Waipā District Council

13/06/2026

From post-budget breakfasts to chatting with Ministers about amalgamation, meeting with mana whenua and visiting Fieldays - Mike Pettit Waipā Mayor shares what’s been happening in his neck of the woods over the past week.

11/06/2026

The Rural Farm Tour is back!

Mayor Mike Pettit, the Cambridge Community Board and councillors are heading out on farm for a chance to catch up with rural residents.

📅 Tuesday, June 23
📍 10am - 12pm, Roto-o-Rangi area
📍 12pm - 2pm, Fencourt area

It’s a great chance to hear what’s happening across the district and share your thoughts on what matters most to you as ratepayers.
Refreshments will be provided.

Come along and have a chat - all are welcome. To register and receive the address, please email: [email protected]

11/06/2026

𝗦𝗛𝟭 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗩𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗮 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲, 𝗛𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗮𝗽𝘂 🛣

𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟭𝟱, traffic heading north on SH1 towards Hamilton won’t be able to exit via the Victoria Road Interchange, Hautapu. NZTA is completing the next stage of road resealing at the on/off ramp until mid-July (weather dependant).

Detours in place (see map below):

➡️Traffic travelling to Cambridge northbound from Karāpiro:
Exit at the Southern Interchange (Tīrau Road, past the Cambridge Golf Club)

➡️Northbound traffic leaving Cambridge, you can either:
▪️Exit via the Northern Interchange (Cambridge West) and use Cambridge Road/Hamilton Road to access SH1 northbound.
▪️Exit via SH1B/SH26 and back to SH1 at Hamilton

Expect delays, especially during peak hours!

Please plan ahead, allow extra time for your journey, consider alternative routes and take care when travelling through work sites.

Questions? Contact NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi:
📧 [email protected]
📞 0800 4 HIGHWAYS

11/06/2026

🏆𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐖𝐚𝐢𝐩𝐚̄'𝐬 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞

We have options!

Change is coming to local government across New Zealand, and we want to hear what matters most to you before any decisions are made.

The Government has invited councils to explore new local government arrangements through its Head Start reform process. While no decisions have been made, the choices considered over the coming months could help shape the future of Waipā for generations.

We're seeking feedback on a range of options and asking our community what they value most when it comes to local representation, affordability, regional collaboration and future opportunities.

So, what are our options? Check these out:

🏆 One big Waikato council for the whole region
🏆 A single council for Hamilton, Waikato, Matamata-Piako and Waipā
🏆 Teaming up with our Waikato Waters councils, and Taupō
🏆Championing two unitary authorities based on river catchments: Waikato/Waipā and Waihou Piako catchments

Or - We just sit back and let the Government decide for us.

As the Home of Champions, we believe the best results come when everyone has a chance to contribute.

📢 Have your say and help shape Waipā's future: letstalk.waipadc.govt.nz/championing-our-future

Feedback closes on Sunday, June 28.

Major changes to local government are coming soon and we're seeking your feedback about our future direction.

09/06/2026

WARNING: gross content is coming...🤢

What we're finding in some recycling bins across the district is pretty disgusting. If you don't like the look of it, remember that someone else has to deal with it on the other end, and it's not cool.

It's costing you a lot of money too, around $600K a year. All that good recycling ends up in the landfill unnecessarily because a small number of residents are not following the rules.

We've rolled out a new process to reduce severe and recurring contamination.

Here's what it looks like:
🪫 Low-level contamination: If we find minor issues, your bin may be stickered or tagged with instructions, not collected that week, or you may need to remove the incorrect items before your next collection.
⚠️ Extreme or repeated contamination: If we find significant or ongoing issues, your bin may be removed from your property. To have it reinstated, you’ll need to complete a recycling test and pay a reinstatement fee.

Do your part - be the neighbour who helps keep our recycling clean and our costs down for everyone.

07/06/2026

🚜 Heading to Fieldays this week?

With thousands of visitors expected at Mystery Creek from Wednesday, June 10 through to Saturday, June 14, roads around the event site will be much busier than usual.

Here’s some useful information to help you plan your journey.

🚫Temporary road closures, restrictions and accesses: bit.ly/4dWrcMk

📍Live travel updates: bit.ly/3oZjPNl

🚌 Want an easier ride in? Free Park & Ride services are running from Cambridge and Te Awamutu throughout the event. Just show your Fieldays ticket and hop on. bit.ly/3P47PVA

Take care on the roads and enjoy Fieldays!

05/06/2026

👋Welcome back to another Friday arvo update with Mike Pettit Waipā Mayor! This week has been jam-packed - meeting staff, councillors, Cambridge's senior forum, Ko Wai Au Trust, and supporting Pink Ribbon Breakfast. Mike’s pumped for the Chiefs game, catching up with family on Sunday, and Fieldays next week. He thinks it might be the biggest and best one yet! Have a lovely weekend. 🙂

04/06/2026

What's better than one Mike? Two! Mike Pettit Waipā Mayor and Councillor Mike Montgomerie recap key discussions from the past two days of Council meetings, including progress on Cambridge Connections, the next steps for developing a draft transport plan, and workshops exploring local government reform and a potential unitary Waikato district.

03/06/2026

Don’t let the FOMO get you. Sainsbury Road Reserve planting day is a chance to dig in for nature and your community. Get amongst it. Bring the kids. Soup, social time and planting your heart out.

• Saturday, June 13 10am to midday

Secure your spot and register now www.waipadc.govt.nz/sainsburyreserve

The mission? Plant 10,000+ native plants across the reserve’s hill slopes and wetland areas to help restore this much-loved spot after the rough weather earlier this year.

03/06/2026

Submissions on the request from Milan Park Stud to rezone nearly 100 hectares of grazing land on the south-eastern side of Leamington for medium-density residential development closed at the end of April.

We received 275 submissions – thank you to everyone who shared their thoughts on the Proposed Private Plan Change 37 (Rider Park Structure Plan). We’re now reviewing each submission as part of the process.

Next, we’ll publish a summary of the key decisions requested by submissions. These will be available for everyone to read on our website.

Want to follow along? Head to waipadc.govt.nz/planchange37 for updates and more details.