Local Choice
We have ourselves an election. Seven people are going for the three seats in Waipa District Council’s Te Awamutu-Kihikihi ward and six for the four on the community board.
There are three for two seats in Pirongia-Kakepuku, including mayoral candidate Clare St Pierre. Incumbent Dale-Maree Morgan is one of two nominations in the Maori ward – the other is Yvonne Waho. Kane Titchener is the only nomination in the Kakepuku subdivision seat for the community board and is elected unopposed.
Susan O’Regan faces expected opposition from senior councillors Mike Pettit and St Pierre for the Waipa mayoralty.
Family members are standing in Waikato Regional Council’s Waipa-King Country constituency with brother and sister-in-law Garry Reymer and current Waipa deputy mayor Liz Stolwyk going up against incumbents Stuart Kneebone and Clyde Graf.
Waipa mayoralty x 1
Susan O’Regan
Mike Pettit
Clare St Pierre
Pirongia-Kakepuku Ward x 2
Les Bennett
Naomi Pocock
Clare St Pierre
Te Awamutu-Kihikihi Ward x 3
Lou Brown
Marcus Gower
Graham Jull
Lyn Hunt
Dean Taylor
Shane Walsh
Bernard Westerbaan
Waipa Maori ward x 1
Dale-Maree Morgan
Yvonne Waho
Te Awamutu-Kihikihi community board x 4
Liam Bullen
Ange Holt
John Kopa
Sharon Stirling
Jill Taylor
John Wood
Kakepuku x 1
Kane Titchener
Waikato Regional Council
Waipa-King Country constituency x 2
Clyde Graf
Stuart Kneebone
Garry Reymer
Liz Stolwyk
1 August 11am
Board elections
Get on board – that’s the theme for the upcoming triennial school board elections.
Boards, formerly boards of trustees, play a critical role in the education system, said New Zealand School Boards Association president Meredith Kennett.
“They make decisions that affect students, teachers and whānau across the country.”
Nominations for Cambridge High School closed on Wednesday while Te Awamutu College, Te Kūiti High and Ōtorohanga College close next week.
Closing dates vary across Waipā and King Country for primary schools but voting closes on September 10 with boards taking office the following week.
St Peter’s School is an independent school and chooses its trust board – made up of between seven and nine trustees who serve three-year terms to a maximum of 12 years.
Eligible voters for state and state-integrated (former private) schools should have received details by post or by email.
30 July 2025 6pm
Financial result
Waipā District Council’s expenditure for the financial year ended June 30 was $12.8 million more than budgeted mainly driven by non-cash adjustments for assets written off ahead of the revaluation of council’s assets for the annual report as well as a loss on investment properties and forestry assets. Operating income of $163.5 million came in at 99 per cent of forecast revenue.
Bronze winners
Waipā butcher Expleo collected a bronze medal for its dry cured streaky bacon at the national Bacon and Ham Awards announced last week. The Te Awamutu butcher was one of four from Waikato to collect medals on the night.
Who will stand?
The orange man is used extensively in Electoral Commission publicity to advertise elections
A lack of community board nominations could force costly by elections in Maungatautari, Cambridge and Te Awamutu/Kihikihi. When The News went to press there were no nominations for the one Maungatautari seat – although Andrew Myers previously confirmed he would restand – one in Te Awamutu and two in Cambridge for the four seats on each board. Elections are confirmed for the mayoralty and council positions in Cambridge and Te Awamutu/Kihikihi.
Money owed
Ratepayers owed $1.2 million at the end of Waipā’s financial year on June 30 and $183,000 from previous years. Water rates owing were $936,000 with 94 per cent collected.
Candidate withdraws
Fabio Rodrigues has lived in Pōkeno since he was 8.
Fabio Rodrigues has withdrawn as a Waikato district mayoral candidate throwing his support behind former deputy mayor Aksel Bech’s second all or nothing bid to be mayor and oust incumbent Jacqui Church. Rodrigues, 19, will stand as a councillor in the Pōkeno-Tuakau ward.
Leases extended
Tasman Wakelin in action at the Cambridge BMX track.
Cambridge and District Senior Citizens’ Association and Cambridge BMX Club have had their leases extended for council land in Victoria Street and Milton/Lamb Streets. Annually, the association will pay $192 plus GST and the BMX club $653 with a $405 and $392 administration fee.
Liquor bans
A section of the large crowd during the Waka Ama Sprint Champs pōwhiri held at Lake Karāpiro.
A temporary alcohol ban for specified events will again be in place at Lake Karāpiro during events from this month through to May next year. Before 2011, alcohol consumption at events caused a high level of disorder. Since then bans have mitigated this and alcohol-related disorders substantially reduced.
