The amount of rubbish going into the landfill on Tauhara Maunga, is about to decrease. Taupō District Council says upgrades to the Broadlands Resource Recovery Centre will reduce waste going into the landfill by up to 8000 tonnes a year.
As Taiopenga, the Ngāti Tūwharetoa Schools Kapa Haka Festival, commemorated its 40th anniversary during Te Wiki o te Reo Māori 2026, Local Democracy Reporting spoke with Te Ururoa Flavell, one of its original organisers.
More people are using Waikato’s public transport network but the regional council has still taken a $40 million loss on operational costs. And ticket prices are about to go up for bus and train users, as the council tries to ensure fares cover more of the cost of the service.
A $405,000 Government investment will help fill a critical gap in visitor facilities on the Mountains to Sea – Ngā Ara Tūhono Great Ride, with public toilets among the features planned for a new hub at Horopito.
A new land and housing deal between the New Zealand Defence Force and central North Island iwi Ngāti Rangi will see 50 homes built for military families at Waiouru.
Taupō District Mayor John Funnell says he’s ready to cap rate increases before they are required in 2029. He was responding to the Government’s confirmation that councils must cap their rates increases to a maximum average of 4% a year.
The Commerce Commission has approved the merger of Rotorua’s three commercial rafting operators, much to the pleasant surprise of those behind the bid.
Taupō District Council is working on a way to ringfence the Taupō Electricity Limited Fund so other councils can't access the cash if amalgamation goes ahead.
Ruapehu Mayor Weston Kirton says National’s decision to rule out a bed tax leaves tourism-heavy districts without a fair way to pay for the costs created by visitors.
When Taupō District Council concluded its education partnership with the Tongariro National Trout Centre in 2024, local school trips stopped going. Newly appointed manager Clint Green told Local Democracy Reporting the centre was in desperate need of funding, volunteers and visitors.
Spotting the shy, threatened whio in the Tongariro region’s fast-flowing rivers has become easier after a trial using thermal drones detected birds where rangers had never been able to survey before.
Waitomo and Ōtorohanga have unanimously voted to push for a King Country Council. The Head Start proposal would see the two district councils amalgamate into a single unitary authority, should the Government accept.
Taupō District Mayor John Funnell says the council will not be part of a "Western Waikato Unitary Authority," calling the push a "hostile takeover" and warning debt per rating unit could rise from $900 to almost $9000 if Taupō were included.
The one Tūwharetoa hapū to have a Mana Whakahono ā-Rohe agreement with Taupō District Council has hit back after the Government decided to remove the council-iwi agreements from the RMA reform bills. Mana Whakahono ā-Rohe agreements were added into the Resource Management Act in 2017.
How Hamilton Zoo keeps its residents warm in a winter blast
Taupō District Council won’t submit an amalgamation proposal to Wellington in August. Elected members voted for the move at the council meeting yesterday Tuesday July 28.
