Kylie Leonard - Taupo Rural East Ward Taupo District Council Candidate

❤️ Love the Taupō District? This Valentine's Day, let’s look after the place (as well as the people) we love. ❤️

🌼 Go green and help our environment by using the right bin and recycling. Pick up a free green or black bin at our Customer Service and Visitor Centres.

⚓Check, clean and dry. Let’s keep those pesky gold clams out of our beautiful lakes and rivers. Find out more at www.mpi.govt.nz/clam

🦆 Yes, they’re cute and go quackers for stale bread, but please don’t feed the ducks. They can cause allergies for swimmers.

🍏Save yourself $$$ and reduce waste going to landfill, by picking up skills at our free home composting workshop on Saturday 24 February. Find out more and register at www.taupo.govt.nz/composting

❤️We love doing it online… Save paper and opt in to receive correspondence and rates invoices via email. It’s free and easy to sign up at www.taupo.govt.nz/optin

🏆 Tūrangi was finalist as Most Beautiful Small Town, Taupō Supreme Towns & Cities Award winner, and Te Ātea Kiwi’s Choice Award winner at the NZ Beautiful Awards 2023. Let’s go even better in 2024!

The draft Waikato Regional Land Transport Plan 2024–2054 (RLTP) is now open for consultation so residents, businesses and community groups can submit feedback.

The RLTP is updated every three years and it sets out how our region’s land transport system will develop over the next 30 years.

The Regional Transport Committee, made up of representatives from Waikato’s regional, city and district councils, Waka Kotahi and KiwiRail, develops the plan to create a regional consensus of our priority work and projects.

We’d like to know your views on a range of questions about the RLTP, including:

🔹 Do you agree with the high-level vision and objectives for land transport in the Waikato region?
🔹 Have we adequately identified the most pressing transport issues the region is facing over the next 3-10 years?
🔹 Do we have our strategic land transport priorities right?
Will the strategic policy templates in section 3 of the RLTP deliver on our vision and objectives?
🔹 Do our prioritised significant transport activities reflect our strategic transport priorities and outcomes we are seeking for land transport in the Waikato region?

Submissions close at 5pm on Monday, 4 March 2024.

You can read the draft plan and make your submissions here: https://bit.ly/49bn1qZ

Last call for feedback on the Motutere Reserve Management Plan review.

The reserve management plan’s key purpose is to ensure the use and management of the reserve provides for recreation, and the protection of amenity, cultural and scientific values. A public ‘right of way’ around the lake edge protects public access to the lake foreshore.

A major feature of the reserve is the Motutere Bay Holiday Park campground. Foreshore camping provides both caravan sites and sites for casual camping. This section of the reserve provides access to a sheltered, sandy swimming beach and a boat ramp. Across the road is the main campground area.

The Motutere Reserve has great cultural significance to Ngāti Te Rangiita, a hapū of Ngāti Tūwharetoa. A committee made up of Taupō District councillors and Ngāti Te Rangiita representatives has been established to oversee the review. This review will provide clarity for the community on the management of the reserve, regardless of any future administration arrangements.

We're keen to continue to hear from stakeholders, campground users, and the wider Taupō District community with suggestions on the use, enjoyment, and maintenance of the reserve. These suggestions will help form the draft of a revised plan. The second round of consultation, in mid-2024, will invite feedback on the draft plan.

The first round of consultation closes at 9am on Monday 15 January.

ℹ️ Find out more and have your say at www.taupodc.govt.nz/motutere

UPDATE: 11.45am Friday 22 December

We are currently refilling the network and will be bringing it back up to pressure over the next couple of hours. We’re expecting to have things back to normal early this afternoon, but you may notice your water looks a little milky as there will be air in the system – running your taps for a few minutes should flush this through.

Thanks for your patience and once again, if you need assistance please get in touch on 07 376 0899.

*** ***

⚠️ Attention River Road residents ⚠️

We are aware that there is a water supply outage on the River Road network and our team are working on it! In the meantime, we’re asking River Road residents to please conserve water until further notice to help take pressure off the team while they work to fully restore supply.

Sorry for the inconvenience. We’ll keep you updated as we hear more from our team.

If you need assistance please call our customer service centre on 07 376 0899.

👑 WHAT'S ON THIS KING’S BIRTHDAY WEEKEND! 👑

There is plenty to see and do this weekend across the Taupō District.

Aotearoa Poitarawhiti A Iwi Netball National Championships
📅 1 – 4 June
📍 Taupō Events Centre

Greening Taupō Day
📅 2 June
📍 Crown Park
💻 https://www.lovetaupo.com/en/events/799183
Greening Taupo Kids Greening Taupo

Midday Concert Series
📅 2 June
📍 St Andrew’s Anglican Church
💻 https://www.lovetaupo.com/en/events/799319

Taupō Festival of Dance
📅 2 – 5 June
📍 Great Lake Centre

The Great Outdoors Expo
📅 3 June
📍 Trev Terry Marine Service Centre (89 Tauhara Road)
💻 https://www.lovetaupo.com/en/events/799008

American Muscle Car Show & Shine
📅 3 June
📍 Northcroft Reserve

XLR8 Swim Meet
📅 3 – 4 June
📍 AC Baths

Taupo Art Connection King's Birthday Weekend Art Trail
📅 3 – 5 June
📍 Various Studios
💻 https://www.taupoartconnection.co.nz/king-s-birthday-art-trail

Market Central Taupō
📅 4 June
📍 Northcroft Reserve
💻 https://marketcentraltaupo.co.nz/

To find out what else is on simply visit lovetaupo.com/events.

Taupō District Council Love Taupō

Are you organising an event or do you know of an event taking place in Taupō, Turangi, Mangakino or Reporoa?

List your event info for FREE by following these simple steps https://www.lovetaupo.com/.../sports.../list-your-event/.

Wishing everyone moving the best of days

Important meetings coming up Waikato regional council on Fresh water policy
Now is your chance to have your say

Freshwater policy review - Tangata whenua involvement Revisions to the RPS and regional plan will likely affect how freshwater activities are carried out in the region, including taking and using water; discharges to land and water from diffuse sources and point sources; structures and works in wetlands; and the beds of lakes and rivers as well as land...

Almost one month to the Country Kidz Annual Ball - it's going to be another great night, bigger & better than last year! Get your tickets or bar leaner booked ASAP.

SEVERE WEATHER - FINAL UPDATE 9:20AM, THU 11 MAY

Both SH1 Rangipo to Waiouru (Desert Road) and SH46 Tongariro to Rangipo are now OPEN. Please continue to take extra care and drive to the conditions.

This post will no longer be updated unless weather conditions cause disruption to the state highway network. For updates on the SH3 Awakino clsoure due to an underslip click here: facebook.com/NZTAWaikatoBoP/posts/pfbid02nGZNh2mK7XkmGFePZcn5gguYAoA4F1YhTfqDePXAVpmqKqgGLFSF5uB1DECAyGEol

CLOSED
• SH3 Awakino, between Manganui Rd and Awakau Rd - Underslip

OPEN
• SH1 Rangipo to Waiouru (Desert Road) - Snow
• SH46 Tongariro to Rangipo - Snow

This post and our live Traffic Info Map, journeys.nzta.govt.nz/highway-conditions is updated with all major developments as we receive them.

Please follow your local council and emergency management pages for additional information Civil Defence Manawatū Whanganui Taranaki Civil Defence Emergency Management

For info on the weather event please visit metservice.com/warnings

Haumarutia tō haere, drive safe ^SG

Further submissions are now open on a series of changes to the Taupō District Plan. This is the first bundle in a series of plan changes aimed to ensure our District Plan is operating as efficiently and effectivity as possible prior to the outcomes of the Resource Management Act 1991 Reform coming into force.

Between October and December last year, we called for submissions on six plan changes to the Taupō District Plan, covering the following topics:
👉 Plan Change 38 – Strategic Directions
👉 Plan Change 39 – Residential Building Coverage
👉 Plan Change 40 – Taupō Town Centre Environment
👉 Plan Change 41 – Deletion of out of date fault lines
👉 Plan Change 42 – General Rural and Rural Lifestyle Environments
👉 Plan Change 43 – Taupō Industrial Environments

Now, the further submission process allows you to view the original submissions and support or oppose them. Please be aware that not everyone can make a further submission – you can only make a further submission if:
➡ your interest in the proposal is more than the interest of the general public, or
➡ you are representing a relevant aspect of the public interest.

Further submissions close at 4.30pm on Friday 7 April 2023.

ℹ You can find the summaries, full submissions and online form at www.taupo.govt.nz/districtplanchanges

Calling everybody in Taupō and the surrounding rural area – this one is for you! 🫶

Applications are now open for the Taupō and Taupō East Rural Community Grant which is for organisations and individuals in the Taupō and Taupō East Rural wards who are making a difference in their community. Projects and activities may vary between one-off events to capital projects.

We’d love to receive applications for projects or ideas that support local community initiatives in these areas!

But wait, there’s more! Applications are now open for a total of seven community grants:
📍 Creative Taupō Grant
📍 Creative Communities Scheme
📍 Social Services Community Grant
📍 Taupō/Taupō East Rural Community Grant
📍 Community Sports Grant
📍 Mangakino-Pouākani Community Grant
📍 Waste minimisation fund

ℹ To find out more about the funding criteria and eligibility for grants, and closing dates for applications, go to www.taupo.govt.nz/grants.

Kia Ora tatou ratepayers, residents, homeowners, locals, FB friends, whanau, and most importantly FARMERS!

Apologies that this post hasn’t come sooner.

I’m sure you’ve all heard already, but if not, a variety of assistance programmes have been set up for farmers and growers impacted by

I realize cockies in our region might not necessarily be in need now, but you might have the means to help someone who is.

Bear with us as there are a few links below for both those in need and those with need.

National Feed Coordination Service 2023

🐮If you have FEED AVAILABLE -

https://arcg.is/1azj0n

☘️If you have GRAZING AVAILABLE -

https://arcg.is/OWneD

🐄If you NEED FEED -

https://arcg.is/11z9mz0

🐑 If you need GRAZING -

https://arcg.is/0eTPSK0

Federated Farmers are also offering support through the Farmy Army

https://www.fedfarm.org.nz/FFPublic/FFPublic/Default.aspx?hkey=42df153b-4424-4da5-b93d-d9f2106409e7

Finally and most importantly I know we think of farmers and the rural sector as being fairly self-sufficient, but being self-sufficient doesn’t stop you from sometimes feeling like a Pug in a paddock instead of a Huntaway out the back of Hunterville.

When that’s the case there are people you can have a yarn to, who get your issues and have been there before.

http://www.rural-support.org.nz/

Righto, get a way back!

Want to learn how to compost? Come along to one of the free 90-minute workshops this Saturday 25 February!

🌿Taupō🌿
1.30pm at Taupo Community Gardens

🌿Turangi🌿
1.30pm at Awhi Farm Centre for Sustainable Practice

Find out about how home composting is an effective way of dealing with waste – while saving you money and improving your garden. Win win!

Plus, everybody who goes along to a workshop goes in the draw to win a home composter or worm farm.

Find out more and register at taupo.govt.nz/composting

The Antenno app is a fast way to keep up to date with council notifications but also to report things such as trees down and the like

Antenno

Some may need this

Civil Defence Payment - Work and Income If you and your family are affected by an emergency event, you may be able to get a Civil Defence payment.

📣 UPDATE 6pm Friday 17 February 📣

The planned road closure between Taupō and Tūrangi that was originally scheduled to take place this month has now been deferred until next summer’s 2023/24 road maintenance season. See the full update from Waka Kotahi at https://www.nzta.govt.nz/media-releases/update-on-timing-of-sh1-taupo-and-turangi-works/

*** ***

📣Update: 6.30am, Friday 10 February📣

Due to the poor weather forecasts, the start date for this work has been changed to Monday 20 February. More info here - https://www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz/traffic/vmssigns/168

🚧SH1 will be closed between Taupō and Turangi next week 🚧

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Waikato BoP are starting road works on SH1 between Taupō and Turangi from next Tuesday 14 February to Friday 3 March 2023. Closures and traffic management measures will be in place.

Weekdays:
✋ 7am-9am: Stop/Go
🚫9am-2.30pm: Road Closed
✋ 2.30pm-7pm: Stop/Go
🚗 7pm - 7am: Both lanes open to traffic with a temporary speed limit

Weekends:
Both lanes open to traffic with a temporary speed limit in place.

Find out more here - www.nzta.govt.nz/media-releases/state-highway-1-to-close-alongside-lake-taupo-for-crucial-work

UPDATE Friday 10 February 2023

Council met yesterday and approved in principle its draft three waters submissions. You can read the draft submissions on our website at https://www.taupodc.govt.nz/transport-and-water/three-waters-reform/taupo-district-councils-views

The final submission will be approved by Council on Friday 17 February in time for the council's submission deadline.

Note that public submissions on the two latest pieces of legislation close on Sunday 12 February, so if you intend to make a submission on your own behalf, you will need to send it to Parliament by this date.

*** *** ***

The central government are continuing to drive forward with the three waters reform. Taupō District Council’s position remains unchanged - we are opposed to it for the following reasons:

💧 The pace of reform is rushed.
💧 The reform will result in a loss of local voice and local needs will be overlooked.
💧 The promised cost efficiencies are unlikely to be achieved.
💧 Councils such as Taupō that have made forward-looking decisions to invest in modern water infrastructure will be unfairly penalised.

On 14 December 2022 the Water Services Entities Act made three waters reform the law. Two additional bills were introduced on 8 December.

The public has until 12 February 2023 to make submissions on Water Services Legislation Bill and the Water Services Economic Efficiency and Consumer Protection Bill - www.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/make-a-submission/

Taupō District Council are working hard to review the two new bills and will provide a submission to the Select Committee.

We’re concerned that the reform fails on several key aspects:
💧 Partnership: Our expectations of a genuine partnership will not be met. The new Water Services Entities have to talk with individual councils, but they don’t have to take into account what we have to say.
💧 Policy: Councils’ priorities will be lost in the mix of directions being given from Government, mana whenua and the Regional Representative Group.
💧 Planning: Decisions on growth and development may not be determined by councils.
💧 Fairness: Water services entities will be exempt from paying rates unlike other utilities such as telecoms and energy providers. They will be able to charge councils for stormwater services but councils won’t be able to raise money to meet these costs (eg through stormwater rates).
💧 Ability to create subsidiaries: Water services entities will be able to set up subsidiaries (smaller organisations that they will partly own). This raises questions around their purpose and level of oversight.
💧 Stormwater: Council will retain some stormwater responsibilities, but the Bill strips out Councils’ powers to give effect to these. The recent flooding highlights the need to get this right.

If you want to make a public submission on either of these two bills, it is due by Sunday 12 February - www.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/make-a-submission

For more info on our take visit www.taupodc.govt.nz/threewatersreform

Departing Taupō District Council chief executive Gareth Green says he’s excited about the new challenges he’ll be tackling at the helm of the New Plymouth District Council.

Mr Green, who has been with the Taupō District Council for 17 years and its chief executive for six years, takes up the role of New Plymouth District Council chief executive on Monday 27 March. He says that while he’s sad to be leaving Taupō, the time is right for a change.

“I’ve really loved working for Taupō. This is where I grew up, and so it has been amazing being able to contribute and lead the organisation that does so much to shape this place.

“However, I’m ready to do something new. I’ve previously worked for New Plymouth District Council and I’m passionate about that community. There’s some really exciting projects happening there and some challenges we also need to work through and I’m looking forward to getting stuck into those.”

Mr Green says he’s been very proud to have played a part in some “very cool” projects during his time at Taupō District Council. Those include the new Taupō Airport terminal which is almost complete, the Taupō town centre transformation, which will be formally opened in March, keeping council services running through the challenges of Covid-19, and the Mana Whakahono-a-Rohe agreement with Tūrangi-based hapū Ngāti Turangitukua.

Read the full story at: https://www.taupodc.govt.nz/council/news?item=id:2kijuradl1cxbyisy7fv

Higher lake levels in Lake Taupō and stronger flows in the Waikato River have prompted calls for swimmers and river and lake users to take extra care this summer.

Lake Taupō Harbourmaster Jamie Grant says that with the Waikato River currently running at around twice its usual volume, attempting a river float trip would be too dangerous.

The wettest winter since records began in 1905 has meant Lake Taupō is just below full, and in turn the Taupō Gates are fully open, with maximum flow in the Waikato River, significantly higher and stronger than usual.

“My advice would be not to do a float trip at these high lake levels,” Mr Grant says. “It’s really dangerous and Mercury can’t slow [the river] down, the lake is too full and for pretty much the last three months it has been running at maximum.”

Mercury, which manages the Waikato hydro system, is also warning swimmers and other lake and river users to be aware of the risks of the stronger currents and changeable, faster flows.

Mercury GM Portfolio Phil Gibson says people should follow water safety rules: to know the weather and water conditions before they get in, to be aware that this summer’s conditions are likely to be different than what you may be used to, to watch out for others particularly children, and use equipment such as lifejackets correctly.

There are more drownings in rivers than any other environment in New Zealand and 2022 has recorded 83 drownings so far this year, against 78 at the same time in 2021.

Taupō District Mayor David Trewavas said the river can be more hazardous than people expect, particularly at high flows and urged river and lake users to ensure they had the proper safety gear and knew what to expect.

Water Safety New Zealand’s key water safety rules:

➡ Be prepared – Check the weather forecast and conditions; know the local environment, safe swimming spots; set rules for safe play; use safe and well-maintained equipment.

➡ Look out for yourself and others. Always supervise children around water and keep children under five years within arm’s reach; never swim alone. Swim between the flags at the beach and make sure everyone on board the boat is wearing a well-fitted lifejacket.

➡ Be aware of the dangers. The water will be cold. It may be easy getting in, but can you get out?

➡ Know your limits. Challenge yourself within your abilities and skill level; know what you can and can’t do in the water.

🎆 We've got your New Year's Eve plans covered! 🎆

On Saturday, 31st December 2022, Taupō District Council, in partnership with Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board and Blue Light Taupo will be holding its Annual New Year’s Eve Big Bang Firework Display.

The event begins on Northcroft Reserve at 6pm with Family Friendly Activities:

7.00pm – Community Entertainment Starts
8.00pm – Music from ‘The DL’
9.00pm – Music from ‘Mapeijo’
10.00pm – Twilight Mini Bang Fireworks
10.15pm – Music from ‘DJ Yogi’
Midnight – The Big Bang

Dinner plans are sorted, with a great selection of food vendors onsite.

Please note this is a Alcohol and Dog Free event.

There will be a traffic management plan in place throughout the event. Parking around Northcroft Reserve will be closed from 6am on Saturday, 31st December, with a full traffic management plan in place from 4pm until 1am, Sunday,1st January.

We look forward to seeing you there!

https://www.lovetaupo.com/en/events/778060