South Waikato DC councillors split on Lake Whakamaru rezone

Wednesday, 11 February 2026

A recommendation to rezone the eastern shores of Lake Whakamaru to pave the way for rural lifestyle living has been approved by a deeply divided South Waikato District Council vote.

However the go-ahead came only after the mayor used a casting vote to break the deadlock.

The decision follows an application from landowners J & T Quigley Ltd to rezone almost 32 hectares at Ongaroto Rd from rural to rural-lifestyle, enabling up to 66 lifestyle lots to be created across the site.

In its report, an independent hearing panel led by chairperson Vicki Morrison-Shaw and commissioner Brad Coombs found the proposal met statutory requirements under the Resource Management Act, was supported by council and applicant experts, and appropriately addressed environmental and cultural effects.

But councillors were split on whether to pass the panel’s recommendation to approve the zone change, with several raising concerns about community and iwi opposition to development in a January council meeting.

It follows a land occupation at Lake Whakamaru Reserve by local hapū Ngāti Te Kohera to protest the plan change.

Tīrau ward councillor Kerry Purdy said she was not against growth but questioned the development.

“I’m not against growth by any means, I’m for growth for our people. But is there a need for million dollar homes, I don’t know. Is it need or greed? I don’t know.”

“The other comment that I’d like to make is once these beautiful places are gone, we can’t get them back - so that is a concern to me.”

Putāruru ward councillor Zed Latinovic said he could not vote to rezone the land in good conscience without “looking at both sides of the coin”.

“When I look at a proposal for development, I’m all in favour of it because it helps the growth, it creates employment, it brings more people to the district – it’s good overall.”

“In this instance however, the report shows one side of the story only and we all know there was an occupation happening there.”

He said he felt he would be failing the community if he voted in support when he felt not everyone was represented.

Planning and performance manager Gary Knighton said submitters had the opportunity to be heard throughout the hearing panel process and encouraged councillors to approve the commissioner’s recommendations.

“We are recommending to you that this is a sound decision,” he told councillors.

Chief executive Susan Law said plan change decisions were not about representing the community, as that work had been undertaken by the commissioner.

“I do caution you we do not open ourselves up to a judicial review nor provide grounds of appeal. This is something that will place the council in some jeopardy.”

Tokoroa ward councillor Michael Thomas said there would be subsequent opportunities for the council to “have another opinion or another look” at the proposed subdivision.

“This only is trusting in what the commissioner has said and what the commissioner is putting in place against the district plan at this point in time.”

When the motion was put to a vote, councillors Teokotai, Latinovic, Shaw and Purdy voted against the plan change, while councillor Lipscombe abstained. Councillors Lee, Thomas and Wallace voted in favour, resulting in a tied vote that was resolved by mayor Gary Petley’s casting vote in support of the motion.

It means the land has been rezoned, but development will require council consent and must meet strict environmental obligations before going ahead.

Submitters have 30 working days from notification of the decision to appeal at the Environment Court.