Ōtorohanga Community Connection

13/02/2026

STATE OF EMERGENCY DECLARED FOR ŌTOROHANGA DISTRICT

Ōtorohanga District Mayor Rodney Dow has declared a State of Emergency for the Ōtorohanga District.

The State of Emergency declaration takes effect immediately (signed at 12:57am on Saturday 14 February 2026 and expires in seven days.

Mayor Dow says the district has experienced widespread flooding and heavy rain, with reports of flooding, slips and inundation.
“The situation in Ōtorohanga is serious, and with nightfall upon us, it’s important we are prepared and have the right controls in place to provide help and support, including required evacuations if needed.”

An Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) was stood up in the Council Chambers after the initial event with Council’s Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) team working on gathering intel and providing support.

Further help from ŌDC’s CDEM partners at Western Waikato may also be called in to provide support. Mayor Dow and fellow elected members have also been closely monitoring the situation.

The declaration was signed following formal advice from CDEM Duty Controller Dave Simes.

A declaration enables emergency services and response agencies to draw on resources, and enact additional powers, to assist those affected.

Infrastructure and emergency services partners have been working throughout the evening to assess and manage the impacts of the weather event, including water infrastructure and roading. For safety reasons, residents are being urged to stay at home and not venture out.

“I urge you to stay safe and do not venture out into floodwater – it is not safe,” says Mayor Dow.

If you need help, please contact our call centre on 0800 734 000.
If it is an emergency, phone 111 immediately!!

Our Civil Defence communications officer will keep our community updated via Council’s page and website.

11/02/2026

Thanks to the incredible support of our community through the recent Garden Ramble, we raised $5,000 💚
We’ve already donated $2,500 to Friends of Beattie Home, which has gone directly towards the purchase of a much-needed bladder scanner — a real and tangible win.

We now have $2,500 set aside for a project supporting our teenage youth, and we’d love to hear your ideas.

We’re particularly keen on projects that:
🌱 are based in town
🌱 create safe, positive spaces our young people already use
🌱 support connection, wellbeing, activity and belonging

This could include things like:
• upgrading shared youth spaces (for example, the skate park or basketball court)
• improving facilities, seating, lighting, artwork or overall usability
• or another idea that makes our town more youth-friendly

This could be:
• a smaller project we can fully fund, or
• a larger project where our $2,500 becomes seed funding and we work alongside other partners to help bring it to life.

If you know of a need, a space, or have an idea that could make a real difference for our teenage youth, please share it below or send us a message.

Let’s turn community support into community impact — together

04/02/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BjJdrzJo7/

Last night we wrapped up our first official classes! Enrolments are still open and will be throughout the year so if you want to check us out please get in touch.

Jazz and tap classes available on Tuesday afternoons at the Otewa Hall. Our classes are small, allowing me to give each child more guidance and support.

Pregrade - perfect for 4-8 year olds. These magical classes use props to help young dancers develop confidence in their movement and storytelling ability. Technique is taught early through fun combinations (think dipping toes into the water while you cuddle a friendly duck to learn how to point your toes).

Grades - once a dancer is old enough (7 or 8 )they move into grade 1 and progress through the junior, intermediate, and senior grades. Each grade teaches and reinforces techniques to allow dancers to gain the strength and confidence to perform a broad range of dances.

Adults - a fun class to learn the styles, socialise, and have a great time.

All students have the option to sit exams and medal tests part way through the year. These are a fun and relaxed way to build up confidence and receive wonderful feedback from a national examiner. Medal tests are performed on stage in costume and friends and family are invited to watch. We will also be having a small recital at the hall at the start of November.

21/01/2026

Tidy Gardens is on the lookout for a casual team member to join our hardworking, fun, and down-to-earth crew.
This role is ideal if you:
• Love being outdoors
• Are happy with physical work (including wheelbarrowing soil and materials)
• Enjoy seeing the results of a job well done
• Can work well in a team and show up reliably
• Are flexible, as hours are casual and dependent on the work schedule
The work includes:
• General garden maintenance
• Soft landscaping and planting
• Weeding, pruning, and garden care
• Wheelbarrowing soil, mulch, and plants as part of garden installs
What we’re looking for:
• A good attitude and willingness to learn
• Reliability and flexibility
• Gardening or landscaping experience is a bonus, but not essential
• Ability to follow instructions and work safely
What we offer:
• Casual, flexible hours (workload dependent)
• A supportive team environment
• Working outdoors in a variety of gardens across the district
If this sounds like you (or someone you know), send us a message or get in touch with Tidy Gardens.
🌱 Come grow with us 🌱 if this interests you please send an email to [email protected]

04/01/2026

🌟 Free Kai – Pop Down Today! 🌟

If you’re out and about, pop down to the Māori Women’s League shop and grab yourself some yummy free kai – there’s lots of bread (perfect to pop in the freezer for later), coleslaw, dog rolls and plenty more.

Bring a bag and help yourself – first in, first served!
Let’s make sure nothing goes to waste 💚

12/12/2025

09/12/2025

Do you know of anymore that I could add to the list??

09/12/2025

Bit of a mystery! These photos were tucked away in Mum’s photo album. If you recognise anyone in them, please let me know!

06/12/2025

Part time work available to help over the busy times in a family run camp ground with cottages and cabins. Involves making beds, cleaning, washing linen, vacuuming etc. Approx 4 hours a day 10 till 2. Three or four days a week with days negotiable. We would prefer the person to be able to work one weekend day if possible. Would suit a student or someone looking for partime work. If interested contact Brian 027 669 3842.
Between oto and TK

04/12/2025

Kia ora whānau, please let us know if you are in a position to keep your child/ren home this Friday so the majority of our staff can attend Gillian's funeral. This will help us create a supervision plan for the middle part of the day when our staff will be out.

14/11/2025

🌿 Garden Ramble starts tomorrow! 🌿
If you’d still like to grab a ticket, you can pop out to 71 Old Golf Road tomorrow and purchase one there.

Come along, support the fundraiser, and enjoy wandering through some beautiful gardens around our district.