Te Awamutu News | May 23, 2024

By Chris Gardner

Habitat for Humanity is seeking funding for an affordable housing development on the former Zion Church site on Racecourse Rd and is confident of Government help.

A change in Government and a softening housing market had created “reasonable uncertainty” for the $10 million project, said Habitat for Humanity Central Region chief executive Nic Greene.

“The sell to market and the market has softened considerably and that means that any subsidy has evaporated,” Greene said.

“The progressive home ownership scheme has been fully subscribed and is unlikely to continue under

Angel in disguise

a new government, and the public housing part is yet to be announced as to what the what the new investment from central government looks like. “

Waipā District Council granted resource consent last year for 40 affordable homes

on the one-hectare site. Now due diligence is underway on civil works.

“We’re very confident that that will receive support from this new government,” Greene said.

“They’ve talked about supercharging the sector, enabling better outcomes for communities by being place based, so we align with all those things, but until after the budget, we don’t really know what on earth that that actually means.”

Habitat is involved with half a dozen similar projects across the Waikato.

“Our pipeline’s been pretty full, but that’s been off the back of some certainty around funding settings. We’re sitting on our hands. The whole sector has been saying we just need access to capital.”

In an ideal world, Greene said, the Government would provide certainty around funding in the Budget.

“We’ll get a get an application and to push forward with and by the end of this year we’ll have all of that in place we’ll be starting you know some actual digging in early 2025 and then it’s probably about an 18-month development time frame,” he said.

“A worst case scenario is we sit on our hands for 12 months and let the dust of the current economic climate settle a little bit and then come back to it.”

This was far from ideal,

Delays cause social unrest

he said, as there was strong interest in the development.

There was a social cost to delay.

“The reality is that housing in New Zealand is unaffordable and that turns into a crisis when your housing costs mean that you don’t have residual money to buy the essentials of life. So, you start making decisions that are detrimental to your household because you’ve just got no money left,” Greene said.

People were choosing between seeking medical attention, paying their power bills or their mortgage, he said.

“There is such a huge demand out there for the right product that meets the community at the point of need. The market is still selling high end houses to people who can afford having a bit of free cash. Everybody else is struggling to pay their mortgage or buy a loaf of bread.”

Habitat for Humanity Central Region chief executive Nic Greene is seeking funding for an affordable housing development in Te Awamutu.

Donna McCauley of Te Awamutu participated in the International Female Ride Day around Waipā earlier this month on her Harley Davidson motorbike and featured in The News. Less than two weeks later she died in a crash on Te Poi Road near Matamata. We speak to her family and find out how thrilled she was to appear in our newspaper. See: page 5. Photo: Shirley Warner Photography.

Board’s voice

I read with interest your front page item on Waipā’s community boards. What amazed me was the attitude of Waipā’s bureaucrats who seem to think that the community boards should be propaganda outlets for the council rather than be a voice for the ratepayers the boards represent. Rather than the chairs of the boards needing “mentoring and training” it is Waipā managers who need mentoring and training in democracy!

If Waipā is concerned at the adverse reactions and comments from the ratepayers then it should look at its actions and decisions and understand that they, and their employees, are out of touch with the ratepayers and renters of the district.

Geoff Boxell

Kihikihi

Leamington appeal

I started to take notice of local body matters when I saw an advertisement in your paper for a proposed new bridge for Cambridge. What I saw seemed to have been hatched in a universe far far away!

I won’t dwell on that debacle, but it made me wonder about representation. I was shocked to learn that only one of our councillors lives in urban Cambridge. At the

time of the last election the others all resided rurally or outside the ward. The law allows for that. Also none of our community board members reside in Leamington.

In short, Leamington with a population of roughly half of Cambridge and comprising nearly a fifth of the total district has absolutely zero representation.

I then started to dig deeper and began to realise that the entire Waipa District Council seems to be run and controlled from Te Awamutu.

I do understand that councillors are pledged to act for all citizens, not just within their own ward, however that is not the case for community board members. I was therefore very concerned to see a member of the Te Awamutu and Kihikihi Community Board lecturing the Cambridge Community Board at their recent meeting.

I was then astonished to learn that the Te Awamutu Community Board presented to the council Service Delivery committee an issue that was solely within the Cambridge ward. A glance at the LGNZ website convinces me that ward elected community boards have an advisory role only, within the boundaries of their ward. They are the voice for their community.

Leamington and Cambridge people need to stand up and say enough!

Leamington residents particularly should

On the beat

Fancy a weekend in the cells?

The team have been following up on people for whom the court have issued warrants to arrest. A warrant to arrest is most commonly

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issued when a person has failed to attend court for a hearing on the day to which they have been bailed or summonsed. A warrant may also be issued for a witness if they similarly do not attend a court hearing to give evidence when they have been summonsed to do so.

The Family court may also issue a warrant, for example if a respondent to a Protection Order has not met the course completion requirements set by the court before their hearing. In some circumstances where a (usually recidivist) offender has been unable to be located for a crime and the strength of evidence is strong, Police may opt to lay a charge with the courts and apply for a warrant to be issued, in lieu of summons, to bring them before the court.

Did you know, when a person has a warrant to arrest, Police have the right to enter - without (search) warrant - any premises in which they have reasonable cause to believe the person who has the warrant is located, to look for them? Any person with an active warrant for their arrest, could be arrested at any time and at any place.

Once arrested for a warrant, the courts require that Police hold the person in custody

think very carefully who they vote for in November 2025.

I have become concerned enough to attempt to have people from Leamington represented in local government in future.

Murray Reid

Leamington

Editor’s Note: Since that advertisement appeared, another Cambridge ward councillor has moved into town.

My car, a bicycle?

Maybe it’s Generation X thing, but much of the 1+1=3 PC world remains frustratingly beyond my apparently archaic comprehension.

However, I genuinely want to get on amicably with others. As such, in seeking to embrace that which might have been considered a bit “quirky“ in my day, and in light of Waipā District Council making Cambridge roads evermore congested, I’m wondering if my car can identify as bicycle?

To fit in properly, I promise not to pay road user charges just like the other bicycles. But do I need paint a rainbow or some such symbol, on it? I’m not sure on the etiquette. Come to think of it, is there a such a thing as etiquette these days?

Shaun Robinson Cambridge

until appearing in court at the earliest opportunity. This means if you are arrested for a warrant on a Saturday afternoon, you would stay in the cells until court on Monday.

So, what do you do if you have a warrant? The best thing to do is obviously avoid getting one in the first place – take note of court dates and attend them. The next best thing is to make a voluntary appearance at a Police station at the earliest opportunity so the matter can be dealt with.

If you arrive early in the morning, you will likely be processed and appear in court the same day.

In other news, when this column goes to print, we will have just held our Police recruitment seminar at Cambridge Police Station. If a career in policing interests you but you missed out on Wednesday, additional seminars are scheduled in the district in the coming month providing further opportunities to go along.

Lastly a reminder to cyclists on pack rides; the Victoria Bridge pedestrian walkways are not suitable for you to use. Please cycle on the road and onto the main bridge lanes.

Mōkau Pink Ribbon fundraiser

More than $1500 was raised from donations and raffles during a Pink Ribbon Day fundraiser at the Mōkau Hall on Sunday.

Nearly 50 people turned out equalling about half the population living at Mōkau Village and its immediate surrounds.

“This was the first Pink Ribbon fundraiser we’ve ever run. We had no idea how many would come so we had a pot luck brunch and the food was just amazing,” said an organiser Heidi Preston.

“We shouldn’t have worried because in the end just about everyone who could come, did come.

“Locals here support everything – there’s so much enthusiam to tap into in small centres like Mōkau.”

Brian and Heather Griffin were among prize winners at the brunch.

Memorial service

Former Waipā District

Councillor Alan Empson died this month in Auckland. A private family service has been held but there will be a public memorial held at Te Awamutu’s St John’s Church, Arawata St, tomorrow (Friday), starting at 1.30pm.

i-Site grants

Te Awamutu and Cambridge i-Sites have been given grants of $30,000 each by Waipā District Council in the 2024-2025 financial year to help recover from the loss of the council’s funding. The decision was made at the Enhanced Annual Plan hearings this week.

Tick Tock

Specialist plastering material scheduled to arrive via shipping routes from Italy has been delayed due to conflicts in the Red Sea area and is holding up completion of the Cambridge Town Clock. Despite this, good progress has been made on the tower structure – multiple, detailed tasks including cleaning of all surfaces, repair of cracks on rendering, repairs/ replacement of glass clock faces, clock mechanism servicing and clock housing repairs.

Valuation delay

Updated rating valuations for Waikato district will go to property owners next month. Revaluations were due to be finalised this month, but the Office of the Valuer General says Quotable Value should take more time. The new values will be based on the most likely selling price if the property had sold on October 1 last year, the valuation date, and will be used to help inform rates for the next rating year.

Anchors Away

A new event catering for boating and fishing enthusiasts will be held at Mystery Creek Events Centre in late August. The expo will feature exhibits and activities highlighting various aspects of the marine community.

Art on show at wānanga

Around 40 Māori curators from museums, galleries, archives and museums gathered at O-Tāwhao Marae in Te Awamutu over the weekend for their annual hui aimed at networking, sharing knowledge and discussing how to grow Māori capacity in the sector.

Wellington curator Natalie Jones (Ngāti Kahungunu, Rangitāne, Ngāi Tahu) was among the team that organised the first Māori Curatorial Network Hui in 2013 with less than a dozen attendees and was impressed with its growth.

“It’s incredible to see that in 2024 the gathering at O-Tāwhao Marae boasted 40 participants, showcasing the significant growth and expansion of Māori Curatorial practitioners,” she says.

“One of the most enriching aspects of the wānanga was witnessing the vast range and profound depth of this expansion and we’re eagerly anticipating the continued growth in capacity for Māori Curatorial Practice.”

The hui was hosted by Te Wānanga o Aotearoa and Poutiaki ToiCollections Curator Aisha Roberts (Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Raukawa), says curators play a vital role in the arts world.

“Our curators are the storytellers and caretakers of our taonga and provide opportunities and support for our artists,” she says.

“So being a part of this kaupapa, which aims to strengthen, grow and provide development opportunities for Māori in this space, is important. Not only is it important for Aotearoa, but it’s important for our tauira (students) to ensure communities like this are thriving and able to offer opportunities beyond the classroom as

they continue their artistic journeys.”

Ōtepoti Dunedin Independent curator Piupiu Maya Turei (Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa, Rangitāne ki Wairarapa, Te Atihaunui-aPāpārangi) says the weekend hui provided valuable support for her work.

“As an independent Māori curator, being able to hang out with people who do the same kind of work is really invaluable for me, we speak the same language and I don’t get to do

that very often.”

She had studied toi with Te Wānanga o Aotearoa and says being able to see its extensive contemporary art collection first-hand was a highlight of the weekend.

“Being able to be here and hearing all the history, having come out of the courses, feels really special. And that collection is amazing. Knowing how hard it is for us in education, just seeing all that excellence, all the way through, it was awesome.”

New film through Māori lens

By Sigrid Christiansen

A new movie in te reo Māori about the battle of O-Rākau will be the first in New Zealand cinema history to share the history from a Māori perspective. It will be released during Matariki next month on June 17 in Hamilton.

Film producer Piripi Curtis joined The News at the battle site during the recent 160th anniversary commemorations.

“This is the first time we’re telling the story from our own perspective. One that we’ve passed down from generation to generation, and is still felt today,” he said. Set in 1864, Ka Whawhai Tonu (Struggle Without End) describes “a battle fought with impossible odds” between Māori and

Government forces during the New Zealand Land Wars.

The film is set near Kihikihi and features numerous actors with close whakapapa links to those who were there.

The young stars are Paku Fernandez and Hinerangi Harawira-Nicholas. They will appear alongside Miriama Smith, Temuera Morrison who plays Rewi Maniapoto (and is himself a Maniapoto descendent), and Cliff Curtis.

A team led by director Mike Jonathon spent five years on the project.

Curtis, a teacher by trade, said the film medium’s emotive character would help New Zealanders learn about the battle of O-Rākau.

“Emotions charge your memory,” he said.

“When you’re caught up

in an emotional story that we control fictionally, we heighten your emotions and therefore we heighten your retention and memory of what happened in the battle, and what was said.”

The story highlights the greatness of the warriors against extreme adversity.

“What they faced was courageous. It was 350 Māori, women and children included, versus thousands of colonial professional soldiers.”

Curtis said the kiriata (movie) is a fictional story where two teenagers’ worlds collide on the battle’s eve –in an “unlikely friendship” which becomes a beacon of light in the dark moments of battle.

Eventually the protagonists end up with a group of orphans seeking

safety.

Fidelity to history was the filmmakers’ highest concern, Curtis said.

“We received the permission of the descendants to use their ancestors in the film.

“Although the tūpuna are interacting with fictional characters, the important thing was to show the battle as accurate to the descendants and the iwi’s version of events.

“At the time, the colonial government had a tendency to change the reality of what actually happened.

“They overstated and understated where it suited their narrative.”

Curtis said it was a bit like the making of the film Titanic – a fictional story intended to be “dead set accurate” in its portrayal of history.

An example of this attention to detail in Ka Whawhai Tonu concerned the making of the set.

A 1:1 scale pā to match the real site was built using a GPS digger.

“We dialled up the dimensions and he dug it to scale, one to one.

“When you get inside the pā site you realise how crazy it was for them, to try and take on two and a half thousand soldiers with the latest technology.”

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Piripi Curtis

Māori curators in front of a Buck Ninn painting at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa. Photo: Supplied.

St Helen’s, the aftermath

By Janine Krippner

It is difficult to imagine how much a landscape can be transformed by an eruption, rendering large swaths of land unrecognisable to locals who knew it well. It is the task of volcanologists to understand the impacts before it happens.

This time 44 years ago, Mount St Helens in Washington State had just unleashed a devastating eruption on May 18, 1980.

Fifty seven people had lost their lives. Families and friends were reeling from the shocking loss.

Volcanologists were grieving the loss of their colleague David Johnston while having to continue working on understanding what had just happened and what might happen next. Would there be more powerful eruptions?

The cataclysmic eruption had begun with a large flank collapse. The upper 400 m of the volcano now lays broken across the landscape, depositing 2.5 km3 of fragmented rock out to 23 km as a debris avalanche deposit. This was overtaken by a catastrophic sideways blast (pyroclastic flow) of hot rock and gas that raced across the landscape at speeds of at least 430 km per hour, toppling mature trees like they were twigs in sand. The peak speed of an F1 race car is about 375 km per hour.

Around 2.3 billion cubic meters (405 million tons) of rock had just come to rest in the North Fork Toutle River valley. Additionally, the mountain ice within these hot deposits was rapidly melting. More issues were on their way. Volcanic material + a lot of water = lahars. Those lahars would destroy over 200 homes and more than 300 km of roads.

The debris avalanche had crashed into the nearby spirit lake, raising its resting

elevation by 64 m and forming a dam. A dam built of broken rock fragments that could release disastrous amounts of water if action wasn’t taken.

Scientists rushed to calculate how long the dam might hold, what the impacts would be to populated areas downstream with the increased flood risk, and how to prevent that from happening. A tunnel would eventually be excavated to manage this risk, and this will be maintained well into the future.

Once an eruption ends, the recovery can take decades. The more that people are prepared, the faster and more effective this process can be. The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction says that “every US$1 invested in making infrastructure disaster-resilient saves US$4 in reconstruction”.

We know that understanding impacts then investing in preparedness benefits us. Part of my work is understanding how eruptions impact society, including our homes and infrastructure, so that we can learn from the experiences of others and be more prepared to act when it’s our turn. And our turn will come.

The altered landscape can continue to adjust and produce new dangers for decades after a volcano stops erupting. This is a natural process for our beautiful, active planet.

Understanding these processes means we can empower ourselves by taking action to reduce our risk and be out of the way while our land does what it does, then work together to pick up the pieces.

Boy drowns in Mangapiko Creek

By Meghan Hawkes

When a young boy from Alexandra told his mother he had a secret in January of 1880 he was to reveal a shocking situation which he and his friends had found themselves in.

The afternoon before had begun well enough – a summer’s day and over 10 boys gathered at the Mangapiko Creek.

When one of them suggested they should get in the water, they all, except Claude Aubin, 7, undressed and got in. None of the boys could swim.

Ted Sage, 13, took Albert Bayliss and Edmund Sturmer, both 9, by the hand and ferried them over to the other side of the river.

After playing for some time on the sandbank Ted told the boys it was time to go back.

Somehow in getting back across Edmund and Albert got away from Ted, who, just as he was getting out of the river he heard the other boys calling out, “They are going down; they will be drowned.”

Ted called out to them to try and catch Albert and Edmund.

He ran down the side of the river, but could not see either boy for a minute or so.

Then he saw Edmund’s head come up out of the water two or three times, before Edmund caught hold of a tree branch. Ted jumped down the bank and caught him by the wrist and pulled him ashore.

Ted could not see Albert anywhere. He and Edmund went back to the other boys who asked where Albert was, but no one had seen him.

to his father, who he saw shortly afterwards. Ted was frightened of getting a beating from his father, who had told him to come home straight from school.

The next morning one of the boys told his mother the secret and she at once informed Albert’s father, John, who, along with his wife Harriet, must have been beside themselves at the mystery disappearance of their son. John Bayliss went to the Sage’s house and asked Ted where Albert was. Ted at first said he did not know, but soon confessed. Constable McLeod, along with Albert’s father, Mr Pierce and Constable Moule began searching the river. Around 8am Albert’s body was

immigrant ship, asked for details of the voyage the request was refused by the Captain in the surliest of tones. “Under the circumstances we give a somewhat curtailed report of the passage,” he had to record. Among the 278 immigrants were a wheelwright, a sugarbaker, a harness maker, bricklayers, blacksmiths, domestic servants, and labourers of which John was one. The Baylisses had two more children and settled at Alexandra, where John was now employed managing Dr Waddington’s farm. At the inquest into Albert’s death the boys’ evidence was conflicting. The Coroner focused on the discrepancies, but

Unsure what to do, the frightened boys dressed and in their anguish made a terrible decision. Someone asked, “What shall we do with his clothes?”

Ted said: “Leave them lay somewhere about here,” and Herbert Hutton also said, “Leave them lay here.” Willie Pierce, 10, took the clothes and went out of sight across a small creek and put them in the fern.

The boys agreed to say nothing to anyone. They all left wondering if Albert was drowned.

Ted reached home about 5pm and saw his sister. He said nothing to her, or

found caught in a snag.

Albert was John and Harriet’s second son. He, his parents and four siblings had come to New Zealand as assisted immigrants on the ship James Wishart in 1874.

Their journey to their new life was made memorable by the eccentric ship’s Captain Groundwater who was described as being at home when at sea and at sea when in port.

When a reporter, as was usual on the arrival of an

considered that although the boys were much to blame for concealing the occurrence, they no doubt had been greatly frightened by the suddenness of the accident, and they were scarcely of an age to act with much discretion. There was no evidence whatever of any malice, and it was quite clear that they were all playing together when Albert accidentally drowned.

It is unclear where Albert was buried.

Fog on Mount St Helens.

Photo: John Callery, pexels.com

A bend in the Mangapiko River, Te Awamutu

Fly free, little princess

By Mary Anne Gill

Female motorcyclists from around the central North Island will converge on Te Awamutu tomorrow (Friday) for the funeral of Donna Gaye McCauley.

The 51-year-old died last week at Te Poi near Matamata following a crash between her Harley Davidson motorbike and a vehicle.

Despite the best efforts of emergency services, Donna passed away at the scene a short time later. Police Serious Crash Unit are investigating the crash.

Donna joined 225 fellow female riders on May 4 for International Female Ride Day around Waipā - hosted by the Waikato community of Litas - and told The News she loved the adrenalin that came with riding her motorbike.

Her children Cameron and Shanyn said their mother was “so proud” about the write up.

“She shared it to her Facebook page for everyone to see and sent it privately to her close friends and family to rave about. She just thought it was wicked,” said Shanyn.

Donna was born in Tauranga, brought up in Te Puke, lived in Rotorua and then settled in Te Awamutu after meeting her now fiancé Paul Mossley. She worked in Purchasing and Inventory at Fonterra.

“Mum loved motorbikes, whether it was riding with her friends, riding with Paul or riding as part of an event.

“She just absolutely thrived from it and loved her Harley Davidson so much.

“She also enjoyed sewing and knitting and was always making baby clothes for

anyone she knew who was having a baby,” said Shanyn.

She loved being part of the community and baked for Good Bitches Baking and was a volunteer for Musika’s Gifts and fundraised for people in need.

“She was always thinking of other people and was such a kind person with a big heart. However, you never wanted to be on her bad side as she wasn’t afraid to voice her opinion and stand her ground,” said Shanyn.

Friends and family described her as a beautiful lady, great company, bubbly, fun, always happy, always swearing and she had an infectious laugh that brightened the darkest of days.

She was covered head to toe in tattoos, said Shanyn.

“We love all of these things about her. Mum reached and touched so many people, there will be a massive hole left in so many people’s lives as a result of her kindness.

“It is just truly devastating, things like this should not happen to people like her, especially at her age.”

Her favourite quote was “ A few bad chapters does not mean your story is over.”

Friend Mel Duff of Hamilton who was with her on the ride last week and earlier in the month, said she was convinced Donna was

an angel in disguise.

“She earned her wings –fly free, little princess,” said Mel. The funeral is at 11am

and the motorcyclists will afterwards accompany Donna to Newstead in Hamilton for her cremation. Donna is survived by her

finance Paul, two children Cameron and Shanyn, granddaughter Billie and parents Gaye and Gordon McCauley.

Helping hand from church

By Chris Gardner

Te Awamutu’s Zion Church is supporting the restoration of Kihikihi’s Alpha Community Centre with the donation of recycled building materials.

Carpet, doors, kitchen units and toilet pans from the church’s former Racecourse Rd property have found their way to the community centre after a koha changed hands, said Pastor Phil Strong.

A report from Purpose Fill director Paul Gerritsen, whose company cleared the site for the church in March, showed 365 tonnes of building materials were recycled from the two buildings, leaving 58 tonnes of general waste.

“Purpose Fill came in and in in nine days they removed the building and the concrete slab,” Strong said.

“The digger was peeling sheets of iron off the roof one by one and putting them in piles.”

Donna McCauley at Lake Karāpiro during the International Female Ride Day earlier this month.

Photo: Shirley Warner Photography.

The Te Awamutu News article on May 9 featuring Donna McCauley which she shared with friends and family and thought was “wicked”.

What you need in a woodburner

Selecting the best woodburner for Waikato’s conditions needs a bit of research when choosing the right one for your home.

This includes looking into the region’s climate, which can range from mountain to coast, compliance with local and regional regulations, and then ef ciency, and suitability for your speci c home.

Ours is a temperate maritime climate generally characterised by mild winters and moderate rainfall. However, temperatures still drop markedly during winter months, necessitating effective heating solutions for homes.

While extreme cold with snow is rare except in higher altitudes, a woodburner capable of quickly heating a room or entire house ef ciently ensures comfort during colder spells and is recommended. Look for models with high Energy Star ratings or those certi ed by environmental agencies for their ef ciency and low emissions.

Compliance with New Zealand’s stringent regulations governing woodburners is essential. Your woodburner needs to meet emission standards set by the Ministry for the Environment and both district and regional councils. Manufacturers

typically provide emission ratings and compliance information for their products, making it easier to choose environmentally-friendly options that meet regulatory requirements.

Opt for a woodburner that can ef ciently burn dry, seasoned wood, as it produces fewer emissions and maximizes heat output. Be very careful here as some of the cheaper woodburner manufacturers advise against burning

hard wood as this can damage the rebricks more quickly, requiring replacement ones. Burning coal is never an option in any woodburner.

Consider the size and layout of your home when selecting a woodburner, because these do work on a kilowatt output range. Bigger does mean more heat – and if you have a small home, you can heat yourself right out of the lounge area if you install a large one,

even with adjustable heating systems.

Larger homes will require a higher heat output effectively heating all living spaces and you can heat your entire home using ducted ceiling systems if you have the right sized woodburner. Consult with heating specialists or installers to determine the optimal size and capacity for your speci c needs.

Woodburners are not just functional heating appliances but also contribute to the overall aesthetics of your home. Choose a design that complements your interior decor while providing ef cient heating.

Proper installation is required and a building consent is a necessary part of that process, both for your safety and for insurances purposes – even replacing an old one. This will mean hiring quali ed professionals (usually plumbers) experienced in woodburner installation. Proper ventilation, ue placement, and compliance with building codes are crucial for safe and effective operation.

Additionally, prioritize models with easy access for cleaning and maintenance to prolong the lifespan of your woodburner and ensure optimal performance; your chimneys should be cleaned annually.`

Scammers at work

By Paul Charman

An Ōtorohanga business had its email system compromised and accessed by an external third party.

The resulting scam attempts - one of which succeeded while the other failed - involved genuine invoices from the company being altered by hackers who substituted their own bank deposit details.

Otorohanga police sergeant Jimmie Walker said a customer subsequently paid an invoice of $11,000 into the scammers’ account.

Another altered invoice – this time for $93,430 - was sent out from the same

business last week. But though the transaction was started it was not completed, because the bank involved was able to cancel it in time.

“We would recommend businesses use higher levels of security for their email and accounting systems, especially the more common two-factor identification processes which are now available,” said Walker.

“And if people receive emailed invoices and notice the banking details have changed from those used for previous payments, they should call the business owners directly to confirm that it is legitimate.”

Adrian Leineweber, an

online fraud expert who has run seminars on the subject at Taumarunui and Ōtorohanga, said this type of scam had hit other businesses previously.

“My suggestion is, if it’s a new company you’ve started dealing with, when you first set up the details in your online banking, ring the business and confirm their bank account details match those on the invoice,” the Mapiu resident said.

“After that, if it changes or is different to the account you’ve paid into before, contact the business to confirm with them before paying any money,” Leineweber said.

FAITH IN WAIPĀ

Prisons the answer?

By Julie Guest

Last week we were told of the Coalition government’s plans to increase the number of beds at Waikeria Prison by 1410. Despite the potential growth all that building will bring to our region, there are worrying aspects.

The creation of so many more prison beds, especially within one facility will turn Waikeria into a mega-prison.

In his 2018 review of research related to the building of mega-prisons, Kim Workman concludes that mega-prisons in fact make for worse outcomes in every target the current government has stated it wants to improve.

Prisoners and corrections staff are safer and have better outcomes when prisons are small.

Even the government’s proposed increase in funding aimed at rehabilitative measures has not previously worked where it has been tried in other mega-prisons according to Workman’s findings.

He concludes:

“The review of existing research indicates that if the mega-prison is built, it will: Increase the risk to staff

Increase risk of violent, self-harms and suicide incidents

Contribute to ineffective rehabilitative and reintegrative outcomes

Make it more difficult to house prisoners in accordance with their security rating.”

Surely, then a mega-prison is not the answer.

There is another aspect that causes concern. We can all agree that crime is on the rise in New Zealand. But will more prison beds reduce crime? Unlikely.

The underlying reason for a rise in crime is not lack of prison beds. The reasons are

Guitarist picking for applause

By Viv Posselt

A Hamilton-based guitar virtuoso, who was raised in Te Awamutu, knocked the socks off hundreds of Rotarians at the weekend.

Seventeen-year-old Sean Lurman kicked off the entertainment segment of the weekend programme at the 2024 District 9930 Conference by playing at a social evening at the Cambridge Town Hall on Friday night.

His deft fingerwork –which last year saw him named world champion at an international performing arts event in Los Angeles – earned him rousing applause and was followed by a specially adapted performance of ‘Something Tells Me You’re [sic] in for Something Good’ by Cambridge Rotary’s own band, The Bruised Brothers.

The evening was a social precursor to the business events of the weekend, two days of an intensive programme put together by the Cambridge-based District 9930 Governor, Bill Robinson and held at Sir Don Rowlands Centre at Lake Karāpiro.

The welcome social also presented an opportunity for members to meet visiting Rotary International

absolute need along with discontent because of the rapidly increasing gap between rich and poor. When it is tough to make ends meet by legal methods, illegal methods become attractive, especially when social media offers a stream of images of wealthy lifestyles.

Have you ever visited a prison? Entering a prison, even as a visitor is the most degrading experience I’ve ever had. I was treated with disdain and distrust, not a shred of kindness or courtesy.

Prisoners experience that every day. The bigger the prison the harsher the control is. It can be easy and comforting to believe that anyone who commits a crime is inherently lazy or evil.

But the Bible is clear that ALL people are created in the image of God, everyone is of worth and value.

Jesus commands us to love our neighbour as ourselves. Prisoners included. And the families of prisoners.

If we can find a way to meet a prisoner one on one, get to hear their story and know them, in most cases we find someone who doesn’t want to live the way they do. Somone who really wants to change, but often doesn’t have the tools.

Building more prison beds will not change anything for each of those people. Each of us is responsible for the society we are creating. We can work towards a safer, caring society, or we can make New Zealand even less egalitarian, create greater need and dependence and build bigger prisons to try and manage the fallout.

The choice is ours.

President representative Johnny Yu from the Philippines, who was here for the event with his wife Veronica.

District Governor Bill Robinson welcomed all those attending and thanked Dave Blewden for helping him pull the event together over the past three years.

“We had a strategic plan from day one … and now here we are,” he said.

Cambridge Rotary Club

president David Partis said the occasion was made particularly memorable as this was the first time in years that the local club was hosting the club of the District Governor.

“The last time that happened was in 2008 when John Tarbutt was District Governor and Andrew Bateman was club president,” he said. “I am very honoured to do that here tonight.”

Sergeant Jimmie Walker of the Ōtorohanga Police.

World champion at 16 – Sean Lurman demonstrating his mastery at the welcome social for Rotary conference delegates. Photo: Viv Posselt.

CountryLife

Nithmount Farm Cow 494

affectionately nuzzles 2024 New Zealand dairy trainee of the year Kirwyn Ellis.

The encounter in a paddock on Hamish and Sharee Germann’s 130ha dairy farm - nestled between Mt Pirongia and Mt Kakepuku in the Waipā districtillustrates how Ellis, 20, cares for his herd and its environment.

The fifth generation Pirongia farmer takes his roles in Kaitiakitanga, guardianship and conservation, very seriously. He knows he must if his family is to continue to thrive by making a living off the land.

In his two seasons on Nithmount Farms Number Two, named after the River Nith in Canada where the Germanns hailed from and Mt Pirongia, Ellis has helped shepherd a riparian planting scheme.

Around 2000 plants, grown by Pirongia Primary School through the Trees for Survival Trust, have been planted on the farm’s 1.5km waterway to filter nutrients and sediments.

“It’s pretty cool for the kids to learn about the plants,” he said.

“They learn about the whole process of the plant. That guardianship of the land is really important to me. I believe in leaving the land in a better condition than what you found it in.”

Twenty years ago, Ellis would have been labelled a greenie.

“I think things have changed,” he said. “There’s more of an understanding. Farmers have always cared for the environment

that they have farmed in.”

Ellis won the award earlier this month. Described by judges as a relaxed, thoughtful, and mature young man who absorbs knowledge from those around him, he is a strong team player with a heart for his community.

He excelled across all categories, demonstrating effective communication skills.

He maintains a good work-life balance and enjoys outdoor activities. Judges praised him as a down-to-earth farmer who genuinely cares for others and serves as a role model for the industry.

Ellis grew up on his parents Malcolm and Jody Ellis’s 150ha family dairy farm five minutes down the road in Pirongia attending Pirongia and Rukuhia primary schools and St Peter’s School in Cambridge. Grandparents John and Ann are also dairy farmers.

The Germanns, sixth generation farmers – currently milking 475 cows - picked Ellis as their herd manager two seasons ago having known his family forever.

“It’s all I ever wanted to do,” Ellis said.

“I can’t pinpoint one moment when I became interested in farming. Mum and Dad were more than happy to take me out on the farm. I’m sure I got in the way.”

Ellis has been building on that foundation, soaking up knowledge like a sponge, ever since.

Kirwyn Ellis, New Zealand’s dairy trainee of the year, on the Pirongia farm where he gets to soak up his knowledge.

Well known auctioneer mourned

By Paul Charman

A man described as an iconic stock agent, Alan Douglas (Hizzy) Hiscox died at his Taumarunui home on May 2.

In a career stretching back to the 1970s, Alan became a top Central North Island

auctioneer, following humble beginnings as a National Mortgage Association (NMA) trainee from Feilding.

As one of the company’s front men, he was regarded as a talented operator, telling Country Life in a 2016 interview that he prided

himself on always doing his best for both client and company.

“‘Hizzy’ always did things his way,” fellow auctioneer and friend Carl White said.

“He was truly iconic in my view; though he only really sold in the Central North Island, he was second to none, definitely underutilised.”

Carl said Alan outshone many so others due to his presence and his diction –you could always understand him.

“Beyond that, one of his greatest assets was knowing the market. He had orders; he always knew where to place cattle and sheep.”

After being promoted from general office duties as a young man, Alan naturally took to the role as a stock agent and never looked back.

After finding his feet in Feilding, Alan was transferred to Wrightsons in Taumarunui in 1984 and felt right at home.

He accepted a transfer back to Feilding in 1987 but after a week he wanted to go back to Taumarunui.

Because he had resigned from Wrightson, he set up

Alan Hiscox Livestock - one of the first independents in New Zealand – and returned to Taumarunui where he remained until his death.

Soon after his return, Taranaki Farmers purchased Fagan Farmers in Piopio and Te Kuiti renaming it King Country Farmers who then approached Alan to buy his business.

They instead agreed on a 50-50 partnership and King Country Farmers Livestock was born.

Through it all Alan specialised mainly in sheep and beef because of the down-to-earth way that industry does business. His area covered Te Kawa to Mokau.

Carl said Alan had both an amazingly high IQ and a dry sense of humour and was capable of lively repartee.

“But this was never cruel; it was always just banter.”

Alan was made a life

member of the Taumarunui Eels Rugby and Sports Cub about a week before his death from cancer, receiving his jacket at a ceremony at his home. Over the years he had taken on many roles within the club.

Alan is survived by his wife Arlene, their children Nathan and Kelly and their grandchildren. His funeral was held at the Taumarunui Cosmopolitan Club last week.

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Alan Hiscox worked around the central North Island and was a familiar face for farmers.

Tight rein on farm data

By Chris Gardner

Logan Dawson used data driven decision making to double dairy farm revenue. Dawson, who with his wife Sian was runner up in the 2024 Dairy Industry Association Awards Share Farmer of the Year Award, is making $10,858 in gross farm revenue per hectare compared to the average $5856.

Judges said the Dawsons were continuously looking for more efficient and accurate ways to do things.

“I have managed to move from 13 kg of dry matter per kg of milk solids down to 11 kg,” he said.

“That’s a 15 per cent reduction in feed for the same production.”

They’ve done this keeping a tight rein on every possible piece of farm data, feeding it daily into Google Sheets and sharing access across the entire Ngāhinapōuri farm team.

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“Because it’s cloud based it means that our staff can access it at the same time as us,” he said.

The Dawsons are equity partners and 50/50 share milkers for leading dairy farmers Jim and Sue van der Poel on their 333ha, 1350cow farm.

They employ six full time staff who, thanks to a Starlink satellite connection, have access no matter where they are on the farm.

“All of our planning and calculation can be done remotely. If I am doing

Born to be a farmer

Continued from page 13

“The whole soaking up knowledge thing has been a real focus of mine.,” Ellis said. “I have made so many connections in the local community, as a result people have been more than willing to pass knowledge on. A rising tide rises all boats.”

Ellis works closely with the Germanns and one other staff member on farm.

Farm management is a team effort.

sports, I can make sure that everything is being successfully monitored. There’s a lot of scope for successful on farm management.”

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Dawson created his system from scratch after searching for a software solution and finding nothing that fitted his specific needs.

His bespoke spreadsheet system includes a grazing plan detailing how much supplement to include in different sized GPS tagged feed bins, a fertiliser plan showing how much nitrogen and effluent has been applied, a mating plan, and a staff roster.

“I update it and the staff check it daily,” he said “One of the benefits of

Google Sheets is that you can go back in version history and see what has been happening. It’s just these little things that simplify everything. I am in the process of exploring how to turn it into an app to make It simpler and marketable I have not met many people that looks at things the way I do. I am really enjoying challenging thinking,” said Logan.

“His spreadsheets make his job a heck of a lot more efficient,” said Sian.

The Dawsons won two merit awards: the Federated Farmers Leadership Award and the Honda Farm Safety, Health, and Biosecurity Award and more than $28,000 in prizes.

Trusts and Relationship Property

Brian and Sarah have recently separated. Sarah has moved off farm and started renting a property in town. Brian remains on farm, but has mentioned he may want to sell the farm in the future. He has said that the sale of the farm is entirely his decision as his Trust owns the farm and so Sarah has no claim against the farm as part of their separation. Sarah has asked for advice in this regard.

It is a fairly common misperception that a family trust is an effective barrier to all relationship property claims by an ex-spouse or ex-partner of a beneficiary of a trust. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. A trust settled during a relationship will be unlikely to protect the assets that have been transferred into that trust during the relationship.

A trust that was settled prior to a relationship commencing will offer some measure of protection from a relationship property claim, but is not guaranteed. Many farms are owned by a discretionary family trust with the goal being to ensure that the farm will be retained for future generations. In some circumstances however, an exspouse or partner will be able to successfully make a claim against the farm, even though it has been held in a family trust for a number of years.

Where an ex-spouse or ex-partner has made contributions to a trust asset and those contributions have

caused, or in part caused, an increase in the value of those assets, those contributions will give rise to a claim for up to a half share of the increase in value. Contributions may include foregoing income in order that it be reinvested in the farm and carrying out work to improve the farm, for example.

Another way in which an ex-spouse (not an ex-defacto partner) can make a claim against trust assets is under section 182 of the Family Proceedings Act 1980. In order to successfully make a claim under section 182, an ex-spouse must show that the trust is a “nuptial settlement”, meaning it is sufficiently connected to the marriage, and that the ex-spouse has a reasonable expectation of an interest in the trust assets. The Courts have taken a wide approach to what is considered a “nuptial settlement” including trusts settled by third parties, such as parents or grandparents.

All hope is not lost however, there is another way, besides a trust to protect the family farm

and other assets from a claim. This is by way of a contracting out agreement, also known as a ‘pre-nup’. A Contracting Out Agreement enables couples to enter into an agreement to contract out of the equal provisions of the Property (Relationships) Act 1976. A Contracting Out Agreement can make provisions declaring that an interest in the family farm or business remains separate property and not subject to equal division.

A Contracting Out Agreement is not only suitable for protecting the family farm, people also consider entering into one in the following situations:

• When one party brings significant assets to the relationship;

• When one partner has received an inheritance which they wish to protect as their separate property but which they wish to use for the benefit of the relationship; When the partners have children from a previous relationship and wish to

preserve assets from their first relationship, for the benefit of their children; or When one partner has a significant amount of debt that the other does not wish to become liable for.

If you need advice as to how to protect your assets contact Nicole Porima or Shelley Greer at Gallie Miles.

“I really love the role that I am in, there’s a lot of support and affirmation in the role. There’s the opportunity to take on as much responsibility as you want to.”

He is also a member of Te Kawa West Young Farmers’ Club whose members meet regularly for netball and touch rugby, as well as monthly meetings. Ellis received several awards, including the Federated Farmers General Farming Knowledge Award and the DeLaval Community and Industry Involvement Award, along with nearly $12,000 in prizes.

“It’s pretty bloody good,” said his boss Hamish Germann of the win. “We are very proud of him for what he’s achieved in the short time that he’s been here.”

Logan and Sian Dawson on the Ngāhinapōuri farm.

Nicole Porima

Shelley Greer

Hey Waipā!

Does THIS look like recycling to you?

What about THIS?

These metal pieces were included in someone’s recycling bin in February. As they came across the sorting conveyor belt, they jammed into the chain drive and shut down the whole facility for four hours.

How about THESE?

Single use coffee cups, popcorn and dish rags can't be recycled and end up contaminating bins, trucks and the sorting line. These items were put out for recycling last month.

‘Long-lasting’ hard plastic items like these are not accepted in your kerbside wheelie bins. Buckets, plant pots, storage racks, laundry baskets, and Sistema containers cannot be recycled.

Contaminated recycling cost $52,525 in February alone. This is why recycling bins on the street are audited at random, to catch contamination before it is collected. For everything you need to know about recycling, and how to get your recycling right, head to wastelesswaipa.co.nz/recycling

In Waipā, only seven things are accepted in the yellow wheelie bin: NO Lids! NO Lids!

#1, 2 and 5

COME AND CATCH UP WITH YOUR MATES

LIVE ENTERTAINMENT

Across 1. Palm leaf (5) 4. Warp under pressure (6) 7. Epoch (3) 8. Powerful (6)

9. Rant (6)

10. Sedative (13)

14. Be (5)

15. Heavenly creature (5)

18. Process of experimentation (5-3-5)

Last week

23. Horrified (6)

24. Soak for flavour (6)

25. Affirmative (3)

26. Type of cricket bowler (6)

27. All square (5) Down 1. Completely confound (5) 2. Large sea (5) 3. Diversion (6) 4. Combat (6)

5. Royal dog (5) 6. Large spoon (5) 10. E-message (5) 11. Legal defence (5) 12. Sweetener (5) 13. Measuring stick (5) 16. One who dies for a cause (6) 17. Give counsel (6) 19. Scallywag (5) 20. Siren (5) 21. Firearm (5) 22. Waterhole (5)

Across: 1. Across, 5. Subdue, 8. Cap, 9. Pallor, 10. Old-hat, 11. Skip, 13. Eyeliner, 14. Braid, 15. Admit, 19. Cakehole, 21. Need, 22. Silent, 23. Afraid, 25. Hem, 26. Feisty, 27. Powder. Down: 2. Cracker, 3. Owl, 4. Screen, 5. Spoken, 6. Bedridden, 7. Usage, 12. Priceless, 16. Itemise, 17. Worthy, 18. Revamp, 20. Arise, 24. Raw.

8 BALL COMPETITION WED 7PM

$10 LUNCH THURSDAY

FOLLOWED BY BINGO AT 1PM

SUBSCRIPTIONS ARE DUE

RETURNED $35

SERVICE $40

MEMBER $50

PARTNER $40

75+ $20

HELEN RILEY 24 MAY FROM 7PM PINK BREAKFAST 23 MAY 9.50AM – $25 P/HEAD

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381 Alexandra St , Te Awamutu P 871 3707

Courtesy Van available daily from 4pm – Phone bookings ext 4

MEMBER OF CLUBSNZ & RNZRSA Entry restricted to Members, Invited Guests and members of affiliated Clubs

www.teawamutursa.co.nz

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A Kiwi soldier’s hilarious true stories of mischief and misadventure in the New Zealand Army

Nothing Significant To Report

by Dario Nustrini

When new recruit Dario Nustrini’s head was freshly shaved in preparation for the army, he knew nothing about what training to fight, kill and die for New Zealand would look like. Since leaving leaving high school the year before, he had been on a steady diet of spliffs, Speights and the occasional sandwich from the cafe he worked at as a waiter. He weighed about as much as an empty pillowcase, with slightly less insulation from the cold.

Nothing Significant to Report is the brilliantly entertaining and unvarnished truth of what life is like in the New Zealand Army. From back-breaking exercises designed to make recruits spit the dummy to roleplaying in an SAS manhunt and accidentally starting a rubbish fire in a military compound, these are self-deprecating tales of misfits, mischief and camaraderie.

When Dario is deployed to war-torn Iraq, what will he think of the role he has spent five years preparing for?

In 2011 DARIO NUSTRINI joined the New Zealand Army and became an Electronic Warfare Operator, serving six years across multiple international training exercises and an operational deployment to Iraq in support of eliminating the threat posed by ISIS in 2016. In 2017 he left the army and studied creative writing at the University of Auckland. Today he is a freelance TV writer, as well as writing short stories and this, his first book of nonfiction.

Game on for Maestro Mark

By Andy Campbell

Te Awamutu darts player Mark Cleaver has won a spot competing with the biggest names in darts.

Cleaver, known as the maestro (because of his guitar playing) confirmed his place in the Hamilton event at the DartPlayers New Zealand ProTour double-header this month.

Cleaver’s support crew from Te Awamutu Darts Association will be in full support, at the darts and in costume.

Most will dress as maestros.

Cleaver, Kayden Milne and Ben Robb finished in the top three of the rankings and will play in the New Zealand Darts Masters on August 16 and 17.

The event attracts the biggest names in darts and should include 17-year-old English wonderkid Luke Littler and new world champion Luke Humphries.

Former New Zealand Darts Masters champion Gerwyn Price and fellow former world champions Michael Smith and Peter Wright have also been included, while UK Open champion Dimitri Van den Bergh makes his latest appearance Down Under.

Other New Zealand representatives confirmed are Haupai Puha and Simon Whitlock. Three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen and World Matchplay champion Nathan Aspinall will miss the event for family reasons.

The night at the darts promises to be an over-the-top blend of high-level sport, wild fancy dress costumes, big 180 calls, and larger-than-life personalities.

Cleaver started playing darts when he was aged 10 and was originally considering golf before darts took his interest. There’s no age limit in darts, he said.

“One player is 82 and he can still throw a good dart,” the 56 year old said.

He has and does play internationally. He enjoys the camaraderie, the competition with players at a level, but adds that how a player handles the stress is a big factor in outcomes. His family is grown, so it’s one less stress factor when he is away most weekends. Pro darts is a big commitment.

“People don’t see the work hours at home on the board,” he said.

Your next home is here

Find houses for sale each week in your local independent Cambridge News and Te Awamutu News – covering the Waipa region

Call for independent scrutiny

By Clyde Graf, Waipā-King Country Councillor

When I previously wrote about the Environmental Protection Authority’s Annual Report on 1080 poison (The News January 25, 2024), I commented on an incident involving dead bees and stated that 1080 may be contaminating honey.

King Country News published a response headlined “Contaminated honey claim refuted.” In the story Apiculture New Zealand Communications co-ordinator Karen Allan stated: “To the best of our knowledge, there is no evidence or record of 1080 contaminating honey in New Zealand.”

Considering the response from ApiNZ, it’s important to note that New Zealand doesn’t have an accredited method for testing 1080 poison in honey (OIA). Despite this, Landcare Research records show that 1080 poison residues have been detected in bees and honeycomb.

On 20 December 2002, a sample of honeycomb was received by Landcare Research, and was tested for 1080 poison (Ref T1837). The test result was positive. Two more samples of honeycomb were tested for 1080 in January 2003 (Ref T1843). Both samples were positive for 1080 poison.

Oddly, despite 1080 being detected in honeycomb in 2002 and 2003, no further tests for 1080 poison residues in honeycomb have been undertaken. (OIA)

Another poisonous bait widely distributed across New Zealand by hand and via bait station is Pindone, a first-generation anticoagulant toxin. It’s different in its killing process to 1080 poison, but similar in its cereal formulation. To wildlife, including bees, they’re both food.

Information provided by the Department of Conservation states that “Pindone residues were recorded in honeybees found alive and dead in bait stations containing Pindone

Possum and Rat Pellets on the Ohau River, Twizel in August – September 2014 (VPRD 18622-18629). There was also evidence that they had been collecting bait to take back to their hives.” (OIA Ref 19-E-0439/ docCM6022211)

On 31 October 2014, Research Priority Leader - Wildlife Ecology and Management Team (Landcare Research) wrote by email to DOC that “many of the bees in the samples were carrying bait as they would pollen.”

In November 2014, test samples made up of 157 bees, alive and dead, were tested for Pindone residues (Ref T5678). All returned a positive result.

On 12 November 2014, the same Landcare Research Leader, stated by email that “the first four, Lab Nos 18622-18625), were individual bees that had visible green pollen sacks (as in the photos I sent) and were selected at random – so this group of results reflects relatively high concentrations being carried by one bee, potentially going back to the hive.”

The author goes on to say, “The difference between the “sampled dead” and “sampled live” results does suggest that ingestion of pindone bait was contributing to bee mortality.” Correspondence from Landcare Research states it has not tested honeycomb for Pindone.

The biggest advocates of poisons like 1080 – the Department of Conservation, and TB Free – fund the research that supports their ongoing use. The company that imports 1080 poison and manufactures the bait (Orillion), is government-owned. Testing is undertaken by a Crown Research Institute. Perhaps it’s time for independent scrutiny when it comes to monitoring our food chain.

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A welcoming kitchen forms the heart of the home, the dining connects to a portico with sunshade and winter blind for all year round use, high ceilings, wide doorways, ceiling heat pump, attention to details show throughout this home. You will want to come home to the Hamptons feel.

Contact Vayle to arrange a viewing.

HAMPTONS WITH LOCAL VIEWS

Sharpshooter Mark Cleaver. Photo: Supplied.

Burning ring of chilli fire

By Steph Bell-Jenkins

It’s a fine line between pleasure and pain, as the Divinyls’ song goes, but it’s a line Jim Thomassen gets a kick out of walking.

Jim, 55, is a competitive chilli eater who will take on the best at the New Zealand Chilli Eating Championships this weekend.

“When you’re competing there’s an incredible amount of pain, which some of the female competitors liken to childbirth,” the Wise Group procurement specialist said.

“Your body releases as many endorphins as it can to counter the pain, so you find yourself in a very happy state of mind – you can even hallucinate.”

He loves the challenge of pushing his mind and body to the limit and says chilli eating is an extreme sport.

“After the competition you basically go and make yourself sick, because if you keep it in, it really hurts,” he said.

“You literally feel the chillies travelling across your stomach and whenever you go to the loo next it’s as the Johnny Cash song says, ‘the burning ring of fire’.”

Jim first developed a taste for chillies while dining in overseas restaurants and began growing his own plants about 15 years ago.

In 2021 he decided to spice up his life by entering the Waikato regional chilli eating championship. He won and qualified for the nationals, repeating the feat in 2022 and achieving fifth-equal, his best result so far.

This Saturday marks his third crack at the New Zealand title.

In front of a crowd of about 500 chilli fans at Sweat Shop Brew Kitchen in Auckland, he and nine other finalists will chomp through an increasingly fiery selection of chillies, starting with a jalapeno measuring 5000 Scoville units.

“You are eliminated when you give in, are sick or have a drink,” Jim said.

“The last person standing is the winner. To be New Zealand champion you’ll need to eat 50-plus super-hot chillies over 90 minutes. These include red ghosts, Carolina reapers and the big black mama, which are all around 1.5 million Scoville units, or 300 times hotter than a jalapeno.”

With the Oceania title also on the line, he’ll be up against some real firepower – New Zealand champion Shannon Leigh and Australian champion Gaby Del Castillo.

“Gaby is absolutely world class – she eats chillies like they’re pineapple lumps,” Jim said.

Although it was possible to build tolerance to the heat, he had not been training because it was “a little bit sadomasochistic”.

The final will be streamed live online.

In his spare time Jim also loves playing football and often takes a bowl of chilli to the local club to share during aftermatch functions.

Jim Thomassen is competing in the national chilli eating championships in Auckland this Saturday.

DRAINAGE

Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting and Election of the Executive Committee will be held at the RSA Clubrooms, 381 Alexandra Street, Te Awamutu on Sunday 27th of June commencing at 1.00pm

to be held at the RSA on Thursday 13th June, 2024 at 1.30pm

Notice of AGM to be held at the RSA on Thursday th June, 202 at 1.30pm

Nominations for members of the committee open on Monday the 17th of May and close Sunday 30 May. Forms are available from the Club’s Office.

MILLS, Richard Paul. Reg No: 18783, Able Seaman/ Private, NZ Navy & NZ Army – Passed away peacefully at home. Loved by all his friends. A graveside service to inter Richard’s ashes will be held at the Te Awamutu RSA Cemetery on Monday, 27th May 2024 at 1.00 p.m. All communications to the Mills Family, c/- 3 Hallys Lane, Cambridge, 3434

Notice of Motion must be in the hands of the Secretary by Sunday 6th June.

A newsletter with candidates nominated profiles will be available at the Clubroom on Monday 7th June, it will also be emailed to members.

Voting for the Executive Committee will be from Monday 14th to Friday 25th June 2021.

The Audited Annual financial report to the 31st March 2021 will be available at the clubrooms on the Friday before the AGM.

W.J. Lyford, Secretary/Manager