Ditch the desk: Workers swap offices for riverfront relaxation

The popular two hours free parking scheme could return to Hamilton CBD as the mayor looks to make good on an election promise.

Details on re-introducing the scheme could be announced by the end of the week, the Waikato Times understands.

Mayor Tim Macindoe, who pushed for the change during his election campaign, told the Waikato Times “we’ve heard clearly from the community that the current system isn’t working”.

“We have a wonderful city centre, and I want to see people out there enjoying it,’’ he said.

“Parking is a key part of making the city accessible... Many people find CBD parking too complicated, and the cost and limited access are putting them off coming into the city.”

The return of two-hour free parking now features in the mayor’s plan for the 2026/27 Annual Plan - the original plan estimates July 2026 for implementation.

The mayor’s proposal will be pretested before HCC starts LTP discussions on April 2.

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St Patrick's Day is falling on Tuesday 17th March. From breakfast through to late night celebrations, Hamilton's central city has everything you need for an unforgettable day.

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Start your morning with Live Music | Biddy Mulligans | Hamilton (17 Hood Street) with a legendary Irish Breakfast from 8:30am to 1pm. Tickets are $20 pre-sale from the bar or $25 on the day, and the entertainment keeps rolling all day long.

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You can head to Lucky Finns (26 Hood Street) from 8am for their special breakfast menu, premium Irish whiskeys, Guinness, Magners cider, traditional Irish food, and live music throughout the day.

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In the evening, The Mercury Room (15 Hood Street) have their $20 St Patrick's Special from 6pm to 11pm where you can choose a pint of Guinness and pizza or a Mojito and pizza. Either way, you're onto a winner.

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Why not rally your mates and book a St Patrick’s Bottomless Brunch for $59pp at House on Hood (27 Hood Street). DJs, themed and prizes up for grabs across two sessions from 6:30pm, this is one not to be missed.

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A full lunch and dinner menu is available at The Londoner plus some special St Patrick's Day dishes including steak, Guinness and cheese pie, corned beef, melted cheese, slaw and honey mustard bun, steak and Guinness hot pot, colcannon, Irish whiskey bread & butter pudding with salted caramel and whisky sauce! There will also be a random prize draw and main Guiness prize draw at 7pm.

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The arts and entertainment sector in Hamilton began 2026 with a hiss and a roar, with numerous major events happening - mainly at the new BNZ Theatre.

But any impression it was going off the boil following a series of big-name concerts at the theatre, as well as the Hamilton Arts Festival and this weekend’s Homegrown festival, would be false.

The schedule at the BNZ Theatre is being frequently added to by a succession of announcements. One of the latest is a May 17 concert in which the Waikato’s own Opus Orchestra will get their first opportunity to test the venue’s acoustics.

Featuring pianist Stephen De Pledge and conducted by Peter Walls, it is described as “an afternoon of orchestral and vocal drama” that pairs Gillian Karawe Whitehead’s landmark New Zealand opera The Journey of Mataatua Whare (performed in concert form) with Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 (popularly known as The Emperor).

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The WSA school holiday programmes have been running for many years now. They are tutored by experienced and qualified art tutors with no more than 8 students per tutor and a maximum of 16 students in total per day.

These run from 9am to 12pm, Monday to Friday with every day having different activities for 5-12 year olds.

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