Te Awamutu News | October 27, 2022

Rowing for Clive

By Benjamin Wilson

Rowing legend Clive Steenson will be remembered at Lake Karāpiro when the Te Awamutu Rowing Club’s annual regatta is held on Saturday.

“Without his tenacity and enthusiasm, I don’t think we would be here today,” said club treasurer Shane Swinerd.

Steenson’s contribution to the club helped it become the best in New Zealand in 1981, when it won the Centennial Oar.

He started rowing for the club in 1966 and “never left”. He rowed until 1981 when he started coaching that same year, was the club captain for 11 years, and president for five.

He coached Luka Ellery, Graham Oberlin-Brown, and Hannah Osborne, who would go on to win silver at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.

Clive was coaching for the club just months before he died in May last year, from an asbestos related cancer at age 74.

“Nothing was ever going to stop him from going out there unless somebody turned the lights off,

and that is pretty much what happened… He coached right up until he couldn’t,” said Shane.

The club expects around 600 athletes from Waikato, Auckland and Northland to participate in the regatta.

In honour of Clive, the regatta is now called the Clive Steenson Memorial Regatta, and was supposed to be held last year but was postponed due to Covid.

It is the first regatta of the rowing season and is known as a friendly introduction to competitive rowing for novices.

“He just thrived on numbers, he just thrived on seeing people on the water, seeing them improving,” said Shane.

“That is one of the things that he believed in, that you give people opportunities, that you give people chances,” said club captain Tony Edmondson.

Continued on page 2

Chair for Clare

By Mary Anne Gill

Four-term Pirongia councillor Clare St Pierre has been rewarded for her strategic thinking and keen intellect by being appointed Waipā District Council’s Service Delivery committee chair.

She takes over from Grahame Webber who retired at the last elections.

Mayor Susan O’Regan made the announcement this week in what for some was a surprise but those who know the former banker well, know her skills have not been well utilised.

St Pierre was born in the district and grew up on a Te Rore dairy farm. She is a mother of six who volunteers for environmental projects, especially around Pirongia where she lives with husband Tony.

She graduated from Massey University in 2012 as a Massey Scholar and her post-graduate studies included business research methods, advanced environmental management, cross-sector collaborative case studies for environmental protection, and business and sustainability.

St Pierre has championed the Pirongia Cycleway project and wants more commitment to Climate Change initiatives.

• See: Susan and Liz roadshow, page 5.

Tony Edmondson, Ray Ormsby, Shane Swinerd, and Ann Edmondson remember Clive’s rowing achievements.

Photo: Benjamin Wilson

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Rowing for Clive

The pair produced a book of Clive’s rowing accomplishments in 2017.

Tony did the computer and design work for it, while Shane gathered the photos and materials needed. It was presented to Clive in October of that year.

“We put on a night at the college in the staff room, I invited everybody that had been in the club that Clive either rowed with or coached. We had to keep it a secret from Clive, so I told him that I was going to put on an evening for a bit of a pre-season get together,” said Shane

He also nominated Clive for the Sport Waikato Service to Sport award he won that year.

“Every time he got a phone call about these awards, he would ring me and say, ‘you’re still interfering with my life,’ he was a very humble guy,” he said.

Clive owned a plumbing business in Te Awamutu and is survived by his partner Sue, daughters Yvette and Marsha, and their five grandchildren.

Fonterra can see clearly now…

Fonterra is investing $51 million to improve wastewater processing at their Te Awamutu site in the Waikato.

It is the second sustainability project the site has celebrated this year.

It recently completed its first season on wood pellets rather than coal –helping the Co-op reduce its carbon emissions by more than 11 per cent last year.

Fonterra Te Awamutu Operations Manager Russell Muir says reducing water use and improving wastewater at manufacturing sites was a key part of long term strategy.

“Over the next eight years the Co-op will invest around $600 million on improvements. Our target is to improve wastewater management at our manufacturing sites by taking a leading industry approach.”

Construction on the project began last year. Stage one construction has just been finished and environmental performance has improved.

The upgrade at Te Awamutu is one of the first wastewater

projects being run by a newly established Wastewater Community. This community is a partnership comprises companies PDP, Babbage, Beca, Vertex Engineers, Aurecon, Tetra Pak, Fulton Hogan and TEG.

Fonterra General Manager Water and Environment Ian Goldschmidt says the Co-op believes a leading industry approach to wastewater quality requires a collaborative attitude.

“Throughout the project at Te Awamutu, we will be continuously looking for ways to improve – not only to

implement within this project, but to share our knowledge with the wider Wastewater Community team”

The Wastewater Community are committed in helping the Co-op to deliver 14 quality wastewater projects and have set themselves an ambitious set of goals to achieve over the next few years.

Tetra Pak Key Account Director Julie Evans said the project presented an opportunity to demonstrate the company’s ability to improve wastewater processing throughout the country.

A bit of housecleaning from me this week. During the week I was made aware of a Facebook post about an incident at a local business. The crux of the post was that a male having mental health difficulty was causing a number of issues. What did please me to see was the amount of people urging the poster to call 111.

Sadly a number of the comments were disparaging towards police and the response towards mental health issues and suggested police do nothing. I would like to use this opportunity to explain a little about the Mental Health Act and how police fit into that process.

Firstly, police are not mental health workers. We get some basic training during our initial training at the Royal New Zealand

Police College in Porirua. This training mainly is around certain sections of the Mental Health Act and police powers to detain.

One of our main powers is if someone is in a public place acting in a manner that causes police to believe they are having mental health difficulties, police can detain the person and take them to a suitable place for an assessment by a Duly Authorised Officer (DAO) who is a mental health worker. Once the person has been assessed it is entirely up to the DAO as to whether the person gets sectioned or released into the community. We have little or no bearing on this part of the process.

On another issue, recently we had a spate of graffiti. Two males had gone on a spree

throughout Te Awamutu, tagging a car, commercial and private premises.

Through CCTV footage we were able to identify one of them as a local and initially a plan was put forward to get them to clean the damage caused.

Sadly this fell through and one of them was ultimately put before the Court.

Frustratingly for Police, only a small handful of complaints for the tagging were received by police so we were only able to hold accountability for a few of the tags.

The point I am trying to make here is if you see tagging, please report it. Often we are able to hold people to account but to do so we must have a willing complainant

Hannah Osborne and coach Clive Steenson with the NZSSRC U17 Challenge Cup in 2011.

Photo: Cathy Asplin

Left to right: Brent Sinclair, from Waikato Regional Council and Fonterra Chief Operating Officer Fraser Whineray check out the water before and after treatment.

Tamahere break in

Tamahere Bakery’s front window was broken into over the weekend by youths who then stole drinks from the cabinet. The incident was caught on closed circuit television. Police say it was one of several attacks on commercial outlets over the weekend in Waikato. They also responded to incidents in Thames, Chartwell, central Hamilton, Hamilton East and Tamahere.

Purple peg eater

Kihikihi residents are also airing a potential crime – a resident came home this week to find pegs were missed from one side of their clothesline.

Tayla Couling said on further inspection it appeared the thief had taken only purple pegs.

Deputy mayor

James Thomas, the top polling candidate in the Morrinsville ward, has been appointed Matamata-Piako District Council deputy mayor by new mayor Adrienne Wilcock. The News sources suggested it would be Bruce Dewhurst, but Wilcock opted for the experienced farm consultant as her second in charge.

Homing Florence

Waipā residents are on the search for a home for Florence, a retired hunting dog. The search began in August, when Waipā Animal Control posted a photo of the seven year-old to Facebook. Florence’s photo has since been shared over 100 times on the social media platform. The council says it is in talks with a “promising” applicant.

Catching up

Waipā District Council says its recycling contractor is making good progress tackling the backlog of collections caused by driver shortages and illness. There are now two new drivers on board and three trucks doing collections across the district every day this week. It is hopes the collections will be back to normal by the end of the month.

Quake prone list grows

By Mary Anne Gill

The sudden eviction of staff from Te Awamutu Museum last week underlines the fact Waipā has three town or village centres with significant and costly earthquake proofing to do over the next decade.

The Earthquake Prone Buildings Register, held by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, lists 42 buildings in Cambridge, 19 in Te Awamutu, three in Ōhaupō and one in Kihikihi.

Six of the most iconic are the Masonic Hotel, Museum and Water Tower in Cambridge, the Regent Theatre and Spindleys Building in Te Awamutu and the Clock Shop in Ōhaupō.

The register provides information about buildings that territorial authorities determined “earthquake prone” and then issued notices which must be displayed in the buildings’ windows.

Te Awamutu Museum in Roche Street was not on the register and its fragility was only discovered when the council was looking to replace the roof and windows.

The building is on two sections. The older part has been owned by the council (previously Te Awamutu Borough) since 1925 and the borough council bought the two other buildings, designed in 1968 and 1973, in 1977.

A new report showed the building was at 20 per cent of national building standard which gave it a Grade D rating. In earthquakes these

buildings present a risk to occupants between 10-25 times that expected for a new building.

Around 78 staff across the council’s service delivery and community services team work in the building, but not all at the same time.

Chief executive Garry Dyet said the council’s top priority, having evacuated staff, were to ensure taonga was taken care of.

The council bought the former Bunnings building for $2.05 million last year earmarking it for Te Ara Wai, a museum to showcase Waipā and New Zealand history with a focus on the New Zealand Land Wars. Its $21 million development relies on philanthropic and council funding.

Roche Street is one of five councilowned buildings or structures which it has till 2032 to complete seismic work.

The others are:

• Cambridge Museum - Funding has already been approved for a seismic upgrade and reroofing. Work, which will begin early next year, includes bracing the parapet, strengthening the chimney and structure upgrades to the roof structure.

• Ōhaupō Memorial Hall –Analysed in three sections, with the back portion of the building (where it is double storey), the only portion below the 34 per cent new building standard. It has been boarded up with the front portion of the building still in use.

• Cambridge Water Tower – It

has temporary fencing around the base and the first phase of the upgrade is currently being prepared for a resource consent application.

• 90 Mahoe Street, Te Awamutu – It was assessed eight years ago and will be repaired by 2032.

Other buildings around the district affected are:

• Alexandra Street, Te Awamutu –numbers 2, 30, 45 (rear), 46, 54, 97, 159, 174, 235, 246, 279, 324, 452, 1498. This includes the Fonterra Butter and Cream Products facility, Commercial Hotel, Hutsons Building, Old Bakehouse and Regent Theatre.

• Alpha Street, Cambridge – 71 and 72 – St Peter’s Catholic School Block A and the old Power Board building.

• 21 Anzac Street, Cambridge, St Peter’s Catholic Church.

• 52 Arawata Street, Te Awamutu, Newton King.

• 261 Bank Street, Te Awamutu,

Methodist Church.

• 29 Bryce Street, Cambridge Alpha Lodge Masonic Hall.

• Duke Street, Cambridge –numbers 35, 37, 44, 54, 55, 57, 59, 60, 63, 68. This includes Masonic Hotel, Legal Chambers and CF Ruge Building.

• Empire Street, Cambridge – 3, 23, 31 – includes Central Court and rear part of Geo Calvert & Co.

• Great South Road, Ōhaupō – 96, 98, 158 – includes Clock Shop, Christ Church and Memorial Hall.

• 3 Hallys Lane, Cambridge.

• 16 Lake Street, Cambridge.

• 54 Lyon Street, Kihikihi.

• 90 Mahoe Street, Te Awamutu.

• 34 Market Street, Te Awamutu.

• 54 Sloane Street, Te Awamutu.

• Victoria Street, Cambridge – 24, 32, 34, 38, 44, 48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 62, 64A, 65, 66, 67, 70, 70A, 72, 73, 74, 76, 91 – includes Calvert Chambers, Wallace and Boyce buildings, Geo Calvert & Co, Cambridge Fine Arts, Cambridge Museum.

Businesses recover from Covid

By Benjamin Wilson

Te Awamutu businesses are starting to bounce back from Covid, but ongoing price hikes and supply issues remain a concern.

“There were real challenges when we were locked down, but as soon as we opened up, we bounced right back,” said Red Kitchen owner, Megan Priscott.

Priscott and her husband Matthew opened their Mahoe Street café, Red Kitchen, 12 years ago.

She says right now business at their café is “probably a bit better than it was before Covid.”

She attributes this to a strong customer base and the easing of Covid related restrictions

“Everyone who walks through our doors, we feel quite lucky to have them,” she said.

Red Kitchen’s biggest challenge now getting the goods they need for a reasonable price.

“(Supply issues) have hugely affected our prices… the cost of the raw ingredients, the cost of the goods, the cost of kitchenware, whether it is New Zealand made or imported,” said Priscott.

“We accept that it is part of the process that the world is going through now, but there is not one area of the business that isn’t affect by supply. Sometimes I look at a product and get embarrassed that it is on the shelves for that price, but it is the same everywhere.”

Sewing store owner Teresa Reymer was also affected by supply issues, but was thankful that the crafts industry boomed during Covid.

“The limitations on travel and lockdowns meant that people had spare time. A large number of people spent the time working on existing craft projects, learning a new craft or reigniting an old interest in sewing and knitting,” she said.

However, supply issues are her primary concern.

“Almost all of our stock is imported, coupled with the increase in worldwide demand for product, it had a huge impact on our business.

Te Awamutu Business Chamber chief executive Shane Walsh said these concerns are understandable,

but local businesses are resilient.

“The cost of living is up, and people are tightening their belts and are maybe not spending as much as they used to, so some retailers would be feeling that,” he said.

“I think businesses here are quite resilient, and have suffered a lot through Covid, there was a lot of stress and everything. But they now see a bit of rosy future, and that is quite uplifting.”

Priscott shares that optimism.

“The outlook is good, we expect it will carry on like this and we will continue to be busy. (For consumers), I think it is about being more savvy, buying what you need and enjoying it more.”

Chamber chief named – See Page 8

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The Media Council has rejected complaints by failed mayoral candidate Chris Woodhams and supporter Brenda Stamp about coverage in The News.

Woodhams claimed The News presented him as a timewaster and produced “misinformation” to cause confusion during the campaign while Stamp claimed The News “fabricated” a story.

Woodhams finished a distant third in the mayoral race behind winner Susan O’Regan and sitting mayor Jim Mylchreest.

The Media Council has ruled it saw nothing more than straight forward reporting of a local body election and said there were insufficient grounds to proceed with the separate complaints.

The two complaints were considered without The News being informed of them.

Good Local Editor Roy Pilott said the complainants had themselves been guilty of misleading voters when Woodhams posted a defamatory statement on a Facebook group started by Stamp and other supporters which they said would allow open discussion on the elections.

The statement, accusing The News of “fake news” remains online. It misrepresents a discussion Woodhams had with Waipā District

news’ claims rejected

Council chief executive Garry Dyet, who was the subjects of calls to resign from other contributors to the Facebook page.

Of Woodhams’ complaint the council said it had “some difficulty following” it.

“No inaccuracy or unfairness has been shown. No coherent or substantive argument has been presented to show that any principles were breached.”

Pilott said Woodhams’ complaints to The News had wasted a great deal of time during the election campaign.

“I did not raise the issue of time wasting in an attempt to have voters question his credibility – I raised it because it was a fact.”

The complaints were sparked by a single sentence in a story where he said that “Te Awamutu gets everything”.

Woodhams complained both that the quote was out of context and that he did not say it - but in a discussion with Pilott conceded he may have made the comment.

Pilott agreed the quote was out of context with the rest of the story, and it was removed from the online version.

But Woodhams made subsequent complaints about a follow up story, then claimed a lead story discussing concerns expressed

by Dyet had been written by The News without speaking to the chief executive and was “fake” news.

Stamp complained The News was guilty of “grossly inaccurate and misleading reporting” over the issue of sitting councillor Philip Coles discussing in public the securing of land for a third bridge in Cambridge across the Waikato River.

She further complained that The News’ story discussing a warning to candidates from the chief executive about financial issues on the horizon “appeared to be a complete fabrication.”

“It was scaremongering and no proof was offered that the chief executive was interviewed by the reporter,” she wrote.

The comments parroted the fake news claim by Woodhams – who posted on the Facebook page “Garry did not talk to the Cambridge News - he did not provide them a quote or any input at all for this article, it is invented from the Candidate Handbook which was published before the election period started…”

Woodhams made the statement after discussing the story with Dyet. Pilott said the comments were palpably false.

Not only did senior writer Mary Anne Gill discuss the story with Dyet, but she was also given access by Dyet to a blog he sends to staff and to a power point presentation explaining his concerns. Gill also viewed, online, the meeting where the issue was raised.

The Media Council, in responding to Stamp’s complaints, saw no substance to them either.

“We see straightforward reporting of a local body election, and no evidence to show how the reporting was inaccurate or unbalanced,” the decision read.

The Media Council provides the public with an independent forum for resolving complaints.

Editors have the ultimate responsibility for what appears in their publications, and for adherence to the standards of ethical journalism which the council upholds. In dealing with complaints, the council seeks the co-operation of editors and publishers.

News bloggers and digital media are similarly required to participate responsibly.

Woodhams against The Cambridge News.

Ruling: insufficient grounds to proceed

Media Council statement

This complaint relates to several articles published by the CambridgeNews and Te Awamutu News in the two months prior to the October2022 local body elections.

Christopher Woodhams, who was a mayoral candidate for the WaipaDistrict, complained that he was mis-quoted by comments that were outof order and context, that editorial standards had been broken and thatthe editor was providing misinformation to cause confusion during theelection campaign.

Mr Woodhams said the editor had also presented him as a timewasterand problem in an attempt to have voters question his credibility. Itappears it stemmed from an article in which Mr Woodham claimed hehad been misreported. Although the paper disputed this, the matter wasapparently resolved amicably until Mr Woodhams reopened the issue bymaking social media comment criticising both the paper and thejournalist who wrote the article. This prompted the editor to publish astory rebutting Mr Woodhams criticism, and a demand for him toaddress his defamatory comments about the journalist.

Setting aside the history of this complaint the Media Council mustconsider whether there has been a breach of any of its principles. It hasnot been shown that any of the quotes were inaccurate, or that any ofthe reporting was unfair or lacked balance. In the end, we have nothingbefore us which establishes a breach. It is on some points MrWoodham’s word against Cambridge employees and others. TheCouncil cannot rule on that. No inaccuracy or unfairness has beenshown. No coherent or substantive argument has been presented toshow that any principles were breached.

Decision: There were insufficient grounds to proceed.

Brenda Stamp against The Cambridge News

Ruling: insufficient grounds to proceed Media Council statement

This complaint relates to Facebook posts and stories published by theCambridge News in the lead up to the 2022 local body elections.

The first complaint relates to a Facebook post on September 9 reportingthat Waipa District Councillor Philip Coles had told a meeting that he hadsecured land from a local school for a bridge and that the school andmayor were furious and demanding a retraction.

Brenda Stamp complained this was grossly inaccurate and misleadingreporting. No reporter had been present at the meeting referred to and itappeared the article was written purely on hearsay.

The Facebook post was followed by an article published on September14 headlined: A bridge too far for Coles? in which Councillor Colesapologised at a public meeting for what he described as amisunderstanding over comments he had previously made aboutsecuring the land.

Cambridge News editor Roy Pilott responded to the complaint saying thereporting of Mr Coles comments was not inaccurate, biased, ormisleading.

Her second complaint was about an article headlined: Promises,promises which reported a briefing of council candidates by WaipaDistrict Council chief executive. It said his opening of the books showedcouncillors might not be able to make good on election promises thatinvolved significant spending.

The complainant said the statement that the chief executive had briefedcouncil candidates appeared to be a complete fabrication. She said thearticle pointed at one mayoral candidate and what he was campaigningon. It was scaremongering and no proof was offered that the chiefexecutive was interviewed by the reporter.

Mr Pilott responded that the reporter watched the meeting, read thematerial presented and interviewed the chief executive.

Chris Woodhams and Brenda Stamp

Mayor, deputy set new course

By Mary Anne Gill

It’s going to be the ‘Susan and Liz Roadshow’ from here on with senior staff members along for the ride.

Waipā’s new mayor Susan O’Regan and deputy Liz Stolwyk have embarked on a meet and greet philosophy which will see them team up at regular events.

The first was yesterday in Cambridge where they addressed a record turnout at the Chamber of Commerce After Five

accompanied by chief executive Garry Dyet, chief financial officer Ken Morris and Strategy group manager Kirsty Downey.

“This provided us with a great opportunity to get in front of the business community,” said O’Regan who earlier in the week named Stolwyk as her deputy and put her in charge of the powerful Strategic Planning and Policy committee.

“I’m wanting to work more closely with the chamber

in the future, work closely with them strategically. We have an active and engaged bunch and we’re all looking for similar outcomes,” said O’Regan.

She will use the same approach around the district with greater community engagement, a promise she made during her campaign.

“We’ve got to make changes and be honest about what we’re doing.”

Stolwyk, who lives in Ōhaupō and represents the Cambridge ward, sang a similar tune when The News discussed the approach.

She confirmed she would be working full time as deputy mayor and Strategy chair having recently employed Jeanette Douglas as operations manager in the family-owned events’ business.

Chairing the Strategy committee was not a new job for the experienced councillor now heading into her fourth term.

She will look to hold regular clinics for ratepayers and wants the webinars, introduced during Covid and used successfully during the dog control consultation, used more.

O’Regan has introduced deputy chairs to ensure there is a “deep knowledge base”

around the decision-making table.

Stolwyk’s deputy will be new Maungatautari ward councillor Mike Montgomerie who joins Philip Coles on the Cambridge Community Board.

Councillors from the western side of the district chair the council’s other committees.

Clare St Pierre of Pirongia takes on the Service Delivery committee from the nowretired Grahame Webber with Cambridge school principal Mike Pettit her deputy.

Marcus Gower of Kihikihi continues in the Regulatory committee role with St Pierre his deputy.

Independent Bruce Robertson will continue to chair the Audit and Risk committee with Cambridge’s Roger Gordon as his deputy.

Andrew Brown of Te Awamutu retains Finance and Corporate with PirongiaKakepuku councillor Bruce Thomas installed as deputy. Thomas will join veteran councillor Lou Brown on the Te Awamutu Community Board.

O’Regan wants the community boards to provide the connectedness with communities on behalf

of the council. In the previous term, she questioned the community boards’ roles. Now their future is confirmed, she wants members to step up.

“There’s going to be a lot of work for councillors, dealing with the local government reforms. There’s no doubt it’s going to be very busy and work rich.”

Councillors will take their oath of office next Monday at Lake Karāpiro’s Mighty River Domain followed by the first council meeting.

Inaugural meetings of both the Te Awamutu-Kihikihi and Cambridge Community Boards will be held later that afternoon, at 1pm and 2pm respectively.

• The News sources say Pamela Storey had the numbers to secure the Waikato Regional Council chair job when the council met in Hamilton today. We reported last week it was a deadlock between her and Angela Strange which could have seen it decided by the toss of a coin.

Susan O’Regan

Liz Stolwyk

Trust and confidence

By Tom Roa, Tikanga Advisor, Waikato University

With the dust settling from the announcement of results in our local elections congratulations to all those elected, commiserations to all unsuccessful in their bids for positions, thank you all for your willingness to serve.

Indeed thank you to all those who have served our community in the past, those who serve now, and those who will serve in the future – in whatever capacity, whether elected, appointed, or voluntarily.

Note the word ‘serve’.

And in that ‘service’, the question we the constituency must always pose for ourselves as well as those who serve - can we trust them to do the best for us?

Do we have a confidence in their best efforts for us – and by ‘us’ I include with all of the people of our community everything in our environment, human and otherwise, seen and unseen.

A very recent (July 2022) Office of the Auditor General (OAG) Report has not garnered much publicity, its publication title,

“Māori Perspectives of Public Accountability” in its timing and subject matter deserves more attention not just from Māori and the Public Service but to all of us the wider public in that principle question of who can/should we trust? Who has our confidence?

Whether the number of us who did and didn’t vote is an indication of trust and confidence is not a question I intend to explore here important as it also is.

Out of the discussions with participants about trust and confidence the four key ideas which emerged from the OAG Report were - trust is relational, trust is reciprocal, tikanga builds trust and confidence and the power imbalance thwarts trust.

Talking about dust settling, the recent occupation of Parliament Grounds and unrest stemmed from issues of trust and confidence.

And the explosion in that of the questioning of issues of power and equity. Not least of all in that is the wilful and often nasty spreading of dis- and mis-information.

The truism that, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing …” is rather trite and on closer examination makes little sense.

Those advancing the evil needs be strong and determined; and those ‘doing nothing’ must be either willing to go along with the evil or have been cowed into submission.

Trite as the saying may be, it is nevertheless an important call for us to guard against complacency. To do nothing is as much a conscious choice as to do something.

Again a heartfelt thanks to those who have stepped forward to serve.

And a further call to those of us ‘being served’ not to be complacent, but to proactively and consciously test our trust and confidence in them and their service.

Waipā trust lights the way

A total of 85,000 energy saving light bulbs being distributed throughout Waipa communities could save thousands of dollars in electricity bills.

Waipa Networks Trust is working alongside Christchurch-based Ecobulb to hand out the bulbs and the first 5000 were distributed on Tuesday with support from Te Wharekura o Ngā Purapura o Te Aroha and Te Awamutu College.

About 10,000 households have been contacted through charities and schools and each have been offered five free generation Ecobulb LED energysaving light bulbs.

The 9 watt LED bulbs have a 30-year lifespan and provide the same energy as 100 watt conventional bulbs.

The estimated annual power cost of each bulb is $2.73 - saving individual households up to $112 a year in power costs over traditional bulbs.

Ecobulb managing director Chris Mardon said it is estimated there are 31 million inefficient light bulbs in New Zealand homes.

New generation LED bulbs could save the country $500 million in electricity costs a year, he said.

“At a time where household costs are increasing, this initiative will not only help people save money, but also improve energy efficiency within our region” said Sean Horgan, CEO for Waipa Networks.

“We’re owned by our customers so this is another way that we can directly support our community”

When it’s time to take time out

It’s time to get over ourselves.

At the risk of sounding like a scratched record with a repeated message, I want to stir us to consider the importance of moving on with life – it’s time to get over ourselves.

We live in a chaotic world and regular readers will be familiar with my thoughts on the importance of a “reset” and the need to avoid the speed-wobbles of life.

The reason I keep banging on this drum is twofold; it’s vital for me to reset my life to a sustainable pace, and the world we all live in seems to be hurting too many people.

I was reminded of this when a friend stated: “the world needs a long holiday so we each get over ourselves”.

What he meant, as I leaned in and listened further, was the devastating impact of dark clouds was taking a heavy toll on his loved ones, (including himself).

Simply put, the pressure we create on ourselves and others is unsustainable. And yet, while we hold the power to do something about it, we choose to bury our head in the sand and avoid the warning sounds coming from the scratched record.

When our kids were young, Kathy and I decided we would administer discipline in a variety of ways.

One of the techniques we used was called ‘time out’.

One of the advantages of using this parenting tool, (carefully and wisely), was that time out gave room for a reset, which then allowed for a fresh perspective. What was a life-changing drama

only moments earlier, suddenly came into a new light with some space to reconsider. Even young minds have the ability to review their view.

You may remember the Bible story of Jonah and the whale. Well, that’s only the beginning of the story.

After his malady in the mammal, the close of his story finds him in self-designated time out as he pouts and complains about the ways of God. His head was all messed up and his heart was twisted by what he experienced. God took care of him, and then he set him straight. Essentially, the story ends with God telling Jonah to get over himself.

Is your life pressing on all sides and causing darkness and despair? If so, perhaps it’s time to put yourself into time out. Are you struggling with the absence of a loving environment and desperate for some kindness that can only come from a loving God?

I decided to put myself into time out. It’s a carefully and wisely planned process which has been conducted under the supervision and care of my board.

Our desire is to see this as an opportunity for a reset that provides fresh perspective. I expect to see some melodrama disappear and even expect to see other issues resolved by my absence.

Taking ourselves too seriously can mean we don’t withdraw when we need to. This is stubbornness at best and pride at worst. Don’t be too prideful to find the reset you need.

Get gardening

A monthly gardening column, courtesy of Amber Garden Centre

This warmer weather means everything is growing fast, to ensure the continuation of this growth, now is the time to get out and feed everything.

Vegetables: Now is the perfect time to plant the vegetable garden. It should be warm enough for crops like tomatoes, courgettes and cucumbers now, but be wary of cooler night temperatures. Plant more of your earlier crops like lettuce, carrots, peas and beans. Cycling regular plantings every few weeks will ensure a fresh crop of veggies throughout summer.

Fruit Trees: Pheromone traps should be put out to help monitor codling moths, if they are present spray with Yates Maverick or Neem oil to kill any caterpillars. It is important to spray for these before they can enter pip fruit like apples and pears.

Flowers: Spring brings an array of annuals to choose from. Petunia, begonia, alyssum and many more are suitable for garden beds, pots and hanging baskets. Perennial plants such as delphinium and daisies are perfect to plant for some added colour. Planting marigolds near the vegetable garden is a good way to deter insects.

Shrubs: Pruning shrubs like camellias and rhododendrons after they have nished owering will help to encourage branching out with new growth, especially if this is followed by a feed with acid fertiliser. Hedges will bene t from a light prune to the new growth and a top dressing with Tui Chicken and Sheep Pallets. Happy Gardening

Phil Strong, Senior Leader, Zion

By Benjamin Wilson

It was supposed to be a farmers’ protest, but they were not the only ones who showed up last week.

Conspiracy theorists, Voices for Freedom members and tractor salespeople outnumbered rural participants in the Cambridge and Te Awamutu Groundswell protests last Thursday.

The Te Awamutu protest was led by Democracy New Zealand politician Lee Smith.

She has been selected to stand in the Taranaki-King Country electorate for the party, led by former National MP Matt King which was

registered with the Electoral Commission this month. Smith said they were there to protest against the Government’s newly announced levy on farm emissions, which she called “a ludicrous tax on food producers.”

Roughly 100 protestors were present in Te Awamutu. Several sign written utes, tractors, and a cherry picker drove laps around the town in support of the farmers.

But due to the busy farming season, fewer farmers than expected could attend.

Waikato Federated Farmers president Jacqui Hahn said she was “flat out

on the farm” and too busy to go to the protests, while Cambridge branch chair John Searle said he was “far too busy” to go anywhere.

Many of the protestors came with their own agendas.

One woman wore a shirt that wrote “New Zealand mainstream media are mercenaries of state terror.”

“We need some new conspiracy theories, because all of the old ones have come true,” was written on another person’s shirt.

There were anti Three Waters signs, anti-mandate signs, a Counter Spin Media vehicle, and a van in police colouring with images of New Zealand politicians,

and theorists

including Jacinda Ardern, behind bars.

A man named John from Tokoroa told The News that the levy was supposed to help the Government “control” the masses.

Unsuccessful mayoral candidate Bernard Westerbaan was present but was not actively involved in the protest, instead he opted to “quietly” observe it.

Voices for Freedom and Te Awamutu Community Board member Sally Whitaker held a sign that said, “this stops when we say no,” but refused to answer The News’ questions in person.

“I prefer it if they were written questions so that

I can answer with some thought and am not misrepresented,” she said.

In writing, Whitaker said that despite the many different groups involved in the protest, their message was “very clear.”

“In my view all the organisations named were there in support of our farmers who already are the most sustainable food producers in the world and have had more than enough of this government’s undemocratic ruling.”

The farming levy is to be signed off by cabinet in early 2023 and would require farmers to pay for farming related emissions from 2025.

Tractors, utes, and a cherry picker drove laps around the town in support of the farmers.

Lee Smith emceed the Te Awamutu protest.

One woman wore a shirt condemning the media of ‘state terror.

Te Awamutu Community Board member Sally Whitaker is aligned with the anti-government Voices for Freedom movement.

Walsh named new chamber chief

By Benjamin Wilson

Shane Walsh is the new chief executive of the Te Awamutu Business Chamber.

The 64-year-old recently moved back to Te Awamutu after being away from his hometown for 40 years.

He joined the Te Awamutu Business Chamber as interim chief executive in March, when the existing chief, Kerrianne Krelle, took maternity leave.

Krelle was due to resume her position in September, but instead resigned from the chamber.

Walsh was nominated to take over her position, but without the interim moniker which he bore for seven months, at the chamber’s annual meeting last week.

Before joining the chamber he was an

executive for the fishing company Sanford in Auckland. He was responsible for their inshore fishing division, inshore fishing fleet, fish processing plants, cold stores, and the Auckland fish market.

Before that he worked as a general manager for Dairy New Zealand and the Chinese dairy company International Nutrition Co in Shanghai.

He joined the chamber with plans “to make the chamber great again.”

He said it was in a much better position five or six years ago, that “it had issues, but now is getting back up there again, where it should be.”

A series of initiatives have since been rolled out to improve the chamber, including a new website and the name change from Te Awamutu Chamber of Commerce to Te Awamutu Business Chamber. They have also raised their membership fees to be more in line with neighbouring chambers.

This year the chamber has supported the youth employment initiative Cadetmax, Digital Boost, a government backed online training programme for businesses, and is in the process of setting up a Waipā youth business incubator.

The chamber also spearheaded the recently concluded Who Are We Te Awamutu Survey, which is part of a review of the town’s brand and image.

A report will summarise what the survey’s 715 participants had to say about their town to the Te Awamutu Community Board

Walsh hopes that by improving the brand of the town “there will be a positive effect on our (the chamber’s) members.”

Work is underway on a consumer website for Te Awamutu businesses to be listed on.

“The idea is that if someone is looking for a product or a service they go on to the

website and find the business they need… ideally we want all Te Awamutu businesses listed.”.

New cards for chamber members are starting to be rolled out too.

“It is something that is tangible and adds value for our members,” said Walsh.

In November the chamber will close the

main street of Te Awamutu for their Black Friday Blowout event, which is positioned to support retailers.

The chamber has 120 members, “but there should be double that”.

“We have got to earn people’s respect to get them to be on it, and they have got to see the benefits of being on it,” Walsh said.

River levels are higher

More rain has fallen in Waipā and Waikato rivers and their associated hydro system catchments in recent months than in past years, Waikato Regional Council has confirmed.

The council has been working with Mercury Energy to monitor levels and create storage if more falls, said Regional Resilience team leader Rick Liefting.

The regional council and Mercury have teams of people who are constantly monitoring the weather and forecast inflows to manage the system.

“The management of the hydro system, as well as naturally higher flows downstream of Lake Karāpiro and on the Waipā River, results in the Waikato River being somewhat higher than we’ve been used to seeing over recent years for this time of year, but these levels are still well below flood levels,” said Liefting. “We expect the flows will

continue to reduce as we move into traditionally drier months, however, we are still likely to experience rain events that will periodically increase levels again.”

While high river levels are

currently on the agenda, the council is also looking ahead to a third consecutive La Niña summer, which brings the risk of repeat drought in some regions and a marine heatwave.

Taxing agricultural emissions

By Peter Nicholl

Last Thursday I was doing some shopping in Victoria Street, Cambridge, when 30 or more tractors, many of them very large and very new, drove through the main street as part of the protests at the government’s plans for taxing animal emissions. The attitude of most of the people that watched the protest go by was supportive. That’s not surprising in a town like Cambridge.

The issues of how the emissions are measured and taxed and how carbon sequestering offsets will be measured and priced are key elements of the proposals and are central to Federated Farmers complaints about the government’s proposals. I am far from being an expert on these complex subjects so I initially I thought I would leave this topic to other commentators and write my column on inflation and interest rates again. Recent inflation data from the USA, UK and New Zealand were all higher than the authorities in those countries were expecting. But inflation and higher interest rates are going to be with us for a while so I will write that topic in a fortnight.

There are two issues related to the emission proposals that surprised and worried me. First, the report announcing the proposals said ‘that socio-economic impacts could (and I emphasise could) be considered but are second to achieving the emission reduction targets’. This is a poor way to go about making policy. It differs significantly from the way policy had to be made when I worked at the Reserve Bank of New Zealand. In those days, whenever we made a policy proposal to the Government we had to identify all the impacts of a proposal and

show clearly who would benefit and who would pay. In other words, the socio-economic impacts of any proposed policy had to be considered from the beginning as part of the policy package. It wasn’t a choice and they weren’t regarded as second-level issues. The socio-economic Issues that will arise from the emission pricing plan will be significant. Projections included in the government report are for reductions of 20 per cent in sheep and beef farming and five per cent in dairying. All the so-called socioeconomic factors have to be identified and measured before it is possible to say if the scheme has net benefits for the country.

Second, New Zealand would be the first country in the world to try and put a price on agricultural emissions. New Zealand has often been a world leader in policy formulation and we are usually proud of this. But our economy still relies on agriculture to generate close to half of the foreign exchange we need to pay for our imports.

I therefore don’t think this is a wise area for New Zealand to be a world leader. First, it will have a much bigger impact on the New Zealand economy than anywhere else, even if every other country in the world follows New Zealand’s lead. But I have little confidence that the rest of the world will follow New Zealand’s lead in this area.

Agricultural protectionism is still rife in most of the major economies. I don’t think we will have many followers.

TALKING

High waters: Waikato River between Cambridge and Tamahere.

Te Awamutu Business Chamber chief executive

Shane Walsh. Photo Benjamin Wilson

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Next stop Berlin for Matthew

By Benjamin Wilson

Te Awamutu Special Olympian Matthew Smith has been chosen to represent New Zealand in the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Berlin.

Matthew has Russell-Silver syndrome, a genetic growth disorder, and is one of 40 athletes from New Zealand who will be traveling to Berlin for the World Summer Games in June 2023.

It is the world’s largest inclusive sporting event, and over 7000 athletes from 190 countries are expected to attend.

But only four athletes from New Zealand, including Matthew, will be there to swim.

“I am very proud of him, it is just awesome,” said swimming coach Shelley Blair.

The 28-year-old swimmer is an athlete representative for the Te Awamutu’s Special Olympics team.

He first competed in the Special Olympics National Summer Games in 2013 in

Dunedin, and will compete in the National Summer Games in Hamilton in December.

Shelley worked with Matthew as a swimming coach before he started swimming for the Te Awamutu team in 2010.

She said Matthew began swimming in short distance events, but over the years developed into a longer distance swimmer, taking on 200 metre backstroke and freestyle, 100 metre backstroke, and the backstroke leg for the 4 x 50 metre medley relay.

Earlier this month Matthew won two firsts, a second, and a third at the Special Olympics swim meet in Te Awamutu.

Matthew says he has put “quite a lot of work” into getting to where he is now, and has been training four times a week in preparation for upcoming national and world events.

“It is awesome, he has been nominated before and wasn’t successful, but he’s got his opportunity now. It is like the icing on the cake really,” said Shelley.

Archer hits target

By Andy McGechan

It has been a few seasons of slogging away against the best in the business, and now New Zealand’s Rachael Archer is top of the tree in the United States.

The 20-year-old from Ngaroma has long been a front-runner, even against the men, on the cross-country dirt bike racing scene in New Zealand and, for the past few years, she’s been turning heads in the United States as well.

This year she finally cracked it, clinching the Women’s Cross-country (WXC) class title in the US when the 2022 series wrapped up in Crawfordsville, Indiana, at the weekend.

South Carolina based Archer made her debut in the US in 2019, racing the WXC class in the Grand National Cross-country Championships (GNCC).

The GNCC competition is an internationally-renowned series, with races scheduled all along the east coast of the US, from New York to Florida, and Archer decided she would tread the same pathway that a few Kiwi men had blazed before her in recent years.

Most notable of these

was Manawatu man Paul Whibley, who won the elite XC1 senior men’s grade in this competition (on a Kawasaki) in 2009 and again (on a Yamaha) in 2012.

But now it was Archer’s time to glow in the spotlight.

Archer won the first two races of 13 in the 2022 season, setting herself up for a glorious year, but, in the end, her campaign in 2022 was certainly no cakewalk.

She was runner-up to American rival Tayla Jones at round three, then suffered a set-back in finishing a lowly (by her high standards) 10th at round four.

Being a regular on the podium though the middle part of the season, while her key adversary Jones suffered a non-finish at round 10, had Archer well in the hunt for the women’s crown as the season drew to a close.

She and South Carolina’s Jones were tied on points at the start of the 13th and final round in Indiana and it was a winner-takes-all situation for the national championship title.

As the WXC class took off it from the starting blocks, it was Archer who grabbed the best start. However, it wouldn’t take long for Jones to close in make the pass for

the lead.

Jones continued to hold the lead, while Archer was hot on her heels as the race wore on.

Then, as the white flag flew to make the final lap, it was Archer coming through the finish line first with Jones finishing 12 seconds behind her.

Archer would continue to push to extend the gap over Jones and, when the chequered flag, flew it was Archer holding that number one position to earn the WXC National Championship.

Jones came through for second, while South Carolina’s Prestin Raines battled through the day to earn her first WXC podium with a third in the class.

“We finally did it!” exclaimed Archer afterwards.

“Four years of chasing a dream and years of dedication to get here and I’m pretty stoked to finally wear the No.1. There’s so many people that have helped me do this and you all mean the world to me.

“Thanks to my parents especially, for letting me move to the other side of the world when I was 17 to chase a dream. Everyone that has been a part of this journey, I thank you.” - BikesportNZ.

com

Golden champs for Te Awamutu BMX club

Te Awamutu BMX club riders have competed successfully at the North Island championships – clocking up 10 podium places.

The Labour Weekend success was led by Sophie Penny, Brooke Penny, Mason James and Paul Luttrell who all claimed first placings.

There were also podiums places for Lexi Silver, Scott Silver, Cory Walden – who all placed second – and Baylee Luttrell and Emily Allison who were third place getters.

The championships were staged in Taupō Labour Weekend and the club entered 29 riders ranging in age from seven to 50.

“It was a perfect weekend for racing and the results showed off all the hard work the riders have put in to get ready for this event,” club spokesperson Rod Prescott said.

“Twenty one of the 29 riders made their respective finals, gaining North Island rankings, which is a huge achievement and possibly one of the most successful events the club has had in a very long time.

“It was great to see a large number of

friends and family who made the trip to Taupo to support our riders.”

Te Awamutu’s Luca Penny also rode well for the Mighty 11 New Zealand test team - for 11

year old girls - against the Australian test team.

The Aussies won both the boys and girls trophies for that age group.

The club now sets it sights on hosting part

of the Waikato tri-series in November and in February will hosting the Te Awamutu Grand Prix at its Castleton Park track .

The club stages race nights every Monday.

Coach Shelley Blair with special Olympian Matthew Smith.

Rachael Archer has won her first major title in the United States. Photo: Ken Hill.

Jan Bilton

Weekend winners

My weekends are a time for relaxation. If I can cook one big dish that will provide two dinners and a lunch — such as my Rolled & Roasted Meatloaf that follows — then I’m happy. This tasty treat is also sophisticated enough to serve to friends who might normally think meatloaf is passe.

So where did meatloaf originate? One theory is that it was first concocted around the fifth century in Europe — a Mediterranean dish of finely diced meat scraps combined with fruits, nuts and seasonings. It was a great way to stretch meat and use up leftovers.

Americans embraced meatloaf with zeal. It is considered one of the country’s essential comfort foods. The first recorded American meatloaf recipe is from the late 1870s. Finely chopped cold cooked beef was combined with salt, pepper, onion, slices of milk-soaked bread and egg. However, back then the meatloaf wasn’t served at dinner. It was a breakfast staple!

The profile of the meatloaf improved when the French added lemon rind, fresh herbs and spices to minced pork and veal to create more of a terrine. And the Italian polpettone — which often includes hard-boiled eggs and cheese — is indeed a moreish masterpiece.

All of which – for me – makes meatloaf on the menu very acceptable.

ROLLED & ROASTED MEATLOAF

I used roasted red capsicums from a jar for the filling and Whitlock’s Smokehouse Tomato Chutney Sauce for brushing.

1kg lean minced beef

3 teaspoons dried Italian herbs, divided salt and pepper to taste

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 egg + 2 tablespoons water

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

2 medium roasted red capsicums

24 pimento stuffed green olives

1/4 cup smokehouse tomato chutney sauce

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Lightly oil a roasting pan. Combine the minced beef in a large bowl with 2 teaspoons of the Italian dried herbs, seasonings, garlic, the egg beaten

together with the water and the breadcrumbs. Mix well.

Place on a sheet of baking paper and pat out into a 27cm square about 1.5cm thick.

Drain the capsicums and olives and pat dry. Slice the capsicums into thin strips. Halve the olives crosswise. Place evenly over the meat. Sprinkle with the remaining dried herbs. Use the baking paper to help roll up the mixture as you would for a sponge roll. Place seam-side down in the roasting pan. Brush well with the smokehouse sauce.

Roast for 1 hour. Stand for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve hot or cold. Serves 6-8.

WASABI PRAWN TACOS WITH KIWIFRUIT SALSA

400g cooked prawns

6 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon lemon juice salt to taste

1-2 teaspoons wasabi paste

Salsa: 1 shallot, diced

2 large green kiwifruit, peeled and diced pinch sugar

2 tablespoons chopped coriander Extras: 8 crisp taco shells

3 cups micro greens or sprouts or finely shredded lettuce cherry tomatoes to garnish

Place the prawns in a bowl. Combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt and wasabi in a bowl. Fold into the prawns. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine all the ingredients for the salsa in a bowl. Heat the taco shells according to the packet instructions. Half fill with the micro greens and top with the prawns and the salsa. Garnish with the cherry tomatoes. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

BLACK DORIS PLUM SLICE

Topping: 825g can Black Doris plums

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon sugar Cake: 125g butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

2 cups plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat the oven to 190°C. Line the base and sides of 26x23cm cake pan with baking paper ensuring the paper is a little higher than the sides of the pan.

Drain the plums and halve. Carefully remove the stones. Sprinkle with the cinnamon and sugar.

Cream the butter and sugar until light. Add the egg and vanilla essence and beat until light. Sift the flour and baking powder and fold into the butter mixture.

Press the mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Place the plum halves flat side down on the mixture.

Bake for 50 minutes. Remove from the pan when cold and slice. Makes 24 pieces.

Rolled & roasted meatloaf

Wasabi prawn tacos with kiwifruit salsa

Waipa Real Estate Ltd, MREINZ Licensed

2008

Wanted: a Cup jockey

Roger James would love to start Cheaperthandivorce in Saturday’s Listed Mode Technology Feilding Gold Cup (2100m) at Awapuni, however, he has one major hurdle to overcome before being sure his mare makes the trip from Waipā.

“I need to find a jockey for Feilding. Unfortunately, it’s a big challenge,” he said.

If Cheaperthandivorce makes it to Awapuni, she will be a leading chance if she recaptures her 2021-22 form.

The five-year-old was one of the handicap stars of last summer, winning the Gr.3 Thompson Handicap (1600m) and the Gr.3 Waikato Cup (2400m), finishing second in the Gr.2 City of Auckland Cup (2400m), and third in the Gr.3 Counties Cup (2100m).

She finished 11th of 14 when resuming in a 1600m open handicap on heavy ground at Te Rapa on September 30, but James says she has improved since then.

“I was a touch disappointed with her run at Te Rapa, but she’s not a real fan of bad tracks,” said James, who trains in partnership with Robert Wellwood.

If Cheaperthandivorce doesn’t contest the Feilding Gold Cup, James said she would wait for the Gr.3 Jarden Stakes (2050m) under weight-for-age conditions on November 1 at Pukekohe.

James hasn’t decided yet whether Cheaperthandivorce would once again tackle the summer cups races or instead head towards middle distance weight-for-age races.

“She’s going to be getting up in the weights, which is part of the reason I’m considering Pukekohe on Tuesday,” he said.

“It could be that she’s more of a handicap mare, but the trouble is they can get handicapped out of it eventually. Whether she can make that transition to be a good weightfor-age horse we’ve yet to find out.” – NZ Racing Desk

Filly first after Waipā warm up

Impendabelle delivered exactly what was expected of her at Trentham where the highly regarded filly was untested to open her career in perfect style.

The Tony Pike-trained two-year-old had won her lead-up trial at Te Awamutu and carried that form over to race day with a four and a half length victory over 900m on Sunday in the hands of Michael McNab.

“She is very smart and has impressed us all the way through and has really developed quite quickly since she first arrived in the stable,” Pike said.

Consideration had been given to kicking Impendabelle off closer to home the previous day before deciding on the

Trentham option.

“We were thinking of running her at Te Rapa, but knew that was going to be a pretty hot race having seen a few of those runners,” Pike said.

“Often a trip away can help a two-year-old grow up mentally and obviously it was an easy, soft kill and she’ll take a lot of improvement from the experience.

“She will probably have 10 days in the paddock before we decide where to head next.”

A daughter of Impending, the chestnut was bred by Monovale Holdings and sold through Hallmark Stud’s draft at Karaka to Jim Bruford’s Brewers Bloodstock for $80,000. – NZ Racing Desk

Cheaperthandivorce has a couple of options ahead of her in the next week. Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North)

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