Kia ora koutou e te whanau. It is a busy time of year for our community gearing up for the holidays where we will be welcoming whanau, friends and manuhiri/visitors over the coming months; keeping everyone safe becomes a priority.
Read more: Councillor kōrero: end of year updateNetworking of CBD Security Cameras to Raglan Police
Over the past few months, we have been able to coordinate and network security cameras in the CBD, including those at Raglan Surf Life Saving Club, to the Raglan Police station. This means the Raglan Police will now be able to monitor areas in and around the CBD 24/7 increasing community safety.
It was community collaboration that made this possible. This came in the form of generous sponsorship by David Woollet from the locally-owned PureLink, who provided the WiFi connection, hardware and expertise, as well as time and expertise from Terry Johnson from Seccranet Systems in the installation and networking process.
Raglan CCTV Project
Funding was secured from central government for district wide CCTV installation; for Raglan this provides for one 360° CCTV camera to be installed outside the public toilets at Papahua Reserve. The camera is likely to be operational in March 2026. Once installed this camera will also be networked into the police system.
Raglan Area School Road Safety
Road safety at Raglan Area School continues to be a high priority for me. I have been working with Janette Underwood (WDC Transport Safety Engineer) and Raglan Area School to explore a range of options to help keep our tamariki and whānau safe. These include exploring new road layouts for school bus and whānau drop-offs and pick-ups; staggered drop-off and pick-up times; possible one-way roading changes; enhanced road safety measures for Main Road. Costing and preliminary design work and costs for a larger pedestrian road crossing on Main Road and increased signage has also started.
Community Response Planning
There has been a great response to a call out for community volunteers to participate in our Whaingaroa Community Response Group – 46 and counting! The group has completed online training, as well as hands-on training setting up a welfare centre. With basic resources secured, including a generator, hand-held radios, and emergency resource wheelie bins, the group is well prepared to activate and manage a community welfare response for 3 days. A big thank you to the generosity of Nigel and Anne for providing a home base in Stewart St Hall for the group.
Raglan Community Board
I have had a number of meetings with members of the Raglan Community Board, particularly newly elected Chairperson Ross Wallis and newly elected Community Board member Eloise Deller. Discussions have included the establishment of a local roading advisory group, discretionary funding, Blueprints, and operational budgets. Myself, Ross Wallis and Chris Rayner have met with Connexa representatives to discuss community concerns regarding the proposed 2Degrees cellphone tower in Long Street. Connexa has agreed to explore other site options for the tower, which they are currently undertaking.
Whaingaroa Raglan Destination Management Organisation (WRDMO)
I have been meeting regularly with the WRDMO as they work hard to progress their five-year tourism and events strategy, undergo a website rebrand, and plan for their upcoming community engagement roadshow. The unveiling of new signage on the corner of Marine Parade and Wainui Road commemorating ‘Te Ara ki Tai’ – Town to Surf footpath was a lovely chance to come together and remember community members who were instrumental in getting this well-used footpath for the community. Keep an eye out for the launch of the new ‘Go Raglan’ website and the upcoming community Tourism and Events roadshow; the first one will be at the Growers Market on Stewart Street 5pm – 7pm on Friday 12th December.
Other Community Happenings
As we count down towards the end of 2025, I have been fortunate to attend many community events. All of these show just how vibrant, exciting, and full of good people our little town is. There was the celebration for Frank Turner’s amazing 50 years of service to the Raglan Volunteer Fire Brigade; hosting more community screenings of our locally made feature-length documentary film ‘Tirohia Karioi’; attending the Raglan Horticultural Society bi-annual flower show at the Town Hall, which was an absolute spectacle of colour; and attending the breathtaking Raglan busking festival alongside Māori Ward Councillor, Tilly Turner.
It was an extra-special privilege for me to attend the Raglan Area School senior prize giving this year. It was amazing to witness the vast achievements of our rangatahi – our community should be very proud. My heartfelt congratulations go to all students graduating this year, as well as to those students who have stepped into leadership roles for 2026. And of course, many thanks to the staff at Raglan Area School and all those associated with the kura who work tirelessly for our tamariki and rangatahi.
Then there are the meetings with community organisations I regularly work alongside – Raglan Naturally Community Trust and Raglan Community Media. The Toitū Whaingaroa Project Team is also in full swing, and we look forward to bringing you more exciting events in 2026, kicking off with an extra special ‘Celebrating Kotahitanga: Waitangi Day Whaingaroa 2026’.
A special note that Whaingaroa/Raglan was the only general ward community in the district that supported keeping our Maori Wards at our recent local government elections, something that we should be very proud of as a community.
There is much more to do in the new year, including setting up of our local roading advisory group specifically to have oversight and input into our gravel roading network, undertaking a local parking strategy and continuing to serve our community.
I wish you all a safe and happy holiday period. If you have any issues or concerns over the festive season please contact Council:
The Antenno App
Email: info@waikato.govt.nz
Contact Centre: 0800 492 452
