The Government’s decision to pause its Head Start local government reform programme has frustrated Whaingaroa Ward councillor Lisa Thomson, but she says it also creates an opportunity to reconsider how much control communities such as Raglan could have over local services and budgets.
Lisa told Raglan Community Radio councils had spent significant staff time preparing reform proposals within tight Government deadlines, only to have the process put on hold until after the election.
Waikato District had worked with Waipā and South Waikato on a Western Waikato proposal, while council staff were simultaneously dealing with other legislative reform and preparing the next Long Term Plan.
For Lisa, one of the more useful questions now is whether future reforms could shift some decision-making closer to individual communities.
And the recent debate around Raglan Lawns provides a practical example.
Why can’t Raglan Lawns just mow Raglan?
Questions have been raised locally about why Raglan Lawns, which previously carried out mowing work around town as a Citycare is no longer doing that work under council’s new open-spaces contract.
Lisa said the answer lay partly in the scale of the contract.
Council’s previous 10-year contract with Citycare ended in June. Rather than replacing it with another single district-wide contract, council divided the work between northern and southern Waikato, then split each area into three categories.
Those cover parks and cemeteries, including mowing, gardening and burial-related duties; sports fields, including mowing, pitches, courts and line marking; and playgrounds, structures and other hard surfaces.
Lisa said the work had deliberately been broken into smaller components so more contractors could tender.
“We have deliberately broken down those parts of the contract, so other contractors, smaller ones, could tender for parts of the contract as opposed to the contract in its entirety,” she said.
Her understanding was that Raglan Lawns and another contractor had jointly tendered for part of the new work, although she stressed she was not involved in procurement and did not know which section they applied for.
The key point, she said, was that council had not put out a contract specifically to mow Raglan. Each contract covers either the northern or southern part of the district and includes communities and facilities well beyond the township.
Could Raglan control its own service budget?
Lisa said the situation raised a bigger question about whether some services could eventually be devolved to local boards or communities.
Under a different local government model, she suggested a local body could receive a ring-fenced budget for particular services and make decisions about how that money was spent.
“That very much is something that I think that we should explore,” she said.
It could mean decisions about services such as mowing being made locally, with responsibility for whether those services were delivered properly also sitting closer to the community.
Lisa stressed council already uses Raglan contractors where the structure of the work allows it.
Recent examples include Stop Digging and Raglan Excavators at the Greenslade Road neighbourhood park, J Stone at the Papahua pump track and Matt Henderson for council tree work around Raglan.
For routine maintenance, council staff can also engage approved local contractors directly, while larger upgrade projects generally go through a tender process.
Wainui pines could be harvested within a year
There is also more certainty emerging around the future of the pine trees at Wainui Reserve.
Lisa said the trees had now been assessed as ready for harvesting and she believed logging could take place within the next year, although the timing and process were still to be worked through.
That has major implications for Raglan’s mountain bike tracks, much of which run through the pine trees.
Lisa said Raglan Mountain Bike Club had put substantial voluntary work into the tracks and should be closely involved in planning what happens afterwards.
“They want to be involved in planning for the future of those tracks because they are so well utilised,” she said.
A draft 30-year reserve management plan for Wainui is also progressing. Staff have been working with hapū and other interest groups, with Lisa hopeful the draft will reach wider community consultation later this year.
Council wants Government support for communities hosting WSL
The World Surf League Championship Tour’s have confirmed their return to Manu Bay in 2027.
Lisa said the community impact work completed after this year’s event had identified priorities for the next one, including greater local participation, stronger hapū involvement and a more prominent place for local culture.
Another issue is who pays for the local work required to support major events.
Lisa said Government funding through the major events fund goes to the WSL rather than directly to Waikato District Council or community organisations helping deliver the event locally.
At this week’s Community Voice and Choice Committee meeting, Mayor Aksel Bech called for council to write to the Government arguing that host communities should also receive support.
Lisa said the local destination management organisation had played an important role in communications, responding to community questions and connecting WSL organisers with local businesses and services.
“Those relationships are key,” she said.
Boat ramps, Town Hall and library in LTP check-in
Council is meanwhile seeking early feedback on its next Long Term Plan, but Lisa said this stage was less about adding new projects and more about checking whether existing priorities still reflected what communities wanted.
For Raglan, she highlighted three specific questions: whether residents still supported boat ramp charges, what the future of Raglan Town Hall should look like and whether the library should eventually be expanded.
Lisa said Raglan had the highest patronage or usage rate of any Waikato District Council library and funding for upgrades had previously been considered.
“Have we heard this right?” she said.
People can provide feedback through Waikato District Council’s Long Term Plan pre-engagement process in early October.
1978 screening brings local history into focus
Finally, Lisa is encouraging locals to attend Sunday’s community screenings of 1978 at Raglan Town Hall.
The film will screen at 11am and 4pm on Sunday 27 September, with local land rights activist Angeline Greensill speaking before the 4pm session about the local events of 1978 and the campaign around the Raglan Golf Course.
Lisa said the film’s historical setting includes both Bastion Point and the Raglan Golf Course occupation, giving the screening particular relevance in Whāingaroa.
Tea, cake and popcorn will be available, and people are also being encouraged to dress in 1970s style.
