Hall wins scholarship
By Chris Gardner
Western Waikato police officer Dave Hall says he is humbled after winning a prestigious police fellowship worth up to $80,000.
Waikato West Area prevention manager senior sergeant Hall, whose police jurisdiction goes from Huntly in the north to Te Kūiti in the south, is one of 18 police officers nationally who have been awarded a Woolf Fisher Police Fellowship after an anonymous nomination from a colleague.
Seventy-seven officers were nominated for the fellowship.
Te Awamutu based Hall, who has served in the police for 31 years, was presented
with the fellowship at police national headquarters in Wellington on Friday after an invitation from commissioner of police Andrew Coster.
“It was very humbling to be nominated by my peers,” he said.
“Knowing the people in Waikato that have received the award in the past I have some high standards to follow.”
Waikato officer Natalie Douglas received a fellowship in 2023, following Sgt Jarod Walsh in 2019, and Snr Constable Richard Collier in 2018.
The purpose of the fellowship is to promote better and more efficient policing for community benefit.
The fellowship covers travel, study, and associated costs of the fellow and an accompanying partner.
Fellows’ study may include observation of policing practices in overseas jurisdictions, participation in a pre-agreed course of study, or both, and they are required to report back on their learning on their return.
The fellowship offered exciting opportunities to canvass some international approaches to crime, Hall said.
“I am currently looking at a trip to North America.”
Hall will be joined by his wife Tania, a teacher at Paterangi School. He will get eight weeks paid leave in which to travel
and write a report on his findings.
Inspector Will Loughrin have said Hall was a hugely deserving recipient who had worked hard for the organisation and his people, and communities, never asking for anything in return.
Hall is the manager of Te Awamutu Football Club’s Men’s under 23-year-olds team and the Te Awamutu College football co-ordinator.
The Woolf Fisher Trust was founded in 1960 by Fisher and Paykel co-founder and NZ Steel foundation chair Sir Woolf Fisher for the advancement of scientific and general education on New Zealand. Woolf Fisher Police Fellowships were added to the trust’s offering in 2017.
Negatives are Ōtorohanga’s positives
By Paul Charman
A collection of 1.5 million negatives representing an Ōtorohanga photographer’s entire career is being transferred to the town’s museum.
The collection of black and white negatives and prints provides a record of more than half a century when Richard and Ruve Wallace ran a photographic business in town.
The couple have announced plans to move to western Australia.
Plans are underway to store the negatives in a fireproof facility at
the museum.
Richard Wallace has been chosen as the featured artist for the town’s Art Beat Festival on the weekend of November 23 and 24.
Ōtorohanga Museum director Liz Cowan said the collection was unique. The couple were willing to donate their archive free, but the museum insisted on a token payment.
A grant from Trust Waikato helped to secure the negatives, which were taken from 1963 to the mid-2000s when the Wallaces stopped using negatives.
“The collection comprises a comprehensive record of
weddings, births, community events and significant people in the community,” Cowan said.
“It’s such a slice of life, representing so many people, places and events – very few towns would have an historic record of this sort. The collection has been meticulously catalogued by Ruve; considering that not all photographers from this era kept their negatives it is quite unique.”
A selection of prints from the collection will be on display during the Art Beat festival.
Snr Sgt Dave Hall has won the Woolf Fisher Police Fellowship
PICTURED RIGHT: Richard and Ruve Wallace.
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Old products come clean
A project between Waipā council and disability provider Enrich Plus which taught clients how to make their own low-cost, low-waste household cleaning products using repurposed packaging, has been a success.
The community partnership provided great learnings, said Transport manager Bryan Hudson in his report to the Service Delivery committee this week.
“All ingredients, resources, labels and a bespoke recipe book were provided to workshop attendees, who really appreciated the opportunity to take home purposeful resources they had made themselves.”
Clients made their own washing powder, cleaning paste, bench spray and dishwasher powder.
The council Waste Minimisation
team then held two free Make and Donate weekend sessions in the Te Awamutu Library.
Both sessions were oversubscribed with 50 at each.
“Feedback was overwhelmingly glowing and there is already demand to host more workshops later in the year,” said Hudson.
Staff also supported the Te Awamutu Food Forest and the group’s ongoing development of the Pekapekarau Reserve by funding hot compost bins to handle the large amount of clippings, damaged fruit and vegetable peelings from the community and Garden to Table participating schools.
Finally, several retirement villages have booked seminars to understand the council’s recycling work and how to minimise waste in daily life.
Zero waste lessons on way
By Mary Anne Gill
Para Kore, a leading not for profit kaupapa Māori organisation specialising in zero waste education has signed a three-year deal with Waipā District council to deliver “world without waste” programmes.
Based in Raglan, Para Kore – which means zero waste - was founded in 2010 and works nationwide with several councils.
It will deliver workshops in Waipā schools including composting and worm farming, microgreens, waste hierarchy and living low waste as well as running community workshops.
Part of its education will focus on reusable menstrual products and indigenous knowledge. It will also co-facilitate lowwaste information days at marae and work
in partnership with the council for lowwaste event management.
The partnership will focus on zero waste training and building capacity.
The council received 17 applications for its Waste Minimisation Community Fund.
The applications totalled more than $100,000. Ten projects, which received $35,835, were:
Te Hīnaki Café, Cambridge Playgroup, Street Harvest, Leamington Playcentre, Paterangi, Kaipaki, Wharepapa and Te Miro schools, Pollin8 and The ReCreators.
Meanwhile, a company has developed technology using artificial intelligence to identify contamination in a recycling bin before it is tipped into trucks.
Waipā council will use it to reduce contamination and costs for its recycling bin
audits which showed service was suspended to 232 households in 15 months and 864 warnings.
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Reporting crime at the time it happens is something I mention regularly in this column and when speaking in our community.
I place importance on it as when we have crime spikes such as overnight vehicle crime, a series of incidents are linked together. As with dominoes falling, if we were made aware and had been able to apprehend offenders early, the subsequent crime could have been prevented. On the topic of car crime we are still seeing utes being targeted. Please continue to be vigilant around locking vehicles, parking them securely and in welllit areas and removing any valuable items.
If you do not have an alarm or immobiliser, use a steering wheel lock.
In the past week we have had more fraud by scammers. In the latest incident, a victim was contacted via text, alerting them to alleged suspicious activity on their account. Upon called the number provided in the text, it was answered as Westpac Fraud Division. The victim was taken through some security steps which gained personal banking information from them. They immediately noticed unauthorised activity on their account commence and contacted the real Westpac Fraud division. Fortunately this quick action minimised access, however
a few transactions had already occurred.
In another example, a member of the public received an email referring to Pegasus spyware having been installed on their computer and advising that their email account had been hacked. The email demanded a bitcoin payment to avoid further exploitation.
This was also a scam. It is nevertheless wise to regularly change passwords, avoid easy to guess or repeat passwords and to not engage in any way with links or phone numbers provided in such scam communications.
Waipā staff working with Enrich Plus clients to make their own cleaning products.
A recycling truck on one of the Waipā runs. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
Briefs…
Arrests made
Police looking for the culprit in a case where a car rammed a police vehicle at a 1000-strong boy racer gathering in Hamilton have found a freshly painted utility vehicle in Huntly and arrested an 18-year-old Ōtorohanga man.
Watching you
Three new number plate recognition cameras have been installed – near the Velodrome, on SH39 south of Ngāhinapōuri and Cambridge Rd near Matos Segedin Drive - as part of Waipā council’s closed circuit television monitoring. Two more – on SH3 at Ōhaupō and Victoria/ Norfolk intersection will soon be installed.
Funding reduced
Waipā council completed 1.59km of footpath renewals during the 2023-2024 financial year which ended on June 30. For the three months started April 1 larger renewals were completed on Ōhaupō Rd, Robinson, Rutherford and Teasdale streets.
Life saving
A road safety education skills training course at which a participant practiced a safety manoeuvre probably saved his life when he was involved in a subsequent close call incident, says Waipā transport manager Bryan Hudson. Forty-four people took part in Waipā District Council’s May course.
Safety slashed
New Zealand Transport Agency has slashed Waipā council’s community road safety budget by 19 per cent, a $150,450 reduction over three years. The budget is now $125,850 and there will be a review and reprioritisation of activities.
Library use
A seismic assessment of Waipā council’s Cambridge service centre has revealed the first floor could be safely converted for library use. Loading of the space would have to be contained to office and reading type activities rather than book storage, the assessment showed. Plans for a new Cambridge library and community hub have been put on hold.
Council: how the people rate it
By Mary Anne Gill
Waipā residents’ perception of the council is up three per cent on last year but still lower than previous years.
Twenty-two per cent of the 485 residents surveyed said they were satisfied with the council’s overall performance with roading infrastructure the major concern.
Residents over 65 were more likely to be satisfied with the council’s overall performance than younger residents, the Key Research survey found.
Of those who responded 54 per cent heard or saw information about the council through articles in the newspaper, well ahead of the 37 per cent through social media and 26 per cent through the council’s website.
One person surveyed said: “I’ve never lived anywhere where the council is so opaque. Hard to contact, hard to understand what’s going on, don’t communicate any vision.”
Another gave the thumbs up to councillors.
“It’s not an easy job and
we’re fortunate to have great people put their hand up.”
In Cambridge work done roads, footpaths and cycleways - a subject of significant debate - was given a higher rating than in any other community, albeit a 23 per cent satisfaction rate, and the availability of cycleways was given the thumbs up by 43 per cent of respondents.“I am really satisfied with the bike lanes, but I wish that the council wasted less money changing the flowers every second week in Cambridge,” said one respondent.
“Too much spent on nice to have such as bicycle paths and walking areas. Too much on PC consulting. Needs to concentrate on essentials such as roads and services,” said another.
The number of sceptics has gone down from 54 per cent last year to half while 38 per cent say they are champions.
“Although sceptics still comprise the largest proportion of residents, their numbers have declined, indicating an improved perception towards the council. This trend holds true across all ethnicities,
with Māori residents more likely to be identified as champions (41%),” the Tauranga-based survey company says.
Younger residents between 18 and 29 do not value or recognise the council’s performance, harbour doubts and have a lack of trust.
The survey suggests connecting with these younger residents using fact-based information was crucial to shifting their perspective towards council.
Just over half of the residents said they felt proud to be living in the district – one per cent down on last year – with Cambridge residents showing a significantly higher level of pride with Pirongia the lowest.
The role of community boards was to act as an advocate for the community, 53 per cent of respondents said - but 31 per cent said they were unaware of the boards’ purpose.
Satisfaction with their performance was lowest in Maungatautari and Te Awamutu.
Of the respondents, 51 per cent were female,47 per
cent male and one per cent gender diverse. Eighty-eight per cent were ratepayers while 71 per cent had lived in the district for more than 10 years.
Cambridge accounted for 37 per cent of the respondents, Te Awamutu 29, Pirongia 16, Kakepuku 10 and Maungatautari nine per cent. It is the eighth year Waipā has undertaken the perception survey. Questions were asked in four waves to remove bias while the quality of life is still high with community spirit increasing.
At a workshop this week, Cr Clare St Pierre said it was a pleasure to read the survey. “I really appreciate the work councillors and staff have put in particularly the improvement that has been seen.” It was a great endorsement of the mayor Susan O’Regan, she said.
O’Regan was disappointed by the decrease in satisfaction among youth but saw positives in the report.
“…it is about trends, so let’s not get too excited until we see some sustained improvement. There’s still
a lot more work to do but it starts with one,” said O’Regan.
• See teawamutunews.nz for the full survey results
By the numbers
A total of 485 people took part in the survey. Cambridge, 179, was most represented followed by Te Awamutu 139, Pirongia 77, Kakepuku 48 and Maungatautari 42. In terms of age the 30-49 bracket was best represented at 160, followed by 50-64, 126, over 65, 116 and 18-29, 83.
Council, industry still at odds
By Mary Anne Gill
Business leaders and the heavy traffic industry say Waipā District Council’s lack of consultation with them over major arterial route changes is concerning.
Their comments come after the council released an independent post construction audit of work done at the Shakespeare and Cook streets roundabout in Leamington.
The roading industry and emergency services are concerned other changes in Cambridge – speed humps, more pedestrian crossings and cycleways – had occurred without any discussion.
The desktop study and site observation report from Safe System Solution found the Shakespeare St roundabout now had a better
shared path space, slower speeds and improved pedestrian safety as a result of the work.
It recommended minor safety improvements.
But Cambridge Chamber of Commerce chief executive Kelly Bouzaid said she continued to have serious safety concerns for pedestrians and cyclists, “especially due to the limited field of view and left-hand blind spot of trucks as they enter the roundabout while focusing to the right.
The lack of consultation with the heavy haulage industry was a primary concern.
“There is increasing frustration among operators that decisions made by Waipā District Council are affecting the freight industry without any effort to listen to or involve them
in the process.”
Transportation manager Bryan Hudson told this week’s Service Delivery committee he acknowledged the speed of the work meant consultation with the heavy traffic industry had not been possible.
But he said the council’s safety traffic team had noted the crossing –designed for pedestrians and cyclists to give way to traffic – had been working well.
Deputy mayor Liz Stolwyk who went public with her concerns last month - to the annoyance of some of her colleagues – said she was aware the trucking industry wanted a greater say.
The Shakespeare St roundabout was a major route with higher than average traffic heading to the Port of
Tauranga from places like Taranaki. She met industry officials on the site and climbed into a truck and told committee members she found it a valuable experience to see what truck drivers could.
“The truck drivers are most concerned about their ability to see the pedestrians on that crossing.”
Early in the morning, as the sun rises from the east, is a time of concern when trucks were turning left into Shakespeare Street and towards the crossing, she said.
The review suggested making line marking changes on the roundabout, adding pedestrian and hump signage and realign a kerb line at the Cook Street end of the roundabout. This is the area where vehicles have been riding over the kerb and damaging the grass.
Helen Carter Funeral Director
Susan O’Regan
ON SHAKY GROUND
Benefitting from ancient eruptions
By Janine Krippner
Sitting inside trying (failing) to keep warm, I find myself daydreaming about Kiwi summers. Something that is part of our culture is heading to the beach, and having spent years overseas I can truly appreciate how lucky we are. Around Waipā we have the wild black sand beaches to the west, then to the east remnants of older volcanic eruptions along our gorgeous white to golden beaches. Signs of volcanism are everywhere if you know what to look for.
Our black sand beaches are thanks to rocks weathering or breaking down over long periods of time, leaving tougher minerals like iron-rich titanomagnetite (magnetite plus titanium) behind. These originate from volcanic deposits largely from the Taranaki region and the Taupō Volcanic Zone regions. A slight detour on the way to Raglan is Bridal Veil Falls, where the water cascades over a lava flow about two million years old, from a volcano about 1.5 km away. Along the coast just south of Raglan is Te Toto Gorge, a beautiful cross-section through the extinct Karioi volcano that exposes stacked lava flows and explosive deposits thanks to a past flank collapse. Across the Coromandel Peninsula and to the south are remnants of many different eruption styles, including a series of calderas. These usually form when so much magma erupts during large, explosive eruptions that the ground slides downwards.
The volcanic rocks along the Coromandel are quite old, with activity along there
preceding the Taupō eruptions. We are talking on the scale of millions of years here, starting roughly 18 million until about two million years ago activity began in the Taupō zone. A lot of the smaller eruptions may have been eroded away into the ocean so there will be much, much more that we will never know about.
An internationally known spot is Cathedral Cove, with the beautiful white cliffs, the tunnel through the rock, and the geological monument near the shore. This stunning spot is thanks to explosive eruptions that formed ignimbrites – pumicerich deposits from large pyroclastic flows. Thanks to very old volcanism, we have excellent selfie-worthy spots that are perfect for tourism as well as the big screen.
Not too far away we have gold and silver mines that also exist because of volcanic activity. Around seven or so million years ago, the Waihi area may have looked more like what Rotorua does today. Magma below the surface heats fluids that circulate within the crust, taking precious elements and minerals with them that eventually form our valuable deposits.
While it is more obvious how New Zealand benefits from our younger volcanoes that host national parks, ski fields, and hiking trails, we are also still reaping the benefits of our ancient volcanism that has since been buried or eroded away through time. Without knowing it, a part of our good old Kiwi summers are very much intertwined with our volcanic history.
AGE OF REASON
A bouquet…
By Peter Carr
Occasionally I decide to use these opinion pieces to give the local district council a nudge or a serve regarding their tired –and sometimes tiring – efforts to balance democracy with physical reality. Aka, should they become bogged down in the rights (or otherwise) of Māori wards or should they fix the roads?
Balanced democracy and sheer commonsense dictates that the former should be left to the overview of the far wider accountability of parliament while the latter is demonstrated by the suspension jarring thumps caused by uneven road surfaces. Two far-separated extremes but in the middle lies the morass of voter satisfaction, ratepayer grumbles, planning delays and do-good aspirations of wannabee politicians.
I was heartened last week on a visit to Te Awamutu to tarry awhile as my wife’s coiffure was attended to by her favourite hairdresser. With an hour to fill - and no desire for another caffeine hit - I lit upon a visit to the library. Te Awamutu’s thousands of books used to be domiciled in a shabby, cluttered building adjacent to the main council offices. Librarians must have thought they were in book repository hell.
Set opposite the sports centre and sharing very good off-road car parking, the relatively new daylight-enhanced building sits proudly evident of good local body stewardship. A simple design with good double doors ensures the sharp south-west wind does not disturb the hushed inner sanctum, the interior leaves one in no doubt that books and records are very much treasured and open for study. An open and friendly front desk set to one side provides visitors with an easy-to-use enquiry opportunity.
Hamilton Gardens changes coming soon
Hamilton Gardens will introduce paid entry to its Enclosed Gardens on 18 September 2024.
The Enclosed Gardens are 18 award-winning themed gardens. Visitor-favourites include the Indian Charbagh Garden, Surrealist Garden, Ancient Egyptian Garden, Chinese Scholars’ Garden, and the Italian Renaissance Garden.
$20 single admission
$50 annual pass (special intro price of $39 until 31 Dec 2024) Cardholders, including SuperGold, will receive a 10% discount on their entry fee.
As I was not intending to borrow a book, I turned left and found the magazine section which is adjacent to several reading tables - one of which was in full use as a playground area for jigsaws. Is a jigsaw table appropriate for a library? Absolutely, as the puzzles challenge the mind of young and old – especially where those of advanced age are increasingly struggling with the rapid and growing onset of dementia. Good decision madam librarian. Incidentally why are most professional librarians ‘wimen’ and not ‘fellars’?
The magazine section is wide and varied in its choice of subjects and I was drawn to the abundant display of matters historical and geographical. It’s easy to see, well-lit and with adjacent seating to enable page flicking for half an hour. The appropriate hushed tones of the library environment permitted easy and pleasant use of the time upgrading my knowledge. I strolled through the length of the large room and was pleased to see plenty of seating for deeper reading and areas that enabled small groups to exchange views. And I was very pleased to observe the automated book check-out screens.
Returning to Cambridge I chanced upon a drive down Wilson Street where the never ending collection of orange cones - almost drawing a pension - has receded to now reveal a twin-track cycling pathway that is almost as wide as the adjacent road itself. There is evidence of some form of bureaucratic madness at the (now) double young persons pre-school traffic control.
Interesting that the school principal is an elected councillor. But I promised to be kind to the council.
If you live or pay rates in Hamilton, you can continue to explore the Enclosed Gardens for free with a validated MyGardens pass (proof of address required). All under 16s can explore for free. There’s still so much to see and do without a pass. Outer areas of the Gardens (not part of the Enclosed Gardens) can be visited by anyone without a pass. Everyone, no matter where you live, can continue to explore the bush walks, spot fish in Turtle Lake by the waterfall, walk through the rhododendrons, enjoy a picnic amongst the roses, visit the cafe, and play on the playground.
Posties call on private eye
By Chris Gardner
Waipā posties Danny and Ian Kennedy asked a private investigator to help prove NZ Post had broken their contract to deliver “all mail” in the RD3 Tamahere postal district.
The private investigator followed a white Toyota HiAce van from NZ Post’s Hautapu depot on August 8, 2023, and found it regularly undertaking deliveries to clients within the district.
Further surveillance of other vehicles of interest was also recommended.
The News has seen the private investigator’s report.
The Kennedys were three years into their contract with NZ Post to deliver “all mail” in the RD3 Tamahere district in November 2023 when it was cancelled after they complained of a breach.
Justice Ian Gault didn’t grant the Kennedys an injunction stopping the contract being cancelled but said there were questions around NZ Post’s termination notice.
“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,” Danny Kennedy said.
NZ Post has declined to comment on the matter.
ProDrive advocate Pete Gallagher said he was still awaiting a reply from NZ Post after his request for a ministerial inquiry was dismissed by Simeon Brown after it had been passed to him from Chris Bishop and Paul Goldsmith.
Postal Workers Union of Australasia conational president John Maynard has written to NZ Post’s Matthew Riordan on the organisation’s media silence on the matter.
Maynard wanted to know if other NZ Post contractors were delivering in the area contracted to the Kennedys, and if their contract was cancelled solely because they challenged NZ Post about other contractors operating in the area they had believed they had exclusive NZ Post coverage.
“The report leaves the clear impression that the Kennedy’s have had to move far away from close family connections in Hamilton and Auckland – across Cook Strait - as a direct result of their financial losses resulting from NZ Post’s unilateral, and what comes across as a punitive action, in terminating their contract with NZ Post,” Maynard wrote.
“Is this a conclusion that can be drawn from NZ Post’s behaviour that NZ Post is prepared to live with?”
Maynard too is awaiting a reply.
Maynard is representing courier drivers asking the Employment Court to declare they are employees rather than contractors. Contractors are not eligible for holiday pay, overtime, sick leave, and superannuation.
Radio and Club Safety Boat Operator courses.
near Te Awamutu, training and being assessed for water charge certificates. Under Scouts Aotearoa Waikato water activities advisor Dave Smith, five leaders earned certificates in power, rowing and sailing. Training includes completing Coastguard Day Skipper, Maritime VHF
Boating is one of nine adventure skills offered to youth members in Scouting who learn to sail Sunbursts and row and sail Standard Scout Cutters. The 48th Scouts Aotearoa
Scouts Aotearoa Waikato Zone Kaiārahi, or leaders, spent a weekend on Lake Ngā Roto,
Waikato Zone Alistair Kerr Waikato Spring Regatta will be held in the region on September 7.
Scout leaders instruct youth during a sailing assessment on Lake Ngā Roto near Te Awamutu.
Te Awamutu’s Queen Carnival - a fundraising event – eclipsed any former social function held in the district.
Mrs W H Grace, the Kihikihi candidate, was elected Queen. The coronation robes were procured from Auckland and the Queen was attended by a large band of costumed maids of honour and pages. The coronation ceremony over, the Queen conferred honours on some citizens while a mock court was held for others where several alleged miscreants were called to account to the ‘glorious, pious, and immortal’ judge of the carnival for their various misdeeds. Fitting restitution was to be “extracted from their recesses”.
The court was a big item in the evening’s amusement providing a great deal of wholesome humour. Celebrations concluded few
days later by the holding of the monster carnival. A procession set out from the Mangahoe Bridge and featured a royal carriage and numerous patriotic exhibits. Business firms were represented, the band, scouts and Territorials were present, as well as grotesque figures and those in comic outfits.
At the carnival grounds (Mr Bockett’s paddock) there were plenty of attractions, and nobody spent a dull moment.
Ōhaupō had only existed as a town district for about a month when its Town Board set to work to utilise the powers vested in it. Schemes were in hand for improving
the main road through the town, constructing footpaths, and putting in effective drainage. It was quite a new sight for residents to see teams of horses and gangs of men at work on the road.
The Public Health Inspector, reporting on the sanitary condition of the township, observed that the brine from the pickling tubs was allowed to run into the water tables onto the road. This was not in itself dangerous but was likely to become offensive and should be discontinued.
The stables at the Loan and Mercantile Agency yards would soon need attention or alteration, and the present
FAITH IN WAIPĀ
Local prosperity is attractive
Phil Strong, Senior Leader, Zion
urinal should be either discontinued or made to discharge on to some other place other than the public street.
The ‘Pirongia Pickles’, a company of performers, went on tour to Te Pahu and gave a concert in aid of the Wounded Soldiers’ Fund. The weather was perfect and as a result there was a full house, and the various items were well received. Also at Pirongia a meeting of the Library Committee was held where new books were opened up and catalogued. Some of the latest books had been acquired, and members looked forward to the winter evenings with an entrancing book and cosy fire with pleasure.
I must confess I was deeply moved to see Lydia Ko’s emotional reaction to her gold medal achievement in Paris this month. The trickle of tears running down her right cheek made me smile as I appreciated the deep pride she must have felt to reach the pinnacle of her sport. More than that, though, I sensed she was immensely proud to represent Aotearoa New Zealand as the familiar sound of ‘God Defend New Zealand’ rang across podium and beyond.
In recent news, we read of many Olympics athletes who hail from these parts, and some who used to. Whomever we laud our praise on, we demonstrate a sense of native pride.
In the Bible narrative there is a season of exile God’s people experience as a long, 70-year season. This difficult time presented many challenges but held within the struggle was also a promise of peace, prosperity and hope. Before articulation of this promise, we read an instruction that seems inherently connected and causative.
God’s people are instructed to “seek
the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” Don’t miss the key at the end there, dear reader, for in it you will find a key for your own prosperity.
As we contribute to the welfare, well-being and fruitfulness of our community, I believe we will see a rising tide that enables others to flourish — as the saying goes, “when the tide rises, all ships in the harbour rise.” It is incumbent on us, when able, to intentionally and successfully add our strength to the people we share this land with.
How about I make you a deal? I know there are many of us who are praying to God on behalf of our region, so why not pick up the other side of the equation? Why not be one who contributes to the welfare and betterment of Waipā?
I see so many opportunities around us. In Te Awamutu, I see the potential for strengthening community through gathering around culture and food. I think lifting the main street with
vision and purpose will ensure people linger, and when they linger, they ultimately spend money.
We have a rich heritage of history that can augment the native pride I spoke of earlier. Regardless of your view of the past, we can seek a way forward— together. Yes, there are parts of our story that are tragic, but the Waipā story adds to our national story, and we should tell it well.
When a region thrives, it attracts people. When people come with a desire to belong, they contribute. This leads to the prosperity of people and industry that lifts everyone.
Look at Cambridge as an example. Global success in rowing, cycling and equestrian sports has developed a thriving community and an overflow of welfare into other sectors of the community.
We should all seek the welfare of others, because in their welfare, we will find our own.
Discover our charming one- and two-bedroom cottages at Cambridge Resthaven, where you can enjoy a vibrant community atmosphere in the heart of our retirement village. These classic brick cottages, built in the 1970s and 1980s, are available to occupy under an Occupation Right Agreement (ORA) basis, starting from $360,000. There is 50/50 shared capital gain benefit if the ORA value has increased when you leave.
Contact: Sandra Fairhurst 07 827 6097
The coronation of Te Awamutu’s carnival queen, Mrs W H Grace.
Trevor’s plea: get checked
By Chris Gardner
Trevor Sills should be dead or dying. But his late father saved his life.
Losing his father, Bernard, to prostate cancer 20 years ago prompted the Cambridge coffee cart proprietor to have an annual Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) and last year he discovered he had early-stage prostate cancer.
Sills, now 64, received bad news following his PSA test.
“This is simply a blood test, and the result should fall within a specific range, which goes up gradually with your age,” Sills said. “That’s why one test isn’t necessarily accurate, but if you have one every year, it enables them to detect a pattern and, if there is a sudden increase, it’s easy to spot.”
Sill’s doctor noticed an increase in his PSA levels and performed a physical examination.
“He felt something that concerned him, so he recommended me to a urologist,” Sills said.
A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan led to a biopsy, which confirmed Sills had early-stage prostate cancer.
“I had no symptoms, so the only reason they caught it early was because I had been having yearly blood tests,” Sills said.
“When they catch it early you have a good chance of a full recovery.”
Sills had surgery in October and was unable to work for six weeks afterwards. A recent blood test showed he was free of cancer.
“I’m grateful that my doctor was really good and acted quickly,” Sills said.
“He suggested I have yearly blood tests because, since there was cancer in my family, there was a bigger risk that I would get it.”
Sills remembers a fit and healthy father who never needed a doctor until at 75 he had the symptoms of prostate cancer.
“One day, he started passing blood in his urine and, after going to the doctor, he found out that he had advanced prostate cancer. He had never had any symptoms whatsoever, but the cancer had spread from his prostate, up his spine and into his lungs.”
Sills’ father died a year later.
“I don’t have any sons, but I’ve recommended my brother get tested, and I’ve even suggested to some of my male customers that they start getting routinely tested.”
Sills shared his story with The News because he believed testing for prostate
cancer didn’t get promoted as much as other cancers.
“They promote bowel screening, breast testing, and cervical cancer, but you never see anything for prostate cancer, despite it being the most commonly diagnosed cancer in NZ, not counting skin cancer,” he said.
“Every year 4000 men are diagnosed and over 700 die from it, so I don’t know why prostate cancer doesn’t get the publicity. It could be because one test by itself doesn’t necessarily tell them anything useful. But if they encourage all men over 40 to get a blood test every year, it won’t take long until they’re saving lives.”
Prostate Cancer NZ is promoting what they call Blue Ribbon September including Blue Do fundraising events. Te Awamutu Light Operatic Society is marking the 25th anniversary of The Full Monty film with the comedy play’s performances at The Woolshed Theatre from September 2 to 16 as part of Blue Do.
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Trevor Sills urges men over 40 to get their prostate checked annually.
Every school has its own unique culture and environment, which can greatly affect a child's educational experience. So doing research into schools before you enrol is a great idea, especially when you have children with specific talents or needs that are best suited to matching with schools who are able to work with them.
Some schools might have a strong focus on academic excellence, while others might emphasize sports, arts, or other extracurricular activities. It's important to choose a school where your child will feel comfortable and supported in the areas specific to their abilities.
Smaller pluses such as attending a school within your zone can be more convenient in terms of transportation and daily routines. It reduces travel time and costs, making it easier for parents to manage drop-offs and pick-ups.
Additionally, being close to home can allow children to participate more fully in after-school activities and community events.
Schools often serve as a hub for the local community, so attending a local school can help your child build friendships and social connections with other children in the neighbourhood. This can foster a sense of belonging and community involvement for both the child and the family. Some of these early child friendships can form the building blocks of life long ones.
It pays to remember that schools within different zones may have varying levels of resources and facilities.
The right educational experience Understanding
This can include access to modern technology, sports facilities, libraries, and specialized programs. It is also often reflected in how its parents community will often engage with the school’s activities in a positive way. If your child has special educational needs, it's crucial to select a school that can provide the necessary support and services. Some schools have specialized programmes and trained staff to cater to children with specific learning requirements.
Most schools in the Waipa region operate on a enrollment scheme and for many, this means they will determine how many out-of-zone applications can be considered.
There is some generous leeway here. For example, siblings (brothers and sisters) include:
• half-siblings
• step-siblings by marriage or civil union
• step-siblings by marriage or civil union at the time one parent dies
• children whose parents are in a de facto relationship
Parents are encouraged to enroll their children early and often, the applications for a ballot for those who do not live in a school’s zoned area need to be in at the beginning of the last quarter –normally September or October of each year.
P terangi SCHOOL Out of Zone Enrolments
How the ballot works is like this:
If you live outside the home zone of a school, whether you can go will depend on how many places the school has for out-of-zone students. The school has to follow this actual order of priority to fill out-of-zone places:
• children who live in the same house and are treated by the adults of the house as if they are siblings.
In some cases, the Ministry of Education can also tell the school that other children are to be recognized as siblings.
However, all this depends on how many out-of-zone applications are available. For example, if there are enough out-of-zone places to take all children from categories 1 to 3, but not enough for everyone in category 4, a ballot will decide which children in category 4 will get to go to the school.
The exact number of places will always depend on the number of in zone applications we receive so the these numbers may change. If the number of out-of-zone applications exceeds the places available, students will be selected by ballot (as per M.O.E priority guidelines).
• children who are accepted into learning support programmes run by the school
• siblings of current students of the school
• siblings of past students of the school
• children of past students of the school
• children of school staff or of the school board
• all other children who apply.
Once all applications are in, if there are more applications than places available, the school must randomly select from the applications based on the above criteria to decide which student will be successful.
School zones are extremely specific – if a line is drawn between two addresses, for example, or down the middle of a road that denotes where a school’s zone ends or begins, there are no blurred lines to cross. The address is either in zone for a specific school, or it is in the next school’s zone.
The best way to find out if you are in or out of a school zone, is to go the Government website: educationcounts.govt.nz/find-school
To apply for an out of zone place, please complete the Out-of-Zone ‘Application’ online form on our website, or:
The P terangi School Board of Trustees wishes to inform our local community that we now have the following out of zone places for Term 1, 2025. For more info please contact Carol-Lynn Hill (Principal) on 027 6833017 or visit our website (zone info) or email principal@paterangi.school.nz
Chamber boss: ‘make a stand’
By Viv Posselt
Waikato Chamber of Commerce
chief Don Good is calling on Waipā Rotarians to bring their business skills to local government by standing for council themselves, or supporting those who do.
“There is a place for good people to take hold of the purse strings in local councils. I urge you to stand for council or get in behind good business candidates who do stand,” he told a group of Te Awamutu and Cambridge Rotarians last week.
He was speaking at a Te Awamutu Rotary Club-hosted meeting in the town, which was also attended by about 25 Rotarians from Cambridge.
Good said people with a strong business background know how to get things done.
If combined with the strength to ‘call out the bureaucrats’, they could offer councils a significant advantage.
He also repeated his call for discussions around regional amalgamation, saying it would improve efficiencies, reduce bureaucracy at local government level and have better financial outcomes for all communities. In addition, it would give the wider region more clout when it came to lobbying central government for funding to meet its needs.
“There would be a more unified approach to central government,”
he said. “We know that right now treasury doesn’t listen to Waikato. To get the attention of central government for any decent amount of treasury funding, we need to have a strong voice.
“Hamilton is about 3.5 per cent of the country’s population… the whole of Waikato would be about 10 per cent. Central government can’t ignore 10 percent … the whole is always greater than the sum of its parts. By unifying, we would have the weight of numbers to go to Wellington and ask for what we want.”
Good is on record for having previously suggested that if amalgamation were to happen,
Hamilton could represent the regional ‘hub’ of an imaginary wheel, with the spokes spreading out to Cambridge, Te Awamutu, Morrinsville, Matamata, Huntly and Ngāruawāhia. He said other bodies, such as North and South Waikato and Coromandel should be included in discussions as each offers different competitive advantages.
He said the Waikato Chamber has for some time advocated for three core improvements for the region – the Cambridge to Piarere expressway, a Waikato medical school offering bachelor-degree qualified people an opportunity to go on to do medical training, and the continuation of the southern links four-lane highway to Te Awamutu, and potentially beyond.
“The extension of the southern links will liven up Te Awamutu hugely,” he said. “Ideally, we would like to see a four-way highway all the way to Taranaki, which has the only good allweather port on that side of
the country. It would give us a massive advantage should there ever be something like a tsunami hit the east coast of New Zealand.”
Good urged the Rotarians to familiarise them with the ‘Overton window’, an American term that suggests politicians can act only within the acceptable range of public acceptance.
“It is worth remembering that the Overton window moves at the behest of voters, not politicians,” he said.
Waikato Chamber of Commerce head Don Good, left, with Te Awamutu Rotary Club president Kylie Brewer and Cambridge Rotary Club president Gary Smith. Photo: Viv Posselt
Waipa Workingmens Club
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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 Membership
Club Opening Hours
Monday 1pm – 8pm
Tuesday 1pm – 10pm
Wednesday 1pm – 8pm
Thursday 1pm – 11pm
Friday 1pm – 11pm Saturday 10am – 11pm
Railcarts back in demand
By Paul Charman
Forgotten World Adventures – which runs railcarts over the disused railway line between Taumarunui and Stratford – seems to be bucking the trend for visitor numbers.
The tourism company has recorded better than expected advanced bookings head of the summer season.
A Cambridge couple who have owned the business for two and a half years, Grant Ross and Laura Wackett, say the positive bookings are heartening following a slower than expected previous season.
And now they say they are buoyedup further having earned a Tripadvisor Travellers Choice Award for the second year running. The award is limited to the top 10 per cent of Tripadvisor listing.
“TripAdvisor is by far the largest online travel guidance platform in the world. They have unparalleled authority with travellers and dinners. And they only give these awards to businesses that consistently earn great reviews,” Ross said.
“We had a very good first season and an average past season. That was mainly due to the elections and New Zealander’s relationship with politics - we tend to clamp down and await which government will get in with which policies. As our guests are predominately Kiwi – 72 per cent domestic –28 per cent international - we felt the effect.”
The business received glowing reviews throughout.
“In all 88 per cent of our reviews are five star, with 10 per cent star. That’s extremely rare; especially given we have over a thousand reviews,” Ross said.
“This is judged across all categories: restaurants, tourism, ice-cream shops and so forth, which gives it even more weight as we’re obviously talking millions of businesses.“
Ross said despite the recent slowdown things appeared to have completely turned around for next year.
“All indicators suggest we will be having an excellent 2024-25 season. We’re running an Early Bird for the first time, similar to the mountain pass, and it’s exceeded our expectations. We’ll be going into the season on October 12 with many dates already full. He said there had also been an increase in customers from the South Island.
“We have grown international only slightly since we’ve taken over but are now striking up relationships with in-bounders and overseas agents to increase this going forward.”
Ross said Waikato had taken over from Auckland over the past season as the company’s biggest feeder region - by a whisker
Australia had become its fifth biggest feeder region ahead of Bay of Plenty.
Railcarts have carried tourists along the disused railway line between Okahukura and Stratford since 2012.
Grant Ross, left, and his wife Laura Wackett with his cousin Sonia Waddell and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon at Fieldays this year.
Photo: Mary Anne Gill
Rate defaulter loses property
By Mary Anne Gill
Waipā District Council has forced the sale of a Cambridge property owned by a person who had not paid any rates since September 2016.
Council is owed nearly $32,000 and took a rating sale by tender through the court in June. The property owner had owned the property since July 2014 and had no
mortgage on it.
Any money remaining after all costs are paid go to the Public Trust who will pay out the person lawfully entitled to it.
The rating sale was the only option available to the council as other avenues for recovery had been explored and resulted in no payments, council Revenue team leader Kirsten McNamara told the
Finance and Corporate committee this week.
McNamara said the council had 11 properties – owing $121,052 - where legal action had started. Eight are in Cambridge and one each in Kihikihi, Te Awamutu and Ōhaupō.
The owner of one of the Cambridge properties has told the council they are a “sovereign citizen” and not required to pay rates on the
mortgage-free property they have owned since October 2019.
Legal action will follow.
Enforcement through the courts involves the court entering judgment against the ratepayer. If rates remain unpaid three months after the court judgement, then the local authority can apply to a Registrar of the High Court to have the judgement enforced by the sale of the rating unit.
Sailing club adds trailer yachts
Safe sailing for the next Micah Wilkinson is Ngā Roto Sailing Club’s dream for three new yachts.
Cambridge born Wilkinson is a club member – and he brought home a bronze medal form the Olympics
His club has bought three Elliott 5.9 trailer yachts from Port Chalmers Yacht Club in Dunedin to ensure it can safely run learn to sail sessions for adults and youth all year-round.
“Over the past few years Ngā Roto has seen the presence of potentially harmful algae on the lake during the warmer months,” said commodore George van Boven.
“This has seen health warnings put in place which means we are unable to run sailing programmes in smaller boats such as optimists and lasers, where there is a risk of capsizing. Investing in these Elliott 5.9s means that we can mitigate against this risk and sail regardless of the status of the lake. We can run learn to sail classes, with an experienced instructor able to sail the boat with the help of a learner crew, both adults and kids.”
The new fleet will also enable the club to run social events such as business house racing.
“We’re hopeful that this will ensure the ongoing success of the club and hopefully we’ll see the next Micah Wilkinson out and sailing on the lake soon,” van Boven said.
The club will host an open day on August 24, and visitors will have a chance to sail.
Lake Ngā Roto is the training ground for a Te Awamutu College student with Olympic dreams.
Adam Mark, who lives in the shadow of Mt Pirongia, is one of five sailors selected to represent Tauranga Yacht and Power Boat Club in the inaugural Toyota Kiwi Cup regatta hosted by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron from
September 30 until October 4.
The Year 10 pupil’s team is one of 10 racing in the Emirates Team New Zealand Elliott 7 fleet on the Waitemata Harbour. The event, organised to promote this year’s America’s Cup, includes three days of training and two days of competition.
“I am really hopeful for the team, we really have a good chance,” Adam said.
Adam, 15, learned to sail with Ngā Roto Sailing Club after seeing an advert in the Pirongia School newsletter in 2021. Since then, he has learned to sail an Optimist, Skiff, Starling and Laser sailboat and competed in regattas against Olympians and world champions.
He joined Tauranga Yacht and Power Boat Club last year to and
Masson wins – who’s next?
Floyd Masson (pictured) against David Nykia?
It’s a cruiserweight bout between two Queensland based boxers which would command huge interest in the Waikato where both were born.
Boxing scribed Benjamin Watt has suggested the matchup as a potential future fight for Te Awamutu born Masson who stopped fellow Kiwi Joshua Francis in Mansfield, Queensland last weekend.
Hamilton born 2021 Olympics bronze medal winner Nykia, who lives in Queensland, is unbeaten after nine outings as a professional and should be favoured to beat 37-yearold Australian southpaw Blake Caparello in Auckland in September.
Masson was fighting last weekend for the first time since taking a brutal battering and losing his IBO World Cruiserweight title 11 months ago to Belgian Yves Ngabu.
The fight was scheduled for eight round but was stopped in the fourth as Masson piled on the pressure.
Watt said with the win Masson could return to the top 15 in the IBF world rankings and there were many “mouthwatering fight to be made across New Zealand and Australia”.
“But it is also time to be smart to make sure the next move gets him back into the top 15 across all four sanctioning bodies,” he said.
“Some fights could include Luke Modini, who has been an
unstoppable force in Australia. Since Modini and Masson are under the same promotion, it is very possible to make it happen. The former interim world title contender Bilal Akkawy and Jason Whateley are two particularly high-profile Australian fights that could be fight-of-the-year potential opponents for Masson.”
Watt suggest Masson could also be lined up to meet the winner of the John Parker-Alivereti Kauyaca bout in Hamilton in early September.
“The WBC Australasian Champion Sam Abdulrahim would be another good fight for Masson to help him climb the WBC rankings.”
But he said the fight New Zealand fans would want to see is Masson against Nyika.
“This would be an epic fight, especially since both boxers are from the Waikato, and it is something everyone wants to see.”
Plan adopted
By Mary Anne Gill
Waipā councillors have reluctantly adopted changes to the District Plan which will introduce medium-density residential housing rules across the district.
The plan change adopted on Monday allows for two houses, up to three stories high in Cambridge, Te Awamutu and Kihikihi without a resource consent. Neighbours do not have to be notified either.
Waipā is a tier one growth council as are Hamilton and Waikato councils.
The council had tried unsuccessfully to lobby Government for a delay to February, but Housing and Environment ministers Chris Bishop and Penny Simmonds turned it down.
Mayor Susan O’Regan said the housing situation nationally was a tough one.
“We can’t keep gobbling up greenfield, it’s as simple as that,” she said. “It has not been an easy journey and nor is it over yet. It just gets murkier and murkier.”
The medium-density changes were mooted under the previous government. Waipā received more than 100 submissions in 2022 and last year held hearings where the majority opposed the move citing loss of peace and quiet and privacy.
Concern was high in Cambridge where submitters said they were worried the “special character” of Cambridge would be ruined.
An independent hearings panel made 16 recommendations covering site coverage definitions, restriction of discretion, stormwater overlay provisions and assessment criteria.
O’Regan said she still did not agree that Waipā should have been lumped in with Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch but she was also aware housing affordability was an issue in the district.
Adam Mark on the water
travels to Tauranga every second week with his father Glenn – but continues to train once a week on Lake Ngā Roto.
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You’re invited to ... Fonterra Te Awamutu’s Annual Environmental Community Meeting (Manufacturing Site)
Date: 5 September 2024
Time: 5:15 PM – 6.15 PM
Venue: Learning Centre Fonterra Te Awamutu 1600 Alexandra Street
At the meeting we will:
Introduce you to members of our site operations team –meet our new Site and Environmental Managers! Provide you with an update on our activities and operations;
• Provide an update on our wastewater treatment plant and site environmental performance;
• Share an update from a local Sustainable Dairy Advisor on activities happening in local catchments;
• Hear from lead members of the Taiea te Taiao Ecological Corridor group about the work being done to improve the health of the Mangapiko Stream. This is your chance to ask questions and share any thoughts or feedback. Light refreshments will be provided. Please bring along your family and friends!
Please RSVP to our Environmental Manager Karl Sullivan by texting 027 828 5435 or by email: karl.sullivan@fonterra.com.
Newspaper Deliverer Wanted
for delivery of the Te Awamutu News, your local weekly community newspaper. Deliveries are to occur every Thursday. Are you honest and reliable and would like to earn some money while keeping fit? Our runs are suitable for either youth (minimum age 11 years) or adults.
Delivery runs available in the following area: • Teasdale St/Rewi St/Wallace Tce
• Swarbrick Drive/Sinclair Tce/Caxton Place
Please contact us on E: admin@goodlocal.nz
Provide your name, phone number, and the area you are located.
