City Bulletin

Waters

The programme to upgrade water mains around the City is continuing.  Currently there are projects underway in St Andrews Tce, Rawlings St and Ohaupo Rd.

New flow meters will be installed at 39 water main sites across the City from Tuesday 29 January. This installation of these meters over the next month will assist in identifying water flows through the City’s mains pipes and where attention is needed to reduce any water loss or leakage. There will be some water shut downs for up to four hours and users have been notified of these.

The regular valve and hydrant maintenance programme on the City’s water reticulation system starts on Tuesday 29 January. The work will see six monthly and annual checks undertaken of the City’s key water valves and hydrants.

The City (and Waikato and Waipa councils) remain on Water Alert level 2 which means alternate day sprinkler systems and irrigation. Peak water use is expected over the next couple of weeks and if the hot weather and high water use continues Alert Level 3 will be considered.

Animal Control

Animal Education and Control has adopted out six dogs in the first half of January 2013 compared with eight for the whole month of December.  Dogs adopted in December and January range from Rhodesian Ridgeback, Jack Russell Terrier, Samoyed, Saint Bernard and a Dachshund.

Proposed District Plan

Invitations for the public drop-in sessions on the Proposed District Plan are to go out this week.  Business leaders are also being sent invites to sessions specifically targeted at their interests. The public sessions are being held in the week beginning Monday 11 February in the Council reception lounge.

City Parks

Park maintenance items of interest for the week include grinding/reinstatement of tree stumps from trees removed under power lines along Mahoe St and Anthony Cres, and tree maintenance and removal work at Hamilton Camping Ground (the camping ground is operated by lessees, and owned by Council).

Parks and Open Spaces

A new burial lawn development is underway at Hamilton Park Cemetery.  This will provide approximately 400 new burial plots and aims to be completed in February.

Hamilton Gardens

A  park management award will be presented to Hamilton Gardens by the Australasian parks and reserves management organisation on Tuesday.

Block-layers have been constructing foundations and wall bases in the Tudor Garden site. There will not be much more progress on that garden for another 18 months.

The new Business Development Manager at Hamilton Gardens, Amanda Graham, started last week. Amanda previously managed the international conference company Six Hats. 

Museum

The Museum lecture theatre refurbishment has been completed including installation of a new surround sound system, new carpet and upholstery.

Libraries

The libraries will be closed for Anniversary Day.

Zoo

Patronage for the last three weeks (1 Jan 2013 – 24 Jan 2013) was at 13,624 people. This is up from last year (same date range) where the number was 12,143 people.

Claudelands

Sporting success in the Waikato will be recognised at the Brian Perry Waikato Regional Sports Awards on Thursday 31 January at the Claudelands Conference and Exhibition Centre. The guest speaker for the evening will be Olympic gold medal winner Valerie Adams.

WEL Network Stand – Waikato Stadium

A maintenance project is underway at the WEL Network Stand at Waikato Stadium. The project involves replacing the roof and facade cladding. This work is required because the cladding is at the end of its useful life – the condition was poor, the roof was leaking in places and the timber purlins were deteriorating. This maintenance work began on 12 November and is on schedule to be completed before the Stadium’s first large event of the year Nitro Circus Live on 6 February.

Property

The sale of three pensioner houses was completed with monies paid 18 January – these funds will be held to fund upkeep of remaining 21 housing complexes.

City Development

• Ring Road – The section of the Wairere Drive from Fifth Avenue through to Ruakura Rd will open on Tuesday afternoon and the traffic lights at the Wairere Drive/Ruakura Road intersection will also be switched on. This 600m stretch of road sees completion of the 3.5km stretch of this section of the Ring Road from Crosby Rd to Ruakura Rd.
• Final surfacing of Wairere Drive from Crosby Road to Fifth Avenue roundabout – this will begin the middle of next week and is expected to take two weeks (weather dependant). It will take place during the day, and will be a special low noise surface which is designed to minimise the noise between the road surface and vehicle tyres.  This is a key noise mitigation measure due to the proximity to residential areas.
• Peachgrove/Te Aroha/Ruakura  intersection – work to make this very busy intersection larger and safer is underway with initial work focussing on service relocation. Work is expected to run through to the middle of the year.
• Work continues on the Pukete Bridge pedestrian/cycle clip-ons with these are expected to be open in early March. Once they are completed work will continue on extending the bridge to four lanes.

Transportation

• Garden Place and Knox Street carparks - the car parking promotion before Christmas successfully made available lots of parking spaces for shoppers and visitors over the two weeks prior to Christmas and until early January.  Hourly and daily rates were adjusted and the first two hours were free for shoppers in the Garden Place carpark. Commuters were encouraged to use Knox St car park with the daily rate halved over this time. Excellent co-operation from commuters was appreciated and made sufficient spaces available for shoppers in the popular Garden Place facility.
• February is national Bike Wise month – two major events are planned, a Bikewise day in Hamilton East on 10 February and a Frankton Bikewise day on 25 February. Advertising and promotion for these will be getting underway in early February.
• Visit www.hamilton.co.nz/roadworks  for the latest road related events, projects and works. This detailed information will be included in future City Bulletins once new systems and timings to allow this are in place.

Events

TSB Bank Beach Volleyball tournament will be held at Hamilton Lake Domain from 26 January to 28 January.

Hawke Cup cricket match between Hamilton and Bay of Plenty will be played at Galloway Park from 25 January to 27 January.

The Children’s Carnival will be held in Garden Place on Saturday 26 January 2013 from 11am-3pm.

Spend, Stash or Save programme is being held, full informationhttp://www.hamiltonlibraries.co.nz/news/pageid/2145878973/Spend%2c_Stash_or_Save_holiday_programme

• St Andrews Library - Thursday 24 January, 10.30am
• Glenview Library - Tuesday 29 January, 10.30am
• Garden Place Library - Wednesday 30 January, 10.30am.
• X Factor pre auditions come to Hamilton 29 January at The Meteor Theatre.
• Events coming up in the Hamilton Gardens Pavilion include the Annual Dahlia Show on 28 January at the Hamilton Gardens.
• Antique Show from 31 January -1 February at the Hamilton Gardens.
• Lynley Dood:  A Retrospective has opened this week at the Museum.  This focuses on the art from the Hairy McLary books.
• The Wonderful Wearable Works of Yanny Split exhibition has opened at the Museum.
• This is the final week of the Summer Reading Programme with the end of programme celebration coinciding with the Children’s Carnival.

Council meetings

• Tuesday 29 January – Statutory Management Committee (Resource Consent Hearing) -  9.00am in the Council Chamber

• Friday 1 February – Council of Elders – 9.15am in the Council Chamber

 

 

Back 2 Back February

Hamilton brings to you Back2Back February; an action packed month of events.

There is something for everyone, Sport, Music, Food, Adrenalin, Arts, the list goes on!

Some of the event highlights include:

• Vodafone Warriors vs Penrith Panthers, Waikato Stadium on 16 February
• Waikato Times Food and Wine Festival, Claudelands Green on 16 & 17 February
• Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival from 15-28 February
• International 1 Day Cricket, Black Caps vs England on 12 February

The campaign is being organised by the Events Facilities Unit with the main aim to encourage out of towners to ‘stay another night’. Visit www.whatsonhamilton.co.nz for full event details.