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...

Hamilton Zoo has welcomed its first kea chick in 15 years. The unnamed chick, whose sex is not yet known, was hatched on 15 September to first-time parents, Tane (15) and Kowhai (9). The chick will take up to 13 weeks to leave the nest so won't be visible to the public until around mid-December. There hasn't been breeding of kea at Hamilton Zoo for many years due to restrictions on the number of... more...

A series of resolutions aimed at continually improving the Hamilton 400 event and its impact on Hamilton were passed by Council at a meeting on 17 September. The resolutions come as a result of Council considering the findings of Peter Stubb's independent review of the Hamilton 400 and cover a range of focus areas: Closure of the Hamilton 400 circuit to road traffic Following appropriate legal ... more...

A New Zealand exhibition that has received international recognition opens at Waikato Museum this Saturday [27 September]. Aniwaniwa is a collaborative work by sculptor Brett Graham and digital artist Rachael Rakena that tells the story of Horahora, a village on the Waikato River where Graham's father was born, that was flooded to create a new dam at Lake Karapiro. While the work tells a very spe... more...

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

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...

A review of the Hamilton 400 V8 Supercar event conducted by independent chairperson Peter Stubbs has been received and will be considered at a Council meeting next week. The report identifies 57 issues for consideration and presents over 100 recommendations as a result of an extensive investigation and analysis of feedback. The review’s primary objectives are to assist in improving the event year... more...

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

The new public art installation based in Rototuna is about to take on an exciting new form, with the raising of seven waka scheduled to take place next Tuesday [9 September]. Until now the only visible structures of the installation, situated at the intersection of Borman Road and Resolution Drive, have been the concrete foundations. Placed in the formation of the Kingitanga symbol of the Matati... 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 City Council is calling for artists to think "creative and dynamic" when it comes to the V8 Supercars pit lane. Expressions of Interest are now open for the Pit Lane Public Art project, a project which Council hopes will deliver to the city another piece of public art which adds value to the site and reflects Hamilton's unique identity. Once it is installed the art piece will contribute ... 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...