ArtsPost. The awards were displayed and judged at the Hamilton Gardens Summer Festival which ran from 17 February. This year, the awards drew hundreds of entries. A shortlist of 35 finalists was made before the winner was announced at the gal... more...

Waikato Museum's February visitor numbers show there are more of us going to the museum than ever before. The total number of visits made to the Waikato Museum in the month of February has significantly exceeded previous February totals, reaching 7128 people. This is a 10. 7 per cent increase on last February's visitor total of 6437 people and is the highest tally for February since 1999. Wai... more...

Although Waikato Stadium becomes home turf for the Pirtek Parramatta Eels as they face off against the Vodafone Warriors this Saturday [18 March 2006], Hamilton is particularly home territory to four Warriors players. Three members of the Warriors squad attended school in Hamilton. Lance Hohaia attended St Paul's Collegiate, Sam Rapira attended Hamilton Boys High and Louis Anderson attended Chu... more...

Vodafone Warriors fans can get a sneak peek at their heroes this Thursday [16 March] as the team has an open training run. Everyone is welcome to watch the Warriors in training at 4pm on Waikato Stadium field number 1. The public is asked to enter through gates three and four at the stadium. Event facilities manager Mark Christie says the open training run offers the public a chance to see... more...

4WRD: Innovations in Agriculture has come to the end of its three year exhibition period at the Waikato Museum and will be taken down on 20 March. As part of the Strategic Plan process, Waikato Museum undertook consultation to identify what the community wished to see at the museum. The response indicated a clear desire for more history exhibitions to feature at the museum. Two major history e... more...

Waikato Museum will be represented on the panel at a Race Relations Day debate held at Auckland Museum on Tuesday, 21 March. The Race Relations Day debate is hosted annually by Auckland Museum as part of Race Relations Day. This year's debate topic explores how cultural institutions can engage more effectively with New Zealand's cultural communities. Waikato Museum concept leader (Social ... more...

For Immediate Release The Propecia Rally of New Zealand will be based in Hamilton this year as part of a three year deal between the city and Rally New Zealand. Council secured the sponsorship hosting rights for the World Rally Championship event following negotiations that began last year. Rally New Zealand chairman Morrie Chandler says modifications to the international requirements m... more...

As Council continues to implement road safety initiatives to promote increased road safety around schools, an exhibition called Speed is coming to Waikato Museum in April. Speed focuses on the science behind motion but incorporates a heavy road safety awareness component through the collaborative input of the Road Safety Group comprising ACC, Land Transport New Zealand, New Zealand Police, Envi... more...

Resurfacing work at a busy city intersection will be carried out during off-peak hours this week to minimise the effect on traffic. Tomorrow through to Friday [8-10 March] the Lake Road/Ruakiwi Road/Lake Domain Drive intersection is being milled - removing the road's top layer - and resurfaced. Traffic management will be in place, including a detour for Tainui Street. The resurfacing work i... more...

Resurfacing work along two busy sections of road will be carried out during off-peak hours this week to minimise the effect on traffic. From Monday, 6 March through till Thursday [9 March], Hukanui Road, from Lynden Court to Glen Lynne Avenue, is being milled - removing the road's top layer - and resurfaced. The same resurfacing work will be completed on the Hall Street rail overbridge from toda... more...

Council has won a Highly Commended Award in the Public Sector Category at the EECA Energy-Wise Awards held in Auckland on Wednesday night [1 March]. General manager Works and Services Sally Davis and former energy manager Martin Lynch were presented with the award by Minister of Energy David Parker. Council won the award for its diverse energy management programme over the past six years. Highli... more...

Hamilton's treated water is safe to drink. The water treatment station has increased monitoring of river water quality and its output into the city's water supply network. Although elevated levels of potentially toxic blue-green algae have been found in the Waikato River, the health warning that has been issued for the river from Lake Karapiro to the sea, applies only to recreational use in the ... more...

In accordance with legislative requirements, Council has adopted a proposed policy on earthquake-prone, dangerous and insanitary buildings to present to the public for consultation. Under the Building Act 2004, Council is required to have a completed policy by 31 May 2006, a copy of which is to be forwarded to Government. Council's proposed policy is based on a risk management approach under... more...

Hamilton City Council is deferring any decision on court action against Transit NZ while it directly raises the matter with them over their commitment to construct the Avalon Drive by pass. At its full meeting last night, Council reaffirmed its position that it believes it has a contractual agreement with Transit for them to complete Avalon Drive by pass in the 2006/07 year. Hamilton mayor Mic... more...

Resurfacing work along two sections of road will be carried out during the evening this week to minimise the effect on traffic. Today through to Wednesday [Monday, 27 February - Wednesday, 1 March] Norton Road, between Commerce Street to the Norton Road roundabout, is being milled - removing the road's top layer - and resurfaced. The same resurfacing work will be completed on Bryce Street, fr... more...

The Hill's Science Diet Dog Day Afternoon is back for the fourth year running and Waikato's dogs are wagging their tails in anticipation. This award winning event is the biggest get together in the region for dog lovers and dogs, hosted by Council to celebrate positive and responsible dog ownership. It's free, it's fun, it's friendly and it's definitely furry as dogs and owners check out what'... more...

Hamilton City Council says it is bitterly disappointed with Transits 10 year plan released today that has every single Hamilton roading project delayed yet again. The chair of Council's Transport Committee, Councillor Dave Macpherson, says the announcement of the delays in crucial Hamilton projects follows the same story last year when Transit pushed back roading for the city. Cr Macpherson sa... more...

At an extraordinary meeting today Council voted in favour of a binding referendum on whether or not fluoride ought to be added to Hamilton's water supply. The question on fluoride will be added to a referendum on the issue of whether or not Council should move to the Single Transferable Voting system. The referendum is to be conducted on 13 May 2006. The additional cost of including a fluo... more...

Resurfacing work along a busy section of road will be carried out during off-peak hours next week to minimise the effect on traffic. Next Monday through till Thursday [20-23 February], Anglesea Street, from London Street to Liverpool Street, is being milled - removing the road's top layer - and resurfaced. Traffic management will be in place. Anglesea Street will be open in both directions b... more...

All members of Council's Statutory Management Committee recently completed a Ministry for the Environment course in Resource Management planning and procedure. The Resource Management Act only requires that the chairman and 50 per cent of statutory management committees complete and pass the course. Hamilton mayor Michael Redman says the successful completion of the course by the whole Statuto... more...

Hamilton City Council is taking advice about possible legal action against government agencies that have failed to keep commitments on the building of crucial roading infrastructure in the city. The Council Transport Committee today resolved to investigate the civil litigation and to raise the matter at the Zone 2 Local Government New Zealand Conference being held at the end of the week. Hamil... more...

Resurfacing work along two busy sections of road will be carried out during off-peak hours next week to minimise the effect on traffic. Next Monday through till Friday [13-17 February], Anglesea Street, from Collingwood intersection up to and including Bryce Street intersection, is being milled- removing the road's top layer- and resurfaced. The same resurfacing work will be completed on Colling... more...

Council is proposing to correct anomalies in rating charges to some property categories to achieve a fairer and more consistent rating system. The changes are part of the proposed Long Term Council Plan that has been adopted by Council prior to public consultation. Council has addressed several inconsistencies in the rating of a number of categories, including: - Sports and Cultural Clubs - ... more...

Council has completed its budget deliberations over the proposed 2006-16 long-term plan which will be open for public submissions for the month of April. Hamilton mayor Michael Redman says the proposed plan is a blueprint for the exciting development of the city for the next 10 years. "This plan reflects the significant growth of the city in the last five years and takes into account the p... more...

Council is proposing to make two changes to its current rates rebate scheme to achieve greater eligibility for a rates rebate. The changes are part of the proposed Long Term Council Plan that is being considered by Council this week prior to public consultation. Council proposes to: - continue to provide a rates rebate of up to $300 to residential ratepayers who are experiencing extreme finan... more...

Traffic can expect delays this week along a busy section of road which is undergoing road works. Tomorrow through to Friday [Wednesday, 1 February -Friday, 3 February], River Road, from Oakley Avenue to Riverview Terrace, 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 reschedule... more...

Low levels of indicator organisms have been identified in the Dinsdale water supply zone. The finding was made as a part of routine monitoring. As a precautionary measure residents in the Dinsdale area are advised [today 28 January 2006] to boil water for consumption before use. Water and waste services manager Leroy Leach says the source area of the problem has been isolated from the water s... more...

School's back in on Tuesday [7 February] and Council's road safety initiatives continue to promote increased road safety around schools. Hamilton's Walking School Bus programme is gaining momentum with six primary schools involved and another three joining in the first term of this year. Council has also submitted an application to the Ministry of Transport that a speed limit of 40km per hour ... more...

The water in the Dinsdale water supply zone has been confirmed as safe to drink without the precautionary step of boiling it first. A section of residents in Dinsdale were advised on Saturday afternoon to take the precautionary measure of boiling water before consumption after low levels of indicator organisms had been identified in the Dinsdale water supply zone. The lifting of the 'noti... more...

Resurfacing work along a busy section of road will be carried out during off-peak hours next week to minimise the effect on traffic. Next Tuesday and Wednesday [31 January -1 February], Hall Street, from Norton Road to Lake Road, is being milled - removing the road's top layer - and resurfaced. Traffic management will include single-laning where required. This work is part of the re-surf... more...

Hamilton City Council is expected to opt in favour of holding a binding referendum on whether to adopt a Single Transferable Voting (STV) system or to retain First Past the Post (FPP). Council will formally decide on the issue at a meeting in early February. Hamilton mayor Michael Redman says the expected move is an outcome of what was promised in November last year, when Council said it would... more...

Traffic can expect delays this week along a busy section of road which is undergoing road works. Tomorrow through to Friday [Tuesday, 24 January-Friday, 27 January], Forest Lake Road, from Ulster Street to Mitcham Avenue, is being milled- removing the road's top layer- and resurfaced. Traffic management will include a single lane. Alternative routes will be posted and commuters are asked to pl... 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, 14 finalists received awards in one or more of the categories. Hamilton mayor Michael Redman ... more...

Demand by shoppers and retailers for parking closer to the CBD shops has prompted changes in parking charges and time limits being approved by Council. The 2005 Annual Residents Survey (released in August) identified central city parking, or the lack of it, as a major issue. Transport committee chairman Dave Macpherson says Council's strategy for CBD parking is to provide sufficient all-da... more...

Winners of the Hamilton Civic Trust Awards have been released ahead of the official ceremony on Wednesday, 7 December 2005 at 2pm in the Council Chambers. The awards recognise those who have made a positive contribution to the environment of Hamilton so all residents can enjoy a better quality of life. Trust president Maurice Boswell says the awards appear to be enjoying a growing recognition ... more...

Rare View, a photographic exploration of Hamilton's Somali community, is set to open at Waikato Museum this Saturday [3 December]. The exhibition is a collaborative effort between the Waikato Museum, photographer Mark Hamilton and the Hamilton Somali community. Rare View has already attracted national television coverage and featured on Close Up [at 7pm tonight, Wednesday, 30 December 2005]. R... more...

Summer water consumption in Hamilton is expected to be high with the possibility of another hot, dry summer. Last summer the Water Treatment Station struggled to meet peak demands and on some occasions demand surpassed the plants production capability. To help manage the peak demands the alternate day water-sprinkling ban will be in force from Thursday 1 December 2005 to Wednesday 1 March 200... more...

The new Hamilton website, www. hamilton. co. nz, launched this week adding a new dimension to both Council and city profile. Web executive Sarah Bettle says that the website showcases the vast scope of what Hamilton has to offer while presenting Council service and organisational information in a fully customer-focussed format. "The impetus behind www. hamilton. co. nz was the opportunity to creat... more...

A public electoral systems workshop on the STV voting system will be held at 7pm on Monday, 28 November in the Council Reception Lounge. The impetus for the workshop is Council's decision to move to a Single Transferable Vote (STV) system for the 2007 Council elections. Hamilton mayor Michael Redman will open the workshop which comprises presentations from three speakers. Dale and Judith Ofs... more...

White ribbons will be circulated in Hamilton City Council on Friday [25 November] in recognition of White Ribbon Day which is part of an international initiative for the elimination of family violence. Hamilton mayor Michael Redman is supporting White Ribbon Day and says that eliminating violence is a key aspect of improving quality of life and well-being for all Hamilton residents. "Last year... more...

Over 120 people gathered at Council's Enviroschools Award ceremony last night [16 November 2005]. Council introduced two new awards to this year's ceremony. Peachgrove Intermediate lead teacher Janine Standing was honoured with the award for Stand-out Lead Teacher. Each Enviroschool has a lead teacher who works with their Enviroschool facilitator to involve all the teaching staff in the progra... more...

A date has now been set for second round NRL action in Hamilton and on Saturday, 18 March at 7. 30pm the Pirtek Parramatta Eels will face the Vodafone Warriors at Waikato Stadium. The early scheduling of this match has been welcomed by Hamilton City Council as organisers of the event. Event facilities manager Mark Christie says that Council is hoping to build on crowd numbers from last year's ... more...

Local schools taking an active role in environmental issues will be honoured this Wednesday [16 November] at Council's Enviroschools Award ceremony. The ceremony will be held at 4pm in Council's Reception Lounge. Three Hamilton schools will receive national Enviroschools awards this year. Hukanui School achieved the Green-Gold award which is the highest Enviroschools accolade. This prestigio... more...

The Waikato river will figuratively run through the new Knox Street commuter carpark building as external balustrade panels will bear a distinctive river motif. The first two pre-cast spandrel units bearing the motif will arrive on-site next Monday [14 November]. They will be erected by 9. 30am and further panels will arrive up until 18 December. The design elements were introduced to the build... more...

Council's plans for the development of the city are to be proactively discussed with property developers and architects to ensure a shared vision for what Hamilton will look like in the future. A major initiative is to be introduced by Council where Resource Consent pre-application meetings will be held for developments that do not tie in with Council's future plans for the city. From an urban d... more...

Strong interest has been shown in the Farmers' Market workshop to be held in Hamilton on Friday, 11 November. Registrations have been received from a wide variety of organisations and interest groups. The workshop is being held in the Reception Lounge of the main Council building in Garden Place from 8. 45am to 4. 30pm on 11 November. Workshops similar to those being delivered in Hamilton are ... more...

Council has decided to proceed with a two ward system after hearing submissions at a Council meeting tonight [Wednesday, 2 November]. After a period of public consultation, just nine submissions were received on the subject. Two submissions were heard at the Council meeting and the others were made by way of written submission. Under the two-ward structure, six councillors will represent the W... more...

Council is currently upgrading the Water Treatment Station in Peacockes Road. The upgrade has been signalled as a high priority from residents, especially since the algae bloom in the summer of 2002/03. The completed upgrade - expected mid 2006 - will improve water quality, taste and odour characteristics and increase the capacity of the station to provide for future growth in the city. A ... more...

New Zealand Trade and Enterprise and Hamilton City Council are joining forces to bring expertise to the city around the establishment of a Farmers' Market. A public workshop is to be held on Friday 11 November from 9am to 3. 30pm in Council's Reception Lounge. The workshop is being delivered by Ian Thomas, the interim chair of the New Zealand Farmers' Market Association and Jane Adams, chair of... more...

The Ministry of Justice has selected Hamilton's CitySafe programme as an example of good practice. CitySafe is one of eight successful crime prevention programmes from around the country that the Ministry of Justice has selected for use as case study examples. The case studies will appear on a new Crime Prevention Unit website which will provide key stakeholders with evidence-based informa... more...

New Zealand Post has acknowledged their responsibility for the late delivery of the recent Hayes Paddock mail out. Last week [beginning Monday, 19 September] New Zealand Post experienced technical difficulties which resulted in the Waikato mail centre working manually at capacity. During this time, some mail was sent to other mail centres for processing. On 20 September, Council mailed 418 let... more...

A combined display of theatre and digital technology will mark International Day for Older People at the Hamilton Celebrating Age Centre on 1 October. Age Concern has followed observance of the day which was incepted in 1999 by the United Nations. This year, students from Waikato University Theatre Studies and younger students from Artmakers are working together with a group of older people f... more...

Time is running out for any Hamiltonians who wish to nominate someone whose community achievement may be worthy of a Civic Award. Nominations for the 2005 Civic Awards close at 5pm on Friday, 14 October. Hamilton mayor Michael Redman reminds people that nominations are a way of recognising people who enrich and make a difference in the Hamilton community. "Nominations are closing soon for thi... more...

Hamilton Zoo's camel Sahara sadly passed away this week aged 18 years old. Sahara was the last camel left in New Zealand and had been a resident of Hamilton Zoo for around 16 years. A post-mortem is currently being carried out to understand cause of death. ENDSFOR MORE INFORMATIONName:  Jason RogersDesignation:  Leisure Facilities ManagerTel (Direct):  07 838 6760Mobile:&... more...

Hamilton City Council has announced that Westpac will not be renewing its naming rights agreement for Westpac Park cricket ground. The naming rights agreement expires at the end of the year, following 15 years of successful sponsorship. Chair of Council's Stadiums Management Board, councillor Glenda Saunders, says the naming rights agreement has worked well for all parties but it is now tim... more...

Hamilton City Council has released plans for a major redevelopment of the events centre at Claudelands. The master plan for the events centre site that includes large upgrading of some of the existing buildings, significant improvement in the conference/convention facilities as well as provision for a 5,000 seat indoor stadium/events hall. Council has yet to make decisions on how much it wil... more...

Council has resolved that the base rental for community land rentals will be $240 per hectare in 2005. Council will not charge land rental where the amount is less than $100. Community and Leisure Committee chair Pippa Mahood says the impetus behind the resolution is to achieve greater equity and consistency in the handling of land leases to community groups in the city. "A review... more...

Hamilton Gardens continues to clean up the damage left in the wake of last Friday's [16 September] tornado. The initial estimate of trees lost at Hamilton Gardens as a result of the tornado was 80. This number has now increased significantly. Hamilton Gardens now estimates that approximately 200 trees have been destroyed or will have to be removed. Many smaller shrubs and plants have also b... more...

Council is currently upgrading the Water Treatment Station in Peacockes Road. The upgrade has been signalled as a high priority from residents especially since the algae bloom in the summer of 2002/03. The completed upgrade - expected mid 2006 - will improve water quality, taste and odour characteristics and increase the capacity of the station to provide for future growth in the city. The statio... more...

Council is facing a major clean up on a number of city parks after a weekend tornado cut a path of damage from Melville to Hillcrest. Worst hit is Hamilton Gardens where dozens of mature trees have been toppled. A large tree has fallen onto the nursery administration building and about a quarter of the glass from the tropical plant glasshouse has been smashed. With falling temperatures, the ne... more...

A working-group has been convened by Hamilton City Council to develop a City Design Strategy. The group has met for the first time and will meet again next month. The formation of the group, and what it will be working on, is part of Council's commitment to creating a quality urban environment in Hamilton. The multi-sector working-group includes people with expertise in the areas of property... more...

This Saturday [10 September] the Waikato River will host the annual Great Race as Waikato University takes on the University of Washington from the USA. Our local Waikato University team have already tasted success as they brought home four gold medals from the World Championships in Japan last Saturday [3 September]. The Great Race itself begins at 2pm but the banks of the Waikato River are f... more...

A formal month-long submission process gets underway today [Wednesday, 7 September] on Council's proposal to move to a two-ward electorate system and a reduction in the number of councillors for the 2007 elections. The proposals were parts of resolutions made at an extraordinary Council meeting on 29 August 2005. Under the two-ward structure, six councillors will represent the West ward and s... more...

Council's Transport Committee is recommending that $28. 268 million of work is undertaken this year (2005/06) for Access Hamilton. Funding for the identified projects will come from the Access Hamilton targeted rate, subsides from Land Transport New Zealand and Environment Waikato's passenger rate. The full Council will consider the recommendation in a fortnight. Transport committee chairman Dave ... more...

Representation under review29 August 2005For Immediate ReleaseCouncil is proposing to move to a two-ward structure and Single Transferable Vote (STV) system as part of its current representation review. The representation review is in preparation for the 2007 election. While Council is proposing some changes to the current electoral structure, it intends to consult with the community and gain f... more...

Sriwhana Spong has been announced as the winner of the Trust Waikato National Contemporary Art Award 2005 for her video work 'Nightfall' at the gala opening held at the Waikato Museum last night [27 August 2005]. This is the first time the award has been given to a video work. For her achievement, Sriwhana receives a $10,000 prize and recognition as one of New Zealand's top contemporary arti... more...

Hamilton City Council is to bestow its highest honour on Brian Perry, founder of the Perry Group of Companies. Mayor Michael Redman says Council decided unanimously in favour of conferring the Freedom of the City to Mr Perry. "Over 50 years in Hamilton, Brian Perry has built a distinguished and diverse career. Many associate Brian's achievements and contributions with Perry Group Limited, whi... more...

Two Council representatives will attend a Sister City forum in Wuxi, China from 9-13 September. Deputy mayor Bob Simcock and Councillor Ewan Wilson, together with Graham Smith from the Katolyst Group - Hamilton's economic development agency, will attend the forum. This will mark Council's first visit to Wuxi since 2000. The forum coincides with an international business fair which examines int... more...

Council is about to link to the local government authority e-tendering portal, which has been established by Local Government Online (LGOL) and New Zealand company TenderLink. com . Council's procurement manager France Anderson says that the move to e-tendering is logical given the availability of new technologies. "The e-tendering portal will enable electronic tendering, advertisement of tend... 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 2005 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 rec... more...

Council has confirmed a decision to push ahead with a potential funding arrangement with Transit New Zealand that would see work start sooner on four-laning Te Rapa Road along side The Base shopping complex. Hamilton City Council last night confirmed its decision to offer to advance-fund the upgrade of this section of SH1, which would normally be a Transit New Zealand cost, in order that the road... more...

For Immediate ReleaseUpgrade work on Hamilton's water treatment station that is currently underway has caused some properties in the city to experience a temporary loss of water pressure and some discolouration of water. The problems are expected to be resolved in the next day or two. Hamilton's manager of water and waste services, Leroy Leach, says as part of the water treatment station upgrade... more...

Hamilton Zoo will become home to a new resident this Saturday [6 August] as a young male Plains Zebra arrives from Adelaide to become our local breeding zebra stallion. Mwana, who celebrated his first birthday on 10 July, is being flown from his birthplace at Adelaide Zoo to Auckland. Upon arriving in Auckland, Mwana will transfer from plane to truck and make the final leg of his journey to Ham... more...

Council is planning to designate the East Hamilton Arterial (E1) corridor to formally identify and protect it and to provide certainty for the community and developers in the area. Council's transport committee chairman Dave Macpherson says the E1 is a significant part of Access Hamilton. "Access Hamilton is a transportation strategy that enables good access and movement around the city for all mo... more...

Hamilton has won the Creative New Zealand Arts Provision: City and Regional Councils Award 2005. The award was presented earlier today [Tuesday, 26 July] at the Local Government New Zealand Conference in Christchurch. Hamilton mayor Michael Redman accepted the award on behalf of Hamilton city. Hamilton won the award on the strength of the city's art policy development which has led to the rece... more...

A major construction project began this Monday [25 July] on the new commuter car-parking building in Knox Street. The five-level commuter car-parking building will provide approximately 480 car-parks at an opening rate of $4 for all-day parking. Around 8,300 tonnes of concrete will be used in the car-parking building. The entire structure above-ground will be constructed using pre-cast concr... more...

School's back in on Monday [25 July] highlighting another dimension to Council's road safety initiatives within the community and implementation of Access Hamilton. Council's road safety co-ordinator Denise Cole says children are particularly susceptible to accidents so a positive road safety culture plus shared ownership and awareness of road safety issues are essential. "Returning to schoo... more...

18 July 2005For Immediate ReleaseThis year's independent survey of Hamilton residents commissioned by Hamilton City Council shows the highest ever satisfaction levels, across a range of areas, in the 14 years that the survey has been conducted. The biggest satisfaction increase has been with the elected members of Council that has increased by nearly 17 points to a satisfaction score of 74. Sati... more...

Hamilton householders have the opportunity to win an insulation retrofit of their home as part of the energy efficiency campaign which runs from Monday, 18 July 'til Friday, 22 July. Council's sustainable environment team, in collaboration with the Huntly Energy Efficiency Trust, is running the two-week promotion. From Monday, 18 July 'til Friday, 22 July, an interactive display will be set up ... more...

More Hamiltonians are using bicycles as a mode of transport than for many years, according to Council's recent annual cycle survey. The number of cyclists entering the CBD has increased by 30% to 392 compared to 300 in 2004. Similarly, the number of cyclists in selected suburban sites has increased by 44%, reaching 1062 compared to the previous four year average of 735. The cycle survey is ... more...

Hamilton's strong Irish community will be celebrated in the Being Irish exhibition that opens at the Waikato Museum this Saturday [16 July]. The lives and experiences of some of Hamilton's first Irish families are captured through moving image, recorded stories and objects provided by family descendants. While examining the history of Irish influence in Hamilton, the exhibition also raises the... more...

Council has tallied visitor numbers to Council swimming facilities for the 2004/05 financial year and the numbers add up to strong growth. Patronage at the pools continues its steady increase. At Waterworld, visitor numbers are up at 535,560 for 2004/05 from 528,884 for 2003/04 meaning a total increase of 6720 visitors. Gallagher Aquatic Centre has experienced particularly strong visitor grow... more...

Drinking alcohol in public places within Hamilton's CBD will soon be illegal 24 hours a day, seven days a week. From 1 August 2005, a new 24/7 ban comes into force as an extension of the current central city liquor bylaw. The bylaw was originally introduced in October 2003 to assist the police in dealing with alcohol-related problems in the city. Now the bylaw has been extended so the ban is c... more...

A special committee formed to investigate locations for a proposed youth justice residence in Hamilton has identified a site to recommend to the Minister of Justice for consideration. Te Hurihanga Residence Site Selection Steering Committee met again today [13 July] and agreed upon an alternative site for recommendation to the Minister of Justice. The Minister of Justice has allowed the co... more...

Hamilton City Council has decided to enter into a joint venture partnership to develop an area of surplus land at Horseshoe Lake. At a full meeting of Council last night, Council made its decision to subdivide, for residential purposes, an area (approximately 4. 9ha) which lies on the perimeter of the Waiwhakareke Natural Heritage Park. The decision to subdivide the land follows intensive inves... more...

The Knox Street car-park will close on Monday, 25 July so work can begin on the new commuter car-parking building being constructed on that site. The new Knox Street commuter car-parking building, that will provide approximately 480 new car-parks, is due to open in January 2006. The project is closely aligned with Council's Access Hamilton strategy which aims to provide a balanced transportat... more...

Hamilton Zoo's visitor numbers for the 2004/05 financial year show there are more of us going to the zoo than ever before. The total number of visits made to Hamilton Zoo this year was 121,721. This number significantly exceeds previous annual totals and marks a substantial increase from the next highest annual tally which was 111,162 in 2001/02. Educational visitor numbers have consistently ... more...

Hamilton City Council has responded cautiously to Transit New Zealand's announcement of its 10 year funding priorities for roading. Mayor Michael Redman says while it is encouraging to see a number of projects in this area still ear-marked for design and future construction, the reality is that the Hamilton area remains worse-off now in terms of road construction than was indicated in Transit's... more...

Council has made a local response this week to a national pilot project which aims to make significant reductions in use of the car by the year 2010. Jo Carling has joined Council as Safer Routes Co-ordinator and her appointment signifies Council's quick response and commitment to road safety issues and to promoting the use of alternative modes of transport to the car. General manager Works a... more...

Te Hurihanga Residence Site Selection Steering Committee met today [29 June] and identified a possible alternative site for the youth justice residence in Hamilton. Since its last meeting on 1 June, the committee has been considering and assessing the suitability of several possible sites against the agreed criteria. Today, the committee agreed upon one site for more detailed investigation. Th... more...

Council confirms level of rates from 1 July27 June 05For Immediate ReleaseHamilton City Council has confirmed an average rates rise for the coming financial year of 4. 73 per cent for existing ratepayers. The increase includes 3. 48 per cent to be allocated specifically to Access Hamilton transportation issues. This part of the rate increase will allow Council to raise up to $22 million by loan, ... more...

Sights and sounds of the Maori new year will come to life at the Waikato Museum this Friday [24 June] as the Matariki: Goddesses of the Stars exhibition opens. Work from six Taumarunui artists comprise the exhibition which includes the arts of music, carving and weaving. Waikato Museum Director Kate Vusoniwailala says the exhibition marks a great opportunity to learn more about the Maori new y... more...

Council takes a fresh look at heritage in Hayes Paddock22 June 2005For Immediate ReleaseHamilton City Council is organising a public meeting early next month with the intention of considering the future of the Hayes Paddock area in Hamilton East as heritage area of the city. A fresh approach to urban design and heritage is a priority for the new Council and it wants to see this applied to the a... more...

Tomorrow [Friday, 17 June] the Pirtek Parramatta Eels arrive for their showdown with the Warriors on Saturday night [18 June]. A powhiri performed by children from Rakaumangamanga will greet the Eels team upon their arrival at Waikato Stadium at 12 noon. The Eels will then appear at the stadium at 5pm for a training run. The training run will be closed to media and the public. A civic recept... more...

Put a little magic into your day this Friday afternoon [17 June] and come along to Civic Square where Hamilton will greet the Waikato/BOP Magic netball team - the new National Bank Cup winners. The Magic players and management team will all be gathered in Civic Square at 3pm where they will be greeted by Hamilton mayor Michael Redman, MC Jenny-May Coffin and a host of Hamiltonian fans. The Cla... more...

Waikato Stadium will undergo a temporary role reversal in more than one way this Saturday [18 June 2005] as it becomes 'home' to the Pirtek Parramatta Eels and switches codes from rugby to league within one week. The Eels will face off against the Vodafone Warriors at Waikato Stadium where the Eels will enjoy official home game status. Last Saturday [11 June 2005], Waikato Stadium hosted the r... more...

Footy fans wanted to park in the CBD before making their way to the Lions v NZ Maori showdown can now count on two additional car parking buildings being available. The underground car park underneath Downtown Plaza and the Farmers car parking building will both remain open till midnight this Saturday [11 June]. Having the two additional car parking buildings open will ease the demand on park... more...

A new shuttle bus service from central Hamilton to Waikato Stadium will launch this weekend to transport fans to and from the Lions v. NZ Maori showdown on Saturday [11 June 2005]. The shuttle bus service will also operate for the Pirtek Parramatta Eels v. Vodafone Warriors match on Saturday, 18 June. The shuttle bus is a joint initiative of Environment Waikato, Waikato Stadium and Hamilton Ci... more...

Hamilton will be 'blacked out' next week from Tuesday [7 June] in keeping with the black out theme leading into the Lions v NZ Maori game. Council and the Waikato Rugby Union have encouraged Hamilton retailers to get into the spirit of the game lead-up and incorporate the black out theme into their stores, through shop window displays or by having staff wear black on Thursday, Friday and Sat... more...

Council cuts debt burden for ratepayers4 June 2005For Immediate ReleaseHamilton City Council's review of levies paid by property developers will result in a significant reduction in the debt burden for city ratepayers. Mayor Michael Redman says the substantial growth of the city has required a new innovative and proactive funding strategy. Mr Redman says Council's Development and Financial Contr... more...

Hamilton mayor Michael Redman has joined the campaign to lobby Netball New Zealand to give the Waikato/BOP Magic netball squad some say in where they play the National Bank Cup final. In a letter he wrote to Netball New Zealand today [2 June 2005], Mr Redman asked that Netball New Zealand reconsider their current position and suggested Trusts Stadium in Waitakere as an alternative venue optio... more...

Te Hurihanga Residence Site Selection Steering Committee met for the first time today to identify and assess alternative sites for the youth justice facility in Hamilton. The committee currently consists of seven members representing Council, the Ministry of Justice, Police, Youth Horizons Trust and one MP. At least one Maori representative will join the committee shortly. The Minister of Just... more...

Waikato Stadium will be wriggling with excitement as a specially-tailored entertainment package adds another dimension to the Pirtek Parramatta Eels vs. Vodafone Warriors showdown in June. Council's Event Facilities Manager, Mark Christie says there have already been strong ticket sales for the long-awaited league clash and the entertainment package will add to the event. "Crowds will be comin... more...

You don't have to be a rugby fan to lap up the atmosphere and entertainment that's coming to town on the coat-tails of the Lions vs. NZ Maori showdown. From 9 to 11 June, Hamilton's central city will come alive during lunchtimes and evenings as a host of entertainment is planned to captivate rugby fans and non-fans alike. Lunchtime performances will be from 12 noon till 2pm while evening ente... more...

Council theatres have ended an 18 year-long contract with Ticketek and will now be ticketed by TicketDirect as from 20 June. Theatre services manager Richard Sutherland says the decision was made following an extensive review and tendering process executed by theatre services staff. "Both Ticketek and TicketDirect tendered for the contract. In the end, TicketDirect was chosen because it offers... more...

Hamilton City Council is cautioning Melville residents over a announcement by the Ministry of Justice, that it is prepared to look at other possible sites for its planned youth justice facility, saying it's possible another site may not be found. Hamilton Mayor Michael Redman says the announcement by Justice is a revisiting of the location of the facility and should not be interpreted as a fina... more...

Waikato Stadium has secured a premier timeslot for the much-awaited NRL match between the Pirtek Paramatta Eels and the Vodafone Warriors next month. The match date and time has just been officially announced as Saturday 18 June at 7. 30pm. Waikato Stadium management board chairperson, Glenda Saunders, says it is great news that such a prime timeslot has been allocated to what will be a tremend... more...

The first stage in the construction of a temporary stand began yesterday [Monday, 9 May 2005] at the eastern end of Waikato Stadium as Totara trees are moved into large containers to make way for the structure. On 11 June, Waikato Stadium will host the British and Irish Lions v. NZ Maori game. The temporary stand will provide 5,000 additional seats for enthusiastic fans who will gather to watch... more...

Submissions on Council's Proposed 2005/06 Annual Plan closed this week having received 574 submissions. Of the submissions received, 469 were specifically concerned with transport issues relating to Access Hamilton. The remaining submissions related to other transport issues, other factors contained within the Annual Plan and with community submissions for funding of individual projects. Submi... more...

Waikato Tsunami Relief Fund (Waikato) was established to generate a relief response to the Asian tsunami disaster and they did so to the tune of over $90,000. The funds raised have been distributed between Operation Phoenix, Habitat for Humanity and the Red Cross Society. The fundraising efforts were co-ordinated by the Tsunami Relief Committee which included representatives from Council, En... more...

Build-up underway for Hamilton NRL match2 May 2005For Immediate ReleaseTickets go on sale next week for the first NRL competition rugby league match at Waikato Stadium between the Pirtek Parramatta Eels and the Vodafone Warriors. The game will be played on the weekend of the 17 -19 of June. The definitive match time and date will be announced about five weeks out from game, in-line with normal ... more...

Justice Department says it won't be coming to a public meeting2 May 2005For Immediate ReleaseHamilton mayor Michael Redman has called a public meeting next week to share information about the planned youth justice facility for Melville. A meeting the Justice Department says it won't be attending. The meeting will be held at Melville High School at 5. 30pm on Wednesday 11 May. Mr Redman says he is... more...

Autumn has set Taitua Arboretum ablaze with colour as this is the season of splendour for thousands of trees in the collection. Arboretum manager Adrian Jepson says autumn presents an ideal time of year for visitors to experience the arboretum at its full magnificence. "One of the great beauties of our tree collection is that different seasons bring spectacular changes in their colours. With t... more...

Resource consent approved for proposed Melville youth facility 26 April 2005Hamilton City Council has today announced that a resource consent has been approved for a proposed Ministry of Justice youth facility in Melville. The facility looks to provide medium term residential care of up to a year where youth offenders can receive specialised and individual support and supervision to break thei... more...

There is no queuing required for current members of the Central Library with the recent installation of self-issue technology. Library patrons can now issue their own books providing they are a current borrower and have a charge free library card. Self-issue allows borrowers to issue themselves all free books and magazines that are available for loan. Pay items such as CDs, DVDs, videos, ta... more...

Resurfacing work along Victoria Street will be carried out during the evening this Sunday through to mid-next week to minimise the effect on traffic. From this Sunday through to next Wednesday [Sunday, 10 April - Wednesday, 13 April] Victoria Street from Bridge Street through to the Hood Street intersection is being milled - removing the road's top layer - and resurfaced. Traffic management w... more...

Hamilton's Youth Council has seven new faces to assist in forging strong links between Hamilton City Council and youth. The seven new members will have four city councillors as their mentors on the Youth Council. The Youth Council comprises 15 youths aged between 15 and 25 years. With the aim of representing the widest possible cross-section of Hamilton's youth community, Youth Council members... more...

Hamilton City Council's building unit is facing more work than it can currently handle resulting in delays for building inspections. Council's building control manager Phil Saunders says that changes ushered in by the new legislation together with an industry-wide shortage of building inspectors has placed the building industry under pressure to cope with inspection demands. "The whole buildin... more...

Those who volunteered their time and trade skills in response to the Asian tsunami disaster were thanked by Hamilton mayor Michael Redman at a civic reception yesterday [29 March 2005]. Over 15 volunteers spent five weeks in the Sri Lankan village of Seenigama where they rebuilt approximately 53 houses that had been devastated by the Asian tsunami. The volunteers were sponsored by Operation Pho... more...

Hamilton City Council has been fined for two breaches of its resource consent at the Horotiu Landfill following a prosecution by Environment Waikato. The two offences relate to a lack of adequate cover on the active tip-face in September/October 2003, and to uncovered refuse disposed at the landfill in January 2004. Both offences resulted in flies and odour, which affected neighbouring properties... more...

Hamilton City Council is to bestow its highest honour on Ted Armstrong, a former councillor who served the city for 27 years. Mayor Michael Redman says Council decided unanimously in favour of conferring the Freedom of the City. Mr Armstrong says he is absolutely "over the moon" about the award and can't imagine receiving an honour that would mean more to him. "I have had a long associati... more...

More people are enjoying the pleasure of leisure as Council swimming facilities and the zoo are experiencing all-time patronage highs. January visitor numbers for the zoo this year were the best ever by a significant margin. Similarly February totals were just 500 short of topping previous totals. The arrival of the chimps last September has seen zoo visitor numbers consistently increase on a ... more...

Waterworld is offering anyone aged 50+ the chance to get fit and healthy on the 50s Forward programme for which free open days are being held on Tuesday, 15 March and Wednesday, 23 March. The open days will introduce all interested participants to the many offerings of the 50s Forward programme says Waterworld customer services coordinator Tina Farrant. "The open days allow those aged 50 and... more...

Resurfacing work along a busy section of road will be carried out during the evening this week to minimise the effect on traffic. Today and tomorrow [Wednesday, 9 March - Thursday, 10 March] the Anglesea Street Bridge Street Rotary, is being milled - removing the road's top layer - and resurfaced. Traffic management will include a single lane and stop/go. This work is part of the re-surfacin... more...

Council gives go-ahead for commuter carpark in the CBD2 March 2005For Immediate ReleaseHamilton City Council has given the go ahead to a parking building in Knox Street that will provide spaces for 487 cars, primarily for commuters. Council last night voted overwhelmingly in favour of proceeding with the project that will see Council enter into a fixed price design and build contract. The parkin... more...

Resurfacing work on a busy intersection will be carried out during the off-peak time of Sunday this weekend to minimise the effect on traffic. This Sunday [27 February 2005] the Victoria Street/Fairfield Bridge intersection is being milled - removing the road's top layer - and resurfaced. The work will result in the full closure of the Fairfield Bridge so vehicles will have to use alternative b... more...

The death of four of Hamilton Zoo's baby otters has drawn further attention to a mystery illness which has claimed the lives of other otters held by some New Zealand institutions. In September last year, Hamilton Zoo lost two other otters to the same illness. These otters were sent to Massey University for post mortem as the institution has been involved in the post mortem examinations of most ... more...

Resurfacing and maintenance work on the Massey Street rail overbridge will be carried out next week. This Sunday [27 February], the west-bound lane of the Massey Street rail overbridge will be closed to all vehicles from 6am until 10pm. From next Monday [28 February] till Saturday, 5 March, the lane closure will be repeated each night from 6. 30pm until 6. 30am the following morning. The parti... more...

Mtoto, Hamilton Zoo's adorable baby rhino, is celebrating his first birthday tomorrow. This cheeky, inquisitive and friendly zoo personality is a bundle of joy to mother Caballe (aged 11 years) and father Zambese (aged 14 years). Mtoto is also very close to Inkosi, his elder brother who was born at Hamilton Zoo on 6 January 2002. Mtoto will also be celebrating his birthday with Moesha (his ... more...

The Indian Char Bagh Garden will be officially opened by the Prime Minister tomorrow [Wednesday, 16 February] at Hamilton Gardens. The Indian Char Bagh Garden will be open to public viewing from Friday, 25 February. The Indian Char Bagh Garden is the latest addition to Hamilton Gardens. It will be the sixth garden of the Paradise Garden Collection, which includes the Italian Renaissance Gard... more...

Hamilton's Youth Council has sacrificed a generous portion of its operational costs to donate $500 as sponsorship for two young tradesmen's tsunami relief efforts under Operation Phoenix. The Youth Council donation will support Andrew McDonald and Chris Burgess who will contribute their trade skills to Operation Phoenix's project which aims to rebuild 30 houses in Sri Lanka for those left homel... more...

Targeted rate proposed for transport initiatives9 February 2005For Immediate ReleaseHamilton City Council is proposing a targeted rate to fund major roading and other passenger transport initiatives in next year's draft budget. Council today voted to include a separate Access Hamilton targeted rate of 3. 5 per cent as part of the 2005/06 Draft Annual Plan which is on top of a general rate rise o... more...

Detailed analysis of the Westpac Park cricket block has confirmed that its lack of maturity was the key reason that it performed below expectations for the international match between the Black Caps and the World Eleven last month. Hamilton City Council and New Zealand Cricket have carried out a full review of the cricket block and its performance. Chair of Council's Stadiums Management Boar... more...

Councillors schedule community clinics in the west ward4 February 2005For Immediate ReleaseHamilton City Council's west ward councillors have scheduled regular community clinics to be during the rest of the year. The councillors have organised the meetings as a way of engaging with the public and hearing their concerns and issues. Councillors Maria Westphal, John Gower, Joe Di Maio, Dave Macpher... more...

For Immediate ReleaseThe continuing fine weather is pushing water consumption in Hamilton to near record levels and a full sprinkler ban may be needed if current weather conditions continue. Works and services general manager Sally Davis says water consumption over the past twelve consecutive days has exceeded 70 million litres per day, with one day's consumption exceeding 85 million litres. "The ... more...

For Immediate ReleaseCouncil is seeking community input into the Second Review of the Hamilton Lake Domain Management Plan. Reserves planner Andrea McKillop says the Lake Domain is one of the largest and most important parks in Hamilton. It's a key recreational resource for the city and developments have made it more accessible and of greater value to the city. Recent developments include the open... more...

Resurfacing work along a busy section of road will be carried out during off-peak hours next week to minimise the effect on traffic. Next Monday to Friday [7-11 February] Ulster Street, from the Baptist Church to Mill Street, is being milled - removing the road's top layer - and resurfaced. Work will not be carried out on Saturday, 12 February to avoid any conflict with the 15 th National Ho... more...

Hamilton Zoo's January visitor numbers show there are more of us going to the zoo than ever before. The total number of visits made to Hamilton Zoo in the month of January has significantly exceeded previous January totals, reaching 19,229. This marks a substantial increase from the next highest January (2002) tally which was 17,418. Visitor numbers have consistently increased on a month-by-mo... more...

It took a while to reach us but the summer weather has sent us plunging into summer - and Council's swimming facilities January visitor numbers tell the story. The total number of visits made to Waterworld this January was 66,109, a significant increase of 4,276 on last January's total. Gallagher Aquatic Centre also beat their visitor totals from last January. Gallagher's had 13,757 visitors ... more...

Council is set to launch a three-month sustainable transport campaign on Monday, 7 February with a Commuter Challenge to promote alternatives to the car. The Commuter Challenge will start between 8am - 8. 30am amidst peak hour traffic. Competitors will use a range of different forms of transport to highlight the various efficiencies of these when making a journey during peak hour morning traffic... more...

Resurfacing work along two sections of road will be carried out during the evening this week to minimise the effect on traffic. Today and tomorrow [Wednesday, 2 February - Thursday, 3 February] Norton Road, from Tristram Street to Seddon Road, is being milled - removing the road's top layer - and resurfaced. The same resurfacing work will be completed on Boundary Road, from 5 Cross Roads to H... more...

Mayor 'paints full picture' of city debt28 January 2005For Immediate ReleaseHamilton Mayor Michael Redman says Hamilton has actual and projected debt levels that are higher than the public realises because of previous Councils approach to forecasting debt. The Council has just received the draft budget for the 2005/06 financial year, which it is now beginning to consider prior to public consult... more...

Resurfacing work along two busy sections of road will be carried out during the evening this week to minimise the effect on traffic. Today and tomorrow [Monday, 24 January - Tuesday, 25 January] Tristram Street, from Clarence Street to Thackeray Street, is being milled - removing the road's top layer - and resurfaced. The same resurfacing work will be completed on Hukanui Road, from Comries R... more...

Council is seeking information from the community regarding the garden at Hamilton's historic Beale Cottage. Council has launched a project to restore the Beale Cottage garden to its former splendour. A dedicated team, including an archaeologist, arborist and heritage landscaper, is attempting to discover as much as possible about the original vegetation and flora of Beale Cottage and is workin... more...

Five Councils within the Waikato have now opened their offices as collection points for the Tsunami Relief Fund (Waikato). Donations can now be made at the main Council offices of Waikato District Council, Waipa District Council, Otorohanga District Council, Matamata-Piako District Council and Hamilton City Council. ENDSFOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT Name:  Daphne BellDesignation: ... more...

Stadium announces 'this time it's for real' league match18 January 2005For Immediate ReleaseWaikato Stadium has announced the date for the hosting of its first ever competition NRL league match during the weekend of the 17 -19 of June this year. The match between the Parramatta Eels and Vodafone Warriors follows on from pre-season Warriors versus The Dragons game held at Waikato Stadium last ye... more...

Donations to the Tsunami Relief Fund (Waikato) can now be made by text with the full donation going directly to the appeal. Key telecommunication partners, Vodafone, Telecom and Hyperfactory (a major New Zealand mobile applications developer), have waived their usual set up and commission fees in support of the relief appeal. To make a text donation, text the keyword 'give' to 883 and a $3 don... more...

Former Councillor made significant community contribution11 January 2005For Immediate ReleaseA funeral service is being held in Hamilton today for former City Councillor Shirley McKay who passed away last week. Shirley was elected to the Hamilton City Council in 1986, the last election to be held in the city prior to the introduction of the ward system. She remained on Council for four terms thr... more...

Bridge surface maintenance on the Massey Street Rail Overbridge has been delayed. The maintenance work was due to begin on Sunday, 9 January but will now commence at a later date saysroad maintenance managerDawn Inglis. "The maintenance work will still go ahead and we will advise of the revised commencement date for this work as soon as one has been set. " Bridge surface maintenance work will ... more...

The Tsunami Relief Fund (Waikato) will be launched tomorrow [Friday, 7 December] at Hamilton City Council at 11am. The relief group will mark its launch with a bucket collection to generate fund raising within the local community for the tsunami disaster in Asia. Hamilton City Council representative on the relief group, Councillor Daphne Bell says that the bucket collection is the first initia... more...

A group has been established in the Waikato to generate a relief response within the local community to the tsunami disaster in Asia. The group's first task is to launch the Tsunami Relief Fund - Waikato, with the support of a number of mayor's from the Waikato region. Chair of the relief committee, Jiwan Singh Dhaliwal who is a representative of the New Zealand Sikh Society, says he has bee... more...

Waikato mayors are planning a co-ordinated response to the tsunami disaster in Asia in an effort to make the most of the relief contributions by the local community. The local response will be discussed at a meeting with Waikato ethnic communities who have strong ties into the disaster areas. The meeting is being held in Hamilton on Sunday. Hamilton mayor Michael Redman says the co-ordinated ... more...

Friday 24 December 2004 For Immediate ReleaseNecessary bridge surface maintenance will be undertaken on the Massey Street Rail Overbridge and Palmerston Street bridge over Cobham Drive during this summer break. The work has been scheduled for when there is traditionally low traffic volumes to minimise the level of inconvenience to motorists. Closure of the West Bound Lane on the Massey Street Rai... more...

Development of creative centre at The Meteor site being considered24 December 2004For Immediate Release The first steps have been taken towards creating a plan for the future use of The Meteor theatre site as a potential creative industries innovation centre. A group of organisations representing a cross section of the creative industries in the region have come together as a means of generatin... more...

Before the dawn of bikinis and board shorts, what did we wear to the beach? Find out at the Waikato Museum where in the foyer you will find the 'Moppets and Mermaids - Swimwear in the 1950s' exhibition. The timely summer exhibition steps back into the summers of yesteryear when bright floral bathing caps were all the rage and rouched cotton swimsuits had removable straps to ensure an even tan. ... more...

Wednesday, 15 December 2004 Council and Environment Waikato working in conjunction with Transit New Zealand, have commissioned a study of alternatives to travelling by car in Hamilton. The study - known as HARTS (Hamilton Alternative to Roading Transportation Study) - will get underway in the New Year and will be undertaken by Opus International Consultants. Council transport committee chair Dave ... more...

At the fourth and final citizenship ceremony held tonight [Monday, 13 December 2004] at Founders Memorial Theatre, Hamilton will welcome 120 new citizens bringing the total number of new citizens for 2004 to 720. The ceremony will be held at Founders Theatre tonight at 7pm. The new citizens that have been welcomed to our country and our city this year come from a wide range of ethnic backgro... more...

A live wood carving performance by acclaimed carver Edwin Barham will be a highlight at the Waikato Museum summer programme which started on Saturday, 11 December 2004. Edwin will be supported by his cousin Kurt Barham and his 11 year old son Tyler Barham. Together they can be observed carving pieces that will eventually be used by the museum education team for special classes with school group... more...

Each year near Council's birthday, the Civic Awards ceremony is held to honour some of those individuals who have contributed to making our city a better place to live. The Civic Awards were held for the first time in 1991. This year, 14 finalists received awards in one or more of the six categories being: Art and Culture; Education; Environment; Human Rights; People and Well-being; and Sport. ... more...

Waikato Museum will be presented with a special quilt by the Friends of the Museum Society tonight [Thursday, 9 December 2004]. The anniversary function held at the museum will mark 30 years of support given by the Friends' society. The presentation of the quilt recognises this long-standing relationship. It also continues the tradition of a substantial amount of artwork being gifted by the Fri... more...

Winners of the Hamilton Civic Trust Awards have been released ahead of the official ceremony on Wednesday, 8 December 2004 at 2pm in the Council Chambers. The awards recognise those who have made a positive contribution to the environment of Hamilton so all citizens can enjoy a better quality of life. Trust president Maurice Boswell says the awards began in 1974 and are an expression of the Civic ... more...

He knows if you've been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake - especially on Sunday, 12 December because Santa Claus is coming to town for the Christmas Parade. Christmas has come early for Santa as he will be travelling in a brand new santa float. Complete with reindeer and a ready supply of lollies, Santa will be delivering presents and Christmas wishes in style. Santa has plenty of... more...

Contract approved by Council for Water Treatment Station Upgrade8 December 2004For Immediate ReleaseHamilton City Council today approved a $16. 1 million contract for the upgrade of the city's Water Treatment Station. Work will begin on the upgrade project in January next year and is expected to be completed in July 2006. The work is being undertaken to ensure that Council continues to maintain a... more...

Calling all six-12 year olds with a sense of fun and adventure - Hamilton City Libraries summer reading programme starts today [6 December 2004] and you are invited to slither into the libraries' Snakes and Ladders Challenge during the summer holidays. The Snakes and Ladders Challenge will run from 6 December 2004 to 16 January 2005. It is a reading and research programme aimed at encouraging c... more...

The Waikato region's new emergency management operations centre will be officially opened on Friday, 10 December 2004. The centre is a dedicated facility situated at Duke Street, from where Civil Defence emergencies throughout the region will be coordinated. The mayors, councillors and chief executives from the 11 local authorities in the Waikato region along with local government staff, Ministry... more...

2 December 2004A new environmentally friendly electricity facility is being opened and commissioned in Hamilton [Friday, 3 December 2004]. It will generate enough electricity to power 1000 homes and will save Council thousands of dollars. The project is a partnership between Council and local company WEL Green Energy (a joint venture between Wel Networks and Green Energy). A 920kW gas engine has ... more...

Winner of the Mitre 10 Gnome Place Like Home award at the Keep Hamilton Beautiful Garden competition, Dorothy Miller is donating half her $1000 prize to charity. Ms Miller won $1000 worth of Mitre 10 prizes and she is donating half to the Waimarie Community House. The community house has a permiculture garden and relys on volunteer work and donation of tools to maintain this. Environmental pro... more...

Last night [Tuesday, 30 November] keen gardeners from across Hamilton gathered at Hamilton Gardens Victorian Greenhouse to celebrate the 2004 Keep Hamilton Beautiful Garden competition. Council provided sponsorship for the event which was led by Jenny-May Coffin and Councillor Glenda Saunders showed her interest in 'green fingered' endeavours by attending the competition along with the ma... more...

29 November 2004 For Immediate Release Hamilton City Council has won a New Zealand Business Excellence Progress Award based on internationally recognised criteria for assessing performance of organisations - the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence. Council Chief Executive, Tony Marryatt, says he is very pleased with the New Zealand Business Excellence Award. He says it is a considerable... more...

A MARK16 Spitfire replica will be unveiled in Memorial Park tomorrow [Saturday, 27 November 2004] to commemorate all who served in the Royal New Zealand Airforce during World War II. The Spitfire dedication ceremony will begin at 12pm at Memorial Park, Memorial Drive. Her Excellency the Governor General of New Zealand Dame Sylvia Cartwright will deliver an address and unveil the memorial plaque... more...

Hamilton Zoo is very soon to be the new home of another Auckland resident. Kito the four-and-a-half year-old female rhino is moving to Hamilton today and will soon join Hamilton Zoo's rhino herd. Hamilton Zoo is part of an international programme where zoos worldwide exchange animals to enhance breeding conditions. Public programmes and administration manager Jill Prew explains that Kito's move... more...

Work on rerouted main may affect water supply 23 November 2004 For Immediate ReleaseNormal water supply levels of service in the Pukete area of the city may drop slightly from Thursday evening 25 November for 24 hours, while the normal bulk watermain is shut off in Te Rapa. The shut off is occurring in preparation of a section of the bulk main being rerouted around the old air force base. Operati... more...

Delegations from Saitama City, Japan arrive in Hamilton today. The delegation comprises the Mayor of Saitama the Honourable Mr Soichi Aikawa and his wife Mrs Michiko Aikawa together with 28 citizen representatives, two representatives of Saitama City Hall, 10 representatives from Saitama City Council together with an economic delegation comprising of 11 people. The total delegation is 53 plus th... more...

Hamilton is getting ready for a street party in Victoria Street from 10pm-1am as Riff Raff is set to reveal all this Friday [26 November] at the stroke of midnight!Treat yourself to a Transylvanian tantalisation as anticipation builds towards the unveiling of the world famous Riff Raff statue, Hamilton's newest piece of bronze public art. It will be an evening of festivities and fun with stre... more...

New cricket surfaces at Westpac Park get first work out 24 November 2004 For Immediate Release Hamilton's renovated cricket surfaces at Westpac Park will get their first serious work out this weekend with a match between Waikato Valley and Poverty Bay. The match will be the first game to be played on the new cricket pitch block. The nine strip block was completely rebuilt with Waikari clay dur... more...

Hamilton knocking on the door of 130,000 population 16 November 2004 For Immediate Release The latest population figures released by Statistics New Zealand show a jump in Hamilton's population taking it to just short of 130,000 people. The figures are slightly ahead of growth predictions. The figures are official estimates based on the 2001 Census combined with births, deaths and migration. Th... more...

Hamilton will now have free access to many of the moving image treasures being collected by the New Zealand Film Archive with the official launch of a video access site by Mayor Michael Redman today [Monday 15 November] at Hamilton City Libraries Central branch. The video access (Vaccess) site is a joint project between Hamilton City Libraries Te Whare Pukakapa O Kirikiriroa and the New Zeala... more...

Take the plunge and head into the great outdoors at Waterworld when the outdoor pool opens for summer on 13 November - bringing all the benefits of the beach to Hamilton's doorstep. Leisure facilities unit manager Jason Rogers says Waterworld is a haven for all lovers of the BBQ season and summer fun. "Summer is on its way and Waterworld offers fantastic facilities for all ages who want to coo... more...

Channelling their support for the Push Play Day this Saturday, Council has partnered with Sport Waikato to energise Hamilton. Leisure facilities unit manager Jason Rogers says Gallagher Aquatic Centre will become a haven of entertainment and energetic fun for the whole family. "We're seizing this opportunity to activate Hamilton! All families wanting to participate in the Push Play Day shou... more...

Council unanimous in committee structure Wednesday, 3 November 2004 For Immediate Release Council's first meeting [today] is likely to be one of its shortest after councillors took less than 10 minutes to unanimously back first term Hamilton mayor Michael Redman's proposed committee structure. The meeting included considering the restructuring of committees, councillors appointed to committee... more...

Hamilton Mayor Michael Redman will officially open Hamilton Zoo's latest custom-designed enclosure today to welcome our six new chimps. Suzie, Sally, Mike, Lucifer, Luka and Lucy will come out to play for the public this Saturday. The chimps moved from Auckland Zoo to take up residence in a new custom-designed enclosure at Hamilton Zoo. Since arriving at Hamilton Zoo on 7 October under an ex... more...

13 october 2004For Immediate ReleaseThe result of the Hamilton City Council election has been officially declared. The official result follows on from the election day provisional result and includes special votes that were made on the final polling day and not previously included. The final voting figures are available on the Council website www. hcc. govt. nz. Following the official declaration o... more...

Council is holding an official launch to celebrate cyclist/walker shared use of Waikato Riverside paths in Hamilton. The launch will be on Sunday, 17 October from 10am near the southern Totara Drive access to Braithwaite Park. Waikato Mowers and Cycles are partnering with Council to award a free cycle bell to the first 100 cyclists turning up for the launch. This is part of a safety campaig... more...

Hamilton elects Michael Redman as new mayor 9 October 2004 For Immediate Release Hamilton city has elected local businessman Michael Redman as its new mayor. At 38 years old, Mr Redman becomes the youngest mayor of Hamilton city and one of the youngest in the country. Mr Redman was elected ahead eight other candidates including local high school principal Martin Elliott, current city councillo... more...

Hamilton's world-famous Rocky Horror statue Riff Raff is nearing completion and a date for the unveiling has been set for midnight on 26 November. The statue, primarily funded by the Perry Foundation in support of public art and as a way to promote Hamilton, is in the final stages of creation at the Weta Workshops in Wellington. Weta is better known for its creation of movie sets for Lord of th... more...

Waikato Museum of Art and History invites you to partake in a lavish latino affair on the evening of 14 October. El Milagro de Medellin (or the miracle of Medellin) is the name given to this evening of tempting sangria and South American appetisers, a lively showcase of Colombian dancing and the Andean band Inti-Ruapehu. An engaging bilingual poetry performance by Ron Riddell, the acclaimed Ne... more...

Cyclists are set to become part of the scenery on the routes already enjoyed by walkers alongside the Waikato River in Hamilton. Recreation planner Mike Hodges says that Council's agreement to allow cycling on the riverside routes reflects its commitment to provide safe cycle routes. "Cycling is both a growing recreational pastime and a commuter option for many Hamilton residents. Shared use o... more...

Council is working closely with police and local retailers to ensure the city's Ward Street remains an enjoyable and friendly part of the CBD. Recently, there have been some instances of antisocial behaviour from youths who gather in Ward Street. Patrons of retail outlets in the area, passers-by and other members of the public have found some behaviour to be intimidating. General manager env... more...

Community Services Group has appointed Elton Parata as the new manager of swimming facilities within the Leisure Facilities Unit. Elton, who is currently the facility co-ordinator for Gallagher Aquatic Centre, will assume the swimming facilities manager role on Monday, 27 September. Leisure facilities manager Jason Rogers says Elton measured up extremely well against strong candidates for t... more...

Waiwhakareke Natural Heritage Park hosted its first planting on 19 September and Minister of Conservation Chris Carter planted the first tree. Mr Carter's kahikatea was one of 540 natives planted on the day. The inaugural planting placed locally sourced plants typical of Waikato wetlands into Waiwhakareke soil. These included kahikatea, harakeke (flax), swamp manuka, purei and pukio (sw... more...

The sudden death of two of Hamilton Zoo's otters has heightened awareness of a mystery illness which has claimed the lives of many otters across the country. Massey University has been engaged to carry out post mortems on both otters who died of a disease which has led to a number of similar deaths in other New Zealand institutions that keep otters. Massey has been involved in the post mortem... more...

Replacement candidate profile booklets delivered 21 September 2004 For Immediate ReleaseThe Hamilton Electoral Office is delivering replacement candidate profile booklets to areas in the city which have been identified as receiving the wrong supporting information. Hamilton Electoral Officer Blair Bowcott says seven small pockets within the city have been identified with the wrong booklets. "In... more...

Tally of incorrect booklets fewer than first thought 20 September 2004 For Immediate Release An investigation into a sorting error that saw the wrong candidate profile booklets delivered to some households in the East Ward has found a smaller number of incorrect booklet deliveries than first thought. Hamilton Electoral Officer for the local body elections, Blair Bowcott, say originally it was ... more...

Small number of voters receive wrong information booklet 19 September 2004 For Immediate Release A document sorting error has caused what is believed to be a small number of voters in Hamilton to be delivered the wrong candidate information booklet with their voting papers. Hamilton electoral officer, Blair Bowcott, says while everyone has been issued with the correct voting papers, at this sta... more...

Hamilton City Council wins excellence award 15 September 2004 For Immediate Release The Hamilton City Council organisation has won a Performance Excellence Study Award recognising business excellence. The Awards are jointly sponsored by the Government and the private sector to help foster the use of performance excellence criteria in all New Zealand organisations. The Award was made in Wellingto... more...

The figurative lighting of a Chinese lantern is set to take place when the Chinese Cultural Day celebration is held at the Waikato Museum of Art and History this Saturday. This celebratory day, which honours Chinese culture, was organised when the Chinese poll tax exhibition opened at the museum in late July. Responding to the resounding community interest in the exhibition, the museum ... more...

The Keep Hamilton Beautiful City Garden competition returns for 2004, bringing with it a chance for gardeners to home a gnome in their flora fairyland. The competition runs between August and November and has become an established feature on the city's gardening calendar. Amongst the wide variety of competition categories, this year brings a touch of magic with a gnome theme running thr... more...

Commissioning of new water supply bulkmain Wednesday 8 September 2004 For Immediate ReleaseA new 600mm diameter bulkmain recently installed between Hamilton Gardens and the Dey Street/Cambridge Road intersection will be commissioned on Thursday 9 September. Water and waste services projects operations engineer Phil O'Connor says some discolouration of the water may be experienced when the commiss... more...

Council's swimming facilities are diving headfirst into a water safety initiative centred on encouraging children to become more confident in the water. Leisure facilities manager Jason Rogers explains that a special offer to be run over the school holiday period aims to teach children the key skills required to participate in water activities, particularly over the summer period. "This ... more...

Comprehensive candidate information on the website 9 September 2004 For Immediate Release Hamilton City Council's website www. hcc. govt. nz has been updated with comprehensive information for the upcoming local body elections. There are 53 candidates standing for the three Council wards and the Mayoralty and each of these candidates has a 150-word profile, written by them, on the website. Hamilt... more...

Hamilton's Central Library is developing and consolidating its heritage resources as part of its commitment to better customer service and resource accessibility. The library's archive storage area has been upgraded and refurbished while a new special purpose reading room has recently been opened on Level 3. A New Zealand Film Archive video collection is set to open in November. The developm... more...

Hamilton opens books of condolence 8 September 2004 For Immediate Release Two books to record messages of condolence have been opened in Hamilton to allow people to pay their respects to the victims of Beslan hostage siege in Russia. The books will be available for signing from this morning through until Friday afternoon/evening. One of the books will be available outside the ground floor rece... more...

Annual Residents Survey shows high level of satisfaction for Hamilton as a place to live 2 September 2004 For Immediate Release A comprehensive survey of Hamilton residents shows that 82 percent of people feel that Hamilton has become a better place to live over the past 12 months. The telephone survey of 700 Hamilton residents was carried out by International Research Consultants and DigiPoll... more...

Clean Up Hamilton returns this year marking a week where members of the community, schools and Keep Hamilton Beautiful focus on how to improve Hamilton's environment. An annual event in its 20th year running, Clean Up Hamilton is run by Hamilton City Council and Keep Hamilton Beautiful with support from Waste Management Limited. Land-based recreation areas are the focus of this years Clea... more...

Celebrating its 70 th year in operation, Waikato Society of Arts marks its Platinum Anniversary with a diamond known as the Trust Waikato National Contemporary Art Awards. Waikato Society of Arts holds its age well staying constantly fresh in its promotion of contemporary art and showcasing dynamic modern work that reflects current times. The Trust Waikato Contemporary Art Awards reflect the... more...

Fifty-three nominations received for Mayor and Council20 August 2004 For Immediate ReleaseFifty-three nominations have been received by the Hamilton City Council electoral officer for the city's upcoming election. Nominations closed at noon today. There are a total of nine Mayoral candidates and 44 people who have put their names forward in the three wards in the Council election. Electoral off... more...

19 August 2004Hamilton airport set to become a major base for the training of international airline pilots. British aviation training company, CTC Aviation Group plc, has announced that it will establish its New Zealand operations at Hamilton International Airport. The company has reached agreement with Hamilton International Airport over leasing 1. 3 hectares of land. A financing package from H... more...

Theatre Services presents Skintight 16 August 2004 For Immediate ReleaseDescribed as a "naked exposure of love, erotic, dangerous, wrenchingly beautiful" Gary Henderson's production of Skintight is coming to the WestpacTrust Community Theatre in August. The production, starring Danielle Cormack and Jed Brophy and directed by Miranda Harcourt, is being remounted to tour six centres in August and ... more...

Innovative alliance to bring increased expertise and experience to Hamilton Friday 13 August 2004 For Immediate Release Council's design services unit and the Hamilton office of MWH are entering into an alliance partnership, a New Zealand first, that will further the provision of its engineering design services. Council's design services manager Grant Feringa says the joint operation is a key ... more...

Council support helps WECA continue its achievements Friday 13 August 2004 For Immediate ReleaseHamilton City Council has provided funding to WECA (Waikato Engineering Careers Association) of $10,000 to contribute towards operating costs for the current financial year. WECA was established in October 2003 to help address the engineering skills shortage in the Waikato. In confirming the funding ... more...

Major delays expected on Avalon DriveFriday 13 August 2004For Immediate ReleaseThis afternoon (2. 15pm) a 250mm diameter water main broke in the northbound lane just past the intersection of Rotokauri and Avalon drive. As a result major traffic delays are expected. Water and waste services manager (acting) Richard Bax says repairs are being made as quickly as possible however, the water will be ... more...

Hamilton City Council is splashing out for a major redevelopment of Waterworld's circular carpark to cater for increasing patron demands. With a steady increase in swimmer numbers to over 533,000 users a year, Waterworld's carpark capacity has been put under strain. The redevelopment, which got underway on 29 July, will make more efficient use of the land area. The circular island will b... more...

Hamilton City Council has tallied visitor numbers to Council facilities for the 2003/2004 financial year and the numbers add up to strong growth. Hamilton City Libraries have gone against a national trend that has seen a consistent decline in visitor numbers to libraries across the country. A new branding strategy for Hamilton City Libraries was launched in 2004 and since then issues have incre... more...

Council staff bring little pig all the way home 7 August 2004 For Immediate Release A kunekune pig running loose in a Hamilton gully network has been safely caught by Hamilton City Council animal care and control staff . . . with the help from some pig hunters and their dogs. The kunekune had caused damage to several private properties bordering the Fitzroy Gully, and had managed to evade captur... more...

Public submissions on Proposed Prostitution Bylaw number 13454 August 2004 For Immediate Release Hamilton City Council's Proposed Prostitution Bylaw has attracted strong interest from the community with 1345 written submissions received by Council as a result of the public consultation process. The submission period closed on Monday 2 August. General manager strategic group, Mike Theelen, says t... more...

Pig loose in large area of city gully 3 August 2004 For Immediate Release Hamilton City Council's Animal Care and Control Unit are endeavouring to trap a kune kune pig that has made its home in a large steep gully in the Fitzroy area of the city. The black and tan pig has been sighted on several occasions and has caused damage to private property. Animal Care and Control staff say the pig is r... more...

Rates notices in letterboxes this week Wednesday 28 July 2004 For Immediate Release The rates notices for Hamilton property owners being posted out this week will reflect the changes in property values for the city that were notified late last year. The three yearly general revaluation of Hamilton city that was completed in October showed some significant increases in property values. The... more...

Nominations open for local body elections23 July 2004 For Immediate ReleaseNominations opened at eight o?clock this morning for candidates standing in October?s local body elections. The three yearly elections are held to decide representatives for local authorities and district health boards. Hamilton City Council is holding an election for mayor and thirteen councillors. All eligible voters ac... more...

Draft feasibility on river taxis being considered21 July 2004For Immediate ReleaseA combined working group from Hamilton City Council and Environment Waikato is currently considering a draft study that looks at the feasibility of operating water taxis on the Waikato River. Spokesman for the working group, Councillor John Gower, says while the draft study provides some valuable information it is... more...

Council Captains Community Safety Strategy For Immediate Release 8 July 2004 Hamilton City Council has welcomed the Safer Communities Action Plan to Reduce Community Violence and Sexual Violence, recently released by the Ministry of Justice, as a national scheme that adds impetus and affirmation to local community safety initiatives. Council is currently working with Police, licensed premise... more...

Hamilton City Libraries has joined other New Zealand Libraries to buy a great new selection of electronic resources, called EPIC. Reference services team leader Jeff Downs says it's a comprehensive information tool of use to all library users. "There are approximately 16,000 full text titles available, along with tens of thousands of biographies, newswires, photographs and graphics, and much... more...

An upgrade to the Hamilton City Libraries computer system means a number of the electronic services will not be available for four days [14-17 June]. Advisory and education team leader Fiona Johnson says that core services of issuing and returning items are not affected. "You will still be able to take out items and return them, but as the computerised search engine will be inactive I would ... more...

Seven schools, two community houses and one kindergarten are amongst the 22 successful recipients of Hamilton City Council's Envirofund. Research into best practice restoration of Hamilton's gullies and a study into long-tailed bats are also on the list of funded projects. Each year Council has $50,000 to distribute amongst individuals, schools and community groups for projects that that enc... more...

Hamilton City Council is seeking feedback on how Hamilton residents feel about their city and Council through the Annual Residents Survey which is due to begin this weekend. Strategic general manager Michael Theelen says the survey is now in its 20th year and is Council's main barometer for gauging community satisfaction with the services and facilities it provides. "Council measures its per... more...

Normal water supply levels of service in the south-eastern side of the city may drop slightly from 9am on Wednesday 26 May, while a faulty valve is replaced in a bulk watermain in Hamilton Gardens. Operations engineer Phil O'Connor says there is also a chance discoloured water will result from re-routing water via Normandy Avenue and Cobham Drive. "We will thoroughly flush the area to minimi... more...

Council has achieved Film Friendly status by supporting the Local Government New Zealand film friendly protocols. In committing to the film friendly protocols, Council has undertaken to provide a supportive environment to the film industry. Economic development committee chairman, Councillor Ewan Wilson, who signed the original partnership agreement proposal with Film New Zealand says Counci... more...

Waterworld's 50m pool and dive pool reopen on Monday after one of the facility's longest pool closures since it opened in 1976. Leisure facilities manager (acting) Jason Rogers says although Waterworld has maintained a high level of service using its other pools, it will be great to have the two pools back on line. "Waterworld has maintained an incredible record of consistent service to the ... more...

Hamilton City Councillor, Brian Impson, is continuing to make progress in Waikato Hospital following a fall at his home prior to Easter. Cr Impson's wife, Tracy Robinson, says while the recovery hasn't been as speedy as wished for, her husband's condition is continuing to improve. Ms Robinson says Cr Impson is expecting to be well enough to stand for Council again at the October local body el... more...

Hamilton City Council was in the winner's circle at the national public relations awards last night. A campaign to celebrate good dog ownership in the city and inform dog owners of changes in legislation won the Not for Profit/Limited Budget category of the PRINZ (Public Relations Institute of New Zealand) national awards. Philip Burton of Council's Communication and Marketing Group, togethe... more...

Waterworld has closed the hydroslide, and plans to close two pools for maintenance reasons. Swimming facilities manager Jason Rogers says the scheduled work is necessary and asks for patience from Waterworld customers. "It is important we carry out maintenance work for the good of the facility, and health and safety reasons. During a routine check up, we identified a couple of brackets on th... more...

The New Shanghai Circus featuring the incredible acrobats of China is coming to the Waikato region Hamilton for one day only. The New Shanghai Circus will perform at the Founders Memorial Theatre on Sunday 18 April during the school holidays. Richard Sutherland manager of Hamilton theatre services which is bringing the circus to Hamilton says fans of any sort of circus are bound to appreciate t... more...

Hamilton City Council is extremely disappointed that Environment Waikato is to prosecute Council and Perry Environmental over alleged breaches of resource consents at the Horotiu Landfill. CEO, Tony Marryatt, says while there were some issues around the management of the Horotiu site, Council believes that Environment Waikato lacked professionalism in the way it dealt with both Perry's and Co... more...

Last night Council strongly supported erecting a statue depicting a character from the internationally renowned Rocky Horror Picture Show on the site of Hamilton's former Embassy Theatre, to recognise the show's birthplace. The show's creator Richard O'Brien, a former Hamiltonian, developed the idea of Rocky Horror while living and working in Hamilton and attending movies at the now demolishe... more...

Hamilton Lake's walkway opening party has confirmed its acts, which are sure to provide great entertainment for the whole family on 29 February. North Waikato Re-enactment Group is all set to let lose at the lakeside, with its interpretation of Viking-era battles - a must see for everyone. Throughout the day, the Fun Bus will be entertaining the kids with face painting, crafts and will run sc... more...

Waikato Stadium is preparing to once more prove its versatility as an events venue with two very diverse events booked in March. Stadiums management board chair Peter Bos says Impact World Tour and the New Zealand Marching Championships are expected to bring a new look and feel to the stadium. "We're excited to have a new focus for the stadium over the next three weeks as Impact World Tour a... more...

Council is advising people to avoid large trees, or trees that have been damaged in the storm as continued stormy weather and high winds could cause further damage. Parks and gardens manager Bill Featherstone says a number of factors have put large trees particularly at risk of damage or falling over. A full summer canopy becoming heavy with rain and trying to stand in saturated so... more...

Council's Strategic Planning and Policy Coordination Committee will on Monday hear 48 submitters to Hamilton City's Proposed Gambling Venue Policies. A total of 78 submissions were received on the proposed policies that address only non-casino gambling machines and standalone TABs. Most submissions concentrated on the proposed class 4 gambling venue policy, which aims to control the growth o... more...

Hamilton City Council will hold a 'Dog Day Afternoon' on Saturday 6 March following on from last year's successful event for the promotion of responsible dog ownership in the city. Dog owners and anyone else interested in dogs are being invited to Innes Common by Hamilton Lake at 1pm to learn, share and to show support for good dog control. The first such event was held last year prompted by... more...

Two scheduled resurfacing jobs over the next few days are expected to cause traffic delays. Te Rapa Road (from Vercoe-Vardon Road): preparation works are under way resulting in a rough surface and the resurfacing is programmed for Saturday and Sunday. At least one traffic lane will be open in each direction at all times but delays are still expected while the work is being carried out. Ulste... more...

Hamilton City Council is proposing a rate increase to existing ratepayers of 1. 3 per cent in the coming financial year. A special meeting of Council [Wednesday11 February] recommended a total rate of $72. 8 million as part of the draft annual budget for the financial year 1 July 2004 to 30 June 2005. Council met for two days discussing the Draft Council Community Plan and Budgets. The majori... more...

All Hamilton City Council Sports Fields will be closed today due to waterlogged condition. ... more...

A major celebration event is planned to open the Hamilton Lake Walkway on 29 February, and everyone's invited. Social and community committee chair Pippa Mahood says the celebration day is about enjoying what the lake offers as a recreational facility, particularly with the addition of a beautiful walkway. "A project this significant affects the whole city, and it's really important that we ... more...

Waikato Museum of Art and History is showing steadily increasing visitor numbers over the last quarter after a huge effort last year to bring greater community focus to its programmes. Museum director Kate Vusoniwailala is pleased with the positive movement, but says there's plenty of work yet to be done. "It's great to see our work on the public programmes, and building strongly regional ex... more...

Animal care and control officers accompanied by a police constable removed 16 dogs from a Massey Street address today. It is now known that up to 29 dogs have been resident at the address and that they were being bred for fighting. Only two were registered. Earlier in the day an animal care and control officer accompanied the SPCA, which removed two dogs from the same address under the power... more...

All Hamilton City Council Sports Fields will be closed today due to waterlogged condition. ... more...

Hamilton City Libraries is using the coming Edgefest concert to encourage musically minded young people to take advantage of its CD collection. Libraries director Faye Clark says the libraries has secured a box seat at the concert as a prize for young people who make use of the libraries. "Our research shows high school-aged young people tend to drift away from the libraries until they r... more...

A major city project to further develop and enhance the vibrancy of Hamilton's Central Business District is underway with the first stage being consultation with the community. Hamilton City Council has identified a number of key groups that it wishes to involve in the consultation, and would equally like feedback and input from others in the community. The consultation will take the for... more...

Re-surfacing work for the Victoria Bridge has been delayed a day and the bridge will now be closed 7-9 January. The contractor has had to source another milling machine, which is required to take the top layer off the bridge for re-surfacing, when the machine to be hired was damaged on a previous job. Pedestrians and cyclists can still use the bridge during the work. ... more...

Additional treatment of Hamilton's drinking water is underway following monitoring of the water quality in the Waikato River hydro system that has shown the possibility of a blue-green algal bloom developing. The increase in blue green algae cell numbers has been particularly noticeable in the hydro lakes on the Waikato River. Hamilton City Council Works and Services General Manager, Sal... more...

Hamilton City Council is seeking public submissions from 17 December to 5 February in developing two policies for gambling establishments. Strategic planning and policy co-ordination committee chair Dave Macpherson says there are two proposed policies relating to the location of future gambling venues (Class 4 and TAB venues) and the number of 'pokies' the city should have. "Both policie... more...

Waikato Museum's Exscite is to be the home of Super Models from 20 December, though perhaps not the kind most first think of. Exhibitions manager Gary Collins says Super Models is an exhibition showcasing a range of models, including a 147cc V8 motor, model aircraft, locomotives, cranes and CAT bulldozers. "The show also includes models from the late Robert Muldoon's personal collection. ... more...

Recipients of this year's Civic Awards are being announced on 12 December, 10am at the awards ceremony in the Civic Chambers. Civic events co-ordinator Fleur Yates says there were are large number of nominations this year, with 19 finalists receiving awards in one or more of the six categories of: Art and Culture; Education; Environment; Human Rights; People and Well-Being and; Sport. "Every... more...

Hamilton kids are encouraged to go wild in Hamilton City Libraries this summer in the latest reading programme. Advisory and education team leader Fiona Johnson says the Amazing Animal Safari (15 December-25 January) follows on from last year's successful Spy Search. "Amazing Animal Safari has the same high level of interaction and exciting reading assignments catering to 6-12-year-olds. Lik... more...

Hamilton City Libraries has a received an outstanding rating for its overall customer service in a recent customer satisfaction survey conducted by an independent researcher. Libraries director Faye Clark says an overall Customer Satisfaction Index rating of 90. 3 is outstanding and something the libraries should be pleased with, however there is still plenty of work to do. "I am delighted wi... more...

Hamilton City Council and four other local councils are setting strict new requirements for new buildings to meet before receiving a code of compliance. Building control manager Phil Saunders says the requirements are a result of new developments in the area of building weather tightness and Council's need to protect homeowners and ratepayers. "From today, we will no longer issue a building ... more...

Winners in Hamilton's Civic Trust Awards have been released ahead of the official ceremony on Wednesday, 10 December 2003, at 2 pm in the Council Chambers. 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 in which to live... more...

Pukete Bridge's scheduled re-surfacing work will be done this Sunday, 7 December. Council contracts supervisor Martyn Smith says although the work will not require closing the bridge, delays are expected. "A stop/go system will operate on the bridge to manage traffic flows on Wairere Drive between Te Rapa Road and River Road so delays are expected, and I would encourage motorists to seek... more...

In the midst of last night's [Wednesday 26 November] unprecedented storm, where 55mm of rain fell in one hour, a damaged sewerage pipe released wastewater some of which entered Hamilton Lake. Environmental services general manager Graeme Fleming says staff were alerted during the storm and immediately responded to minimise the impact of the spill. "We are working with the medical officer... more...

Council has launched a website dedicated to informing Hamilton residents about how their city is performing and to get people involved in moving the city forward. Strategic group general manager, Michael Theelen says http://www. myhamilton. org. nz is about inspiring pride in our city and informing on city issues. "Myhamilton is exactly how we want residents to feel about this city - th... more...

Internationally acclaimed author and adventurer Ben Kozer is to visit Hamilton Central Library on Wednesday 26 November from 12. 30-1. 30pm. Advisory and education team leader Fiona Johnson says Ben has crammed a lot of living into his 30 years, and is a fascinating and charming person to meet. "We're extremely fortunate to have Ben stopping by, and I couldn't recommend this opportunity hi... more...

New members of Hamilton's Youth Council were yesterday introduced to the four councillors who have agreed to act as their mentors. Youth Liaison Advisor Pippa Gower says the 15-member Youth Council is starting to get an idea of the size of their role and appreciated having Crs Pippa Mahood, Bill Ward, Brian Impson and Peter Bos on side. "All four city councillors have a lot of experience... more...

Hamilton City Libraries will have only reduced services on Friday 14 November while work is done to its computer system. Libraries director Faye Clark says essentials such as lending and returning will still run however the ability to search catalogues will be affected. "Our computer searching system will be off line so I encourage people to make use of our staff who are always on hand t... more...

Hamilton City Libraries is to trial 'floating' part of its collection to see whether 10,000 books caught in transit each week could instead go straight to the shelves. Libraries director Faye Clark says a floating collection not only cuts processing time dramatically, it also gives communities more control over their local library's collection. "A floating collection is on the surface a ... more...

Programmed maintenance works on Hamilton's bulk water mains will begin today [Thursday 30 October] now that the Ruakiwi reservoir has been recommissioned. The project is expected to take four weeks to complete and most residents will be unaffected by the work. The annual maintenance keeps the essential bulk mains in top order to ensure servicelevels canbe maintained, especially during summe... more...

Hamilton City Council's inner city security strategy is to have a physical presence on the streets every weekend from Thursday [30 October] night. Councillor John Gower, a key driver in developing the strategy, says six people have been hired to beat the streets to improve the perception of the central city as a great place for a night out without hassles. "Our nightlife is a city asset,... more...

The three yearly general revaluation of Hamilton city, which has just been completed, has shown some significant increases in property values. The revaluation carried out by Quotable Value New Zealand's Hamilton office has shown that the capital value (land plus improvements) of the city has increased from $10. 6 billion to $12. 4 billion. Hamilton Mayor David Braithwaite says while it is pleasing... more...

Hamilton Zoo's Grants zebra herd has increased by one after mother Maria, 16, delivered a foal on 6 October. Administration manager Jillian Prew says the foal has already joined the savannah exhibit's other zebra, giraffe, springbok, nilgai and ostrich. "A foal can stand immediately after birth and can run within an hour so there was no hesitation about letting the foal out with the othe... more...

An independent consultant has been appointed to conduct a health risk assessment of the aerial spraying of asian gypsy moth in Hamilton. The appointment follows a Council resolution to take the additional step to engage an appropriate, independent and professional person to conduct a preliminary and urgent health risk assessment into the proposed MAF aerial spray programme. Council also... more...

A report measuring the Quality of Life in New Zealand?s eight largest cities shows that 89 per cent of residents in Hamilton rate the quality of life here as good or very good. Hamilton is part of the report for the first time. The Quality of Life report monitors and gives information on key areas including people, knowledge and skills, economic standard of living, economic development, ho... more...

At an extraordinary meeting of Council today [Friday, 3 October] Council discussed whether or not it has fulfilled its obligations under the Health Act in respect of the Government decision to aerial spray part of the city to eradicate the asian gypsy moth incursion. Two legal opinions were received, the first by solicitor Mr Tony Banks and the second from the city solicitor. Council res... more...

Hamilton's central city liquor bylaw restricting alcohol consumption to licensed premises comes into force tonight [2 October] from 6pm. Environmental services general manager Graeme Fleming says the bylaw will be effective between 6pm Thursdays and 7am Sundays. "Basically the bylaw means putting a stop to people wandering the city with an open beer in hand. As such, it won't actually af... more...

Council will work with MAF to ensure Hamilton residents are well informed and prepared for the aerial eradication of gypsy moth, which will begin in October now that Cabinet has made a decision to fund the aerial eradication programme. Mayor David Braithwaite says Council will make strenuous efforts to keep Hamilton residents informed of the eradication programme. "While this is a centra... more...

Hamilton City Council staff, along with independent surveyors, have established the capacity at Westpac Park cricket ground as currently being 8400 people. Detailed survey work was carried at the ground to determine the number. Previously, estimates have put the capacity as high as 16,200. Chairman of the Stadiums Management Board, Councillor Peter Bos, says while it's disappointing t... more...

HCC Sports Grounds will be closed tonight. The situation will be reassessed tomorrow and a decision made whether to reopen the grounds or not. Contact HCC on 07 838 6699 with any queries. ... more...

Elected members and staff of Hamilton City Council are shocked at the news of former councillor Grant Thorburn's untimely death and pass on their deep felt condolences to his family and close friends. Mayor David Braithwaite says Council will observe a minute's silence in honour of Grant at the full Council meeting Wednesday 17 September. "In just his first term as a councillor (1998-2001) Gra... more...

Completed results from this year's Annual Residents Survey show the overall level of satisfaction with Council's facilities and services has remained stable. Council chief executive Tony Marryatt says this year's customer satisfaction index (CSI) rating of 58. 3 is a solid result and mirrors last year's of 59. 6. "Residents have responded positively overall in this year's survey, with the ... more...

Transatlantic rowing legend Rob Hamill is being offered as a prize by Keep Hamilton Beautiful (KHB) to raise awareness of rubbish in the river and Clean Up Hamilton. Council's KHB co-ordinator Liz Hallsworth says spectators at the Boathouse 8s Great Race will have the chance to guess the weight of a pile of rubbish dragged from the river bottom to win breakfast with Rob. "KHB is seeking ... more...

The Ruakiwi reservoir will be taken out of service for about a month from Monday, 1 September for scheduled maintenance. The reservoir will be emptied for general maintenance, inspection of the internal lining, minor repair work carried out and consideration of installing a low level access hatch to facilitate future access with reduced health and safety risks. Water and wastewater plant... more...

Hamilton City Council is seeking 15 candidates to make up the next Hamilton Youth Council. Youth liaison advisor Pippa Gower says she is looking for a diverse range of young people who want to be a voice for youth within Hamilton City Council and the wider Hamilton community. "Youth Council will plan and carry out projects for youth in the areas of recreation, entertainment, arts and cul... more...

Disco Pigs by Irish playwright Enda Walsh will be in Hamilton for a short season at The Meteor in September. Hamilton Theatre Services has secured the Court Theatre production of the play which has been described as 'something dreamed up by Quentin Tarantino and written by James Joyce on acid'. The play was the winner of both the Dublin Theatre and Edinburgh festivals', best theatre awards alo... more...

Today Council resolved to support the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's (MAF) goals to ensure the removal of asian gypsy moth in the Hamilton and surrounding export regions. MAF has recommended using aerial spraying to kill off the pest incursion. Should the spraying go ahead the resolution asks that MAF make every effort to keep Hamilton residents informed of the eradication programme... more...

Hamilton City Council is continuing to issue a record number of Land Information Memorandums (LIMs) on properties in the city. A LIM contains all the information held by Council on a property and is generally sought by people when considering buying a property. Last month, Council issued 192 LIMs, a record high for any month at Hamilton City Council. Already August appears likely to exce... more...

A drive to make improvements at Waterworld before summer has already received praise from visitors, and swimming facilities manager Jason Rogers says there is more to come yet. "Women's changing facilities have undergone a dramatic refit with new flooring, change cubicles, toilets, showers and seating. We are getting great feedback from the refit. "Another hit with visitors is the improv... more...

A special meeting of Hamilton City Council is being held at 1pm this Friday [15 August] at which health advisors and Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) officials will attend to answer questions on proposed aerial spraying to combat Asian gypsy moth. Councillors want assurances that the spraying is absolutely necessary and if it is to be carried out then residents will not be harmed. ... more...

Hamilton City Council has increased its sponsorship of the Gallagher Boathouse 8s to become the event's second tier sponsor and secure presentation rights. Presentation rights give the city extra profile through television, including live coverage for the Great Race, and advertising space. Economic development committee chair Ewan Wilson says the sponsorship sub-committee saw the opportu... more...

Waikato Museum's latest exhibition at Exscite is the first to operate under a new charging policy adopted by Council in July. Libraries and museum unit manager Geoff Williams says the changes are a result of Exscite becoming another museum exhibition space, rather than a separate centre. "Council has effectively brought fees and charges for the Exscite exhibition space in line with the rest of ... more...

Hamilton City Council has approved a rates remission policy that makes it easier for people on low incomes to qualify for financial help with their rates. The policy approved by Council at last night's meeting lowers the income threshold at which rates rebates begin. An example of how the policy works, is that a single person on Government superannuation of approximately $14,700 per yea... more...

Waikato Museum and Ballance Agri-Nutrients have entered a partnership, which will see Ballance become naming rights sponsor for the exhibition currently being developed on agricultural innovations in the Waikato. Museum director Kate Vusoniwailala says she is delighted with the support from Ballance along with secondary sponsor Superair. "Both companies have recognised the value of an ... more...

Hamilton Mayor David Braithwaite 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 2003 Civic Awards, which reward significant community achievement in six different categories: People and Well-being, Art and Culture, Education, Environment, Enterprise, and Sport. Hamilton City Council's civic event co-ordin... more...

EftPos has been installed in all branches of Hamilton City Libraries only a month after Council gave approval to offer the service. Libraries director Faye Clark says she is pleased to be able to offer EftPos. "It is always good to offer new services of value to our customers. EftPos has been requested in the past and we have seen it as an inevitable move, and one to take when it was dee... more...

The Theatre of London is touring New Zealand and Australia with its Academy ? talented 18-21-year-old drama school and university students and working actors from across the British Isles. The troop is being brought to the city by Hamilton Theatre Services. The Academy will present a double bill of works, directed by playwright, bookwright and director Michael Fitzmaurice at the WestpacTrust T... more...

An invitation is being extended to the community to help plant out the city to Frankton Railwalk on Saturday, 9 August. Council environmental projects officer Liz Hallsworth says she hopes to finish the planting out this section of the project. "Greening the railwalk has been an ongoing project for Keep Hamilton Beautiful and it is exciting to see it taking shape. We had 25 people turn o... more...

At today's Strategic Planning and Policy Co-ordination committee meeting, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry senior officials outlined to councillors the possibility of using aerial spraying to eradicate gypsy moth. The presentation covered a background on the asian gypsy moth, the incursion in Hamilton, what action has been taken to date in response to that, and what would likely be invo... more...

Hamilton Theatre Services has secured Sonja Radojkovic to perform a one off piano concert at the Wel Energy Trust Academy of Performing Arts in August. Hamilton Theatre Services manager Richard Sutherland says Sonja is a first prize winner in many national, republic and federal competitions. "In 1993 she took the first prize in a field of 57 performers with her performance of the Rhapsody o... more...

Hamilton City Council has closed a small section of river side walkway along side Awatere Avenue because of high river levels. The Waikato River is presently at 13. 8 metres, as measured at the Victoria Bridge in the city. The increased flow and depth of the river is as a result of normal high-level power generation through Waikato River hydro system. Hamilton City Council has put up s... more...

Hamilton City Council will begin installing new gates at Hamilton Lake this week to improve night-time security. The specially made gates will be placed at the Pembroke Street/Ruakiwi Road entrance way next to the stone gateway. Council currently closes part of the roadway through the Lake Domain each evening, with gates closing half an hour after sunset and reopening again in the morn... more...

The increase in rates for Hamilton city ratepayers will be less than originally announced for the current financial year, due to an unexpected surge in city growth just prior to the end of the last financial year. Council had previously announced an average increase in rates to existing ratepayers of 4. 55 per cent, however this figure has now been amended to 4. 4 per cent. The reduction i... more...

Council is seeking the public's help to track down the source of white foam discharging into the Waikato River at Braithwaite Park in Pukete. Acting water, drainage and refuse manager Richard Bax, says he wants people to call in as soon as they see the foam, believed to be detergent. "The stormwater system we are dealing with covers a huge area, including the north ends of Avalon Drive a... more...

Council is consulting the public [beginning Wednesday 16 July] on a proposed bylaw to increase the controls on liquor for the greater CBD area (Mill Street to Bridge Street). Environmental services general manager Graeme Fleming says the bylaw puts stricter controls on drinking or possessing alcohol in central city public areas. "Council is proposing to restrict alcohol consumption in th... more...

HCC Sports Grounds will be closed tonight. The situation will be reassessed tomorrow and a decision made whether to reopen the grounds or not. ... more...

Whitiora Bridge will close this Sunday [13 July] so contractors can improve the 'ride' in the city bound lane. Road maintenance manager Dawn Inglis says this date presented an excellent opportunity for the work. "Sunday is usually a low-use day for the bridge, and being the middle of the school holidays we expect it to be quieter still. Therefore we shouldn't be impacting on traffic flow... more...

The NBL basketball final will be played at Mystery Creek Hamilton thanks to a sponsorship deal struck between Council's Hamilton Events and Mystery Creek. The deal will see a joint sponsorship that will cover most of the costs of staging the game at the Mystery Creek pavilion. Mystery Creek General Manager, Barry Quayle, says both Mystery Creek and Hamilton City Council recognise the importanc... more...

Hamilton's Water Treatment Station has been shutdown for a few hours as a precaution, after an accident caused a truck to spill 15 tonnes of urea into Waikato River near Narrows Bridge. Operations manager David Hight says urea can unsettle the water treatment process so the station was shut down at 9. 30am for a few hours after a call from Environment Waikato. "With the station's clearwat... more...

Hamilton's Water Treatment Station is back online after shutting down as a precaution following an accident causing 15 tonnes of urea to spill into Waikato River near Narrows Bridge. Operations manager David Hight says it was unlikely the spill would have caused any problems but it was best to be safe. "A number of factors such as the river currently running high and demand on the water ... more...

Council has given Hamilton City Libraries the go-ahead to install EftPos machines at all sites. Libraries and museum manager Geoff Williams says he is excited about the opportunity to offer another service to the libraries' more than 60,000 customers. "Over the past year we have concentrated on tailoring our services to better meet Hamilton's needs. Many of these changes were in the nat... more...

Hamilton City Libraries' efforts to turn around a decline in interest in its services have been extremely successful, end-of-year data shows. Libraries director Faye Clark says she is delighted they have bucked the trend of seven years to record a significant rise in issues. "Hamilton has previously followed a worrying national trend where communities have showed a steady decrease in int... more...

Local schools are some of the happy recipients of this year's Envirofund allocation round, despite fierce competition for the $50,000 on offer. Councillor Brian Impson, who helps administer the fund, says it is becoming increasingly difficult to determine who should receive funding, but the schools are putting in excellent proposals. "Local schools are really making the most of the oppor... more...

Stage one of the Rotoroa Esplanade extension project will be opened on Saturday 28 June. Parks and gardens manager Bill Featherstone says stage one of the three-stage walkway project connects the car park beside the children's playground, and a Lake Crescent access way opposite Hibiscus Avenue. "This walkway extension is about 800m long and will be open to all from Saturday. Stages two a... more...

Council is urging dog owners to pay registrations before the due date of 30 June, to avoid long queues and penalties. Business support manager Les Wills says of the more than 8000 registration accounts sent out, only about 2500 have been paid. "The easiest thing to do is send a cheque, provided the amount is correct. Our front-counter lines are growing during lunch times and payment by c... more...

Water pipe flushing to prevent or reduce instances of 'brown water' is to begin next week. Council's utilities works supervisor George Kimura says the flushing programme is in response to an investigation after a series of 'brown water' incidents last year. "Expert consultants have completed a study on the city's 'brown water' risks around the Hillcrest and Glenview areas. They have reco... more...

Hamilton's event strategy is injecting many millions of dollars of new money into the city according to recent economic impact assessments. The assessments carried out on four key events show they brought a combined benefit in excess of $7 million to Hamilton. Economic development committee chair Ewan Wilson says such a high return on an investment of approximately $250,000 proves Counci... more...

Hamilton City Council is seeking feedback on how Hamiltonians feel about their city and Council in the Annual Residents Survey, beginning Monday [9 June]. Strategic general manager Michael Theelen says the survey is now in its 19th year and is Council's main barometer for gauging community satisfaction with the services and facilities it provides. "Council measures its performance agains... more...

Hamilton City Council has decided to switch off every second streetlight where appropriate in a power saving measure during the energy crisis. Council voted in favour of the idea at a meeting on Wednesday night. In discussing the issue, Council confirmed its commitment to street safety and resolved that lights would not be switched off in the CBD, suburbs close to the CBD, main arterial ... more...

Traffic delays are expected during resurfacing of the busy Grey Street/Clyde Street intersection from Tuesday [27 May]. Contracts supervisor Martyn Smith says all work will be carried out between 6pm and 6am to reduce delays. "We have scheduled the work to be done overnight, starting from 6pm, to avoid traffic delays. Contractors also have instructions to delay the work further if traf... more...

Balloons Over Waikato, already established as a city and regional icon event, has now shown its economic worth by contributing $2. 8 million of new money to Hamilton this year. Economic development committee chair Ewan Wilson says a detailed economic impact study shows that significant visitor numbers was key to the event's success. "Balloons Over Waikato made a real impact this year th... more...

A 126-year-old Plane Tree in Grey Street Hamilton East has undergone extensive surgery to help its survival following a poisoning attack. Hamilton City Council staff began work on the tree yesterday. It is believed that someone drilled a hole in the tree and poured in herbicide. The act of vandalism is believed to have happened some time ago, possibly as long ago as two years. An independent r... more...

Hamilton Gardens Summer Festival 2003 drew $750,000 of new money into Hamilton's economy, an economic impact study on the event shows. Economic development committee chair Ewan Wilson says the Council-commissioned research reinforces the value of icon events in the city. "This year's summer festival attracted 10,500 visitors to the city. Many of these visitors stayed for a couple of nigh... more...

Councillors and local MP Martin Gallagher recently attended a workshop to explore the issue of noise in Hamilton. Councillor Ted Armstrong says the workshop has prepared Council to discuss in-depth the issue at a future meeting of the statutory management committee, which he chairs. "The workshop covered Council's role in dealing with excessive noise, and the role of other agencies such ... more...

A joint project between Council, WEL Networks and Green Energy will turn the Horotiu Landfill's gases into enough electricity to run about 1000 homes. Works and services general manager Sally Davis, says the project makes intelligent use of a renewable resource. "This project will mean considerable cost savings to Council for up to 20 years, and will reduce our draw on the national elect... more...

Hamilton's oldest church site will be the scene of a thanksgiving service that will reflect on about a century and a half of Christian worship in the city. Mayor David Braithwaite and the Dean of St Peter's Cathedral, the Very Reverend Father Ian Hanley will host the service on Sunday, 11 May, beginning at 5pm. Event organiser, Councillor Mavora Hamilton says the service is part of the 1... more...

Hamilton City Council is urging residents to conserve water as a way of making significant power savings for the city. Chairman of Council's Works and Services Committee, Councillor Brian Impson, says the city uses a considerable amount of power to treat and pump water throughout the city, and if less water is used it equates directly to a saving in power. Every 1,000,000 litres of water... more...

Descendants of those involved in settling Hamilton and planting 50 oak trees in Steele Park have responded enthusiastically to an event commemorating the era, with some coming from overseas to be involved. Settlers Market Day organiser, Hamilton City Councillor Mavora Hamilton says she and the organising team have been inundated with calls. "I estimate we have fielded about 350 calls, wh... more...

Three separate road works planned for next week are expected to cause traffic delays, despite being carried out at off-peak times. Contracts supervisor Martyn Smith says all three jobs rely on fine weather and involve resurfacing resulting in detours and reduced traffic access to the work sites. "As always we have attempted to schedule the work to accommodate peak traffic, but inevitably... more...

Autumn's arrival is bringing a riot of colours to Taitua Arboretum over the next six weeks as the leaves on thousands of trees in the 20ha park respond to the cooler weather. Arboretum manager Adrian Jepson says the park should be compulsory viewing at this time of the year. "Autumn is one of the most spectacular times to come to Taitua. It's an idyllic spot at any time of the year, but ... more...

Due to a continuing increase of demand for building inspections, Hamilton City Council has extended its hours of operation on the dedicated phone line. Building control manager Phil Saunders says Council is responding to a high demand for inspections and the fact that builders are now working over time to get their jobs done. "There is a great deal of pressure on the entire building indu... more...

A major event commemorating Hamilton's 125th anniversary since the Hamilton Borough was formed, will see the city's first park, Steele Park, turned into a marketplace on 4 May. Event organiser Mavora Hamilton says she is trying to create the original Settlers Market Day so the city can re-live a special moment of our history. "Steele Park, first called Sydney Square, was a market place w... more...

Council last night approved a policy to help staff manage the swimming lanes at Waterworld and the Gallagher Aquatic Centre. Social and community committee chair Pippa Mahood says the policy balances the needs of the clubs, other swimmers and those wanting general recreational space. "It's great we have such popular swimming facilities, and the issue of managing increasing demand on what... more...

Hamiltonians are being encouraged to come down to the river's banks this Sunday, 6 April for a special walk to commemorate the opening of a new section of walkway. Completion of the new section (between Braithwaite and Milne parks) joins two other walkways into a 7km unbroken stretch. Event organiser Mike Hodges, from Council's parks and gardens unit says the heart has become the event's... more...

Council is dressing up its main building with two stunning balloon-shaped banners to set the tone in the city for the Balloons Over Waikato festival. Economic development chair Ewan Wilson says Balloons Over Waikato is one of the city's icon events and we can create a real festival atmosphere working together. "Council is laying the challenge to other Hamilton businesses to follow our le... more...

Claudelands Park grass within the oval pathway has been sprayed in preparation for reshaping and re-sowing. Project supervisor Greg Leigh says the area will be laser-levelled before it is re-sown about mid-April "Despite the major landscaping being completed last year, the time was not right to establish turf grass. Once we have killed off the infestation of summer grasses and weeds, we ... more...

Hamilton City Council's kerbside recycling operation has begun well, based on the first six months of collection statistics. Hamilton residents have made a solid start in the way they have embraced the 'Sort it Out' kerbside recycling. During the first six months 1400 tonnes of recyclable materials (glass, plastic, aluminium and steel) were collected by way of recycling crates. In addition... more...

Members of the Waikato Agritech Cluster were last night treated to the unveiling of the first Waikato Agritech Innovation Awards. Cluster spokesperson and Hamilton City Council economic development executive Paul Barlow says the awards created a lot of excitement at the unveiling. "As a cluster we have worked on producing appropriate awards to showcase the region's unique strengths in ag... more...

Yesterday evening [Thursday, circa 5:30pm] a man in his early twenties had his right upper arm seriously injured by two dogs, which are owned by his flatmate. Animal Care and Control manager Marion Peck arrived on the scene within 15 minutes of the police alerting Council of the attack. Two policemen, one armed, were on the scene providing extra security, however, the dogs had been secur... more...

Hamilton City Council will hold a 'Dog Day Afternoon' this Saturday (22 February) as a proactive measure to help address the issue of dog attacks in the city. Dog owners are being invited to Innes Common by Hamilton Lake at 1pm to learn from experts and to show support for good dog control and an end to attacks. Council's environmental services general manager, Graeme Fleming, says while... more...

The playground slide at Hamilton Lake is to reopen this weekend after being closed for alterations. The slide was closed following complaints from the public that it was uncomfortable to play on and while staff looked into an accident that happened at the slide. Manager Parks and Gardens, Bill Featherstone, says a full assessment was carried out on the slide to ensure compliance with New Zealand Sta... more...

Hamilton economic development success stories will be show cased later this month when the Minister for Industry and Regional Development Hon Jim Anderton hosts an innovation road show in the city. The evening function on 20 February at the WEL Energy Trust Academy of Performing Arts is being organised by the Ministry of Economic Development and Industry New Zealand. The same format has been used in... more...

Major roading projects on Te Rapa RoadMajor reconstruction work is now underway on Te Rapa Road between Beerescourt Road and Vercoe Road. The project contractors, Works Infrastructure Ltd, began setting up this week (Tuesday 28 January) preparing the site. Roads and traffic manager, Cliff Boyt says the road's substructure is in need of replacement and while it is being worked on underground service... more...

Hamilton's metered car park price rise to $1. 20 an hour becomes effective from Monday, 3 February. Roads and traffic manager Cliff Boyt says the price rise is part of a broader CBD parking strategy to cope with steady increase in traffic volumes and parking demand. "Traffic growth in the city continues at 4 per cent a year, and we have developed an effective strategy to keep pace with this growth an... more...

It's carnival time at Waterworld, with a Family Fun Day [8 Febraury, 11am-9pm] booked to celebrate a hot summer in Hamilton. Customer services co-ordinator Tina Farrant says there are a number of extra attractions planned for the day, to give the already popular facility a carnival atmosphere. "We have booked Mica the clown, a bouncy castle, lots of giveaways and competitions with fun prizes and mor... more...

Emergency Services is putting on a full-scale mock emergency [1 February, 10am] to officially open Exscite's latest exhibition, Earth's Fury. Libraries and museum manager Geoff Williams says Emergency Services' spectacle works well with the exhibition focus on natural disasters. "It's comforting to know that we have a well organised emergency services team equipped to help despite what nature throws... more...

Hamilton City Libraries has invited about 130 kids to dress up as famous spies in a fitting finale for one of Hamilton's most successful summer reading programmes, Spy Search. Collection services team leader Jo McSorley says reports from all the libraries spoke of kids being really excited about Spy Search, and that this enthusiasm showed in the end results. "We had about half of those enrolled achi... more...

Water sample tests of the Waikato River and Hamilton's treated water show that no toxins are present in the water. General manager works and services Sally Davis says increased testing of water samples from the Waikato River and from Hamilton's treated water has continued since precautionary measures were taken [Thursday 9 January]. Results are now coming in, and so far indicate an absence of toxin... more...

Hamilton City Council has temporarily closed the newly constructed playground slide at Hamilton Lake for alterations following feedback from the public. Manager Parks and Gardens, Bill Featherstone, says there have been comments from a number of people using the slide that it was uncomfortable to play on because they felt it levelled-off too sharply at the bottom. "Although the slide has been extrem... more...

Hamilton's water treatment station is taking immediate precautionary measures to protect the city's water supply from a potential release of toxins from blue green algae in the Waikato River. Water and wastewater plants manager Marcus Shipton says Council's routine water quality monitoring has detected a spiked increase in the presence of blue green algae in the river water. "The blue green algae h... more...

Trials are expected to begin next week to test for an effective means of removing the musty taste in Hamilton's drinking water. The taste is caused by seasonal, naturally occurring blooms of algae in the Waikato River and is likely to continue through February. Water and wastewater plants manager, Marcus Shipton says work is being done now to identify the most likely way to remove the mustiness. "... more...

Wel Networks Ltd has secured an 18-year sponsorship at Waikato Stadium. Working in conjunction with the Stadiums Management Board Wel Networks will be the naming rights sponsor of the original east stand. Stadiums Management Board chairman councillor Peter Bos says he applauds Wel Networks' generosity and for hanging in while a workable agreement could be forged. "Wel Networks was promised by the il... more...

Security monitoring of the inner city has increased considerably with a new monitoring facility and trained staff to keep on eye on the camera network every night. Waikato Security Services is operating the station for Hamilton City Council and the Crime Prevention Trust, and will work closely with Hamilton Police. Crime Prevention Trust chair Peter Bos says this new monitoring service will have two... more...

News that a $15 million speciality goat milk factory is to be built in Hamilton has delighted the Council's Economic Development Committee. Committee Chairman Ewan Wilson says the Dairy Goat Co-operative had other choices when it came to building the new factory, but the fact that Hamilton was chosen is further proof that the city's economic development strategy is starting to pay dividends. "Often ... more...

Hamilton City Council has decided to raise parking meter fees from 80 cents per hour to $1. 20 per hour from February next year. The decision forms part of a wider Central Business District strategy on parking. The increase in parking fees follows comparisons between Hamilton and other metropolitan centres that indicate that Hamilton meter fees are among the lowest. Auckland fees are $4 per hour, Wel... more...

The Waikato Museum of Art and History is to ring with the sound of Christmas music on Sunday, December 15 at 3pm, with a Renaissance Singers performance. Education services team leader Kirsty Glengarry says the choir is extremely good, and enhanced by one of Hamilton's rising stars, Sarah McOnie (mezzo soprano). "Sarah won Waikato Singer of the Year, is a University of Waikato Honours student, and g... more...

Wairere Drive's scheduled resurfacing work has been completed five days ahead of schedule due to fine weather and Council's commitment to reduce the impact on traffic. Council roads and traffic contracts supervisor Martyn Smith says the work was given until Sunday, 8 December to be completed, based on past weather patterns and the scale of the job. "Excellent weather has been a defining element in g... more...

Winners in Hamilton's Civic Trust Awards have been released ahead of the official ceremony being held on Wednesday, 11 December 2002, at 2pm in Council Chambers. 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 in which to live, ... more...

Parking wardens will be operating new extended hours for Friday night and Saturday afternoon, (starting Friday, 13 December) to increase the safety of people using taxis and buses. Parking enforcement manager Roger Meyrick says Council resolved in May to extend parking hours as cars were being illegally parked in taxi and bus stands, creating a safety issue. "At the moment people looking for a taxi ... more...

The commissioning of the $28m upgrade at the Wastewater Treatment Plant has been a major step forward for the city, however, the process has been frustrated by teething hardware problems. The effect of the hardware issues and the complex treatment processes involved has meant the five-year project is now running about a year behind schedule. Works and services general manager Sally Davis says this ... more...