Te Awamutu News | September 28, 2023

Park the plan: Holt

By Jeremy Smith

Community board leader Ange Holt has called for planned changes at Te Awamutu’s Memorial Park to be put on hold.

Her call was made in a report to the Te Awamutu-Kihikihi Community Board meeting last night (Wednesday), held after The News went to press.

Holt has consistently expressed concerns about Waipā District Council’s concept plan to refresh the park – even though it was approved by council two years ago.

In her chairperson’s report, Holt called for work to stop, saying she had not spoken to anyone who supported it.

The staff report in the agenda unpicked her comments, describing one part as “disingenuous”, and questioning her accuracy in others.

It’s not the first time Holt and council staff have been at odds in public over the park plan first tabled in 2021 – her monthly column in The News in July drew complaints from staff, and she ultimately acknowledged some errors.

“The strongest views,” Holt said in her report, “…are to maintain what is there and make some improvements that do not destroy the existing memorial stonework.

“I have approached a number of the service organisations and the overall message coming through is… do not make these changes to the park.”

She called for a review, asking that stakeholders be consulted.

Council staff acknowledged there were different views about the

concept plan for War Memorial Park

“But it is disingenuous to suggest ‘no-one’ supports modernising the park, as reported by the chair,” the staff report said.

“The concept plan was originally developed with mana whenua partners, Ngāti Apakura, Ngāti Ngāwaero, Maniapoto Trust Board

and Waikato-Tainui - and with key stakeholders,” staff went on to say.

Consultation on the concept plan saw 517 pieces of feedback received.

“…based on the comments received, the concept plan was changed significantly to retain and restore all the original

memorial features, and to ensure an improved park maintenance regime,” the staff report said.

The report said there was no intention to destroy the existing memorial stonework and it was wrong to suggest the duck pond would be removed.

“Council seeks to address the

It’s good to be back…

water quality issue by reducing the size of the pond, not removing it - and creating a wetland environment to filter water before it enters the Mangaohoi stream.”

The staff report said this will create a “bigger area” for picnicking and events, and restore the puna, or natural springs.

It was a bullseye for Pirongia on Sunday when the town’s annual craft day returned after a Covid enforced absence. It provided the Wulfings mediaeval

“It

committee

10

entertainers, from left, Geoff Boxell, Gareth Wulf-Robertson, Mark Tustian, Jeanette Reid and Keith Mudgway an opportunity to let the public test their archery skills. For the first time since 2019 more than 160 stall holders and crowds flocked to Franklin St, which was closed to traffic for the day. The craft day has been running for more than 40 years.

was wonderful to be back,” organising committee chair Caroline McMonagle told The News. Planning for the day begins in February - when she and her

of

will turn their attention to the 2024 event. See more pictures at teawamutunews.nz - Jeremy Smith

Board looks at waste plan

By Jeremy Smith

Politicians have been given both sides of the story as plans continue for a waste to energy plant in Waipā – hours after a public meeting was held to oppose it.

Presentations from Roger Wilson of Global Metal Solutions

07

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.

News/Editorial

Roy Pilott editor@goodlocal.nz

027 450 0115

Mary Anne Gill maryanne@goodlocal.nz

021 705 213

Viv Posselt viv@goodlocal.nz

027 233 7686

Jeremy Smith jeremy@goodlocal.nz

022 317 9499

Advertising Manager

Janine Davy janine@goodlocal.nz

027 287 0005

Owner/Publisher

David Mackenzie david@goodlocal.nz

Office/Missed Deliveries 07 827 0005 admin@goodlocal.nz

and Sue Coutts of the Zero Waste Network Aotearoa were tabled at this week’s September meeting of the Te AwamutuKihikihi Community Board. The board has signalled an interest in the Te Awamutu project. Member Sally Whitaker’s motion put to the August meeting opposing the

plant was eventually amended to one resolving the board would make a submission on it.

Global Metal Solutions said the plant, which would be New Zealand’s first, would use proven, sustainable waste minimisation technologies.

The company has cited examples like Vienna’s Pfaffenau Waste Incineration Plant in Simmering. It opened in 2008 and converts 250,000 tonnes of waste into energy annually.

The plant would be built in Racecourse Road and opponents are concerned at both its impact on the environment and the fact that rubbish would be sourced from both in and outside of Waipā.

The company says the Paewira design will divert 150,000 tonnes of waste a year away from landfill, recover 80 tonnes of recyclable material a day and convert the waste into electricity to power 15,000 homes.

The company plans to erect

three buildings to house a power generator, a waste recycling plant and furnace and boiler system and an education, exhibition, cafe and staff facilities.

Opponents held a public meeting at the Te Awamutu library on Tuesday, ahead of the community board meeting.

Opponents say Paewira –which will take in rubbish, sort and recycle it, and then combust what cannot be recycled to power steam turbines – should be stopped.

The environmental groups Go Eco and Zero Waste Network Aotearoa, under the moniker “Don’t Burn Waipa”, argue the plant will be in the middle of a residential neighbourhood with schools, food, businesses and significant future residential housing immediately around it. Waipā District Council opened public submissions earlier this month after the application sat dormant for almost a year.

Liquor decision criticised

By Mary Anne Gill

Waipā’s alcohol compliance manager has hit out at the government for fast-tracking legislation which extended liquor licencing hours during the Rugby World Cup.

Karl Tutty says it is concerning the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act, which focusses on reducing alcohol related harm, is being used to increase hours during the cup, when harm is more likely to occur.

“The lack of communication around the Rugby World Cup amendment was disappointing.

“There was no contact with this council/ District Licensing committee until late July when the bill had been enacted,” he said in his annual report to the Alcohol Regulatory and Licensing Authority for the year ended June 30.

The licensing committee had seen an increase in labour and employment issues including cases where licensees were underpaying staff and taking advantage of migrant workers, he said in the report tabled at this week’s Waipā District Council meeting.

Tutty told councillors while he had been disappointed about the Rugby World Cup

bill, subsequent communication from the Ministry of Justice had been very good.

“They’ve stepped up their game in that space,” he said.

Asked to report on any other changes or trends, Tutty said more applications have been received for remote sellers or premises wanting to do on-site and remote sales.

There had also been a growth in small brewing and distilling companies plus there had been a continued growth in enquiries which were not foreseen by the act and struggled to fit licence types and criteria.

Tutty criticised the lack of progress on a national database for manager certificate holders making it harder to track who is listed to work where.

“Some people are listed working as duty manager over multiple districts.”

For the second year running Tutty urged the government to review the act. Last year then mayor Jim Mylchreest said reports from Tutty and his counterparts around the country seemed to go “into a large black hole.”

The committee processed a record 412 applications, the highest since the act came into force in 2012.

It granted 24 new on licences and renewed another 19; issued 106 new managers’

certificates with one refused.

The number of licences in Waipā as at June 30 were 73 on-licences, 37 off-licences and 29 club licences.

There was a significant increase in the number of special licences - 42 last year to 134 - largely due to the return of large events and the National Agricultural Fieldays occurring twice within the reporting period. Social and support organisations were asking to see more applications while the committee was providing more assistance to the public so they were more aware of applications.

“There has also been greater media interest,” said Tutty, a reference in part to The News’ continued interest in liquor applications.

Waipā’s District Licensing Committee is chaired by commissioner Sara Grayson and includes deputy chair Cr Marcus Gower and members Ross Murphy, Patsi Davies, Michael Cameron, Roy Johnson, Tegan McIntyre and John Gower.

Its purpose is to consider and determine applications for licences, manager’s certificates, renewal of licenses and manager’s certificates, temporary authorities and other matters pursuant to section 187 of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012.

An aerial view of Paewira’s proposed ‘footprint’ in Racecourse Rd. Photo: Supplied.

Quorum met

When two Waipā district councillors recently attended council meetings by video link from foreign fields, their presence did not go towards constituting a quorum. Now, following the passing of the Local Government Electoral Legislation Act, it will. The new rules stipulate council, committee and workshop meetings must be chaired by someone present under standing orders and were adopted by the council this week.

Te Ara Wai debate

A public excluded item on the Te Ara Wai Museum project in Te Awamutu should have been held in public, Waipā councillor Roger Gordon told the council meeting this week. Earlier this year, ratepayers were told they could pay all up more than $27 million –up from $7.2 million when first mooted in 2017. The News understands costs have gone up beyond the $30 million mark now.

• See breaking news page 8

Pollard off Graham Pollard, Waipā’s Strategic Projects Driver for more than six years, is off to the Thames-Coromandel District Council as Climate Change principal advisor. His last two major projects for the council were approved at the council meeting this week – the Dog Control Policy and Public Places bylaws. See New dog rules, page 5.

Correction

An article in last week’s The News contained an error. Garden to Table was not founded by Stephen or Margaret Tindall. It was co-founded in 2008 by Catherine Bell and Dennis La Touche. It benefits around 30,000 children every year and is now in nearly 300 schools throughout New Zealand.

Check it, clean it

By Mary Anne Gill

Lake Karāpiro users should leave behind any gold clams they see in the water and instead concentrate on cleaning up the equipment they use on the water.

And to help lake users out, the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) will soon establish permanent wash stations so people can check, clean and dry their boats, waka, kayaks, canoes, wakeboards, jetskis, wetsuits, nets and anything else which could attract the new lake invader.

Waikato community leaders listened grimly last week to MPI technical specialist, scientist Scott Sinclair, and director of readiness and response John Walsh as they briefed them on the invasive clam incursion first found at Bob’s Landing earlier this year.

Freshwater gold clamsCorbicula Fluminea – also known as corbicula or the Asian gold clam, had been there for at least two years but not seen anywhere else

on the Waikato River or its tributaries, they told about 50 people in the Don Rowlands Centre at Lake Karāpiro. But because the clams easily attach themselves to anything, the risk of them turning up somewhere else is high unless lake users play their part, said Walsh. Among the government agency’s jobs is to protect New Zealand from biological risk, which is why the Environment and Primary Production select committees took it to task in June for its response to the clam discovery.

Taranaki-King Country MP Barbara Kuriger, who was a member of the select committee, was at Karāpiro and told The News she and the other members were furious with MPI’s communication.

MPI was ordered to sort out its communications, particularly with Waikato River users, which prompted the briefing last week.

“I’m happy with the communication that is now happening, but it’s taken a

while to get to this point,” said Kuriger.

Less impressed was Taupō MP Louise Upston, whose electorate covers the area where the invasive clam was first found.

“I just think this should have been held months ago. There is still a massive lack of understanding from the public and I think it should have been treated with sufficiently more urgency.”

At the briefing she heard about a report MPI would release on Monday outlining its response tactics. “I will be reading it with a great deal of interest,” she said. “I hope it’s not too late to have averted a major spread.”

In a reference to Mycoplasma Bovis, she said it felt like a seriously missed opportunity “and if this incursion had been on land, it would have been treated with a lot more urgency”.

Mycoplasma Bovis was first found in South Island cattle and in the Waikato on a farm near Cambridge in May 2018. The government undertook to be the first

country in the world to eradicate the cattle disease and declared the last property disease-free early last month, having spent $650 million.

The agency’s response to the gold clams is now covered by regulations under the Biosecurity Act. People must not knowingly move or spread the clams or water that may contain them.

Walsh said water users can stop its spread, hence the check, clean and dry message which will dominate signage, pamphlets, advertising and social media throughout the summer.

Each clam – 10-30mm in size - can live up to five years and produce up to 35,000 juveniles, which develop inside the adults and are then released into the water at 0.25mm.

Walsh was involved from 2004 when Didymosphenia Geminata – commonly known as didymo, or “rock snot” – was discovered in the Waiau River in Southland.

The check, clean and dry public awareness campaign

proved successful in preventing its spread to the North Island and the highly productive Taupō fishery. “Getting (corbicula) out of the river is probably not achievable,” but prevention, early detection, containment and control would help, said Walsh.

Miniature menace

Adult freshwater gold clams release tiny juveniles like this one into the water. They drift on the current, pulled along by a sticky mucous thread which then helps them catch a spot to settle and grow. The youngest clams are too small to see and can attach to boats and gear with the help of their sticky threads. Clams will make their own way downstream, but they can’t make any significant progress upstream by themselves.

Small freshwater gold clams may look like native peaclams or small freshwater mussels (kākahi/kāeo). The key features to look for when distinguishing freshwater gold clams are ribbing on the shell, the colour and symmetrical shape. While people do eat freshwater gold clams in parts of Asia where they are native, they are not safe to eat from the Waikato River. They filter-feed from the water and will accumulate toxins in their gut.

Celebrating Life - Your Way

We believe that each funeral service should be as unique as the life you are celebrating. When a funeral is personalised, it creates a special space for sharing precious memories, telling stories, and simply being together with friends and family.

Rosetown Funeral Home are dedicated to providing personalised and meaningful funeral services, and are happy to discuss new ideas, pre-planning and/or pre-paying for your funeral. We are here for you in your time of need, so please get in touch anytime to discuss your options.

07 870 2137

Photo: Dan Minchin.

From left Waikato community representatives Peter Carr, Mike Pettit, Kelly Bouzaid, Liz Stolwyk and Canoe Racing High Performance’s Craig Mustard, at the Freshwater Gold Clam (Corbicula Fluminea) briefing by MPI at Lake Karāpiro. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.

Not a fair go

Earlier this month Te Awamutu News published a story in which residents in a pensioner housing complex complained about their landlord - the Waipā District Council.

It is The News’ policy to run balanced stories which present all sides of an issue. I ran the story without ensuring that balance existed and without checking whether allegations made were factually correct.

Council staff face public scrutiny well beyond what their counterparts in the private sector can expect, and as such ensuring our stories are balanced is imperative.

The council always strives to respond to our questions in a timely manner and in this case, informed us that it could not meet a very tight deadline.

Balance ensures accuracy and fairness. I apologise to readers and to Waipā District Council staff and councillors for not achieving that.

– Roy Pilott, editor

Council: how flats are maintained

By Mary Anne Gill Waipā District

Council says

it has gone above and beyond to service the needs of its tenants.

The council was responding to a story earlier this month in Te Awamutu News where tenants suggested there has been no response to complaints concerning vermin, mould and items needing repair.

Property manager David Varcoe said staff had been upset by the allegations and the council wanted to “put the record straight”.

“Staff responded immediately to a complaint about a rat in 2021 and again in 2023. Rat traps are permanently on site, are regularly serviced and our contractors advise there are no issues with vermin,” he said.

The complaints centred on the Dr Tod Court Housing for the Elderly complex in Cambridge.

It was alleged there were rats and mice, mould on the walls, delays in installing smoke alarms, a leaking hot water cylinder which resulted in high electricity bills, a poorly secured pelmet, a stain on the carpet, lawns left unmown, and holes in the guttering.

“Alarms are serviced annually and have just been serviced recently. All were compliant. It’s in our interest to make sure this is the case.

Clark, Port, join chamber board

By Jeremy Smith

Every single alarm is serviced at the same time as the heat pump units are serviced,” Varcoe said.

Staff were aware of a poorly secured pelmet which fell down and established it had been the subject of repairs not carried out by the council.

“Had we known we would have sent a contractor in immediately and that’s exactly what we did once we found out about it.”

Lawns were mowed regularly as were lawns at all of council’s pensioner housing complexes.

He said the units were refurbished at a cost of $1020,000 when tenancies changed.

In one case a plumber called to a service request about a hot water cylinder leak advised the leak would not have been the cause of a spike in the electricity bill, but the council had provided $150 towards power costs.

Staff had a warm relationship with most tenants and had got to know many of them personally over many years. It was common to share a cup of tea, provide Christmas cards and support them during tough times.

“We care about our tenants. If we didn’t, council wouldn’t be investing in pensioner housing,” Varcoe said.

“We will continue to work with all of our tenants to ensure the very best outcomes for them.”

Two new board members were elected at last week’s Te Awamutu Business Chamber’s annual meeting where chief Shane Walsh outlined the organisation’s key priority for the year ahead.

He wants to grow membership and hopes the addition of James Clark and new treasurer Megan Port will help him do that.

Clark, owner operator of Fresh Choice supermarket, was a major winner in the Waipā Networks Business Awards in April while Port is the owner of Ruby Red Photography.

Walsh urged chamber members to help with his aspiration.

“If we all encourage just one other business to join, it would make a significant difference. Te Awamutu deserves a great business chamber,” he told the meeting.

Walsh also outlined highlights from the last 12 months among the more than 20 events, gatherings and initiatives he said the chamber had organised.

The results of the Who Are We Te Awamutu

survey, which more than 700 people completed, had become the organisation’s “compass”, he said.

“By understanding how residents perceive the Te Awamutu brand, it will help us work on the areas that need improving.”

He said the results highlighted the need for a wider range of shops in the town centre.

The main recommendations from the survey, which the chamber had since been focusing on, were improving Alexandra St and creating community space for more events.

A possible revamp of Holmes Garage and work on creating a Business Improvement District were two key projects.

Walsh said he was also proud of several key initiatives the chamber had worked on in the past year – including Black Friday Blowout. Looking ahead the aim was to “maintain momentum” while continuing to focus on the future.

The chamber is also working with Te Awamutu Genealogy Society on a book looking at the history of 32 main street buildings.

David Varcoe

Council approves new dog rules

By Mary Anne Gill

A Dog Control Policy and Bylaw has been adopted by Waipā District Council after months of public debate.

The bylaw was last changed in 2015 and initial informal community engagement to update it began last year.

The council adopted it at its council meeting this week.

Debate on the eastern side of the district in Cambridge centred around when dogs could exercise unleashed around Lake Te Koo Utu while in the west there was concern about banning dogs from Kakepuku, Kihikihi Domain and Memorial Park.

Strategic Policy advisor Graham Pollard –who has lived and breathed the consultation and fielded a lot of the flak – told the

council the policy and bylaw attracted 277 submissions.

Three staff recommendations were not accepted or amended.

That means Cambridge Park Oval remains a ‘dog exercise area’, Victoria Square in Cambridge is off limits at all times in summer and in winter when a market is on and owners can have no more than four dogs off leash in a dog exercise area.

Lake Te Koo Utu in Cambridge is a popular dog exercise area. Under the new rules dogs can only walk there off a leash but under control between 6pm and 10am in summer and 3pm to 10am in winter. Many dog owners have consistently maintained their pooches should be allowed unleashed there all the time.

Dogs will not be allowed on Kakepuku

following concerns raised by Te Kopua Marae committee and nor will they be seen on Kihikihi Domain. The same summer and winter hours as Lake Te Koo Utu will be in place at Memorial Park in Te Awamutu in the area north of the Mangaohoi Stream. The bylaw will be implemented from December 1 to allow time to change signs and add fencing, waste bins. Areas where dogs will be prohibited are:

Te Awamutu

• Rose Gardens

• Events Centre

• Albert Park

• Jean Gatton Reserve.

Kihikihi

• Domain – Rugby and Cricket fields only.

Pirongia-Kakepuku

• Rugby Football Club, Kane Street

• Matakitaki Reserve Franklin Street

A playcentre ‘milestone’

By Jeremy Smith

Pirongia Playcentre staff are preparing to celebrate the centre’s 50th anniversary - a milestone Michelle Crawford is especially proud to be a part of.

On the centre’s leadership team alongside Renee Coutts, Nikita Muller and Rachel Newman, Michelle’s been involved for nearly five years.

The centre is run mostly voluntarily – with 25 families from Pirongia and surrounds, and some from Te Awamutu, attending.

“I initially came along just to be involved somehow, but in terms of community and connection for our family it’s really become like the village we never knew we needed.

“We’re so fortunate that playcentre has such a rich history – and we only have what we have here today because of those who have faithfully invested in the centre in the past,” she said.

The anniversary is set for early November, and as well as inviting current and past students and teachers along, the day – which will feature an afternoon tea - is being opened up to the wider community.

A commemorative mural – planned for one of the walls near the entrance –will also be unveiled on the day.

Centre staff applied for a $2550 grant from Pirongia Ward committee’s discretionary funds to help pay for it.

They received $1000 at the committee’s September meeting.

“We’re still discussing plans around what the mural will feature, but the idea is for it to symbolise our wonderful community,” Michelle said.

And, ahead of the celebration, the call has gone out to anyone with a connection to the centre – past or present – who has items from the centre’s history such as old photographs or other items they can bring along on the day.

“We’d love to hear from anyone who has things like that,” Michelle said.

The Franklin St playcentre building is one steeped in history.

Heritage New Zealand – Pouhere Taonga – records show the former school building has been a category two historic place since 1985.

• Ōhaupo Memorial Park, all sports fields, Forkert Road

• Peat lake reserves at Rotopiko, Ruatuna, Rotomanuka,

• Kakepuku Scenic Reserve.

Maungatautari

• Mighty River Domain (Karapiro Domain) –excludes that part of Te Awa River Ride within the Maungatautari Road corridor (Te Awa River Ride is “dog on leash”) and excludes the Gate 3 dog exercise area when not in use for events

• Maungatautari Scenic Reserve, Pukeatua.

District Wide

• Within any fenced public playground or play area, or within 5m of any unfenced public playground or play area

• Reserves where animals are being grazed

• All Department of Conservation Reserves unless a permit has been obtained from the DOC.

Slade Coutts having some fun at Pirongia Playcentre.

Battling for Kihikihi

By Ange Holt, Chair, Te Awamutu Community Board

The Te Awamutu and Kihikihi Community Board had two events planned this week, with a day out at the Kihikihi CommSafe Community Day and also today (Thursday) for a vege growing session at the back of the Te Awamutu library.

Unfortunately, the weather was not on side for last Saturday’s event and it has been postponed until later in the year with a date to be confirmed. We had some awesome prizes ready to go and were really looking forward to catching up with our Kihikihi community. A huge thank you to all the generous businesses who supported our prize board.

We have been batting for Kihikihi of late through the submission process where we supported the new cycleway with a compromise of raised crossings rather than cul de sacs. We also suggested that the bus stop by the school be relocated from its proposed site as it impacts the line of sight down the road from the pedestrian crossing outside the Kihikihi School.

We also are about to send a letter off to Waka Kotahi to request the addition of a controlled crossing in the main street, so that the cars stop for pedestrians instead of nearly running them over! Your Kihikihi Residents and Ratepayers have also done this on your behalf. Hopefully now with council, community board and the Kihikihi group all highlighting this issue that it will get put into a work stream to be addressed.

We are also working with council staff to see if we can put some further safety measures in at the Rewi Maniapoto Reserve playground as a child was very lucky not to be run over recently. With the Space Centre being just across the road it is enticing for

Don’t hesitate, get out

By Janine Krippner

children to shoot across to check out the UFO. Both the driver and child I understand were badly shaken by the incident.

Hopefully the weather will change and we are in for a good day on Thursday so our green fingered board members Jill Taylor and Sally Whitaker can show us how to economically grow vegetables to feed our families.

With the price of food going up and up, this is a fantastic opportunity to learn how to grow your own, so get along to this free event. Not only will you get to take something home but you will also go in the draw to win a portable garden. Just bring along a container.

Starting at noon and running through to 5pm at the back of the library, Jill and Sally are going to demonstrate some of their best vege growing tips and tricks and also provide some waste repurposing demos like how to use toilet rolls and egg cartons for potting.

Letters to the Editor

• Letters should not exceed 250 words

• They should be opinion based on facts or current events

• All letters to be emailed to editor@goodlocal.nz

• No noms-de-plume

• Letters will be published with names

• Please include full name, address and contact details for our records only

• Letters may be edited, abridged, or rejected at the editor’s discretion

• The editor’s decision on publication is final.

You are enjoying a Kiwi summer road trip around Ruapehu volcano, checking out the gorgeous views and beautiful, clear rivers. You are sitting down with friends or family alongside a river soaking in the sun while other road-trippers are having a great time nearby, with kids looking for treasures in the shallow water.

You hear a low rumbling noise coming from up the river valley, towards Ruapehu, but you don’t see anything. The volcano is peaceful. You feel that something is not right and having learned about lahars, you don’t hesitate.

You quickly get your group back up the riverbank to your car, successfully warning the others that they should get away from the river. The noise gets louder, then the water rapidly rises, bringing with it tree limbs and large boulders. The water is now a brown, raging, deadly torrent, metres above the water level of less than a minute ago and flattening the riverbank vegetation that is now below it, where you were just sitting. Because you knew to head to higher ground, you just saved your own life and the lives of those around you.

A lahar is basically a volcanic mudflowdangerous floods that race down volcanic slopes through river systems and valleys. They range from “dilute”, where it is mostly water with some sediment, to thick, muddy masses containing abundant rocks, boulders, trees, and anything else they pick up along their path. They are fast in their speed, and also in how rapidly the water rises. They can take out trees, houses, bridges, and roads. This happened on Christmas Eve in 1953, when a lahar destroyed the railway bridge at Tangiwai, south of Ruapehu, before the

passenger express from Wellington reached it. That night 151 lives were lost.

Lahars can result from eruptions, but they also occur because of events like a crater lake dam break or heavy rain. We had two lahars at Ruapehu in 2007, one produced by a short explosive eruption below Crater Lake Te Wai ā-moe, and the other because the natural dam that holds the lake water in place failed. Unfortunately, this range of triggers means that they can occur with no warning. Thankfully, the very basic action of moving up and out of a valley can save your life if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The majority of fatalities from volcanic events that have occurred more than 15 km from the volcano are due to lahars. We know of 56,315 fatalities between 1500 and 2017 due to lahars, around 23,000 of these resulted from one event at Nevado del Ruiz in Colombia, where people had no warning to get out of the way. Lahars are a very real danger and stories from survivors are harrowing.

You can search “Ruapehu lahar hazards” online to see the areas where you should be more alert, along with advice on what to do, and there are plenty of videos that show how fast and dangerous lahars can be. They key is to not hesitate.

If something is off, get out of the valley to safety. You can always head back to enjoy your day if it is a false alarm, and you can feel good about yourself knowing that you can take action when needed.

• Displays of flowering orchids, irises & floral art

• FREE talks & demonstra�ons, different every day

• Rare & exo�c plants for sale, indoor & outdoor

• Growing accessories

• Food caravans & free parking

• E�pos & cash-out available Mystery Creek Events Centre

$10 at the door (under-12 free).

Service dogs only please.

New links for Waipā

By Roy Pilott

The long-term Southern Links roading plan will unlock fertile Waikato land and open up commercial opportunities for the Waikato and Waipā districts.

The project will link State Highway 1C from Kahikatea Drive in Hamilton to Tamahere and the Waikato Expressway in the south, and State Highway 3 from Hamilton Airport to central and east Hamilton.

It will be a 32 km transport network, including 21km of state highways and 11km of arterial roads.

Though it is not forecast for construction funding in the next 10 years, Waka Kotahi has purchased swathes of land for the network including 36.6ha at The Narrows.

It only needs a portion of that golf course land – now used for grazing –for Southern Links.

The News has been asking what the future holds for the old golf course land not needed for Southern Links and bordering the Waikato River. It is zoned rural under the Waikato District Plan and the council has confirmed to The News there are no plans to change that.

Waka Kotahi purchased the site from Riverside Golf Club for $20 million five years ago and the golfers moved across the river last year to the newlydeveloped Tīeke course on the old Lochiel Golf Club site.

Hamilton’s advance to Waipā has

Celebration book launch

By Viv Posselt

already started with the Peacocke development and that relationship will develop further when the Waikato River bridge on Wairere Drive opens next year.

Waka Kotahi’s Jessica Andrew, regional manager systems design, Waikato-Bay of Plenty, said part of the former golf course is being held for the Southern Links and the remainder is being disposed of under the Public Works Act.

Waka Kotahi has approached council it to see if it needs any of the land not needed for Southern Links. The News also understands the agency has also contacted neighbouring landowners.

A Waikato district spokesperson told The News the council’s Community Connections team which looks after parks and reserves is determining whether or not there is a need to buy some of the land for public reserve purposes.

“As things stand now, the site is unlikely to be subdivided further under its current rural zoning, which would mean fewer than two lots – four homes.”

National MP for Taupō Louise Upston said the Southern Links road would open opportunities for districts to connect.

Hamilton City Council’s Detailed Business Case shows planning for 8400 new homes in the Peacocke area over 30 years which will house around 20,000 people.

The half century story of how a small Te Awamutu music group grew to become one of the jewels in Waipā’s crown was celebrated at a concert in the town last Sunday.

The ‘50th Celebration Concert’ organised by the Te Awamutu Music Federation was held at St John’s Anglican Church and featured sublime performances by pianist Michael Houstoun and his guest partner, Sarah Watkins.

The pair presented a series of piano solos and duets before an appreciative audience of around 170 people.

The event also marked the launch of the group’s 50th anniversary book ‘A Beat in Time’. It also kicked off a new name - no longer the Te Awamutu Music Federation, the group will now be Te Awamutu Concerts Alive.

President Judith Herbert said the name change was to bring the group into a new era and continue to build on its reputation throughout the region.

It has not only attracted fine musicians through the years – some of them international – but also, under a collaboration with the University of Waikato’s Conservatorium of Music launched almost 20 years ago, its concerts provide a platform for students and give audiences an opportunity to listen to new talent.

“It was a collaboration that brought benefits to both,” said Sue Baker, the former journalist who wrote ‘A Beat in Time’ after spending more than a year poring over Federation records, many of them stored with former Te Awamutu Music Federation president and Sue’s mother, Gay McLaughlin.

“Mum was a piano teacher for many years,” said Sue. “Her lengthy involvement with the Federation meant she had a lot of the old records with her, material such as brochures and meticulously kept minutes of meetings.”

Sue said while the idea to do a book had been floating around for a while, delving into the older history of the Federation proved to be the difficult

part, but with some assistance, she was able to tap into music archives in Wellington.

The book, with about 80 pages of stories and photographs around Federation stalwarts and the many concert performers, has delighted Gay.

“Sue has put it together brilliantly … she has written it as though she is talking to somebody. Music is really a language that is understood everywhere you go in the world.”

Her own love of music started at the tender age of three. Gay went on to become a piano teacher for many years and joined the Federation in the 1990s. She became president for about five years between various stints on the committee – reflecting her many years affiliated with the group.

Catch up with your besties at Equifest!

Te Awamutu Music Alive president Judith Herbert with Sue Baker, author of the new book A Beat in Time.

Taxpayers to fund museum work

By Roy Pilott

Taxpayers - not ratepayers - will fund the design work for Te Ara Wai, the $33 million museum planned for Te Awamutu.

As The News went to press this week the Waipā District Council revealed the Government would help fund the New Zealand land wars museum, should it go ahead.

The statement was released on Tuesday after The News sought comment on councillor Roger Gordon’s statement that in-committee discussions on the issue should have been held in public.

The council statement said it had secured $5.24 million from the government’s Better Off Fund – last December.

It said a total of $1.7 million would be used to complete design work and seek resource consents for the old Bunnings building in Arawata Street.

The council statement said unless that work was done by next June, it will not be eligible to apply for funding from the Ministry of Culture and Heritage.

The statement continued “the decision made by council today to push on with Te Ara Wai follows an independent review of the project. The review reassessed the scope and phasing options, operational budget and potential funding support. An economic impact assessment, based on just visitation from outside Waipā and the Waikato region, said Te Ara Wai would create close to 20 jobs and add an average of $1.985 million per year to Waipā’s gross domestic product”.

It continued: “The review also reassessed costs with councillors advised total estimated costs now sit at $33 million. Council committed $23.5 million for the project build in its 2021-2031 Long-Term Plan, with some funding to come from asset sales. Of the $9.5 million funding gap, $2.95m from external sources has already been secured, leaving a funding shortfall of $6.55 million.”

The statement continued, quoting mayor Susan O’Regan said “every single councillor is acutely aware of rising costs and a changing economic landscape. So let’s go into this with our eyes wide open, before we are past the point of no return. That’s why the review was undertaken and is why we are staging this project carefully. Te Ara Wai is not a done deal yet.”

The death of Alexander Keith

By Meghan Hawkes

A poisoned arrow struck the neck of Alexander Keith and was swiftly removed and the wound cauterised with a hot iron by a ship’s mate. The arrow was fired by a South Seas Islander

Get Gardening

It’s time to start planting your Summer crops in the veggie garden. Start with lettuces and salad crops along peas, beetroot, onions and herbs. Then add your staples like tomatoes, capsicums, courgette and cucumbers. Make sure your new plants are fed well by adding compost and manure along with fertiliser into the soil before planting. Regular feeding and watering will help ensure your crops do well. For your existing flower beds, trees, hedges and shrubs, top dress with compost and a layer of mulch to help lock in moisture and keep your plants root system cool in Summer. Now is also a great time to use a product like Yates Weed ‘n’ Feed on your lawn. It will fertilise as well as take care of broadleaf and prickle weeds including Onehunga weed. Happy gardening!

and was yet another adventure on the oceans during the mid1800s for Alexander.

But the effects of this episode lingered – the iron was too hot and the cauterisation would give him trouble for years to come causing him to frequently complain of neck pain.

By November 1887 Alexander’s life had quietened down somewhat. He was living at Kihikihi, staying at the Star Hotel which he had considered his home for the previous 18 months. Apart from the neck pain, a rock had recently fallen on his back while he was working on the Poro-o-Tarao railway tunnel, but it was his stomach that was bothering him the most.

Around 1pm on a Friday he was taken ill and William Bond, the Star’s landlord, sent for the doctor, who was not at home. About 4.30pm Alexander asked William to give him 30 drops of chlorodyne, a pain reliever, which he did not keep down for more than 10 minutes. William and his wife attended to Alexander as best they could. Around 6pm, William, alarmed at Alexander’s deterioration, asked him if he had taken anything to which he vaguely replied it was the pain in his stomach that was killing him. Alexander died shortly afterwards.

At the inquest Dr Pairman said that he was away from home when called to the Star Hotel. When he got to Kihikihi it was too late. The death was of a very sudden character. It appeared to have resulted from bowel inflammation. The doctor considered chlorodyne was the proper medicine to administer in this case and 30 drops was not too much. There were some cases of inflammation in which the medicine was useless, and death would ensue in three or four hours, as in this case. The jury returned a verdict of death from natural causes.

Alexander Elphinstone Keith, 37, was said to be highly connected in Scotland and in Leicestershire. He was formerly an officer in the Imperial Army, holding a commission in Her Majesty’s Lifeguards. After a stint cruising the oceans, he came to New Zealand where he held an important position in the government’s Civil Service.

So what then was he doing labouring in a railway tunnel in the back blocks at the time of his death?

Alexander Keith was likely a disgraced son - a remittance man, from Britain, supported by regular payments from home in the expectation that he would stay away. He arrived in Dunedin from Glasgow on an immigrant ship in 1879

when he was 28. He had travelled in steerage, the lowest category of passenger accommodation. In the Imperial Army he was only a gentlemen trooper or ranker –a soldier who was educated and born into privilege but who had somehow shamed himself. Once banished to New Zealand he went to Wellington where he worked as a clerk in a role of no great note. He seems to have been a fantasist and his tales of daring and dicing with death across the seas had their roots in a darker reality. He boasted that he cruised among the South Sea Islands engaged in the labour traffic – a reference to a practice called ‘black birding’ - the kidnapping of indigenous people from islands in the Pacific Ocean to be taken to Australia and sometimes New Zealand to work as slaves on plantations, cattle stations or in flax mills. For a man who evidently had such a vivid life, in death he left faint traces. Alexander is likely buried at Kihikihi cemetery, record details document his birth and death dates as unknown and his entire name is noted simply as ‘Keith’.

The Star Hotel where Keith died.

An early concept view of the proposed museum.

Know your local barista

Persimmon Tree Cafe

Hidden away behind the beautiful plane trees and a camellia hedge, overlooking the mountain and countryside, the Persimmon Tree Cafe is more than a regular cafe, it’s a destination. A 10 minute drive from Te Awamutu, the family-friendly cafe serves Veloce coffee, Atomic Coffee Roasters’ flagship blend. All staff are barista-trained and food is made fresh on the premises. Jocelyn and her team work hard to deliver a quality customer experience seven days a week. Persimmon Tree Cafe is open every day from 8.30am-3.30pm. The environment has a great indoor-outdoor aspect, with plenty of grass for kids to play.

Entrance 1 Corner Bellot Street/ Franklin Street (Café) Pirongia

Expect a big smile and a great coffee when you order from Pickle and Plum Cafe.

Expect a big smile and a great coffee when you order from Pickle and Plum Cafe.

Netra and Amara Chea love serving their local community and supporting local businesses as much as possible. Netra and Amara enjoy being involved in the hospitality industry. Netra, a former chef, loves drinking coffee and he’s a perfectionist when it comes to making it. He and Amara are both trained baristas and they work hard to meet customers’ personal preferences.

Netra and Amara Chea love serving their local community and supporting local businesses as much as possible. Netra and Amara enjoy being involved in the hospitality industry. Netra, a former chef, loves drinking coffee and he’s a perfectionist when it comes to making it. He and Amara are both trained baristas and they work hard to meet customers’ personal preferences.

Expect a big smile and a great coffee when you order from Pickle and Plum Cafe.

Netra and Amara Chea love serving their local community and supporting local businesses as much as possible. Netra and Amara enjoy being involved in the hospitality industry. Netra, a former chef, loves drinking coffee and he’s a perfectionist when it comes to making it. He and Amara are both trained baristas and they work hard to meet customers’ personal preferences.

The cafe has an extensive range of milk to cover most requests and the team strive to serve the best in local products while keeping prices low. Netra especially enjoys making food that brings a smile to customers’ faces.

The cafe has an extensive range of milk to cover most requests and the team strive to serve the best in local products while keeping prices low. Netra especially enjoys making food that brings a smile to customers’ faces.

The cafe has an extensive range of milk to cover most requests and the team strive to serve the best in local products while keeping prices low. Netra especially enjoys making food that brings a smile to customers’ faces.

MEET

Emma can be found at our Te Awamutu store, greeting all of our amazing customers, serving up brews made from beautiful, complex Ozone coffee beans and deliciously fresh baked goods.

Emma has been working at Volare for 8 months and her favourite coffee is a latte with a yummy flavoured shot.

Emma says her favourite thing about being a barista is the ability to be creative and try all of the different and wonderful ways that customers enjoy their brew.

Pop down and see Emma, have a yarn, grab a delicious coffee and one of our beautiful baked breads or pastries.

Kidsare Write all

This is a monthly page giving student’s from primary and intermediate schools the opportunity to have their writing published in their local community newspaper.

Fighting fires sounds fun

Name: William Hurley Room: 8 Age: 5

When I grow up I want to be a re ghter because I like the big trucks and ashing lights. The best part will be squirting the water at the res.

Designing beautiful houses

Name: Oisín Osborne Room: 1 Age: 9

When I grow up I would love to be an architect. My favourite part of the job would be drawing buildings and houses and maybe even logos. I think it would be cool to be walking down the cold street and overhear some people

The perfect job for me

Name: Felicity Bailey Room: 5 Age: 8

When I grow up I would like to be a paediatric nurse in the hospital. I want to make children better so they can grow healthy. I want to be a kind and caring nurse, passing the kindness on. I want the children to grow up like I’m growing up, safe and healthy

Being an Arborist is a family tradition

Name: Levi Presant Room: 3 Age: 11

When I am older I am going to be an Arborist, AKA a tree surgeon because it’s like a family tradition for me. My Koro and uncles were arborists and they really loved the job. If I become one, I can not only have fun, but I can work with my family. I would cut down the trees and put them on trucks. Besides the good things I have already talked about, I can also earn a decent amount of money which would allow me to buy

Dreams of saving lives

Name: Sophie Sorensen Room: 2 Age: 10

saying how beautiful a house looked and say to myself, “I designed that!”. I would be able to travel the world to design beautiful houses and buildings.

When I grow up I want to be a paramedic. The main reason I want to be a paramedic is because I want to get out and help people in the community who have been in an accident or have a medical emergency.

I can rush them to hospital in my ambulance while providing medical care.

a house and maybe one day start my own business.

I could save lives. I believe being a paramedic will teach me lots of valuable life lessons. It might be hard to become a paramedic, but I am willing to put a big e ort toward my learning.

A job to put a smile on my face

with kind parents. I want to be a paediatric nurse because I like babies. When they cry I will not panic. I will get them to sleep. I will make sure all the mums get rest too. Being a paediatric nurse will be perfect job for me.

Name: Valentina Pohl Fabris Room: 7 Age: 9

When I grow up I want to be a librarian. Just think of all the books I could read! Every day I could try a new book. I would sort out all the books in order and recommend the good ones to my family and friends.

I’d stroll through the shelves, go on hunts for missing books, arrange the bean bags and do all the things that needed to be done. Then, at the end of the day, I’d go home with a big smile on my face.

By Chef Louise Chidlow

Quick crossword

Wordsearch

WYKWUKWWEXTIDFKOOE

EGJPQDCIUGSBOJATFR

AGEBYYRZNOIPWDOIOU

TOUCLSRIBTMYNNUSRT

HFWLEARAZFRSPBXXEA

EXIAIERNFZAYOZKKCR

RHSNTHGIRBLPUHTZAE

COOLTOGNIZEERFZJSP

NTEHURRICANEZHKTTM

MWLIAHMNCJDRYNESSE

SOHLYGQOADFCLOSEJT

WSGADZEMNDLRWMGCIM

AIUCNFBZISOGOLQYXS

HSOIIWRMELOSUNZCWJ

Sudoku

310

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

MEDIUM

Across

1. Bucket (4)

4. Inhabit (6)

8. Surprise (7)

9. Of the kidneys (5)

10. Unclothed (4)

11. Imitate something (8)

13. Someone next door (9)

17. Shamefaced (8)

19. Bushy hairdo (4)

Last week

21. Not as wet (5)

22. Skill (7)

23. Myth (6)

24. Care for (4)

Down

2. Desert (7)

3. Medieval stringed instrument (4)

4. Short-lived romantic encounter (3-5,5)

5. Ribbed fabric (8)

6. Black and white mammal (5)

7. Smooth and glossy (5)

8. Submerged (4)

12. Spread out (8)

14. Hooligan (7)

15. Actor’s remark to audience (5)

16. Comfy and warm (4)

18. Chosen few (5)

20. Food regime (4)

Across: 1. Psalm, 4. Solace, 8. Climate, 9. Waste, 10. Upend, 11. Vertigo,

12. Toward, 14. Scared, 17. Eclipse, 19. Pesto, 21. Avian, 22. Avocado, 23. Ignore, 24. Surge.

Down: 1. Pick up the tab, 2. Alike, 3. Meander, 4. Shelve, 5. Lower, 6. Cashier, 7. Second to none, 13. Walking, 15. Copious, 16. Rebate, 18. Pinto, 20. Stair.

TLRPWKUOMEYOSSTLAC

DETOHHVFSIRZNSTORM

WEUREDNUHTLBORQNMC

KTCTCHANGEJDWFRESH

Last week

All puzzles © The Puzzle Company

HNVAWRPAKDLBGLAMPQ IHCYJKRNGCFYUXOETR NARBPROSNLRANORGAG GTDAOBTEUEHLRIVNPB EZIOSRHESRXDAOVISK SNFCICMTEREPAPLLAW TTDPTAOVFBEDDLEIPE LTUIIROICRRDAWSENA MLKDEPRIHAFNOAICLL WOALYEHDIQDRJONNCG ODRHTTTNMIHRECRIET DEETEUANNBCECDESMI NCUCAHBGELNTBNDAEL IGNTKRGAYKESSEOBNI WTTTNEMESABAUMMHTN XINRETSICPOLISHIVG CEXTENSIONGPORCHYI REWOHSCONSERVATORY

Remembering Brendan

Walking the walk

By Jeremy Smith

Participants who got their walking and running shoes on at Ōhaupō’s inaugural Walk to Talk 12-hour relay on Saturday clocked up nearly 870 collective kilometres.

The event was held to raise funds for I Am Hope, a charity founded by mental health advocate Mike King.

As The News went to print, the still-increasing total had topped $1600.

All told, 13 teams of between two and 20 members lined up for an early bird start time of 7am at the lower field at Ōhaupō Community Sport and Recreation Centre and –despite patchy rain at times -

By Jeremy Smith

A poignant tribute was on display when a snapshot of the creativity present at Enrich Plus Te Awamutu opened to the public last Friday.

The organisation’s first photo exhibition, Looking Back on Autumn, featured the photography of Enrich artists.

Among about 30 photos was a stand set up to honour Brendan Perfect. He had been collecting photos for the exhibition, but died before it opened.

“His work speaks volumes about the amazing person Brendan was,” Enrich Plus Te Awamutu service lead Ngawai Hamblin told The News.

“Having his photos here is simply a way of us to honour him and say thank you for everything he was as he shared his life with us.”

Brendan’s mum, Sue Rabarts, said the exhibition was amazing.

The photographs were taken over the course of three months.

The organisation supports those with intellectual, physical or sensory disabilities.

Hamblin said Enrich Plus is involved in the annual IHC Art Awards, but staff thought the photography exhibition would be a fun way for photographic work to take centre stage.

She said the photography group studied everything from learning to

hold the camera correctly and framing shots, to black and white photography and even selfies ahead of the exhibition. The group framed their favourite shots with picture frames sourced from Te Awamutu op shops.

“Going from those initial learnings to what we now have on display just shows the amazing journey of progress we have been on. There’s such a wide range of photos represented here, it’s wonderful to see.”

In May, three artists from Enrich Plus’ Te Awamutu Supported Activities programme watched as Waipā mayor Susan O’Regan hung their latest painting in her newly decorated office.

by day’s end they had logged 2289 laps.

The fastest of those was 52 seconds, while the Ōhaupō School netball team completed the most laps, covering more than 100km.

Organiser Lawrence Wilkinson was delighted.

“This is exactly how I had imagined I wanted it to be. It was fantastic to see everyone out here supporting such a great cause.”

Wilkinson said he would now love to see the walk and run become an annual event, and had already set his sights on next year.

“This is a wonderful foundation to build from.” • More photos – see teawamutunews.nz

Lisa Gifkins and Kaula Gibby, from Ōhaupō Sports Netball Club were all smiles as they made their way around the field.

Photo Jeremy Smith

Daniel Drager, left, Tammy Keyte, Shannon Clark, Ben Chismall and Margaret Mohi with some of the photography work which was on display on Friday. Margaret is holding one of the photos from the tribute to Brendan Perfect.

Heat Pump

Concept planning for Ōhaupō hub

By Jeremy Smith

Growing use of the Ōhaupō Hub has prompted discussions about further development of the site.

It’s a move the trust which oversees the Forkert Road facility says reflects community feedback it has received, and one it hopes will ultimately “bring the community together” even further.

The hub opened in 2020, and at the latest meeting of the Pirongia Ward Committee the Ōhaupō Community Sport and Recreation Centre Trust applied for a $10,000 discretionary fund grant to create a master concept plan as the organisation seeks to develop a bare paddock at Memorial Park, Ōhaupō.

The eight-person trust leases the land on which the hub - home to Ōhaupō Rugby Sports Club as well as community use spaces – sits from Waipā District Council.

One of the main community users is Kaipaki Bible Church, which meets at the hub on Sundays.

The trust, made up of four community representatives and four Ōhaupō Rugby Sports Club representatives, received $2000 towards the process of developing that master plan following the ward committee’s grants discussions.

Trust chair Debbie Glasson told The News the lease includes the paddock on the corner of Sandes St and Forkert Rd. The Ōhaupō community had voiced its needs for additional activities at the site.

In its application for a discretionary funds grant, the trust listed work on the nearby dog walking area, a mountain bike track, additional car parking spaces, safer road access and additional native planting as initiatives the trust would look at including in the master plan.

A fenced dog park could be accommodated in the paddock, the document stated. An additional road entrance is required to link the Forkert Rd entrance with a new one on Sandes St. Discussions about a possible mountain bike track - initially slated to cost about

$55,000 - had stemmed from young riders in the community having no such facilities available anywhere in the Ōhaupō community, the application said.

Glasson described the track as a “cool edition” if it went ahead, while trust member Ron Currie - present when The News visited the hub - added it was amazing how much a something like that would mean to riders in the community.

The trust’s application to the committee said both parking and road access were becoming an issue, particularly on busy sports days held at the hub.

“I suppose what it comes down to is that there is already a broad usage and that’s wonderful,” Glasson said.

“If you drive past here on a day when the sports club and the church are both here, you’ll see how well it is used. It’s pretty full.”

But currently, that made parking “challenging” at times, she said.

Glasson added she felt increasing the number of parking spaces was a key area which would ultimately help overall usage at the hub grow in the future.

It was too early to discuss overall costs or time frames. Glasson said the trust would be astute about ensuring a feasibility study, and public consultation process regarding what the Ōhaupō community felt was best for the space, occurred before any work was undertaken.

“In the grand scheme of things what these discussions indicate is that already in the three years we’ve been open the facility has fast become a hub which is in demand, as was intended.

“And that’s wonderful to see because it’s a fantastic facility.

“We simply hope what results from the discussions we’re having regarding what additional activities could be facilitated here will also help bring more facets of the whole community here in increasing numbers.

“Growth is happening in Ōhaupō - lots of new families are coming to town – so on that front, it’s really exciting when you consider what’s possible here at the hub in the future,” she said.

Ōhaupō Community Sport and Recreation Centre Trust trustee Ron Currie, left, with trust chair Debbie Glasson outside the Ōhaupō Hub.

FITTER/WELDER AND GENERAL LABOUR ROLES

FITTER/WELDER AND GENERAL LABOUR ROLES

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

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

• Reliable and punctual

• Reliable and punctual

MAUNGATAUTARI ECOLOGICAL ISLAND TRUST

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

• Physically fit

• Physically fit

• Strong health and safety awareness

• Strong health and safety awareness

• Quality focus and attention to detail

• Quality focus and attention to detail

• Ability to work in a team environment

• Ability to work in a team environment

• Must pass a Drug & Alcohol test

• Must pass a Drug & Alcohol test

Apprenticeship opportunity exists for the right candidate

Apprenticeship opportunity exists for the right candidate

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

No�ce is hereby given that the Trust’s Annual General Mee�ng is to be held on Tuesday 17th October 2023 in Te Manu Korokii Profile Group Educa�on Centre at Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari, 99 Tari Road, Pukeatua commencing at 3.30pm. A�endees are invited to join the Trustees for a�ernoon tea (from 3.00pm) prior to the start of the mee�ng. Enquiries by email to: secretary@maungatrust.org Please RSVP via the QR code.

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

PUT YOUR HAND UP E TU TO RINGA

Te Kura o Ngā Purapura o Te Aroha

Kaiāwhina/ Associate Teacher Part-time (30 hours per week) Te Awamutu:

He tūranga e wātea ana ki te Wharekura o Ngā Purapura o Te Aroha. E kimi ana mātou i tētehi Kaiāwhina mō te kura, e mōhio ana ki ngā mahi whakaako tamariki. Me ū te kaitono ki te reo māori me ōna tikanga. Me matua mōhio hoki te kaitono ki ngā mahi whakahaere i te akomanga, me ngākaunui hoki ki ngā mahi whakaako tamariki. E whakapono ana mātou, he taonga te tamaiti, ko rātou hoki te pūtake o tā mātou kaupapa.

Ka kati tēnei tono hei te 08 o Oketopa, 2023

Tukua tō Tātai Oranga (CV) ki te Tumuaki: tari@npota.school.nz

Tukua mai mā te poutāpeta rānei ki:

Attention:

Te Wharekura o Ngā Purapura o Te Aroha. Enquiries 021 225 7577

Northern Health School

Waikato South Unit

Teacher Aide

During school term time only.

Start date by negotiation – by Term 1 2024

Northern Health School

Waikato South Unit

Admin support person

During school term time only.

Start date by negotiation – by Term 1 2024

Northern Health School is one of three regional health schools that support students who are currently unable to attend their regular school due to ill health.

The successful person must possess a high degree of empathy and enjoy working with young people who are too unwell to attend their regular school due to mental or physical illness.

Experience working with primary and secondary aged students an advantage.

Locations/days required:

• Cambridge based

• Approx. 10 hours per week negotiable

A full clean New Zealand driving licence essential. Please visit www.nhs.school.nz for further details and to apply online by 05 October 2023

Northern Health School is one of three regional health schools that support students who are currently unable to attend their regular school due to ill health.

The successful person must possess a high degree of empathy and enjoy working with young people who are too unwell to attend their regular school due to mental or physical illness.

Experience working with primary and secondary aged students an advantage.

Locations/days required:

• Cambridge based (Possible travel to Morrinsville and Matamata when students require a teacher aide)

• 19 hours between Monday – Friday 8.30 am – 3.30 pm negotiable

A full clean New Zealand driving licence essential. Please visit www.nhs.school.nz for further details and to apply online by 05 October 2023

COLLETT, Taehuri Jocelyn, (nee Rangitutia) – Passed away peacefully surrounded by her loving family at Windsor Court, Ohaupo on Sunday, 24th September 2023, aged 64 years. Dearly loved wife of the late Arana. Cherished mother and mother in-law to Pare & Alan, Thomas & Edith, Shaun & Cheryl, Pou & Renee and adored Nan to all her moko. A Tangihanga for Jocelyn has been held. All communications to the Collett Family, c/- 262 Ohaupo Road, Te Awamutu 3800.

SAINT FRANCIS DAY

A Blessing of the Pets Service