Whāingaroa general Ward Councillor Lisa Thomson joined Aaron in studio today to cover off recent news from Waikato District Council, including approving and adopting the Annual Plan which determines where the Waikato District Council spend their money over the next year.
Lisa says that due to economic uncertainties such as inflation, rising interest rates, and recovery costs from recent weather events, a seven percent general rate increase has been implemented. This increase is a response to external factors that have significantly affected the council’s ability to maintain services and infrastructure.
The general rate increase ensures that the council can cover rising costs and continue providing essential services and it also replenishes the depleted disaster recovery fund, improving the district’s readiness to handle future weather events and safeguard the wellbeing of our communities.
The general rate increase applies district-wide, but the actual amount is based on your property’s capital value. To find out how this affects you, you can use the online rates information database and search for your property rating details. Council Land Purchases to Address Future Growth Council plays a crucial role in anticipating growth within the district, including here in Whāingaroa, and they are instrumental in planning for the future needs of the community.
“We try to forecast growth in various communities and there’s money set aside for things like sports fields, or what we call strategic property purchasing,” said Lisa.
Recently, the Council acquired land in Te Kowhai to develop a larger sports field. They also purchased the old Waipa Hotel site in Ngāruawāhia, which had suffered a fire a few years ago. Lisa sees this as an excellent opportunity for the entire Ngāruawāhia community, saying, “There is an opportunity to extend, for example, the community hub and all of those sorts of facilities for the future.” In Raglan, there is a shortage of flat land suitable for strategic purchases like additional sports fields. However, the staff are constantly searching for potential opportunities.
“If we could find some flat land here for sports fields, that would be great. We have an enthusiastic community around sports so we really need to think about future planning with the growth in our community.” Coastal Erosion and Other Environmental Impacts on Future Growth Considering future growth also entails addressing the impacts of environmental changes, such as erosion, flood risks and rising sea levels, and incorporating these factors into the council’s planning process.
As the chair of the Sustainability and Wellbeing Committee, Lisa and her team have been discussing erosion at Port Waikato and the need for adaptive management planning in that area going forward. Over the past year, significant erosion of approximately 8 metres has been recorded, resulting in the removal of one house from the coastline due to sand dune erosion.
Some worried residents of Port Waikato have called for the construction of a sea wall, but expert advice has indicated that such walls can create additional problems and may not fully address the erosion issue. Lisa explains that according to the Waikato Regional Council, sand movement on the west coast follows cyclical patterns, but the expected sand flow from the south has not occurred in recent years, exacerbating the problem.
“We made a number of recommendations which were passed at our Sustainability and Wellbeing Committee Meeting. It’s the adaptive management planning for not only Port Waikato, but also coastal communities like ours. These include looking at plantings that are appropriate to an area, building or not building, depending on where that area is. And then, of course, is the last resort of retreat planning. So it’s a whole suite of options for communities.” Lisa also highlights the need for urgent action and “serious thinking” in locations like Papahua to mitigate erosion impacts and that the actions to be taken need to be based on evidence-based data and developed in consultation with the community.
Stormwater Infrastructure Lisa recently participated in a Stormwater Hui organised by the council and Watercare staff. The focus of the event was to examine the district’s stormwater infrastructure, which includes 56 kilometres of open drains, 154 kilometres of piping, 4434 manholes, 759 discharge points into waterways, and three pump stations.
According to Lisa, managing infrastructure poses several challenges for the council, particularly in terms of allocating resources for future planning. Lisa also mentions that regular checks done by Watercare staff have highlighted and exposed some of the weaknesses in the district’s networks – which will need to be addressed moving forward – and will contribute to the ongoing infrastructure costs.
On a national scale, the central government is implementing the Three Waters Reforms, which will bring about changes in how local councils handle their stormwater, drinking water, and wastewater infrastructure and services over the next few years. These reforms are expected to impact the management and delivery of these essential utilities at the local level.
Mental Health Gumboot Friday – Lisa has met with ex-Raglan Area School student Grace Mindoro to organise a mental health support day for later in the year.
Gearing Up for General Elections – with the general elections set for Saturday, 14 October, Lisa is hoping to team up with both Taurikura and Raglan Naturally to present a similar event to ‘Meet the Candidates’ for community members to familiarise themselves with the political parties and their policies.
Community Consultation for the Freedom Camping Bylaw – is coming up for review and will be open for feedback around mid-July so stay tuned to Raglan Community Radio for updates. https://raglanradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/RCR-lisa.png