2024 Person of the Year
Community comes first
By Chris Gardner
Zion People church pastor Phil Strong possesses boundless energy where his community is concerned.
His response to the housing crisis was a prime example of that community mindedness.
Under Strong’s leadership, Zion People Church partnered with Habitat for Humanity central region chief executive Nic Greene in 2022 to lead a $10 million affordable housing project on the church’s former Racecourse Road site. Discussions began five years earlier.
Waipā District Council granted resource consent last year for 40 affordable homes on the one-hectare site and there was strong community interest in the development.
A change in Government and a softening housing market caused uncertainty for the project’s timeline this year and Habitat for Humanity’s central region sought funding. The Government had talked about supercharging the sector, enabling better outcomes for communities.
But Strong and Green remain positive the project will soon reap rewards for those in need.
“We are waiting for progress on housing policy,” Strong said. “It’s pleasing to see interest rates coming down.”
Strong, fresh from the three-day free
Brighten up the garden for Christmas with flowering 6 packs only $8.99 each.
pop-up Christmas Tree Awamutu festival at the church’s new Churchill Street building, greeted news of being named Te Awamutu News Person of the Year for 2024 with a humble laugh.
“Seriously? I hope I get a party hat, I’m surprised,” he quipped before acknowledging the “whole bunch of people” he works alongside in the community.
Another community project, Kihikihi’s Alpha Community Centre, benefitted from the project, getting carpet, doors, kitchen units and toilet pans from the church’s former Racecourse Road property after a Koha changed hands.
A report from Purpose Fill director Paul Gerritsen, whose company cleared the church site in March, showed 365 tonnes of building materials were recycled from the two buildings, leaving 58 tonnes of general waste.
As a member of the Waipā Christian School board of proprietors, Strong is also involved in finding space to add secondary schooling for pupils.
The special Christian character school, in Chapel Drive, Te Awamutu, has been operating for more than 30 years and provides primary education for up to 104 Year 1 to 8 students. It has applied to the ministry to lift the roll to 154 pupils and add secondary schooling for Years 9 and 10.
“We are progressing that slowly,” Strong
said. “We have got a potential location and had conversations with a few people.”
He expected to be able to make an announcement in February.
Te Awamutu Business Chamber chief executive Shane Walsh turned to Strong, and his team at Zion, to take on this year’s wooden Christmas Tree painting initiative supported by 18 schools in and around the town.
“This year we have managed to get so many from different groups in the community,” he said.
He also oversaw Tree Awamutu at church from Wednesday to Friday last week as businesses, community groups and families constructed trees that represents who they are and what Christmas means to them.
“For us, it’s really about being a community hub, a positive, hope-bringing centre,” Strong said.
“It puts a bit of love and life back into the community.”
“Our message is always we want to love people with no strings attached,” Strong said. “We hope one day they will ask why.”
Strong is also a regular contributor to our Faith in Waipā series.
• Who was the Cambridge News person of the Year? See page 2.
Phil Strong at the Tree Awamutu pop-up Christmas Tree festival.
The church leader who helped drive a $10 million affordable housing project is the Te Awamutu News person of the year for 2024.
GOLDEN TOURS 2024 Person of the Year Cambridge
The reluctant advocate
It was the biggest story of the year in Cambridge and resulted in apologies from the mayor and a new chief executive describing it as a “mea culpa” the council would own. Mary Anne Gill, who covered the story all year, speaks to the man who took council on, and won.
Jared Milbank, a quiet and unassuming man who would much rather walk his dogs with partner Lorna Mitchell and beaver away in his home office, is our Cambridge Person of the Year.
When the couple read The News’ February 29 story with the headline ‘Put it there!’ Corridor for third bridge revealed’ they realised the house they had bought in Queen St less than three years before, was right in the middle of the Blue Blob, where a road to a bridge would go.
“We couldn’t quite believe it, it’s like ‘they’re not going to bowl all the houses down here?’,” said Jared.
Lorna and Jared both rang The News for more information as they were unable to get any answers from the council. It was the newspaper they relied on in those early days as no one had consulted with them before the announcement and in the days afterwards.
“We’ve learned a lot about the value of reading a local newspaper and it always surprises me to see them sitting (unread) in people’s letterboxes,” said Jared.
• Know your neighbours
A campaign, led by Jared, with prodding and help from their neighbours resulted in an independent review and ended with a major council reset by year’s end.
Jared became the reluctant public face, talking to council staff, councillors, community board chair Jo Davies-Colley and then to the community board on March 20 in the public forum.
Very few people knew him – other than the neighbours he met at earlier street Christmas parties and they saw in him someone who could take on the fight.
The couple, both Kiwis, had been living in Melbourne in March 2020 when the Covid threat loomed.
“We thought it was going to last quite a while and we wanted to be back with family.
“We emptied out our apartment, put stuff in storage and got back here,” said Jared.
They moved in with Lorna’s mother on her lifestyle block in Kumeu. She had been unable to sell because a bypass – ironically also represented by a blue blob – was planned around the village. A window of opportunity came to sell, and she did.
In February 2021, they bought a house with a granny flat in Cambridge paying well above the odds in those heady days.
Both work from home – Jared is a specialist IT consultant for clients in Australia and Lorna does drug discovery research, managing people in labs around the world.
At the community board public forum he calmly presented the neighbourhood’s case impressing Davies-Colley.
“People were shocked like they had been in a car accident shocked,” said Jared. “Shocked in a sense like people that are going to do not rational things, and I don’t think the magnitude of that got read by the councillors who heard them.
“I’m glad I went first but some of the people who went after me were much less rational, but they were important too.”
The following night a drop in sessionintended for people living in the Blue Blob area but attended by an estimated 500 people - descended into a farce.
“The mayor was incredibly brave to stand up and talk with all of that happening.
“She tried to talk to a crowd that was a mob, and she tried to address the mob. If it had been managed more carefully… it wouldn’t have got out of hand in the same way,” he said.
Wife Lorna says her husband is a fantastic researcher and good at keeping an open mind.
“Throughout this whole thing it would be very easy for him to have gotten angry and jumped up and down and be irrational. He stayed calm and rational.”
“You actually want to engage,” said Jared. “There were people who very much wanted to yell and not engage. I still felt engaging was the better route.”
Jared has three messages to Cambridge.
• Know what’s going on by reading your local newspaper and downloading the council’s Antenno App
• Know who is on your community board; they are there to listen and advocate for you.
“Yes, I’ve done some stuff but there were people standing behind me… making sure I had enough gumption to do some of the things,” he said.
• Read a longer version cambridgenews.nz
Our person of the year, Jared Milbank in the neighbourhood and street he helped save. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
Signing off
This is the last edition of the year and we will be back on January 9, 2025. Keep your eye on our website teawamutunews.nz for any breaking news stories. Email editor@goodlocal.nz
Streets named
Dairy Lane, Waipiko Dve, Willow Rd, and Rose Ave have been approved as street names and Manawanui as the reserve for the Waipiko Landing development in Te Awamutu. Resource consent for the development was granted in mid-2022 and it will feature 77 lots, three public roads and a private road. The development is the first stage of the T11 growth cell.
Gotcha
Teenagers caught vandalising a Waipā playground in Cambridge have given time back to the community by painting over graffiti in other locations.
Museum funding
Ōtorohanga District Council will fund the town’s historical society to the end of June after it was turned down for a Lotteries Board grant. The Ōtorohanga Historical Society has operated the town’s museum for half a century. The council has granted $29,000 for staff wages from January to June 2025.
Sports off
The Sports Field Lease Model project has been taken out of Waipā District Council’s 10year Long Term Plan. A total of $5.159 million was to be spent on the council taking control of the district’s 17 ratepayer-owned sports fields and employing a sports liaison officer from 2027.
Black belter
Te Awamutu Karate Club Alex McIvor, who practices law in Te Awamutu as a director of Gallie Miles, achieved his Yondan - 4th dan black belt - grading in Christchurch last weekend, capping off a successful year for the club.
Stance criticised
By Chris Gardner
The man behind the plan to build a waste to energy plant in Te Awamutu has spoken out against Waipā District Council’s objection to the project.
Global Contracting Solutions managing director Craig Tuhoro took to social media to express disappointment at Waipā mayor Susan O’Regan’s comments on the Paewira Energy-from-Waste project at a workshop.
O’Regan said the council had to consider the worst-case scenario if the plant was to be built, particularly on the proposed site, Racecourse Road, which is next to residential neighbourhoods and the Mangapiko Stream.
“I want some real focus on that, both on a personal level and a council mayoral level,” O’Regan directed staff on the council submission.
“The stakes are extremely high, and I want to make sure that the inquiry around those negative impacts isn’t just limited to the neighbouring streets.”
The council is one of
hundreds of objectors to the plan that goes before a Board of Inquiry next year.
Tuhoro said his company had been engaged with district council planners for three years via external consultant reports as that is how the Resource Management Act is applied.
“At no stage have we had an opportunity to engage with the mayor or councillors since they were elected to showcase the opportunity this development affords the community,” he said.
“We would also like to remind the council we were invited to bring the project to this region by former mayor Jim Mylchreest,” Tuhoro said. “Maybe the people need to bring this kind man back who obviously cared about the environment not just politics.”
Mylchreest denied the claim.
“That is not my recollection at all,” he said. “I do recall having a discussion with them. I would have been very neutral on it. It was obviously going to have to go through a resource consent process. As a governing body we have to be careful not to take a position
on it.”
Tuhoro said the world needs innovative solutions to waste management and climate change and “Paewira is just that”.
“It utilises technology that has been proven around the world to be safe, reliable and contribute to higher levels of resource recovery than New Zealand could achieve without it. The technical submissions we are required to make reinforce this.”
He was disappointed the council had taken its position without exploring the opportunity deeper.
“What if Te Awamutu in five years could become the first zero-carbon township in the country, with zero waste going to landfill, poisoning Papatuanuku in someone else’s backyard, and have the highest recycling contribution in the country?
“Perhaps that would be a leadership position on waste and recycling that a community could engage with rather than be misled by disinformation and scaremongering.”
Plume Plotter data debated
The image provided via Plume Plotter shows how the app believed oxides of nitrogen would have spread from the incinerator had it operated in Te Awamutu 2023 – ranging from 3-4 micrograms in red, two to three in green and up to two in blude. The concentration of an air pollutant is given in micrograms (one-millionth of a gram) per cubic meter air or µg/ m3.
By Chris Gardner
Paewira Energy-from-Waste project director Adam Fletcher says he is not surprised or concerned by a computer model showing the enormous extent of the proposed Te Awamutu plant’s plume.
Lobby group Don’t Burn Waipā released what it called “shocking imagery” showing the proposed incinerator’s plume covered the town after UK website Plume Plotter processed data from Global Contracting Solutions’ application and weather information.
The website produces an hourly snapshot of the extent of the modelled incinerator plume from Racecourse Road and a composite plot of the average extent over a year.
Don’t Burn Waipā spokesman Eoin Fitzpatrick said the group was planning on presenting the data to the Board of Inquiry which will decide the application next year.
“The extent of the plume is enormous, and it extends over residential land,” Fitzpatrick said.
“Waste incinerators are usually sited in industrial areas not residential neighbourhoods surrounded by schools like this proposal.”
“The negative health and environmental impacts of this will be huge. New Zealand already has very poor air quality, and thousands of premature deaths from air pollution every single year Fitzpatrick said.
“This tool shows just exactly what our community is facing. It cannot be overstated what a bad proposal this is.”
Waipā District Council and the Te Awamutu-Kihikihi Community Board are objecting to the plan and Waikato Regional Council is completing a submission for the board.
Paewira Energy-from-Waste project director Adam Fletcher said the company was pleased people were engaging with the science as it is a complex issue.
“This demonstrates the difference between modelled information prepared for a consent application and actual results. From this people will see that even with the modelled results being well below permitted standards, the actual results from our new plant, which operates in essentially the same way as the Rockingham plant, will be even better than our predictions.”
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Craig Tuhoro says the world needs innovative solutions to waste management and climate change
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Christmas Messages
By Julie Guest St John Anglican Parish
I wonder what you hope for this Christmas. Whether we are heading home to our whanau or we ourselves are the hosts, all of us have hopes. Maybe it’s that this year the meal will be ready on time, the meat won’t overcook or that there’ll be enough food. Maybe it’s a fervent hope that there will be no arguments, or that the youngest children will get along. If your whanau is giving presents, maybe it’s that you have given the right things. Maybe it’s as simple as the hope that everyone arrives and then return safely. That list of hopes is anxiety inducing. Our culture drives us into Christmas busyness - but that was never the plan. The irony is that the true message of Christmas is a message of peace, hope, joy and love. We all know that Jesus was born into poverty, in simplicity. The first people who were told about his birth were shepherds, who had the lowest social status-deliberately chosen to be first. All of these facts are signs of the message Jesus came to bring, which is that God’s love extends to everyone.
Because of that there is always hope, no matter how bleak our life seems. But you won’t see that hope unless you take the risk of believing that this Christmas story might be true, and might impact your life. God’s love is always directed to you, but can only touch your life if you are open to receiving it. What do you hope for this Christmas? Could it be that you hope that Jesus loves you?
By Phil Strong Senior leader, Zion
I got accused of stealing Christmas the other day. I was shuffling along the floor of Zion Hub, dragging a fully laden, 2.4 metre Christmas tree across to the other side of the room, when I was apprehended by one of my team. “Oh, look,” they exclaimed, “the Grinch is trying to steal Christmas!”
Funny as it was, and not far from a fair accusation, I’ve since come to the realisation that one simply cannot steal Christmas. Here are several reasons why.
Firstly, joy always trumps a grump. No matter how grizzly or grumpy we try to be, there’s an over-riding power that happiness brings. Try and be grumpy while an infant giggles at something silly. You just can’t
do it. In the same way light always trumps darkness, joy always trumps a grump. Secondly, avoidance is ignorance. If a reindeer has flatulence and you don’t hear it, does that mean it doesn’t exist? Just ask Rudolf, or Dancer, or Blitzen. You don’t see oxygen and yet its power over you presides every moment of the day. Just because you say you don’t believe in the birth of Jesus Christ does not negate the reality of history. Finally, a gift is given before the recipient is aware. (Think chicken and egg.) God so loved the world that He gave us His Son, Jesus, as a gift to help us find our way back to Him. You can’t un-give Jesus, nor can you return to sender - King Herod couldn’t and neither can you.
So, as you enjoy Christmas, I hope you discover the true reason for the season.
Samuel
Pullenger Ministry Assistant, St John’s Anglican Parish
Most of us find life much easier, much more comfortable when we live around people who are similar to us. We often make friends around the clubs or hobbies we enjoy because we have something in common. However, as soon as we begin to ask questions about ancestry, life experiences, family life or culture we find differences between us. We are all highly contextualised; we are shaped by our life experience and the people in our lives. Strangely, this “human difference” is not always a boundary to close relationships. The Biblical story begins with an account of creation over a period of six days. At the end of each day God says, “It is good.” At the end of the sixth day, God looks at all he has created and says, “It is very good”, meaning that God is happy with what he has created. In the next chapter, though, God says there is something “not good” about his creation - the man he has created is alone. So, God creates a woman to be with him. The woman is different to the man, she compliments the man, and he compliments her. Christians believe that human difference is not just a part of life, but something that actually enables us to flourish. At Christmas we are reminded that God became human, not so that we could all become the same, but that as we celebrate each other’s diversity we become united. I want to encourage us, this Christmas, as we spend time with family and with people who are very different from us - who we disagree with - may we be able to see that other as “good.” May we celebrate the difference and allow it to bring us together.
Rates: it starts at 15.5 per cent
By Mary Anne Gill
It’s the Christmas present no Waipā ratepayer wanted to get – a 15.5 per cent rate increase from July next year – but all bar one councillor thinks they did enough to keep it at that.
Waipā District Council will send its Draft 2025-2034 Long Term Plan out for community consultation with rate increases of 15.5, 10.7 and 6.9 per cent in the first three years.
By year four, and subsequent years, the increase would be 2.3 per cent.
All councillors except for Cambridge’s Roger Gordon (pictured) voted to send the plan out. Deputy mayor Liz Stolwyk said it was the “least proud” she had ever been with a Long Term Plan. The council needed to be at the top of their game to communicate with the community because many residents had lost trust and confidence with them, she said.
– no one wanted to see weeds in footpaths and gardens, she said. “I need our ratepayers to know we’ve got their backs.” Gordon said he believed there were still “nice to haves” included in the budget and reminded councillors there were a huge amount of people who were no longer on fixed incomes.
There were some nonnegotiables when it came to operating levels of service
“They’re on reduced incomes.”
• More
Wintec announces reprieve
By Mary Anne Gill
Wintec has back tracked on plans to close several of its courses and lay off staff following a public outcry from the arts community and the regions.
A review and then consultation in the Hamilton-based tertiary institution’s School of Media Arts has resulted in a stay of execution for bachelor programmes in Communications, Music and Performing Arts and diplomas in Communications and Journalism.
Wintec is a business division of Te Pūkenga, the super polytechnic which has been working under government orders on a financial improvement plan and its own disestablishment.
Wintec lost $19.4 million last year. A recent report from a team of advisers brought in by the government predicted the Te Pūkenga loss next year would be $96.3 million.
Teaching and Learning executive director Shelley Wilson said Wintec’s original proposal to cut the programmes and diplomas from next year’s programmes was not made lightly.
“We have never had any doubt of the value of the arts and of these programmes,” she said in a statement to The News.
“While it was unfortunate that the financial status of these programmes necessitated this review process, it has been positive to see the passion and
commitment of our kaimahi (staff) that helped us reach a positive and financially viable solution for these programmes.”
The News broke the story online last month that staff and students at the century-old polytechnic had been told jobs and courses would have to go to make it financially viable.
News of the proposal rippled through the Waikato and King Country and particularly in towns like Cambridge, Te Awamutu, Morrinsville, Matamata, Tokoroa, Putāruru, Te Kūiti and Ōtorohanga who viewed Wintec as their polytechnic and not just a Hamilton facility.
What irked some staff was they were told their jobs and programmes might be gone on the day Wintec celebrated its 100th anniversary with events in Hamilton.
Wintec said it was never its intent to have the two happen on the same time but was unavoidable as some staff were unavailable until then.
Sources told The News it had been a stressful time for tutors and the students who were told their preferred 2025 studies might not go ahead.
There were still some job losses – six instead of the planned 18, sources say - Wintec did not confirm the number in time for The News’ deadline.
“It has also been great to see the depth of feeling coming from our industry partners, stakeholders and
wider creative community,” Wilson said.
Students who had expressed an interest in the programmes and diplomas are being contacted and encouraged to reapply.
“Wintec remains committed to delivering high quality education and training to its ākonga
(students) and supporting the communities and industries we serve. We will be continuing with our journey to achieve financial sustainability in 2025,” Wilson said.
Union officials did not respond to The News in time for its deadline but the Tertiary Education Union and Allied Staff
Association’s last month both called the change proposals short sighted.
Wintec should have waited for major change initiatives from Tertiary Education minister Penny Simmonds and the government before making major decisions, they said
Trailer blazers
By Chris Gardner
A pair of gigantic trailers nearly 15 times the capacity of the average trailer made their way from King Country agricultural manufacturer Giltrap Ag to a new home last week.
Giltrap Ag area manager Tony Jones said the trailers measured 14.2 metres long, 5.7 metres high, and 4.1 metres wide and had a capacity of 148 cubic tonnes.
“They are 14 times the size of an ordinary trailer,” Jones said.
“This was a fully custom designed project for a commercial customer. We completed a very fast design turnaround of approximately three months from initial concept to the start of manufacturing.”
He would not be drawn on their cost.
Special features included triple axles with independent hydraulic suspension on each wheel and front and rear steering axles.
The rear axle suspension locks when the tipping hoist is raised for stability and an electronic side angle interlock prevents tipping except on level ground for safety.
They set off from Giltrap Ag, on Main North Road, Ōtorohanga, at 3am under managed road conditions and had special permits - lines companies lifted power poles in places to get them through. They made their way up State Highway 3, across SH21 Airport Rd
and onto SH1 Waikato Expressway at Tamahere and then to a Huntly client who will use them off road. Giltrap Ag has manufactured agricultural equipment since it was founded by Wilfred Giltrap in 1959. It is now owned by Caig and Belinda Mulgrew. It also has plants in Timaru, in the South Island, and Melbourne, Australia. Giltrap Ag exports agricultural equipment to 12 countries.
The two trailers were built in Ōtorohanga.
Celebrating our champions
By Mary Anne Gill
Waipā Olympians and Paralympians who trained tirelessly, sacrificed so much and showed extraordinary courage, grit and determination were honoured in Cambridge last week.
Not all of the athletes could make it – the nature of their sports these days means they could be anywhere in the world at any time – but the ones who were there provided several highlights for the
crowd of mostly children.
Gold medallists Ellesse Andrews, Brooke Francis and Lucy Spoors joined other medal winners and competitors from the Paris OIympic and Paralympic Games.
Cambridge Middle School’s kapa haka group provided a haka to welcome them to Victoria Square following an earlier private function hosted by Waipā District Council.
Mayor Susan O’Regan greeted the athletes saying the celebration
was about recognising their extraordinary achievements.
“We’re incredibly proud to honour them,” she said.
“We’re not just celebrating their achievements; we’re actually celebrating who they are as people and what that represents for all of us.”
She also acknowledged the dedication of so many “unsung heroes” – the parents, coaches, clubs, volunteers and sponsors.
“You are the people who make sure that every athlete has the opportunity to survive and thrive.”
The athletes responded to questions provided by residents with the haka provided by others in the New Zealand team the highlight for most. Watching the Black Ferns win gold provided emotion and inspiration, said others.
Paralympian Devon Briggs, who competed with a dislocated tailbone and dislocated sacrum, spoke of the bakery in the athletes’ village where they could get fresh bread and fruit every day, including croissants.
Athletes then took on children in a few tug of war competitions with Waipā kids showing there are plenty of champions in their midst by easily beating the Paris competitors.
And more entertainment from Cambridge Middle School wrapped up the celebration. Crowd estimates put the numbers
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who attended at fewer than 500.
Waipā connections at the Olympics were: Ellesse Andrews, Bryony Botha, Max Brown, Sam Dakin, Brooke Francis, Camille French, Sam Gaze, Jackie Kiddle, Robbie Manson, Jordan Parry,
Tori Peeters, Rebecca Petch, Lucy Spoors, Phoebe Spoors, Corbin Strong, Emma Twigg, Leila Walker, Micah Wilkinson, Ally Wollaston. Paralympics: Danielle Aitchison, Devon Briggs, Nicole Murray, Anna Taylor.
Namesakes: Phoebe Spoors puts the bronze she won at Paris around the neck of Phoebe Kendall, 3, who told The News she was going to compete in the jumping up and down on the spot event when she is eligible. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
It’s mine! Sienna French, 2 1/2 – who attended the Olympics in France with her mother, Olympic marathoner Camille (nee Buscombe) - runs away with Ellesse Andrews’ silver medal during the celebration. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
Future proofing the farm
By Chris Gardner
“That eel has been here longer than I have,” says
electric fishing machine to demonstrate stream health on the farm. It was estimated to be just
They were common smelt, inanga, cran’s bully, longfin tuna, shortfin tuna and kakahi.
farm with funding from a Ministry for Primary Industries Afforestation Grant, Waikato Regional
Get Gardening
Many gardens get a bit neglected after Christmas with people heading away on their summer holidays. Give all plants, indoor, garden and potted, a good dose of liquid fertiliser before you leave on your holiday to provide them with plenty of energy while you are away. If possible, cover any edible crops with bird netting to ensure you don’t come home to half eaten produce. If you are staying at home, it would be a great time to get into the garden centre while it is a bit quieter and get the vege, herb and perennial garden refreshed to keep it going through to the end of summer. Lastly, the team at Amber would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a safe and happy New Year! Happy gardening!
Meghan Hawkes looks
Tales of Christmas passed
Campers in 1937 in the Waikato district were glad to see the sun after three waterlogged days.
The weather change came at a time when 90 per cent of campers had capitulated, clambering into their cars to seek refuge back at their homes. The holiday period for campers proved one of the worst since camping had come into vogue over in the past decade. Those returning home then had a distasteful experience on roads which were either flooded or blocked by slips.
Most unmetalled back roads were blacklisted by the Automobile Association. South of Te Awamutu between Kihikihi and Tokanui where the Great South Road was under reformation was most unpleasant travelling and cars were required to negotiate thick slush strewn with huge potholes. For those at Te Awamutu who did brave the conditions and stay camping – a cow broke into their stores and ate the newspaper.
In 1919 the Te Awamutu and Kihikihi Town Bands gave performances on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. They played grand old hymns, and the Te Awamutu Band, assisting a relief fund for a local man losing his sight, collected donations. Under Bandmaster Newsome, various streets in Te Awamutu were visited.
light for playing by from his car, and Mr Temple lent valuable assistance with his acetylene lamp. On arriving in town again about 4am, hearty cheers were given. Christmas 1896 in Ōhaupō was a very quiet one with nothing to show that it was the greatest festival of the Christian Church, except a morning service held in two of the churches. After church people went to their houses to eat their Christmas dinners of roast beef and plum pudding and lay down to sleep, for the day was a scorcher. In the evening very few people were seen – a stark contrast for British settlers who were used to drunk revellers. Now they were at the other end of the world, and things were turned upside down, no-one befuddled was to be met with. In 1945 the 78th annual meeting of the Alexandra Racing Club was to be held at Pirongia on Boxing Day and promised to eclipse all previous meetings. Improvements had been made to the course, and the Auckland Racing Club had given a £25 trophy for the winner of the cup. This
generous action from the most influential racing club in New Zealand to the oldest was much appreciated. Interesting racing was usually seen at Pirongia, and local residents who had Christmas visitors could not do better than take them to Pirongia on Boxing Day. The hospitality and friendliness of the people was
A Snip in Time
well known, and the picnic parties that gathered on that day were always numerous and happy.
The misleading ‘one in 100 flood’
By Janine Krippner
Dec - 7th Jan
The Main Trunk Express at 3am to Auckland was met at the station by the band and carols were played on the platform, to the great enjoyment of even the sleepiest of passengers.
We will be closed from Wishing you and your family a j l h iday a n!
The Kihikihi Town Band, punctually at midnight between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, started playing in the main street.
This week I had a chat with Joshua Sargent with the Environmental Research Institute at the University of Waikato. He is an environmental spatial scientist, which is someone who combines the elements of environment, people, and place, with a strong interest in human-flooding relationships.
preparedness can look different.
For example, farmers can work with their lands to redirect water and have raised areas for livestock to avoid harmful contact with standing water. For households, having an emergency plan is a great idea, and not just for flooding.
A start was then made by motor, and a very enjoyable tour of the district resulted. Mr Kennedy supplied extra
This is a good place for it, floods are our number one hazard in terms of declared Civil Defence Emergency Management emergencies, how often they occur, and losses. During our larger events, terms like “100-year flood” pop up, which that some say is the most misunderstood term in disaster preparedness.
If something hasn’t happened recently we tend to forget that it does happen. If we aren’t prepared, it’s a bigger problem when it does happen. We can make small improvements and undertake maintenance that can reduce the impacts and speed up our recovery.
The term came about in the 1960s through a national flood insurance programme and was not intended to be used for specific locations. It can be helpful to have a scenario like this for understanding how things that may be impacted, but these can become part of our everyday terminology where the context is lost and incorrect meanings take on a life of their own.
While a 1-in100-year-flood sounds like a flood of a given size happening once every 100 years, that’s not what it means. It means that there is a 1 in 100 (1%) chance of floodwaters exceeding a given level in any single year. More than one can occur in a year too. This sounds like a small chance but ignoring it can lead to much greater impacts if we as individuals and communities don’t take steps to be prepared.
The impacts – what is damaged and how, vary greatly. As with every hazard, there are groups and individuals more vulnerable than others. On the broader scale we have our farmland versus our towns and
Since flooding is frequent in our region with our 20 large rivers and about 1400 smaller river systems there is a lot more information on the Waikato Regional Council website, Civil Defence has advice for what we can do to before, during, and after a flood on their website, and our district council websites have information for us too. NIWA also has a quick and easy “Township Flood Challenge” game online.
If we know what to do, we can act faster, and taking quick action is important with rising water. Remembering that we should stay out of flood water, not drive through it or play in it, can prevent harm to us and our loved ones.
It is important for us to know that flooding can happen any time (even when the sun is shining), they could happen more frequently than we think, what the impacts could be for us, where to go for relevant information, and what we can do to help ourselves.
The decisions we make today will influence future flooding scenarios. Once again, we are not powerless.
ON SHAKY GROUND
Here is the moos… the cow which broke into a camper’s stores at Te Awamutu and proceeded to devour a daily newspaper.
Cable job complete
Work to replace 11kV underground power cables on Te Awamutu’s Racecourse Rd – started in May – has finished.
Waipā Networks’ chief executive Sean Horgan said as the community expanded, so must its infrastructure.
The cables had served the community since 1966.
“We’ve invested over $30 million this year to ensure that we will meet the growing electricity demands in our region,” Horgan said.
“The Te Awamutu cable upgrade project was one of our major projects for 2024.
The new cables run for more than five kilometres from the Te Awamutu substation, under the Mangapiko stream and to overhead lines that support the Te Awamutu network, including Kāwhia.
When the original cables were laid, Te Awamutu’s population was just 5000 people – today more than 15,500 individual connections run to the Te Awamutu Grid Exit Point .
“As Te Awamutu, Kawhia and its surrounding areas
“This upgrade ensures our urban and rural power
network can meet our communities growing demand for power, while replacing aging assets improves the security of supply."
Fallen solder honoured
By Viv Posselt
Te Awamutu’s only known fatality in the Vietnam War, Lance Corporal Cecil Richard Fisk, was honoured last week at the unveiling of his name on the Roll of Honour board at Te Awamutu RSA.
It is the only name listed on the board related to the Vietnam War.
Waipā Networks has invested more than $30 million this year to meet demands. continue to grow, investing in key infrastructure ahead of time is important,” Horgan said.
There to help mark the occasion were his Hamiltonbased nieces, Jackie McKenzie and Katharine Fawcitt, daughters of Cecil Fisk’s sister. They had fond memories of their uncle, with one of them remembering him bringing teddy bears back from his first tour in Vietnam.
Lance Corporal Fisk was with the Victor 5 Company of 2RAR/NZ (Anzac) Battalion when he died on June 18, 1970, after being mortally wounded by a command detonated mine while on patrol in the Phuoc Tuy province of South Vietnam.
He had turned 24 just 16 days earlier and left behind his three-months pregnant wife Gail, and their 18-month-old daughter. His widow remarried and now lives in the South Island, and their two children, Julie and Andrew, live overseas.
It was his second tour of duty in Vietnam. Tours lasted six months and the wives of Kiwis serving in Vietnam were billeted in Singapore for the duration of their husbands’ tours. It was there that the news was broken to his young wife.
Fisk was born in Te Awamutu on June 2, 1946, to Lionel and Joan Fisk. His family moved several times, and he attended schools in the Te Awamutu area and in Hamilton.
A story printed in the June 19, 1970, edition of the Waikato Times reported that he was from Hamilton, which contributed to his link with Te Awamutu having been unknown until
recently. He is also listed on Auckland Museum’s online cenotaph record. Te Awamutu RSA research helped connect his story to Te Awamutu.
Fisk is known to have served in Indonesia, Borneo and Vietnam. After losing his life in Vietnam, he was laid to rest in Christchurch.
During the solemn ceremony unveiling his name on the Roll of Honour board, Te Awamutu RSA president David Bowler read out details of the operation in which Fisk died.
His nieces said they were very grateful for their uncle’s acknowledgement and said it would have meant a great deal to him.
Cecil Fisk’s nieces Jackie McKenzie, left, and Katharine Fawcitt were present for the unveiling of their uncle’s name on the Roll of Honour board at Te Awamutu RSA. Photo: Viv Posselt
Coromandel says no deal
By Chris Gardner
Thames-Coromandel
District Council has voted not to sign the non-binding Waikato Water Done Well agreement exploring establishing a joint Waikato council-controlled organisation to deliver water services.
vThames Coromandel also voted to continue working on modelling activities.
“Without that modelling information it’s very hard to make final decisions,” councillor Martin Rodley told The News. “We did not see the need to rush into Waikato Water Done Well. We wanted to keep our options open.”
Under Local Water Done Well legislation, all councils are required to produce a water services delivery plan by September, ensuring future delivery is financially
Letters…
Pay your way
In this last year I have been very disappointed to see so many vehicles with expired road registrationsome months expired and some by years. A recent one outside the information centre had a June 2020 sticker. A walk around town will show how many there are who do not pay their share for the roads they use. I get a reminder when mine is due for renewal, so how come NZTA do not follow up with those who have not renewed when they know who they are? If we multiplied our numbers over the counter it would be many, many thousands I presume. There is also a $50 increase coming up for those of us who do pay when it would not be needed if everyone paid their fair share.
Alfred McLaughlin Pirongia
sustainable and meets quality standards.
Thames-Coromandel District Council members also decided to explore synergies through shared working arrangements with neighbouring Hauraki District Council and explore joint water service opportunities with Hamilton and Tauranga city
councils.
Thames-Coromandel mayor Len Salt, in a statement, said decisions would follow community consultation and be announced around April 2025.
An independent review showed ThamesCoromandel District Council was in a relatively good position with reasonable
Hampers to go
assets and lower relative debt compared to some councils.
Ōtorohanga mayor Max Baxter said engineering consultants Beca had shown his district could probably provide water services as a standalone entity.
Waikato District Council identified Hamilton City Council as its preferred water partner last Friday but has
not ruled out joining Waikato Water Done Well. It will consult with ratepayers in March.
Hamilton City Council has opted out of Waikato Water Done Well but made it clear last week Waipā District Council was still welcome to join it.
Waipā mayor Susan O’Regan said, in a statement,
the decision was critical.
“The good news is that we have options – it’s a great position to be in. But it makes our decision harder as there is a lot of information to take into account, and no time to waste.”
Hauraki District Council was to discuss whether to sign the agreement yesterday. (December 18).
Fourth Takahē chick possible
By Chris Gardner
Nancy the South Island takahē has taken the unusual step of renesting after producing a chick at Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari this season.
Her activities have resulted in staff restricting access to the maunga’s Tautari Wetland, in the hope she will produce a second chick with her partner Hemi from her second nest.
Their first chick is one of three of the vulnerable species hatched
at Maungatautari this season. The other two were hatched by the mountain’s second breeding pair Puiaki and Pirie.
Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari chief executive Helen Hughes said Nancy’s re-nesting was unusual, as takahē breed annually.
“It’s exciting,” Hughes said. “It’s testament to the hard work that we do her that we are able to see growth rates of what had been through to be a previously extinct species.”
Takahē were presumed extinct for
50 years before being rediscovered in 1948.
There numbers were at 528 at the last count.
“It really is a team effort,” Hughes added, acknowledging iwi and the Department of Conservation Takahē Recovery Team who partner with the maunga team.
Visitor experience and sales manager Tali Jellyman said of the 528 takahē currently in existence, 24 have been bred on the mountain, and this season’s trio would
make the total 531 with 27 bred of Maungatautari. Adults weigh between up to 3.5kgs – they are the largest living flightless species of rail in the world.
Volunteers gathered at Zion Hub in Te Awamutu early on Monday ready to sort and pack about 200 Christmas hampers for families in need. They were part of Operation Christmas Hamper, a collaborative community-led initiative bringing together organisations and businesses. Co-ordinator Jill Taylor said the initiative has been going for about 10 years. Hampers contain toys, food and treats for families identified by various social agencies, including the police and Kainga Aroha. They were packed and distributed to recipient families over three days earlier this week.
Nancy the South Island Takahē with her chick.
December 19, 2024
Community Connect
Facing the futuretogether
As we reach the end of 2024, it’s a time to reflect on the successes of our Waipā District and embrace what lies ahead. Facing the future requires courage - the courage to make bold decisions, and to take action with optimism and determination.
I believe now is the time to be brave. And to be honest, that’s not always easy.
Being a courageous leader doesn’t mean having all the answers or pretending to know everything. We don’t. I certainly don’t. Real leadership can be daunting, because it is about being open, vulnerable, and humble enough to admit we need others’ expertise. In Waipā, we’ve openly acknowledged our missteps - and that honesty is a step toward better governance and rebuilding trust and respect within our communities.
Local government is facing some of the toughest economic landscapes in decades. We are faced with a huge amount of reform that will change who we are as a local authority and also change the way we serve our communities We know there are tough decisions ahead, and we also know we won’t always make everyone happy. But good leadership is not about winning a popularity contest. It’s about doing what is right, even when it’s hard. Leadership with courage means making decisions with the future in mind We become good ancestors. We embrace cathedral thinking. We put principles before personal gain
As we move into 2025, Waipā faces a range of challenges, including major water reform, long-term planning, and necessary resets on some key projects. These will require us to strengthen our relationships
with our community, our partners, and each other. We must also confront the reality of the ongoing cost of living crisis, alongside the urgent issues of climate change, sustainability, and community wellbeing. With disinformation and mistrust growing, the stakes are higher than ever.
As we look ahead to 2025 and beyond, the leadership we need is one that values collaboration. He tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata - It’s the people, it’s the people, it’s the people. We need leaders who surround themselves with those who challenge them, who offer new perspectives, and who aren’t afraid to fail, learn, and try again.
We need to change the systems that have historically excluded diverse voices. We need to inspire action, not by demanding, but by leading by example.
While history may favour the brave, the future favours those who have the courage to step forward, tackle the challenges of today and build the Waipā we know is possible.
So, let’s be brave, together. Let’s make courageous choices for our communities, our environment, and our future.
From my family to yours, I wish you all the best for the festive season.
Waipā District Mayor, Susan O’Regan
Get ready for the holiday season!
Here are a few key things to keep in mind this Christmas break:
Council offices in Te Awamutu and Cambridge will be closed from noon Tuesday, December 24, 2024, and will re-open 9am Wednesday, January 8, 2025.
If you have any enquiries, you can still call 0800 WAIPADC (0800 924 723) at any time as our phone line is staffed 24/7
Library and Museum closures
The Waipā District Libraries and Te Awamutu Museum Education and Research Centre will also close at noon on Tuesday, December 24, 2024 until 9am on Wednesday, January 8, 2025.
Recycling and rubbish collection
If your recycling collection falls on Wednesday, December 25 or Wednesday, January 1, your collection will be picked up the following day For rubbish collection, please contact your chosen provider –their details will be on your rubbish bags or wheelie bins
Online payments
Online payments can still be made during the holidays on our website Scan the QR Code.
Resource and building consent applications
Scan the QR code to check your recycling day
The period from Friday, December 20 to Monday, January 13 is excluded from the 20 working-day time frame for processing resource and building consent applications.
0800 WAIPADC (924 723)
Views from the past
King Country landscapes by three of New Zealand’s most revered artists are part of the Timeline: Waikato Art 1850 to 2000 in the reopened Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum and Gallery.
Paintings by Peter McIntyre and John Weeks are on display in the exhibition, which opened last week.Weeks who was born in England in 1886 and emigrated to a farm at Mangapiko near Te Awamutu in 1892, was an influential figure for many of New Zealand and Waikato’s regionalist paintings.
His King Country landscape shows many of the characteristics of Week’s painting style and use of colour. In 1958 he was awarded the OBE for services to art and died in 1965.
McIntyre’s oil landscape from 1975 has a surreal element
in the style often used by the World War II official artist in his later years when he had a holiday home in Kakahi, south of Taumarunui.
Born in Dunedin in 1910, McIntyre was a prolific artist who was also awarded an OBE for services to art. He died in 1995.
The other with King Country connections is Taharoa Farm 1950 by Violet Watson, who was born in 1906. The rural landscape oil painting by the artist was a particular favourite of Watson’s who died in Hamilton in 1992.
Also featuring is a painting of Hautapu School near Cambridge featuring a school building nestled behind thick bush in 1987 by Dunedin-born Rodney Hamel, 87, who specialises in landscapes and portraits. He was a teacher of history and geography at St Paul’s Collegiate in Hamilton from 1963-2000 and often painted the Waikato landscape from the top of Maungakawa.
The exhibition also features an image of Arapuni Dam by photographer Laurence Aberhart and early watercolours of the Waitomo Caves, Pirongia from Mangatama and the Waipā River at Ōtorohanga.
After a six-month closure for extensive renovations, the museum is ready to welcome visitors to their opening weekend’s ‘housewarming’ celebration to experience the improvements as well as the four new exhibitions alongside established favourites including Exscite.
Other highlights include the traditional and contemporary handcrafted weaving works in He Aa I Uta, He Aa I Tai: Weaving the Elements, details from the museum’s own history in Exhibition no. 831 and the prestigious international Astronomy Photographer of the Year exhibition, showcasing award-winning images of the universe.
The primary focus of the renovation was to bring the building up to modern museum standards, including crucial roof repairs and the installation of a new air lock entry for enhanced climate control.
Te Awamutu AUTO DIRECTORY
Setting up for safe holidays
Preparing your vehicle for the summer holidays is essential for ensuring a smooth, safe, and enjoyable trip, especially if you plan to drive long distances or explore remote areas in New Zealand. Summer heat does put additional stress on your vehicle, particularly the cooling system, battery, and tyres. Checking and servicing these components before your trip can prevent breakdowns in isolated areas, where help might not be readily available.
A thorough inspection of critical safety features — brakes, tyres, lights, and wipers — is crucial for summer driving. Well-maintained brakes are vital for handling New Zealand’s often winding and hilly roads, while properly in ated tyres ensure better grip, especially in changing weather conditions. Summer trips often mean hot days in the car. Make
sure your air conditioning system is functioning correctly to keep everyone comfortable during long drives. Also, check uid levels, including coolant and oil, to avoid overheating the engine in high temperatures. The latter is especially relevant if you intend towing a caravan, boat or laden trailer. A well-maintained vehicle runs more e ciently. Servicing your engine, checking tyre pressure, and replacing dirty air lters all contribute to better fuel economy, saving you money – and potential headaches with breakdowns - on your summer road trip.
Preparing your car well ahead of time ensures peace of mind, letting you focus on enjoying your holiday without worrying about car trouble. It’s a small e ort that pays o with a safer and more relaxing trip.
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The King Country, c 1975, by Peter McIntyre. Collection: Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum and Gallery.
King Country Landscape, c 1940s, by John Weeks. Collection: Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum and Gallery
Taharoa Farm, 1950, by Violet Watson. Collection: Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum and Gallery
Safety message on the water
Water safety agencies are calling on people to take care on the Waikato River this summer, particularly around dams and lakes in the Waipā and South Waikato districts.
Water Safety New Zealand statistics showed 287 drownings had been recorded in the Waikato region since 1980, the highest figure nationally.
That makes up 20 per cent of the 1398 people who have died while swimming in the New Zealand’s rivers and inland waterways during the past 44 years.
There were 90 preventable drownings in New Zealand in 2023, 15 of those were recorded in the Waikato region.
Water Safety New Zealand chief executive Daniel Gerrard said more can be done to help communities learn how to stay safe in our rivers and lakes this summer.
“Many drownings happen in water that seems calm – people are often unaware of strong currents, submerged objects, and sudden drop offs. They often involve rescuers becoming the victim.
“No one needs to lose their life on the water this summer – be aware of hidden dangers and help each other to stay safe while having fun.”
Police Community Liaison Officer Deb Hann said it’s a good time to remind people to be safe around the water, as the summer season approaches.
“As the weather warms up,
many of us flock to our lakes and rivers but it’s also when people can get into trouble.
“Whether swimming or boating, we want everyone to come home to their whānau after a day in or
CHURCH SERVICES
PARISH OF ST JOHN
resources and advice out there, so take a moment to brush-up on water safety basics before you dive in.”
Waipā and South Waikato districts are home to hydro dams at Karāpiro, Arapuni and Waipapa. The lakes near the dams are popular places for people to visit during the summer holidays.
Mercury’s Head of Operations for Generation, Matt Kedian, wanted to raise awareness of the Hydro Dam safety zones.
“The safety zones are areas which are 200m above and below dam structures, where all vessels are prohibited, as well as swimming, jumping and fishing.
“These are dangerous areas and it’s important to respect the water and understand the risks.”
Waikato Regional Harbourmaster Chris Bredenbeck agreed and said the water near dams has strong currents and suction effects.
on the water. We encourage people to swim in appropriate places, to supervise children around the water and to remember that alcohol and water don’t mix.
“There are lots of water safety
Christmas 2024 CHRISTMAS MESSAGE
My dear people of good will, Greetings of Christmas Joy!
St. John Paul II said: “Do not be afraid.
Open wide the doors for Christ. Joy is the true gift of Christmas, not the expensive gifts that call for time and money. We exchange gifts because God has given us the gift of His Son.” (Christmas Homily, 1978)
“Water levels and flows can change quickly, and massive flows may be released at any time from hydro dams. Please do not swim in these areas.
“It is wonderful to have the lakes and rivers in our communities to enjoy but we also want to make sure everyone is safe in the water.”
Let us together celebrate the JOY of Christmas not coming from the material gifts we receive but from Christ who is the ultimate reason why we celebrate Christmas.
Merry Christmas and a joyous New Year! I remain,
In the Lord Jesus Christ.
Fr Rico P. Enriquez St. Patrick’s Catholic Church Te Awamutu Parish Administrator
Karāpiro Hydro Station.
Photo: Stephen Wells.
Seasons Greetings HOLIDAY
www.boneandbodyblueprint.co.nz and Happy New Year from the team at Bone & Body Blueprint
We are closed from 19th December 2024 and open from 14th January 2025 with limited o ce hours for January.
CHRISTMAS HOURS: Open 7 days through December Mon-Fri Dec: 9.30-5pm OPEN Sat-Sun: 10am-3pm OPEN 23 & 24 Dec: 10am-3pm OPEN 25 Dec-5 Jan: CLOSED 6-10 Jan: 10am-3pm OPEN Sat 11 Jan: 10am-1.30pm OPEN Mon 13 Jan: Resume normal hours Mon-Fri: 9.30am-5pm Sat: 9.30am-1.30pm
homewares • gi s • décor
Te Awamutu Wheelchair Wagon’s last day of operation will be Friday 20 December 2024, back in operation Monday 13 January 2025. Wishing all our clients, supporters and volunteers a very merry Christmas.
Seasons Greetings HOLIDAY HOURS 2024-2025
• Monday 23rd Dec 8am-8pm • Tuesday 24th Dec 8am-6pm
• Wednesday 25th Dec 9am-1pm
• Thursday 26th Dec 9am-3pm • Friday 27th Dec 8am-8pm • Saturday 28th Dec 9am-3pm • Sunday 29th Dec 9am-3pm
31st Dec 8am-6pm
Wednesday 1st
9am-1pm
Thursday 2nd Jan 9am-3pm • Friday 3rd Jan 8am-6pm • Saturday 4th Jan 9am-3pm • Sunday 5th Jan 9am-3pm
Down: 2.
of (4,3,6)
23. Regain, make up for a loss (6) 24. Haphazard (6) 25. Garden vegetable (3) 26. Done without risk (6)
Across:
Depart, 5. Arouse, 8. Rim, 9. Rattle, 10. Brewer, 11. Silo, 13. Obstacle, 14. Teach, 15. Fiery, 19. Forecast, 21. Numb, 22. Filter, 23. Anyway, 25. End, 26. Detain, 27. Yonder.
Examine, 3. Act, 4. Tremor, 5. Ambush, 6. Operation, 7. Spell, 12. Orchestra, 16. Rummage, 17. Barren, 18. Steady, 20. Olive, 24. Yen.
EXPERTS
Christmas Hours:
Wednesday 25th and Thursday 26th – CLOSED Friday 27th – OPEN 10am – 1pm Monday 30th & Tuesday 31st – OPEN 10am – 1pm Wednesday 1st and Thursday 2nd – CLOSED Friday 3rd – OPEN 10am – 1pm
Normal hours resume Monday 6th January 2025
For enquires outside of these hours, please phone 871 4111 or 0800 367 222 and leave a brief message.
JP Clinic: Last JP clinic for 2024 is Friday 20th December, JP’s will then take a 2-week break and be back Monday 6th January 2025 at 9.30am.
We would like to thank you all for your support over the past year and wish you a very Merry Christmas and a safe and happy New Year.
2/213 Alexandra Street Te Awamutu Ph: 07 871 4111
teawamutu@cab.org.nz Mon - Fri: 9am - 4pm
School Nurse
Te Awamutu College recognises that students who are healthy are ready to learn and participate fully in school. Te Awamutu College has a Registered Nurse on site in its Health Centre 8.30am-3.30pm daily, 32.5 hours per week, term time only.
We are seeking the services of a Registered Nurse who can work Monday to Friday during school term time.
The Nurse we are looking for will have:
• A current Annual Practising Certificate
• A current workplace First Aid Certificate (min Level 2)
• Practice Nurse experience or Primary Health care experience
• The skills and passion appropriate for health care and health & wellbeing promotion with youth
• Self-confidence and ability to work both as a team player and independently
• A willingness to undertake further Professional Development relevant to the role
JOWSEY, Colin Holroyd – 29 January 1946 - 15 December 2024. Passed peacefully at home, surrounded with the love of family. Dearly loved husband of Jean. Treasured dad of Karen and Tina and Father-In-Law to Corey, Brent and the late John. Proud grandad to Caitlin, Cameron, Logan, Emma, Carter, Charlee, Jaxon, Mason and bonus grandad to Ashley and Gemma. Brother to Helen, David and Lynette. In loving memory of Colin Jowsey, a celebration of his life will be held at Waipa Workingmen’s Club on Thursday 19th
WORK WANTED
QUALIFIED builder – for all your building and painting needs call the professionals. Call Ross 021 079 4514
This position is subject to Police Vetting.
A Job Description is available on request.
Please send your CV to: The Principal Te Awamutu College PO Box 369 Te Awamutu 3840 or email: info@tac.school.nz
Applications close Wednesday 15 January 2025.
