Cr Ewan Wilson had agreed to take on the role of chairman of the hearings and engagement committee from Gallagher, who will become his deputy. “I’m sure Cr Wilson’s analytical mind and commissioner training will be well suited to the role.” Wilson will also be appointed as a member of the new Te Huia Governance Forum, which has previously operated as a working group under the auspices of the Waikato Regional Council. Meanwhile, Cr Kesh Naidoo-Rauf would join the Hamilton City Council/Waikato-Tainui Co-Governance Forum, “where we will greatly value her considered approach and fresh thinking”.
CHRISTEL YARDLEY/STUFF
Stuff
“Stats” and history: Riff Raff, In the Line of Fire, The Farming Family and Captain Hamilton are and have been landmarks in Hamilton.
Is Hamilton’s
In the Line of Fire glorify war? And is the
Riff Raff statue a slap in the face to people who dislike musical comedies? Such scenarios seem unlikely, if not ridiculous, but whether future changes to society could result in statues and memorials having to be removed from the streets and parks of Hamilton – such as last year’s speedy removal of the
Captain Hamilton statue from Civic Square – sparked a lengthy debate around the Hamilton City Council table.
Christel Yardley/Stuff
Three days of deliberations in the Hamilton City Council debating chamber failed to whittle down an 8.9 per cent rates hike in the 2021/22 financial year.
After three solid days of bickering, number crunching and U-turns, the Hamilton City Council has failed to whittle down a projected 8.9 per cent rates increase by a single decimal point. The council has set the rate for the 2021/22 financial year in its long term plan deliberations as well as ongoing rates increases of 4.9 per cent for each of the following two years. As the long term plan deliberations progressed and, evidently alarmed their labours were making very little impact on the projected rates increase, councillors made some big budgeting decisions towards the end of the process.
If it goes ahead, the upgrade should make Hamilton a much more pleasant place to begin, end, or stop off on a journey. It will include a 24-hour seated waiting area with security monitoring; secure parking for bikes and scooters; improved ticketing facilities, public address system and “wayfinding signage”. Perhaps most importantly, there will fully accessible, electronically adjustable toilets and handbasins to cater for people with those needs. In recent times a lack of Waka Kotahi funding for Hamilton projects has led to much frustration around the council table over the city getting an apparent cold shoulder from the Government agency.