In the Waikato district, local community committees are designed to ensure that residents within a ward have a voice to represent the views of the community to the Waikato District Council.

The Tamahere Community Committee, which meets monthly, assists and supports Tamahere Ward Councillor Wally Hayes in his dealings with the council. 

Community committees are not a vehicle for fighting local issues but can provide the council with the feelings of the community on any issues or concerns at an early stage, which hopefully influences council’s decisions. Committee members can, however, make submissions on their own behalf as private individuals.

The core of the current Tamahere Community Committee was elected at a public meeting in November 2007 but there have since been some departures and co-options to maintain numbers. The members and their contact details are:

Tamahere ward councillor Wally Hayes, 07 856 6616
Dallas Fisher (Chairperson), 07 856 4111
Sue Robertson (Deputy Chairperson), 07 823 1411
Maggie Wilcock (Secretary), 07 856 7633
Rowena Edge, 07 859 2076
Arnold Koppens, 07 856 5509
Mandy Elliot, 07 856 1995
Jane Manson, 07 856 2937
Leo Koppens, 07 856 3245

Over the years, Tamahere has had a number of committees that have taken the views of residents to the council. All of these have highlighted one aspect that is important to the community: rural life-style. The retention of the Tamahere rural life-style has been one of the key focuses of all the committees.

The rapid growth of the area means this rural aspect is becoming harder and harder to maintain. Alongside this are growing concerns about road safety, access to schools and commercial development.

In 2004, every resident should have received from Waikato District Council a booklet titled Tamahere – The Lifestyle Community: Community Plan – 2004-2013. Here in pdf: Tamahere Community Plan (While the Tamahere Community Committee have updated our Community Plan, it will be offically updated by Waikato District Council in 2010 with consultation with the community as a whole).  This outlined a vision for Tamahere and identified key issues and projects that the community wished the council to implement. Projects were put into a 1-3 year, 4-8 year, or 7-10 year time frame so that the community could monitor council’s progress. Some of these projects have been completed but others have yet to be, and it is one of the roles of the Tamahere Community Committee to ensure council adheres to this plan, and that any development that takes place does not conflict with the vision for Tamahere that we all shared.

The Tamahere Community Committee deals with a range of issues and here are some of the key activities it has undertaken to date: 

Key Activities Completed to Date
Submission to the WDC 2008/2009 Annual Plan
Submission to Future Proof November 2008
Submission to WDC Growth Strategy, November 2008
Submission to Draft LTCCP 2009-2019
Presentation to Draft LTCCP 2009-2019
Submission to Future Proof April 2009
Submission to Titoki Development August 2009
Submission to Water Bylaw October 2009
Walking and Cycling Priorities to WDC, October 2009

Debate on a community web-site, May 2008
Discussion with WDC on Targeted Rates April 2008
Discussion with WDC on Parks & Reserves Strategy April 2008
Civil Defence review with HCC, WDC, as a result of the fire, May 2008
Discussion with WDC on roading & risk assessment, May 2008
Discussion with WDC on the situation at the Ice Pak site, July 2008, December 2008 and final resolution on this issue has been signed in 2009
Discussion with WDC on Future Proof Project, October 2008
Discussion with WDC on Annual Plan submission, November 2008
Presentation by Bloxham, Burnett & Oliver on the proposed Sand Quarry on Tauwhare Road for Titoki Estates, November 2008, December 2008
Discussion with local councillor re footpaths & cycle-ways & land sales of WDC owned land around the school, December 2008
Public Meeting on Titoki Estate proposed Sand Quarry on 18 December 2008 held due to pressure from the committee.
Discussion with WDC on auto safety, speed, rat runs, deceleration lanes, and footpaths, February 2009.
Discussions with WDC on the Southern Districts Water Supply, Stormwater, Parks & Reserves, Libraries, Refuse Collection and Recycling, Draft LTCCP (and our submission to it), Titoki Sands Quarry, and questions regarding the level of our rates and development levies, April 2009.
Public meeting held to discuss LTCCP on Thursday 2nd April at the Tamahere Hall.
Discussions with Mayor Peter Harris on successful Structure Plan Review proposal and timing, monies currently budgeted in LTCCP for Tamahere, Proof, The Southern District Study and The Southern Links Study, June 2009.
Introductions and update on Titoki Sands Quarry from new Community & Environment Tamahere (CET) group formed and discussions on TCC actions thus far, process from here, and community expectations, June 2009.
Discussions with WDC on new Water Bylaw, LTCCP and Titoki Sands Quarry, July 2009.
Discussions with WDC on progress to date with Titoki Sands Quarry, and Structure Plan Review, September 2009.
Discussions with WDC on Reserves & Recreation Policy and Walking and Cycling Strategy, and our feedback on both, October 2009.

Current Activities
Currently we are working with WDC to try and encourage them to apply the philosophies and principles of Future Proof, as although the legislation has been adopted it is not currently enacted. Regardless of whether Future Proof is in place or not; it has been signed off and so we believe it should form part of any considerations, such as the Titoki Sands Quarry.

We are working with WDC to ensure the Structure Plan Review now budgeted to take place in July 2010 will give us a detailed road map for the future with an intergrated Master Plan which links all other council plans within it.

We are also keeping up to date with the Water Bylaw as it is being passed through council. This contentious, poorly written bylaw has had little consultation but has huge implications for anyone building in our community. We are pushing for further consultation on this law and so it can be properly debated and hope common sense will prevail within council so that this happens.

This committee has had great difficulty in getting key submission dates from WDC, which has limited the committee’s ability to communicate with residents as a whole.

Next dates are:

Meet the Tamahere Community Committee
Thursday, November 19, 7.30pm at the Tamahere Community Centre.
You are invited to a public meeting at which the committee will outline its role, accomplishments and plans. 

19th October to 23rd November 2009
Waikato District Council is seeking public feedback on the councils level of service which will released in a questionnaire through a special edition of The Link, or accessed directly through the WDC website by clicking here. 

Waikato District Community Wellbeing Trust
The trustees of the Waikato Foundation Trust (of which Council is a trustee) have resolved to wind up the Trust and Council will receive a capital sum to be used to benefit the community. Council has resolved to form a Trust that continues to support projects within the District, that further one or more of the nine community outcomes or one or more of the four well beings. The Waikato District Community Wellbeing Trust will be a Council Controlled Organisation.
Consultation Period - 23 November 2009 - 23 December 2009
Proposed Hearing Date - 8 February 2010

Waikato District Council Speed Limit Bylaw 2005 and Amendments
Council will be undertaking a review of its speed limits as set out in the Schedules of the above Bylaw.
Consultation Period - 11 January 2010 - 12 February 2010
Proposed Hearing Date - 8 March 2010

2010/2011 Draft Annual Plan
The draft Annual Plan incorporates the proposed activities and major projects for the 2010/11 year, as well as Council’s Schedule of Proposed Fees and Charges for 2010/11.
Consultation Period - 22 March 2010 - 23 April 2010
Proposed Hearing Dates - 17 May 2010 - 21 May 2010