“They’ve got her,” said the celebratory text message.
It was sent by community constable Ryan Fleming to CommSafe community safety officer Mandy Merson at the climax of a half hour drama that played out over the radio of the Kihikihi CommSafe car.
Merson, with her husband Paul behind the wheel, were giving me a tiki tour of the community patrol route in and around Kihikihi and Te Awamutu when the call came from police for assistance.
A woman had entered a Cambridge shop, filled a trolley with more than $1000 worth of goods, abandoned it and headed to her car. The unregistered vehicle and its owner were known to both CommSafe and police and had been spotted earlier in the day in the Te Awamutu area.
The Cambridge CommSafe car arrived on the scene within minutes of the call for help and observed the suspect’s activity before officers of the law arrived and made an arrest.
The incident was a microcosm of what CommSafe is all about – everyday people who want to make a difference in their community.
Some shifts – usually four hours – are busy and some are quiet. On the quiet days it’s a case of driving around the neighbourhood and “poking our noses into dark corners” as our driver puts it. Shining the headlights down dark alleyways and reporting any suspicious activity.
“Most people don’t even know that there’s a community patrol group in town, or see the car,” Merson said.
At a glance the white car, with its blue and yellow chevrons, looks like a police patrol car. But a CommSafe logo replaces the word police on the bonnet and its side is plastered in the logos of sponsors.
The Mersons have plenty of stories of
times when motorists have confused them for the police, slowed down, then given them a rude hand signal after realising they were not police.
Police-checked CommSafe volunteers have no powers above that of the ordinary citizen. They are briefed to stay in the car and watch, although supply of a first aid kit and training suggests that they disembark on the odd occasion to help save a life.
Kihikihi’s Community Patrol beat takes in the Te Awamutu policing district that goes from Ōhaupō in the north to Te Kawa Crossroads in the south. The crew can be called upon for all manner of police support, like heading to a crash scene, or forming a police cordon for a fleeing car, night and day.
“There just is not enough cops,” said Fleming. “It’s good having people out there. There have been days where it’s been very effective.”
Like the day the community patrol found a handbag with nearly 4g of methamphetamine in it. Or the dog who, upset by fireworks, bolted on New Year’s Eve.
Sometimes CommSafe is tasked with collecting evidence, like driving by a location to collect registration numbers.
It’s a kind of low risk, passive policing, that Fleming feels is a good training ground for those considering a policing career.
“I’ve been banging on about it for years,” he smiles.
Volunteers receive a high visibility vest and training in VHF radio protocols. Signing in and out during an emergency elsewhere hogs the airwaves and puts lives at risk.
As if to make a point, a situation goes down in Huntly requiring all police cars, and there’s lots of chatter as the situation unfolds.
“You can never have enough volunteers,” Merson said. “As a volunteer they do get to learn so much about their community.”
Our people on patrol
CommSafe community safety officer Mandy Merson stands by the community patrol car in Te Awamutu.
Scholar chance
Applications for The Lines Company’s Inspiring Local Minds Scholarship are being taken this month.
On offer is three amounts of $6000 to support studies over three years.
“Helping local young people realise their potential through tertiary education is important to us at The Lines Company,” chief executive Mike Fox said.
“In the past we have supported students through a range of studies from science, technology and law to commerce and marketing.”
The programme was introduced in 2018, and 26 people have been awarded scholarships. Recipients must live or go to school in TLC’s network area extends to Ōtorohanga.
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Chanwai to perform
Te Awamutu Concerts
Alive will stage a Sunday concert to raise funds for performer organist and cellist Matthew Chanwai.
The St Paul’s Collegiate graduate was placed second at two American Protégé International Piano and Strings competitions, which led to a performance at New York’s Carnegie Hall when he was just 13. He has been cello associate principal of the national secondary schools’ orchestra and is also part of the New Zealand Youth Orchestra.
Chanwai goes to the United Kingdom in October this year, where he will begin a Bachelor of Arts (Music Tripos) with Honours at Cambridge University. He will also be the Organ Scholar at the university’s Downing College.
Sunday’s concert will be at St John’s Anglican Church in Te Awamutu.
Ryan Fleming looks back on issues dealt with by Te Awamutu police.
Monday - Police were called to an address in Kihikihi following a report of suspicious behaviour and we also received a report of a burglary and wilful damage. Police attended two family harm matters, requested a medical revocation for a frail driver and received a report of a Facebook marketplace scam.
Tuesday - We attended a mental health incident, received yet another report of a Facebook marketplace scam, received reports of suspicious behaviour from school students who were truant. A number were returned to school and parents contacted.
Wednesday - Police attended a minor motor vehicle collision, attended two family harm and a civil matter and served a trespass notice. A wilful damage matter was reported, a youth was found driving over the alcohol limit and we attended a mental health incident.
Thursday - Police received a report of graffiti at three separate sites, attended a family harm matter and received a report of shoplifting. A male was stopped and found to be breaching his alcohol interlock license conditions, police
Mind those scammers
Scammers have been active in Waipā and the King Country in recent weeks.
Our sister paper the King Country News reported that a Te Kūiti woman was recently conned into providing bank details to a caller –and then found more than $40,000 had been taken from her account.
Te Awamutu community constable Ryan Fleming in his weekly report of what police have been doing reported there were several incidents of scamming on Facebook’s marketplace.
He has put together a series of tips for readers of The News to avoid the marketplace villains.
“By following these tips, you can significantly reduce the risk of being scammed on Facebook Marketplace,” he says.
1. Verify Profiles - Check the seller’s profile to ensure it’s genuine. Look for profiles with a profile picture, cover photo, and bio information.
2. Be Cautious of Low Prices - If the price is significantly lower than similar items, it may be a scam.
served a trespass notice, a male breached his trespass notice and threatened store workers in the process, Police assisted animal control regarding an abused or neglected dog, received a report of a burglary and a male was arrested for breach of bail.
Friday - A vehicle was reported stolen, a stolen trailer was found by police, we assisted ambulance staff at an address , received a missing person report, attended a family harm incident, arrested a male for breach of release conditions and attended an address after voices were heard on the property.
Saturday - A burglary was reported , police received a report of a social media scam, and a wilful damage matter was reported. We attended a custody dispute, attended two family harm incidents and a burglary was reported at a school. A male breached his bail conditions and is being sought by police.
Sunday – We attended three family harm incidents and three males were involved in the smashing of a shop window.
3. Check Photos and Descriptions - Ensure photos are clear and show the item from multiple angles. Be wary of blurry or stock photos. Read descriptions carefully and check for red flags like poor grammar or spelling.
4. Use Facebook’s Built-in Features – Features like Purchase Protection and Shipping Labels ensure a smooth transaction.
5. Communicate on Facebook - Keep all communication within Facebook Messenger to ensure you’re protected by Facebook’s policies.
6. Meet in a Safe Location - Meet the seller in a public place and bring a friend or family member for added safety.
7. Don’t Send Money - Never send money or make payments outside of Facebook’s payment system.
8. Report Suspicious Activity - If you suspect a scam, report it to Facebook immediately.
9. Keep Personal Info PrivateDon’t share personal info like your address or financial info.
10. Trust Your Instincts - If something feels off, trust your instincts and walk away.
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Fleming
Musician Matthew Chanwai will perform in Te Awamutu.
Mānuka planting
Forty hectares of Manuka will be planted on Waipā District Council land in the Sainsbury Road Forest at Pirongia as a long-term investment.
The council says a lease agreement with a Manuka honey company for the land has the potential to turn an investment of $485,000 to $2.4 million over a 25-year period.
Author signing
Novelist Charity Norman will be guest author at the Paper Plus Te Awamutu book club on August 28. She will talk about her new book Home Truths. Norman’s Remember
Me was the Ngaio Marsh Awards novel of the year.
Tower repair
St Andrews parishioners voted to invest in repairing the Cambridge church’s bell tower at a meeting held in the Parish Centre on Sunday. One of the four kauri pillars from 1881 holding up the tower is rotten, and the tower is now off limits to campanologists – the formal word for bell ringers.
Building awards
A Leamington home was named supreme house at the Waikato Registered Master Builders House of the Year awards last weekend. The Grayling Builders house also won the $2-4 million build category, craftsmanship, outdoor living, bathroom, kitchen and lifestyle awards and a gold award. Another house, built by G.D. Pringle Building in Cambridge took out the Waikato Supreme Renovation of the Year Award.
Crime lines
A Cambridge based retired policeman has released his memoirs. Chook Henwood, a police officer for 37 years, was part of the team which sought to catch serial rapists Joseph Thompson and Malcolm Rewa. Unmasking Monsters details what policing in Auckland used to be like and what police had to do to catch criminals using the resources they had at the time.
Ex-posties detail claim
By Chris Gardner
Former Waipā posties Danny and Ian Kennedy have detailed their damages claim against New Zealand Post.
NZ Post cancelled the Kennedys contract to deliver “all mail” in the RD3 Tamahere district in November 2023 after the Kennedys complained that some mail was being delivered by other contractors.
They failed to get a High Court injunction preventing the cancellation of the contract in November, but Justice Ian Gault said there were
serious questions around NZ Post’s termination notice and the Kennedy’s claim they had been promised an exclusive territory. These were best addressed by damages claim, he said.
Danny Kennedy told The News there were four parts to their claim.
“We are seeking the lost value of our run, damages from discovery (lost income from NZ Post taking our remuneration and giving it to their couriers delivering in the RD3 run), damages for breach of contract (and wrongful termination of contract) and any other potential damages so determined by the court for breach of contract,”
Kennedy said.
Last month the Kennedys heard their request for a ministerial inquiry had passed from State Owned Enterprises minister Paul Goldsmith to Chris Bishop and onto Simeon Brown before it was dismissed in favour of a NZ Post board review.
The couple, through Pro Drive advocate Pete Gallagher, are awaiting a response from the NZ Post board.
The Kennedys sold their Te Awamutu home and moved to the South Island in June.
NZ Post declined to comment.
Alpha goes from ale to ailments
By Chris Gardner
Pixie Stockman walks smiling from a health and wellbeing assessment at Kihikihi’s community hub.
She consulted Te Kotahi Oranga Health and Wellness Centre student nurse Natasha To’o during the student-assisted clinic’s first visit to the former Alpha Hotel last Thursday.
The free clinic – which will run each week – is one of the most tangible examples of the vision Bill Harris and his team had when they negotiated to use the disused 150-year-old hotel owned by Auckland businessman and former politician Arthur Anae.
“I felt I had a real personal touch and was not being shooed out of the door like I would be at the GPs,” said the 57-year-old Kihikihi woman who works in Te Awamutu.
“They are very understanding.”
Stockman will ask for her prescribed medication reviewed following her consultation.
“Pixie just came in for a free checkup, and we were able to measure her vital signs,” said Te Pukenga student To’o.
“I love it. I so see myself working in the community. This is more me.”
For University of Waikato nursing student Muhammad Hussain, the visit was all about learning in the field. “All together, it’s quite good,” he said.
Waipā Māori ward councillor Dale-Maree Morgan was among the dozen visitors who consulted the team.
“It went very well,” she said. “I am very grateful for them coming out to us.”
Rural communities like Kihikihi
even basic healthcare, she said.
Te Kotahi Oranga manager
Jacqui Coates-Harris - a registered nurse mentor - said the health and wellness centre offered free prediabetes care and management
among its services alongside a falls assessment and prevention programme. Coates-Harris was joined by registered nurse mentor
Melissa Castillo in providing clinical oversight on site.
Harris, Ngāti Apakura Runanga
Trust chair, said it was satisfying to see the community hub being used to help the community.
“GP costs are going up, people are not going to come,” he said. “If we can make a difference, that’s the purpose.”
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often found it difficult to access
Pixie Stockman, left, consults with Natasha To’o.
Waipa Workingmens Club
Great people, great food, great atmosphere. Enjoy what the club has to offer!
Stars and home truths
By Julie Guest
This week our local news has been full of the wonderful successes of our athletes at the Olympic games. I’m guessing more than one of us has basked in their glory.
As well as that, our Waipā area has also produced the winner of the Lexus Song contest, Katie Trigg. Congratulations to Katie and all our athletes.
Whenever someone wins at a mammoth task like that, we know that the winner is hard working, determined, focussed and able to keep going in the face of adversity.
As Christine wrote last week, we also know they haven’t got there alone.
There has been a dedicated and determined team behind them, right from the beginning - a parent to transport and finance, a teacher to encourage, a coach or tutor recognising and enabling talent to develop.
On the other hand, week after week we also read in our local papers of those who are at the other end of our admiration scale; those who are inflicting abuse on family, those who are embroiled in family violence. Just as there are teams of supporters and teachers for winners, so there are demonstrators and shapers of violence. Young people who grow up in homes where violence is the norm can’t help but learn a way of life that is hard to break out of.
them.
When any member of our community cannot develop to their potential, we all miss out.
When so many of our community are in situations where they feel unsafe enough that police need to be called, our whole community is unwell.
The Bible tells us that each of us is wonderfully created, each of us divinely loved.
Jesus is absolutely clear that we are to do for others what we would want done for ourselves.
New Zealand community was formed with these Christian beliefs as a basis. But we have moved from an understanding of collective well-being, to one that focusses on individual well-being and in doing so we have overlooked the suffering of people who are our neighbours.
We have allowed agencies to take the responsibility that is ours as well. We have chosen not to see.
Whilst we celebrate with the stars, can we also open our eyes to the truth in our own neighbourhood?
Club Facilities and Member Benefits
• Plenty of off street parking
• Rafters Restaurant
• Full TAB Service
• Gaming Lounge
• Pool and Snooker Tables
• Dartboards
• Kids Zone with gaming consoles and foosball table
• Live Entertainment
• Courtesy Van
• Members Draw Nights
• Meat Raffles
• Covered outdoor dining area
• Venue Hire at discounted rates
• Range of Social and sports groups available
Get in touch or simply fill out our online membership form at www.waipawmc.co.nz
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It is also life-limiting because these children are unlikely to have parents who can support their interests, who can transport them to rehearsals.
Even if they catch the eye of a teacher or coach, the family is likely to move from school to school and miss opportunities to develop under the coach who might nurture
As a community we can create teams of supporters for artists and sportspeople - all so that the one person can shine.
Teams that work to support and encourage full human flourishing do exist in Te Awamutu, but most are struggling.
What might happen if this community showed the same determination for wellbeing for all its residents, as it does for sporting success of a few?
ON SHAKY GROUND
Volcanoes, us, and time
By Janine Krippner
Thinking about time as someone who studies the Earth can get a bit weird. Volcanic activity spans hundreds of thousands, and even millions of years. We consider a volcano that has erupted within the past 10,000 or so years young and potentially active. Volcanic eruptions can last hours, months, years, decades, or longer. Pyroclastic flows can devastate a landscape in seconds to minutes. Magmatic gases violently expanding and blowing the magma to rock and ash takes split seconds.
A human lifetime is a very short time span when thinking about volcanoes. We are lulled into a false sense of security when we haven’t seen a particular volcano erupt in a while, and this can lead to not prioritising planning. The funding, expertise, and local experience needed to plan for an eruption may, understandably, feel less important when we have very real threats like a cost-of-living crisis and dangerous roads to contend with. As someone who has been impacted by the recent job and funding cuts, I understand. For me, the next few months feel utterly daunting with the uncertainty and lack of a plan, even when thinking about volcanic time scales.
I was recently one of the first to an accident scene and I felt seconds stretch out as I responded as best I could to help an injured person. What felt like a very long time before the ambulance arrived turned out to be only half an hour. The second pause between hearing the loud crash, my brain processing what I was hearing, and tearing out the door while dialling 111 felt like slow-motion. Last week I wrote about the importance of our communities and again suggested getting first-aid certified, and this was playing out
for me in real time. I am so very grateful for that training, even with two incredible women much more qualified than I was also at the scene. In a crisis, decisions must be made with never enough time. With volcanoes, these calls include evacuations or rescue attempts, all in scenarios where the eruption can change at any moment. We work to ensure that we understand volcanoes to empower those making the tough calls as much as possible. Decades of research spanning eruptions that occurred over millions of years, all to help with decisions that need to be made over seconds, minutes, or hours. Decisions that can impact us for the rest of our lives.
When you are in a situation yourself, whether it be a flood, earthquake, eruption, or road accident, you want people who know what they are doing to respond. If I was the one lying by the road needing help, I would hope that the people around me didn’t decide to not get training because they thought it was unlikely they would be in this situation. I would hope that the first responders I needed hadn’t lost their jobs.
Many situations are dependent on decisions made all the way from government to the guy on the street. How a crisis plays out can be dictated by a chain of individuals who many never connect, taking action across years or even decades. Actions from cutting funding to important projects, to not getting qualified to help someone in need. Never doubt the power you have to make a big difference.
Sanctuary Mount halves rangers
By Chris Gardner
Maungatautari Ecological Island
Trust has let half of its mountain rangers go as Department of Conservation funding ended.
Maungatautari Sanctuary
Mountain general manager Helen Hughes told The News the trust had lost seven of the 13 mountain rangers the trust employed when she joined the organisation in October 2023. Their job is to protect the many endangered species living within the world’s largest predator proof enclosure near Cambridge with constant maintenance and monitoring of predator traps.
The 3400-hectare project costs $5000 a day to run and was set up to be joint funded by DOC, Waikato Regional Council and Waipā District Council.
“DOC Jobs 4 Nature funding has dried up, with that we have lost some staff, down to the minimum level, and we have to change the way we do things,” Hughes said.
DOC provided $589,000 worth of Jobs 4 Nature funding over four years. “We are down to six rangers and a manager,” Hughes said.
She took solace in knowing the trust was not the only organisation going through such challenges.
Ranger Warwick Prewer, recently profiled in The News, kept his job after the trust found two months funding from elsewhere.
Meanwhile, the trust has raised enough funds to extend operation
beyond the end of August until October with plans for collection days at branches of The Warehouse.
“We can see that we have got enough funding to get us there,” Hughes said.
“We have got funding for two months. We seem to be chasing two months. That seems to be what
we are doing at the moment.”
Hughes is applying for grants from the Waikato’s philanthropic organisations and the National Lottery as well as having conversations with potential sponsors.
“The DV Bryant Trust confirmed we are getting $20,000, which is wonderful,” she said.
Discussions are also underway with Waikato Regional Council for further funding.
“We are just waiting on others, it’s quite a long process. There’s lots of irons in the fire.”
Hughes is hopeful DOC will continue to support the project after welcoming representatives of the government department to the
trust’s August board meeting last week.
“They are going through a strategic review themselves and that’s going to take time,” she said. “That’s a challenge for us as well.”
As well as the Jobs 4 Nature funding, DOC has also supported Maungatautari over the last four years with $441,000 worth of threatened species monitoring funding, such as kākāpō and hihi (stitch bird), and $140,000 worth of operating costs funding.
Waipā District Council Maungatautari ward councillor and former trustee Mike Montgomerie was not surprised to hear of the project’s cash flow crisis since it was much larger and more complex than the early days when he served on the trust.
“I am well aware of the financial issues of running the project. The nature of the project means it’s always relying on donations. It’s always been a challenge,” he said.
“I’m watching it with a great deal of interest,” he said. “I really want it to survive and thrive. It is a great project.”
Maungatautari was recognised as a reserve in 1912. The Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust was formed in 2001. Building of the predator proof fence began in 2002 and by 2004 all mammals were eradicated from the two enclosures. A record 20,000 visitors came to Maungatautari in the last year, including 4000 school students.
Spooking the markets
By Peter Nicholl
On August 5 the Japanese stock market had its biggest daily drop in 37 years.
Other share-markets quickly followed. The story spread around the world that the reason was that markets were rattled by the prospect of a recession in the US. That view, in turn, was based primarily on a single new piece of economic data – the US economy had created far fewer new jobs (114,000) in July than the 175,000 the markets had expected.
Some central banks had already started lowering their official interest rates: Switzerland (March), Sweden (May), ECB and Canada (June) and the Bank of England (August). The US Federal Reserve and the Reserve Bank of Australia had taken recent decisions to leave their official interest rates unchanged.
Market pressure Immediately fell on these two central banks and on our reserve banks to fall into line and begin lowering their policy interest rates urgently.
This is a classic case of the financial markets becoming spooked, looking around for a simple reason for their panic and, believing they had found it, piling the pressure on to blame someone else for their problems.
The share market falls had started the week before in the Nasdaq exchange in the US, which is heavily weighted in tech stocks. This market had seen huge rises over the previous two years driven by the prices of a handful of tech stocks. The feeling had been growing that most of these share prices were overvalued.
In the days just before the Nasdaq price collapse, one of these giants, Intel, had announced that it was cutting 15,000 jobs
and there were rumours that another, Nvidia, would be delaying the release of its new AI chip.
Once a correction in the share prices of these large tech stocks started, traders got spooked.
But as always seems to happen with asset prices, the time when risk is becoming extreme in a market is when the prices are rising extremely rapidly and are beginning to lose contact with fundamentals – we have seen it with tech stocks, housing, cryptocurrencies. When this happens, a market correction becomes inevitable.
Once the correction starts, automatic market trading mechanisms often exacerbate it. This happened on this occasion.
Added to this tension within the financial markets themselves was the sharp increase in political tensions, especially in the Middle East.
So it seemed a bit rich to me that the financial markets blame the problem on slow-moving central banks. This seemed even more the case when after a few days most of the global share mark began to recover.
Where does that leave our Reserve Bank? Its cash rate decisions were due yesterday (after The News went to press) – then on October 9 and November 14.
The dominant view of market commentators had been that it would move the cash rate down before the end of the year but before the recent global share market dramas, not many were expecting the first downward change to be this month. Suddenly, the mood changed and there was pressure to move.
TB and misinformation
By Meghan Hawkes
‘The Captain of all these men of death’ - the dreaded tuberculosis – every so often visited the Te Awamutu district. The unflagging efforts of Isabel Pope in February 1911 could not save her husband William from it, nor was Donald Matheson later in that year any match for it.
In 1906 Isabel had resigned her Pirongia Postmistress position ahead of her forthcoming marriage. She had been in charge of the post office for many years and was appreciated for her courteous manner. The wedding was a popular one, William Pope also being liked and respected in the district. The Popes settled in Pirongia but the decimating disease, which was then commonly called consumption because it appeared to consume the affected person through weight loss and wasting, took hold of him. For a long time he required the utmost care and attention which he received from his attentive wife but five years after they married William died. He was buried in Pirongia cemetery.
In August of that year Donald Matheson, 41, was compelled to stop work at the Te Awamutu Bank of New Zealand where for the past five years he had been employed as an accountant. He suffered from a throat complaint and hoped that a three-month furlough would restore him to health.
Donald had been in the employ of the BNZ since his arrival from Scotland 14 years previously. He had married Merelina Maude, 22, in 1908 when he was 37 but they were only to enjoy three years together. Donald’s death cut short what might have been a
bright and promising life. He was buried in St John’s cemetery.
The first open air sanatorium for tuberculosis sufferers in New Zealand, Te Waikato, had been opened near Cambridge in 1903. It was thought the climate at Cambridge was drier than other parts of the North Island. The sanatorium was greatly needed, and many saw it as a lifeline. Methods for treating TB in the early 1900s included fresh air, good food and sometimes surgery; although an opinion from London stated that sanatoria were usually governed by medical men who did not themselves know how to breathe.
By 1912 fear-driven misinformation about the Cambridge sanatorium was discussed in parliament after the impression had got abroad that the inmates walked about the town and mixed with others. This had the effect of keeping people away from Cambridge.
The sanatorium, protested Mr Young, MP for Waikato, was not the ‘Cambridge Sanatorium’ and was not in the town of Cambridge.
The institution was ‘Te Waikato Sanatorium,’ and it was at Maungakawa, seven miles out of Cambridge away up on the hills.
“The Captain of all these men of death,” wrote John Bunyan in 1680, “that came against him to take him away, was the Consumption, for it was that that brought him down to the grave.”
It’s a blow for the starlings
By Viv Posselt
Roosting pest birds at Lake Rotopiko near Ōhaupō are being given another incentive to move on and take their messy poo with them.
Collaborative efforts involving Te Awamutu Rotary Club and the New Zealand Wetlands Trust have been given a boost by Te Awamutu-based Waipā Hire, which has sponsored an enormous chipper to help Rotary volunteers clear the slash underneath stands of kahikatea trees at the lake.
The pesky birds apparently don’t like the wind and experts hope
areas of cleared slash will make it too breezy for the birds to roost.
Rotary has arranged three ‘feeding the beast’ sessions this month to remove the slash –August 2, 16 and 30.
Rotarian and environmental co-ordinator Stephen Cox said pole chainsaw have been used to clear the bottom six metres of the trees to help create an air flow aimed at deterring the roosting birds.
“The resultant mulch will also improve the kahikatea stand floor and will encourage the growth of newly planted natives that the birds cannot perch in.”
Cox said Toi Ohomai Institute
of Technology and Wintec are monitoring the bird numbers so the outcomes of the ‘feed the beast’ exercise will be available later this year. Roosting birds have become increasingly problematic at Lake Rotopiko in recent years. A successful pest eradication problem resulted in pest birds – notably
starlings and sparrows – arriving in their thousands each night. The amount of bird poo they leave behind creates high concentrations of nutrients that jeopardise wider restoration projects in the area.
A collaborative research project was launched in 2020 to look into the problem. Led by the National Wetland Trust and involving both
Wintec and Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology, it is the first study of its type. Also lending support is the Waipā District Council and Ngāti Apakura. World Rotary president Gordon McInally toured the Lake Rotopiko wetland area when visiting New Zealand a few months ago from his home in Scotland.
amend
Volunteers help feed the chipper while clearing slash at Lake Rotopiko. Photo: supplied
Slash under the stand of kahikatea trees before the chipping. Photo: supplied
Major roadworks ahead
By Roy Pilott
Waka Kotahi – the New Zealand Transport Agency - is set to start renewal work over almost a quarter of the 220km long road between Piarere and the Waiouru.
And it will involve compacting what would normally have been four years’ work into just less than one and a half.
The intensive 16-month project will start on September 9 when State Highway 1 from near the SH5 roundabout at Tīrau to the State Highway 28 intersection north of Putāruru – a distance of more than 9km - will close for four weeks.
Detour details have yet to be announced, but a natural route heading south would be via SH5 and White’s Rd, which is SH2B, and that would add a few minutes on what is usually a nine-
minute drive between the two South Waikato towns.
The transport agency says it is one of largest and most ambitious maintenance and rehabilitation projects it has undertaken.
It also dovetails in with the construction of a major roundabout at Piarere, where the T-intersection with SH29 – the road to Tauranga - has long been a headache. That project is expected to be completed in early 2026.
At the same time the 16km Waikato Expressway extension from Karāpiro to Piarere is back on the to-do list having been identified in the $22 billion Government Policy Statement on land transport as a Road of National Significance.
The Piarere-Waiouru road is ranked third worst in terms of quality on the network by NZTA.
“We’re prioritising
improving that by bringing forward the next four years of maintenance and delivering it by the end
of 2025,” NZTA Regional Manager of Maintenance and Operations Roger Brady said.
Up to 2400 heavy vehicles and 9500 light vehicles use the corridor every day.
“With an increasing number of potholes, this stretch of road has also seen more maintenance activity required just to maintain the current condition,” Brady said.
“This accelerated approach will reduce temporary traffic management and labour costs by delivering the work in less than half the time originally planned, and result in fewer potholes on the network over the next 25 years. Worker safety will also be improved by
working in full closures, rather than adjacent to live traffic lanes.”
NZTA says it will work with road users, freight companies, and local body councils over the next month in preparation for the first section of works.
“Our state highways are critical routes for freight and tourism, and serve as important lifelines for communities around New Zealand,” Brady said. “NZTA is strongly focused on maintenance and renewals, reducing potholes, and planning this work to minimise the disruption to road users where possible.”
Expo launches career ambition
By Steph Bell-Jenkins
“Fantastic” was how 17-year-old Zach Clarke summed up the Cambridge Community Careers Expo, held at the town hall last week.
“It’s great, there’s so many things here,” he said. “You’ve got everything I’m interested in, in this room. It’s all like police officers, defence force, stuff like that.”
With NCEA subject choice forms due in at Cambridge High School tomorrow, for Zach it was a well-timed opportunity to find out which subjects would steer him into an engineering career with the Navy.
His ambition was sparked by a visit to last year’s expo.
“Earlier last year I had no clue what I wanted to be but then I went to one of these,” the year 12 student said.
“I was looking around and this was one of the only things that really stood out to me.”
He loves the idea of being out on the ocean, “cruising around” while training and earning money.
At this year’s expo he chatted to the New Zealand Defence Force’s Waikato regional recruiter Texas NgarongoPorima, who outlined the benefits of joining the Navy.
“I don’t even know where to start, to be honest,” the petty officer said. “You’ve got the standard stuff like having medical and dental free, and we’ve got subsidised housing and food – everything is essentially laid
out for you. Your uniform’s free, your tools of the trade are free, we’ll pay you to master your craft or technical expertise in whatever industry you choose, whether it’s cheffing or being a mechanic or being a sparky.”
He said the Navy offered more than 104 different roles and the starting rate for a new recruit was $68,000 a year.
On the opposite side of the hall, representing Victoria University of Wellington, was future student advisor Dylan Chetwin, who grew up in Te Awamutu.
He advised those keen to attend university to follow their strengths and interests and to take note of their passions and curiosities while at high school.
“If a student’s really into performing arts, then that’s something you can really lean into…or if you’re someone who wants to make a change in this world you might think about doing health sciences, you might look at doing law,” he said. “Really start to think about what you do enjoy and what you feel passionate about.”
Cambridge High School’s careers faculty head Karina Judson, who led the expo with support from St Peter’s Cambridge and Te Awamutu College, was “ecstatic” the event had attracted 1000 visitors.
It showcased career opportunities with a range of providers including universities, other tertiary institutions, local industries and businesses.
The Piarere Roundabout project – pictured here in June – is expected to be completed in early 2026.
Texas Ngarongo-Porima (left) chats to Cambridge High School student Zach Clarke about a career in the Navy.
Ella takes the lead
By Mary Anne Gill
When Ella Yarndley graduated from the Special Olympics athlete leadership class at Parliament last week, she joined an elite group of Te Awamutu swimmers.
But it nearly didn’t happen. She was struck down with an illness a few days out from the ceremony - but her tenacity and ability to organise herself meant she graduated with the other five athletes in Wellington.
Yarndley, who turns 23 next week, is the sixth graduate in nine years from Special Olympics Te Awamutu. The others were Stacey Parker, Portia Johnson, Matthew Smith, Tegan Crotty and Jarrod Gilbert.
She received her certificate from host Taupō MP Louise Upston, the Disabilities minister in the government.
Each of the six spoke about what being an athlete leader meant to them. At their initial workshop last year, they went through learning the guiding principles of athlete leadership, the Special Olympics mission and what makes it unique, the different roles that athlete leaders can play, and each developed an action plan for athlete leadership.
Leaders speak in their communities and around New Zealand at seminars and conferences where they talk about intellectual disability, Special Olympics and their experiences.
Athletes who go through the training are qualified to apply to be a Sargent Shriver International Global Messenger. Counties athlete Grace Payne was early this year selected as New Zealand’s first athlete,
hearing the news from the Special Olympics International chair Timothy, the son of Special Olympics founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver. The programme is named after her husband Sargent Shriver, a former American diplomate, politician and activist.
Yarndley’s mentor was Shelley Blair – the Te Awamutu News person of the year in 2022 - who has been involved with her at swimming classes for 12 years.
“She’s a great girl – very confident and she loves helping others out in the pool.”
She is also Blair’s most elite swimmer, not bad when there are 20 in the Te Awamutu Special Olympics group.
“She is good at all four main swimming strokes - freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly.”
At a recent meet, Yarndley swam against male swimmers because she had been beating all the girls. Even then she came first equal, said Blair.
“She’s also confident enough to spread the words about Special Olympics.”
Yarndley, who attended Te Awamutu primary and intermediate schools before moving to Patricia Avenue School in Hamilton, works three mornings a week at a rest home and has been flatting in town where her organisational ability has been to the fore. She participates in programmes at Te Awamutu disability organisation Enrich Plus.
Her parents Scott and Jennie attended the graduation where Rāwiri Hawker, Richard Langford, Katie McMillan, Tom Morland and Jack Rowe also received their graduation certificates.
Tulip rules the green
The final tournament of the winter season for the Kihikihi Bowling Club provided the club an opportunity to acknowledge the work of its greenkeeper.
“Mark Tulip’s efforts over the last three seasons in bringing these greens up to such a high standard and enabling them to be played on during the winter months is quite exceptional,” club spokesperson Clark Ambury said.
The retiring greenkeeper’s efforts had received praise from some of the very best bowlers in the Waikato Centre area, he said.
Sunday’s tournament was the culmination of two successful winter programmes completed on the traditional grass green. Kihikihi was the only club to play on grass during winter – other clubs in the Waikato Centre play on artificial
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“carpet greens”. Fourteen teams representing nine clubs took part – there were two four winners and two three winners, one of which missed out on the prizes. Taking first place was the Frankton Junction team of Steve Liddington (skip), Dean Te Mono and Eddie Knox who headed off the Putāruru
Chen Naude and Graham Hoole by three ends and three extra points.
A Kihikihi trio of Geoff Mc Manus (skip), Jeff Heke and his grandson Bradleigh - playing in a tournament for the first time, took third prize, heading of an Ōtorohanga team skipped by Allan Johnston.
The new season for the club will start on September 7.
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side of Noel Sutton (skip),
Frankton Junction’s Dean Te Mono, Steve Liddington and Eddie Knox (right) pictured with, second from right, Te Kūiti club president Geoff Mc Manus
Ella Yarndley at Parliament with her Special Olympics athlete leadership graduation certificate and parents Scott and Jennie.
Photo: Joe Serci.
Mental health course applauded
By Kate Monahan
Seventeen people from Waipā and King Country, including representatives from police, schools and a youth trust have completed a Youth Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Aotearoa workshop.
The two-day training, held in Te Awamutu August 1 and 8, was run by Mates Matters NZ.
The Youth MHFA Aotearoa programme equips adults with knowledge, skills and confidence to recognise and respond when a young person is experiencing a mental health challenge or crisis.
“Mental health is huge within our communities and there are a lot of pressures on our youth,” said Constable Kathryn Payne, a school community officer. In her role, she supports around 80 schools including those in Waipā and King Country.
According to the 2022/23 New Zealand Health Survey, over half of all New Zealanders aged 15 to 24 experience anxiety or depression. The number of young people experiencing moderate to high distress have nearly doubled since 2016/17 and Māori, Pacific, disabled and rainbow youth are more vulnerable.
The workshop focused on how adults can understand and support the mental health of intermediate and high school aged children, with a five-step mental health action plan to follow if needed.
It covered topics such as anxiety, depression, eating disorders, substance abuse, suicidal thoughts and behaviours, panic attacks, traumatic events and psychosis.
A group from Ko Wai Au Trust, a not-for-profit organisation supporting rangatahi, also attended the workshop.
“It was awesome, I loved it,” said Ko Wai Au Trust co-founder and general manager Georgina Christie. “We all took away some good learnings, good validation that we are on the right track, and some good reminders.”
Co-founder Andrew Christie said talking about mental health was important to reducing stigma in the community.
Te Awamutu Intermediate learning support coordinator Karyn Kay said the workshop reflected what many schools were seeing with increased levels of anxiety, along with social, behavioural and learning challenges among students.
Workshop co-facilitator Sarah Christensen, who is also the programme manager for Mental Health First Aid Aotearoa, said it was fantastic to see so many people come together to support youth.
As Mental Health First Aiders, they join more than 7500 adults across the country who have been trained in one of the MHFA Aotearoa programmes.
Christensen and co-facilitator Sarah Keelty from Health New
OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY HEALTH FORUM
Te
have decades of experience working in the mental health and addictions sector, something valued by workshop participants.
Georgina Christie said one of the highlights of the workshop was collaborating and building stronger relationship with others working with young people in the region.
“At the end of the day, we not only want to be able to support the rangatahi and whānau we work with, but we all want to make a better and stronger community.”
Zealand
Whatu Ora Waikato
Workshop completed, from left, back row - Andrew Christie, Georgina Christie, Anthony Kahura, Rachel Peehikuru, Louise Emery and Tiri Maresca-Allison, middle row - Kathryn Payne, Karyn Kay, Natasha Dunne, Emma Croucher and Tia Kingi, front - Mikaera Hemara,
Barbara Nelson, Collette Corley and Jackson Willison.
Community Connect
August 15, 2024
Fan Festival inspires hundreds of future champions
Waipā’s Olympic future looks bright after 523 people attended the Waipā Fan Festival. Our community banded together to celebrate Waipā’s hometown heroes, as they’ve been competing with the world’s best at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
The have-a-go track sessions provided the opportunity to step outside your comfort zone, learn from expert coaches and push your limits.
The ring toss, ‘shot put’ or corn-in-the hole provided the youngest at heart the chance to get into the Olympic spirit. Erg challenges on rowing machines and bikes saw the competitive streak come out in many.
Cambridge BMX Club provided the thrills with demos for a very eager audience.
With over 40 Waipā athletes making up the New Zealand Olympic and Paralympic teams, Waipā truly is the Home of Champions.
Waipā’s medal tally totalled 10. An absolutely phenomenal achievement! Bring on the Paralympic Games, starting on Wednesday, August 28. Go hard team!
Check out the entire photo album over at: WaipaHomeofChampions
Community asked to have their say on alcohol rules
Now is the time for Waipā residents to have their say on how they want alcohol managed in their community.
Consultation is open on the proposed Local Alcohol Policy, Alcohol Control Bylaw and Alcohol Fees Bylaw. Group manager district growth and regulatory services Wayne Allan said the community had an opportunity to have their say on all alcohol-related controls.
“Looking at all three processes will help us cohesively assist in minimising alcohol-related harm in the community.”
Some of the key proposed changes include:
• Capping the total number of off-licence premises in the main shopping centres
Offices closed
• Expanding some of the 24-hour alcohol ban areas
• Introducing an 8pm to 8am alcohol ban in some places
• Increasing the alcohol licence application and renewal fees
The community can have their say until 5pm, Thursday, September 12. For more information visit waipadc.govt.nz/alcoholreview or scan the QR code below.
From 1pm on Thursday, August 15 Council offices, Waipā Libraries and the Te Awamutu Museum will be closed and will reopen on Friday, August 16. Some services you may need during that time can be done on our website, waipadc.govt.nz/do-it-online
Our call centre will remain available on 0800 924 723.
Our residents and ratepayers have the chance to have their say on whether they want to be represented differently on their council at the next election.
The proposal would see the number of general ward councillors reduce from 10 to 7, bringing the total number around the council table to 9.
Councillor and ward representation
The remuneration pool would remain the same as it is set by the Remuneration Authority.
Mayor Susan O’Regan said there was no perfect representation system and the challenge for the council was to ask themselves if they could do better in terms of their governance and representative functions for their community.
“It would be remiss of us not to offer the opportunity for our residents to have their say on the proposal,” she said.
As the rural and provincial sector representative on the Local Government New Zealand Electoral Reform Working Group, O’Regan was involved in key discussions at a national level about how improvements in local democracy could be best achieved.
“There is a lot of change on the horizon for Local Government and I believe there is a real opportunity to create a stronger governance model to lead our district into the future,” she said.
Consultation on the proposal closes at 5pm on Thursday, September 5.
For more information visit: waipadc.govt.nz/representationreview or scan the QR code.
August 2024 Newsletter
Representing customers in the Waipā District and Kawhia
Your Current Trust
From left:
Marcus Gower (Trustee)
Kayla Heeringa (Trust Manager)
Judy Bannon (Trustee)
David McLean (Deputy Chairperson)
Sarah Matthews (Chairperson)
Raymond Milner (Trustee)
Measures of Waipa Networks Ltd
Trustee Elections
Under Section 44 of the Energy Companies Act 1992, the Company is required to report its performance against targets set out in the Statement of Corporate Intent for the year. The performance of the business for the year ended 31 March 2024 is as follows:
Every three years customers vote for up to six members for the Trust. The Trust in turn appoints the Company Directors, who are responsible for the running of the Company. The last scheduled Trustee election was held in October 2021, with the next scheduled Trustee election to be held in October 2024.
What’s Coming Up?
Our Annual General Beneficiaries Meeting will be held at Waipa Networks, 240 Harrison Drive, Te Awamutu on 23rd August 2024, commencing at 10:00am.
At the meeting, the Trustees will report on:
The operation of Waipa Networks Trust for the year ended 31 March 2024.
Nominations for the 2024 election opened on the 20th June and close Thursday 22nd August at 5:00pm
For more details on the election process, visit www.waipanetworkstrust.co.nz
The Financial Statements of Waipa Networks Trust for the year ended 31 March 2024.
The performance of Waipa Networks Limited for the year ended 31 March 2024.
The compliance of Waipa Networks Limited with its Statement of Corporate Intent for the year ended 31 March 2024.
The Annual Plan 2024/25 of Waipa Networks Trust.
At the meeting the Beneficiaries will be given the opportunity to:
Appoint the Auditor for Waipa Networks Trust for the 2025 financial year.
Speak on all matters being considered at the Annual Meeting.
Please note that the above-named documents are available for public inspection on the Trust website or at the offices of Waipa Networks Ltd during ordinary business hours.
Your Trust in Numbers
Directors of Waipa Networks Ltd
The Directors of Waipā Networks Ltd as at 31st March 2024 were Jonathan Kay (Chairperson), Mike Marr (Deputy Chairperson), Jonathan Cameron, Jennifer Kerr and Mark Stuart.
For more details on the Directors of Waipa Networks Ltd, visit www.waipanetworks.co.nz
7.2 million shares (100%) in Waipā Networks Limited held by the Trust on your behalf.
$5,100,000 was granted to customers in the financial year ended 31 March 2024 in special discounts. $194,353,078
$103,858,906 has been granted in special discounts between 1 April 2001 – 31 March 2024.
CountryLife
Mapping out Waipā
When Maungatautari ward councillor Mike Montgomerie voted for the Waipā representation review to go out for discussion, he had some reservations. Would the proposal give an adequate voice for the rural community he represents?
It is to combine the Maungatautari and Pirongia-Kakepuku wards into one rural ward with two representatives, down from three, reduce the number of Cambridge councillors from four to three, and Te Awamutu Kihikihi ward councillors from three to two.
Montgomerie’s biggest concern is it will struggle to give that voice because, he argues, the two rural councillors voted from across the district will represent quite different communities of interest.
The proposed new rural ward takes in the urban settlements of Pirongia, Ōhaupō and Ngāhinapōuri. Gone from the ward into Cambridge is Karāpiro with its 78 properties and 190 electors – by next year’s elections that will be closer to 200 votes.
Montgomerie lives in Oreipunga Road
– he is as close to Tīrau and Putāruru in the South Waikato district as he is to Cambridge, a town he unashamedly describes as his community of interest.
His family ties – he is a fifth generation dairy farmer in the district - run through the town. His involvement with Fonterra, and his background as a lawyer, saw him chair the dairy co-operative’s governance and ethics committee and he was involved in a representation review.
He recently told The News the parking pressures in Cambridge had prompted him to think carefully about where he shops and accesses his rural services. South Waikato is an obvious attraction over the crowded Cambridge.
He and his neighbours have little or no community of interest with rural voters in the vast area west of the great divide halfway down Kaipaki and Cambridge roads to Pirongia Forest Park.
“The key issue is whether two rural councillors can give adequate voice to that rural community,” he says.
So, he wants rural voters across the district to have that conversation and to feed back so when he comes to vote on the proposal, he knows what other rural residents think.
In a quirky anomaly though, the present council is very well represented by people who cite RD on their address and yet represent urban wards.
Liz Stolwyk, Philip Coles and Mike Pettit – three of Cambridge’s four councillors –live rurally as does mayor Susan O’Regan.
Add in the existing rural members –Montgomerie, Bruce Thomas and Clare St Pierre – it means seven of the 12 (nearly 60 per cent) live in the country.
“Anyone can stand in any ward,” says Montgomerie who rejects the argument that rural voters have been overrepresented.
“Urban people get what they vote for. You get what you vote for in a democracy.”
One councillor who lives within spitting distance of Cambridge’s central business district argues, if adopted, the proposal to only have eight councillors will disadvantage
the eastern part of the district.
In a paper he provided to staff and councillors, Roger Gordon says under a single rural ward system, the result would likely see two come from the west and result in the eastern rural population having no representation.
“There is a suggestion that the rural population across the whole region have a similar raft of issues and experience.
“However, the contrary view is that those in the east of the region consider that the town of Cambridge is their service centre for education, health social services and retail etc and have a greater interest in what is happening in that town.
“Similarly, the west considers Te Awamutu as their centre,” he says.
“There are distinct communities of interest within the region wide rural population which would reflect in the vote.”
Gordon also argues the extra money paid to the eight councillors would not attract more quality candidates.
Mapping it out
Continued from page 21
Elected members currently get from $47,000 a year to $53,000 with the deputy mayor getting $67,000. That would go up to between $63,000 to $69,000 with the deputy getting $85,000.
“If it is the wish to attract candidates that have professional and/or career backgrounds, the level of payment does not match that from various career sectors. I suggest it would have the opposite effect and influence them to not bother standing as they could not commit to the time requirement on top of their existing full-time job.”
The reason for standing in
Waipā is from a sense of civic duty “a wish to make the district a better place to live,” says Gordon. “It certainly is not for the money. If we lost this as the prime motivator for becoming a councillor, it would be a sad day.”
The two-term councillor, and prior to that a community board member, is miffed at the suggestion he and other “part time” councillors are unprofessional or not dedicated to their roles.
Gordon says the debate he sees suggests councillors spend many hours reading and researching the topics of discussion.
Montgomerie agrees.
“This is a really big job; it was more than I expected. The reading, it’s at the big end of the job.”
Submissions close September 5.
Development after Te Waka
By Stu Kneebone, Waipā-King Country Councillor
Following the recent decision by the board of Waikato’s economic development agency Te Waka to wind up its operations, the Waikato Regional Council (WRC) has been giving consideration to what role it can play as a regional leader to assist in bringing sectors together to understand how best to facilitate and encourage economic development in the region.
As the fourth largest region in New Zealand, both in terms of population and geographic area, the Waikato is a key part of the economy. However there are concerns that it has not always spoken with a collective and unified voice when looking to capitalise on regional economic development and investment opportunities. In this regard, it has lagged behind other regions.
The government has signalled it wants to work with regions that are well coordinated and know what they want. This theme is not unique, and many previous administrations have signalled similar messages. While many individual district councils across the Waikato contributed to funding Te Waka, along with the WRC, it was a somewhat piecemeal approach, which no doubt contributed to the challenges faced by Te Waka.
The WRC contribution was funded by returns from its investment fund which dates back to 1989 when the council was established. Shares in the Ports of Auckland and Tauranga were provided to WRC (all Regional Councils throughout NZ became shareholders in their respective ports) by the government of the day. The WRC shareholding was subsequently sold by the council of the day, and the funds invested. This fund is today managed by an investment fund advisor.
The returns from this fund are utilised in accordance with WRCs Statement of Investment Policy & Objectives.
Several years ago, council established a Regional Development Fund (RDF) in an effort to make contestable funds available for regionally significant economic development projects, funded by a portion of the investment fund returns. However the fund was not well subscribed, and so was recently wound up.
Council is looking at how the residual funds accumulated during the life of the RDF can be best utilised for strategic regional economic priorities and development activities.
This is not something that council are rushing. This fund is an intergenerational asset, and council is cognisant of the need to utilise the returns it provides wisely and in the interests of the region as a whole.
Our chair and chief executive are initiating conversations with a range of stakeholders, including iwi across the region to understand their views on economic development functions, what roles the various stakeholders can or should play, and what everyone sees as the appropriate vehicle to deliver these functions could look like.
WRC does not have a particular view on what the outcomes of these discussions could be, however the main themes underpinning the WRC desire to progress these conversations are really about wanting the region to prosper and ensuring that our region is seen by government as a strategic and worthy investment partner for investment.
Roger Gordon
Mike Montgomerie
Soil scientist’s plea
Hamilton-based soil scientist Gordon Rajendram wants more competition and innovation in the fertiliser industry to bring product prices down.
Rajendram sees, “a severe lack of competition leading to ongoing high fertiliser prices, stifled innovation, and a worrying lack of change in the fertiliser sector”.
He says the fertiliser market in New Zealand is dominated by a few key players, resulting in limited choices for consumers and consistently high prices.
“This monopoly-like situation sharpens awareness but also makes companies lazy, relying on their established market positions rather than striving for improvement,” he said.
The chief executive of the Fertiliser Association, Vera Power has pushed back on Rajendram’s assertions.
“The NZ fertiliser market is an open and free market, and new entrants are free to come on the market at any time, as they do. The key issue is that any supplier needs to meet farmers’ needs and expectations,” Power said.
“Fertiliser price is mainly driven by global supply chains. Supply chains have been challenging for a number of years for reasons such as shipping prices and sanctions on Belarus and Russia. However, the good news is that while shipping prices are high, global product prices have been coming down, bringing potential relief for farmers who are feeling squeezed.”
Rajendram says many companies are selling the same products they did in the 1950s, with little to no innovation.
“Super phosphate, has done more for New Zealand’s economy than any politician ever has, but it’s time for change.”
Dr Gordon Rajendram
He said farmers were starting to look for alternatives due to high prices and question marks over environmental aspects of traditional fertiliser products, he said.
“A prime example of the benefits of competition can be seen in the dairy industry, where the presence of multiple companies has led to significant advancements in product quality and efficiency.
“The fertiliser industry could learn a lot from this. Innovation is essential for addressing the evolving needs of modern agriculture, particularly in a country like New Zealand, where farming is a cornerstone of the economy,” Rajendram said.
“The New Zealand fertiliser industry needs a shake-up. More competition will lead to better products, fairer prices, and ultimately, a stronger agricultural sector. It’s time for fertiliser companies to stop resting on their laurels and start driving the innovation that our farmers need.”
RMA changes applauded
Federated Farmers and Dairy New Zealand have welcomed updates to the Resource Management Act
Dairy NZ director Cameron Henderson, a Canterbury farmer, said “a few stomping feet” were about to set off an avalanche of red tape that would have effectively prohibited agriculture and horticulture in New Zealand.
The updates were made to regulations relating to discharge.
Henderson said the change in interpretation of the law threatened to create regulatory roadblocks that no farm or farmer could pass through.
“We strongly believe this was never the intent of the law, given permitted activities and consents come with requirements to manage risks to the environment.
“This isn’t a free pass. Farmers still need
to meet national and regional regulations. These amendments simply provide clarity that the regulatory pathways regional councils have spent years and millions of dollars developing will prevail.
Dairy New Zealand, Beef and Lamb New Zealand and Federated Farmers wrote to the government in April to outline what it said were the severe consequences of High Court decisions relating to sections 70 and 107 of the Act and included these concerns in a formal submission in June.
Federated Farmers RMA reform spokesperson Mark Hooper said the ruling had created huge uncertainty for farmers and without a law change, huge parts of New Zealand’s productive economy would simply grind to a halt.
“This whole saga has benefited nobody but resource management lawyers, costing ratepayers millions of dollars, only for the law to be changed.
Henderson said without the new amendments, pastoral farming in Southland, horticultural production in Pukekohe and Horowhenua, and discharges of wastewater and stormwater by a council would have faced impossible regulatory barriers.
“This issue has been sparked by the implementation of national freshwater regulations, which were impractical due to a lack of consideration of regional variations, unrealistic national bottom lines, and a focus on numerical limits rather than environmental outcomes.
“This issue had become urgent and warranted immediate attention, and we appreciate the Government moving swiftly to ensure diffuse discharges are managed in a practical way.”
He noted 80 per cent of dairy farmers were now managing a Freshwater Farm Plan.
Hot Tips for Successful Farm Succession
Farming is a way of life, so it can be difficult to imagine handing over the reins, exiting from it altogether or selling a particular farming asset.
For many, planning for rural farm succession doesn’t come easily, forcing you to think about the unexpected and plan ahead for what you want to happen. In this article, Gallie Miles rural farm succession experts Sue Garmonsway and Alex McIvor walk you through the rural farm succession process and share their top tips on having a robust rural succession plan.
1. Consider the ‘what ifs’ While you’re busy living your day-to-day of life, thinking about the unimaginable ‘what if’ scenarios of life can be difficult. Working through these is key to having a robust succession plan.
“In life, things can go wrong and the unexpected can crop up,” says Sue.
“A good succession plan requires consideration of all the ‘what ifs’ – death, separation, loss of capacity, family falling out, new in-laws becoming involved.”
“As part of our succession planning discussions, we encourage you to have those difficult conversations and workshop through all the ‘what ifs’ so that you can be
clear about what you want to happen.”
“I’m like the pessimist in the equation. I come up with everything bad that could happen and derail the outcome they want and force people to think about those ‘what ifs’. They’re all relevant to the succession equation.”
2.Get everyone in the same room
Having a good professional team surrounding you helps you to map out your options and shape your plan.
“Ideally, your lawyer, accountant and banker are all together in the one room when the plan is being discussed and formulated,” says Alex.
“Each professional brings a slightly different perspective to the debate, which helps you to consider all avenues and options.”
“What I think of as a fantastic plan may have disastrous tax implications. What your accountant thinks will work might not be legally robust, and what your accountant and lawyer come up with, the bank might not finance,” adds Sue.
“It’s really important to have all those professionals involved at the outset to try to make a difficult process easier.”
3. Every plan is different
There is no one size fits all solution, or one single approach.
“It depends on the assets, outcomes and personalities involved,” says Sue.
“For the person leaving the farm, it’s about ‘how much do I still want to earn as a living,’ and for the ones coming in, it’s a question of ‘what can I afford to pay?’”
“Managing expectations can be hard and everyone’s perspectives need to be considered.”
4. It’s a commitment in time and energy
Alex says the process takes time to get it right, and it’s a commitment in both time and energy.
“It takes time and requires commitment from all parties,” says Alex.
“Some people take longer to get onto the same page or come around to a succession discussion, and emotions can run high at times. Some are happy to take risks, and others want to mitigate every risk possible and don’t care what it costs.”
5. Consider all structures
Good succession requires consideration of all of the structures available, says Sue.
“Each situation is different, and a company, a trust, or partnership may be appropriate,” she says.
“Trusts add an extra level of complexity and were often drafted for specific reasons at a
given moment in time. But they are still a useful way to achieve succession,” she says.
“However the farming business is being operated, documentation also needs careful consideration, including Wills, Enduring Powers of Attorney, Shareholder Agreement and Partnership Agreement.”
At the end of the day, it’s about being thorough, seeking professional advice and having those difficult conversations to get everyone on the same page.
“The biggest thing we can’t stress enough is the need for a really well documented plan.
A lawyer is crucial to that,” says Alex.
“When you look at the individual farm succession transactions in isolation, unless you have context, it’s really hard down the
track to look into the reasons behind each decision made. Also if someone dies during the process, you need a legally enforceable document.”
start your succession journey.
Cameron Henderson
It was all top drawer
They won three and lost three.
And given the competition on the northern summer shearing tour, was a good result team New Zealand team manager Mark Barrowcliffe said.
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The wins came while on the Wools of New Zealand Shearing Sports New Zealand tour, which saw Te Kūiti shearer Jack Fagan and teammate David Buick, of Pongaroa, claim test match wins at the Great Yorkshire Show, in France and the Royal Wells Show and the open final at Martel in France.
“As team manager their preparation before and after the shows was exceptional,” Barrowcliffe said. “They really had a handle
on the sheep because they are so different to New Zealand sheep, and the United Kingdom has got such depth in their shearing at the moment.”
The northern sheep are generally smaller and trickier, he said. They were a lot more open than the sheep in New Zealand and had less wool around the points.
“Just getting out of the heats is a mission and as a judge I’m there thinking this level is so high, it’s incredible. That was really cool to see, just the finish the UK shearers can achieve on their sheep.”
Over five sheep in a heat it was hard to have a real time influence, he said.
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“Obviously the further down the competitions we got as in semis and finals we had the speed to drag them along or force mistakes out of them, which was cool,” he said.
“Three times out of six we beat them and the other three they beat us. Out of a whole series three tests each which was good. What I’m meaning is in the heats it’s very hard to get much of a time advantage, but over 10, 20, you can push the time question.
“It was so tight one of our test wins there was per shearer, there was a two second time difference. So if each shearer had shorn two seconds slower or faster, the result would have been the other way - over 20 sheep, which is incredible.” It made for an exciting series. There were
big crowds at the venues, who really got in behind their own home side and pushed them along.
“It was really good to be part of,”
Barrowcliffe said, praising the New Zealan shearers’ professionalism: “To be able to handle that pressure of shearing sheep that they are not used to, with a hostile crowd.”
In Wales the crowds sang, and the venues created atmosphere with their size and they were farming crowds. In France the show was in the middle of town. There were a few farmers but a lot of people who didn’t know what shearing was but thought it was cool to watch, he said.
“Yorkshire that was a good crowd on a pretty average day. Good venue. We were lucky to win that test too, just.
David Buick (left), manager Mark Barrowcliffe, Jack Fagan celebrated test match wins in Europe.
12.
Te Nehenehenui is inviting all our whānau to join us as we present the 2024 Hui ā-Tau, where we will share information and provide updates on the past year.
For those unable to attend in-person, there will be a livestream on our Facebook page.
10am, Saturday 14 September 2024
Mana Ariki marae, Ongarue Back Road, Taumarunui
Maniapoto pākihi!
We’re excited to be inviting our Maniapoto business owners to submit their expressions of interest to hold a stall at Hui ā-Tau 2024!
From kai to kakahu, we’re looking for Maniapoto pakihi owners to come and set up shop during Hui ā-Tau.
If you are interested in this business opportunity, scan the QR code or head to our website
We are supporting the “Don’t Burn Waipa campaign” they are fundraising to fight against the proposed incinerator. We have FREE information booklets, and t-shirts, car and bumper stickers for purchase from our office.
We don’t want incinerators anywhere in New Zealand! It will harm our environment, our health and lower our house prices.
Boyds Asparagus is well established in the industry, and we have vacancies available for our upcoming season.
Based in Hautapu, Cambridge, we require seasonal workers who are hardworking, honest, reliable, and willing to work on a roster basis, including weekends. We have positions available in our packhouse for: PACKERS/GRADERS approx. 45 to 50 hours per week
The asparagus season runs from Mid September to 22nd December 2024.
Experience is not essential as full training will be provided.
Please email your interest along with your contact details to: admin@asparagus.co.nz
