A new Council and community space will open in Tamahere on Monday 5 July.
Located at the Tamahere Village Hub, it will offer Council services as well as a space for the community to use, including meeting rooms, desks and free Wifi.
Waikato District Deputy Mayor and Tamahere Councillor Aksel Bech says the new space will make it much easier for those in the south of the Waikato district to access Council services, to get copies of consultation documents, or to pay their rates or dog registrations over the counter.
“Up until now, people in Tamahere, Matangi and Tauwhare did not have a Council office nearby. The nearest office was in Ngaruawahia, which has made it difficult for them,” he says.
“Council’s vision is to create liveable, thriving and connected communities. The new Council & Community Space allows our communities to connect – with Council and with each other.”
Waikato District Council Customer Delivery Manager Brian Cathro says the space will be open Monday to Friday, from 9.30am to 3pm, will be staffed by Council and will offer all the usual over-the-counter Council services.
There are two community meeting rooms, which can be booked free of charge, and four workstations where you can use the free Wifi with your own device.
Mr Cathro says the space has been made possible by Foster Develop Limited (Fosters), who built The Tamahere Village Hub and have funded the rental expense for the premises for an initial 3 years.
“We have been looking at ways to create an office in Tamahere for several years, but it hadn’t been viable up until now,” he says.
“Fosters share the same values and vision for the community, and they offered Waikato District Council some space to use for the community. They felt having a Council presence and a community space would complete the village hub.”
Leonard Gardner, CEO of the Fosters Group says that this funding aligns with the company’s values of great communities through strong foundations.
“We are delighted to be giving back to the Tamahere community,” he says.
“Creating great community is Fosters’ purpose, and Tamahere Village is a great example of this in action. Fosters’ sponsorship of the Council & Community Space provides a connection point for the community, something we are proud to leave as part of the development as a service to the Tamahere community.”
Councillor Bech says the Tamahere Village Hub adds real value to the local community and has been a real community effort.
“The Tamahere Community Committee worked with Council and Fosters to develop a vision for the look, feel and function of the village and surrounding piazza and park. The community has made a significant investment into this development, and this is their vision for their local area,” he says.
“There has been a lot of hard work put in by the Tamahere Community Committee on behalf of the local residents.
“I am extremely excited to see this new space opening and I encourage local residents to come down and check it out.”
The address for the new Council & Community Space is Block C, Level 1, 65 Devine Road.
Waikato District Council plan to refine or expand the services in the future, after taking time to see and hear what is suitable for the community.
