Whāingaroa Weedbusters
On a Saturday morning if you take a walk along Kaitoke Walkway you might hear chatter, laughter, sometimes a little huffing and puffing and the occasional “gotcha ya bastard”, or words to that effect.
Here you can find recent updates from Raglan Naturally as well as as general good news from the community and the community-led development landscape. Below you can find stories from the community where Raglan Naturally has supported community-led development. Jasmine and daughter Stella share their journey and what resilience and community mean to them. As the new year kicks off, the Karioi Project team are relieved to have made it through another busy ōi season, getting six new ōi chicks to the stage where they can safely leave their burrows and fly seaward as adult birds. Waikato District Council is seeking feedback from residents to shape the 2025-2034 Long-Term Plan (LTP) and ensure that rates remain at reasonable levels over the next nine years. Watercare and Waikato District Council have reached an agreement to extend the Council’s water services operations and maintenance contract. A recent article in the Waikato Times raised concerns about a $100 million transport funding shortfall for the Waikato region, with $20 million cut from Waikato District’s budget. Tōkū Kainga Kids was started by Bryony Wilson and Ruby Gibbs. We aim to provide a safe, supportive and encouraging The Raglan iHub Information and Art Centre is a hidden gem that some locals may not even know exists. The Raglan iHub has remained under the radar for many who fondly remember its predecessor, Raglan i-Site. We’re excited to introduce three new members to the Raglan Business Chamber Board: Te Mata Tennis Club extends its heartfelt thanks to Rabobank for selecting them as the winners of the 2024 Good Deeds Competition. We also express our gratitude to the Raglan Community Board for their belief in and support for this project. Having undergone significant work over the past year, the completion of Raglan’s Town2Surf cycleway is on the horizon, providing locals and visitors alike with a safe place to walk, run and cycle. Waikato District Council is breaking down barriers to make it easier for Maaori landowners to build and develop papakaainga housing on whenua Maaori. Whenua Māori near Whāingaroa (Raglan) that has been sitting idle for decades will soon be home to local Waikato whānau and bring those from afar who are yet to experience living on their ancestral whenua. On the final day of Term 2, a group of Year 11 R.A.S. students went on an exciting trip to a local café ‘The Yard’. The café became a classroom for the day, giving the students a hands-on experience working in a cafe. We had another successful Te Tiriti o Waitangi workshop in the community this July, led by Tangata Tiriti Treaty People facilitators, Carol Henry and Kit Buckley. Matariki ki Whaingaroa 2024, celebrated under the theme “Matariki ki tua o ngā whetū – Matariki of Endless Possibilities,” was a huge success, running from June 28 to July 7. In June, Youth Week events included the WahineMoe Harbour Cruise and a beach walk for 50 young people, as well as the Clay Handbuilding Workshop at the Old School Clayshed. The events were organised by Jess Hill and Olivia Dean-Chambers, with support from Youthwork Collective volunteers. Over the last few months, the collective has been busy hosting youth events and workshops, as well as undertaking community research to understand the needs and aspirations of our young people. Karioi, cloaked in native forest and rising dramatically along our rugged west coast, is more than just an iconic feature of the Whaingaroa landscape. Whaingaroa Raglan Destination Management Organisation (WRDMO) is spearheading the restoration of the Whaingaroa Raglan Water Tower mural as a community-led project. An advisory panel was established in April, comprising six community members representing local hapū, artists, and youth. Our Raglan Naturally film was been entered into the Raglan Film Festival! During National Volunteer Week, held from 16-22 June 2024, Raglan Naturally celebrated the invaluable contributions of volunteers in the Whaingaroa community. We had another great group of community members attend our recent Te Tiriti Workshop earlier this month. These events are a The Matariki public holiday is coming up on Friday, 28 Jun 2024, and locally in Raglan there are a number of great events Louisa Barham Steps Down as Co-Chair Community Energy Whāingaroa and training opportunities.The Healthy Homes Programme is a collaboration between Community Energy Whāingaroa (CEWh), CEN, and Whāingaroa Raglan Affordable Housing Project (WRAP), and is aimed at improving our community’s living standards and energy use. Raglan Naturally is supporting the Whaingaroa Youthwork Collective to undertake community research to further understand the needs of youth in our communities. In March, “Neighbours Month” launched nationwide, and local businesses in Whāingaroa participated by offering prizes to encourage community connection. The Whaingaroa Raglan Destination Management Organisation is embarking on a project to restore the public art featured on the iconic water reservoir tower located on the corner of Bow St and Norrie Ave opposite the BP station. The ‘Toitū Te Tiriti – Waitangi Day Whaingaroa 2024’ event was all about coming together as a community to honour Waitangi Day in a meaningful and inclusive way. It was a space where people could learn, discuss, and reflect on the significance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in Aotearoa. Great to learn more about funding for our community. Gabrielle connected with funders, community sector friends and even some Raglan locals. A couple of community funders that RN chatted to were the ANZ Staff Foundation and The Lion Foundation. Check out their websites here: We met with Dennis and Lisa from Raglan Community Board and Lianne Van Den Bend, Community Development Team, Waikato District Council to discuss how we can work more closely to support community priorities. What a great turnout we had from our local organisations and groups! We spent the whole morning networking, celebrating community achievements and considering community priorities for collective action. Delicious food helped us along. We were invited to attend the Māori Ministers Post Budget Breakfast hosted in Hamilton at the Novotel on the 22nd of May. We had the opportunity to understand what the new budgets are for the next three years. In June, Rolande Paekau and Gabrielle Parson attended the World Community Development Conference ‘From the Edge’ in Darwin. What an amazing opportunity to learn and share with other indigenous communities and community development practitioners from around the world. The Matariki Hapori Hauora Day, held at Papahua on Saturday 22nd July, was a follow on from the success of monthly Marae clinics that have been taking place within our community. In late 2022, a group of like-minded community members came together to launch the Whāingaroa Youthworker Collective – Ngā Whakaruruhau Mahuri.Empowering action
Latest updates from community
Latest news
Building Community Resilience – Sharing Local Stories
A new generation of ōi chicks take flight
Waikato District Council weighs priorities for the next nine years
Water Services contract extended
Transport Funding Cuts 2024
Tōkū Kainga Kids
Raglan iHub? Who are they?
Raglan Business Chamber: September 2024 Board Report
Te Mata Tennis Club
Walk, run or cycle: Raglan’s Town2Surf cycleway takes another step towards completion
Waikato District Council enhances papakaainga development opportunities
Papakāinga: Whenua blessing in Whāingaroa marks start of construction
The Yard Mentoring Rangatahi in the workplace
Te Tiriti o Waitangi Workshop
Matariki ki tua o ngā whetū – Matariki of Endless Possibilities
Youth Week EVENTS
Whaingaroa Youthwork Collective Nga Whakaruruhau Mahuri
Scientist unveils the volcanic history of Karioi
Whaingaroa Raglan Water Tower Mural Project
Raglan Naturally Film at the Raglan Film Festival
Celebrating our Volunteers
Te Tiriti o Waitangi Workshops
Matariki ki Whaingaroa
Leadership Transition
We have been exceedingly fortunate to have had Louisa Barham as Co-Chair at Raglan Naturally for the past three years. Louisa’s professionalism, passion, and strategic leadership have been invaluable to the progression of our organisation.
Healthy Homes Programme
Whaingaroa Youthwork Collective – Te Whakaruruhau Mahuri
Neighbours Month 2024
Water Reservoir Tower Restoration Project
Toitū Te Tiriti – Waitangi Day Whaingaroa 2024
Raglan Naturally attends Waikato Funding Expo
Community-Led Development with Waikato District Council
Raglan Naturally Networking & Planning Event
Māori Ministers Post Budget Breakfast
World Community Development Conference ‘From the Edge’ in Darwin, Australia
Whaaingaroa Youthwork Collective – Ngaa Whakaruruhau Mahuri
About the Project Whangaroa Youthwork Collective - Nga Whakaruruhau Mahuri. Coordinating regular meetings and actions of the Youthwork Collective. Building
Creating a Sports & Recreation Directory
About the Project Creating a Sports & Recreation Directory on RN website. Head to the Active recreation page for more
Suicide Awareness (Prevention & Postvention) Roopu
About the Project Suicide Awareness (Prevention & Postvention) Roopu- co-ordinator/connector for group to action initiatives and support within community. Relationship
Community Wellbeing Connector Update by Lara Sweetman
Local collective launched to support youth in Raglan
Hapori Engagement Coordinator – Raglan Naturally
Raglan Naturally Opportunity December 22, 2022 Hapori Engagement Coordinator - Raglan Naturally Bring your passion for Te Ao Maaori and
Community trust takes over RATs distribution in Raglan as Waikato continues to record hundreds of COVID-19 cases daily
About the Project June 16, 2022 As daily COVID-19 cases in the Waikato continue to reach 500-650 a day, a
Matariki ki Whāingaroa!
About the Project June 2022 Raglan Naturally is collaborating with local organisations to organise a community event celebrating Matariki and
Youth Week 2022
About the Project May 2022 Youth Week is a nationwide celebration of events organised by young New Zealanders to honour
Neighbour’s Day Whāingaroa 2022
About the Project March 2022 Held over 10 days between 18-27 March, Neighbour's Day is a nation-wide initiative that celebrates
Places For People Project
About the Project June 2020 Places for People is part of Waka Kotahi's Innovating Streets Pilot Programme. This project has
Raglan Wharf Project
About the Project 2019 In 2019, Waikato District Council and the Raglan Community Board received funding from Provincial Growth Fund
Raglan iHub
About the Project June 2019 In 2019, Raglan’s I-site shut shop and the potential to promote the area to visitors