Hauraki District Council has agreed to allocate $150,000 to the Waihī Community Forum, for the planned outdoor recreation hub in Waihī’s Morgan Park. The funds, which will be taken from the Waihī ward’s community recreational facilities fund, will give the forum seed funding, making it eligible to apply for further external grants to complete the project.
Stage one of the project will cost approximately $1.6 million, and include a pump track with separate areas for wheelchair users and younger children, and a more challenging track for older children. It will also include a skate park, exercise equipment and wheelchair swing. A final cost for stage two is yet to be decided, but it will include a barbecue area and playground upgrade.
Council also agreed to Destination Hauraki Coromandel’s request for an additional $30,000 in funding, to match the contribution agreed upon by Thames Coromandel District Council. The funding is intended for the organisation’s summer marketing campaign for the region. The Plains, Paeroa and Waihī wards will contribute $3000 each and the council will fund $6000, with the balance coming from the mayor’s discretionary Mayoral Fund.
Meanwhile, Thames Coromandel District Council and Waikato Regional Council have announced their rates for the 2023-24 financial year.
TCDC ratepayers will face an increase of 11.6 per cent. The council’s long term plan from 2021 had forecast an increase of 7.7 per cent this year; however inflation, the addition of storm recovery projects, and the increasing costs of freight, materials, fuel and labour all impacted the final figure.
“It was a challenge to strike just the right balance between what we’re delivering as a council and the cost of services our communities want and expect – especially when the cost of delivering those services is increasing,” Mayor Len Salt said.
Waikato Regional Council has increased its rates by 5.4 per cent. The figure was lower than the 5.8 per cent figure signalled in February, and the council said most ratepayers would have less than $50 extra to pay this year.
