Detailed results are out for the Māori Ward vote at the recent election, and as expected the Whāingaroa General Ward voted overwhelmingly in favour of retaining Māori wards, while all other general wards voted against keeping them.
According to the official tally:
Whāingaroa General Ward Elections:
• I vote to KEEP Māori wards – 1005 votes
• I vote to REMOVE Māori wards – 596 votes
• Informal – 1
• Blank – 67
The Whāingaroa vote (1005 to keep, 596 to remove) contrasted sharply with many other wards, where the margin in favour of “remove” was often two-to-one. Only Huntly looked close to flipping, while Māori Ward voters themselves were 99% in favour of retaining their wards.
Waikato District Council looks set to ban freedom camping on James St following a hearing held in Raglan on Wednesday. The decision was made by the panel in the Raglan Town Hall after hearing from residents and others from out town who made verbal submissions. The decision just needs to be ratified by the full council on 16th December and the rules will be officially in place.
James St residents who have been sick of freedom campers using their streets for impromptu parties and makeshift toilets will be pleased with the result, especially because the decision has come outside the normal council bylaw review cycle with a special one-off hearing.
The Raglan Wharf Precinct and part of Wallis Street will be closed to vehicles overnight from Tuesday 9 December toThursday 11 December from 5pm to 6am each night, while Council carries out resurfacing and line marking.
Boat trailer parking will be restricted from 6am Tuesday 9 December until 6am Friday 12 December to keep the area free of vehicles throughout the works.
Pedestrian access will not be affected, and Council will maintain safe access for emergency services, residents and business suppliers.
The Government has announced it wants to bar councillors from lifting rates more than 4% annually, in a move they say is to “protect local government’s social licence”.
Local Government Minister Simon Watts said a full cap will apply from 2029, but with monitoring of rates and grounds for interventions as soon as 2027.
The Government has also mandated that Councils pay for the 45 billion dollar upgrade to the national 3-waters infrastructure which for many Waikato District Council ratepayers will use up most of the rates cap for the next decade. This will leave no room for inflationary increases at a time when construction costs are rising faster than the CPI.