Latest News
Historic day for Ngati Haua
Ngati Haua will sign a deed of settlement with the Crown at the Te Iti o Haua Marae, Tauwhare, on Friday, May 24, which will acknowledge the Crown’s breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi dating back to 1863.
To be attended by King Tuheitia and Treaty Negotiations Minister Chris Finlayson, the ceremony will start at 7am with the raising of the king’s flag.
Tamahere’s earliest person of note is Wiremu Tamihana, a chief of Ngati Haua, known as the Maori Kingmaker and revered as a peacemaker.
[continue reading...]
Hot Topics
Tamahere Community Committee chairman Dallas Fisher has urged the Waikato District Council to be “commercially savvy” about the controversial Hart Rd homes being built by Chinese developer LV Park.
Hart Rd residents have raised concerns that eight massive houses being built on their road were intended to be used as hostel-type housing for Chinese students.
At its May meeting, the committee heard that the Hart Rd neighborhood group believed issues, including a potential overload of traffic, sewer and stormwater systems should be fully investigated rather than ignored by the council.
Residents of Rototuna in Hamilton have joined voices with Tamahere householders outraged about massive houses being built in their communities they fear are to become Chinese student hostels.
Chinese developer LV Park Construction is building a two-storey, seven bedroom house with ensuites in Barwick Place, Rototuna, and neighbours who believe it is intended to be student housing have taken their concerns to the Hamilton City Council.
The Waikato Times reported last week that LV Park manager Thomas Wang planned eight large-scale homes in a developing area of Tamahere, in the Waikato District Council’s patch.
Expressway info day now in Tamahere
NZTA has scheduled an additional information day in Tamahere to outline its latest plans for the Waikato Expressway interchange at Cherry Lane.
At the day on Thursday, May 9, 2pm to 7pm, in the Tamahere Community Hall, NZTA’s full project team will be on hand to explain the new-look interchange (pictured).
Previously the agency had planned information days at Horsham Downs and in Hamilton only.
Student housing or family homes?
Tamahere homeowners are furious over what is being dubbed an illegal student housing complex they say will destroy their quiet, country lifestyle.
Waikato District Council is investigating the development after a resident raised concerns that eight massive houses being built on Hart Rd were intended to be used as hostel-type housing for Chinese students.
But the Waikato-based Chinese housing developer says such claims are untrue.
Two golf clubs into one
Waikato’s newest golf club – the result of a merger between the Lochiel and Narrows clubs – will take its name from the Waikato River, which flows between its two courses.
To be known as the Riverside Golf Club, the name arose from a vote by members of the two clubs.
The origins of the new-look club lie nearly 80 years in the past. Lochiel was formed and incorporated in 1938 and Narrows in 1935.
The NZ Transport Agency’s latest plans for the Waikato Expressway interchange at Cherry Lane in Tamahere will be on show at public information days next week.
NZTA has completed investigations of preferred connection options for the 21.8km Hamilton section of the 102km expressway, including the Southern Interchange at Tamahere.
It is hosting two information days, one at the Horsham Downs Community Hall, Martin Lane, off Horsham Downs Road, from 2pm to 7pm on Tuesday, May 7; the second at the Hamilton Marist Rugby Club, 147 Old Farm Road, Hamilton East, from 2pm to 7pm the following day, Wednesday, May 8.
Local Events
Art delivers on mail “As a child growing up in rural New Zealand I remember the huge, rustic, metal mailboxes before the cattle stop at the front gate of the wild and beautiful Taranaki farms of my grandparents.”
Such memories and more inspired Tamahere woman Jenny Scown to stage the latest exhibition, Rural Delivery, at her Inspirit Studio and Gallery, from June 2.
“The concept for the exhibition was in part inspired by my own rural background and the book ‘It’s in the post’ – the stories behind New Zealand stamps, by Richard Wolfe,” says Scown.
Market meetings make the morningThe monthly chance to bump into neighbours and friends over the pickles or persimmons, pasties or paintings, aka the Tamahere Market, is on this Saturday.
There will be a treat in store for muesli munchers as a new stall selling the wholesome breakfast joins the wonderful and varied line up at the market.
Others contributing to the ever-changing food and drink variety this year have been the tempting hot chocolate and fruit syrups which have joined regulars such as gourmet pies, Indian vegetarian food and freshly made crepes.
Local People
Couple bare business all They are likely Hamilton’s biggest brothel keepers, with 500 girls on their books in the seven years since they began their foray into the sex industry.
Tattooed, shady characters with underworld connections? Far from it.
She’s the secretary of the school PTA and an active parent at the high-decile country school in the wealthy Tamahere mansion belt where they live.
Local lawyer suspendedA Hamilton lawyer who acted for a conman for the illegal sale of an Auckland church has been suspended from practising for two years.
Fletcher Law director Charles Fletcher, of Tamahere, acted for Charles Hohepa and helped facilitate the sale.
In its decision released yesterday, the New Zealand Lawyers and Conveyancers Disciplinary Tribunal said Mr Fletcher’s suspension would begin from May 24.
Our Patch
Interaction with WDC now online Want to report a barking dog? Need to change your rates notice mailing address? Noticed a pothole in the road?
The Waikato District Council has launched an Online Services portal on its website to enable people to report local matters, change their personal details or make a service request 24/7.
Among the categories to choose and track online are road maintenance, dog control, rubbish collection, water readings and rates queries.
Open fire season from May 1An open fire season will apply in the Waikato district from May 1.
An open fire season means that permits will not be required unless the fire is within a Department of Conservation area or within a one kilometre safety margin around such an area.
Water restrictions have also been lifted in the district.
Local History
Historic day for Ngati Haua Ngati Haua will sign a deed of settlement with the Crown at the Te Iti o Haua Marae, Tauwhare, on Friday, May 24, which will acknowledge the Crown’s breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi dating back to 1863.
To be attended by King Tuheitia and Treaty Negotiations Minister Chris Finlayson, the ceremony will start at 7am with the raising of the king’s flag.
Tamahere’s earliest person of note is Wiremu Tamihana, a chief of Ngati Haua, known as the Maori Kingmaker and revered as a peacemaker.
Glad tidings on mystery couple Mystery couple Arthur and Glad whose 1920 wedding photo, apparently taken at Tamahere, puzzled a British woman when she found it in her family’s papers in London has been solved.
“The couple are Christopher Arthur Teague and Gladys Teague (nee Crahart) on their wedding day on 26 October, 1920, in Palmerston North,” emailed their daughter-in-law, June Teague, this week.
“They arrived from Cornwall, England and after their marriage they farmed on Woodcock’s Road, Tamahere,” June wrote, finally establishing there was a Tamahere connection, and solving the months old mystery.
