Great news ahead of the Waitangi long weekend – the public health warnings on Lakes Ngā Roto and Arapuni were lifted yesterday by Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora.

Tests have shown that the cyanobacterial (blue-green algae) levels are now below the health warning level.

Ngā Roto was issued with a warning on October 30 last year, Arapuni followed on January 5.

Before and after at Leamington Domain playground

Before and after at Hisken's Reserve playground

Each year, our Community Services team checks in at selected playgrounds to see how they’re being used and to track changes over time. This helps us plan upgrades and see how renewed playgrounds are making a difference.

To do this, we carry out visitor counts on site over a set survey period. This year, the team visited playgrounds between November 26 and February 2, counting users from Wednesday to Sunday between 9am and 6pm.

The results are clear: when playgrounds are refreshed, more people come to play.

After upgrades late last year, Hisken’s Reserve playground in Te Awamutu saw a huge jump in visitors, from just two recorded during the 2023/24 survey period to 113 in the 2025/26 survey. This equates to an increase of 5550%!

The Leamington Domain playground in Cambridge, which was renewed earlier in 2025, doubled its usage with particularly strong growth among children aged 10 and under.

These numbers show that investing in well-designed, engaging playgrounds really works. They bring the community together and encourage kids (and adults!) to get active through everyday play.

Dutch Elm Disease has been confirmed in a group of elm trees on Council land near the Gaslight Theatre on Alpha Street, Cambridge. These trees were not part of last year’s vaccination programme, but all previously treated trees remain healthy.

Treescape will remove the affected trees - the work is planned for March and should take about four days. Some temporary disruption to access from Alpha Street is likely, but key stakeholders, including the RDA, will be informed in advance and access will be maintained where needed.

Council has reached out to Aroha Cambridge and the Cambridge Tree Trust to explore ideas for restoring the area once the trees are removed.

Councillors and the Te Awamutu Community Board are invited to the unveiling of a new steel pou on Mutu Street, opposite Te Awamutu War Memorial Park, on Saturday, February 21 at 1pm.

The pou marks the site of Kaipaka Pā, a historic settlement at the meeting of the Mangaohoi and Mangapiko rivers, and is part of the Taiea te Taiao Ecological Corridor project.

It is one of seven pou being installed along the Mangapiko Stream by NZ Landcare Trust in partnership with Ngāti Apakura Rūnanga Trust, highlighting pā and other culturally significant sites.

Council played a key role in making the project possible, providing $30,000 as part of a consent condition for the Parallel Road Water Treatment Plant project to ensure a cultural marker recognised the connection between mana whenua and local waterways. The waters team also contributed $3,612 toward the project.

The pou was approved as public art at the 5 March 2024 SP&P Meeting.

Repairing instead of replacing is a great way to reduce waste. As part of the Cambridge Autumn Festival, the Waste Minimisation Team have put together five hands-on public education repair events.

These are funded through the Government’s Waste Disposal levy, which must be spent on projects that promote or achieve waste minimisation.

Public education and resource recovery are actions in our 2023-2029 Waste Minimisation and Management Plan and align with our vision from the Waipā Waste Strategy 2017-2035, "Building sustainable communities”.

We regularly alternate our project delivery between Cambridge, Te Awamutu and our smaller rural communities to ensure the whole district is catered for.

The events for this year are:

• Kids’ Sewing workshop – Fun sewing workshop for ages 8+. Learn machine basics and make a personalised repair kit to take home. Saturday, March 21, 9am - 12pm, Taylor Made Community space.

• Sip and Sew session – Sewing workshop for adults: learn machine care, sewing basics, and make a zipper pouch for your take-home maintenance kit. Saturday, March 21, 2pm-5.30pm, Taylor Made Community space.

• Kintsugi workshop – Restore broken ceramics with lacquer and gold, turning flaws into beauty. Tuesday, March 24, 6pm - 8.30pm, Taylor Made Community space.

• Upholstery 101 – Learn beginner upholstery skills, refresh a simple chair or stool, and take home your renewed piece. Saturday, March 28, 9am - 12.30pm, Taylor Made Community space.

• Everyday Fixes workshop – A hands-on workshop teaching practical skills to confidently diagnose, repair, and fix household gadgets yourself. Saturday, March 28, 2pm – 4pm, Urban Miners HQ.  

Roads to be resealed around the district over the next two weeks:

• Cambridge Road, Cambridge (rework)
• Arapuni Road
• Burns Street
• French Pass Road
• Gillard Road
• Grey Street
• Maungakawa Road
• Meadway Road
• Mutu Street
• Princes Street
• Te Miro Road
• Te Pahu Road

Cambridge Connections this week launched Stage Two, a community brainstorm on transport ideas, to ensure the 30-year transport is shaped by the people who will inherit it.  

Community feedback will be open until 8am on Monday, March 9.  

Elected Members are encouraged to engage with their networks. Resources to promote engagement are available from the communications team.  

Key dates for the next two weeks: 

PC 14 – Rezoning of C10 Industrial Growth Cell, Hautapu

The Environment Court has issued its consent order on Plan Change 14, confirming the rezoning of around 80 hectares of land at Hautapu from Rural to Industrial.

The rezoning was originally approved by the independent hearing panel in June 2025. That decision was appealed by three parties, with concerns focused on roading and rural amenity matters.

Following Environment Court–assisted mediation in November, all appeal points were resolved by agreement. Only minor changes were required to the plan provisions, and these were formally lodged with the Court in December.

This week, the Environment Court has confirmed the agreed changes and directed that the Waipā District Plan be amended.

Key changes include:

• Definition of Dry Industry amended;

• Removal of roundabout intersections from structure plans;

• Landscaping between industrial and rural zoned land to be 5m wide with provision of specimen trees;

• Physical and legal ability for service connections to water supply and wastewater to be provided to neighbouring land at the time of subdivision;

• Vesting of land for purpose of service connections to occur when the east-west collector road through the Bardowie land is constructed.

Public notice of Plan Change 14 being formally included in the District Plan will be advertised in the Cambridge News on Thursday, February 12. The plan change will become operative on Thursday, February 19, at which point the land will officially be zoned Industrial and development proposals will be assessed under the updated provisions.

Please find attached a copy of the consent order here.

PC25 – Shelterbelts and Artificial Crop Protection
Following recent severe weather events, NZ Kiwifruit Growers Inc requested a five working day extension to the submission period to allow people more time to share their views on the proposed plan change. Staff have approved this request under delegated authority, so the new closing date for submissions is Friday, February 20.

PC35 – Te Awamutu Large Format Retail Centre
Staff have now completed a summary of the submissions received on Private Plan Change 35 (PC35), which was publicly notified in October 2025. PC35 is a private plan change to expand the existing Te Awamutu Large Format retail centre on Cambridge Road with the rezoning of existing Medium Density Residential Zoned land in the T11 Growth Cell to Commercial.

The next step is to notify the summary and invite further submissions. Under the RMA, a further submission to a proposed plan change can only be made either in support of or in opposition to a submission already received.

This next stage will open on Thursday, February 12 and close on Friday, February 26.

January 19 - February 2

Bike issue: ‘it's got to stop'
Cambridge News • Chris Gardner • Internet • 29 Jan 2026, 8:05 am

What we're hearing from you
Cambridge News • Charlotte Fitzpatrick • Internet • 29 Jan 2026, 7:04 am

Morgan – ‘I doubt I'll stand'
Te Awamutu News • Chris Gardner • Internet • 29 Jan 2026, 7:04 am

Rescue ban questioned again
Cambridge News • Chris Gardner • Internet • 29 Jan 2026, 5:05 am

Town foot traffic rises
Cambridge News • Chris Gardner • Internet • 29 Jan 2026, 3:02 am

Money issues delay plant
King Country News • Chris Gardner • Newspaper • 29 Jan 2026, 12:00 am

Farm values a mixed bag
Waikato Business News • Jon Rawlinson • Internet • 22 Jan 2026, 10:10 am

Sharing and caring for the river
Cambridge News • Liz Stolwyk • Internet • 22 Jan 2026, 10:00 am

FENZ seeks river solution
Cambridge News • Chris Gardner • Internet • 22 Jan 2026, 8:05 am

News in brief
Te Awamutu News • Internet • 21 Jan 2026, 4:03 pm

Dutch elm disease on the march
Manawatu Standard • Newspaper • 20 Jan 2026, 12:00 am

On the Radar Waipā - January 23, 2026