When Linda Pennock booked into her accommodation in Cambridge at the weekend, the first thing she wanted to do was reunite with her old friend Diane Peach who she lost contact with 50 years ago.
Linda had travelled over from Bury St Edmonds in Suffolk, England with an old photo from a dance they attended at Cambridge Town Hall and letters Diane had sent her in the 1970s.
When she booked the Karāpiro Airbnb for her trip from the UK, she saw it was owned by Grant and Diane.
“Coincidentally my best friend from school in Cambridge was named Diane and I knew she had married Grant.
“I sent a message to ask if she was the Diane I went to school with. As my name is unchanged, the response came back … yes,” said Linda.
And after 50 years, the two women, both now 66who had been best friends and lived opposite each other at Karāpiro Hydro where their fathers worked – were reunited.
Linda was born in England and came to Cambridge with her family in the early 1960s.
She and Diane quickly
became friends and in their spare time enjoyed walking across the Karāpiro dam, riding the lift inside it and climbing the stairs back to the village.
Cycling down State Highway 1 to Horahora and back on Maungatautari Road, or into Cambridge was a regular weekend activity.
“We didn’t wear helmets, bikes didn’t have gears or drink holders. When we were thirsty, we would knock on a house door and ask for water,” says Diane. They not only got water but cake and other goodies
too.
Sadly, for their friendship which had endured from Karāpiro Hydro Primary School through to Cambridge Intermediate and then Cambridge High, Linda, her sisters and parents returned to the United Kingdom in 1973, the girls’ fifth form year.
They kept writing to each other but lost contact, until the weekend.
“I was so excited at reconnecting and retrieved the letters she had sent, including an invitation to her and Grant’s wedding, and even the tin in which
she had sent a slice of her wedding cake,” said Linda who retired from teaching in August and travelled to New Zealand to visit her sister Susan in Dunedin. She decided to do a road trip of the North Island as well and to revisit her old stomping ground in Karāpiro.
Both are astounded at the pure luck and coincidence that enabled them to meet again after 50 years in the district of their childhood and are determined to keep in touch and catch up on years of missed opportunities.
Diane Pevreal, left, and Linda Pennock at Karāpiro.
Diane Peach, left and Linda Pennock at a Cambridge Town Hall dance in the 1970s.
Council changes ahead
By Mary Anne Gill
A raft of fresh faces could sit around the Waipā District Council table later this year following confirmation two long-standing elected members are getting out and others might follow.
Andrew Brown and Bruce Thomas have both said they are standing down while veterans Lou Brown and Roger Gordon are “seriously considering” their options.
The first councillor to respond to The News’ request to sitting Waipā and Waikato district and Waikato regional councillors was Kihikihi’s Marcus Gower.
“I’m in,” was his response to whether he would stand for a sixth term in Waipa.
Deputy mayor Liz Stolwyk cryptically responded. “Yes, I’m standing for public office.”
Yet to respond are Philip Coles, Mike Montgomerie, Dale-Maree Morgan and Mike Pettit. Susan O’Regan announced last week she was standing for a second term as mayor.
Andrew Brown chairs the powerful Finance and Corporate committee and has been a reasoned head around water issues. Early in the term he was the ‘lone’ voice in favour of Three Waters reform saying he felt it would be more efficient and save money.
Lou Brown, the oldest councillor at 79, said he enjoyed the Civil Defence portfolio, and it was this which had him in two minds. Bruce Thomas said he had done 24 years and “enough was enough”.
Roger Gordon, 77, said it was still his wish to go on, but his children lived overseas, and he wanted to visit them regularly.
“I always said I would go on if I had the mental capacity to do so.”
Stolwyk lives in Ōhaupō – part of the
or
Pirongia and Kakepuku ward - but has represented the Cambridge ward for four terms. Such is her popularity, she regularly tops the polling, she could stand anywhere and potentially for the regional council given her dairying, tourism and transport background.
On the community boards, Cambridge deputy chair Elise Badger is out while chair Jo Davies-Colley said she would stand again but did not elaborate on whether that meant for the board or as sources suggest, the council itself.
Te Awamutu-Kihikihi chair Ange Holt says she has not decided yet.”
In Waikato, Mike Keir has found the bureaucracy so hard to overcome he is out the door in the Tamahere-Woodlands ward
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More on productivity
Peter Nicholl’s excellent article, It’s about productivity, (The News, January 16) brought to my mind something I witnessed on January 10. I was sitting having a cup of tea outside the bakery opposite the dentist in Shakespeare Ave about 8.30am, as I waited for my car at the upholsterer’s.
Two late model Waipā District Council mini tip trucks were parked at the complex containing the dentists. The driver of one was casually blowing leaves towards the garden which they had presumably come from. The female driver of the other watched on, and twice went to her truck’s rear vision mirror to check her hair. A chap in a late model council ute was there briefly, left and came back for a short time before driving off again. Supervisor?
The leaves were blown back into the garden, and both trucks drove off. The cost of vehicles
I saw ($100,000 plus?) non-productive staff wages, their annual and statutory holiday pay, ACC levies, Superfund contributions… all to shift back (not remove) some leaves. A pointless exercise paid for by the ratepayers.
I have lived in Waipa district (Whitehall) only two years, and I was astounded to
but Crystal Beavis will stand again. Mayor Jacqui Church has also confirmed she wants a second term.
Clyde Graf, one of two Waipā-King Council regional councillors, said he was not planning on standing again. “But there’s lots of water to pass under the bridge between now and then.”
Stu Kneebone had not responded when this edition went to press.
Nominations for the local body elections open on July 1 and close a month later. Voting papers are delivered between September 9-22 and voting closes on October 11.
• Let us know what you think editor@goodlocal.nz • ‘Stylish’ politician mourned – see Page 3.
realise that the council still employed “works” staff instead of opening this type of work (rubbish collection, mowing, gardening) up to competition from private contractors who would operate with a cheap ute and dispose of the material collected.
Local Bodies doing this uncontested work with expensive machinery will always be inefficient and wasteful, because they have no competition.
Has our new Chief Executive released any plan for reviewing the activities of the Waipa District Council? Cutting out $40,000 promotional activities best left to private enterprise would be a good idea too.
Peter Clapham
Whitehall
Admission fees
My wife and I regularly attend rowing regattas at Lake Karapiro and always have paid a spectator fee on entry. We note (Cambridge News, January 16) free entry was provided to all spectators attending the Waka Ama National Sprint Championships over the six day duration.
Can we expect the same generosity for those
Festival season
Festival One, New Zealand’s premiere Christian music and arts festival, starts at Hartford Farm, Karāpiro, tomorrow and runs until Monday. More than 100 performers will take to five stages over the weekend.
Community centre progresses
The builders of Te Awamutu Presbyterian Community Centre on Mutu Street are expected to hand the keys over to the church in about five weeks.
Hut review
The Conservation Department says it will review the pricing of Pāhautea Hut in Pirongia Forest Park next financial year. Adult trampers pay $10-15 a night to stay in the 20bunk hut near the summit of Mt Pirongia. Hut prices are reviewed every three years.
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Roger Gordon, a tentative yes,
maybe.
Jo Davies-Colley, community board or council?
Liz Stolwyk, lives in Ōhaupō, says yes to public office, but where?
spectators attending this year’s Maadi Cup from March 22 to 30?
A.J. Rillstone Cambridge
Path use up
Cambridge’s Hamilton Rd
shared path had nearly 90,000 users last year up by 24,000 on 2023. Just over half – 46,858 – were cyclists and the rest pedestrians. Last month 8039 people used the path with Saturday December 28 the busiest with 433.
Tourism for Upston
Taupō MP Louise Upston has picked up the Tourism and Hospitality portfolio to go with Child Poverty Reduction, Community and Voluntary Sector, Disability Issues and Social Development and Employment. She was also named Deputy Leader of the House in Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s reshuffle at the weekend. She moves up one in the rankings to number seven following Shane Reti’s demotion from four to nine.
Business theme
The Waipā Networks Business Awards will celebrate a century of service to the community by taking on a 1920s theme at this year’s gala dinner. Entries for the awards, which have 17 categories, are open to March 10.
Looking for leaders
Candidates are being sought for the Tuia programme which aims to develop the leadership capacity of young Māori. Successful applicants undertake 100 hours of community service and receive mentoring – in the case of Waipā, from the district’s mayor. Last year mayor Susan O’Regan worked with Taane Aruka Te Aho.
Cowan’s pin
Paralympian Peter Cowan was presented his numbered pin by Paralympics New Zealand at the Waka Ama National Sprint Championships held last week at Lake Karapiro, Cambridge. Cowan, 29, from Hastings, competes in an adaptive version of waka ama and picked up a bronze in Paris last year.
‘Stylish’ politician mourned
By Viv Posselt
Retired Waipā district councillor and longtime Cambridge Community Board supporter Judy Bannon has died.
Her extensive experience with local body politics began over a decade ago. Even after she officially retired, she retained a strong interest in local affairs, usually over regular coffee or lunch dates with former colleagues.
Waipā deputy mayor Liz Stolwyk said she and Bannon had started together on council in 2013.
Bannon went on two complete two terms, or six years. Describing her as a role model, Stolwyk said she was “an incredibly dedicated and astute councillor who worked
incredibly hard for her community. Her interest in local issues never faltered… she rarely missed a community board meeting either.”
Cambridge Community Board head Jo Davies-Colley said Bannon was an engaged and informed attendee at community board meetings, seldom missing any.
“She was hugely supportive of young women in politics and encouraged us in our political journeys,” she added. “She was a wonderful example to us all of someone who dedicated her life to advocating for the community, and we will miss her.”
Sue Milner, who was involved with the Cambridge Community Board alongside her, said Bannon would be missed for a host of
The winners are…
reasons, not the least of which was her standout style and elegance.
“She did an MBA through Waikato University at the same time as my husband and always kept her hand in with council and community board affairs.”
Until late last year, Bannon was a trustee with Waipā Networks. Her involvement with the community also saw her act as a judge in the annual Waipā Youth Awards.
Former colleagues and friends will attend Bannon’s funeral service in Cambridge this week, with many pledging to honour the fitting caveat that appeared in her funeral notice… colourful dress welcome.
The News will carry coverage of that service next week.
the
Page 7.
Storey wants another term
By Chris Gardner
Waikato Regional Council chair Pamela Storey will stand for a third term.
“I definitely intend to stand for re-election in the North Waikato Constituency,”
Storey told The News.
The American dairy farmer was first elected to the council in 2019 and returned for a second term in 2022 when her fellow councillors elected her chair.
“In terms of the chair, I would love the opportunity to continue to have a leadership role for next term,” she said. “That’s up to the councillors who sit around the table.”
While not technically a mayor, Storey has enjoyed a seat on the Waikato Mayoral Forum and, while having no water assets like the region’s city and district councils, has been part of the conversation around Waikato Water Done Well.
She was particularly proud of how the complex region of city and district councils had navigated through working together in the past term.
“As a member of the
mayoral forum I can see the benefit,” she said.
Storey and her husband Ian have owned and operated a dairy farm in Te Hoe, north Waikato since 2001, merging three farms into one operation.
The couple met in Seattle on a blind date. She had graduated from Washington State University with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and had worked at a nuclear power plant and was then at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Washington state.
Moving from there to the Waikato, where her husband was the fourth-generation dairy farmer on the land, was a big upheaval for her but one she has never regretted.
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victors, the spoils, the Zambian polo team, from left, Mary Jellis, Kayleigh Clayton, Nunu Henderson and captain Emily Paterson which beat New Zealand in Leamington last weekend. Read Mary Anne Gill’s report on
Pressure mounts on foodbanks
By Chris Gardner
The post-Christmas credit crunch is showing in Waipā.
Checks on the region’s foodbanks finds a consistent story – the demand for help continues to grow.
The Cambridge Corps of the Salvation Army food bank report it could reach record levels.
“Demand for food parcels is definitely increasing,’ said Salvation Army community engagement team leader Julieanna Seath.
“There was a stage last year’s where we were giving away in excess of 100 parcels per month,” she said.
“We are currently sitting at about 80 per month but with the Government making cuts, Christmas expenses, back to school costs, I would not be surprised to see it increase to more than 100.”
The food bank supplied up to 130 parcels a month in 2023.
Seath said it was not just beneficiaries and the homeless looking for help, but people from dual income families who found finances stretched through no fault of their own.
The Salvation Army also regularly helps people with clothes and furniture, as well as well as the growing homeless with a shower, Seath said.
“We have some really big donors, including one who comes in with $2000 worth of groceries for us a couple of times per year. Some farmers kill an extra beast, have it cut up and put in our freezer, and clubs, organisations and schools donate.”
Around $1000 a week is spent on supplementing the foodbank to ensure it has enough stock.
Te Awamutu Combined Churches
Foodbank says it needs more food, more space to store it, and more volunteers to pack it.
Foodbank co-ordinator Rita Middleton has a growth story that nobody wants to hear.
“Our demand is huge, with an increased in needs over two years,” she said.
Demand in that time has almost doubled. Volunteers handed out 784 parcels last year, compared to 500 in 2023, and 400 in 2022.
“In the first week back after the Christmas break, we handed out 23 parcels,” Middleton said. “It really is a matter of people coming to us and saying, ‘we have no food to feed our children’.”
Food is donated by churches, individuals, supermarkets, and the Kaivolution scheme, as well as funded through cash donations.
While the shelves are far from empty, Middleton said there was a strong need for the staples as well as supplies for new mothers such as baby wipes and nappies as well as feminine products.
As demand increases Middleton said, so does the need for storage and the organisation is quickly running out of space. She also needs people to help prepare food parcels and deliver them in some cases.
“We need more volunteers,” Middleton said.
‘I’ll
look and listen…’
By Chris Gardner
Incoming Te Wānanga o Aotearoa chief executive – kaiwhakatere - Evie O’Brien will be welcomed back to the Te Awamutu head next Tuesday with a pōwhiri.
It is 10 years since O’Brien left the organisation and she has spent the last four years as executive director Atlantic Institute in Oxford, England, focussing on addressing systematic causes of inequity.
“It’s been a long time,” O’Brien told The News on a virtual call. “The first thing is to look and listen. To meet with staff, to review all of the documentation.”
Much has changed in the 10 years since O’Brien last worked for the Te Wananga, most notably governments, but she said “incredible leadership” had put the organisation on the front foot as the government demanded tertiary institutions to do more with less.
She referred to Te Wananga founders Rongo Wetere and Iwi (Boy) Kohuru Mangu who started the organisation in Te Awamutu in 1983.
“Te Awamutu is where the founders of the organisation mortgaged their homes and started this organisation in Te Awamutu College,” she said with pride.
That was chapter one. Te Wānanga o Aotearoa has grown to now provide tertiary education to more 36,000 students at 80 campuses across the country.
“Without wanting to sound corny, I have the opportunity alongside many others to maybe contribute to Chapter 15 of a 60-chapter book, which has lots of authors,” said O’Brien, whose whakapapa is Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Ranginui and Ngāti Maniapoto.
O’Brien will work alongside outgoing chief executive Nepia Winiata to ensure a smooth transition before his farewell on February 13. He has served the organisation for 15 years.
Cambridge Corps of the Salvation Army community engagement team leader Julieanne Seath, left with community wellbeing officer Anneka Vuletich.
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Polo, pitch and a picnic
By Mary Anne Gill
Hay on the sideline, sun beating down, plenty of places to pitch a marquee and lay down picnic blankets and chairs, food and coffee truck and an international women’s polo test.
What more could you want in Leamington on a late Friday afternoon?
New Zealand lost to Zambia 4-3 having fought back from 3-0 down after a nervous start at Cambridge Polo Club’s grounds on Lamb Street.
All eyes were on timekeeper award-winning farmer Estee Browne as the time ran down in the last chukka. Because of a gremlin in the loudspeaker there was no commentary, which for those in the crowd unused to the rules of polo, was a slight hitch given how entertaining and informative it had been.
Two of Zambia’s goals came from Kayleigh Clayton, 18, making her debut while Nunu Henderson, 24, and Mary Jellis, 18 got the others.
Waikato Diocesan School for Girls’ boarder Niamh Ainsley, 17, scored two of the Kiwis’ goals while captain - renowned Rangitikei rural
artist Harriet McKelvie –slotted the other.
Grooms were kept busy preparing horses for action and hosing down the ones
who had competed. Given action on the field was fast and furious, horses were changed regularly with Zambia using ones provided
by the Clevedon-based Duncan family.
Georgie Duncan, 23, who has played in England, Argentina, Africa, Australia
and soon Zambia was in the New Zealand team for the test watched by her proud father Ken Duncan holding veteran Ricky Baker,
a former Australian stock horse now a regular in polo matches around the north. He was a spare for the test and to his annoyance did not make the field.
Zambia’s captain Emily Paterson, 21, currently studying in the UK, won the most valuable player award while the champion pony was Alice Dunmoor’s Kanye. “He’s for sale,” she excitedly told the crowd.
Best playing thoroughbred was John-Paul Clarkin’s Bramble from the Mystery Creek Polo Club off Kaipaki Road.
The Zambian team received the prestigious Women’s Internationals rosebowl, presented by Duke St star of famer, Cambridge’s Jim Watson and wife Ann and traditionally presented to the winning team in the Waikato.
The match and prizegiving wrapped up in just under two hours only to pick up again with club action the following day.
The two teams play again next week in Hawke’s Bay and the New Zealand men play England at Mystery Creek on January 31. The event is the highlight of Polo Week at the club.
New Zealand captain Harriet McKelvie, second right, chases the ball early in the test. More photos: cambridgenews.nz Photo: Mary Anne Gill
A talented man’s final song
By Viv Posselt
A man whose photography has featured in The News, and who took first prize in the 2022 Autumn Festival photo competition died unexpectedly on December 29.
Talented photographer Brian Holden died while pursuing another of his many passions. He was at the Hamilton Model Aero Club with fellow enthusiasts when he died suddenly, aged 78. Gordon Meads, one of those enthusiasts, spoke at his funeral service this month. Brian had been a regular participant, he said, joining soon after he and his wife Ngaire moved to Cambridge four years ago. His generosity in taking and sharing photographs extended to quietly replacing a tatty old windsock and pole at the club when it was mentioned in passing.
The drone images Brian took for The News included a spectacular early morning town shot used by architect Antanas Procuta when delivering a talk last month at the Cambridge Historical Society’s annual meeting. The photograph of the road to Maungatautari from the Town Clock showed why the grid laid out in 1863 could be five degrees out. Other images used by The News have included an aerial photograph of the water tower at Cambridge Resthaven.
It was a simple black and white image of the Leamington Band Rotunda that won Brian first prize in the 2022 Cambridge Autumn Festival photo competition. Antanas Procuta, who was on that judging panel for the first time that year, described
the shot as “crisply capturing the intricate Victorian detail”.
Brian’s photography journey started right out of Rotorua Boys’ High, working with the now late photographer Peter Fenwick. While still at school, a band he formed with some mates, The Roulettes, netted the young musos a diary fat with gigs and won them a prize in the 1962 Rotorua Talent Quest.
Ever the adventurer, he went overseas for a while, during which time he ended up selling cheese at Selfridges. Once back home, Brian went on to photograph thousands of weddings and learned a raft of new skills. He got into the grocery business in his hometown of Rotorua and became an expert piano tuner, tuning his last one in Hamilton a fortnight before he died. In recent years, he tuned many Cambridge pianos.
Brian also hankered after flying and obtained his commercial pilot’s licence. He added a BSc in psychology and earth sciences to the mix, which when combined with flying, led to him becoming Rotorua’s go-to weather expert.
It was in Rotorua he met dental therapist Ngaire, quite by chance. He dialled a wrong number, liked the sound of Ngaire, who answered the phone, and the rest is history. Married for 44 years, there were still surprises, she said, along with numerous hidden sweet wrappers.
Brian’s funeral service at Leamington’s Seventh Day Adventist Church was infused with his music. Parts of it were more like a gig than a farewell, but by all accounts, that’s exactly what he would have wanted.
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History against waste plant
By Chris Gardner
Concerns Global Contracting Solutions may not comply with council rules, has Fonterra objecting to plans for a waste to energy plant in Racecourse Road, Te Awamutu.
In its submission to an Environmental Protection Agency board of inquiry to be heard in June, the dairy farmer owned co-operative authorised agent Mark Chrisp raised concerns with the compliance history of the applicant’s parent company Global Metal Solutions Limited.
“In 2022, Global Metal Solutions Limited was ordered to pay $134,900 to Hamilton City Council in respect of enforcement order proceedings . . . to deal with the impact of noise (including persistent breaches of the noise limits in the Hamilton City District Plan) from its metal recycling business,” Chrisp said.
The importance of Fonterra’s nearby 140-year-old manufacturing site on Alexandra Street, air quality and customer perception was at the top of the list of Fonterra’s objections to the plan.
“The Waipā District Plan reiterates the importance of the Te Awamutu Site and the need to ensure compatible activities establish adjacent to the Te Awamutu site,”
Chrisp said.
“The food producing activities that are carried out on these sites are sensitive to other industrial activities.”
Chrisp said as a food manufacturer, the company had concerns about the implications of any activity in proximity to the Te Awamutu site that discharges emissions to air that could affect or compromise Fonterra’s existing or potentially future operations.
“As part of its overseas operations, Fonterra’s experience is that other waste to energy facilities have not established in close proximity to its food processing operations.”
Fonterra was also concerned with customer perception, as domestic and international customers were concerned with any perceived or real food safety risk associated with the combustion of waste products in such close proximity to its Te Awamutu site.
The submission aligned with comments made by Waipā district mayor Susan O’Regan who told councillors, last year, she was concerned with the impact the plant would have on agriculture locally and regionally if the consent was granted.
The council has also submitted against the application.
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On the road…again
By Mary Anne Gill
Imagine being on the road for 47 years in your own adapted truck, bus or van.
The Gypsy Fair, which spent the weekend in Cambridge at Memorial Park, has done precisely that and captivated towns up and down the country since 1978.
There were the usual fair activities – food and ice cream, coffee, mini jeeps, a bouncy castle, children’s games and stalls offering crystals, soaps, candles, jewellery, clothing, hats, face painting and the ever popular fire spinning.
The Gypsy Fair, owned by Ella Keenan and partner Oskar Gray of Christchurch, started its current eight-month tour in Rotorua on September 21 and finishes in Christchurch on May 3.
The travelling troupe will be in New Plymouth this weekend.
The current fair has escaped the controversy of previous ones which dropped depictions of Romany Gypsy people from their posters and publicity.
A gypsy is another word for the Romany people, an Indo-Aryan ethnic group who lived a nomadic lifestyle.
Gypsies in history have traditionally had a bad reputation, particularly in Europe and the United Kingdom, where they arrived in the 16th century. In more recent times they have been protected as a minority ethnic.
In New Zealand they are no longer referred to as gypsies because of the inappropriateness of the term. There are believed to be about 200 Romani in New Zealand.
Children’s activities like hoops are an important part of the Gypsy Fair roadshow as is music and other entertainment.
Photo: Mary Anne Gill
Alys Antiques & Fine Art
Holidays by the book
One of the true delights of the period from mid-December until the middle of the following month is to undertake a momentary flight from the mundane of the majority of the year and undertake something different. Preferably not at home.
In my case it is to pack a couple of books and retreat under a shady tree and devour the words - even with time to go back over already consumed paragraphs to understand the greater - or underlying - thrust of the prose.
This most recent holiday saw me throw a couple of autobiographies into the trunk of the car and sit on the postdawn terrace each morning, sipping tea and immersing myself - while the justreleased chooks were pecking around my feet.
The books were two very different stories from two very different continents. Both recorded a rise to greatness, but from very different pathways.
Michelle Obama, brought up on the very dark side of Chicago (no pun) into a level of poverty-wrapped shared apartments, produced a revelation that, from small beginnings and a destitute
By Peter Carr
base, greatness can be achieved. In part - her part - through sheer hard work, dedicated school studies and acceptance into two Ivy-league universities where darker skin was almost an extreme alternative to money-fuelled paler tones.
Having the good fortune to meet with, and marry, a dedicated fellow lawyer - driven to helping those in lower socioeconomic areas to dream the American dream - produced a duo who embraced the scary side of the White House with simplicity and sincerity.
Guarding her daughters from the gaze of the gun-toting security officer who actually sat in on the class studies was a challenge that many would have failed. Creating a vegetable garden on the pristine lawns of America’s leading garden would have raised many eyebrows but strength and perseverance brought with it a group of other wellheeled ladies who wanted to share the fork and spade.
On the other side of the world actor Sam Neill brought me through his fledgling years trying to break into acting without the support of years spent at any drama school. That he succeeded is well known as he came from a family where
a commission into the British (or even Irish) army would have been perceived as more historically appropriate. That he fell in love with wine and, more appropriately, immersed himself in growing vines and producing superb pinot noir, was just part of the whole that puts this unusual man together. Sir Nigel (yes that is his formal name) must grate as he eschews use of his formal christening nomenclature - in preference to just being plain Sam. A self-imposed address that suits his humble purpose.
Like many Kiwis who tread the footlights he finds fame - and no doubt improved fortune - on the other side of the Tasman but his Otago roots and Christ College education pull him back to Godsown frequently. Sadly, he is battling - and openly discussing - the onset of cancer, and he tackles it head-on in the latter chapters. His written humour is frank, and I share with him a lack of sympathy for fools who direct, through autocratic or bureaucratic actions, to channel the life course of those who can provide their own satisfaction.
ON SHAKY GROUND
Discovering who we are
By Murray Smith, Bridges Church
Our home has shared space with delightful, feathered friends for decades. A friendly cockatiel has been part of the family for over 13 years. We acquired him very young, so knowing his precise ‘hatch-day’ was impossible.
It turned out that before a certain age, to positively determine his gender was equally impossible. Naming him ‘Joe’ or Joey got its inspiration from Joe Cocker- the gravelly English singer of a bygone era (our bird became… Joe Cocker-tiel). We’d been assured Joey was a boy by a bird expert. But experts are often wrong. Years later with male Joe ensconced in our lives, an egg turned up in the bottom of his large cage. I laughed thinking my wife had devised a pathetic wee joke. She’d seen the egg and thought I was playing the same trick. It stayed there, until another one came. That’s when we addressed the “‘cocker-tiel’ in the room”..!
Joe is who she is biologically - not what gender we’d imposed on her. The mental shift was assisted by accepting she was still Joey, although now was Josephine! Following that adjustment of years ago, Joey has laid many eggs - up to three at a time. She’s a characterful, adventurous little bird. She loves house-time, flying around the home, escaping once through a door blown open by a gust of wind. I recovered her later sitting up high on a neighbour’s roof. I’ve been very careful since.
Before Joey, we’d hoped our beautiful blue Indian Ring-Necked parrot would become a prolific talker. The problem was all that came from ‘Bluey’s’ bright red beak was screeching. He had lots of positive attention but screeched nonstop, irritating
the household immensely. Months of screeching compelled me to return him reluctantly to the bird shop for re-sale on behalf.
A week went by and missing him greatly, I went to ‘visit’.
I walked up to the cage and said, ‘Hello Bluey!’ Matter of factly he said, ‘Hello Murray.’ A staff member reported he had been talking lots.
Maybe our kid’s frazzled nerves, leading them to shout ‘shut up’ at Bluey had provoked his incessant screeching… anyway, while never talking for us, I’m glad he showed he could- for his new home.
This ‘bird-brained’ piece has a point. It’s about expectations. My expectations of the two birds I’ve mentioned, were misplaced. Do you recognise how frequently and easily we do this with people in our lives…? We’re inclined to pigeon-hole people (forgive the pun)… forcing upon them roles and expectations they’re not meant for.
A 1989 movie, “The Dead Poets Society” carries the theme of a son in an elite boarding school who develops a passionate dream of life involvement in the arts. A controlling father refuses to release this son to pursue a life in dramatic arts, imposing instead, his own agendas on the boy.
Discovering who we are, must be built on a foundation of truth and reality. That only comes from God who has purposeful plans for everyone… never over-riding our personality, manipulating or crushing us, He lovingly waits. Discovering by faith that His plans for us are perfect, we discover who we are.
Eruptible magma
By Janine Krippner
There is a lot of misunderstanding around what leads to eruptions, and that is absolutely reasonable considering that it’s a highly complex field requiring different experts who understand the physics, chemistry, and geology.
Volcanic systems are incredibly complicated and there is a lot we don’t yet understand.
First off, most of a magmatic system is well below the surface of the Earth and we cannot see it. We can use geophysics – the study of the physics and physical properties of the Earth, to estimate aspects of it, like how deep it is. The chemistry of magmatic gases that we can collect at the surface can assist with this, and computer models or simulations also help.
We can look at very old rocks that moved to the surface over many millennia to understand these systems, such as granite, which is magma that never erupted and cooled within the crust. We also look at the rocks that erupt at volcanoes and the crystals they contain.
The basic way of simplifying all of this in textbooks is a diagram showing a roundish blob of magma below the surface, leading to the idea that a big hole fills up with magma and once it is pressurised it erupts. This is wrong.
In reality, magma is often stored in multiple pockets or reservoirs at different depths, linked by pathways. None of these are an open gap or hole in the crust (roughly the upper five to 70 km depending on where you are) or the mantle below that, because despite what movies like The Core (2003) will depict, we are talking about enormous pressures down there.
Deeper down, magma moves upwards into these pockets because magma is less dense than the surrounding rock. Think of pouring oil into water – the oil will rise to the surface
because it has a lower density.
Magma within these reservoirs (also known as magma chambers), is evolving through time as crystals form within the melt (molten rock), gases are released, and surrounding rock may be melted or chunks are broken off and incorporated into the mix.
The amount of molten stuff within that mix of solid and liquid rock is what we call “eruptible magma”.
This is the stuff that is actually capable of eruption, instead of being solid enough that it can’t really go anywhere. When a large amount of crystals, called a crystal mush, have formed, the magma probably isn’t moving upwards unless something happens, like enough hotter, fluid magma enters from below. The solid crystals and chunks can sort of lock it all into place.
Eruptible magma typically contains less than half of the solid stuff. Even then, it might not erupt. Researchers are still working to understand these processes and our understanding keeps improving. There are more exciting discoveries to be made, and advances in technology give new opportunities to understand our planet in new ways.
The next time you see someone talking about magma chambers below a volcano, remember that it is far more complicated than is usually let on.
There may be magma left over from a past eruption, there may be multiple pockets cooling and evolving, it may just need some fresh, hot magma injected into it to get it moving.
Village grows
Capacity at Cambridge Resthaven will continue to increase with plans set in motion for additional supported living apartments.
A memorandum of understanding was signed last week by Cambridge Resthaven and Livingstone Building for the stage two of Apartments on Vogel, at Resthaven’s Vogel Street retirement village.
It will add 21 supported living apartments to the 33 completed last year in the first stage. Stage two will lead into a green space in the centre of the apartment complex, linking it with the existing apartment building, café and village shop.
Time frames around the new build will likely be known by late next month.
Stage one, started in April 2022, was opened in mid-April last year. The 33 apartments were studio units and one and two-bedroom apartments.
Cambridge Resthaven chief executive David Hall said Livingstone had delivered the two major developments undertaken in the last decade.
“In 2014 they built our Views on Vogel 46-villa development, and last year they completed stage one of the Apartments on Vogel.”
Cambridge Resthaven is a community charitable trust established over 50 years ago to provide retirement living and care option for seniors. The supported living apartments are designed to provide residents with greater flexibility and choice in retirement living.
Plenty of helping hands
By Viv Posselt
Card sharks emerged from their summer hiatus last week to enjoy the start of the new Cambridge Bridge Club year.
With a barbecue meal behind them, some 60 club members filled 15 tables for the first official games of the year.
“It was brilliant to have so many members here on our opening night,” declared newly-minted club president Clare Coles. Despite having been in the club for over 20 years and being a life member, Clare hasn’t held the top slot before and is looking forward to a full year of bridge ahead.
“Our club is in great heart. We have about 180 members here … not very many bridge clubs are doing as well,” she said. “Cambridge is fabulous. There are so many ‘doers’ here, people who are willing to pitch in and help when needed.”
The club’s full diary means those ‘do-ers’ are needed frequently. There are generally four bridge sessions a week –lessons and practices – for members at all levels of ability.
On top of that there are
games with neighbouring clubs and around three tournaments a year, the biggest one of which is the Cambridge Sixes. That was started by the Cambridge Bridge Club in 2013 and has become one of the biggest bridge events in the country, attracting well over 100 players to town each year.
Newish members Ian Taylor and his wife Raelene have enjoyed the club’s ‘friendly and supportive atmosphere’ since joining early last
year.
“During Covid, Raelene and I had developed a habit of playing a card game after lunch to pass the time,” he explained. “…when a maildrop inviting us to learn bridge appeared in our letterbox in early 2024, we decided to explore what bridge was about.
“Many people outside the bridge community seem to think of bridge as an elitist game, or one where extreme levels of cunning are needed. But the learner group that has
been coached through the first year have been amazed at the coaching team’s professional and structured approach.
“We quickly realised that while we were far from ‘grandmaster’ level, our learned skills enabled us to fully participate and enjoy the game.”
Robyn Pell enjoyed a similar experience, saying: “I didn’t know anything about bridge prior to joining the lessons, and had no idea what I was signing up for. However, I am so glad that I did.”
Members kept the Cambridge Bridge Club rooms pumping on their opening night. Playing the table at front are Tony Davidson, Keira Griffiths, Jo Griffiths and Hugh Morton.
Launching the new build last week were Livingstone regional manager Ash Burkart, left, and Cambridge Resthaven chairperson Greg Liddy. Watching on are, from left, Cambridge Resthaven chief executive David Hall, Livingstone project manager Neville Davy, Resthaven Board member Kevin Burgess, and Livingstone commercial manager Adrian Kearney.
CAMBRIDGE VOLUNTEER FIRE BRIGADE CALLS OVER THE LAST WEEK
MONDAY
9:22pm, Building Alarm and Evacuation, Victoria Road
TUESDAY
2:27pm, Grass Fire, Aspin Road
WEDNESDAY
9:55am, Cardiac Arrest, Bryce Street
Landlocked scouts celebrate
The Waikato’s only sea scout group has received Royal New Zealand Navy recognition.
Kirikiriroa & St Peter’s Scout Group, which trains and sails Scout Standard Cutters and Sunbursts on lakes Karāpiro, Ngā Roto, Rotoroa, and Taupo, received naval recognition after meeting the highest standards of scouting and seamanship.
The navy recognition standards reflect those expected of the Sea Cadet Forces and naval training establishments and is only awarded to the top 15 scout groups in the country.
boating, paddling, water safety and complementary emergency skills over that time.”
The group leader for kea and cubs, Scott Aitken, said the recognition reflected the ongoing passion and commitment of the group’s kaiārahi (adult leaders) to enable youth to succeed despite adversity.
news”.
“Kirikiriroa & St Peter’s has worked tirelessly to get youth afloat,” he said.
“Both youth and kaiārahi alike, have upskilled themselves in sailing, rowing, kayaking, powerboating and seamanship, gained multiple scout and professional qualifications, attended regattas, and been involved in the updating the group’s fleet of boats,” he added.
Last year Kirikiriroa & St Peter’s with Putaruru Scout Group took home the Senior Seamanship Trophy from Kai Iwi Lakes.
Since then the group has raised funds through sponsorship to buy two new cutters which were launched last year.
1:09pm, Building Alarm and evacuation, Ruakura Road
11:08am, Building Alarm and Evacuation, Thompson Street
8:57pm, Gas Leak, Carlyle Street FRIDAY
12:07am, Building Alarm and Evacuation, Cambridge Road
11:56pm, Building Alarm and evacuation, Hautapu Road FRIDAY
8:08am, Building Alarm and Evacuation, Weld Street 9:41am, Cardiac Arrest, Maungatautari Road
3:38pm, Grass Fire, Maungatautari Road
8:42am, Building Alarm and evacuation. Maungatautari Road
SATURDAY
7:56am, Smoke in the Vicinity, Gorton Road
The group was formed in 2022 when Kirikiriroa Scout Group’s meeting place was demolished to make way for emergency housing, leading it to partner with St Peter’s Sea Scout Group. Since then, it has become one of the largest and fastest growing groups in the country.
“I believe we are the only landlocked sea scout group in Aotearoa, sailing on Lake Rotoroa in Kirikiriroa Hamilton. This comes with its own set of challenges relating to water quality and access issues. All have been overcome through remarkable leadership and vision within the group.”
Scouts Aotearoa Waikato Zone water activities advisor Dave Smith described the achievement as “wonderful
Scouts and venturers won the Senior Scout Standard Cutter Trophy at the 2023 Scouts Aotearoa Northland Zone Regatta after crossing the finish line in a cutter borrowed from Shackleton Sea Scout Group in Whangārei. Both of Kirikiriroa & St Peter’s cutters had failed swamp tests after their buoyancy tanks had sprung a leak and taken on water.
“Being one of only 15 scout groups to be awarded Royal New Zealand Navy Recognition nationally is a testament to the group’s hard mahi and dedication,” Smith said.
The group will be presented with a Commander of the Navy Naval Recognition pennant and its youth and Kaiārahi can wear the Scouting New Zealand Naval Recognition badge.
The group is one of the largest, and fastest growing, in the country.
8:22am, Building Alarm and Evacuation, Cambridge Road
3:53am, Medical assistance, Karapiro Road
7:34pm, Single Car MVC, Waikato Espressway
for Animal Bedding
“Naval recognition is an amazing achievement, especially as the majority of the group had little to no seamanship experience when the two groups partnered in 2022,” said Chris Gardner, a group leader of Kirikiriroa and St Peter’s Scout Group and a journalist working for The News.
“Our youth have worked very hard to improve their
for
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Clean comfort for growing animals
Kirikiriroa & St Peter’s Scout Group members practice water safety amidst their new cutters on Lake Taupo.
Scouts and Venturers from Kirikiriroa & St Peter’s Scout Group celebrate their win at Northland Regatta in 2023.
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Feds demand an explanation
By Chris Gardner
Operational Solutions for Primary Industries (Ospri) is being asked to explain a $16.6 million write-off related to the failure of a major software project.
Ospri’s Informations Systems Strategic Programme was meant to add functionality to the MyOspri portal, integrating new National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT) functionality.
Federated Farmers Waikato vice president Andrew Reymer made the request for a meeting with the board and a quarterly report after a remit requesting Federated Farmers be given a seat for a farmer
who “understands the principle of good governance” on the Ospri board failed.
Federated Farmers is not a shareholder of the organisation and does not qualify for a seat.
“We do not have the power to demand that,” Reymer told The News following a discussion at the Federated Farmers National Council of Provisional Presidents.
Ospri, a partnership between primary industries and the government, manages the National Animal Identification and Tracing (Nait) and TBfree New Zealand national programmes.
Reymer’s remit said Ospri’s inability to integrate Nait with third party software
providers put the primary industry at greater risk, duplicated the regulatory load for farmers and resulted in a poor fiscal outcome for levy payers.
NAIT is only currently available to support beef, dairy and deer livestock with no ability to track sheep or pigs, both industries that would benefit from traceability in a major disease outbreak, the remit said.
“The ownership structure of Ospri being partially owned by the levy bodies was supposed to be able to provide farmer ownership. The levy bodies as it stands have very little engagement with grass roots farmers, unlike Federated Farmers. The proposal to dissolve the Ospri stakeholder
Tackling a doddery vampire
A pest plant like “a little Dracula” and found only in Waikato wetlands is being vanquished in shallow graves near Kopuatai Peat Dome.
Seven infestations of the parasitic golden dodder (Cuscuta campestris) were found last March by Department of Conservation staff who were checking a trapline on public conservation land managed by Waikato Regional Council as part of the Waihou-Piako flood scheme.
An eighth infestation was later found.
Golden dodder is an annual pest plant that depends on plant hosts. It was the first time it had been found at Kopuatai, although known sites at Lake Whangape, lakes Rotongaro and Rotongaroiti and Whangamarino Wetland are being actively managed by DOC, and neighbouring properties by the regional council.
Waikato Regional Council Senior Biosecurity Officer Kerry Bodmin says it was decided by both organisations that best way to manage the Cuscuta at the Kopuatai site was to spray it, dig it out and bury it onsite, to hopefully prevent future infestations.
Digging out the top 10 centimetres of soil would remove any seeds in the vicinity and burying the dug-up material at least 50 centimetres in the ground would prevent any seeds surviving germination.
“This method is not feasible at Whangape and Whangamarino because of the size of the Cuscuta areas and the wetland environments mean we’d be more likely to lose a digger than anything else.
“At those sites, we do aerial and ground control, but we’re also trialling planting margins with native monocots that are
not host species, like flaxes and sedges, with the idea that those plants will grow big enough to outcompete the seed and hosts living there.”
Golden dodder, which is toxic to stock, was found in New Zealand in 1941 and probably arrived as a contaminant of imported crop seeds.
council which appoints the Board of Ospri, means there will be even less farmer oversight over who is appointed to oversee the key Ospri projects, like the Nait software rebuild.
These projects have the potential to lose sight of what the end user needs, and how critical third-party software integration is to this, especially in the event of a major disease outbreak. The current board is made up of professional directors which lack ‘skin in the game’.”
“We want to try and get a bit more of a handle on what’s going on,” Reymer told The News.
Ospri has been contacted for comment.
“It’s actually a pretty groovy plant with so many features,” says Bodmin.
“When its seeds germinate, they have to find a host within seven centimetres, or their reserves will run out. Each seedling sends out tendrils that go up and twirl around, anticlockwise, looking for something to wrap around. When it finds a host, it attaches to it with these teeth – I call them teeth but haustoria is the botanical name – and they penetrate the plant so it can suck out all the water and nutrients.
“That’s how it feeds – so it’s like a little Dracula. And that is the only way it can get its nutrients.”
The plant is a threat to native ecosystems in wetlands, including bittern habitat, and a threat to the agricultural sector because it can be responsible for reducing crop yields by 50-75 per cent.
Kerry Bodmin says the plant has the potential to spread from wetland to farmland.
Golden dodder, Cuscuta campestris, has ‘teeth” which bit into other plants.
Keep a close eye: your responsibility for grazed livestock
Stay hands-on: why checking your grazed livestock matters
When your livestock are grazing offsite, your legal responsibilities under the Animal Welfare Act remain firmly with you. Their care doesn’t take a holiday, and neither should your involvement. Here’s why regular check-ins are essential:
• Monitor growth and health – Insist on regular weigh-ins and detailed reports from the grazier. Numbers tell part of the story, but being present at some sessions allows you to verify accuracy and see your animals’ condition firsthand. Early detection of issues, like lameness, can prevent long-term problems and ensure timely treatment.
• Hold graziers accountable – A “set and forget” approach risks your animals’ welfare. Make unannounced visits to confirm they’re receiving the feed, water, and care described in reports. This keeps the grazier accountable and ensures your livestock are thriving.
• Support young stock development –Young stock are at a critical stage of growth. Regular checks help ensure they are meeting weight targets, receiving adequate nutrition, and developing well for a productive future.
Being a hands-on owner not only protects your animals’ well-being but also ensures you meet your legal obligations. Your animals depend on you to advocate for their welfare— wherever they are. Need advice? We suggest you speak with your solicitor or contact the team at Edmonds Judd – we are here to help!
Fiona Jack
Farmers get engaged again
By Chris Gardner
Farmers reconnected with levy funded organisations in 2024 after a time of disconnect, says Waikato Federated Farmers president Keith Holmes. Holmes wrote of a remarkable year of engagement on behalf of all farmers in his end of year message to fellow farmers.
“Our successes include the interface with DairyNZ, Beef and Lamb, FAR to achieve an unprecedented Team Ag momentum,” he said.
“As levy payers the past disconnect between our supposed representative bodies has been a blight on the whole industry – particular as most farmers pay a levy to multiple levy organisations to act on our behalf, only to find them scrapping in public with each other.”
There was good farmer turnout at two DairyNZ events held in the King Country and Waipā district in December.
Federated Farmers was also slowly building relationships with the territorial authorities across the region as well as Waikato Regional Council, Holmes said. “It is becoming a twoway street,” he said.
“We must never forget the adage that the customer is always right. However, too often, these organisations following their idealistic goals, forgetting who their customers and shareholders are, by not reading the tea leaves.”
Holmes gave the National led Government credit for “front footing” making farming and business profitable again.
“Not insignificant is the massive
reform tranche of work in taking the Resource Management Act back to First Principles – from which all New Zealander will benefit,” he said.
“In simple terms, society must re-learn that profit is healthy and with profit we can afford to be aspirational. By being both prudent and visionary, we can educate and house our children, have a first-class health system for all and not have to export our children and talent overseas, because we cannot employ them.”
Holmes said 2025 would be remembered as the year when the government decreed freshwater farm plans should come into force.
“Despite carrying the hurt of the
almost hysterical rhetoric, farmers have always been good custodians of the land. However today, the price of being dependent on world trade and our largely urban population, trust isn’t a given anymore and so farm plans will be another hurdle we have to negotiate.
“In addition to farm plans, the Western Waikato will also have the added challenge of Plan Change One. While currently still before the Environment Court, we are extremely grateful to our PC1 Team and Team Ag for the massive amount of work, they have borne tirelessly, to get pragmatism and practicality fused into these pending farming rules.”
DairyNZ make Desc pledge
By Chris Gardner
DairyNZ says it will continue to update its Dairy Effluent Storage Calculator (Desc) to keep it fit for purpose after it was labelled “a dog” that had never been “ground truthed”.
The dairy-farmer levy funded organisation, based in Hamilton, issued a statement from DairyNZ general manager of farm systems and policy David Burger after Agricultural Business Associates natural resource engineer Fred Phillips questioned the effectiveness of the tool at a meeting of the Waikato Federated Farmers executive.
Phillips claimed the Desc model, which had never been ground-truthed on low-risk soils, significantly over predicted storage requirements on free draining soils.
He estimated 120,000 hectares, or about 17 per cent of the 685,542ha dairy land in the Waikato, was incorrectly designated as high risk including about 60 per cent or more of the region’s peat based agricultural soils.
“At best this is just irresponsible,” Phillips said. “The excessive storage being recommended as a result of this misinformation has a cost of about $400 per hectare or $48 million and it has zero environmental benefit.”
Burger said until there was new research or advice supporting the assumption that high infiltration rates on low-risk soils was not an environmental issue, it was reluctant to update the tool, and the good practice advice it provided,
based on advice from experts and independent scientists.
“DairyNZ will continue to update the Desc to keep it fit for purpose and welcome all engagement on this,” Burger added.
DairyNZ provides Desc to dairy farmers to demonstrate their system can comply with regional council rules, while maximizing their use of a key farm resource.
It provides the farmer with the required storage volume assuming irrigation occurs on every possible day at the chosen irrigation rate and pumping volume. More storage provides the ability to differ irrigation during busy times of the year and more strategic use of a valuable farm nutrient.
“We’ve worked directly with Fred and others over the past few years to keep modifying the calculator including updating general useability, the platform format and its performance on free draining soils, and we have also undertaken a review of the tool with scientists from Massey University and AgResearch,” Burger said.
“Following this review, we made changes to how irrigation is scheduled
on low-risk soils. Specifically, the tool now allows for more irrigation days than the old version, as application depths below 10mm reduce due to the Desc combining rain drainage and farm dairy effluent (FDE) irrigation drainage caping at 10mm. The old version did not allow for irrigation on a drainage day.”
DairyNZ recommended dairy farmers engage with an Irrigation New Zealand accredited system designer when installing a new effluent pond to identify regional council requirements.
“The advice from AgResearch specialists at the time was that higher rates of infiltration on free draining/ low ponding risk soils remains an environmental risk, not only for nitrogen but also for the fate and transport of pathogens and phosphorus.
“The risk to try and avoid is farmers putting in a system with very low storage now, who may then need to invest in a new system in future. Having enough storage provides flexibly in management during unusual wet seasons and better use of the nutrients captured. “
Waikato Regional Council’s Strategy and Policy Committee voted in November for the council to undertake desktop-based geospatial work to update the existing map of soil risk for farm dairy effluent.
It also voted to approach DairyNZ to discuss the potential revision and update of the Desc user guidance regarding the sources and use of soil information for establishing soil risk as input data for the calculator.
Judge Valley Dairies farmer John Hayward welcomed fellow farmers onto his farm last year through DairyNZ.
Fred Phillips David Burger
Trade deal welcomed
A trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates is seen as offering significant opportunities for the red meat sector.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Minister for Trade Todd McClay signed the UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement in Abu Dhabi last week.
The Emirates eliminate tariffs on frozen beef and sheep meat from New Zealand.
Meat Industry Association chief executive Sirma Karapeeva there was increasing demand in the market for the high-quality, safe, sustainable, and nutritious products that New Zealand could provide.
“With a population where over 75 per cent are Muslim, the UAE is a key halal market that is increasingly looking for reliable sources of high-quality red meat that meets their strict halal expectations.
“Halal-certified exports made up 37 percent of total
DRAINAGE
red meat exports in 202324 – New Zealand is well placed to meet the UAE’s red meat needs.”
Beef and Lamb New Zealand chief executive Alan Thomson said the entry into force of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement comes at a crucial time for sheep and beef farmers following a challenging two years onfarm and headwinds in global markets.
“New Zealand farmers are raising sheep and cattle to provide the UAE market with the high-quality protein they are seeking,” he said.
“Improving market access settings for New Zealand’s beef and sheep meat is critical to the wellbeing of our sector, with approximately 60 per cent of export revenues flowing through to farmers.
REGIONAL
A matter of principles
By Clyde Graf, Waipā-King Country Councillor
During its last meeting, Waikato Regional Council was required to consider a political statement for submission to the Treaty Principles Bill Justice Select Committee. However, councillors only received the submission on the afternoon prior to the council meeting (instead of the usual five working days). The public were also shortchanged by this manoeuvre - the document was not made available for public scrutiny until the day of the meeting.
The submission, moved by Stu Kneebone and seconded by Noel Smith, was written by council’s iwi relationships team, not councillors. Warren Maher, chair of the Policy and Strategy Committee, declared his frustration at the poor procedural process, and the short notice councillors were given to consider the document. As a result, councillors Maher, Cookson, Dunbar-Smith, Hughes and I voted against the submission, and councillor Downard abstained.
The submission’s introduction says “thank you for the opportunity to submit on the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill. Waikato Regional Council (WRC) opposes this bill and advocates for its abandonment.
The bill seeks to eliminate the principle of partnership with iwi and hapū, undermining the foundations of co-governance, comanagement and collaboration. This submission reflects our council’s commitment to upholding the Treaty of Waitangi and fostering robust co-governance and comanagement partnerships with iwi and hapū.”
In my opinion, this was a staff submission, not a council submission. A political statement supported by eight of 14 councillors (including both Māori ward members) – is certainly not consensus. Yet the document was submitted
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as if all of council agreed to it. My request to have the vote outcome included within the submission, for clarity, was rejected, and therefore the inferred support for the document was misleading and deceptive.
The eight councillors who supported this ratepayer-funded submission – Kneebone, Smith, Clarkson, Storey, Strange, Nickel, Mahuta and Hodge - have effectively used council as a political soap box to progress personal points of view. Support or oppose the Act Party’s bill, this was never the business of council as a whole.
As councillors, we’re instructed not to submit on political issues, to be seen as keeping an open mind. Once our position has been publicly declared, we’re told, predetermination excludes us from voting on those issues.
Already this term, Chris Hughes has been excluded from voting on Long Term Plan decisions because of personal submissions made earlier in the year. Are those councillors who spoke to and supported this submission now excluded from voting on similar issues?
Presenting late agenda items and addendums appears to be a tactic used when council is required to consider controversial issues.
Section 46 of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 states that agenda items must be publicly available at least two working days before the date of the announced meeting, preferably more. This is not the first time controversial issues have appeared late on the council agenda. Let’s hope it’s the last. That is my personal view.
Alan Thomson Sirma Karapeeva
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Course plotted for maunga
By Chris Gardner
Orienteering Waikato members have found a way to support Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari with a Save the Sanctuary Rogaine.
When the club heard the Department of Conservation had withdrawn operational funding from the Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust, which operates the world’s largest predator proof fence, they decided to do something about it. They have organised a fundraiser on March 2 as part of the club’s Rugged Rogaine series.
The trust, which is guardian of 3363 hectares of native bush at Pukeatua, reported a $500,000 loss in the last financial year.
Waikato Regional Council and Waipā District Council continue to part fund operations of the $5000 a day attraction, while the Department of Conservation has switched to targeted funding.
“Rogaining is an endurance sport combining tramping, navigation, competition and strategy,” said club spokesperson
Emma Guest.
“Teams of two to five people are given a map and must plan a route with the aim of visiting as many checkpoints as possible in a set time period.”
There are two-hour, four-hour and eighthour courses planned for the event, following the mountain’s predator lines.
“The checkpoints will be marked by orange flags with electronic timing devices.”
The club, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, has spent months upkeeping the monitoring lines in preparation for the event.
“The sanctuary requires support from the community to continue their important work.” Guest said.
“They need our help to keep the fence secure, to continue with their world-leading Kiwi conservation programme, and to monitor critically endangered kākāpō on the maunga. Sanctuary Mountain is a community led initiative and it’s going to need the community to keep it going.”
The club hopes to get 300 registrations between now
and February 27 and raise $10,000.
Sanctuary Mountain chief executive Helen Hughes and her team are looking forward to welcoming Orienteering Waikato for its Rugged
“The support of Orienteering Waikato and the event’s aim of raising funds for the vital conservation work of the sanctuary is immensely appreciated,” she said.
The trust is focussing on earning revenue through five funding pillars: tourism, education, science and research, donations, and biodiversity credits.
Last year the biggest movement of North Island brown kiwi took place, as Sanctuary Mountain staff sent 222 kiwi to other conservation projects around the North Island. This year, the team hopes to offer kiwi encounter experiences.
Rogaine event.
Orienteering Waikato members are preparing for the Save the Sanctuary Rogaine at Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari.
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Discover the perfect blend of elegance and practicality with this stunning lifestyle property Designed with timeless architectural appeal, this home offers ample space and luxurious features ideal for modern living Step into a grand entrance with a striking spiral staircase, leading to multiple living areas and thoughtfully designed spaces Outdoors, enjoy a private pool, spa, and beautifully landscaped gardens, perfect for relaxation and entertainment
This property is a haven of comfort and sophistication, offering the ultimate lifestyle experience Contact me today to secure your viewing before it's gone!
Thursday 13 February 2025, 12:00PM (unless sold prior)
A RARE FIND
This sprawling country home makes the lure of a new home simply too hard to resist. Appealing to the most discerning buyers, the 354 sq m tailored masterpiece just outside Cambridge is something truly special. Attention to detail at every step, high-quality finishes, and a large, landscaped site ensure the property stands out from the crowd. Your new home journey couldn't be better with this fabulous custom design residence built by master builder Rob May. It is awash in luxurious comfort, showcases uncompromised style, and is perfectly positioned for country views and lifestyle convenience. Its detailed interiors, encompassing two inviting living areas, and fabulous alfresco domains give a family plenty of room to relax and entertain. The heated saltwater swimming pool promises hours of fun and backyard exercise, and the approximate 4,096 sq m section provides ample space for the kids to run about. The area is serviced by school buses and just a short drive from Cambridge central. 4 2 2 2
Auction 11.00am, Thu 13th Feb, 2025, (unless sold prior), Cambridge Town Hall, Victoria Street, Cambridge View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/CBL188273
Russell Thomas M 020 4004 0360
E russell.thomas@pb.co.nz
Angela Thomas M 020 4004 0368
E angela.thomas@pb.co.nz
Cambridge 54 Pukerimu Lane
Live, grow, thrive - a rare lifestyle
opportunity
Discover this extraordinary 3.53-hectare property, offering a rare combination of agricultural and residential lifestyle features. With four expansive greenhouses, a large office space that features a front office, a back office and a full washroom with separate men's and women's cubical plus shower. The lifestyle block also has a comfortable four-bedroom, 1 bathroom, master with an ensuite and double garage dwelling, making this property perfect for both business and lifestyle opportunities. Situated just minutes from the vibrant Cambridge township, this property enjoys easy access to shops, schools, and essential amenities. All necessary services are readily available, ensuring convenience for living and operational needs. Whether you're looking to expand your agricultural ventures, establish a business, or enjoy a unique rural lifestyle, this property stands out as a one-of-a-kind opportunity. This property is to be sold as is where is. Contact us today for more details!
Carter's Flat development site
• 1057m2 development site • 2x existing warehouse/workshops • Central Cambridge location. Located in the Carter's Flat Commercial Zone, 36 Gillies Street presents as an exciting development opportunity in the heart of Cambridge. 36 Gillies Street is a 1057m2 vacant site, offering a range of possibilities for owner-occupiers or developers. Existing structures on site are a 100m2 (approx) shed/workshop with 2 large doors, and an additional 130m2 (approx) warehouse workshop with 3 x 3.5m doors. Call today for more information or to arrange a viewing.
Auction 11.00am, Thu 13th Feb, 2025, (unless sold prior), Cambridge Town Hall, Victoria Street, Cambridge View Sun 26 Jan 10.30 - 11.00am
Web pb.co.nz/CBL195189
Malinda Chandrasekera M 0210 293 6907 E malinda.c@pb.co.nz
Alan Copeman M 021 874 222 E alan.copeman@pb.co.nz
Auction 11.00am, Thu 13th Feb, 2025, (unless sold prior), Cambridge Town Hall, Victoria Street, Cambridge View By appointment Web pb.co.nz/CBC196509
Alan Copeman M 021 874 222 E alan.copeman@pb.co.nz
Tony Wakelin M 021 569 299 E tony.wakelin@pb.co.nz
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Cambridge 36 Gillies Street
7 Oaklands Drive, Cambridge
- Open plan dining/ living; second living room with flow to a fantastic, privatised deck – ideal for entertaining.
- Spacious & practical kitchen; ample storage options. Open Home Saturday 1.00 - 1.30pm
43 Weld Street, Cambridge
- An exceptional opportunity to secure a 1012m² (more or less) land area, paired with a well-improved home.
- Boasting a large, covered deck at the front and an expansive deck at the rear, it’s the perfect space for entertaining or unwinding.
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Brick & Tile Beauty in a Prime Location! Negotiation
- 2 bedrooms, separate bathroom, toilet, and laundry and internal access garage, with concreted off-road parking for 3 vehicles. - Spacious open plan living with a glassed-in conservatory. - Plus, a huge deck perfect for entertaining.
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- Sizable chicken coup & extensive lawns (one paddock) - Tiny Home or campervan, electrical and plumbing already established. Open Home Sunday 3.00 - 3.30pm Luscious Living Areas Negotiation
BANNON, Judy Margaret
– Retired Councillor. Passed away after a short illness, aged 78 years. Dearly beloved wife of the late Dr. Jim Bannon, and loved mother of James & Anna, Kim & Paul. Loving Grandma of Joe, Leo, Blake, and Vicky. A celebration of Judy's life will be held at Trinity St Paul's Union Parish of Cambridge, Queen Street, Cambridge on Thursday, the 23rd of January 2025 at 10:30am. Colourful dress welcome. All communications to the Bannon Family, c/- 3 Hallys Lane, Cambridge 3434.
REEVE, Earl Richard –
Peacefully passed away at Waikato Hospital on Sunday, 19th January 2025, aged 76 years. Devoted husband to Annette. Beloved dad to Tony & Pauline, Stephen, Susan & Neil, Nicola & Steve, Greg & Julie. Much loved Popa to 14 grandchildren. A celebration of Earl's life will be held at the Greenwood Chapel, Morrinsville Road, Newstead on Thursday, the 23rd of January 2025 at 1:30pm. All communications to the Reeve Family, c.- 3 Hallys Lane, Cambridge 3434
SMITH, Gordon William –
Peacefully passed away at Te Awa Lifecare on Thursday, 16th January 2025, aged 83 years. Dearly loved husband of the late Annette. Adored father to Craig & Roslyn, Julie and Grandad to Brigitte, Monique, and Callum. A celebration of Gordon's life will be held at Woodside Estate, Woodside Road, Matangi on Friday, 24th January 2025, at 11:00am. Donations to leukaemia and blood cancer would be appreciated and may be left at the service. All communications to the Smith Family, c/- 3 Hallys Lane, Cambridge 3434
JEFFERIS, Jonathan Michael – It is with deep sadness we announce the passing of Jono who left us on Sunday, 19th January 2025. Beloved partner of Amelie. Cherished dad of Luis, Wills, Ben, Harry, and step dad of Leila and Elyse. Treasured son of Prue & Graham. Loved brother of Matt and Courtney. Loved by everyone who knew him and will forever be in our hearts. A celebration of Jono's life will be held at Hamilton Old Boys Rugby Club, Richmond Street, Whitiora, Hamilton on Saturday, the 25th of January 2025 at 1:00pm. All communications to the Jefferies Family, c/- 3 Hallys Lane, Cambridge 3434.
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Please visit the Council website for all meeting information. Electronic copies of Council agendas are available on the Waipa District Council website prior to
