Te Awamutu News | April 13, 2023

Ruby wants to know…

Where’s the playground, Susan?

By Mary Anne Gill

A Pirongia youngster is furious Waipā District Council has yet to build a new playground for over five-year-olds in the village.

Ruby Webb, 11, who with her sister Amy, 10 cut the ribbon at

the $100,000 Rangimārie Reserve playground opening in June 2019, says “technically” they should not have been allowed in because they were over five at the time.

And her mother Ruth, one of the driving forces behind fundraising for the fenced junior playground, is calling on mayor Susan O’Regan and the rest of the council to stop ignoring Pirongia.

“Where’s the stuff for our young people? We’re always the last to get everything. Our kids don’t have anywhere to hang out.”

During the Ahu Ake spatial plan consultation, Ruth said she was “shouting pretty loud” about the lack of facilities for young people and for Pirongia.

Details of Ruby’s complaint are included in a letter to the council which was considered by the Pirongia Ward committee at its meeting yesterday (Wednesday), after The News went to press.

Ruth Ward is the Pirongia representative on the ward committee chaired by another local, councillor Clare St Pierre.

one next to the Pirongia Rugby and Sports Club is ageing and was touted for replacement eight years ago.

“We saw teenagers hanging about on the tiny playground by the rooms They were all crammed in. We kids just want a place to hang out with space.”

Te Awamutu and Cambridge had little to no need to fundraise a cent for their playgrounds, she said.

playground.

In response Community Services manager Brad Ward said the council’s renewal programme prioritises playgrounds with poor condition ratings and non-compliant or failing play equipment or safety surfacing.

The current playground was not scheduled for renewal or upgrade but when it was, and once a site for a skate park was found, it might influence the best location.

been identified by the council with mana whenua approval. Details are being kept quiet while Heritage New Zealand, which has an interest in the area - The News understands is for archaeological reasons – lets the council know what it needs covered off.

Geotechnical and soil testing has been undertaken with results indicating it is suitable but needs additional foundation work.

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Ruby says the council promised it would build another playground for the older children. The existing

“Pirongia will have to fundraise every single cent. We aren’t happy with this. Please keep your word.”

The company that designed the Rangimārie junior playground also drew up plans for a senior

Ward named the site options as the current location at the rugby club, next to the junior play area at Rangimārie or to split the renewal budget for both sites.

A site for a new skatepark has

Council will provide seed funding for the skatepark with the remainder of the funds raised by the community.

Once complete, the parks would become a council asset, Ward said.

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Ruby Webb, right, has written to Waipā council asking it to honour its word and build a playground for older children like her and sister Amy, left. Photo: Supplied.

Amy and Ruby Webb cut the ribbon at the Rangimārie Reserve playground opening watched by then mayor Jim Mylchreest and Ruth Webb, holding the umbrella.

Photo: Supplied.

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Floral artists gather

By Viv Posselt

An event starting today (Thursday) will showcase the work of New Zealand’s floral artists and designers and put to rest any lingering notions that floral art involves nothing more than plopping a bunch of cut flowers into a vase.

The National Floral Art Society of NZ conference at Hamilton’s Southwell School finishes on Saturday and involves almost 200 members of the Floral Art Society of New Zealand in a series of workshops, demonstrations and other activities. The event is open to the public tomorrow and Saturday after being officially opened tonight by Dame Malvina Major.

More than 110 exhibits, including those in an inaugural children’s section, will be on display. Floral artists selected as the best in each of the country’s 14 regions will compete for the title of National Designer of the Year, something that happens once in three years.

Among those involved are several from Cambridge and Te Awamutu.

The event is hosted by the Waikato and Thames Valley Floral Art clubs. Marion Shaw, secretary of the Waikato/Thames

Valley host committee, said the conference theme this year – Take a Piece of No 8 – gives a nod to a well-known Kiwi adage around No 8 wire. The first children’s classes involved are for ages 5-10, and 11-15, with challenges that include designs in eggcups and coffee mugs, and a bug to hang in a tree.

The Floral Art Society of NZ is a founding member of the World Association of Floral Artists (WAFA), she said, and New Zealand members have a fine reputation at shows around the world.

Marion, a ‘one time townie’ who took

on farming life just outside Ōhaupō, also spent 20 years growing and exporting rhododendrons and orchids. She joined the Te Awamutu Floral Art Club in 1986 and hopes the Hamilton show will help bolster their numbers.

She loves the creative freedom that comes from floral art and design. “It really is a case of using anything you have to hand. Artists use paints and pencils … we use plant material, dead or alive, or anything else for that matter. You are limited only by your imagination. “

Mary Anne Gill maryanne@goodlocal.nz 021 705 213 Viv Posselt viv@goodlocal.nz 027 233 7686 Advertising Manager

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Firstly I must offer my apologies for last week. The time I usually write my column last week saw my duties being changed at short notice. I must thank senior constable Deb Hann for stepping in with her column about toxic relationships.

Here’s how last week looked.

Monday: Police attended a minor collision on Pokuru Road. The occupants had left the vehicle prior to police attendance. There was a civil dispute over tenancy issues and a member of the public called in and followed a suspected drink driver who was ultimately found to be more than four times the legal limit. Police also attended a Police Safety Order breach, An attempted self-harm incident in Cambridge and an attempted burglary at a liquor store.

Tuesday: We assisted with a high-risk

arrest in Te Kuiti.

Wednesday: Attended a collision involving a commercial vehicle. Enquiries are ongoing by the Commercial Vehicle Investigation Unit. We also dealt with a family harm incident in Te Awamutu and a statement was taken in relation to a stolen cabin.

Also, police arrested a male in relation to an assault at a licenced premise in Te Awamutu and a male in relation to an earlier Protection Order breach.

Thursday: Conducted a search warrant at two addresses in relation to stolen property. The warrant recovered approximately $6000 worth of stolen property and a hand-held taser. Police also stopped a male driving who was found to be four times over the legal limit and dealt with a fleeing driver.

A missing vulnerable person was located

in Pirongia and a stolen vehicle recovered in Te Pahu. A driver fell asleep on State Highway 3, causing a collision.

Friday: Police attended an assault at an address in Kihikihi and located a male intent on self-harm.

Saturday: Police executed a search warrant in Ōtorohanga in relation to the previously mentioned cabin. This was recovered. Police also attended a family harm incident at a rural property.

Sunday: Police went looking for a suspicious rabbit seen going onto properties and described as carrying a basket loaded with chocolate eggs.

Editor’s note: we suspect the Sunday incident is chock-full of humour.

On the beat with Constable Ryan Fleming The week that was…

Floral art in an eggbox is just one of many designs featured in Marion Shaw’s diary.

Long-time Te Awamutu Floral Art Club member Marion Shaw is one of the organisers of this weekend’s big event in Hamilton.

Grants considered

The Pirongia ward committee considered 12 community organisation applications for a total of $37,000 from its Community Discretionary Fund at its meeting yesterday. The committee had $12,388 left to allocate.

Prison visit

Waipā councillors held a briefing day and workshop at Waikeria

Prison on Tuesday after brief discussions in the council chambers about the Dog Control Bylaw review and Ahu Ake – Spatial Plan.

Events funding

Applications opened this week for a share of Waipā council’s $150,000 District Promotions Fund.

In the post Waipā’s rating revaluations will be in the post later next month. The revised date comes after two false starts from council’s independent property provider which saw revaluations delayed on two occasions.

Looking for a place to stay

By Mary Anne Gill

“We have people staying as far away as Rotorua and Tauranga. You need more accommodation.”

That is one of the messages for Waipā as the international dragon boat festival continues to boost the district’s economy this week.

An estimated 2500 competitors hit the water at Lake Karāpiro this week in pink and fuchsia shirts for one of the world’s biggest dragon boat festivals.

All are breast cancer survivors each with their own story to tell, but as International Breast Cancer Dragon Boat Festival president Meri Gibson says, cancer is the last thing on their minds.

“We’re here to race, we’re here to be competitive,” she says.

“Don’t ever call us sick old ladies, ever.”

The festival, held every four years, is taking place in the southern hemisphere for the first time. It is expected to generate more than $10 million to the local economy.

An economic study done after the 2014 event was held in Sarasota, Florida in the USA put the benefit at $7-$10 million and estimates from Florence in Italy five years ago put it at 10 million Euros - $17.5 million.

Accommodation in Waipā, Waikato and the Bay of Plenty was booked within days of the announcement three years ago the festival was coming to Karāpiro.

“We have people staying as far away as Rotorua and Tauranga. You need more accommodation,” says Gibson.

The biggest single expense will be transport and the budget for that is $350,000.

Put dragon boat racing and breast cancer in any search engine and hundreds of stories pop up most telling you teams are on their way and dragon boat racing for breast cancer survivors is part of an international movement with hundreds of teams from 35 countries.

Founder of the movement was Canadian sports medicine physician Don McKenzie who saw the benefits of dragon boat

racing for breast cancer survivors.

The myth was any repetitive upper body motion – such as raking or playing tennis – would cause lymphedema or swelling.

Dragon boat racing started in China centuries ago. The boats usually hold 20 paddlers, each with one oar and sitting two-by-two, plus a steer and drummer to keep everyone in time.

“It’s the strenuous upper body exercise that helps us,”

Kiwifruit decision ‘flawed’

By Mary Anne Gill

Appellants against a decision to allow a kiwifruit orchard to expand around three sides of their rural property will argue the commissioner who made the decision used a flawed understanding of regulations.

Nick and Vanessa Jennings have filed papers in the Environment Court at Auckland against Waipā District Council, saying its decision to allow a kiwifruit orchard to proceed near Ōhaupō has produced a “poor resource management outcome”.

The decision was made by Alan Withy, a council-appointed independent commissioner, and is the second involving him and kiwifruit orchards in less than a year being to be challenged.

At the heart of the issue is that the orchards are growing a type of kiwifruit which flourishes under 10-metre-high canopies – and they block out cherished Waipā rural views for neighbours.

Developers began constructing the canopies, then applied for consent.

The Jennings are objecting to the whole of Withy’s decision at 582 Parallel Road saying his decision was based partly on a flawed understanding of the “permitted baseline” for the shelterbelts.

They have engaged Bill Herbison, managing director of Pier Law in Christchurch, as instructing solicitors and retained Hamilton barrister Phil Lang.

The Jennings want Withy’s decision reversed and the applications for the artificial shelter buildings and shelterbelt refused.

Nick Jennings told The News he had already spent $80,000 fighting the application and they are also seeking costs

The other land use consent granted for kiwifruit and being challenged is also in Parallel Road.

Eight months ago, Withy granted a land use consent to construct artificial shelters for a kiwifruit orchard at 383 Parallel Road. A neighbour filed a Judicial Review to the High

Court challenging the decision.

says Gibson.

“What it does is allow us to take back control of ourselves and our bodies.”

Training can be exhausting.

Tauranga Girls’ College chemistry teacher Bridget Prendiville, who competes for the Boobops team, is one of 18 newbies in the team competing this week.

Boobops have two boats and competed at the New Zealand Dragon Boat nationals at Karāpiro on Saturday. They won the

The latest decision followed a hearing last month which prompted Withy to grant applications to build kiwifruit shelter structures and planting at 582 Parallel Road, next door to the Jennings’ property.

The Jennings will argue the commissioner did not consider the only expert evidence provided at the hearing from landscape architect Joanna Soanes.

“The decision includes no substantial reference to that expert evidence and no explanation of how the decision was arrived taking account of that evidence,” they say.

“The flawed approach to consideration of the application’s key aspect led to a decision that produces a poor resource management outcome that is inconsistent with the relevant objectives and policies of the rural

500m Breast Cancer Survivor final at Lake Karāpiro pipping Waikato Treasure Chests on the line.

A welcome for 6000-plus competitors and supporters will be held in Cambridge tomorrow (Friday) starting with a 3pm street parade. Racing starts on Saturday and ends with prizegiving on Sunday.

The event received $50,000 in funding from the Waipā District Council’s District Promotions Fund.

zone in relation to rural character, open space and amenity.”

District Growth and Regulatory Services group manager Wayne Allan said Withy was a professional and competent Resource Management Act accredited hearing commissioner.

He is one of the commissioners on the council panel for Private Plan Change 20 – the Hamilton Airport northern precinct extension and is also acting as an independent commissioner to determine a submitter’s objection to changes in the Hautapu Industrial zones.

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Boobops Chardy paddlers, from left: Linley McKenzie, Julie Sach, Judy Pruden, Pania Keremeta, Jill Forlong and Sue Webster.

Photo: Mary Anne Gill.

Canopies in Parallel Rd have prompted complaints.

Keeping the stories alive

History can be found everywhere – and in Richard Cato’s case, in a bottom drawer. The advocate for getting family stories recorded and told has produced another book with Anzac links.

Two long-abandoned tape recordings of the trials and horrors of World War Two, made by a Te Kuiti farmer almost 30 years after he returned from the war, have now been published in two books by the serviceman’s son.

The soldier, Sergeant Colin Cato, headed No. 3 Platoon of the 27th Machine Gun Battalion of the First Echelon of the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. His platoon was involved in some of the most vicious and difficult battles of the North African war. As well, they fought in both Greece and Crete.

His son, Richard Cato, now a retired market-gardener of Te Awamutu, says the tapes had “largely languished in a bottom drawer” until about 2000, when he revived his interest in his father’s military history.

“This interest grew from conversations with my elderly aunts, and my Dad’s ability to write a series of short stories,” says Richard.

“I wanted to share this knowledge of Dad’s,” he says. “When I transcribed the tapes of his time with the 27th Machine Gun Battalion, I realised I had come across an extraordinary story, which should be shared with extended family members. There

were also lots of photos Dad had taken at the time.”

Richard spent several years researching his father’s time in the army and war service, and in so doing contacted the families of a number of the men who served with Sergeant Cato, many of whom had come from the Northern King Country centres of Te Kuiti and Ōtorohanga.

A number of them sent him letters, diaries, and photos from No. 3 Platoon’s war service with Sergeant Cato.

From that substantial quantity of material, and from an accumulation of family history, Richard has now produced two books on his father – The Life and Times of Colin Leigh Cato (2018), and My Army Mates and Me (2022).

Richard says much of the military material on the No. 3 Platoon of machine gunners came from a tape recording long presumed impossible to transcribe, but which a friend was able to successfully decipher.

“It was,” says Richard, “a very poignant moment when I first heard the voice of my father from that tape, which he had recorded in 1972.”

Colin’s quiet, slightly husky voice begins: “As far as I know,

nobody has ever written the saga of the Third Platoon. They should have,” says Colin. “The names of the inmates alone are enough to conjure up all sorts of ideas.”

He then gives details of these remarkable men, and the 50-minute tape continues the extraordinary, often bloody story of

their numerous battles against the German Nazis.

Now, these recollections are preserved in Richard’s book. The work includes about 150 photos, and excerpts of Colin’s often dramatic battlefield diary.

“The recently discovered tape has prompted me now to write

another book using material from other members of Dad’s No. 3 Platoon. It is material not seen before,” says Richard. He has been helped in the production of these two works by Te Awamutu journalist and author of more than 25 books, Kingsley Field.

Richard Cato and Kingsley Field look over Richard’s latest book.

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Celebrating life together

Phil Strong, Pastor, Zion

Our family is preparing for a major celebration this month with wedding bells ringing. Okay, there are no bells ringing as we don’t have a belltower in our house, but if we did, I would be sure to ring the bell loudly to announce my joy to the world. Our daughter will wed her ‘prince’ and they will live together happily ever after – as happy as you can be on a rollercoaster.

A wedding is a special time of celebration for me as it brings together many of my ‘special people’ who I like to call family. It’s a time of great joy and anticipation as we become the circle of support that will surround the newlyweds as they launch into a new phase of life.

For me, family is much wider than relations by blood and marriage. Over the years I have learned that family is more defined by shared love and dedication, evidenced by a giving of oneself to another. One of my favourite phrases to describe this is “other-centred love,” which helps me appreciate the way God

relates to His created people. I now also ascribe this phrase to those I call family.

For many, a safer way to describe this type of living is ‘belonging’.

I have personally discovered this life-giving experience through belonging to the Christian family. This is my tribe, my people who support me, encourage me, invest in me, celebrate with me, and I find life flows in a symbiotic and beneficial way.

Many benefits flow to me through my belonging to the Christian family, and to be honest, so do the challenges. But with family there is much grace and love that overcomes those challenges through mutual dedication to the relationship.

Purely devoted relationships are far greater than simply agreeing with one another, as committed individuals fight to protect the connection and work though any disagreement present.

Belonging to this family is only made possible through Jesus Christ; He is the way we come back to God

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as our Father, which connects us into His family, regardless of where we have come from or what path we took to get there. God is a loving father willing to accept all who might depend on His grace.

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The story of John Rochfort

By Meghan Hawkes

John Rochfort ate his evening meal with great relish at the Star Hotel, Kihikihi. It was early March 1893 and the 60-year-old Government surveyor had come into the township a few days previously for fresh supplies. He was surveying a large block of land at the Mōkau and despite his age, was known as a man of great stamina.

Around 6pm John suddenly rose from the dinner table and went and sat down in the parlour on a couch leaning his head on

one hand. Mrs Maunder, wife of the hotel keeper, let him be as she passed in and out of the room. Shortly before 7pm she returned to the parlour and noticed John had not moved his position at all. On approaching him she discovered him seemingly unconscious and called for her husband. The Maunders and others at the hotel tried to revive John but it was too late. At the inquest, held in the Maunders’ Star Hotel, Constable Lowther handed the coroner a packet of white powder that had been found among John’s belongings, which, after

tasting, was pronounced to be camphorated chalk, a harmless tooth cleaning powder. Dr Brewis testified that John showed signs of pleurisy and heart disease. His reported cause of death was excessive drinking. This verdict was received with great consternation.

John was an Englishman who trained in civil engineering under Isambard Brunel, one of engineering’s most innovative and productive identities. In the early 1850s John arrived in New Zealand and, among other achievements, discovered coal and gold in the Buller and

Denniston areas of the South Island, laid out the town of Greymouth and surveyed the Remutaka and Buller Gorge railway lines.

He began investigating the proposed Main Trunk railway line from Te Awamutu to Marton in 1883. It was an immense job involving fighting his way through thick bush, crossing mountain ranges and meeting opposition from Māori. He endured severe hardships during his various explorations, but a heavy drinker he was not. An apology was issued - a printer’s mistake had been made in a newspaper office where another inquest verdict was accidentally added to John’s.

John Rochfort was universally respected, kind,

Rammers rammed

A Waipā grandmother turned the tables on thieves – by ramming the ram-raiders.

She has told the story to The News on condition she is not identified.

honourable and upright in all his dealings. Casting such a slur upon his name was much regretted. John left a wife and grown-up family in Nelson. He was buried at Kihikihi cemetery, on a day of constant pouring rain.

John Rochfort’s discoveries were not as numerous as others, but not many surveyors ever exceeded his almost 30 year record in challenging and arduous field work.

She was making an early morning trip to the Cambridge town centre on Monday for coffee when she saw one car rammed into the Spark shop in Victoria St and a getaway car in waiting.

She decided “it’s not happening” and made the snap decision to drive over the median strip –and ram the getaway car.

That prompted a mass exodus of mased thieves from the shop.

They dumped their booty and got back into the now damaged getaway car and sped off with a tyre smoking, chased at speed by the woman. She eventually returned to the town centre and a 111 call made.

She did admit to thinking at the end of the day over a wine that the group would not be boasting about their exploits on social media, having been “chased out of Cambridge by a nana.”

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our Women & Wine Wednesday’s; as well as access to further coaching and development. Juniors, our Monday night coaching programme will commence in Term 2, with the assistance of professional coach Emma Millar.

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288

Fill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9.

MEDIUM

Across 1. To the max (prefix) (5)

4. Assert (6)

7. Animal’s lair (3) 8. Insult (6) 9. Stings (6) 10. Sham (8)

12. Stop (4)

13. First-rate (6)

15. Small, tasty piece of food (6)

16. Lure (4)

17. Weakened or damaged (8)

Last week

19. Fluid retention (6)

20. Biased (6)

22. Flop (3)

23. Family of trees that includes

TLEFUAETIFEELFINEB

EUGTNNAPENNYLANENG

PAELLEHCIMGWXSHOUT

SPUJBNGSHELOVESYOU

ABBEYROAD APPLE

BEATLEMANIA CAVERNCLUB

DAYTRIPPER

FABFOUR

GEORGE

GETBACK

Across: 1. Script, 4. Attach, 9. Rogue, 10. Upgrade, 11. Current, 13. Thaw, 14. Histrionics, 17. Beau, 18. Colleen, 21. Scandal, 22. Offer, 24. Dreary, 25. Beanie.

Down: 1. Struck, 2. Rug, 3. Piece, 5. Tighten, 6. Avalanche, 7. Heed, 8. Curtain call, 12. Reiterate, 15. Thunder, 16. Untrue, 19. Loose, 20. Used, 23. Fin.

HAMBURG HELP

HEYJUDE IFEELFINE

JOHN LADYMADONNA

LETITBE

LIVERPOOL

LOVEMEDO

LOVELYRITA

MBE

MICHELLE PAUL

PENNYLANE PETEBEST REVOLVER

RINGO RUBBERSOUL

SGTPEPPER

SHELOVESYOU

SHEASTADIUM

SHOUT

SITAR

SIXTIES

STUDIO

WHITEALBUM

YESTERDAY YOKOONO

Last week

Sudoku

All puzzles © The Puzzle Company

Wordsearch

SVWBNZAFSOCKSDFHHT YQYIEKWCFJOVVWIOIZ OXALQLLTOPLOADERLV LTCDETERGENTSRBHTD SYEPPPVSYLASGENVJY CMCMSHEATPANTSXABR YLUPPHLGSFIOYSSUEH SPEFIERZSRFSEPRTZR MHLANBRIIXWKACAJVV IPIBNBLANKETSWWASH KOHRTLESTKMSMOOTHA UWXITOADOULINEIRON PDGCKWVIWFRHDRYING RELAXEEOENTELSBNPN ERORBTRQLSHEETSSTJ SSVVOXBASKETNTUESY SCEXIROTARYKHESOAP YAQYLAUNDRYVDDRRMA

TALKING ECONOMICS

A confusing message

By Peter Nicholl

The Reserve Bank surprised almost everyone by raising the official Cash Rate by 50 basis points on April 5.

In the preceding two weeks, both the Bank of Canada and the Reserve Bank of Australia had decided to leave their policy interest rates unchanged.

The reasons they gave were that there were some tentative signs that global inflation pressures were beginning to ease, and they needed to allow time for the lagged effects of the interest rate increases they had already imposed to work through and be seen. They also said that the recent signs of financial market disruptions and global economic downturn suggested it was a time for central banks to be cautious.

There are all good reasons for central banks to take a pause in their tightening.

Most of the New Zealand financial markets and media had not expected our Reserve Bank to match their Canadian and Australian colleagues. But the dominant expectation was that the new evidence was strong enough to convince the bank to increase the cash rate by 25 points this time rather than raise it by 50 as they had on eight previous occasions.

The bank’s explanation for making another 50 point increase confused me. It said it made the aggressive move “to prevent banks from cutting lending interest rates rather than to push them up”.

They went on to say they were “comfortable with current interest rates”. I am not sure what current interest rates they were talking about. Over the next six months, around half of the fixed interest rate mortgages in the country will come up for review and their interest rates are likely to double.

I don’t think it is today’s current interest rates the Reserve Bank is comfortable with. It is the higher rates many will face over the next six months. The Reserve Bank was worried that banks may have been thinking about not raising the interest rates on these mortgages as they rollover by as much as they have been doing recently.

So, the Reserve Bank isn’t really comfortable with current interest rates at all. They want the interest rates in all these mortgages that rollover during the next six months to continue to double. Mortgage holders will feel distinctly uncomfortable about that.

The bank has dual objectives of price stability and employment. The issue of a single or a dual target for monetary policy will be argued during the election later this year. I don’t have a view on this issue in terms of economics. But I do have a view on it in terms of central bank policy behaviour.

A few years ago, the Reserve Bank took their policy settings far too far in an easing direction as they focused totally on the employment objective. They were slow to start reversing these remarkably loose settings when inflation began to reappear, believing the inflation would be transitory.

Now they have swung to the other extreme and are in danger of going too far in their battle against inflation. The Reserve Bank is becoming a destabilising factor in the economy and a generator of economic cycles. For this reason, I think the bank’s policy focus needs to go back to the single objective of price stability. They have shown they are not capable of juggling the dual objectives.

ON

Volcanoes don’t smoke

By Janine Krippner

“Volcano spewing smoke” is my least favourite volcano headline phrase. Why? While the term ‘spewing’ is not my favourite, volcanoes just do not emit smoke (excluding when hot volcanic rocks and lava flows set things on fire). Why do we care here in the Waipā? We see volcanoes erupting on the news and it’s always fun to know what we are looking at, but more importantly, one day we could experience volcanic ash here again.

It is the most widespread eruption product in terms of how far it travels from the volcano, and where it goes is a result of the type and size of the eruption (how much ash is erupted and how high it goes into the atmosphere), and where the wind is blowing it. As we know, we have variable wind directions in New Zealand. As the ash plume is blown away by these winds, the ash particles settle out across the landscape.

This forms an ash deposit that can be millimetres to metres thick, getting thinner away from the vent. Flights can be cancelled across countries and even oceans away from a volcano that you probably hadn’t heard of, and may not be able to pronounce, can you say “Eyjafjallajökull” after its 2010 eruption? I hear being in a plane that flies through an ash plume is a zero out of five stars experience when the engines stop.

Some movies show volcanic ash as this fluffy grey stuff that floats down towards us just like ash out of a fireplace. This is not at all realistic. Volcanic ash is pulverized magma and solid rock, violently blown apart when gases within

magma rapidly expand like a bottle of soda after you shake it up. Volcanic ash is defined as any rock bits coming out of a volcano that are less than two millimetres in size. Rock bits 2-64 mm are lapilli, larger than that is either a solid “block” or a more fluid “bomb”.

While ash from a bush fire causes its own problems, issues arising from volcanic ash are very different. You can probably imagine that bits of rock get very heavy as it accumulates. Have you picked up a bucket of sand lately? It’s about the same, and it’s even heavier if you also have rainfall. It is also abrasive with its sharp edges. When magma cools quickly it actually forms rock that is made up of glass and crystals. Trust me, do not wipe the stuff off your glasses or any other glass surface using a cloth. Use water.

Ash can impact power supplies, water supplies, road networks (reducing visibility and making a slippery surface), communications networks, air conditioning systems, computer systems, vehicles… the list goes on and some of these can cause issues far beyond the area impacted by the eruption.

It can also wreak havoc on agriculture, I will expand on this another time for our farming community. Thankfully, work is already well underway in Aotearoa to understand these impacts and how our systems could be impacted, and what we can do about them. As with any hazard, being prepared before it happens saves us a lot of money and time.

Elevated from the road and sitting proud in the heart of Otorohanga township. There is character of the era, light interior and modern appliance to make large family living manageable.This home has a main house with open central living, a large deck fronts the home, situated well for afternoon sun and family get togethers plus a separate self-contained unit. A little lifestyle in town with chicken coop, chicken run and boxed veggie

DEADLINE SALE OPEN DAY

Beef Finishing Dairy Support Lifestyle

A

• 103(B) Jury Road, Koromatua, R D 10, Hamilton

• 14.4576 hectares

• lovely flat to gentle rolling contour enhanced by pristine presentation

• subdivided with a mix of very good fencing complimented by all gates swinging

• water currently supplied from the adjoining property owned by the vendor

• currently utilised for grazing dairy heifers; ideal also for beef finishing / growing maize

DEADLINE SALE

Open Day: Tuesday, 18 April 1.30pm 3.00pm

• first class cattle yards; concrete base in main working area; very good loading facilities

• fully enclosed shedding plus a lockable storage building

• aesthetically pleasing with deciduous shade trees scattered throughout

• no dwelling excellent north facing options with panoramic views for a new residence

• a great range of primary and secondary schooling options, some within close proximity

• a dream opportunity for farmers or for those seeking a special lifestyle environment

TradeMe search # R1421

Sale by Deadline: Thurs, 20 April 2023 4.00pm

Executive Residence Premium Location

• 663 Bank Street, Te Awamutu

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

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

• low maintenance with brick and cedar exterior; aluminium ‘Alti’ joinery, double 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

Ph Brian Peacocke 021 373 113

Inspection by appointment

• 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.

TradeMe search # R1422

Sale by Deadline: Thurs, 20 April 2023 4.00pm

A superb opportunity to acquire a first class residential dwelling built with an emphasis on quality throughout, situated in a p remium location within close walking distance to medical facilities and shopping in central Te Awamutu further development opportunities is the bonus.

Ph Brian Peacocke 021 373 113

delightful smaller, high quality and versatile property featuring excellent presentation, situated in a quiet, private, no exit road location, approx. 10 kms from Dinsdale, the western suburb of Hamilton City.

VACANCIES

In the heart of Te Awamutu, Freeman Court makes independent living affordable and a little easier for older people. We have one vacant position to start as soon as possible.

VACANCY

TEMPORARY ROAD CLOSURE

– Alexandra St, Mutu St, War Memorial Dr, Bank St and Teasdale St on Tuesday 25 April 2023

Please note that the roads listed below will be closed to ordinary vehicular traffic on Tuesday 25 April 2023 for the ANZAC Day commemorations.

• Volunteer Position

In the heart of Te Awamutu, Freeman Court makes independent living affordable and a little easier for older people. We have one vacant position to start as soon as possible. COVID-19 vaccination required.

Between 5.30am and 7.30am:

• Alexandra Street – between Churchill Street and Mutu/Rewi Street

• Mutu Street – whole street

Caregiver- casual position. Rostered shifts covering 24 hours and seven days a week

For more information, please feel free to contact Tricia Ball (residential manager) at tricia.ball@habitat.org.nz or call 07 871 5260.

We are looking for volunteer drivers for Meals on Wheels 1h from 11.30am. Delivering meals around Te Awamutu. Great way to give back to the community! For more information, please feel free to contact Tricia Ball (residential manager) at tricia.ball@habitat.org.nz or call 07 871 5260.

• War Memorial Drive – first 100m from Mutu Street

Between 9.30am and 12.30pm:

• Bank Street – between Alexandra Street and Vaile Street

• Teasdale Street – between Bank Street and Vaile Street Arrangements will be made for access by emergency vehicles during the closure, if required.

For more information, please contact Waip-a District Council on 0800 924 723 or email events@waipadc.govt.nz

Garry Dyet

CHIEF EXECUTIVE

A trio in a million

By Mary Anne Gill

Eyes will be trackside on horses and drivers during the $1 million race at Cambridge Raceway tomorrow (Friday) night - and three men will be playing a key role in making the event a well-run success.

The rich Race by Grins is last on the card at the eight-race meeting which starts at 5.23pm.

Clerk of the course Ron Weller of Ōhaupō has the job of ensuring the course is up to standard and the fields under control. He will accompany the winner of each race back to salute the judges, including the million-dollar winner.

Meanwhile Arapuni’s Trevor Bunting and South Aucklander Danny Blakemore, also a trainer, will be in the Ford Falcon five litre starting car known as the mobile barrier.

The field of 10 pacers in the feature race, aged three years or older, include two Waipā trained and driven horses – Kango and Nicholas Cage – who will line up behind the starting gates for the 2200 metre race.

Kango is trained by Arna Donnelly and driven by the veteran Cambridge driver David Butcher who has driven and trained hundreds of winners at his home track.

Andrew and Lyn Neal train Nicholas Cage and have Matthew White in the sulky. White is having a cracker of a season and guided the four-yearold gelding to an upset victory at Alexandra Park in Auckland last month

to secure a slot.

Weller will be watching them closely riding Whiskey, a sevenyear-old grey former Australian stock horse, as he will the entire field and the track itself.

The clerk of the courses are often referred to as “red coats” for their attire on race day, which they wear on top of their all white kits.

Meanwhile Bunting, who has been driving the start car at Cambridge for 21 years and Blakemore, a relative newcomer, have the job of getting the horses on their way.

While to the onlooker it appears that Bunting, sitting in the car’s driving seat, is controlling the vehicle, it is in fact Blakemore who has the control.

“He does most of the driving because he is the starter,” says Bunting whose job it is to steer the car while Blakemore keeps an eye on the horses and uses the hand accelerator to speed up to 80kph away from them heading to the straight.

The draw for The Race by Grins, now up to $1 million after the inaugural $900,000 event last year won by Self Assured, took place on Monday.

The seven-year-old gelding and last year’s pacer of the year got back into top form with victory in the $45,000

Flying Mile at Cambridge last week beating Copy That and Akuta.

Kango was sixth and Nicholas Cage ninth.

The bulk of the $1 million prize money for tomorrow’s race comes from slot holders who committed for three years. They are Aussie Lads, Barrett Homes, Cullen Breeding Ltd, Dunstan Horsefeeds, Hole in the Wall Gang, Honey Bros, Hydroflow Distributors Ltd, P I & G J Kennard Bloodstock Ltd, Senz and a group containing industry figures Summit Bloodstock, Aaron Bain Racing, Richard Cole, Glenn Holland, Stephen Hunt and Trevor Casey who combined to take the final slot.

The 10 horses racing are Akuta, B D Joe, Better Eclipse, Copy That, Kango, No Matter Wat, Nicholas Cage, Old Town Road, Self Assured, Triple Eight. General admission sales are expected to boost the crowd to 5000 after the gates open at 5pm.

Museum collection faces review

By Mary Anne Gill

Te Awamutu Museum Trust board chair Dean Taylor has revealed the trust will soon work with the council to “further rationalise” its collection so it is “fit for purpose” for the new $27 million Te Ara Wai Museum.

In a verbal presentation to the Te Ara Wai governance committee last week, Taylor said the trust’s role was to approve the acquisition and deaccession of items.

It also approves loans from the collection it owns on behalf of the community. One example was when

it loaned Uenuku, an early Māori carving valued at millions of dollars, for a Tainui exhibition at Te Papa.

The News asked the council whether there is any legal agreement between the council and the trust other than a 1987 trust deed and an old Memorandum of Understanding.

This week the council provided two more documents, both from 2005 – a Memorandum of Understanding and a Trust Deed prepared by council’s legal advisor Gallie Miles. The same legal firm told the trust board in 2017 the Memorandum of Understanding

and Trust Deed “no longer accurately reflects” the relationship between council and the board.

Customer and Community services group manager Sally Sheedy told The News the 1987 deed was not an agreement between council and the trust.

The earlier deed required the trust to prepare and produce an annual report and statement of accounts which should be delivered to the council.

“We can only assume that reference in the 1987 Deed of Trust to the provision of reports to council was inserted because 36 years ago,

the trust operated the museum directly, and received funds from council for doing so. This is no longer the case,” said Sheedy.

The 2005 deed was an agreement between council and the trust and it did not require the delivery of an annual report or accounts, she said.

The Memorandum of Understanding required the trust board to circulate board meeting minutes to the council.

The council earlier provided two letters from Taylor – one a letter of support for a funding application during Covid and the other in 2018 to then mayor Jim Mylchreest

saying the trust agreed “in principle” to housing the collection in a new museum. Neither appear to be legal agreements. Sheedy said access to the collection was not solely based on the two letters.

“There is a much more formal framework for the relationship and that framework has been in place over many years.”

However, Sheedy said as the project moved into a new phase: “we’re happy to look at further formalising the arrangement. That’s something we’ll need to discuss with the trust board.”

Clerk of the course Ron Weller of Ōhaupō with Whiskey, a 7 year old gelding and former Australian stock horse.

Photo: Mary Anne Gill