Hamilton City Council (New Zealand)

Composition

The council has three wards or constituencies. One Maaori ward covers the whole city and has two councillors, elected by voters on the Māori electoral roll. Two general wards, East and West, have six councillors each, elected by voters on the general electoral roll. The East and West wards cover half the city, with the boundary between the two being the Waikato River.

The current council members are:

History

The current city council was formed as part of the 1989 local government reorganisation, which added parts of Waikato and Waipā counties to the previous city area. The original Hamilton borough had an area of 752 ha. It now covers 9860 ha, which includes 2500 ha of Rototuna, Rotokauri and Peacocke added in 1989, and 430 ha of Temple View added on 1 July 2004.

Several councils, boards and committees had preceded it –

• The first local government in the area was Kirikiriroa Road Board formed by a meeting in 1868. Kirikiriroa Road Board covered the east bank of the Waikato from Tamahere to Taupiri. Hamilton East took over its area from the Road Board in 1872 and the Board had its last meeting on 7 March 1921, before becoming part of Waikato County.
• Hamilton West Highway District was set up on 14 August 1871 and a similar district for Hamilton East shortly after.
• Hamilton parish vestry committee was formed in 1876.
• Hamilton Borough Council was first elected on 7 February 1878.
• Frankton Borough Council was formed in 1913, but merged with Hamilton in 1917, after a poll in 1916. Its last meeting was on 30 March 1917.

Phillip Yeung was elected as a Councillor in the East Ward in the October 2019 election, but died while in office. A by-election was held in February 2018 to replace Phillip and Councillor Ryan Hamilton was elected.

In 2020, the electoral system was changed from First Past the Post to Single Transferable Vote, following consultation in which 78.1% supported STV.

Council offices

Hamilton Borough Council first met in Collingwood Street courthouse. In April 1878 an immigrant cottage on Victoria Street was adapted as council chambers. After 1905 it was used as an insurance office, until demolished for the Security Building in 1924. That building was replaced by the Novotel, which opened in 1999.

On 23 March 1905 Richard Seddon opened a £3,510 town hall, with a council chamber, further south, near the Municipal Baths. It was enlarged in 1914 and demolished in 1967.

On 22 October 1932 ferro-concrete offices and a gas showroom were opened in Alma Street, bringing all the offices together, at a cost of £10,082, paid for by profits from electricity supply. On 2 July 1949 1XH Hamilton started broadcasting from the basement of the Alma Street offices. When the council moved in 1960, 1XH took over the whole building, then 1YW took over one of 1XH’s two studios and, in 1968, a television station also moved in. The building is protected by a District Plan heritage listing and is now occupied by several businesses.

In June 1960 the offices moved into a 4-storey building, with 2-storey wings (a library in the east wing), was opened in July 1960, between Anglesea, Caro and Worley Streets and a multi-storey block, built over Worley Street, added between 1980 and 1983.

Coat of arms

Main article: Coat of arms of Hamilton, New Zealand

The city's coat of arms has received some criticism, being accused of not reflecting the history and diversity of the city, with suggestions that it should be changed.

Notes

References

References

1. "About Council". Hamilton City Council.
2. "2019 Elections".
3. "Final results". Hamilton City Council.
4. https://www.waikatotimes.co.nz/nz-news/360869924/new-hamilton-mayor-goes-experienced-hand
5. (13 June 1989). "NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE".
6. (November 2005). "Proposed District Plan".
7. (4 September 1868). "HAMILTON. DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS".
8. (1902). "Kirikiriroa".
9. (24 October 1927). "HAMILTONT'S JUBILEE. WAIKATO TIMES".
10. (8 March 1921). "KIRIKIRIROA ROAD BOARD. WAIKATO TIMES".
11. (18 August 1871). "HAMILTON WEST: THE NEW HIGHWAY DISTRICT. DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS".
12. (16 September 1871). "DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS".
13. (30 September 1871). "DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS".
14. (10 February 1876). "HAMILTON ADJOURNED CHURCH MEETING. WAIKATO TIMES".
15. (7 February 1878). "WAIKATO TIMES".
16. (9 February 1878). "ELECTION OF HAMILTON COUNCILLORS. WAIKATO TIMES".
17. (1 May 1913). "MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS. WAIKATO ARGUS".
18. (19 May 1916). "FRANKTON AND HAMILTON. NEW ZEALAND HERALD".
19. (31 March 1917). "FRANKTON BOROUGH COUNCIL. WAIKATO TIMES".
20. "Hamilton Councillor Philip Yeung dies".
21. "Ryan Hamilton elected new Hamilton councillor in by-election".
22. (6 August 2020). "Hamilton City Council switches to STV system for elections".
23. (6 August 2020). "Council Agenda – Electoral System Review – 2020".
24. "Victoria Street from Garden Place Hill".
25. "Victoria Street".
26. Barnes, Brooke. (2018-10-24). "Novotel Tainui Hamilton 40-Room Extension Blessed".
27. "2021 A Thematic Review of the History of Hamilton".
28. (23 Feb 1933). "MUNICIPAL OFFICES. WAIKATO TIMES".
29. (18 October 2017). "Operative District Plan".
30. "12 Alma St".
31. "Municipal offices and Civic Centre development".
32. "The opening of the Hamilton City Council Municipal offices".
33. (1974). "Hamilton; Cambridge; Huntly; Ngaruawahia; Te Awamutu: street map.".
34. "Hamilton City Council Coat of Arms". Waikato Museum.
35. (9 August 2021). "A call to arms for honesty on Hamilton's history". Newsroom.
36. Leaman, Aaron. (23 May 2022). "Calls to change Hamilton's coat of arms to better reflect city's diversity, culture". [[Stuff (website).