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

Christmas has come early for Hamilton Zoo, with the arrival of two new female chimpanzees. Mother Fimi (43) and daughter Sanda (23) have been brought to Hamilton Zoo in the hope they will form breeding pairs with the facility's male chimpanzees. Breeding has proved unsuccessful amongst the existing chimpanzees – father Mike, mother Lucy, and sons Luka and Lucifer, and hand-reared females Sally an... 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...

Hamilton Zoo's study of a native species of frog has received a boost thanks to an Environmental Grant from Canon New Zealand. The facility was one of three recipients of the Grant and was selected from 40 submissions from throughout the country. As a recipient Hamilton Zoo received $5000 worth of specialised equipment to utilise as part of their observation work and study of the Hochstetter's fr... 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...

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

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...

Forty-eight finalists from throughout New Zealand have been selected from 90 entrants for the Waiclay National Ceramics Award 2008. The finalists' entries will go on display at Waikato Museum this week as part of an exhibition also featuring work by some of the country's most well known ceramic artists. The Waiclay National Ceramic Award is renowned for promoting excellence in claywork – attracti... more...

An exhibition providing an insight into the lives of refugees will open at Waikato Museum next Wednesday [10 December] at 10am – coinciding with celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the signing of the UN Declaration of Human Rights. 'Walk with Me', toured by the Petone Settlers Museum and sponsored by the Department of Labour, aims to connect people either emotionally or practically with refug... more...

Hamilton’s new central city Christmas tree is nearing completion with lights and decoration on track to be completed this weekend. The first illumination of the tree will be part of a Christmas celebration event this Sunday [7th December] evening at 9pm. The celebrations commence with entertainment from 8.25pm with a Gospel Choir and traditional Chinese instrumental music. There will be a series... more...

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...

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

A life-size caravan made entirely from Huntly Brick will be installed outside the Waikato Museum this Thursday [4 December]. 'Holidays in Huntly' is an eye-catching art piece created by renowned ceramic artist Peter Lange. The current Director of the Auckland Studio Potters' Teaching Centre, Lange has several permanent exhibitions at notable venues including The Beehive, Auckland Museum, Auckland... 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...