Te Awamutu News | March 16, 2023

All their world’s a stage

Shakespeare comes to Te Awamutu tomorrow.

Te Awamutu College will host Friday’s Waikato Regional Sheilah Winn Shakespeare festival – and it will be the first opportunity students have had to gather face to face since Covid intervened two years ago.

The Shakespeare Globe Centre NZ University of Otago event has been in digital mode during that time.

Schools taking the Waikato challenge of preparing five and 15 minute scenes from Shakespeare plays include Cambridge High, Hillcrest High, St John’s College, Sacred Heart Girls’, Hamilton Girls’ High, Hamilton Boys’ High, Te Aroha College and Te Awamutu College.

A total of 32 regional events – in the 32nd year of the event – will lead up to a national festival over King’s Birthday Weekend in Wellington.

Selected students will then participate in the National Schools Shakespeare Production in the August school holidays leading to potential selection for the Young Shakespeare Company which travels to London every April to study and perform at the Globe Theatre, London.

Last year, Year 13 Te Awamutu student Sophie Jackson was selected to participate in the National Schools’ Shakespeare Production (NSSP) held in Dunedin.

After a controversial decision by Creative NZ to not fund last year’s festival the Ministry of Education stepped in to enable the festival to continue.

The regional Shakespeare in Waipā will be at Te Awamutu College from 10am –2pm tomorrow and is open to the public for a small door charge.

Audit rebuke for council

By Mary Anne Gill

Audit New Zealand has rapped Waipā District Council over the knuckles in its annual Management Report for approving expenses to the chief executive and mayor without the proper authority.

The instances involved deputy chief executive Ken Morris who signed off on payments for former mayor Jim Mylchreest and chief executive Garry Dyet.

The sign offs should have come from different sources

– two councillors in one case, the mayor in the other.

They came to light when Audit NZ reviewed the council’s expenditure as part of the council’s annual audit for the 2021-2022 financial year.

Audit NZ’s René van Zyl and Kayode Oloro appeared before the Audit and Risk committee this week.

The body acts as a watchdog for ratepayers –there were no questions over the integrity of the expenses signed off, only who actually signed them off.

The process is designed

to safeguard councils – and ratepayers - and ensure money spent is approved appropriately.

There was a twist in the tail – because the office was also delivered a rebuke.

It issued an audit report in December and said a final report would not be given until June, a consequence of staff shortages.

Independent chair Bruce Robertson said that was unacceptable.

prepared to wait until June to see that letter.”

As part of the audit, auditors checked elected members’ interests.

Morris said “one or two slipped through the cracks” and staff would not “just” rely on elected members’ declarations in future.

matters management should address to enhance control environment and reporting.

Auditor Leon Pieterse said his office recommended one-up approval on all sensitive expenditure and the approver should be independent of the benefits.

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“Your pressures are not our pressures,” he said. “You’re providing the service to us and I’m not

They would search the Charities and Companies registers and do a complete check as Audit NZ does.

Details of the expenses’ payments to Mylchreest and Dyet were included in the Management Report where Audit NZ highlighted

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The council said two of the instances picked up by Audit NZ involved expenditure from the Mayoral Discretionary Budget.

“Any expense incurred is considered by staff as being entirely at the mayor’s discretion. The budget is

limited to a relatively small per annum amount and the senior staff member providing the final financial approval of the mayor’s discretionary wishes is cognisant of the need for the expense to be reasonable given that it is of ratepayer funds.”

The funds usually go to community groups, the council said.

“A requirement for further ‘approvals’ to be obtained from councillors in this instance would defeat the intent that the mayor

Continued on page 5

Year 12 Te Awamutu College students, from left, Avé Culpan, Millie Thackray, Grace Armstrong and Martha Newland will perform an excerpt from Much Ado About Nothing.

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Briefs…

Flagpole update

The Anzac Green flagpole could be back in place in Te Awamutu early next week. The pole was taken down earlier this month to have some rotting timber replaced as part of a joint effort by the Te Awamutu RSA, Menzshed, Waipā District Council and Mitre 10.

Woman charged

A 26-year-old woman faces a series of charges after police said she rammed one of their vehicles. The woman has been charged with shoplifting, aggravated assault and dangerous driving. Police had been dealing with a shoplifting case when it’s alleged the woman rammed their vehicle and then drove to Te Awamutu where she crashed into another car.

Library fines

A series of plans outlined by Waipā District Council –including scrapping library fines – has gone out for public discussion for a month. The council stopped fining users for late returns of children’s books in 2019.

Website visits

Ahu Ake: the details

Ahu Ake is the Waipā Community Spatial Plan

• A blueprint for the future to determine what the district will look like in 30 years.

• It will consider everything from how our towns, villages and rural spaces will look, to how we will move around, what community facilities we need and how we’ll care for our environment.

It considers five future scenarios

• Status Quo

• Back to the Land – how the district might look if there is significant growth in villages and rural areas.

• Hamilton Grows South – if the Southern Links expressway goes ahead, what will happen north of Ōhaupō?

• Population Dwindles – what if there is little or no increase in resident numbers?

• Urban Densification – what if Cambridge and Te Awamutu grow larger and more rapidly than expected?

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Our exclusive story on the Alpha Hotel in Kihikihi being upgraded continued to lead website visits last week with 28 per cent of all visitors to teawamutunews. nz reading that article. Second was another exclusive – Janine Krippner on handing back an artefact from her grandparents’ farm. Our string of News briefs, details of a second footbridge installed at War Memorial Park and Viv Posselt’s story on the opening of an alternative museum space, rounded out the top five.

On the Beat

Ryan Fleming’s On the Beat column appears on Page 7 today.

Aylah Roberts, 8, left and Celestine Ngawaka, 7, (eating a juicy ice block supplied by the Waipā team) point to Karāpiro on the spatial plan map.

Speaking with Te Awamutu residents about the what the future could look like.

Council staff speak with Te Pahu residents about what is important to them for the future of their village.

Council’s feedback frenzy

By Mary Anne Gill

Waipā’s spatial plan engagement programme has become a victim of its own success and the team behind it is under pressure to provide individual presentations before feedback closes in 11 days.

Strategy manager Kirsty Downey told the Audit and Risk committee this week the plan – known as Ahu Ake – was getting an amazing response.

“There is overwhelming valuable feedback,” she said.

Meetings with the community have been held in Kihikihi, Karāpiro, Te Awamutu, Te Pahu, Ōhaupō, Rukuhia, Pirongia, Cambridge and Ngāhinapōuri. Later today (Thursday) Pukeatua residents will get the chance to feedback, Te Miro and Cambridge next week.

Individual presentations have also been made at schools, including Karāpiro, Cambridge High and Te Awamutu College.

Feedback closes on March 27 at 5pm.

Ahu Ake will be the blueprint for the next 30 years and provide the vision and foundation for all future planning.

One of the most effective tools is a giant map of the district made of canvas which is laid down on the ground for people to walk over and explore.

Karāpiro School principal Tina-Maree Thatcher said there was a lot of interest when the Ahu Ake team visited because of the proposed new location for the school within the village itself.

“Our board and staff embraced the opportunity to learn more about our community and our next step is to work with the council to access their resources.”

Students are about to start a unit of learning about rights and responsibilities.

“It is really important to us as a school to work with the children to capture their thoughts, ideas and their voice about what is essentially their future community,” said Thatcher.

Downey told The News at the Cambridge presentation in Leamington Domain on Saturday that she had been blown away by the ideas which had come from the community.

An example of one came from former urban designer Chris van Empel who now lives in Cambridge and provided assurance the council was on the right track.

Councillor Roger Gordon, who has attended many of the presentations including the one in Leamington, told the committee the level of engagement mitigated

any risk of a lack of community vibe.

“That really is a positive. We’re getting some great feedback. There’s very little negativity about that, very little criticism,” he said. “Some suggestions coming out deserve merit,” said Downey. That might result in extended timeframes. The plan is to have Ahu Ake adopted by the council in September.

“We’re working through those options. This has been very much a team effort. We’ve adopted a holistic approach to what has been our biggest ever engagement programme. We can all be proud of our efforts.”

There would be sufficient clarity from Ahu Ake to feed through into the 2024-34 Long Term Plan, said Downey.

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Council staff from left Roy Swanson, Melissa Russo and Tukaha King at the Pirongia event.

Soil scientist Paddy Shannon of Te Awamutu with mayor Susan O’Regan.

Waipā Mayor Susan O’Regan speaks with residents in Rukuhia about the draft spatial plan.

Waipā commmunity advisor Corren Ngerenere chats with Kakepuku farmer John Hayward.

Photos by Waipā District Council, Mary Anne Gill, Karāpiro School.

Kiwifruit decision to be appealed

By Mary Anne Gill

A second controversial decision made by a Waipā District Council independent commissioner in favour of several hectares of kiwifruit shelter belts in Parallel Road is to be appealed.

Alan Withy last week granted two applications from Kiwifruit Investments Ltd which will result in rows of six metre high kiwifruit cloth structures and shelterbelt planting on 35ha at 582 Parallel Road.

Nick Jennings, who opposed the application and is surrounded on three sides of his lifestyle property by cloth shelters and planting, said he would go to the “highest court in the land” to get the decision overturned.

“I’m going to fight this all the way. Do the council want the whole of Waipā covered in shelter cloth?”

Withy said in his decision “the occupiers of what is a relatively small property in a rural area should expect neighbouring land to be developed and used for purposes as proposed in the applications”.

Two kilometres down the road on 69ha at 383 Parallel Road, neighbours have filed a judicial review application against a similar Withy decision made last August.

That decision for GDP Orchards Ltd will be the subject of a High Court hearing on May 13.

Jennings, who said he had already spent $80,000 fighting the application including $32,000 for the day long resource consent hearing

before Withy last month, said the decision made a mockery of the Waipā District Plan.

In both instances, the applicant applied for retrospective consent - meaning they had already built the structures and planted the shelterbelts.

Parmvir Singh Bains, who owns Kiwifruit Investments at 582 Parallel Road and manages the property at 383 Parallel Road, said in his written evidence to the hearing that he did not know he had to apply for a resource consent.

Jennings said approving retrospective applications seemed wrong and Withy had gone against the advice of landscape architect Joanna Soanes.

Soanes, in her evidence, said the minimal setbacks, height of the structures, large site coverage and shelterbelt planting, had the potential to create an adverse visual effect for the Jennings property.

“To me that’s the biggest problem with this decision. He (Withy) has completely dismissed the only truly professional opinion,” said Jennings.

“It’s like someone who is not a surgeon but has a surgeon beside him at the operating table, taking the scalpel and saying ‘I can do this myself.’ It’s outrageous.”

The council uses independent commissioners when planning staff do not have delegated authority to make a decision on notified applications where submissions have been lodged in opposition.

Council’s approved commissioner

pool, in addition to Withy, is Phil Mitchell, Greg Hill, Helen Atkins, Michael Lester, Richard Knott, Rob Van Voorthuysen, Sheena Te Pania, Simon Berry, Steven Wilson and Tara Hills.

In his decision on the Jennings opposition, Withy said on his two site visits he saw planting – “albeit spasmodic in some places” - around all sides of the Jennings property which gave them a level of privacy from the kiwifruit activities.

The structures and planting were reasonable taking into account it was a rural area where kiwifruit, with structures and planting, might be expected.

The submitters should not expect the level of privacy and amenities

as might be expected in a residential neighbourhood, said Withy.

Conditions proposed and accepted by the applicant were appropriate in all the circumstances

and should give a reasonable level of protection to the submitter’s property, he said.

•Read the decision teawamutunews.nz

Audit rebuke for council

has discretionary ability to meet identified ad hoc community needs.”

However, the council said it would implement an annual reporting process to the Audit and Risk committee which would enhance accountability and transparency.

The two instances involving Dyet were incidental travel costs already approved by the mayor and the purchase of council equipment.

Robertson got tetchy again later in the meeting, during discussion about the use of quick wins, to remind staff to fill out timesheets to allocate professional service charges to outside parties.

Staff are regularly reminded to do the timesheets, he was told.

“This is a very key area in my mind.

“It’s a maximisation of revenue,” and not all of it should be from rates, said Robertson.

Continued from page 1

“It’s a cultural thing as well. There’s always the risk you can’t recover everything.”

The issue was highlighted again when the committee received an audit from Waka Kotahi which said the council needed to review the professional services costs and apply the actual administration costs for its activities.

In its response, council management agreed and said staff changes in the business unit meant it would have to update documentation.

Robertson, a former assistant Auditor-General, is an independent member of other Audit and Risk committees in Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Southland, Far North, Thames-Coromandel, Tairāwhiti and Wellington.

He has a Bachelor of Commerce and Arts and is a chartered accountant. He is recognised nationally as an established risk and governance expert.

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Independent commissioner Alan Withy hears from expert witness Joanna Soanes, third left, at last month’s resource consent hearing.

Looking at bank profits

By Peter Nicholl

Pressure is building up for a formal Inquiry into bank profitability in New Zealand. Two things are driving this. First, the level of profits of the New Zealand banks is higher than in most other OECD countries. Second, while the cost of living has been rising in New Zealand over the last two years and many households are under significant financial pressure, banks’ profits have been rising strongly.

Banks have also distanced themselves from their customers over the last two decades by cutting out a number of services that customers found useful, like buying and selling foreign cash, and charging higher and higher fees on almost all banking services they still provide. Banks used to encourage their customers to visit their bank branches but now it seems that they would prefer them to stay away and do all their banking on-line.

When I was growing up in Cambridge (a long time ago!!) the local bank branch managers were well-known and important people in the town. Now I, and I suspect most other people living here, can’t name one bank branch manager.

Australia had a major Royal Commission into their banking system in 2018. But that commission focused on conduct issues rather than profitability – and what it found was alarming. New Zealand did a followup review as the banks that were found to be behaving badly in Australia were also our biggest banks. While the New Zealand review did not find the banks were squeakyclean in New Zealand, the conduct and culture problems were found to be much less widespread here than they were in Australia.

But when it comes to profitability, the boot is on the other foot. The profit level of

the Australian-owned banks that dominate our banking system are significantly higher in New Zealand than they are for the same banks in Australia. I have never heard a good explanation from the banks for this. It seems hard to explain it in any other way than a lack of competition in the New Zealand banking market. Even the Reserve Bank of New Zealand said publicly recently that they would support an Inquiry into banks’ profits, saying that the banks here have been quick to increase their mortgage rates as monetary policy tightened but have been slower to raise their interest rates on deposits.

Two different types of inquiry have been suggested. One is a relatively quick, and probably shallow, inquiry by a Parliamentary Select Committee. The banking industry has said they would welcome such an inquiry. The other is a more detailed market study by the Commerce Commission. I have not seen a statement from the banking industry that welcomes this option. It would clearly be more expensive for the industry and shine a lot more light on industry practices. It therefore should be the option the Government adopts.

My concern is that the Commerce Commission has already done three of these market studies: into petrol prices, supermarkets and building supplies. Their reports had lots of criticisms but have led to little concrete action to increase competition in any of the three industries. If the same happened with a market review of the banking industry, it would be an expensive waste of time.

FAITH IN WAIPĀ

Caring for churches

By Julie Guest

Today I share with you a dilemma that on one hand is specific to the people of St John’s Anglican Parish of Te Awamutu, and on the other, is common to many churches and communities in New Zealand and the world.

The Parish of St John is responsible for the maintenance of the two historic churches known as Old St John’s and St Paul’s, Hairini, or Rangiaowhia.

They were built in the 1850’s and Old St John’s is believed to be the oldest stillstanding building in Waikato and St Paul’s is a couple of years younger. Both are Category One historic buildings.

As many of you will know there is increasing interest in the history of Waikato, and in particular the events at Rangiaowhia and Orakau.

These two churches are an important part of those stories, being deeply involved in the events.

Their existence helps people to see and touch something their forebears built, gathered and worshipped in.

When they enter and sit in a pew, people can sense the presence of the many who have come before and begin to imagine how they felt as the events of the Waikato land wars played out.

These churches remind people of that history and in doing so, invite visitors to contemplate their contribution to righting the injustices that still exist from that era.

The two churches are also deeply sacred places.

People entering the buildings are often struck by the sense of peace and of the holy presence of God.

That is not surprising when you consider

the many hours of prayer, the funerals, weddings, and baptisms that have taken place here - people’s hopes, joy, and despair; expressed in these churches because of their faith in the God who in Jesus, has promised to be with them through thick or thin.

So, what is the dilemma? It is that Old St John’s and St Paul’s need costly maintenance that is beyond the financial capability of the parish. (We have applied for grants from various places and received some help, but it is nowhere near enough.)

But it is also that even though they are such special places, they are still only buildings. Is it right for us as the Parish of St John – a group of people who seek to live as Jesus taught us to – to spend such large amounts of money on buildings, especially at a time when so any people are in need of somewhere to live, or help to afford food for their families? Shouldn’t any money the parish has go to caring for those who need it?

For me the answer comes down to this. Yes, followers of Christ are absolutely called to care, offering spiritual and practical care. Old St John’s and St Paul’s stand as reminders of a past which still has a great deal to teach us all, where justice and restitution is still needed.

So the people of St John’s Parish will continue to care for the historic churches as best we can so that they continue to invite people into a knowledge of local history, to encounter God and to contemplate what God would have them do in response to that history.

Writers in the library

Thirty women took the opportunity to hear from 10 successful female authors by enjoying a girls’ night in the Cambridge Library on Friday in celebration of International Women’s Day and Authors’ Month.

The Waikato authors (Cambridge unless specified) were Nikki Crutchley, Julie Thomas, Trudi Caffell, Nicola Turner, Christina O’Reilly (Matamata), Rebecca Ahlen (real name Silke Deul – Te Awamutu), Sarah Johnson, KT Bowes (Huntly), Holly Christina (Te Awamutu) and Sue Edmonds (Eureka).

A second girls’ night will be held tomorrow (Friday) at Te Awamutu Library.

Te Awamutu authors to feature include Lee Kimber, Deb Hinde, Danielle Hawkins, Tammy Robinson, Amy Harrop, Adele Gaddes and Rachel Numan.

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On the beat

with Constable Ryan Fleming

A look at our week…

The last week has been busy for the Te Awamutu Police. We are investigating a number of incidents including two bizarre incidents relating to offensive behaviour. The two incidents are unrelated.

Several burglaries have been reported including one at a building site where copper spouting has been stolen.

A male is currently being sought in relation to a Breach of Protection Order at an address in Pirongia. Police attended a number of mental health incidents. A female was arrested for assaulting a child.

Te Awamutu Police assisted Te Kuiti staff with a fleeing driver and subsequent impound on the vehicle.

Te Awamutu police assisted Cambridge staff with a fleeing driver, theft, a case of neglecting a child and a deliberately ramming a police vehicle.

We attended a meeting at Arohena in relation to Neighbourhood Support and Civil Defence.

A male was arrested for breaching bail by contacting his victim .

We assisted Cambridge with drink drive issue.

These incidents are only a snapshot of what we have attended in the last week and is by no means an exhaustive list. I haven’t touched on the multitude of Family harm or Mental health incidents that we attend daily.

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Waipā singer-songwriter Holly Christina shows the musical component inserted into the audio version of her young adult cli-fi fantasy book ‘Harp and the Lyre’ to Waipā Outreach librarian Dee Atkinson.

Photo: Mary Anne Gill

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Letters…

Rate debate

Our brilliant Einsteins in our council are raising our rates six percent. Why?

To pay for all the cycle trails?

The land rent of $123,000 for the old Bunnings building? The $54 million put into the mini village on Cambridge west that we do not need but is to encourage more and more people to Waipā – 15 units per hectare on a 300ha development?

Another $3 million for skate parks, Cambridge to Hamilton cycle trail?

The Mayor’s jaunt to France just for a twin town [is] rubbish.

Sports hall of fame in Cambridge - they say they are not paying into, but will guarantee the money to build.

Is this the same thing as the written off loan to the Cambridge velodrome? they told me that was a grant, I was later told it was a loan

and we ratepayers paid it. Council is elected to manage, not push their attitudes and ideals on us, especially where we are contrary to what they want. (Abridged)

Bernie Fynn

Te Awamutu

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The deal with “supervolcanoes”

By Janine Krippner

Supervolcanoes are perhaps the megastar of volcano misinformation, they get the flashiest headlines designed to grab attention with little to no facts involved.

During my eight years in the United States I spoke to a lot of people about volcanoes, almost everyone asked me something along the lines of “will Yellowstone kill us all?”

The issue is fuelled by tabloids making frequent bogus claims like “Yellowstone volcano eruption warning: hundreds of bison dead as fears of mega blast grow”. The most likely eruption at Yellowstone National Park is a hydrothermal/steam eruption, or a lava flow.

To be honest, I don’t love the term. There is no point in fighting it, but it often lacks context and is grossly exaggerated. It suggests the biggest of the big eruptions will happen–the “super eruptions”.

The truth is, those massive eruptions are also the rarest type, and to qualify as a “supervolcano” the volcanic system must have produced only one of them among the dozens to hundreds of much smaller eruptions, and it may never produce one that big ever again. To get that much super sticky magma to move is a feat in itself, it’s not a popular eruption style.

Let’s look at Taupō, currently in an unrest period (an increase from the normal level of activity below the surface, which may not lead to an eruption and may not even be driven by magma) and has understandably made people nervous.

It is important to note that between 1870 and 2022 there have been at least 17 periods of unrest, none of which led to an eruption. Taupō has produced some big calderaforming eruptions – when so much magma

erupts that the ground collapses, forming a large hole. About 25,500 years ago the one “super eruption” occurred, and since then there have been over 28 far smaller eruptions - the more likely scenarios. It is harder to preserve and find remnants of smaller events, so these are usually underestimated.

To summarise, we have these volcanic systems which have produced the largest type of eruption at least once (maybe once or twice), have significantly more smaller eruptions, and have normal periods where the volcano shakes around a bit but does nothing at the surface. What is the global focus? Of course, it’s the “big one”.

Do volcanologists take these rare events seriously? Very. There is currently the Eclipse project run by a collective of groups to better understand the central Taupō Volcanic Zone, and it is closely monitored.

We also learn about our Kiwi volcanoes through understanding other similar systems around the world.

We want to know all there is to know about every possible eruption, what warning signs would precede them, and what the impacts would be. We care if these systems produce any sized eruption.

What bugs me is when people are scared by misinformation for clickbait profits. Life is hard enough, you don’t deserve that.

Yes, the volcano is super cool. Yes, smaller eruptions could certainly have big impacts. No, it won’t wipe out life on Earth. How do we know? Well, you’re here reading this. We passed that experiment already.

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Autumn fest tunes up

Canadian performers Big Johnny Blue and Tina Turley will be among the attractions at the annual Cambridge autumn festival which runs from March 24 to April 2.

Music is playing a big part in this year’s festival and the Musica Bella performers will

Origin

be at St Andrew’s Church, Cambridge, on March 28. Paint it Jazz, the Nairobi Trio and Richard Adams and Neal Palmer, is at The Woolshed in Te Awa Lifecare Village on March 31 and the Hamilton Big Band will be at the same venue the following day.

A fateful slip

Seventeen-year-old Catherine Sinden was on the high bank of the Waipā River, Alexandra West, intending to cross in a punt to Alexandra East on the other side.

It was about 5.45pm when Angelina Helps saw her and offered to go with her but Catherine, cheerful and obliging as ever, declined saying “never mind, the track is rough”. She offered to bring Angelina back a loaf of bread which Angelina gave her a kit for. Catherine ran down to the river merrily calling “goodbye.” She was going over to collect her father James, a blacksmith, and shut his shop up if he was not at the settlement.

About 15 minutes later James

returned to Alexandra East. He let his horse go and headed to the river to go home. But there was no punt, or Catherine. James called across the river to his daughter Bella, asking where the punt was. She replied that Catherine had taken it over. He presumed somebody else must have borrowed it. James made enquiries around the township before coming across Tawhia who told him he had found a punt adrift while setting his eel basket at the mouth of the Mangapiko Creek. He showed James a hat which had been floating near the punt. It was Catherine’s.

Caron trained at Oxford Brookes University in the UK and has over a decade of experience in NZ. ACC registered - Up to 40 minute follow up

James ran to the punt and searched from there up to the landing place where it was usually kept. He saw tracks where Catherine had started to step into the boat, traces of her boot heel where she had slipped and signs that the ground had given way. He searched as long as daylight lasted. Over the next few days others scoured the river, with several men diving and some dragging it as far down as the Mangapiko. Just over a week later Catherine was found by her father, eight kilometres from where she fell in, caught in the branches of a willow tree. The inquest found that Catherine had slipped off the west bank of the river while endeavouring to get into the punt. She could not swim. Three months earlier, in January 1893, a serious flood had washed away the bridge at Alexandra

and out of necessity James had built the punt. No attempt had been made to rebuild the bridge despite its urgent requirement being brought to the Waipā County Council’s attention long before the accident. The jury found that Catherine accidently drowned. They also added the rider that steps should immediately be taken by the Waipā County Council to provide safe means of crossing the river until the bridge was repaired.

Catherine was buried in Pirongia cemetery. There was a very large attendance at her funeral where tearful school children sang the hymn ‘Shall we gather at the River.’ After the service, many of those present visited the accident scene and inspected the bridge. Two County Council members present were subjected to irate public opinion.

Catherine was the Sindens eldest daughter. She ran the public library with efficiency and good humour which made her a favourite at Alexandra. She had a cherished ambition of being a school teacher which would never be realised.

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Pirongia Blues Festival

Saturday 18 March 2023 Midday ‘til Midnight

Tickets: Early Bird $25 each

Door sales on day: $30 each

THIS YEARS ARTISTS:

Big Johnny Blue, Dirty Tones, Magic & 3AM Blues, Paradise Moon, Theory 89, Tina Turley, Al’s Angels, Conmen, Hillman Hunters, Kiwi Blues Connexion, Mudslide Band, Wyde Stripes

Supported by Pirongia Rugby & Sports Club Cnr Kane/Franklin Streets

TOWNHOUSES SELLING NOW

LUXURY LIVING IN CAMBRIDGE

Ryman’s newest Waikato retirement village is currently under construction in Cambridge, and our first stages of two and three bedroom townhouse plans are available to view now. Once completed, the village will also offer the extra support of 60 serviced apartments, and 80 resthome, hospital and specialist dementia care rooms, all within the same village community.

Two bedroom townhouses priced from $815,000

All offer spacious open plan living with contemporary kitchens and bathrooms, and your own private patio. Have certainty about your living costs, knowing your base weekly fee is fixed for the entire time you occupy your townhouse.

Call David or Joanne on 0800 600 446 for more details or visit rymanhealthcare.co.nz

CAMBRIDGE RETIREMENT VILLAGE

23 Hugo Shaw Drive, Cambridge

CountryLife

Showing how it’s done

Mary Anne Gill looks ahead to Owl Farm’s April open day.

Forty per cent of the people who attend an Owl Farm public open day at St Peter’s School in Cambridge have never been on a dairy farm in their lives.

And Jo Sheridan revels in the challenge those newbies present for her and the property, which in recent years has become one of only three demonstration farms in New Zealand.

More than 2000 visitors come through the gates every year and continue down the drive, past the school, and onto the dairy

farm. They come from all walks of life – students from primary up to university, other dairy farmers and townies.

It is the public day which really gives the farm’s demonstration manager a golden opportunity to educate people about what happens on a working dairy farm. There has been a farm at St Peter’s since 1935 – a mixture of dry stock, dairy cows, sheep, hens and pigs - with profits ploughed into the development of the school. During World War II, half the milk

produced at the school provided town milk to Cambridge. But it was an agreement struck between Lincoln University and the school in 2014 which created the Owl Farm demonstration dairy farm and a role to educate the public which has taken it to another level.

Part of the farm to the east, poorer production land, has recently been taken over for housing development leaving Sheridan and farm manager Tony Alarca with 140ha and 351 cows to look

THE COMPACT WITH IMPACT

PERFECT FOR THE LIFESTYLE FARMER

Case IH Farmall B 25 delivesr tonnes of performance in a compact tractor. Thanks to an ergonomically designed control system and rugged construction, the tractor boasts outstanding visibility, maneuverability and serviceability.

after on the rest of the highly productive land. The cows - a cross between Holstein-Friesian and Jersey known as KiwiCross – are split

into two herds allowing Owl Farm to take better care of the ones whose body condition scores have dipped.

Continued on page 24

Owl Farm demonstration manager Jo Sheridan of Pirongia with farm hostess Emjay, a six-month-old labrador.

Photo: Mary Anne Gil

Owl Farm manager Tony Alarca puts the milking cup on St Peter’s cows.

Photo: Mary Anne Gill

Showing how it’s done

“The girls that need to put on a bit more weight are in a separate herd and they get fed extra feed,” says Sheridan.

One cow is an exception. Frankie, number 300, is a maiden heifer. She missed going into calf last year but she has such a personality, staff opted to keep her in the herd without a calf or any lactation. She accompanies the herd to the milking shed and back into the paddocks. Sheridan hastens to add they hope she will get into calf this year.

Most Owl Farm cows weigh about 480kgs, and each produces about 440 kilograms of milk solids a year, or about 28-32 litres of milk a day.

The cows produced 175,000 kgs/ milk solids last year (June 2021May 2022) but the land loss for housing means that will be about 160,000 this year.

In a normal year, the cows would have chewed their way through a brassica diet of turnips and kale and be onto the silage.

But because of the wet spring and summer – Sheridan says they have had 1300mls of rain in nine months, usually the total amount for the year – they have been able to grow more grass and keep the silage in storage.

Recent pasture samples showed grass in the paddocks is of spring quality rather than the parched pasture seen at this time of the year.

Eighteen months ago the farm invested in a system called Halter,

ergonomically designed smart collars for cows which monitors them for signs of ill health and provides them with cues to understand and respond to sound and vibrations.

Sheridan rates the technology pointing to the half an hour a day it has saved them. They no longer

have to shift cows around the farm using motorbikes, electric fencing, gates and dogs. Virtual fencing has replaced that and they monitor the cows using iPhones. The technology will be on show during the public open day and if it is anything like others, it will be the young people who will love it.

“One of the things we’ve noticed is students have got a desire to be involved with primary production,” says Sheridan.

They are the ones who ask lots of questions around animal care, how Owl Farm looks after the land and are eager to utilise technology.

But young ones are not the only

Farm

ones interested. Those first-time dairy farm visitors, mostly townies, become fascinated with what they see.

“When they come onto the farm and they get to see the cows getting milked, they get to understand a little bit about how we grow our feed, how we feed our cows, how we take care of the land, all the different things about the milk product and all that sort of stuff, it opens their eye about the biological system that we’re managing.”

That is a win-win because everybody wants to preserve the natural beauty of the countryside, she says. “But it’s only naturally beautiful because farmers are farming it.” The farm has to be efficient and productive as a farm for it to maintain its beauty, says Sheridan.

“We want to have a place where people are proud of what they’re doing and they can also utilise their skills around technology and use that to create a safer workplace, a more efficient workplace and also get better outcomes for both the land and the cows.

“It’s really important that as farms we continue to grow and provide that opportunity because these kids who want to get into primary production need to have a cool place for them to get in engaged in.”

• Owl Farm Public Open Day, April 1. Details teawamutunews.nz

MARTIN

P

P

This newspaper is subject to NZ Media Council procedures. A complaint must first be directed in writing, within one month of publication, to the editor’s email address.

If not satisfied with the response, the complaint may be referred to the Media Council P O Box 10-879, The Terrace, Wellington 6143. Or use the online complaint form at www.mediacouncil. org.nz

Please include copies of the article and all correspondence with the publication.

Contented Owl Farm cows fitted with Halter monitors head back to pasture after milking.

Photo: Mary Anne Gill

Managing the water

By Stu Kneebone, Waipā-King Country councillor

The rain events we’ve experienced this summer have been hugely challenging for some parts of the country. Acknowledging that the Coromandel has suffered significant landslip damage due to saturated catchments, creating major issues with the roading network, with significant impacts on the local community, the Waikato as a whole has escaped relatively unscathed.

Many will have observed that discharges from the Karapiro dam have been significant at times during the summer months. This is because the Waikato river is managed as part of an integrated whole of catchment approach to ensure as far as is practicable, flooding risks are minimised for those in more vulnerable parts of the catchment that have flood risk.

The Waikato River is New Zealand’s longest at 425km. Overall, it drains water from 12 per cent of the North Island. In addition, water is also contributed via the Tongariro scheme, diverting water from outside the Waikato catchment, and through three hydro-electric dams before entering Lake Taupo and the Waikato system. There are a further eight hydro-electric dams on the Waikato River.

When significant rain events are forecast, Waikato Regional Council (WRC) and Mercury (operators of the hydro dams) work closely together to manage various risks to the wider catchment from the river system.

The Waipā River can have a significant effect on the Waikato River system when it is in flood. While the Waipā catchment is only 20 per cent of that of the Waikato, it can contribute between half to two thirds of the flow in the lower Waikato river during peak discharges.

When necessary, the management of outflows from the Tongariro diversion, Taupō

Mike has X-factor

and Karapiro can lessen the impact of heavy rain in the Waipā catchment on communities further downstream. When heavy rain is forecast for the Waipā catchment, extra water can be released via the Karapiro gates to create space in the upper river system before the Waipā flood peak arrives. Then when it does arrive, that space created in the upper catchment can be utilised to hold water back to minimise the impact of the Waipā flood flow on the lower Waikato communities.

Prior to the establishment of the integrated flood protection scheme, significant flooding was not uncommon in the lower reaches of the river. A particularly severe flood in 1953 saw the main highway flooded and the railway closed for two weeks.

Control of the Tongariro diversions, the Taupo gates and the Lower Waikato/ Waipā control schemes all play a part in the management of the overall system, depending on which parts of the catchment are affected. While a whole of catchment approach is taken to ensure risks and effects are appropriately balanced throughout the catchment, this does not eliminate flood risks, and in the case of sustained and prolonged rainfall events, our ability to manage this becomes limited.

The increasing frequency and intensity of flood events, combined with increasing population growth and development means the provision of hazard information, land use policies, regulations and river and catchment management related activities all need to be understood within the context of managing flood risks within a whole catchment.

• For more details go to teawwamutu.news.nz

Pirongia’s Mike Bowe will carry Waikato’s hopes in Feilding at the CablePrice National Excavator Operator Competition.

Bowe is one of 13 champions from around New Zealand whose excavator skills will be pushed to the limit over a series of challenges.

They will include traversing a trench and digging around pipelines, using his 13 tonne digger to slam dunk a basketball into a twostorey concrete pipe using an excavator’s bucket, and a slalom course.

Manfeild Park will host the competition tomorrow (Friday) and on Saturday.

Bowe qualified at the Waikato regional competition in December. The Bowe Brothers Excavating Ltd owner-operator has won the Waikato title four times.

“I know how much work goes into the

nationals, it’s a lot of work and a lot of preparation to build up the skills for the competition,” he said.

“That’s mental preparation too – every time I jump in the digger between now and nationals, I’m thinking about how I can improve, make things better and faster and be prepared the best way I can be. I want to be there and take out the title.”

The national excavator operator competition was founded in the mid1990s by CCNZ Manawatu Branch as the brainchild of local contractors Graeme Blackley and Grant Smith.

CCNZ Chief Executive Alan Pollard said the operators are the elite of the country’s excavator operating community and many will have been involved in the response to Cyclone Gabrielle.

rate effluent irriga�on made easy. Even nutrient applica�on with automated irrigator speed control and hydraulic winch system. Even spread from 50m-100m.

Mike Bowe, pictured during December’s regional finals.

COME JOIN US & HAVE SOME FUN

WE ARE SEEKING PROPOSALS FROM INTERESTED

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Your next home is here

19/277 Williams Street, Te Awamutu

• Spacious central living

• Private patio area

• Heat pump

Contact: Vayle Hammond

Licensed Agent REAA 2008 Ph 027 226 9532

waiparealestate.nz

•

•

Price

A

• 663 Bank Street, Te

• 2,317m² of elevated land; potential for subdivision into 3 titles (Council Consent req’d)

• 391m² dwelling (approx.); north facing; built for maximum sun and extensive views

• low maintenance with brick and cedar exterior; aluminium ‘Alti’ joinery, dble glazing, concrete tile roof; copper spouting and downpipes

• tarseal driveway leading to double garage/workshop with auto door & internal access

• external tiled patio extends along the length of the building; sunny, sheltered and accessed from multiple rooms within; sunny, sheltered courtyard at rear

• a welcoming foyer leads to a formal lounge, connected to formal dining, leading into an excellent modern kitchen and a generous family room

• downstairs includes a sunny master bedroom with ensuite & walk in wardrobe; main bathroom; bedroom (#4); office and laundry

• upstairs features 2 spacious bedrooms offering panoramic views to Maungatautari and Pirongia Mountains, supported by an additional bathroom

• finished to a very high standard; one run carpet & cork flooring; full insulation; security system; solar hot water plus an underfloor, hot water heating system.

ADMINISTRATOR WANTED

for a busy Automotive workshop.

Approx 30hrs Mon- Fri. Phone 078716710 or email CV to office@kihikihigarage.co.nz

WANTED QUALIFIED / EXPERIENCED CARPENTER

We are on the search for someone that is a hard worker, keen to learn and develop their skills in the building trade, trustworthy, able to take instructions, takes pride in their work. We are in Te Awamutu and a small firm that specialises in renovations.

Please email your CV to: LPBUILDERS@OUTLOOK.CO.NZ or phone Logan 027 218 7228

www.gaz.co.nz

JUNIOR PARTS PERSON

We are currently on the look out for a JUNIOR PARTS PERSON to join our Cambridge Branch

HOME ASSISTANT wanted –Looking for a home assistant between 55-67 years old. Available 3 or 4 days-nights for independent man at Pukekura area, Cambridge from 1st March. Good salary offered. Ph 027 200 5071 between 6pm-8pm.

WE ARE HIRING

Email your CV rosetownlc@gmail.com or call in Rosetown Liquor Centre 18 Rogers Pl , Te Awamutu

ROSETOWN

VINCENT, Paul Ashley –

Passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his family on Monday, 6th March 2023. Aged 72 years. Much loved husband to Jenny for 54 years. Adored father to Tracey & Julian, Rachelle & Jerry, and Tony & Kelly. Cherished granddad to Bayley, Joshua, Layla and Pippa. The service for Paul has been held. All communications to the Vincent Family, c/-262 Ohaupo Road, Te Awamutu 3800.

PARTS PERSON

www.gaz.co.nz

This role is full-time with Saturdays on rotation (after a period of training) and is ideal for someone who is interested in farm machinery, is enthusiastic and willing to learn and looking to gain experience that will carry them through their career. This role involves in stock control, identifying, ordering, and selling of parts to customers and technicians. School leavers with the right attitude and aptitude will be considered.

We are currently on the look out for PARTS PERSON to join our Cambridge Branch.

This role is full-time with Saturdays on rotation (after a period of training) and is ideal for someone who is interested in farm machinery, is enthusiastic and willing to learn and looking to gain experience that will carry them through their career. School leavers with the right attitude and aptitude will be considered and if applicable can undertake a parts apprenticeship.

What we are looking for

Hoops and Scoops Te Awamutu WE ARE RECRUITING!

Mechanically minded with ideally some exposure to/ understanding of farm machinery, or someone who is mad about machinery! Computer literate and willing to learn new systems. Experience in a customer facing role would be advantageous, but high levels of communication skills and a genuine desire to interact with people will be a good fit. Willing to learn new skills and be a critical part of a strong growing team.

What we are looking for

Mechanically minded with ideally some exposure to/ understanding of farm machinery, or someone who is mad about machinery! Computer literate and willing to learn new systems. Experience in a customer facing role would be advantageous, but high levels of communication skills and a genuine desire to interact with people will be a good fit. Willing to learn new skills and be a critical part of a strong growing team.

Hoops and Scoops is a locally owned and operated business that sells handcrafted donuts, ice cream and shakes.

We are currently looking for a part time worker to work as a

Food Truck Customer Service person who will be responsible for:

• Food Truck driving (manual vehicle and full licence required)

• customer service

Contact Chris Brown for a chat on 027 488 0306 (or stop in at the branch) or email your CV to chris.brown@gaz.co.nz

Contact Chris Brown for a chat on 027 488 0306 (or stop in at the branch) or email your CV to Chris Brown@gaz.co.nz

• helping maintain truck cleanliness

No other previous qualifications are necessary as training will be provided, although a background in cooking would be helpful.

This is a part time position with:

• limited hour shifts usually Wednesday - Saturday from 6am - 10 pm (a daily shift will rarely exceed 8 hours long) and occasional Sunday work

• up to 20 hours per week

FITTER/WELDER & GENERAL LABOUR ROLE

We are a busy enginee ring company with a well equipped workshop, working in the Mining, Quarry and Transport Industries.

• Up to 12 hour days Monday - Friday

• Reliable and punctual

• Physically fit

• Strong health and safety awareness

• Quality focus and attention to detail

• Ability to work in a team environment

• Must pass Drug & Alcohol test

• Possible transportation availability

Apprenticeship opportunity exists for the right candidate

Please email your CV to: gray.constru ction@xtra.co.nz or phone 021 964 187

The successful applicant needs to be honest, reliable, and hardworking, fit and flexible in the hours they are available to work.

If you are interested in this job, drop off your resume at:

Hoops&Scoops, 54b Sloane Street, Te Awamutu, or email: headoffice@hoopsandscoops.co.nz

Newspaper Deliverer Wanted

for delivery of the Te Awamutu News, your local weekly community newspaper.

Deliveries are to occur every Thursday.

Are you honest and reliable and would like to earn some money while keeping fit? Our runs are suitable for either youth (minimum age 11 years) or adults.

Delivery runs available in the following areas:

• Kihikihi

• Goodfellow/Laurie Street

Please contact us on E: admin@goodlocal.nz

Provide your name, phone number, and the area you are located.

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clearance stock (unless otherwise stated) and not to be used in conjunction with any other offer. See in-store for details. We reserve the right to correct errors or misprints. 30 day Comfort Guarantee Ts and Cs apply. on Q Card Flexi Payment Plans. A $50 Annual Account Fee and $55 Establishment Fee for new Q Cardholders or a $35 Advance Fee for existing Q Cardholders will apply. Minimum payments of 3% of the monthly closing end of the interest free period. Q Card Standard Interest Rate applies to any outstanding balance at end of interest free period. Q Card lending criteria, fees, terms and conditions apply. Latitude Financial Services: Normal interest free period. Gem Visa and Latitude Credit Line are provided by Latitude Financial Services. For more information on our terms and conditions please see your nearest store or visit our website bedsrus.co.nz