Waitaki District Council

02/08/2026

♻️: Could Your Idea Be Waitaki's Next Waste Success Story?

Applications for the Waitaki Waste Minimisation Fund open on Monday 3 August, giving local schools, businesses, community groups and organisations the opportunity to turn great ideas into projects that make a lasting difference.

Every year, the Waitaki Waste Minimisation Fund helps bring innovative projects to life —projects that reduce waste, inspire behaviour change, and strengthen our community's journey towards a more sustainable future.

Previous funding recipients show that there is no single "right" idea. Successful applications have tackled everything from repairing household items and diverting construction materials from landfill to reducing textile waste, composting food scraps, and creating educational resources for communities.

Recent projects supported through the fund include:

♻️: Recycle A Device, which refurbishes unwanted electronic devices, giving them a second life while helping connect people with technology they may not otherwise have access to.

🗑️: Para Kore Marae Incorporated, delivering zero-waste education and practical workshop resources that empower whānau and marae to reduce waste.

💚:The Waitaki Resource Recovery Trust, which has received funding for initiatives including community Repair Cafés, waste minimisation events, and projects focused on reducing construction and demolition waste.

💡: Hampden Community Energy Society, supporting community-led initiatives that encourage people to rethink waste and make more sustainable choices.

🍎: Just One Thing Waitaki, helping educate residents about reducing organic waste — one of the simplest and most effective ways households can reduce what goes to landfill.

🪡: Claudia Vogel's textile initiative, encouraging new ways to reduce and reuse clothing and textiles, one of New Zealand's fastest-growing waste streams.

Together, these projects have shown how local ideas can create lasting environmental and community benefits. Whether it's repairing instead of replacing, composting food scraps, extending the life of electronics, or finding creative new uses for materials, every project contributes to reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill.

If you've been thinking about a project that could help our district waste less, now is the time to apply.

More info and how to apply: https://www.waitaki.govt.nz/About-Waitaki/Living-here/Supporting-our-community/Community-Grants-and-Awards/Waitaki-Waste-Minimisation-Fund

02/08/2026

❤️: A tribute to Jim Hopkins ahead of today’s Performance, Audit and Risk Committee

02/08/2026

📽️: Performance, Audit and Risk Committee Meeting - 9am

The Performance, Audit and Risk Committee Meeting will begin at 9am.

The agenda can be found here: https://www.waitaki.govt.nz/Council/Council-Meetings/Agendas-and-Minutes

The meeting will be livestreamed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSawyOa-NKg

Watch the public session of this Performance, Audit and Risk Commit...

31/07/2026

ℹ️: Next week at Council - 3, 4 and 7 August

Waitaki District Council will hold a Performance, Audit and Risk (PAR) Committee, Full Council and an Extraordinary Council Meeting next week – delighting enthusiasts of agendas, minutes, reports and local Government.

All meetings are public and will be livestreamed on YouTube.

▶️: Monday 3 August - 9am - Performance, Audit and Risk Committee

▶️: Tuesday 4 August - 9am - Full Council Meeting

▶️: Friday 7 August - 2pm - Extraordinary Council Meeting to discuss Head Start proposal

Friday’s extraordinary meeting of Council will be held to consider the Head Start proposal. This follows Council’s decision to seek a Head Start proposal with Waimate, Mackenzie and Timaru (and potentially Ashburton) made earlier this month.

Since the decision, Waimate District Council, Mackenzie District Council and Timaru District Council have agreed to join a joint 5 Council Head Start proposal, while Ashburton District Council will make a decision at a meeting on Wednesday 5 August.

Media Release: https://www.waitaki.govt.nz/News/Next-Week-at-Council-3-4-and-7-August

Agenda and Minutes: https://www.waitaki.govt.nz/Council/Council-Meetings/Agendas-and-Minutes

[The agenda for Friday's meeting will be uploaded once it is available]

31/07/2026

ℹ️: Recovery Update - 31 July 2026

Waitaki District Council and Civil Defence continue to make progress with Waitaki’s recovery following the 1-in-10-year rain event in early July.

Work is now underway to ascertain the financial costs of welfare provided and work undertaken during the State of Emergency, and the resulting repair, remediation and other work taking place during the Recovery period.

Waitaki District Council will be making a claim under Section 33 of the Guide to the National Civil Defence Emergency Management Plan.

Section 33 allows Councils to claim welfare costs and 60% of eligible essential infrastructure repair costs from the Government. Waitaki District Council will be responsible for the remaining 40%.

The latest Recovery Update is now available on the Waitaki District Council website: https://www.waitaki.govt.nz/News/recovery-update-31-july

31/07/2026

🎨It’s a special time of the year for Forrester Gallery & Mahika Kai Mahika Toi staff and volunteers, where they get to showcase the young artistic talent from around the district’s schools in the George Burns Memorial Art Exhibition.
We've included some photos to give you a sneak peak at some of the colourful and talented work from our kids, and Gallery staff putting it all together.
The schools participating are: Waitaki Girls’ High School; St Kevin's College; Te Ana a Raki/Glen Warren Kindergarten; Lower Waitaki Playcentre; Duntroon School; Tōtara School; Papakaio School; Holmes Kindergarten; Weston School; Duntroon Playgroup; Maheno School; Duntroon Playgroup; BestStart Oamaru Kindergarten; St Joseph's School; Hampden School; Kakanui School; Waitaki Boys' High School; Oamaru Intermediate School; Five Forks School; BestStart Oamaru Kindergarten; Oamaru Playcentre; Five Forks School and North Otago Home Educators.
The George Burns Memorial Art Exhibition opens on Saturday, 1 August! We’ll see you there 😊

30/07/2026

🏗️: Ouse Street footpath upgrade nears completion

Waitaki District Council is putting the finishing touches on a footpath and vehicle crossing upgrade on Ouse Street, Oamaru. Whitestone Contracting Ltd. has delivered the work on Council's behalf.

The footpath had become a trip hazard after tree roots had pushed up through the asphalt in several places, and earlier watermain upgrade work had left patches across the footpath outside almost every property.

The footpath surface and vehicle crossings have now been replaced.

More information: https://www.waitaki.govt.nz/News/Ouse-Street-footpath-upgrade

We thank residents and businesses on Ouse Street for their patience as the weather delays affected this work and appreciate the work of our contractors in delivering this important infrastructure upgrade.

30/07/2026

💬: NZTA consults on lowering speed limit between Waitaki Bridge and Glenavy

NZTA have opened a consultation on returning the stretch of State Highway 1 from Waitaki Bridge Village to Glenavy to an 80 km/h speed limit.

A lower speed limit previously applied here but was reversed following changes to the Setting of Speed Limits Rule in 2024.

The consultation information can be found here: https://nzta.govt.nz/driving-skills/safe-driving-habits/following-speed-limits/state-highway-speed-management/speed-limit-reviews-under-the-2024-rule/targeted-speed-limit-reviews-central-and-lower-south-island/sh1-glenavy-south

The survey can be found here under Targeted Speed Limit Reviews: Canterbury as the majority of SH1 covered by the proposed change is in the Canterbury Region - https://nzta.mysocialpinpoint.com/targeted-speed-limit-reviews-canterbury

The consultation closes on August 25 2026.

30/07/2026

🖼️: A head full of books, a heart full of creativity

At just 10 years old, James Oh-Stephan may be one of the Ōamaru Library’s and Forrester Gallery's biggest fans.

He has combined two great loves into one project — and his artwork has been selected as the George Burns Memorial Art Exhibition Hero Image for this year. His winning work, James with his Head Full of Books, was created in art class and was a solo effort this time. Last year, his art class entered a group project: a dragon, made out of paper and cardboard.

One of the most popular showcases of the year, the George Burns Memorial Art Exhibition celebrates children’s artwork and is a busy time for the Gallery.

More information: https://www.waitaki.govt.nz/News/George-Burns-Memorial-Exhibition-James-Oh-Stephan

30/07/2026

🟢: Not registered your dog yet? Get it done by 5pm Friday to avoid the penalty fee.

If your dog has not been registered by 1 August, you'll need to pay +50% on top of the fee for them as a penalty.

Please bring your registration letter with you, to ensure a speedy registration process.

You can register your dog at Council HQ, the Oamaru or Waihemo Library and Service Centre, the Waitaki Aquatic Centre or the Network Waitaki Event Centre (between 10am and 3pm).