Cambridge News | June 20, 2024

Rethink needed

By Mary Anne Gill

The days of Cambridge retailers benefitting at the tills from having a national event just up the road seem to have whittled into insignificance.

And the result has prompted a call for a more strategic retail approach to big events like Fieldays, which wrapped up on Saturday afternoon.

The usual “spillover” effect largely bypassed the town, said Cambridge Chamber of Commerce chief executive Kelly Bouzaid.

Pedestrian counts in Cambridge started well on Wednesday but the days that followed were consistently down on last year.

“Cambridge retail has been doing it tough in recent months and we had hoped for a spike in foot traffic during Fieldays,” said Bouzaid.

“Unfortunately, that reprieve didn’t come, and the week ended five per cent down on this time last year,” she said.

Food and accommodation – traditionally the big winners –had mixed fortunes.

A road transport plan which took leaving Fieldays and returning south to Cambridge or Te Awamutu via Kaipaki Road out of the scenario with all traffic funnelled into Airport Road and out to SH3 and Waikato Expressway, may have also had an impact.

Fieldays Customer and Strategic Engagement head Taryn Storey said the event

– which saw 106,000 visitors through the gates, up 1000 from last year – was a true celebration of the primary sector and its achievements.

“It’s more than just the primary sector, it’s a very important local and national event,” she said.

“If the vibe is anything to go by, it felt very, very positive.”

But the economic headwinds have produced a different event for this year’s 1069 exhibitors.

“Those cost pressures have meant they have had to turn up in a different way and that could well be they are travelling rather

than staying local and eating local.”

Mystery Creek was a destination which had to cater for its visitors. There were three food courts this year and more entertainment and dining options.

Tickets could only be bought online and there were plenty of free public transport options.

“We have to make sure we are providing a visitor experience, and we get a lot of feedback every year around ensuring there is a balance and a variety of food, seating, amenities generally,”

said Storey.

Destination Cambridge general manager Ruth Crampton said there was still accommodation availability during the week.

“We had received a number of people offering their homes and not one of them was booked as we had enough commercial accommodation available.

“Everybody tries to gouge during Fieldays and with the cost of living as it is, it has to stop,” she said.

Visitors who sought local information at the i-Site came before Fieldays started last Wednesday.

“We didn’t see the visitors coming into us or in fact Cambridge as our foot counts showed.”

Both Crampton and Bouzaid said it was time to harness the economic benefits more effectively.

“This highlights the need for a more strategic retail approach to ensure that we leverage such large-scale events,” said Bouzaid.

Crampton said that was becoming increasingly difficult as National Fieldays Society wanted to keep its visitors at Mystery Creek for as long as they could to get the economic benefit.

Trying to market Waipā to visitors was pointless, she said.

“Waipā is not a brand, it’s a region and Hamilton takes the glory from Fieldays. We market Cambridge.”

• That was Fieldays number 56… See pages 8 and 9.

More fame for James

Melbourne

The announcement was made by Waipā District Council this week and is welcomed by staff at The News – he was nominated by editor Roy Pilott..

After McDonald won the Melbourne Cup there was support in the racing industry for him to be inducted – including from Sheila Laxon, who has her own plaque on Duke Street. The induction will come with an unveiling ceremony of his bronze plaque in the town centre.

McDonald said he was “absolutely gob smacked” when he found out he would be joining the Sports Walk of Fame alongside “some of my idols”.

“It is an honour to be inducted and the recognition means a lot to not only me, but also my family, and all the people who have supported and contributed towards my career.”

The 32-year-old was born in Kaipaki and having established himself by winning the apprentice and premier riding titles in New Zealand moved to Australia. In 2021 he won the Melbourne Cup on Verry Elleegant – who died due to complications whilst in foal in February – and was named World Jockey of the Year.

“Cambridge is where I gained my love for riding - mum had me on a horse from the age of seven. I was very lucky that my parents had their own training facility in Cambridge,” McDonald said.

Waipā Mayor Susan O’Regan said James was a remarkably talented jockey and had rightfully earned his spot among other sporting legends.

“I’m delighted that his achievements will be publicly recognised and celebrated,” she said.

Prime position: from left Logan Wood, Christopher Luxon, Ioane Tierney, Duzza McJury and Sam Bellzy on day one at Fieldays where the prime minister was constantly being asked to take selfies. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.

Cup winning jockey James McDonald will have his name added to Cambridge’s Walk of Fame.

James McDonald.

Photo: Trish Dunell.

Letters…

Council numbers

I agree with Mayor Susan O’Regan that it would be great to have fewer high-quality councillors, after all many large successful corporates have fewer board members than we have councillors. Unfortunately, the local body democratic system does not guarantee the quality of those who stand for election. Populist candidates often appear to have much less substance than those they stand against. Until there is a system for vetting potential councillors (who would decide that?) I prefer safety in numbers. After all, two or three poor quality populist councillors on a council of 11 can do far less damage than two or three out of eight.

Ray Milner

Cambridge Water tower

News/Editorial

Roy Pilott editor@goodlocal.nz

027

Mary Anne Gill maryanne@goodlocal.nz

viv@goodlocal.nz

chris@goodlocal.nz

Janine Davy janine@goodlocal.nz

Owner/Publisher

David

Office/Missed

david@goodlocal.nz

admin@goodlocal.nz

I was astonished to learn that Waipa District Council estimates that to demolish the brick tower, because it is an earthquake risk, is estimated at $800,000.

But that eyewatering figure is actually a mere $250,000 - the rest is made up of yet more engineers’ reports, heritage permission and resource consent.

There is even talk of future proofing it at a mere $6m. Have we gone mad? It is an out of date piece of history that was redundant 40 years ago.

Cambridge’s pensioner community simply cannot afford to put up with this nonsense. Knock it down now, no paperwork required.

On a serious note, just how today’s residents get lumbered with a bright idea on heritage matters some years ago needs to be reviewed.

Murray Reid Leamington

Why are we paying?

Do you think it’s right that Waipa ratepayers are funding private developers to convert 79ha of rural land to industrial use?

APL is the massive factory, associated with the largest land developers in Cambridge. With Fonterra, they want to convert the farm block bordering Zigzag, Swayne, and Victoria Road into large-scale industrial sites.

This would usually be a private plan change at the cost of developers. But Fonterra have said they can’t fully fund the private plan change because they are not legally developers. So Waipā District Council has agreed to help out, with your rates.

At the recent Strategic Planning and Policy Committee, the mayor said “I am very uneasy about this, why should the ratepayer be funding a private plan change?”. The council has agreed to take on all cost and risk to complete this plan change. We have reason to worry, given all the expert advice legally required for a plan change has been sponsored by the developers. There is

no independence or impartiality for a proposal council is now responsible for progressing. The processing cost is estimated at $50,000. Council has committed all of their 24-25 budget. Fonterra has also deposited $25,000 to get the job done, with no formal agreement for ongoing payment if things go pear-shaped. The financial risk now sits with the council. This land is not earmarked for industrial use for at least another decade. Is this fiscally responsible? What are the other costs and impacts on our community and have these even been assessed? (Abridged)

Lesley Dredge Hautapu

Mountain

of a problem

Sanctuary Mountain’s cash flow woes (The News, June 13) are a sad reflection of the times and the Trust should be wished every success with their fund raising efforts.

But it must be a cause for concern that before their financial woes have been stabilised a desire has been expressed for a new $2.5 million visitor centre. Surely the immediate aim should be to fund the trust’s day to day operations for the next few years.

Last week was busy in town with lots of visitors here for the annual Fieldays event. It went off without problem, although things did at times get a bit soggy! It was great to see so many people using the park and ride facility to avoid traffic hassles.

The first topic this week is car theft. We have had a spate of thefts from vehicles, where offenders are targeting dashcams and related electronic items. Please ensure that any valuable items are either removed from your vehicle or stored out of sight to prevent your vehicle becoming a target. Leaving things in view not only provides opportunity, perpetuating the attraction of the area to criminals, but also the inconvenience caused around insurance claims including having your car out of action or repaired. Replacing stolen items can be considerable. If you hear a car alarm go off in your neighbourhood, pay attention and check for suspicious activity. Sometimes we can get a bit complacent which limits their effectiveness as a deterrent. As always, please report any criminal activity to police at the time.

Next on my list is a reminder to parents about cybersafety. A couple of local schools have recently hosted cybersafety awareness evenings for their parent communities. I hope many took the opportunity to go along. Sadly online bullying, sextortion and unsafe online behaviours by young people continue to come to our attention. I would again like

to remind parents to strongly consider how much they know about their children’s online activities – do you know what content they are watching - and therefore being influenced by - and who they are talking to? If you allow access to social media, what guidelines are in place around that? What exactly are your children posting and to how wide an audience? Back in the day, school place bullying usually stopped at the home door . With today’s online world, it can be hard to escape from name calling, public shaming and humiliation coming straight to the mobile phone however. For the perpetrators, it is easy to say incredibly damaging things to a person online, without seeing the emotional impact it has on the person being targeted - that impact can be huge, including leading to anxiety and depression.

It is equally stressful for our young people to feel the need to respond to messages 24/7 or feel left out, to feel the pressure to live up to false standards perpetrated by online portrayals of body image, beauty and ‘highlights reels’ of other’s lives.

The best way we can protect our children is firstly to be aware of the risks. If you get the opportunity to attend a cybersafety talk, take it up. There are plenty of excellent resources available to parents online.

What is more worrisome is that, given Waipa DC’s involvement with the sanctuary, ratepayers will end up bailing out the trust. That would be totally unacceptable given the already great burden that ratepayers have to contend with as council wastes money, including on sending elected members on foreign holidays and bringing foreigners here whilst at the same time failing in their duty to properly provide basic services such as unblocking drains, sweeping gutters and fallen leaves. The better option is for local iwi to back up their oft trumpeted cultural mantra regarding the mountain by stumping up the necessary lifesaving cash. (Abridged)

Kelvin Dunn Leamington

Briefs…

Motorist stable

A man is in a stable condition in Waikato Hospital following last week’s crash in Cambridge when three empty parked vehicles were struck in Victoria Street. CCTV footage showed a silver station wagon driving on the wrong side of the road before the crash outside Supercheap Auto and Ma Bakery and Café. Victoria Street between Whitaker and Queen streets was blocked while the Serious Crash Unit examined the scene.

Scottish trip

Fieldays chief executive

Peter Nation is representing the National Agricultural Fieldays Society at the Royal Agricultural Society of the Commonwealth’s biennial conference in Edinburgh from today. He will visit the Royal Highland Show which draws more than 200,000 people over three days every year.

Clock cash

The $721,000 restoration of the Cambridge town clock has benefited from a $200,000 Lotteries Environment and Heritage grant following an application from the Waipā District Council. Work on the clock began in January and it is expected to be telling the time by the end of next month.

Rowing lease

The Waikato Rowing Club’s lease on a reserve at Lake Karāpiro – which expired two years ago – was debated at Waipā District Council’s Finance and Corporate committee yesterday with a view to renewing it for five years. Councillors were told iwi feedback was for a shorter lease than the initial proposal of 10 years.

Security steps

A security guard and bag checking protocols were in place at this week’s Waipā District Council Service Development committee for the controversial Cambridge Connections paper and ongoing alleged threats to mayor Susan O’Regan. See: Making connections, page 5.

Sanctuary solutions sought

By Chris Gardner

The operators of the world’s largest predator proof fence at cash-strapped Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari have turned to conservation minister Tama Potaka for help.

Taranaki-King Country MP Barbara Kuriger joined Potaka and Department of Conservation representatives at the mountain on May 4.

“We went out there and they explained the situation,” Kuriger said.

A cash flow crisis could force the closure of the $5000 a day project that provides habitat for endangered species such as kākāpō, kiwi, takahē, by the end of August. The loss of the contestable Department of Conservation Community Fund had cost the organisation $300,000 a year over the last four years and other sources of funding had dried up in the worsening economic climate.

“It’s such a taonga and we’ve got to find a way through this,” Kuriger said. “I don’t know what the way through is yet, but we’ve got to find a way.”

Of last month’s visit, Kuriger said: “I thought maybe they’ve got into some discussions that may be fruitful, but it doesn’t appear that that’s the case at this stage.”

Since then, Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari general manager Helen Hughes had been in touch with Kuriger, and the pair planned to meet later in the month.

“I’ll talk to Helen and then potentially see who I can meet with to see if we can find a way through.”

Asked whether she was hopeful for Government help, Kuriger said: “We’ve got to ask that question because it is a beautiful place and

the last thing, I want to see is this tip over. We have got to remember our biodiversity’s a big chunk of our value as a country. People come along, and they love this place. We have got to do everything we can to keep it. It might be a combination of government and other funds, but we need to look and see what is available, and we need to make it work.”

Waipā District Council and Waikato Regional Council have both supported the project since its inception in 2002.

Waipā Finance and Corporate committee chair Andrew Brown declined to comment but Waikato Regional chair Pamela Storey called it an extraordinarily successful conservation project.

“Maungatautari Sanctuary Mountain is currently receiving $1,467,275 over four years ($350,718 plus GST in 2022/23; $361,240 plus GST in 2023/24; $372,077 plus GST in 2024/25; and $383,240 plus GST in 2025/26) through the council’s Natural Heritage Fund,” Storey said

“We have recognised the importance of investing more in mahi to protect and restore biodiversity in our region, so we are increasing the per property natural heritage rate from $5.80 per annum to $15. It will provide an additional $1.403 million per annum, enabling us to fund more work to protect our region’s unique plants, animals and marine life, and the indigenous ecosystems they live in.

“For the trust to be granted more

funding, a formal request would need to be received, assessed and considered by councillors.”

Former Waipā mayor Jim Mylchreest, who managed the project from its inception in 2002 until 2009, said funding had always been a challenge.

“Preserving the wildlife and dealing with the people is secondary,” he said. “It would be a real shame if it got to the point where they had to close it down.

“It would be an absolute crime if all that money, time and commitment from so many people was at risk. It really does need a combined community effort to keep it going. It’s too valuable an asset for the for the nation to let it fold.”

Huge drop in building consents

By Mary Anne Gill

A 44 per cent drop in income from building consents issued in Waipā paints a stark picture of the state of the construction industry, figures released to the council’s Finance and Corporate committee this week show.

Eleven months into the financial year, 1251 building consents worth $275.17 million have been processed. The previous financial year from July 1, 2022 to June 30 last year, there were 1665 building consents worth $488.77 million. The other barometer comes with development

contributions – money paid to the council by developers to fund growth related infrastructure. The council forecasts it will finish the financial year at the end of this month with $15.572 million, nearly $11.65 million shy of its budget. By the end of last month, it had only received $7.354 million.

In a financial report signed off by Business Support group manager Ken Morris, a drop of $14.9 million in fees and charges – most from a reduction in property sales and a fall in revenue from building fees – showed slower growth in the district. And the fall in development contributions

indicated growth projects were being deferred. Overdue rates – from the $83.3 million levied - sat at $1.8 million on May 31 with $126,186 still outstanding from previous years. Water rates of $15.4 million were invoiced for the year with $1.5 million of that owing at the end of last month.

Jono Gibson Funeral Director

The mountain is ringed by a 47km long predator proof fence – which was upgraded last year to prevent kākāpō getting out – with mixed results. Maungatautari’s biodiversity team leader Janelle Ward was pictured checking it out ahead of the release.

Booked in again… Making connections

By Mary Anne Gill

Cambridge Connections feedback is in and if the 509 responses are anything to go by, there are no easy answers to the town’s transport problems.

With all ‘third’ bridge options off the table for the business case following uproar about an intended “blue blob” location through the town, Waipā council asked the community to comment on any transport improvements they could see.

The three options mooted were managing congestion, improving transport choices and enhancing transport choices. It was the latter – known as Option C and originally the council’s preferred one – which garnered the most feedback.

That had a bridge going across the Waikato River from the Town Belt in Leamington across the river to Cambridge’s southwestern suburb, depicted under a blue blob.

Seventeen of the 376 responses the council received liked that location because it was closer to town and was good for Leamington residents.

Other feedback included request for a bus service between Cambridge and Te Awamutu, a park and ride service to cater for out of towners who work in Cambridge and more consideration of Leamington’s needs.

Some people thought out of the square with one suggestion being to make Victoria Road between Alpha and Duke streets a car free zone.

Complaints included a lack of parking in the town centre and too many cycleways.

The News has long argued for on and off ramps at the Tīrau Road interchange and readers listened telling the council it would produce a critical enhancement to move traffic around town.

Transportation planner Rachel Algar told the committee the Cambridge Connections project team would need to further analyse the feedback and consider the outcomes of an independent review ordered by mayor Susan O’Regan.

The council will submit a funding business case to Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency by October.

By Steph Bell-Jenkins

Where’s Wally?

As well as delighting children’s puzzle book readers around the world, he was at Leamington School last Thursday, joining The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Harry Potter and a rainbow of other literary characters in a lively parade outside the school hall.

Book Week was such a hit at the school in 2023 it was back again this year, ending with a dress-up day on Thursday.

Nine-year-old Alyssa Pene came as Kiwicorn, the main character of a New Zealand book by Kat Quin (formerly Merewether) that celebrates the unique differences that make people special.

Her classmate Eliza Fulforth came as a girl from The Borrowers, a book by Mary Norton about a family of tiny people who live secretly below a clock in an English house. Eliza’s mother Holly starred in a

Playbox Theatre company performance of a play based on the book earlier this year.

Book Week kicked off on Monday with principal Mike Malcolm reading “The Little Yellow Digger” at assembly, where teachers played the digger, the tree and the mud. On Tuesday, students were treated to a show called “Way Too Cool!”.

Another highlight was a classroom door decorating competition, which Room 22 teacher Steph Gennills, was delighted her students had won. They chose a Diary of a Wimpy Kid book theme, drawing cartoons of themselves and even creating their own class diary.

“Book Week has been so much fun,” said Steph, who also won a teacher prize with a group of colleagues who dressed as crayons. Deputy principal Leesa Cooper said the school had a new librarian, Karina Fox, who was contracted 16 hours per week to support tamariki to “find their love of reading”.

From (left) Ruby Clark (Peter Pan), Arley Gerritsen (Alice in Wonderland), Hannah Cleaver (the Queen of Hearts), Indie Millar (Violet Beauregarde from Willy Wonka), Kara Streeter (Hermione Granger), Oliver Metcalfe (The Very Hungry Caterpillar) and Charlotte Ball (Fern Arable from Charlotte’s Web) announce the winner of the best dressed teacher’s prize, which went to a group of colourful crayons.

The creation of cycleways and roundabouts and the felling of trees upset some Cambridge Connections submitters and opponents.

Photo: Mary Anne Gill.

GROUND

Great fountains of lava

Eruptions in Iceland and Hawaii produce beautiful and sometimes destructive scenes of molten rock shooting into the air in a style that we call lava fountaining.

This is when lava ascends to the surface very quickly, then sprays into the air as gas is rapidly released from the molten mixture and expands then bursts.

Above this incredible spectacle you often see a dense plume of volcanic gases appearing white, light grey, or slightly brownish or blue, which is often wrongly called smoke in the media. Some lava fountaining, like at Etna volcano in Italy, produces a much denser grey to black volcanic ash plume made up of solid fragmented rock (still not smoke). This gas and ash can cause significant issues if high concentrations are blown by winds towards populations.

Lava fountaining involves the more fluid, low viscosity lava compositions and often lava flows form at their base, carrying the hot, fluid rock far away from the vent. The fountains often reach about 10 to 100 metres in height

By Janine Krippner

but can be much higher during more energetic eruptions. In 2013 a lava fountain at Etna reached a stable height of around 25,000m, peaking at around 34000m. The height of the Auckland Sky Tower is 328m and the heigh of Pirongia is around 960m. Can you imagine lava shooting 2.5 kilometres into the air?

Fountains sometimes erupt at a single vent, and at the start of many eruptions in Iceland and Hawaii they span a row or multiple rows of long vents called fissures, where it has been referred to as a “curtain of fire”. There is no fire or smoke involved unless the lava ignites something like vegetation, but it is understandable that this name stuck with the bright orange, red, and yellow colours that are especially bright at night. These colours are incandescence due to the high temperatures often exceeding 1000 degrees celsius. This is similar to how a stove element starts out black when cold, then glows red to orange as it heats up. We can see the light energy emitted because of the intense heat of the lava.

There is of course the dark side. You would never want to see one of these erupting near your home. Lava fountaining in May 2018 heralded a very destructive eruption on the island of Hawaii on the flank of Kīlauea, ripping through Leilani Estates.

As with Auckland Volcanic Field activity, we often don’t know exactly where these eruptions will begin, and once the eruption starts there is a rush to figure out where the lava, gases, and ash (if present) will go. Evacuations can be chaotic while residents grab what they can and get out before the lava reaches their homes.

To witness a tall lava fountain and to hear and feel the roar of the jet of gas and lava is near the top of my ‘must see before I die’ list. This incredible process of rock so hot that it is fluid, rising from tens to hundreds of kilometres below the ground then blasting into our atmosphere is one of the most amazing processes our planet has to offer.

French visit

A delegation will travel at their own cost to Cambridge’s sister city Le Quesnoy in France next year for Anzac Day and to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the relationship. Mayor Susan O’Regan and community board chair Jo Davies-Colley will select the delegation with preference given to people who can strengthen the bonds between the two towns.

Bowls donation

A donation of $1200 has been made to Hato Hone St John by the Central Bowling Club. The donation was presented to Jim Goddin by club treasurer Rodney Sentch. It was raised through two sources - a series of $2 donations made by players who were guilty of a “wrong bias” while playing in tournaments and a donation box on the bar that customers put change into.

Ellison appointed

Shane Ellison (Ngāi Tahu, Te Atiawa, Ngāti Mutunga, and Ngāti Ruanui) has been appointed for a three-year term on the Waipā Networks board. Ellison has over a decade of experience on boards with established governance credentials and his CV includes appointments to the boards of Dunedin International Airport Limited and Auckland Light Rail Limited.

Karāpiro contract

The management contract for Karāpiro Domain is over budget by $282,000 this financial year and details of the total cost of the service - approved in public excluded last year - have been released to The News. GL Events Ltd, owned by deputy mayor Liz Stolwyk and husband Andrew Reymer, have managed the reserve for 20 years and in December secured a new $4,247,500 contract for five years with rights renewal for a further five plus five years. Further details were unavailable.

CAMBRIDGE VOLUNTEER FIRE BRIGADE C ALLS OVER THE L AST WEEK

TUESDAY

11:13am, Truck in ditch, Tirau Road

6:02pm, Fire in the vicinity, Hickey Road

WEDNESDAY

1:30pm, Building alarm and smoke showing, Waikato Hospital

THURSDAY

12:54pm, 3 car MVA, Victoria Street

FRIDAY

12:48pm, Building alarm and evacuation, Waikato Hospital

SATURDAY 1:11pm, Car fire, Victoria Street

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School’s out, court’s in session

By Steph Bell-Jenkins

Former Karāpiro School

principal Tina-Maree

Thatcher has swapped the classroom for the courtroom after completing a law degree last year.

Thatcher said she had worked in education for 21 years, including 15 years in school principal roles around the Waikato region.

She became interested in studying the law while undertaking a Master of Educational Leadership degree from the University of Waikato, which she finished in 2014.

“I had taken a paper, Educational Leadership for Social Justice, and it really interested me as a school leader,” she said.

Realising she had “a justice thread” running through her life, she began a Diploma in Law at the University of Waikato, hoping it would help her navigate the complexities of her principal’s role.

“And I did the first paper and I was hooked,” she said. “I absolutely loved it and was totally hooked and started to consider becoming a lawyer at that stage.”

Once she finished the twoyear diploma, Covid struck and “put the entire degree

online”.

“It suddenly became an option for me to go the whole way and so I did,” Thatcher said. “I handed back the diploma of law and I applied to do the full degree.”

After eight years of parttime study, she completed her Bachelor of Laws degree last year and was admitted to High Court in Hamilton as a barrister and solicitor in March.

Her 31-year-old son Jadin Hooper, who was admitted to the Bar in 2018, was her moving counsel, which she said was “really special”.

Thatcher retired from her Karāpiro School principal job at the end of term one and is now volunteering as a caseworker at Community Law Waikato while job hunting for a graduate lawyer position.

She said work to create safe roads around Karāpiro School helped her to see the power of advocacy.

“And I think that’s what I’m looking for in my future in a legal career, is to be able to work alongside someone when they’re having their worst time and, whatever the matter is, to be really effective and to advocate for them and help them achieve their legal goals,” she said.

Thatcher was principal when Karāpiro School received Cambridge News’ Person of the Year award in December 2022 for its

persistent advocacy, which resulted in Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency putting in place a temporary speed reduction, installing signage

and embarking on a series of safety improvements.

Reflecting on her time at the school, she said she was probably most proud of working with staff and principal colleagues to meet the needs of the community and students during the Covid lockdown.

“When we said goodbye to our children and we locked down the school and the community locked down behind us, we actually didn’t know if we were going to see people again, you know, we didn’t know what was going to happen.

“We all worked really hard to pivot and take our learning online and we really looked after our children and our families, and I think we had a stunning example of the success that you can achieve when you work together and you’re focused on what’s best for the children.”

Thatcher lives in Cambridge with her partner Steve Dunsmore, principal of Horsham Downs School.

She has three children –Jadin, a lawyer, Chloē, who manages an agritech company in Palmerston North, and Abby, a psychology student who currently lives in Brisbane.

New name for Bridleway road

A road in Bridleway Estate to the west of Cambridge which was to be called Hauhake Street – meaning seasonal growing task to harvest crops - will instead be Tangaroa following a “process oversight”.

It turned out there was already a Hauhake in Cambridge, staff told Waipā council’s Service Delivery committee this week. Names in the subdivision are on the agriculture theme and Tangaroa means “another best lunar time for growing crops”.

3Ms, the Bridleway Estate developers, consulted with Ngāti Koroki Kahukura Trust and Ngāti Hauā Iwi Trust as the mana whenua representatives.

Meanwhile Nukuhau Lane – getting its name from a pā - will become the name for a private road in the Lowe Road development in Rukuhia. Resource consent for the development was granted in March and sees the creation of eight new lots and Nukuhau Lane.

Tina-Maree Thatcher with her son Jadin Hooper, who was moving counsel at her Hamilton High Court admission ceremony in March.

That was Fieldays number 56…

The 56th edition of Fieldays wrapped up on Saturday with the traditional townies’ day. More than 1100 exhibitors and thousands of visitors spent four days at Mystery Creek in the Waipā district. Guests included prime minister Christopher Luxon and Opposition leader Chris Hipkins. The News senior writer Mary Anne Gill was there too.

Waipā mechanic Shawn Luxton was the overall winner of this year’s Weight Transfer Class at the Fieldays Tractor Pull.

The purpose-built Fieldays Tractor Pull track is a hard clay-packed area running parallel alongside the Waikato River. At 100 metres long, it stretches the length of rugby field.

Some consider Tractor Pulling –first run at Fieldays in 1975 - as one of the oldest motorsports, tracing back to the 1860s where farmers engaged in friendly competitions to showcase the strength of their draft horses.

Today it features state of the art machinery mostly four-wheel drive and computer-assisted tractors. Luxton, who works at John Deere in Cambridge, continued his success at Fieldays where he has been competing since 2008.

Te Awamutu’s Dana Lile was one of the few female entrants and she was hoping to back up her success from last year’s event where she placed third in both the weight transfer and weight adjusted classes and was given the first-time entrant award.

But she missed out in a crowded field of veterans.

Meanwhile St Peter’s School, Cambridge student Penny Ranger won the Young Innovator title for entrants in the Fieldays Innovation

awards for entrants 19 years old and under.

Penny’s Mark-It is a tool designed to streamline the drenching process for sheep by leaving an ink mark on the side of the sheep’s mouth.

Judges said Penny showed wisdom beyond her years and is well down the road towards commercial success with a product that solves a sheep farming issue in a simple way.

“It is a classic Kiwi solution that simplifies an important task while helping save money and waste,” said head judge Peter Dowd.

The Fieldays Innovation Awards provide a platform for creative problem solvers to launch, test and promote their ideas to a large group of their ideal target market.

The 56th Fieldays enjoyed mild weather conditions – with heavy rain on the Friday.

The event was opened with a pōwhiri and the raising of flags, followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony led by Fieldays chair Jenni Vernon, Agriculture and Trade minister Todd McClay, and Tumuaki o te Kiingitanga Hone Thompson.

Guests included Sonny Karena - and other representatives of Ngāti Hauā - mayors from Waipā, Hamilton, Waikato, Matamata-Piako and Waikato Regional Council chair Pamela Storey.

Louise Upston MP for Taupō

Constituent appointments are available in Cambridge Monday

To book, call or email: 07 827 5572 or upston.cambridge@parliament.govt.nz

Electorate Office, 3 Anzac Street, Cambridge

CountryLife

Reach a targeted rural & lifestyle audience each month by advertising your business in CountryLife; featured inside the Cambridge News & Te Awamutu News

Distributed to EVERY rural & urban letter box across the Waipa region each month.

Next Publication Date Thursday 18 July Booking Deadline: 9 July

Copy Setting: 10 July

Finished Artwork: 15 July

TO BOOK YOUR SPACE: Janine Davy Advertising Manager janine@goodlocal.nz • Ph 027 287 0005

Catching up: At the opening of Fieldays were from left Waipā mayor Susan O’Regan, Taupō MP Louise Upston, Fieldays president Jenni Vernon, Taranaki-King Country MP Barbara Kuriger and Waikato Regional Council chair Pamela Storey. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.

Cambridge Olympian Sonia Waddell with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon at the Forgotten World Adventures stand featuring her cousin, Grant Ross and partner Laura Wackett who are based in Cambridge and bought the business two years ago.

Photo: Mary Anne Gill.

Tractor Pull overall winners, from left Michael Austin, Kevin Mounsey, Wally Sinton and Shawn Luxton. Photo: Stephen Barker.

Giltrap AgriZone was at Fieldays again with staff from its Ōtorohanga, Cambridge, Rotorua and Taupō branches. Chatting to Ōtorohanga agricultural contractor Malcolm Boggiss, second left, were Lindsay Ferguson (Cambridge), Graham Anderson (Ōtorohanga) and managing director Andrew Giltrap. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.

Waipā deputy mayor Liz Stolwyk helped out on the Ōhaupō-Ngāhinapōuri Lions Club caravan in the Fieldays’ food court.

Photo: Mary Anne Gill. Fieldays Young Innovator of the Year Penny Ranger.

Photo: Stephen Barker

The horrors of Stagflation

By Peter Nicholl

That horrible word stagflation has appeared in the New Zealand media recently.

Stagflation is the simultaneous appearance of slow or negative economic growth and high or rising unemployment with high or rising inflation. New Zealand is on the cusp of stagflation. Our growth is flat, unemployment is starting to rise and inflation is still well above the Reserve Bank’s target range. The dilemma with this mix of economic problems is that fiscal and monetary actions that would ease one of the problems tend to make the other one worse.

Economists used to think it wasn’t possible for this set of economic conditions to exist together. But it did happen in the 1970s and the term stagflation was coined. Stagflation’s initial debut on the world stage in the early 1970s was due to a major oil price shock, the US going off the gold standard and loose monetary policy and excessive government spending.

But since then, stagflation has arisen in a number of countries in many different circumstances. There is now no consensus on the causes of stagflation. It is usually blamed on poorly designed or implemented economic policies but there is little agreement on what poor policy elements are

the biggest culprit. The finger of blame has been pointed at intrusive and costly regulation, excessive monetary growth, excessive and poorly-targeted fiscal expenditure and supply shocks.

New Zealand has elements of all four of these ‘culprits’. Regulation has added enormous costs to a lot of our businesses over recent years. Much of this regulation has been in the name of health and safety. Health and safety is a laudable goal. But we need to remember that all regulation adds costs and if those extra costs become excessive, activity will decline and prices will rise. In other words, you get stagflation.

A thorough cost-benefit analysis has to be a central part of every proposed regulation. We have also had extraordinarily high rates of growth of money and fiscal expenditure in recent years.

Most articles on the current situation see it as relatively short-term. The scenario is that central banks just have to be firm for a little bit longer, then they will start reducing interest rates and economic growth will come back. Stagflation will disappear. I call that a hopeful view as many people thought interest rates would start coming down in early

2024, then the expectation shifted to late 2024 – and now they are saying we might have to wait until 2025.

I think inflation is going to be more sticky in New Zealand than in many other countries. We have some local price pressures that are just at the start of their upward cycle such local body rates and insurance premiums. There are wage pressures in a lot of sectors, stoked by comparisons with Australia and the number of New Zealanders who are shifting there. But wages in New Zealand can’t rise unless productivity rises too. We have become a low productivity country. Unfortunately, that means we are doomed to be a low wage country too.

The other major problem we have in New Zealand is a lack of competition in many key sectors. Our Commerce Commission is good at writing reports and pointing the finger at anti-competitive behaviour but seldom takes action.

We have become a high-cost economy. The combination of being a low productivity and high-cost economy seems like a perfect recipe for stagflation to me.

Seven up for Ryla awards

Seven young Cambridge men and women have been given a career leg-up through acceptance into the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards.

They are Laura Findlay, Raj Goswami, Bonnie Lewis, Brendan Koevoet, Joel Clayton-Greene, Morgan Craven and Taitym Stokes.

The awards, for people aged 20-26, are intended to grow emerging leaders by providing an intensive

leadership development programme through seminars and group activities.

Cambridge falls within Rotary’s District 9930, taking in 49 clubs across the North Island and headed by District Governor Bill Robinson. He said people from the district were selected this year.

Cambridge Rotarians Kim Pritchard and Don Wilson were involved in this year’s interview process.

The power of one

By Murray Smith, Bridges Church

This article’s title expresses a reality applicable to many individuals throughout history who in their own way have inspired, impacted and changed other’s lives for good. Some are well known, some not so much - the point is, there’s potential for anyone to make a difference - somewhere.

In the early 1960’s a meteorologist and mathematician, Edward Lorenz presented his famous ‘butterfly theory’ which claimed the simple flapping of a butterfly’s wings could set in motion a chain reaction of air molecules that could ultimately cause a hurricane on the other side of the world. Thirty years later the theory was foundational in the scientific community and today it’s known as ‘the law of sensitive dependence upon initial conditions.’ Sounds lofty, but it’s simply observing ‘cause and effect’ that relates to much more than just butterflies.

One life and one action can set in motion far more than we realise. Like a single pebble thrown into a calm lake, the ripples repeat in concentric circles, seemingly ‘forever’…a picture of the ‘power of one’ to impact others in time and into the future.

Recently I re-visited the place where Wiremu Tāmihana laid down his taiaha before English General George Carey at Tamahere in 1865. I’ve read enough about this noble chief of Ngāti Hauā to convince me what a taonga (’treasure’) he is in New Zealand history, leaving ‘ripples’ of influence to be admired and exemplified. Born Tarapīpi, he came under the influence of Christian teachings with the establishment of the CMS station in Matamata.

In 1839, Tarapīpi was one of Rev. A.N. Brown’s first converts to be baptised at which point he was given the name Wiremu Tāmihana.

A man of peace (unlike his father Te Waharoa) who he had succeeded upon his death in 1838, Tāmihana’s life was spent in seeking reconciliation and brokering peace on behalf of Waikato Māori with the Crown known for its proclivity to deal dishonourably.

During the late 1850’s Tāmihana became involved in the establishment of a Māori king. For this he earned the title ‚Kingmaker’ by Pākehā.

It’s moving standing where Tāmihana placed his taiaha on the ground those years ago. A great Māori chief who endured mis-understanding and stood as an advocate for justice is worth reflecting on.

Many pākehā saw Tāmihana’s action as ‘surrender’ whereas Tāmihana described it in a letter to Governor Grey, as ‘te maungarongo’ (a covenant of peace).

This magnanimous gesture followed two years of cruel colonial conquest - the Waikato ‘Land War’ began in winter 1863, with General Cameron’s columns of English soldiers marching south from Auckland on a campaign to dispossess Waikato Māori of their land and mana. It was little more than 20 years after the Treaty of Waitangi signing.

The possibilities, of allowing the Spirit of God (Wairua Tapu) that graced Tāmihana’s life, to grace our lives, are worth contemplating.

A Māori proverb considers the dozens of seeds existing in one kauri cone (about 50 apparently)each little seed sown into the soil is powerful, capable of becoming a mighty tree.

“He kakano ahau. Ahakoa he iti, he pounamu.”

I am a seed. Despite being small I am of great value.

Community Connect

20 June 2024

Ute gifted to support Cambridge Tree Trust

Hard working Cambridge Tree Trust has been gifted a ute to support their community planting and maintenance work.

The ute was granted to the not-forprofit organisation by our Finance and Corporate Committee in recognition of the extensive number of volunteer hours spent looking after the ‘town of trees’.

Deputy chief executive Ken Morris said while it was not usual for us to consider such requests, this was seen as a special case as the vehicle was crucial to their operations.

The trust had been searching for a suitable vehicle for the past two years.

“The group is well-recognised in Cambridge for their dedication and commitment to make the town a beautiful place to live,” Morris said. Cambridge Tree Trust’s Chairman Pete

Registration time for all Waipā dogs

Registration fees are due by Friday 30 June.

If you’re wondering what your dog rego covers, here’s what you need to know.

These go towards paying for:

• Our 24-hour dog control service and pound facilities, keeping our community protected from roaming dogs, and keeping those furry friends safe when they have lost their way.

• Maintaining dog exercise areas, agility equipment and doggy doo bins.

• Public education activities.

• Re-homing dogs!

getting stuck is a great relief and reassurance for us,” he said.

Welcome to our first edition of Community Connect

The aim of this fortnightly page is to tell you about some of the things happening across the district that you might not otherwise be aware of.

We’ve heard from some parts of our community who have asked for some more traditional ways of sharing council information, and this page aims to help do that.

I am now halfway into my first term as Mayor of this great district. It is fair to say the past 18 months have been incredibly busy and somewhat challenging as we deal with a lot of uncertainty around the future of Local Government.

“This ute will enable us to get to places and do our work that we couldn’t before. Having a more reliable vehicle without the fear of

Fees this year have increased by 9.4% for rural and 9.8% for urban. On the flip side, the cost to deliver these services has gone up by 35%! We’ve heard some concerns about the increased fees, and we have tried to keep the increases as low as we could.

Win FREE dog rego! If you register your dog by 30 June, you’ll be in to win FREE dog registration for the rest of your dog’s life while living in Waipā!

“We are very thankful to Council and staff who have been amazing to deal with,” Fisher said.

Te Awamutu wastewater upgrades on track

Construction started last month on a new wastewater pump station in Te Awamutu’s Pekerau Reserve to meet current levels of service and increasing demand and support new growth in the area.

Water services manager Martin Mould said it was important to keep up with growth and ensure the network supports development.

“Making sure our networks can keep up with the higher demands, is why we have invested in water and wastewater infrastructure upgrades,” Mould said. Two manholes have been constructed, and 273 metres of pipe have been installed. The project is expected to be completed by the end of October.

We have also faced some financial challenges as we prepared our Enhanced Annual Plan, and we’ve tried to strike a balance between meeting the costs of necessary renewals and maintenance and planning for the future. Those challenges are likely to continue for some time yet. As we now start preparing for our 2025-34 Long Term Plan, we will need to continue to be deliberate in our thinking as we plan the future for Waipā, while being mindful or our financial restraints and the impact on our ratepaying community.

That’s where you come in.

We often hear that people don’t feel heard when it comes to council decision making. I can assure you that is not the case. During the Enhanced Annual Plan deliberations, even under the tight financial constraints currently facing us, we heard what was important to the community and made the changes to the draft plan.

Some may say we don’t always get it right, but we are responsible for not only meeting legislative compliance, but also meeting the varied needs of our communities. Striking a balance between these needs means we simply can’t please everyone. This is amplified in a financially constrained environment.

We have an extremely busy consultation phase coming up on a range of topics as we begin preparing the next Long Term Plan.

We will be asking for feedback on a Local Alcohol Policy and associated bylaws, the draft 30-year Ahu Ake –Waipā Spatial Plan, the way you are represented around the council table, and how we can ensure the economic wellbeing of the district.

The great thing about local government is that it is local people making local decisions. I encourage you to have your say. Together, we can continue to shape a district that we are all proud to call home.

Fisher said the group was delighted with the outcome.

Waipā District Mayor, Susan O’Regan

A WORD FROM THE MAYOR:

Brown’s one smoothie operator…

By Steph Bell-Jenkins

Gisborne’s Rhythm and Vines music festival brought them together one summer day in 2014 and a smoothie sealed the deal.

“She was a bit of a day

one,” said Olympic kayaker Max Brown of his fiancée Izzy Marsh.

“I was working at R&V in a smoothie truck and she came up and I put my number on her cup…and we hit it off.”

They got engaged on New Year’s Eve 2023 and are now planning their wedding.

Marsh was at Lake Karāpiro last Wednesday morning to celebrate Brown’s official naming in the New Zealand men’s canoe sprint team for the Paris Olympic Games.

Originally from Auckland, she moved to Cambridge in 2021 after buying a house with Brown, who works as a music tutor at Cambridge Middle School.

They have spent the past three years renovating their Leamington home.

“You can do anything if you’re naïve enough to start and stubborn enough to finish,” Brown said.

Marsh works remotely for an Auckland design agency and enjoys yoga, Pilates, and taking advantage of local walking and biking trails in her spare time.

“We don’t know where’s next after Cambridge, but it’s served us really well – it’s a beautiful little town, you’re among lots of motivated, great people, so there’s a real pulse on the place here and yeah, we love it,” she said.

“I think Cambridge has been such a nurturing place for us to grow and be

pushed as well, outside of our comfort zone… with all the other great people that are in the community it’s so inspiring – you walk down the street and you can see legends from all different walks of life and different sports.”

Brown and Kurtis Imrie were named for their second Olympics last Wednesday, alongside Games debutants Hamish Legarth and Grant

Clancy. The four boatmates will make up the first male K4 crew to represent Aotearoa at the Olympics since Richard Boyle, Finn O’Connor, Stephen Richards and Mark Scheib competed in Barcelona in 1992.

Imrie will also pair with Legarth in the men’s K2 500m race, while Brown will team up with Clancy in the C2 500m.

Imrie said competing at Tokyo 2020 was “a dream come true” that gave him and Brown the drive to have a crack at this year’s Paris Games and qualify the K4.

“I’m 28 and he’s 29, so well before we were born was the last time a boat was raced in the K4, so it’s been awesome that we’ve managed to achieve that,” he said.

When the words don’t come

“When I had my stroke friends stayed away. And for five years after my stroke I could not say a word. And then for three years I could say some words… and now I can talk about 80 per cent of the time.”

That has been the experience of Cambridge’s Paula Crean, and she has shared them because she runs the Cambridge Aphasia Group, which caters for people with the speech condition.

And June is aphasia awareness month.

Paula Crean and Jim Smith, who both have aphasia, meet once a fortnight at the Clementine Café.

Community Aphasia Advisor Christa Grbin says aphasia is a language impairment caused by damage to the language area of the brain and can be caused by a stroke or brain injury or a tumour.

“Aphasia can make it hard for people to say what they are thinking, understand what is being said to them, read and write. Aphasia does not affect intelligence. People with aphasia know what they want to say,

they just have greater difficulty accessing their vocabulary to say it.”

Crean said she wanted it in Cambridge “because I know how much it is for a friend to talk to”.

“The Cambridge Aphasia Group is all about making friends, engaging in conversation and enjoying good coffee. Paula and Jim would love to meet more local Cambridge people with aphasia,” Grbin said.

Plastic Free July in Waipā

Plastic free July is all about looking after our planet by reducing how much plastic we use. To celebrate and encourage you to reduce your plastic use, we have a month of tips and tricks as well as two fun workshops for you to attend!

Waste-Education workshop with Kate Meads

Learn how you can create less rubbish and lead a more sustainable life. Tuesday 2 July, 6-8pm | Cambridge Town Hall

Tickets are $5 each and include a goodie bag valued at $40!

Make your own household cleaners Join us to make your very own low-cost, low-waste DIY washing powder, bench spray, cleaning paste, and dishwasher powder. Satuday 27 July, 10.30am-12noon and 1-2.30pm Te Awamutu Library meeting room Bring your own 2L ice cream container, glass jars and spray bottles.

It was love at first sight for kayaker Max Brown and his fiancée Izzy Marsh, pictured here at Lake Karāpiro celebrating Brown’s selection for the Paris Olympic Games.

Waikato community aphasia advisor Christa Grbin, centre with Jim Smith and Paula Crean.

If you’ve been considering a move to Patrick Hogan Village, our latest release of townhouses are selling now.

There are two and three bedroom options to choose from; perfect for those seeking an independent lifestyle, with the added security and companionship of the village community.

Conveniently located near the village centre and bathed in all day sun, these townhouses will be popular, so be in quick to secure the home of your choice.

Townhouses priced from $795,000.

Images are artist’s impressions

Love the choice.

Love the life you choose. Dear diary, here’s to the 7-day weekend

Retirement can be blissfully laid back, or it can be wonderfully unretiring and active.

At Summerset, it’s your choice. From day to day, you have the freedom to pursue all your passions and hobbies, or just find a place to relax. All set within a secure, warm and friendly community.

Brand new homes available now at Summerset Cambridge*

At Summerset, our retirement villages are designed to make sure you get the best out of your retirement. Summerset Cambridge is no exception, with a range of brand new homes ready to move in to now.

Our single-storey villas are modern, spacious and warm - just what you need for winter. Plus, with the peace of mind of six months to sell your current home, it has never been easier to make the move.*

Once our stunning village centre is complete, residents and their families will be able to enjoy a range of resort-style facilities including:

Open Day

Wednesday 26 June 10am - 2pm

Summerset Cambridge

1 Mary Ann Drive, Cambridge 07 839 9482 | summerset.co.nz/cambridge

Indoor swimming pool & spa pool

Recreational bowling green

Resident bar

Public café

Exercise room

Hair & beauty salon

Resident workshop

Come along to our next Open Day to see why our residents love the Summerset life.

*Exclusions, terms and conditions apply, visit summerset.co.nz/six-months-offer. All Summerset homes are sold under a licence to occupy and are subject to availability, and depending on the type of home, eligibility criteria. Summerset does not offer rental accommodation.

John

Across 1. Broadcasting (2,3)

4. Gloomy (6)

7. Large bird (3)

8. Travel fatigue (3,3)

9. Take away (6)

10. Literary group (4,4)

12. Become weary (4)

13. Hi-fi (6)

15. Foreign (6)

16. Sweetheart (4)

17. Anxious, jittery (8)

Last week

19. Beverage (6) 20. Knickers (6) 22. Badger (3) 23. Stick to (6)

24. Regular practice (5)

Down

1. The last drink (3,3,3,4)

2. Everyone (3) 3. Majestic (5) 4. Hard-wearing (7)

5. Splendid, expensive looking (9) 6. Commercial (13) 11. Fuss (9) 14. Indecent (7) 18. Coarse (5) 21. Give a nickname (3)

Across: 1. Format, 4. Tomcat, 9. Rodeo, 10. Endless, 11. Retreat, 13. Arch, 14. Clothesline, 17. Solo, 18. Implore, 21. In depth, 22. Adapt, 24. Aurora, 25. Seller.

Down: 1. Furore, 2. Red, 3. Above, 5. Oddball, 6. Crescendo, 7. Task, 8. See the light, 12. Tall order, 15. Trooper, 16. Pester, 19. Place, 20. Pita, 23. Ail.

TANGO TAXI TOWER WHEELS WING

Memories flow of Garry Edge

By Viv Posselt

He was one of the country’s finest jockeys, a wonderful farmer and all-round Mr Nice Guy.

Sunday’s farewell to Garry Edge at Cambridge Raceway was a reflection of the man himself – one of a kind.

The celebration of his life was attended by some of New Zealand’s racing luminaries and emceed by race commentator George Simon. It was spliced with stories of Garry’s rise to the top, with tales told by industry stalwarts – drinks in hand – of time shared in an era when things were quite different from today.

‘Edgy’s’ era was one where jockey apprenticeships were far more demanding, said George Simon, where race meetings were held once a week, unlike the five or six days a week as is the case today. Against that backdrop, Garry’s achievements were nothing short of remarkable, he said.

Over 41 years of racing, Garry did 7763 rides, had 743 winners, paid dividends on every four rides, he won 20 cup races and 80 group races, entered three Melbourne Cups, two Caulfield Cups and three Cox Plates. George rattled off

a raft of other statistics, including Garry’s injuries over that time – leg and wrist breaks, three rib breaks and five concussions – and said the presence of some of the racing industry’s big names was an indication of the esteem in which he was held.

Garry died in Cambridge – the town of his birth - at the age of 84. He was born to Marge and Frank Edge in 1939, the eldest of four boys – jockey Garry, accountant Richard (Richie), the late Wayne, and food industry man Max. Wayne followed his father’s footsteps into barbering.

Garry’s interest in horses began early, his daughter Steph Alderwick said.

He sat on his first horse, Foxbridge, at age four and when the family moved to a place opposite Bill Townsend’s stables, the die was cast. He learned to ride and after early musings on a career in rugby, decided his future was as a jockey.

He took up his apprenticeship with respected trainer Wallace Townsend, and in March 1955 came in eighth in his first official ride. That was followed in April the same year by a win atop Sweet Wren – a name he later gave to

the agistment farm he turned into a showpiece on St Kilda Rd, purchased in 1968 for the princely sum of $30,000. The years that followed brought him acclaim throughout New Zealand and in Australia.

He became known for the ‘clock in his head’, his tactical genius and penchant for riding the rails, and even after his retirement as a jockey, his continued involvement through part-ownership of horses. One of them, Waihi Warrior, ran

third in a race at Cambridge the day after he died.

Among the luminaries at Garry’s farewell were Ron Taylor, Keith Haub, David Peake, Earl Harrison, Ted McLachlan, Ann Browne, Richie Fallon, Chris Wood and Jim Gibbs.

They spoke of him as a ‘wonderful farmer, a great guy’, called him a talented horseman, one of the best riders they had seen, always chipper and good to be around, and always willing to help others.

George Simon remarked on the extraordinary way Garry had recorded his races.

“Every Sunday after lunch, he would write down all the rides he had done the previous day. I thought that was unlikely for 41 years, but sure enough, all those 7763 rides are recorded in his writing in scrapbooks … there are 10 huge scrapbooks,” he said. “His was an extraordinary career.”

Garry Edge on his agistment farm in Cambridge.

Drive & Be Impressed

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METCALFE, Edwin John –

Peacefully passed away at Waikato Hospital on Friday, 14th June 2024, aged 97 years. Loving husband of the late Pauline. Loved father & father in-law to Simon & Karen and Peter & Tracy, and the late Jan. Adored Grandad to Juliet, Adam, Jemma, and Great Grandad to Eland. A celebration of Edwin's life will be held at Raleigh Street Christian Centre, Raleigh Street, Leamington, Cambridge on Friday, the 21st of June 2024 at 1:00pm, followed by a private cremation. All communications to the Metcalfe Family, c/- 3 Hallys Lane, Cambridge 3434

PIZZINI, Alison Anne (nee Hyde) – Peacefully passed away at Waikato Hospital surrounded by her family on Friday, 14th June 2024, aged 86 years. Wife of Theo. Dearly loved mother and mother-inlaw to David & Julie, Michael & Tina, and Nigel & Helen. Cherished Nana to Lauren, Louise, Claire, Carl, Alyssa, Lana, Ben, and Alex. The family wishes to extend their heartfelt thanks and gratitude to the staff of Waikato Hospital ICU for the love and support shown to Alison and her family during this difficult time. A celebration of Alison's life will be held at St Andrews Anglican Church, Hamilton Road, Cambridge on Thursday, the 20th of June 2024 at 1:00pm, followed by a private cremation. Donations to The Cancer Society would be appreciated and may be left at the service. All communications to the Pizzini Family, c/- 3 Hallys Lane, Cambridge 3434

ROMEYN, Dirk, (Derek) –Died peacefully at home on Saturday, 15th June 2024, aged 84 years. Dearly loved husband of the late Marlene. Much loved dad of Rosemarie & Philip Black, and Martin & Sherylene. Loved Opa to his eight grandchildren and 22 great grandchildren. Special thanks to the staff of Hospital Waikato for the love and care shown to Derek over the past week. A celebration of Derek's life has been held. All communications to the Romeyn Family, c/- 3 Hallys Lane, Cambridge 3434

WHITFIELD, Gary Lionel

– Passed away suddenly at Waikato Hospital on the 5th of June 2024 aged 76 years. Loved brother of Ngaire, Ian, Bruce (deceased) and Paul. Adored by all his many nieces and nephews. Gary will be greatly missed. In accordance with Gary’s wishes a private cremation has been held.

Peter 21-11-1946 - 16-6-2021 It's three years since you left us, Lovey. We still love and miss you everyday.

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PUBLIC

NOTICE

OF PROPOSED PLAN CHANGE

Clause 5 of Schedule 1, Resource Management Act 1991

The following Plan Change is proposed to the Operative Waip-a District Plan: PROPOSED PLAN CHANGE 14 MANGAONE PRECINCT & C10 INDUSTRIAL GROWTH CELL – HAUTAPU

In summary, the proposed plan change request seeks to amend the Operative Waip-a District Plan by:

• Rezoning approximately 79 hectares of the C10 Growth Cell from Rural Zone to Industrial Zone;

• Inclusion of a new Structure Plan (Mangaone Precinct Structure Plan);

• Amendment to existing Structure Plan (Bardowie Industrial Precinct Structure Plan)

• Addition, amendment and/or deletion of definitions, objectives, policies, performance standards within Sections 7 and 15, and assessment criteria and information requirements within Section 21 of the District Plan; and

• Amending both the Zone and Policy Maps.

The subject land is comprised in three existing records of title legally described as Section 1 SO 499872, Sections 4 and 7 SO 499872, and Lot 2 DP 529042. The land is located to the west of Swayne Road, south of Zig Zag Road and north of the Waikato Expressway (Cambridge Section) at Hautapu.

The proposal may be inspected:

• Online at www.waipadc.govt.nz/our-council/waipa-district-plan/waipa-district-planplan-changes

• At Waip-a District Council offices in Te Awamutu and Cambridge

Any person can make a submission by sending an electronic or written submission to Waip-a District Council by one of the following methods:

• Online: Download Form 5 on the Waip-a District Council website at www.waipadc.govt.nz/ our-council/waipa-district-plan/waipa-district-plan-plan-changes

• Send to: Freepost 167662, Waip-a District Council, Private Bag 2402, Te Awamutu 3840

• Email: districtplan@waipadc.govt.nz

• Deliver to: Waip-a District Council, 101 Bank Street, Te Awamutu OR 23 Wilson Street, Cambridge

The submission must be in the form as set out in Schedule 1 of the Resource Management (Forms, Fees, and Procedure) Regulations 2003 and must state whether or not you wish to be heard on your submission. Copies of this form are available from Waip-a District Council.

Submissions close at 5pm on Friday 19 July 2024.

Garry Dyet – Chief Executive For and on behalf of the Waip-a District Council

CHURCH NOTICES

Cambridge Seventh-Day Adven�st Church

Cr. Shakespeare & Browning Streets

Bible Study Each Saturday: 9.30am – 10.45am

Worship Service: 11.00am

Like us on Facebook: h�ps://www.facebook.com/cambridge.sda.9 email: cambridge.sda.nz@gmail.com

Phone: 027 677 6433

Hope Channel – Freeview Ch 27, Sky 204

We offer detailed study of the Bible and inspiring worship experiences.

All Welcome.

PUBLIC NOTICE OF APPARENTLY ABANDONED LAND

TAKE NOTICE TAKE NOTICE that Waipa District Council intends to exercise its statutory powers conferred by s.77 of the Local Government (Rating) Act 2002 in respect of the land described below.

1. Apply to the District Court one month after the date of this notice for an order declaring the land to be abandoned, and

2. To authorise Waipa District Council to sell or lease the land - because the rates have not been paid to Waipa District Council for three (3) years and the rate payer of the land:

(a) is unknown, or

(b) cannot be found after due inquiry and has no known New Zealand agent, or

(c) is deceased and has no personal representative, or

(d) has given notice to the Waipa District Council of his or her intention to abandon the land or has abandoned the land.

Valuation number: 0464114001

Part Lot 2 Deposited Plan 8058 (SA491/259 South Auckland land registry) in the name of Blueberry Farms Limited. The property is situated at McLarnon Road, Cambridge and is within the territory of the Waipa District Council.

Valuation number: 0465221100

Lot 2 Deposited Plan South Auckland 3563 (SA1267/4 South Auckland land registry) in the name of Peter Stewart Reid. The property is situated at Wharepapa South Road, Te Awamutu and is within the territory of the Waipa District Council.

Valuation number: 0464143602

Part Lot 2 Deposited Plan 7825 (SA11B/94 South Auckland land registry) in the name of Roland Haylock. The property is situated at Grice Road, Cambridge and is within the territory of the Waipa District Council.

If you have an interest or any information relevant to the proposed application by the Waipa District Council, you should contact Aimee Osborne on 0508 436 269, dmc@mw.org.nz or DMC, DX PA84005, Feilding.

This notice is authorised by:

Garry Dyet

Chief Executive Waipa District Council

12 June 2024

PRIVATE PLAN CHANGE 20 TO THE WAIPĀ DISTRICT PLAN

PUBLIC NOTIFICATION PURSUANT TO CLAUSE 20 OF THE FIRST SCHEDULE OF THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ACT 1991

The Waipa District Council gives public notice that it has resolved that the following Plan Change to the Waipā District Plan, shall become operative on 01 July 2024.

Private Plan Change 20: Airport Northern Precinct Extensionamends the Waipā District Plan to rezone approximately 89ha of land to the northwest of the Airport from Rural to Airport Business Zone, and to also amend the provisions in the Airport Business Structure Plan (Appendix S10) and Airport Business Zone (section 10), including consequential amendments in sections 15 and 21.

The Environment Court Consent Order for PC20 can be viewed at any time on the Council website, www.waipadc.govt.nz/planchanges. The Waipā eplan will be updated on 01 July 2024 to reflect the consent order.

Any person wishing to obtain further information about this plan change, may write to Waipā District Council, Private Bag 2402, Te Awamutu 3840, or send an email to districtplan@waipadc.govt.nz.

Garry Dyet

Chief Executive

For and on behalf of the Waipa District Council

Come along to our first birthday party.

WE,RE ONE YEAR YOUNG

10am – 4pm, Thursday 20 to Saturday 22 June 33 Thompson Street, Leamington, Cambridge, 3423

Arvida Lauriston Park Care Centre is turning one, and you’re invited to join us for a week-long celebration. We’ll be pulling out all the stops with decadent Devonshire teas and delicious birthday cake as you take a tour of the community. Come along and have a bite to eat while you meet the residents and team.

Lauriston Park is a real ‘home suite home’, offering you care and support in your own private living space and ensuite. Housekeeping, meals and laundry service are all provided –or if you’d prefer our deluxe one-bedroom suites, you’ll also enjoy your own full kitchen and ensuite.

Call Tineke on 027 241 4745 or visit arvida.co.nz/lauristonpark