Waikato District Council (abbr. WDC; Māori: Te Kaunihera aa Takiwaa o Waikato) is the territorial authority for the Waikato District of New Zealand. It serves as the district's local government alongside the Waikato Regional Council as the regional council. The current entity has existed since 1989, prior to which local government in the area was split between five local authorities.
The governing body of the council has 13 councillors and is chaired by the mayor of Waikato (currently Aksel Bech since October 2025). There are also six community boards
History
The council was established in 1989, replacing Raglan County Council (established in 1876), Waikato County Council (established in 1876), Ngāruawāhia Borough Council (established in 1920), and Huntly Borough Council (established in 1931).Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand 1966: Huntly
Governing body
Mayor
One mayor is elected at-large; they chair meetings of the governing body and act as the head of local government in the district.
Mayor Aksel Bech was first elected as mayor in 2025, and prior to that was first elected to the council in 2016, but failed to be elected as mayor in 2022.
Current composition The current members of the governing body of council are:
RolePortrait Name AffiliationWard Mayor Aksel Bech IndependentElected at-large Deputy mayor Eugene Patterson IndependentNewcastle-Ngāruawāhia Councillor Tilly Turner IndependentTai Runga Takiwaa Councillor Endine Dixon-Harris IndependentTai Raro Takiwaa Councillor Peter Thomson IndependentAwaroa-Maramarua Councillor David Whyte Independent Huntly Councillor Grant Coombes IndependentNewcastle-Ngāruawāhia Councillor Crystal Beavis IndependentTamahere-Woodlands Councillor Mike Keir IndependentTamahere-Woodlands Councillor Fabio Rodrigues IndependentTuakau-Pōkeno Councillor Vernon Reeve IndependentTuakau-Pōkeno Councillor Marlene Raumati IndependentWaerenga-Whitikahu Councillor Carolyn Eyre IndependentWestern Districts Councillor Lisa Thomson IndependentWhāingaroa
Community boards The Waikato District Council currently has six community boards: Huntly Community Board Ngāruawāhia Community Board Raglan Community Board Rural-Port Waikato Community Board Taupiri Community Board Tuakau Community Board
Elections List Mayoral
Council
References