Cambridge News | August 22, 2024

Time to ‘eat the frog’

By Mary Anne Gill

The Cambridge Connections project is on a temporary hold following a fiery Waipā District Council committee meeting.

The extent of the disagreement between councillors on the project’s working group was laid bare during Tuesday’s debate about an independent review ordered by Waipā mayor Susan O’Regan after the Blue Blob debacle earlier this year.

Roger Gordon said the council’s media release about the review was not as “rosy” as depicted. Committee chair Clare St Pierre admitted the two had disagreed over the decision to go out to the community about a preferred third bridge location.

Also revealed was the role Maungatautari ward councillor Mike Montgomerie played in getting a review done by telling O’Regan and then chief executive Garry Dyet the council’s Cambridge Connections process had been seriously deficient.

O’Regan ordered the review after the council went public with the site for a third river bridge without letting residents know.

In its report to the council, WSP - a global company with an office in Hamilton - criticised Waipā District Council saying it missed an opportunity to take the community on the Cambridge Connections journey.

Among the recommendations were to investigate widening the Fergusson and Karāpiro Stream bridges and new on off ramps to and from Waikato Expressway

as part of a revised Cambridge Connections project list to tackle the town’s traffic congestion.

The project to shape and plan the town’s transport infrastructure for the next 30 years did not set enough context of the “big picture” vision, the review said.

It also recommends changes to the council’s engagement with the public.

Members discussed the review at a Service Delivery committee

meeting where Te Kanohi’s Hinerangi Kara said iwi supported the Cambridge Connections project but it was time to “eat the frog”.

She explained that by saying it was time for council to do the thing they least wanted to do first – acknowledge its mistakes - deal with it and move on.

Members agreed to receive the review, directed staff to do further work and report back to the Service Delivery committee.

Things turned to custard for the council in February after The News revealed the council had a preferred option for a third bridge, through a long-established neighbourhood in an area south of Alpha Street and west of Haworth Avenue.

Reading our newspaper was the first those residents knew about the plan and took their frustrations out on elected members and staff at a “drop in” session in March

when the proposal opened for community consultation.

The review said a media briefing and subsequent press release before potentially affected landowners were told – they did not get letters for another fortnight - resulted in uncertainty “…and likely contributed to the challenging feedback, leading up to and during the drop-in session.”

The review reveals staff briefed councillors at a “public excluded workshop” last October.

The News has consistently argued Waipā District Council discusses far too much behind closed doors and the Ombudsman is currently investigating that on our behalf.

Another public excluded workshop was held in February when councillors were given an assessment of the short list of options and an emerging preferred option.

Notes taken at the presentation included being specific about the third bridge location in Cambridge with good communications to the community needed, but it was not clear whether there was any official resolution or agreement on the next steps, the review said.

“Although it was noted that more investigation was needed before a third bridge location could be finalised and that stakeholder and community feedback would be sought on the preferred programme, the key steps did not indicate the timeframe of when public consultation would occur.”

• See cambridgenews.nz for more.

Te Kanohi’s Hinerangi Kara, left, listens as Bryan Hudson presents his report at the Service Delivery committee.

Photo: Mary Anne Gill.

Steampunkers clatter in

By Viv Posselt

Steampunkers and their fans filled the Cambridge Town Hall on Saturday, clattering and swishing their way around a full programme of family activities.

The event was the fourth to be arranged by the Cambridge-based InterlockNZ Trust and Cambridge Treetown Steamers. It attracted hundreds of followers from around the central North Island.

Interlock was founded by Aaron Ure in 2020 as a charity aimed at helping people with disabilities enjoy different opportunities through a programme of activities. He and his wife Lois have built it up over the past four years, moving premises several times to accommodate growing needs, and finding space to store materials for the many craft-

oriented activities members enjoy.

The annual day in Cambridge where the trust joins forces with the Treetown Steamers is one of Interlock’s main fundraisers.

The event is also a highlight on steampunkers’ calendars around the region. The movement follows a genre of fashion rooted in the industrial and Victorian era, around the turn of the 19/20th centuries, with a touch of time-travel added in. The clothing worn by fans is deliberately over the top, decorated with an array of chains, clocks, keys, watches, model

weapons, eye pieces and more. Saturday’s family day incorporated tea and parasol duelling, facepainting, wheel spinning and other games, plus high tea.

• More photos cambridgenews.nz

User pays

In reply to Sandra Holmes’ letter (Make them pay) in which she believes those in favour of repairing the historic water tower should pay for it themselves… well there’s a lot of things in this country that don’t particularly interest me, but we all pay (well rate payers anyway).

To me it is very important to keep something like this historic tower, remember once gone it is gone for good. Let’s be perfectly honest, if this water tower had been built in pre-European times would anyone dare pull it down?

Bruce Turner Cambridge.

Come on Cambridge…

What a fantastic team performance by Cambridge Utd in the EFL Cup last Tuesday. Superb football. Patient build-up from the goalkeeper through to an exciting attack and chance after chance in an exhilarating second half. Our number 2 was outstanding. QPR’s number 11 was excellent. We could have won 6-2. We hit the post twice. The ref was the villain of the night. My two first time in attendance guests are hooked but want a win and more Cambridge goals next time. It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening. A great atmosphere. The home and away fans gave terrific support to the teams. Come on you U’s!

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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.

In other news, we have had a few found property items handed in over the front counter including wallets, car keys, passports and even a misdelivered birthday present. If you find something that appears to have been lost, you have a responsibility to attempt to try to return it to the owner. You cannot just keep it.

Handing it to Police often enables us to make contact with the owner quickly from information already held in our system.

If a finder relies on social media posts to find an item’s lawful owner, there can be risks around the owner not seeing the post and ensuring the correct person claims the item.

If you lose an item and after concerted effort, you cannot find, reporting it to Police also means we can more quickly identify property we receive and ensure its return.

Brian Chadwick

Trumpington, Cambridge

Editor’s note: Confused? Brian is a fan of Cambridge United, the English Football League Club and his is the latest correspondence from Old Blightly where the author has us confused with a publication in England. The good news is that I have now assisted in Brian’s football education and expect him to be watching out for results from Vogel Street in future.

Pinkies up for tea are, from left, Hamilton’s Dee Nichols, and Cambridge trio Christine Crawford, Pip Hence and Deb Harper.

Lights out

A power cut left northern Cambridge residents in the dark at around midnight on Saturday. The cause was a fault on one of Waipā Network’s high voltage underground cables.

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.

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.

Golden pair say thanks

By Steph Bell-Jenkins

Brooke Francis and Lucy Spoors get stopped in the supermarket a bit more now they’re Olympic champions – and they don’t mind at all.

“The Cambridge community has been a joy to come home to,” said Spoors.

“It’s always been so supportive, and the thing I’ve love about being home is sharing our success with the younger generation – young girls who want a photo or young boys who feel inspired by it and desperately want to see the medal.

“We’ve been humbled by the number of people who have told us they were watching the race and screaming at their TV.”

Spoors and Francis, who both have children under age two, had the nation on the edge of their seats on at the start of the month as they powered across the line at Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium near Paris to beat reigning Olympic and world champions Ancuta Bodnar and Simona Radis of Romania in a thrilling women’s double sculls final.

Spoors still finds it hard to describe that moment. “I almost feel like I can’t do it justice,” she said. To me it was just sheer elation, and I think you just feel an overwhelming sense of emotion all at once.”

Francis described life since the Olympics as “literally a dream come true” and had also appreciated the “amazing” reaction from the Cambridge community.

“I’d say the Olympics brings our town a lot of pride and I’ve definitely felt that through the responses and the congratulations,” she said.

“A few of the local cafés have brought us out coffees that said ‘gold’ on them… people have just been so lovely and really kind.”

Both women are now taking a break while they decide whether to continue rowing.

“I guess with how big the past couple of years have been, I’m just looking forward to some downtime until the end of the year, and just being able to spend more time with (daughter) Keira, and life not being so hectic,” Francis said.

Spoors said she would make a decision after having “a proper rest”.

“I’m sitting here feeling pretty inspired still, so I’ll take a break and see what happens,” she said.

Readers keen to see more of Francis and Spoors can check out a video series they created, ‘Mums in the Boat’, which features on Schick Civil Construction’s Facebook page.

The women are looking forward to working with the company over the next few months

through its sponsorship of Waikato rowing clubs and school programmes.

“One of the things I’m proud of is that when you win a medal, you’re winning it for your country, and I’m looking forward to sharing our experience,” Francis said.

Towers of strength - Olympic rowing champions Brooke Francis (left) and Lucy Spoors with their gold medals in Paris.

So good for the souls

By Viv Posselt

Dean Signal reckoned he was in something of a unique position, career-wise.

“I have hundreds of people underneath me, but I never receive a complaint,” he’d often say. As sexton for Cambridge’s three cemeteries, he was bang on.

Dean’s humour was memorable, but it was the loyalty, passion and empathy

he brought to the job that filled the Cambridge Town Hall to capacity last week as the town farewelled a man who had buried many of their own.

As they filed up to thank Dean for taking special care of their loved ones, the stories trickled out.

He would talk to those he had buried, particularly to the children… just to make sure they were

comfortable. Many was the time he couldn’t sleep at night worrying that the grave he dug that day might collapse before the service the following day.

He loved animals as much as people, and one day leapt over a fence to recover a duck hit by a vehicle. “That is one of my cemetery ducks,” he told a slightly bemused friend as he dug a hole and gently buried the duck in its

home turf.

A deep compassion for others drove every action. His sister Adele remembered the day the oncologist told Dean that he had a rare form of cancer.

“Dean leaned forward and said to him, ‘your job must be so very hard, having to deliver news like that to people’,” she said.

“The oncologist was quite overcome ... he said never in his career had that happened to him. That was just Dean’s nature.

Born in 1961, his early years were spent in Upper Hutt, then Tokoroa; the family moved to Cambridge when Dean was seven.

His parents’ marriage break-up when he was at Cambridge Intermediate unsettled him and he left high school early, shifting through a variety of occupations before joining Waipā District Council as sexton in October 1992.

Those at his funeral –among them Waipā mayor Susan O’Regan and many council employees – heard how the job became his ‘soul food’. It seems he had found his place in the world. Dean stayed there until declining

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.

health saw him leave just one day shy of his 30th anniversary.

It was Sally Sheedy, council’s customer and community services group manager, who revealed Dean’s oft-spoken quote about the numbers underneath him.

Others alluded to the fact Dean knew where every resident in those cemeteries lay… he became part of their continuing family story.

Waipā community services manager Brad Ward remembered Dean’s antics, alluding to the day when he invited Dean to be part of a media interview after skid marks had appeared in the pristine cemetery.

“There was some colourful language from him! I just

glazed over … he was a really good man.”

Council library staffer Kym Kearns spoke warmly of her memories of Dean, of shared times doing things sure to stir the ire of council officials but which were deliciously good fun anyway.

If anything could stand as testimony to a humble man measured by his humour and compassion for others, it was that crowd at the Town Hall last Friday.

For a moment they all stepped into Shakespeare’s Hamlet where the quote starting “Alas, poor Yorick” where the graveside quote speaks to a man described as ‘a fellow of infinite jest, and of most excellent fancy’. That was Dean Signal to a ‘t’.

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.

Dean’s casket leaves the hall.

Photo: Viv Posselt

Dean Signal

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.

People dumping rubbish illegally has attracted more complaints to Waipā council than anything else.

Of the 1725 customer service requests in the year ended June 30, 398 were for illegal rubbish, 206 for potholes, 200 for missing or damaged signs and 158 for streetlights not working.

Sixty six calls about leaf falls, 51 about rural trees and the same number for requests about construction activities resulted in 96 per cent of the complaints being responded to in under 10 days.

Trevor Sills urges men over 40 to get their prostate checked annually.

Illegal dumping like this is often reported to council.

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.

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.

A holistic way of reaching fitness

Cambridge welcomes its first CrossFit gym on August 24, when CrossFit Da Vinci opens its doors at 44/46 Matos Segedin Drive, in Leamington.

Owner Leonardo Baldi, who is a Level 2 CrossFit coach with seven years of teaching behind him, is excited for the new gym.

“We are all about functional fitness and movement, offering high intensity training with the proper techniques,” he says.

The classes on offer are across the board, broadly different such as Olympic lift for example through to Hirox, the global fitness race.

CrossFit as it stands is a global movement which focuses on not only fitness and nutrition, but also getting together as a community.

“At CrossFit Da Vinci, we pride ourselves in fostering and welcoming newcomers with scalable workouts, foundation classes and a holistic approach,” Leonardo says.

“Every workout can be scaled to meet anyone’s fitness level and abilities.

“Beginners can start with modified movements and gradually progress as their strength and confidence grow.”

The foundation classes focus on teaching the fundamentals and techniques of CrossFit, in a safe and controlled environment.

“We emphasize not just physical fitness but overall well-being. Our holistic approach includes education on nutrition, recovery, and lifestyle habits.”

The gym will be open five day a week from 6am until 6.30pm and on Saturdays from

8am until 10am.

“We intend to be running a series of classes; for example, there will be a “get ready for summer’ eight-week challenge, which is designed to get people’s fitness levels ready for the summer ahead,” he says.

CrossFit Da Vinci is fully equipped with a wide range of gym equipment, with the emphasis on the classes.

“We have a massive range of movement equipment related to CrossFit – we are the only gym that offers this in Cambridge,” he says.

Leonardo says he started off with CrossFit when he was waiting for hip replacement surgery eight years ago.

“I fell in love with it and once the surgery was over, continued on and became a coach.”

Anyone of any age can join and the beauty is, CrossFit Da Vinci offers a free consultation and trial for those who would like to know what it’s all about. If you sign in September for an unlimited membership, the first two weeks are free.

Leonardo and his mascot ‘Ella” – she who loves cuddles – welcome anyone who’d like to join CrossFit Da Vinci on August 24 at 10am when the doors open.

Hours: Monday- Friday 6am-

Owner Leonardo Baldi and Ella

Railcarts have carried tourists along the disused railway line between Okahukura and Stratford since 2012.

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

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At Matamata

and

you to site visits because after all - it’s your home, and we want you to share the journey with us.

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.

“Everything is high end. All our friends come in and go ‘wow, this is not what we were expecting’. You instantly love the place when you walk in. Our son-in-law is a builder. And every time he comes to visit he’s always impressed with the quality of the build. He mentions it every time.”

RENZO AND ROBYN VETTORI

Residents of sister village ‘Tamahere Country Club’

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.

Middle school celebrates gold

By Steph Bell-Jenkins

Two Cambridge Middle School students won gold at this year’s Waikato Intermediate and Middle Schools cross country championships in Tokoroa.

Mila Moore beat 48 year seven runners to win the junior girls’ race and Emily Cameron took out the senior girls’ race ahead of 40 year eight girls. It was another top performance for Cameron, who was the junior girls’ champion last year.

Colin Johnston also achieved a podium placing, coming third in the senior boys’ event in a pool of 46. He was third in the junior boys’ race last year.

Five other Cambridge Middle School runners finished in the top 10. They were junior girls

– Chelsea Baird 9th, senior girls –Nina Davies-Colley 5th, Annabel MacDonald 6th, junior boys - Quinn Davis 6th, senior boys Arthur Tilghman 8th.

Junior students ran 3km and senior students 3.5km at the South Waikato Sport and Events Centre.

Cambridge Middle School sent 24 runners to the championships, held last week, and came second in the junior and senior boys and girls’ categories to claim second place overall.

The school has performed strongly in recent years, winning overall in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

A number of the team are now looking forward to competing at the Zespri Aims Games, Australasia’s largest junior sporting event, which starts in Tauranga on September 7.

Held annually for intermediate school aged children, it attracted 11,733 competitors from 373 schools around New Zealand in 2023.

Cambridge Middle School sent 90 students to compete across 17 codes last year and achieved its best medal haul – eight gold medals and one bronze.

Chest of Drawers, Mahogany, Finely moulded Ogee Feet, 104cm high, 119 wide, 52 deep, End 18th, early 19th C, good condition. Victorian music stand, carved, Mahogany

Jules Duffart, French, 1924- French Town View, Oil on Board, Signed

Cambridge Middle School’s top 10 placegetters at the Waikato Intermediate and Middle Schools cross country championships in Tokoroa were: (back, from left) Mila Moore, Chelsea Baird , Nina Davies-Colley, Emily Cameron and Annabel MacDonald and (front, from left): Quinn Davis, Arthur Tilghman and Colin Johnston.

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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 low-waste information days at marae and work in partnership with the council for low-waste

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.

Old products come clean

A project between Waipā council and disability provider Enrich Plus which taught clients how to make their own low-cost, lowwaste 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.

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.

How would you like to finish?

By Murray Smith, Bridges Church

The phrase to “finish well” no doubt means different things to different people.

Our values and the criteria we use to determine what ‘success’ is, will shape whether we think we’re on a trajectory to ‘finish well’. Achieving fame, fortune or being judged by history as someone significant, means a great deal to many. For some, finishing well means ending life with a long, cushy retirement. Others would be satisfied to have ticked off a bunch of things on their bucket list. For those who believe “he who dies with the most toys wins,” finishing well means having lots of stuff. For still others, it means ending with a pain-free death. Talk of finishing well seems empty to me without taking into account a family health check. Are our family relationships and home-life whole and healthy? It’s terribly sad how rifts remain unhealed, to be taken to the grave so often in families. Finishing well, and parenting well, go hand in hand. The often-mentioned fathering crisis in our nation perpetuates tragic downstream consequences for children, extending to successive generations.

A bouquet…

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 common-sense 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.

Howard Hughes, the famous billionaire aviation pioneer, American industrialist, Hollywood movie producer and notorious womaniser, came from a wealthy background. In financial terms, he had everything anyone needed to finish well. Despite his privileged start, having the “ball at his toe,” his life nonetheless spiralled into a trainwreck. Although materially he “had it all” from childhood, his family life became increasingly dysfunctional as Hughes’ mother obsessed over fears of disease scarring him with multiple ingrained mental health hang-ups over germs and hygiene. His parents died two years apart leaving their 18-year-old son with inordinate wealth, but grievous emotional instability. His life was full of contradictions as he grew olderhis daring flying exploits, genius for business and technology and Hollywood successes, saw him become America’s richest celebrity by far - a glamourous playboy yet an increasingly disturbed recluse driven by relentless idealism, incinerating his entire wardrobe if he thought germs were present - and washing his hands until they bled. In

AGE OF REASON

By Peter Carr

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.

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

1976 Hughes died in a darkened room, lonely and alienated.

Definitely the richest man in the cemetery, did Howard Hughes finish well? To answer that, Jesus words are relevant, “For what profit is it to a person for them to gain the whole world, yet to lose their own soul.” (Luke 9:25) For me, “finishing well,” means to be a follower of Jesus Christ to the very end of life, finishing my “assignments” and receiving His “well done, good and faithful servant,” at the end.

How do we finish well? From beginning to end, it’s all about God’s grace.

John Newton’s rocky start as a slave trader was redeemed through his conversion to Christianity. A life bent on hell was transformed as the words penned in his famous hymn indicate, “Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.”

When all is said and done, grace is the ultimate explanation for why any of us make it. God’s grace saves us and keeps us. How appropriate it is to pray, “Lord, give me the grace to finish well.”

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 preschool traffic control.

Interesting that the school principal is an elected councillor. But I promised to be kind to the council.

CAMBRIDGE

WEDNESDAY

MONDAY 1:53pm, Cardiac Arrest, Scotsman Valley Road 3:12pm, Car Fire, Waikato Expressway

9:55am, Cardiac Arrest, Bryce Street 1:09pm, Building Alarm and evacuation, Ruakura Road 11:56pm, Building Alarm and evacuation, Hautapu Road

TUESDAY 6:14am, Building Alarm and Evacuation, Maungatautari Road

FRIDAY 5:47pm, Fire on side of road, Hydro Road

FRIDAY 8:42am, Building Alarm and evacuation. Maungatautari Road

SATURDAY 7:01am, Building Alarm and Evacuation, Ingram Road

SUNDAY 9:37am, Building Alarm and Evacuation, Queen Street

SUNDAY 3:53am, Medical assistance, Karapiro Road

MONDAY 6:44am, Building Alarm and Evacuation, Cambridge Road

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

Cone count takes a hit

By Mary Anne Gill

Goodbye cones, well some of them.

Waipā District Council has been working with contractors to trial using fewer cones for recent watermain work in Cambridge, Human Resources Operations manager Clark Collins told the Finance and Corporate committee this week.

“The feedback so far has been positive,” he said.

Taking a risk-based approach to traffic management is in response to public feedback on the code of practice for temporary traffic management.

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The code includes levels of temporary traffic management, signs and forms used and series of simple traffic management plans. The code is prescriptive and attracts controversy, said Collins.

“The quality of road cones is frequently questioned by the public.”

It can increase the cost of carrying out the work without improving safety and can cause unnecessary inconvenience to the public.

Plus, it can actually increase the risk of harm to road workers who have to wear orange high visibility clothing which clashes with the road cones.

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 cambridgenews.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.

Hall wins police 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 cofounder 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.

Snr Sgt Dave Hall has won the Woolf Fisher Police Fellowship

Cones in abundance.

Photo: Mary Anne Gill.

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 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.

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

Cambridge at your fingertips

It’s all on your local App – are you?

The Cambridge App is the go-to place for your latest mobile news, sport and opinion.

Every day, locals open the app to stay informed about what’s happening in Cambridge.

But there isn’t only news on this app: it features upcoming events, funeral notices, the latest properties for sale, places to eat and drink, activities, local businesses, and much more.

Download the Cambridge App, look around, you might be surprised by what you find.

Professionals

To list your business, event or activity, contact Advertising Director

Janine Davy: 027 287 0005 or janine@goodlocal.nz

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

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

Boat Club last year to and travels to Tauranga every second week with his father Glenn – but continues to train once a week on Lake Ngā Roto.

Adam Mark on the water

While enrolment schemes and zoning may limit your choice of schools, you’re still free to explore options and apply to enrol your child at any state school of your choice.

Today, OUT OF ZONE takes a look at some necessary considerations as you set out to find the school that best matches your child’s educational needs.

Where are my friendskid’s going?

Should I choose

a school close to home or close to work?

YEARS 1-6

Out of ZONE 2024 School Directory List

Cambridge East Primary School

128 Williams Street, Cambridge 3434 (07) 827 7651

www.cambridgeeast.school.nz

Cambridge Primary School

3 Wilson Street, Cambridge 3434 (07) 827 5316

www.cambridgeprimary.co.nz

Goodwood School

517 Fencourt Road RD1 Fencourt 3493 (07) 827 6817

www.goodwood.school.nz

Hautapu School

5 Hana Lane, Cambridge 3493 (07) 827 7466

www.hautapu.school.nz

Horahora School

1798 Maungatautari Road, RD2, Maungatautari 3494 (07) 827 2823

www.horahoracambridge.school.nz

Kaipaki School

687 Kaipaki Road, RD 3, Cambridge 3495 (07) 823 6653

www.kaipaki.school.nz

Karapiro School

705 Tirau Road, Karapiro 3496 (07) 827 7642 www.karapiro.school.nz

Leamington Primary School

249 Lamb Street, Leamington, Cambridge 3432 (07) 827 5747

www.leamington.school.nz

Roto-o-Rangi School

5 Kairangi Rd, Cambridge 3495 (07) 827 1727 www.rotoorangi.school.nz

St Peter’s Catholic School

22 Anzac Street, Cambridge 3434 (07) 827 6623 www.stpeterscatholic.school.nz

Tauwhare School

26 Scotsman Valley Road, RD7, Hamilton 3287 (07) 824 0864 www.tauwhare.school.nz

Te Miro School

443 Te Miro Road, Te Miro 3496 (07) 827 8146 www.temiro.school.nz

YEARS 7-8

Cambridge Middle School

Clare Street, Cambridge 3434 (07) 827 5135 www.cms.school.nz

Hautapu School 5 Hana Lane, Cambridge 3493 (07) 827 7466 www.hautapu.school.nz

HoraHora School 1798 Maungatautari Road RD2, Maungatautari 3494 (07) 827 2823 www.horahoracambridge.school.nz

Kaipaki School 687 Kaipaki Road, RD 3, Cambridge 3495 (07) 823 6653 www.kaipaki.school.nz

St Peter’s Catholic School 22 Anzac Street, Cambridge 3434 (07) 827 6623 www.stpeterscatholic.school.nz

St Peter’s School 1716 Cambridge Road, Cambridge 3283 (07) 827 9899 www.stpeters.school.nz

Te Miro School 443 Te Miro Road Te Miro 3496 (07) 827 8146 www.temiro.school.nz

CPS OUT OF ZONE ENROLMENTS

ENROLMENT SCHEME

Because of our growing in-zone roll, Cambridge East School has an enrolment scheme in place.

The Cambridge East School Board of Trustees have made the following Out-of-Zone places available for the 2025 school year:

● Up to 15 places in Year 0/1

● Up to 10 places in Year 2

● Up to 5 places in Year 3

● Up to 5 places in Year 4

Please contact the school office on 07 827 7651 or email: office@cambridgeeast.school.nz for further information on Out-of-Zone Applications.

If the number of applicants exceeds the places available, a ballot will be conducted.

Closing date for Out-of-Zone Applications is Tuesday, 17 September 2024.

Applicants will be advised of the outcome of their application by Thursday, 19 September 2024.

The Cambridge Primary School Board of Trustees wishes to inform the community that we have the following out-of-zone places for the 2025 school year:

• Up to 30 places for Year 0/1

• Up to 5 places for Year 2/3

• Up to 3 places for Year 4

• Up to 7 places for Year 5/6

• Up to 7 places for Bilingual Class Years 4/5/6

The exact number of places will depend on the number of applications received from students who live within the school's home zone.

If the number of out-of-zone applications exceeds the number of places available, the students will be selected by ballot as per priority guidelines. The deadline for ballot applications will be midday on Monday 14 October 2024. If a ballot is required, it will be held on Wednesday 16 October 2024. Parents/Caregivers will be informed of the outcome of the ballot by the end of the day on Thursday 17 October 2024.

Choosing with the future in mind

The performance The performance of local schools can of schools can influence property influence values in the area. values in area.

With a young, school-aged family, it’s now almost a prerequisite than when buying or renting a home, the information on the zoned area of schools will be one of the real qualifications for any choices you might make. Many real estate listings will include the schools zoned in the area of the property.

This is underlined when you consider there is strict criteria when it comes to enrolling children who do not live in the zoned area of the school.

This is also bearing in mind that state funded schools, the vast

majority of education providers for kids in New Zealand, are the only ones that are zoned. Private schools, or charter schools, are not zoned.

State schools have a set order priority to fill out-ofzone places which start with children who are accepted into learning support programmes run by the school (for example, special education or a te reo Maori immersion class), or siblings of current or past students of the school.

The school school your child your childattends can have can long lasting impacts on on their future future educational and career career opportunities opportunities.

Once those places have been filled, only then will a school consider applications from students who do not live in their zoned area.

Schools within different zones can vary significantly in terms of the quality of education they provide. Factors such as the school's curriculum, teacher qualifications, student-teacher ratios, and the school's overall performance can impact your child's learning experience and outcomes.

Funnily enough, the reputation and performance of local schools can influence property values in the area. High-performing schools can make a neighbourhood more desirable, potentially increasing property values and providing long-term financial benefits to homeowners.

The school your child attends can have long lasting impacts on their future educational and career opportunities. A school with a strong academic record and a variety of extracurricular programmes can provide a solid foundation for higher education and personal development, and at times, will be recognised as potential leaders for companies looking through school leavers’ CVs.

OUT OF ZONE ENROLMENTS

OUT OF ZONE ENROLMENTS

The Goodwood School Board of Trustees invites applications from out of zone parents who wish to enrol their children at Goodwood School for 2025.

of zone parents who wish to enrol their children at Goodwood School for 2024.

Enrolment at the school is governed by an enrolment scheme, details of which are available from the school office or website.

Applications are to be made by completing a ballot form (available from the school office or the Goodwood School website). The deadline for receipt of applications for out of zone places is 4 pm Friday 18 October.

The Board has determined that up to 15 places are likely to be available for out of zone students. The exact number of places will depend on the numbers of applications received from students who live within the schools home zone.

If the number of out of zone applications exceeds the number of places available, students will be selected by ballot as per priority guidelines. If a ballot is required it will be held on Monday 21 October, 2024.

Parents will be informed of the outcome of the ballot within three school days of the ballot being held.

Please contact the principal David Graham or school

Please contact the acting principal Marsha Copping or school office for further information and an information pack.

You are most welcome to visit our school at 517 Fencourt Road, RD 1, Cambridge.

Phone: 827 6817 | email:

to enrol their children at Hautapu School for 202

October.

October.

The right educational experience

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.

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.

Hora Hora School

Schools often serve as a hub for the local community, so attending a local school can help your child build friendships and social connections.

Schools within different Schools within different zones may have varying zones may have varying levels of resources and levels of resources and facilities.

It’s important to choose a It’s to choose a school where your child will feel school where your child will feel comfortable and supported in the comfortable and in the areas specific to their abilities. areas specific to their abilities.

Hora Hora School is a positive learning environment where students have a voice and have ample opportunity to develop responsibility and leadership, especially for Year 7 & 8.

With 3 classrooms, we offer small teacher student ratios of less than 18 and individual attention for all students.

Hora Hora School is a full primary offering education for years 0-8 with a rich and varied curriculum including, local history, Science, Te Reo and a strong EOTC focus.

Highly skilled staff in Structured Literacy and using a Structured Mathematics approach.

Consistently high student achievement in numeracy and literacy.

Hands-on experiences that drive integrated curriculum learning with play-based learning in the junior class.

Integrated and up to date IT with a range of devices - all students in the senior and middle class have their own dedicated laptop computer, with tablets in the junior school.

Bronze award Enviro-school and Trees for Survival participant.

Heated indoor salt water pool operating in terms 1 & 4. Large school grounds, Flying Fox, Bike Track, and outdoor classroom (2024)

OUT OF ZONE ENROLMENTS FOR 2023/2024

OUT OF ZONE ENROLMENTS FOR 2024/2025

Due to ongoing roll growth at Kaipaki School, enrolment continues to be governed by an enrolment scheme.

Due to ongoing roll growth at Kaipaki School, enrolment continues to be governed by an enrolment scheme.

In 2024/2025 there will be 4 enrolment periods, with the first enrolment period from 14th October 2024 to 17th December 2024.

In 2023/2024 there will be 3 enrolment periods, with the first enrolment period from 9th October 2023 to 12th April 2024

The board has determined that:

The board has determined that:

• Up to 6 places in Year 0/1

• Up to 10 places in Year 0/1

• Up to 6 places in Year 2-4

• Up to 6 places in Year 2-4 are likely to be available for out-of-zone students in the first enrolment period. The exact number of places will depend on the number of applications received from students who live within the school’s home zone.

For students seeking enrolment within the first enrolment period, the deadline for receipt of applications for out-of-zone places is Monday 23rd September 2024. If the number of out-ofzone applications exceeds the number of places available, students will be selected by ballot. If a ballot is required, it will be held on Wednesday 25th September 2024. Parents will be informed of the outcome of the ballot within three school days of the ballot being held.

Details of the second enrolment period are:

Thursday 30th January 2025 to Friday 11th April 2025

Deadline for receipt of applications: Monday 9th December 2024

Date of ballot: Wednesday 11th December 2024

• Up to 4 places in Year 5-7 for Term 1, 2024 are likely to be available for out-of-zone students in the first enrolment period. The exact number of places will depend on the number of applications received from students who live within the school’s home zone. For students seeking enrolment within the first enrolment period, the deadline for receipt of applications for out-of-zone places is Monday 18th September 2023. If the number of out-of-zone applications exceeds the number of places available, students will be selected by ballot. If a ballot is required, it will be held on Wednesday 20th September 2023. Parents will be informed of the outcome of the ballot within three school days of the ballot being held.

Details of the third enrolment period are:

Details of the second enrolment period are:

Monday 28th April 2025 to Friday 27th June 2025

Monday 29th April 2024 to Friday 5th July 2024

Deadline for receipt of applications: Thursday 28th March 2024

Deadline for receipt of applications: Monday 7th April 2025

Date of ballot: Wednesday 3rd April 2024

Date of ballot: Wednesday 9th April 2025

Details of the fourth enrolment period are:

Details of the third enrolment period are:

Monday 14th July 2025 to Friday 19th September 2025

Monday 22nd July 2024 to Friday 27th September 2024

Deadline for receipt of applications: Monday 23th June 2025

Deadline for receipt of applications: Monday 24th June 2024

Date of ballot: Wednesday 25th June 2025

Date of ballot: Wednesday 26th June 2024

• 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.

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

• 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.

Understanding how how the ballots work the work

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.

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.

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 are accepted into learning support programmes run by the school

Leamington

School

Out Of Zone Enrolments 2025

Enrolment at Leamington School is governed by an enrolment scheme due to continual enrolment demand from across Cambridge. Due to increased classroom capacity the Board have determined that in 2025 there will likely be places for:

• Year 1 – up to five chidren

• Year 2 – up to three children

• Year 3 and 4 – up to four children

• Year 5 and 6 – up to six children

Families of in-zone children are encouraged to enrol online now to ensure they receive maximum educational benefit from our exclusive “Kick Start” Transition to School program.

Details of our zone can be found either on the school website or from the school office.

For an application pack or to learn more about how to apply for an out of zone place please contact our school office on 07 827 5747 or email office@leamington.school.nz

Applications close Friday 18 October 2024.

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.

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

Our vibrant country school is taking new enrolments now.

An enrolment scheme governs our highly successful school, however, we are accepting multiple enrolments for Out of Zone students across all year levels.

Applications for places close on October 1 th. If the number of applications exceeds the available spaces, we will hold a ballot on October 16th.

What can we offe

Smaller school numbers, personalised learning for your child

Strong academic achievement rates

Rural and enviro learning: Garden to Table, Ag Day, Maungatautari etc.

Our learning is created through a partnership with family/whaanau & community

Inclusive learning environment.

The 3Rs are our cornerstone: Respect, Resilience, Responsibility

Leadership, sporting and cultural opportunities

Bus from Town and the surrounding area

After School and Before School Care available

If you would like to visit our school or be sent more information please contact us:

Phone: 827 1727

Email: off ice@rotoorangi.school.nz

Website: www.rotoorangi.school.nz

Out of ZONE 2024

Working well with special needs children

Perhaps one of the biggest decisions when it comes to being in the right school zone for your child is when there are special needs involved.

Every child in New Zealand has the right to be educated. But some schools are far better equipped than others when it comes to providing what a student may need.

While every school in New Zealand receives funding for this area of education, it is up to each school as to how they use it – and that can range from purchasing resources, additional teaching hours, through to the provision of teacher aides or other support staff, or professional development for teachers.

It’s important for parents or caregivers to sit down with a school and look at the student’s needs and see how well the school aligns with being able to provide for them. In some cases, the structure is there and it’s a relatively easy process. In others, the school may need to work with the family and the Ministry of Education to help access specialized or additional funding.

Given that many special needs children are being successfully educated in mainstream state funded schools than ever before, it’s a system that is working well, even if the funding is still not at a level most schools need.

Knowing there are teachers who are skilled in this field in the school you have chosen means there is a level of support for your child that will make their learning experience relatively smooth.

So it’s important the school you choose has the flexibility to be able to cope with and to provide strong support for your child’s needs.

Some schools are far better equipped than others when it comes to providing what a student may need.

St Peter’s Catholic School

Year 7/8 (for 2025) Information Evening

Te Miro Full Primary, Cambridge

Te Miro School provides quality education in a beautiful, warm, inviting rural setting. We welcome visits/enrolments now for 2024 and beyond for Years 1 to 8.

We offer so much more than we can share here. Some of the reasons to enrol with us include:

an easy and personal transition for new entrants quality year 7-8 leadership programme including Wilderness & Ski camps small class sizes very experienced teachers; we know our students and provide learning opportunities that suit their individual needs our weekly Bush Class weaves lessons from nature into learning we embrace our unique rural setting with Agricultural Day we hold camps every year we are a well-resourced school with tennis courts, two swimming pools, a library, a radio station and 1 to 1 digital devices we are nestled within a community with an inclusive, family friendly atmosphere

Come and see our learning in action - when you visit our school you will see how personal and unique your child's school journey will be with us.

SO THAT WE CAN PLAN FOR GROWTH, PLEASE ENROL YOUR CHILD NOW 443

Because of our growing in-zone roll, Tauwhare School has an enrolment scheme in place.

We of fer:

• Year 1 to 6

Are you seeking a focused and fun Catholic learning environment for your pre-adolescent, that supports them to excel in learning and to make positive behaviour choices for life?

If so, then choose St Peter’s Catholic School today.

There are three main distinctions for Year 7/8 students at St Peter’s Catholic School. We provide:

1.A school environment and curriculum founded on positive Catholic values

2. High quality learning opportunities - including: biennial school productions; creative music, cultural, P.E. and technology programmes.

Results speak for themselves with 85%+ of students achieving at or above national expectations in reading, writing and maths

3.A smaller-sized full primary (Year 0-8) school in the heart of Cambridge providing leadership and service opportunities for every Year 7/8 student.

There is no enrolment zone for St Peter's Catholic School but we do have preference enrolment for families with a specific or general Catholic connection. Could this be the school you’ve been searching for?

Information Evening

Wednesday 11th September, 5:30pm

For more information email: office@stpeterscatholic.school.nz

Please contact the school office on 07 824 0864 or email: admin@tauwhare.school.nz for further information on Out-of-Zone Applications.

If the number of applicants exceeds the number of places available, a ballot will be conducted.

Closing date for Out-of-Zone Applications is Thursday, 31th October 2024.

We would love for you to visit us…

26 Scotsman Valley Road, Tauwhare 3284

Phone: 07 824 0864

Email: admin@tauwhare.school.nz

Website: www.https://www.tauwhare.school.nz

• Smaller classes

• Inquiry learning

• A well-resourced school including tennis courts, swimming pools, library, multiple playgrounds

• Strong academic achievement rates

• Before and After School Care/Holiday programme

• Leadership and cultural opportunities

• Rural activities: Ag Day, schoolgardens

• A wide range of sports

Phoenix sign our Luke

By Steph Bell-Jenkins

Two weeks ago, Luke Brooke-Smith dreamed of becoming a professional football player.

Now, he is one.

“It just doesn’t feel real,” the 16-year-old Cambridge student said.

“When people say congratulations on a professional contract that sounds crazy, but when I say the words that I’m a professional footballer that’s the thing that really gets to me.

“Everything’s almost fallen into place like dominoes – it was just one big thing after the next and I’m just so grateful.”

The winger, who trained at Cambridge’s RH3 Football Academy – run by elite coach and former All White and Ricki Herbert – made his senior debut for Cambridge Football Club 18 days after his 15th birthday and played for Hamilton Wanderers in the Northern League this year.

His three-year contract with Wellington Phoenix Football Club was announced on last week.

The club described him as one of the stars of New Zealand’s FIFA U17 World Cup qualifying campaign.

“Luke has attributes that are already commonplace for a lot of our established players,” Phoenix head coach Giancarlo Italiano said.

Brooke-Smith moved to Cambridge from Whangarei in late 2019 with his mother Clare, father Phil, a former British BMX champion, and sister Casey, now 11.

He attended St Peter’s Cambridge in year 7 and 8 and studied at Cambridge High School from year 9 until last week, when he left to enrol in a distance learning programme with Te Kura.

The year 11 student is due to move to Wellington this week.

He had been contemplating a career in Europe after spending a month training with professional Spanish club CF Rayo Majadahonda earlier this year.

“I had an opportunity to go to Spain, but I had too many complications where going by myself, not guaranteed a contract, it was just quite hard, quite expensive,” he said.

“Then I got this call from the Wellington Phoenix… and obviously it’s just gone super well, they’ve been super supportive.”

His goal now is to make his debut in the A-League, the highest-level professional football league in New Zealand and Australia.

“I think I’ve always had that belief in my head that I was going to go pro – I never really had a back-up plan,” he said.

“That’s almost like the pressure that I put on myself, but I perform well under pressure, so I think that’s what’s helped me.”

He attributed his rapid rise in football to the community around him.

“My parents, family and coaches have been super supportive, and not only with helping me out when things are going well, but when I’m down, too, like if I’ve suffered an injury in a game,” he said.

“The support around me has been topnotch in Cambridge.”

Liam’s a football referee

– and diving judge

By Steph Bell-Jenkins

After refereeing more than 100 football matches, Liam Weston is no stranger to the tension a high-stakes game can generate.

“You have to control players, and you know you’re going to make mistakes – and the mistakes you make they’re going to yell at you for,” the Cambridge 18-year-old said.

“I’m generally alright with the abuse I get from players; being a player myself helps me understand where they’re coming from. It’s part of the game to a certain point. Like everything, it’s fine in moderation, but if it goes too far you’ve got to deal with it. Matches get really heated and we have tactics to calm it down.”

The year 13 Hamilton Boys’ High School student has recently returned from refereeing at the IberCup in Barcelona thanks to Refs Abroad, a programme designed to give youth referees international experience.

“It’s one of the bigger youth tournaments around Europe, where teams from all around the world go to

play,” he said.

Liam admitted being amongst the game’s aspiring stars, where scouts hunt for the next Messi or Ronaldo, was a little intimidating at first.

“One of the games I officiated was the Manchester City UAE academy team, which is a pathway for future professional England players,” he said.

“I was nervous… but it soon became apparent that the rules of the game, the size of the pitch and the infringements are the same the world over.”

He spent four days refereeing two to six games a day in the heat of the Spanish summer, presiding over players who had penalty appeals down to a fine art.

“You see the diving you get in the professional game, but these guys make it look so realistic,” he said. “If you didn’t have that perfect angle, you couldn’t tell if they were hit or just falling.”

However, having to make quick-fire decisions under pressure is one of the job’s attractions.

“The thrill is being in that situation, and you’ve got to

know the law and how to restart the play, and if there’s a caution of a disciplinary act you have to know it off the top of your head, straight away,” he said.

Liam lives in Cambridge with his parents, Sally and Mike, and attends Hamilton Boys’ High School, where his mother is head of English.

He took up football at Cambridge Middle School but stopped playing last year to focus on refereeing

and on his summer sport, ultimate frisbee.

Now, shooting for a Level 3 refereeing qualification, he is “hungry for more international experience” and would love to referee at a FIFA World Cup one day.

He encourages others to give refereeing a go.

“Everyone in our community in Hamilton is really good, trying to help each other grow – it’s a really positive atmosphere,” he said.

Masson wins –who’s next?

Floyd Masson 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-year-old 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 highprofile 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.”

Luke Brooke-Smith pictured in training earlier this season.

Cambridge football referee Liam Weston (right) with Polish referee Michal Fudala at an IberCup match.

Time to relax?

Across 1. Fundamental (5) 4. Excluded, prohibited (6) 8. Overshadow (7)

9. Amusement (5)

10. Bush (5)

11. Fine cut glass (7)

12. Group of seven (6) 14. Problematic (6) 17. Breathe (7) 19. Money (colloq) (5)

Last week

Across: 1. Cramp,

21.

Butterfingers, 23. Niggle, 24. Spot on, 25. Nut, 26. Hybrid, 27. Alley. Down: 1. Curio, 2. Awful, 3. Parcel, 4. Desert, 5. Latch, 6. Green, 10. Scrub, 11. Upset, 12. Inane, 13. Gloss, 16. Friend, 17. Siesta, 19. Unity, 20. Tiger, 21. Growl, 22. Roomy.

This newspaper is subject to NZ Media Council procedures. A complaint must first be directed in writing, within one month of publication, to the editor’s email address. If not satisfied with the response, the complaint may be referred to the Media Council P O Box 10-879, The Terrace, Wellington 6143. Or use the online complaint form at www. mediacouncil.org.nz

Please include copies of the article and all correspondence with the publication.

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AMEND AMID ANCHORED ANGLED ANISEED APED APHID ARCED ARID AROUND ARRIVED ASCEND

ASKED ASTOUND ATTEND AVID AVOID AWARD AWKWARD AXED

4. Deluge, 7. Axe, 8. Prefer, 9. Settee, 10. Soulsearching, 14. Risky, 15. Piano, 18.

Casserole comforts

Last week we were invited to a ‘pot-luck’ dinner. “Please bring a casserole.” I wondered if anyone else was going to provide a Tex-Mex casserole — beef and beans — but knew they probably wouldn’t add tamarillos as I did. However, it was a fundraising event and it was fun. Casseroles are perfect for sharing especially in winter. Long low-heat cooking mellows the flavours and enhances colour. And vegetable accompaniments can be baked at the same time if the casserole is oven-cooked.

Casseroles cooked on the hob were once differentiated by the old-fashioned name ‘stew’. It is best to employ a heavy, cast iron pot on the hob and use a low cooking temperature. The cast iron diffuses the heat and the ingredients cook more evenly. With thinner, lighter saucepans the ingredients often stick to the base providing an unwanted ‘barbecue’ flavour. There is much debate when making a casserole over whether to brown the meat and vegetables first before adding the liquid. I believe prior sautéing of the ingredients does improve the flavour but if time is scarce then the ‘all in together’ method is fine as long as the cooking temperature is kept low allowing for robust flavours to develop.

TEX-MEX BEEF

3 tablespoons olive oil

1kg stewing beef, cut into 3cm cubes

1 onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon each: plain flour, black treacle

1 teaspoon each: ground cumin, chilli powder

3 large tamarillos, peeled and thickly sliced

400g can each: diced tomatoes, black beans (drained)

3/4 cup beef stock

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan suitable for the oven. Brown the beef in batches and place aside.

Sauté the onion until softened then add the garlic. Return the meat to the saucepan. Stir in the flour. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a simmer then cover and place in the oven.

Cook for 1 1/2 hours. Potatoes could be baked in the oven during the last 45 minutes of cooking.

Great served topped with sour cream, corn chips and chopped spring onions. Serves 6.

RED WINE LAMB SHANKS

4 small lamb shanks

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 each: large carrot, onion (finely diced), bay leaf

1 teaspoon each: dried thyme, rosemary, oregano

3 cloves garlic, grated salt and pepper to taste

400g can diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup good red wine

Preheat the oven to 160°C.

Trim the lamb shanks. Score the shanks as you would a ham, at about 2.5 cm intervals.

Heat the oil in a heavy pan suitable for the hob and oven. Brown the shanks on all sides. Remove to one side. Add the carrot and onion and sauté, until golden.

Return the shanks to the pan with the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook in the oven for about 2 hours, until very tender. Add a little more red wine or water if the mixture

gets too dry.

Great served with polenta or mash. Serves 4.

HUNTER’S CASSEROLE

1kg lean pork steak

freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons each: plain flour, olive oil

3 rashers bacon, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

4 tablespoons tomato paste

400g can diced tomatoes

1 teaspoon each: dried basil, oregano

1/2 cup each: red wine, water

Cut the steak into 3cm cubes. Season with the black pepper and dust with flour. Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan. Sauté the pork in batches, until coloured. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the bacon to the pan and sauté, until cooked. Add to the pork. Sauté the onion and garlic gently, until softened. Add the remaining ingredients, mixing well. Stir until boiling. Return the pork and bacon to the pan, cover and simmer gently for about 1 hour or until tender. Serves 6.

Tex-Mex Beef

Red Wine Lamb Shanks

CAMBRIDGE OPEN HOMES

Saturday 24 August

60B

11.30-12.00pm

20 Sheridan Crescent PBN 11.45-12.15pm 33 Lakewood Lane $1,585,000 12.00-12.30pm 109B Wordsworth Street $780,000 12.00-12.30pm 917 Kairangi

HARCOURTS

Sunday

MORE

1891 Cambridge Road

33a Isobel Hodgson Drive

- Attractive open plan kitchen, dining and lounge on the lower level opening out to a sunny north facing patio.

- Master bedroom, also on the lower level has an ensuite with tiled shower and large wardrobe space.

- Upstairs the remaining 2 bedrooms, both a great size are supported by a stunning bathroom with tiled shower & great wardrobe space.

- Home is kept warm in winter & cool in summer by a heat pump on each level & being of modern build, it is insulated and double glazed.

- An impeccably presented 3-bedroom home on a prime corner site.

- Offering an accommodating kitchen, generous living area, open plan dining, three well-sized bedrooms, main bathroom with separate toilet, handy laundry space which leads to the outdoors.

- Two heat pump systems plus HRV, internal access single garage (automated door), fly screens, double glazing and a delightful conservatory (not consented) with wind-out awning and ample indoor-outdoor flow.

- Extraordinary opportunity to own a spacious 1,249 m² (more or less) freehold section on the highly popular and sought-after Princes Street.

- Substantial section offering great potential for development –presenting so much opportunity for investors and developers.

- Site currently features a 1940s 3-bedroom, 1-bathroom home, with double garage and shedding. This dwelling could serve as a renovation project.

Inviting Offers - A Must View!

- A homely blend of Character and modern comforts.

- The large master with walk in robe, ensuite & French doors, the three other bedrooms nicely separated, perfect for family.

- A natural pull towards the secluded, peaceful back garden complimented by a large, covered deck and amazing cabana like hangout.

- A double internal access garage positioned perfectly creates privacy and blocks out the world.

Discover Your Ideal Home

- This 180m² home offers a versatile 4-bedroom layout—three bedrooms upstairs and one downstairs.

- Also features two full bathrooms , the master with ensuite and a walk-through robe, an additional separate toilet downstairs.

- Multiple outdoor areas provide plenty of space to enjoy the summer months and a sunny balcony—perfect for your morning coffee.

- Recent upgrades include the installation of gas water heating, a new switchboard, and impressive landscaping.

- Thoughtfully designed open-plan space, featuring a dining area, modern kitchen with a scullery, and spacious living area with a separate lounge.

- Four generous double bedrooms serviced by a spacious modern tiled bathroom with separate toilet.

- Master suite is a retreat in itself, featuring outdoor access, a walk-through wardrobe to your luxurious tiled ensuite.

- Set on a 696m² (more or less) section with attractive plantings.

CAMBRIDGE HIGH SCHOOL

YEAR 9 2025 ENROLMENTS

Enrolment packs are available from: Cambridge Middle School reception, Cambridge High School reception, or the Cambridge High School website, www.camhigh.school.nz

Testing days for 2025 Year 9 students enrolled at Cambridge High School: CMS - Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 September All other schools - Friday 6 September

Local Year 8 teachers will share CHS information regarding these days.

Enrolments for 2025 out-of-zone students CLOSE on Thursday 29 August

Any enquiries: Tel: 07 827 5415

Email: enrolments@camhigh.school.nz www.camhigh.school.nz

Jumble Around Op Shop

Distribution of Community Grants 2024

Local not for profit groups and organisations are welcome to apply now.

Closing date 13/09/2024

Enquiries to Marianne 021 1746327

Email admin@jumblearound.co.nz

Te Awamutu

355 Rickit Road Te Awamutu

August 22-25 Thurs-Sat 9am-5pm Sun - $10 a box day 10am-2pm

MEETING NOTICE

Pursuant to Section 46 of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 notice is hereby given that a meeting of Nga Pae Whenua the Joint Management Body for the Taumatawiiwii, Ngati Koroki Kahukura ki Hinuera, Waikaukau and Te Reti Reserves will be held on Wednesday 4 September 2024 at 2pm in the Kaipaki Meeting Room, Waipa District Council, 23 Wilson Street, Cambridge.

A copy of the agenda will be available two days before the meeting at the Cambridge Public Library.

Pursuant to Section 46 of the

GENET, Kristina Joy (formally Black, nee Davison) – Passed away in the presence of her loving husband Pete, on 18 August 2024 after a brave battle. Our thanks go to Waikato Hospital staff for the care and support received. Our dearly loved sis Kris, taken to soon. Peter (deceased) and Margaret Davison, Steve and Sue Davison, Kevin and Ali Davison, Gill and Graham (deceased) Robinson, Beth Robinson, Rod and Flor Davison, Joce and John Hoebergen, Deb and Stu Nagel, Andy Davison and Juliana. Fun and loving Auntie to so many, she will be missed. "Our sister getaways will never be the same. Our organiser and travel guide has gone. Safe travels Kris"

HAYR, Trevor David –Passed away 17 August 2024 having enjoyed a full 86 years. Devoted, ever-loving husband of the late Laurel, doting father of Maxine and Alexandra, appreciative father-in-law of Paul, incredibly proud grandad of Grant and Anastazia. Minister, wise counsel, and loyal friend to many in Auckland and Cambridge. A private cremation has taken place in Hamilton.