Sea change on Māori wards

A remarkable turnaround in public opinion – and strong submissions from iwi – put councils wanting to introduce Māori wards on the front foot. This is the final week councils up and down the country…

Waipā’s Mayor Jim Mylchreest says his councillors cannot indicate their opinions on the Māori ward issue before they vote on it next week. He says if a councillor expresses an opinion on the issue, he or she could be banned from taking part in the debate because it would suggest “predetermination”….

Good Local Media – publishers of the Cambridge News and Te Awamutu News – has teamed up two of the country’s most experienced community newspaper journalists. Publisher David Mackenzie this week brought on board Mary…

Mayors and councillors from the Waikato and Bay of Plenty will meet tomorrow in the wake of a Government announcement that local government is in for a shake-up. Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta made the…

League is back on the rise in Waipā. The Te Awamutu Sports Firehawks will play in the reserve grade of the new season’s Waikato competition under coach Victor Heke, and the club has also established…

Ōtorohanga has stolen a march on fellow Waikato councils and voted to create a Māori ward for its 2022 elections. In doing so it opted against the consultation process favoured by sister councils. The decision,…

Waipā District Council chief executive Garry Dyet says the exposure given in last week’s News to abusive on-line comments prompted an outpouring of support. Cr Susan O’Regan prefaced a discussion on plans for Te Awamutu’s…

A Waipā District Councillor has delivered a public message to the community after itemizing a litany of abusive messages posted on social media platforms. And she has exposed the vicious abuse which has become the…

A move to give the Director General of Health the power to determine whether fluoride goes into water supplies has the potential to create divisions in Waikato. Only Hamilton City and Waikato District fluoridate all…

Waikato Regional Councillors have backed a project to future-proof homes in the province via low interest loans. The proposal is part of the council’s draft long term plans. Roy Pilott looks at the proposal and…