News in brief
Minister talks
Simeon Brown
Health Minister Simeon Brown will give a public talk tonight to the Cambridge Prostate Cancer Support Group at Cambridge Primary School. A representative of Waikato Urology will join the minister in speaking to what the coalition government is doing to tackle the rising incidence of prostate cancer in New Zealand. At current levels, one man in eight will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2026. Support group co-ordinator Ron Greenwood said information for men and their families will be available during the evening.
Marathon date
A Cambridge Community House fundraiser, the Marathon Row, returns to town later this month. The event is the house’s biggest fundraiser and last year’s 20 rowing ergs, two ski ergs, two stationary bikes and around 150 participants at a single venue raised around $6000 from local businesses.
Appeal lodged
A $2.5 million damages claim against Waipā District Council for negligence has been dismissed by the High Court but it is now subject to appeal, the council’s Risk and Assurance committee heard on Monday. A second negligence claim for an unquantified amount in relation to the way council exercised its building control functions on a district dwelling is still before the court.
Information sought
Waipā staff have processed 1083 Local Government and Official Information Act requests in the seven months since the start of the current financial year on July 1.
Five stars
The Clements Hotel
Cambridge boutique hotel The Clements has been awarded a Qualmark Gold sustainable tourism business award and a five star rating on its first evaluation. The boutique hotel opened in August 2025
Concerns raised
Cambridge residents are expected to voice their views on a proposal to develop 98.6 hectares of land on the southeastern side of Leamington. The land is bordered by the greenbelt to the west, rural-zoned land to the east, the Waikato River to the north and Maungatautari Road to the south. Most is used for equine and grazing purposes. Cambridge Community Board this week encouraged residents to continue engaging with it about how a development of this scale can be supported within the current infrastructure.
Body identified
Police have confirmed the remains of a person found off State Highway 3 between Te Awamutu and Ōtorohanga earlier this month were those of Colin Heath, a 47-year-old last seen in Te Kūiti in 2022. The death has been referred to the coroner and police say Heath’s family have asked for privacy.
Water deal
Waikato District Council has signed the transfer agreement that establishes a publicly owned water company formed with Hamilton City Council and in partnership with Waikato-Tainui, to deliver water and wastewater services to more than 220,000 residents across the councils. The entity will be known as Iawai.
