Waikato District Council on 10th November confirmed its new committee structure and committee chair and deputy chair appointments.
Among the changes just approved are the establishment of a new Community Voice & Choice Committee headed by Whāingaroa Councillor Lisa Thomson, to a drive change toward community empowerment by strengthening community voice, participation, and resilience.
Community Voice & Choice Committee
Chairperson: Whāingaroa Cr Lisa Thomson
Deputy Chairperson: Huntly Cr David Whyte
Mayor Aksel says the Community Voice & Choice Committee has been set up to strengthen how Waikato District Council listens and partners with its communities.
“At its core, this committee’s role is to embed empowerment and participation as everyday practice. It fosters relationships with iwi, hapuu, marae, community groups, and anchor institutions to enhance shared leadership and community wellbeing.”
The Community Voice & Choice Committee also carries governance oversight of civil defence and emergency management functions of Council.
Mayor Aksel Bech says the new structure streamlines decision-making and brings greater clarity to roles and responsibilities across Council.
“By delegating more decision-making authority to Council committees and Community Boards, and strengthening the voice of communities, the new structure aims to improve responsiveness, transparency, and local participation.”
The three all-of-Council committees provide governance oversight and decision-making authority on key areas of Council business, acting with delegated powers to make strategic and statutory decisions on behalf of Council. They are:
Assets & Infrastructure Committee
Chairperson: Deputy Mayor, Cr Eugene Patterson
Deputy Chairperson: Cr Mike Keir
Strategy, Growth & Finance Committee
Chairperson: Cr Marlene Raumati
Deputy Chairperson: Cr Grant Coombes
Delegation changes are being made to strengthen local decision-making through formal Ward Councillor Delegations, enabling recognised community entities — such as community boards, marae committees, hall committees and others — to contribute more directly to Council outcomes.
Over the next six months, Council will implement process changes to support three priority areas of delegation for these groups: road naming, community leases, and enhanced discretionary funding.
Part-of-Council committees include:
Policy & Regulatory Committee
Chairperson: Cr Crystal Beavis
Deputy Chairperson: Cr David Whyte
Audit, Risk & Opportunity Committee
Chairperson: External appointee – Mr Peter Stubbs
Deputy Chairperson: Cr Grant Coombes
Development Agreements Committee
Chairperson: External appointee – Mr Peter Stubbs
Deputy Chairperson: Cr Grant Coombes
IAWAI Shareholders Forum
Waikato District Council Elected Member representatives: Mayor Aksel Bech, Cr Eugene Patterson, Cr Lisa Thomson
Roading Subcommittee – reports to Assets & Infrastructure Committee
Chairperson: Cr Mike Keir
Deputy Chairperson: Deputy Mayor, Cr Eugene Patterson
The governance structure was adopted at the 10 November 2025 Council meeting. The agenda, reports and a recording of the meeting can be found here: Council Meeting: Adoption of Governance Structure