In our fortnightly catch up with Whāingaroa Ward Councillor, Lisa Thomson, she goes over some of the issues brought up at the Raglan Community Board meeting held earlier this week at the Town Hall Supper Room.
Rural Waste Depots and Lithium Batteries Catching Fire Xtreme Zero Waste Chief Manager, Stephen van Wonderen, attended the board meeting to provide updates about the rural waste depots. He reported that the recently upgraded Te Uku depot is being well-used with the site being cleared five times a week even though Xtreme Zero Waste are only contracted to clear it three times.
The extra clearings are currently being funded at cost to Xtreme Zero Waste and a request is being made to council to see if additional funding is available to cover these costs. Te Uku residents currently pay a targeted rate for this depot and there are concerns that businesses and non-residents are using the location as a free rubbish dumping ground.
(listen to the bulletin below:) Stephen also gave an update on the Te Mata depot for which they are waiting for the concrete pad to be laid before opening the site for rural residents.
The XZW team also provided a warning about lithium batteries and are asking community members to dispose of lithium batteries properly as these batteries are potential fire hazards.
This warning follows an incident where a recycling truck caught fire in Hamilton after a lithium battery from a vape caught fire in the compactor (lithium batteries are highly flammable under pressure.) It’s the third such incident in Hamilton over the last year.
XZW are asking the community to make sure lithium batteries are not placed in the blue bags or recycling bins and are instead dropped off to the Resource Recovery Centre on Te Hutewai Rd. They will also be working on making the site safe for the batteries and there will be an education and messaging programme coming soon Roading and Traffic The public forum for the board meeting opened at 1.30pm on Wednesday with a member of the community commenting on the great job council are doing, responding to service requests for potholes.
Waikato District Council’s new roading manager, Grant Tregidga, was also in attendance at the board meeting to give an update on repair works for Ohautira Rd following the reinstatement of SH23 – the deviation. Ohautira Rd was used as the official detour route while SH23 was closed and funding is available to repair road damage incurred during that time.
Waitetuna Rd was also used as an unofficial detour but because this route is not an official emergency detour route, the board were unsuccessful in obtaining extra funds to fix damage to those roads at this time.
A reminder to the community that if you see something that needs fixing around town, then head to the Waikato District Council website to make an online request for service.
Ruapuke Rd Washout – The Auckland Anniversary rain caused a significant washout at the car park on the northern end of Ruapuke Beach and council are looking to fix this soon.
Discussions around a stop sign to replace the give way sign on the Manukau Rd and Government Rd intersection have been included for review in the Traffic Bylaw which is currently open for feedback.
A boat ramp user registration charge for boaties is being introduced with considerations for a discounted fee for ratepayers and members of the Raglan Sport Fishing Club.
Lime Scooters will not be coming to Raglan. Tai Runga Takiwaa Maaori Ward Councillor Tilly Tuner has attended a staggering 72 meetings since her election and has been busy establishing the mana whenua forums for council.
The Wi Neera Walkway is due for repairs but there are a number of issues that need to be considered in the upgrade including the stability of the concrete foundation and sea wall, upgrading watercare pipes that run underneath, constructing a railing and adding lighting.
Lisa said that she would prefer to see a full repair addressing all of the issues rather than remedial work but this would depend on what is available in the budget – which is looking very tight at the moment.
Kaitoke Track Weedbusting – Leanne Steel from Whāingaroa Weed Busters asked the board for assistance to help tackle the weeds infesting the Kaitoke walking track.
Next Raglan Community Board Meeting Location: The Supper Room, Raglan Community Hall, Bow Street, Raglan Date: 5 April 2023, 01:30 pm Repeats: Every 6 weeks on Wednesday, 01:30 pm – 03:30 pm, starting 22 February 2023 https://raglanradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/1677199084233.jpg