Lizard News May 2018

Lizard News MAY 2018

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AONGATETE • ŌMOKOROA • PAHOIA • TE PUNA • WHAKAMĀRAMA

More inside: Twyford turns up

Tyred of punctures Island marae walk

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| Lizard News | May 2018

t Letters to

he

Editor

n 15th March 2018, a steady flow of water was seen coming from a valve in the footpath on the corner of Links View Drive and Tranquil Grove, flowing into a stormwater drain.

A nearby resident advised the leak had been reported to WBoPDC. I was also informed an employee of Veolia had inspected the leak but didn’t have the necessary equipment to fix it.

On the 18th March water was still flowing, so I rang the Council 0800 number, advising them the leak hadn’t been repaired. A Veolia cone had been placed on the footpath by the leak.

On 22nd March repairs still hadn’t been undertaken, so I personally reported the leak to a Council staff member at Ōmokoroa Library.

On 26th March the leak was finally fixed by Veolia, 11 days after it had first been reported. A section of the footpath needed to be cut out to access the pipes.

In my opinion, leaving a water leak for this length of time is unacceptable considering the volume flowing from it.

Literally, thousands of litres of fresh water had been wasted by this leak; water paid for by residents and ratepayers.

On 28th March an email was sent to the Council supported with photos and a request that an explanation be provided as to why it had taken so long for repairs to be done.

On 29th March, a reply was received from a Council Operations Manager advising he would investigate the delay and respond once this had been completed.

To date, no explanation has been received from the Operations Manager.

On 30th March a Veolia supervisor called at my home and explained why the delay had occurred to fix the leak. He acknowledged the delay was regrettable and he said he made no excuses. I appreciated that the supervisor had called in person.

I understand this leak was also re-

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News credibility

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e welcome your feedback and letters to the editor. We strive for accuracy, fairness and balance in reporting news of public interest. We request that contributors assist us in upholding standards of decency and privacy - avoiding discrimination and defamation. We reserve the right to edit or abridge submitted material and will identify scribes where appropriate, other than where confidentiality has been assured. Unless an article is marked as supplied, those without bylines will typically have been written by the editor.

ported to the Council by some other residents so why did the Council not follow it up to ensure their contractor fixed it as a priority?

On the back of the water bills issued to residents by the Council is information on how to keep track of water usage, the volume of water that can be lost from any leaks, consumer responsibility to have such leaks fixed on their properties, and their liability to pay for any resulting water lost. An estimate based on a litre every five seconds would be 190,000 litres wasted in total over 11 days by this particular leak.

So would WBoPDC now care to explain why they did not take steps to ensure that their Contractor expediently fixes this water leak?

Kevin Goddard would like to firstly thank members the Ōmokoroa community for being attentive and bringing this leak to our attention. Simply, we could have done better and would like to apologise for the delay in rectifying this. I would also like to explain why this took so long to fix.

After investigating the issue, our contractors identified the leak was under a footpath and in close proximity to other utilities. Because of the potential to cause more damage by digging a specific tool was required (called a hydrovac – an excavation vacuum) that wouldn’t damage other services. Unfortunately, this tool was unavailable for a couple of days which was the reason for this regrettable delay. I understand a Veolia contractor spoke with the member of the public who raised the issue, but Council should have followed up as well.

Kelvin Hill, Western Bay of Plenty Utilities Manager.

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s I walked my dog last month, I came across a seagull flapping wildly in a tree on the beach, seemingly trapped.

The light wasn’t that great as it was still pretty early. It made it difficult to establish what had happened to the bird.

In the absence of any visible clues, I figured the branches might have somehow got lodged in the feathers. In any case, it was a bizarre sight, and the young bird was evidently in a great deal of distress.

As it was out of reach for me, I went in search of an implement and returned with a long stick in the hope that I might somehow be able to help free the bird.

Sadly by the time I returned, the bird was lifeless in the tree. What’s more, the emerging daylight showed that it was attached to a fishing line which in turn got tangled in the branches. This detail

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doesn’t show up in the photo.

It was very sad to experience this creature’s needless suffering and death.

Perhaps we can turn it into something positive by using it as a poignant local reminder for our fishing folk to be mindful of their lines, hooks and bait.

I realise that accidents happen, but let’s do what we can to minimise such accidents that can result from the loss of one’s fishing gear.

Sylvia Zlami yberlink would like to organise a community garage sale, where as many households as possible have a garage sale on the same day. We hope to have the backing of Lizard News and the Ōmokoroa Omelette and will advertise the event throughout the village and the surrounding area leading up to the day. If we tie it in with a Lions market day, maybe they could take advantage of the extra people out and about. How do the Lions feel about this?

I thought maybe a donation of $10 to The Centre for all participating households and I am sure The Centre would like first refusal of any quality items that didn't sell on the day.

I'd be interested in your feedback.

Please email rick@omokoroa.net if you'd be interested in being part of the event.

Five households would be great; ten would be awesome. Many thanks.

Rick Peers

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e would like to say a BIG THANK YOU for supporting our Country Fair this year. It is the generosity of businesses and individuals like you that donate goods, services or money which make our day even more special and successful.

Our 2018 Country Fair was yet again another brilliant day which was enjoyed by many people from the immediate community and afar, and the weather managed to behave.

The activities ranged from the gumboot throw to plate smashing, pony rides, creative cake bakes, plant stalls, the helicopter ping-pong drop which the kids love, and of course our highly successful silent auctions. It was a fabulous busy day which was enjoyed by all.

On behalf of the committee, pupils and staff of the school, we thank you for your generous donation which made our 2018 Country Fair such a great success. Check out the Te Puna School Country Fair Facebook page for some beautiful photos of our event.

Rebecca & Te Puna School PTA

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Letters continued on page 4

JUNE EDITION

News and Advertising deadline Monday 21st May

Kitchens • Laundries • Vanities • Wardrobes • Custom cabinetry

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Ministerial visitors left in no doubt

By Matthew Farrell

s we went to press, Transport Minister Phil Twyford and his Associate Minister Julie Anne Genter had spent a day in Tauranga.

Mr Twyford held a housing forum for developers, trusts and providers - and met Western Bay Mayor Garry Webber and other leaders to discuss the State Highway 2 corridor.

“We were told we’d have 45 minutes, but we ended up spending three hours with him and six hours with the Associate Minister. It was really productive.

They now understand the situation and

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By Andrew Hollis

what we’ve achieved, as well as all the vacant sections.

“Next the District Council and SmartGrowth will be submitting to central government on the draft GPS, about the importance of the Tauranga Northern Link and Katikati bypass.”

Last month, Lizard News asked the Minister whether the government could say if the TNL was going ahead or not. In a statement, Mr Twyford again confirmed it is NZTA's decision, but said residents could make a difference to the outcome by lobbying Regional Council.

“Our Government is prioritising road safety and doubling the amount of fund-

ing for regional road improvements.

"We are rebalancing transport investment, which was directed towards a few state highways by the previous government, towards where it is needed - on neglected regional roads and safety improvements. Under the previous government, transport spending in the Bay of Plenty decreased by 15%.

"Regions will receive more funding under these changes. While state highway funding may reduce by $500 million or 11%, funding for regional & local roads improvements and maintenance increases by $1.2 billion or 26%, far outweighing any reduction,” he said.

Protest campaign digs in

he last couple of weeks have been amazingly busy. Submissions to the BoPRC have been heard, and a big thank you for those who took the time to speak to the committee. I’m sure that they heard you and while it is not yet a certainty, I’d be fairly unimpressed if the priority of SH2 stays at 11.

Marketing has kicked up a gear, I’m sure everyone saw the wrecked car that was parked at the door of the Regional Councils office for day one (Couldn’t park there on day 2 as the car parks were taken, I wonder why?) and of course the cross-forest, thanks to the volunteers to get that up in conditions that were atrocious.

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issues we have, so they were far wiser when they left,” says Garry.

“We also had NZTA’s Director of ReRelationships Parekawhia gional McLean with us, and they met the full SmarthGrowth collective. That’s the chair of the Regional Council, the mayor of Tauranga, myself and the three Council CEOs, Bill Wasley of SmartGrowth and tangata whenua representative Buddy Mikaere.

“We took Julie Anne Genter in a minibus through Te Puna and the Ōmokoroa intersection to tour the Special Housing Area and the Waterview Estate on Lynley Park so she could see

The focus now is the Governments Policy Statement (GPS). This document currently is particularly vague, and we need to submit against it again. We’ll be putting how to do this on the facebook page this week to try and influence Central Government to let NZTA know how dangerous this road really is. With pressure from Central Government and also from the regional government we may get this road sorted without being forced to resort to more “interesting” tactics.

All in all the last few weeks have certainly lifted our group's exposure, and we are definitely getting noticed. Once again thank you to all the submitters, petition signatories and volunteers. BUT there is a lot to do, and the job isn’t done until there are spades in the ground.

This car wreck was parked at the Regional Council during day one of verbal submissions to the Regional Transport Committee. PHOTO: Andrew Hollis

Five Good reasons to list your property in Autumn with Team R & P 1. Less Listings Mean Less Competition Typically we see less homes marketed in Autumn but we do still have buyers moving to the area. Less listing’s means fewer properties for your home to compete with.

2. No Long School Holidays It’s much easier to keep the home neat and tidy when the kids are gone for 6 or more hours a day.

3. The Weather is Optimal Much like spring the days are still warm and pleasant so a good time for buyers to get out and view homes.

4. More Serious Buyers One drawback to listing in peak season is the interest you will get from “ tyre kickers “. The buyers tend to be more genuine during the off- peak Autumn season.

5. New Year Resolutions

Ron & Pat Shanks | Marketing Consultants F 0800 766 728 M 021 956 270 (Ron) | M 021 804 463 (Pat) ron.patshanks@harcourts.co.nz www.ronandpatshanks.harcourts.co.nz

Lots of us make resolutions to tick off the big ticket items on our list after New Year and that includes buying a property. Buyers interest increase so make sure you are part of the action by listing your property in Autumn with us.

Advantage Realty Ltd MREINZ Licensed Agent REAA 2008 May 2018 | Lizard News |

3

Dates for your diary

Letters continued t would be really good to shame these people. Ōmokoroa beach front was packed on Easter Sunday, with the only room to park in spaces near Crapp’s old boatyard area.

Our beach area is small enough as it is.

It was full tide on a beautiful sunny day.

What right have these people to park on the beach, ignore the signs and road markings, and deny others beach space?

I have put in a service request to Western Bay District Council and I hope the parking wardens fine these people. Incidentally, there was no warden visible on The Esplanade, on one of the busiest days of the year.

Name withheld by Editor

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have just had a delightful dining out al fresco at Neighborhood Pizzeria. A delicious crispy base with yummy toppings, elegantly done.

I so enjoyed the outdoor sitting area. It felt European; not too formal, a pleasant casual, relaxing ambience, just right for our Ōmokoroa beachside community.

I commented so to a friend who replied she'd heard others say the opposite - strange! Well, they have my vote - I really enjoyed the experience.

Robyn Whalley

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May 2:

Friends of Cooney Reserve working bee.

May 2:

Keep on your Feet Ōmokoroa. 10am to 11am every Wednesday. Ōmokoroa Sports Pavilion, Western Ave, $6 per class, or $50 for 10 classes.

May 4:

Friends of the Blade trapping resumes. See facebook.com/friendsoftheblade

May 4:

Feedback closes on Western Bay Long Term Plan 2018/2028 at 4 pm.

May 10:

Ōmokoroa Business Network meeting. 9 am Beached On Blue cafe.

May 12:

Recycled Clothing Boutique Sale. Ōmokoroa Point School. 10 am-2 pm. Presale event Friday 11, 7 pm-9 pm. $10 tickets available from school office. Cash only.

May 12:

Ukulele workshops. St Paul's Presbyterian Church, cnr Mulgan St and SH2, Katikati. Register at singforjoy.org.nz/registrationnew

May 12:

Bingo night. Ōmokoroa Setters’ Hall. 7 pm. Cash bar. A Sports Pavilion fundraiser. Over 18s only. See advert page 12.

May 13:

Ōmokoroa & Districts Pakeke Lions Market. Western Ave carpark. 9am-noon.

May 14:

Breast Cancer Awareness morning tea. Songbird Early Childhood Centre, Aongatete. 10 am. Email rebecca@songbird.co.nz

May 14-20:

Hospice Awareness Week. Visit waipuna-hospice.co.nz for road trip locations.

May 18:

Thank Whaka its Friday, 6pm-9pm at Whakamārama Hall.

May 19:

Lizard Market. Ōmokoroa Setters’ Hall. 9am-noon.

May 19:

Western Bay of Plenty Maori Representation Review voting closes at noon.

May 24:

Ōmokoroa Business Network meeting. 9 am Beached On Blue cafe.

May 27:

Affordable Art & Artisan Fair. 11 am-3 pm Black Sheep Bar & Grill, Plummers Point Road.

May 28:

Junction Coffee & Chat. 11 am at Ōmokoroa Community Church.

May 28:

Ōmokoroa Business Women’s Network. 7pm at Ōmokoroa Preschool, Margaret Drive.

June 4:

Queens Birthday.

June 5:

Ōmokoroa Community Board meeting. 7 pm Ōmokoroa Community Church.

Aongatete, Ōmokoroa, Pahoia, Te Puna, Whakamārama – we’d love to share your events.

Email your details to matthew@lizardnews.net and they’ll appear here and on our website.

A smarter way to sell is taking root.

Here at Tall Poppy, we do everything traditional agencies do, except when there’s a better way to do it. We like to think that’s why we sell twice* the number of properties than the industry average, and how we can keep our overheads low and pass the savings on to you. It’s just our way of doing business.

Interested in the smarter way to sell? Let’s talk.

Call Rachel Millard, Bernie Limbrick and Michael Allott on 07 548 1617 today. * Our salespeope sales vs the national industry average for residential property.

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| Lizard News | May 2018

lizardnews.net

Plans for 4-lane TNL may hang on GPS submissions ZTA tells Lizard News the business case for investing in the 4lane TNL is subject to the final version of the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport, which was expected to be released in June after a period of public consultation.

The Regional Council also expects to submit its final Regional Land Transport Plan to NZTA on 30th June.

In late March, the Associate Minister of Transport, Julie Anne Genter, told Western Bay of Plenty District Cllr Don Thwaites that an update on the likely

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Support offered after body find olice say they've been working to understand the circumstances surrounding the death of a 38-yearold Whakamārama man, found on a train near the Port of Tauranga last month.

The body was found by staff unloading train carriages at the Port at around 6.40am on Tuesday 3rd April.

It's thought he fell from an overbridge in the Whakamārama area and landed on top of a train carriage. His body was then carried on the train to the rail yards at the port.

Police Media Centre told Lizard News the man's family were being assisted by Victim Support and staff at the Port were also being offered support.

The death has been referred to the Coroner.

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construction timeframe for the Tauranga Northern Link was expected to be released in mid-2018.

NZTA had been sending letters to landowners whose properties may be affected by the previously proposed fourlaning along SH2, between Te Puna and Ōmokoroa Road. Meetings had been expected to be held between landowners and the project team in March and April.

It’s unclear whether these meetings were affected by the change of government.

This photo of an aerial survey shows only preliminary draft proposals revealed to Lizard News by a landowner.

This consultation and design work has not yet been concluded.

Transport Agency board approval to progress with the design was approved last November. Proposed designation boundaries were expected to be con-

firmed this year. Land acquisition, consenting and detailed design had been anticipated by NZTA in 2019-2022.

Construction was forecast for 2023-

2027 subject to the GPS, but the change of government created uncertainty leading to the community protest campaign.

Maps of preliminary draft proposals to 4lane Tauranga to Ōmokoroa were sent to potentially affected local landowners in January. This is a photo of a printed document. At the time, NZTA declined our request for higher quality versions of these aerial images, on the grounds of courtesy.

PHOTO: Matthew Farrell.

Orange sticks rethink after public outcry

By Matthew Farrell

fter complaints about visibility issues caused by the installation of lane markers at two particular SH2 intersections, NZTA confirmed to Lizard News that changes would be made.

An NZTA spokesperson says the so-called “safe-hit posts” on Plummers Point and Snodgrass Roads have been reviewed and every second post at the in-

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tersections was to be removed to open the sight line more.

“We’d like to thank people for their feedback on this – we will continue to review these sites regularly and make changes where necessary. The changes at the intersections are short-term safety improvements.

“Safety measures like these have been shown to be successful in slowing vehicles that are approaching intersections and providing more room for people to

turn right onto the highway.

“A further $101 million programme of safety improvements will be rolled out from Waihī to Ōmokoroa over the next five years.

“Another question we’ve been asked is how to use the flush median safely. You can only drive onto the flush median to wait to move into a gap in the traffic flow after you have turned right or to slow down and wait before turning right,” says the spokesperson.

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News in brief...

As Anzac Day events were taking place shortly after we went to press, we will bring you full coverage in our June edition.

sites are in Ōpōtiki, Manawahē, Rotoehu and Southern Kāingaroa.

March. Plans included a Doggywood dress-up competition, dog swimming pool, groomers, microchipping and dog registration services as well as performances from Tauranga and Mt Maunganui agility clubs.

You can now recycle flat packed clean cardboard and rinsed glass into colour specific bottle banks at Mike Deane Motors / Challenge Ōmokoroa on SH2.

Thanks Deane Family!

Waihī Beach and Waihī are about to connect to Ultra Fast Broadband. Chorus begins a 12-month fibre rollout in May, to enable connection for more than 5000 homes and businesses. Chorus is extending its network in 169 areas across NZ including Te Puna, Paengaroa, and Maketū.

The Regional Council says it received around 240 submissions on its 20182028 Long Term Plan proposals. More than a thousand people also gave informal feedback at 20 public events. The public hearings phase was held in late April. Deliberations take place 22nd to 24th May and the final plan will be adopted by 30th June.

Wild rabbits in Bay of Plenty are being targeted with a virus. The pests are blamed for erosion, and the destruction of crops, native vegetation and young foresty plantings. The Regional Council says the RHDV1 K5 calicivirus disease isn’t harmful to humans or other animals and that pet rabbits can be vaccinated with Cylap. The virus

A new streamlined planning process will be trialled for the first time in the Bay of Plenty this year, so increasing demand for new housing areas can be progressed. The Minister for the Environment, David Parker, has issued his direction to Bay of Plenty Regional Council on steps to be taken to amend urban limits and allow for proposed land development at Tauriko West to support the rapid growth of Western Bay/Tauranga.

Stinky smells, agrichemical sprays, smoky fires and earthworks dust lead to more than a thousand calls being lodged with the local pollution hotline each year.

The Regional Council says most air quality issues are specific to winter fires in Rotorua or pollutants in Mount Maunganui’s industrial area. The latest proposed Air Plan was expected to take a stricter approach to controlled activities.

The fourth annual Doggy Day Out was to be held on Saturday 28th April at Ōmokoroa’s Western Ave Sportsground. The free event was rained off in

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Painful memories close to the surface

By Matthew Farrell find it very frustrating that my accident happened back in July 2002 and we’re still having these conversations,” says Ōmokoroa Point School principal Vicki Knell.

“There will be a lot of people new to Ōmokoroa who won’t know what happened to me. I was out of school for a whole term after losing my kneecap in a crash at Te Puna Bridge.”

A car coming from Whakamārama clipped the station wagon in front of Vicki, then the bridge, before hitting Vicki’s car head-on. The driver was taken

“I

to court for aggravated careless driving the following March, so she re-lived the events eight months afterwards.

“If he hadn’t hit the other car and the bridge to slow him down a little before he hit me, I would be dead.

“I count myself lucky and see this as a silver lining to this cloud in my life; I didn’t know I was so resilient.

“It has meant months and years of physio and exercise. Surgery continued for nine years until 2011. People can’t see that it happened. You pick yourself up and move on.”

Vicki is hoping that by telling her story that newer residents will understand

why locals find the safety issues around State Highway 2 so emotionally charged.

“I can’t imagine what it is like for people who have lost a family member on the road. As a principal my greatest fear is that we will lose a student or ex-student, or maybe even a young child who is yet to start school here,” she says.

“Because I was a teacher it had a big impact on the school and the students here. One of the worst things was when you are in an accident like this, they don’t release names. My husband Greg was just told a 37-year-old woman was on the way to hospital and they didn’t know what condition I would be arriving in. It

took them two and a half hours to cut me out of the car - and it was the wonderful Ōmokoroa Volunteer Fire Brigade guys who knew me.

“One even had a child in my class. In the traffic behind me was one of the teachers who couldn’t get to work and she saw my car on the recovery truck.

Sixteen years later it still brings tears to my eyes suddenly and makes me feel this way.”

Vicki has kept a scrapbook of photos, cards from well-wishers, surgery letters, newspaper clippings about her accident and other crashes from the same period.

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May 2018 | Lizard News |

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ADVERTORIAL

Are you avoiding the dentist?

Research reveals the top seven reasons why patients don’t like seeing the dentist. Let’s look at them more closely and dispel some common myths and misconceptions.

Popular fund-run back with 15km option

By Simone Rose

Reason #3: Fear of requiring dental work

ury your head in the sand, as the old saying goes. Sometimes in life we try not to face the inevitable. We shy away from problems and hope they will magically disappear.

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Some people avoid going to the dentist because they fear they might require dental work. If there’s no pain or only a small niggle, it is easy to think everything is fine, or that small niggle will just disappear.

Mostly people don’t want to hear they need dental treatment because they might not want to spend money on their teeth, or they might fear going to the dentist. Some people might also think dentists make up the work and perform dentistry that isn’t really necessary.

At Omokoroa Dental Surgery we understand this, and we know people can be very nervous if they find out they need dental treatment. But we don’t have a “sales” agenda.

We are truly focussed on our patients’ well-being. We also want to build long-term relationships based on trust.

Luckily, there is now modern

technology such as intra-oral cameras. This allows us to take close-up photos of everything we see in our patients’ mouths and discuss this with them.

For many patients seeing is believing. For us it also makes things much easier to explain.

Then we sit down and look at more than one option as well as the risks and benefits of each.

At the end of the day we leave it to the patient to decide if they want any treatment done, and if so, which treatment option they prefer.

Being upfront about costs is also important – to us as well as our patients. It goes without saying that we always discuss cost of all treatment before we commence, and we get approval from our patients.

We don’t want to deliver any financial shocks to anybody.

Our fair-price policy means that we aim to deliver all our services at the national average price although our practice is equipped well above the national average.

This is because we want all our patients to receive value for their money, to stay with us long term and also refer their friends to us.

This column is brought to you by Omokoroa Dental Surgery.

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| Lizard News | May 2018

xciting news… the Ōmokoroa Coastal Challenge is back for the 4th year running so mark Sunday 11th November 2018 in your diary.

Like last year, this increasingly popular event will be based at the Western Avenue sports grounds, and this year we are raising money for the Tauranga Community Foodbank and the Waihī Beach Surf Life Saving Club. Feedback received from previous participants indicated the walk and run options were particularly popular as they gave people the chance to enjoy our beautiful peninsula at a more leisurely pace, versus whizzing past blindly on a bike. We are responding to this and celebrating all our enthusiastic walkers and runners by removing the duathlon event but adding a 15km running option. With the 2km kids' dash, plus 5 & 10km walk and run events, there really is a distance to suit all abilities. It is also one of the cheapest events of its kind in the Bay, and this ensures everybody in our wider community can take part and enjoy the paradise that we are lucky enough to live in.

Ben Bell, from Shotbro Design, is kindly volunteering his time and amazing website design skills to create a new and improved website so watch out for this on www.runrunrun.co.nz. In the meantime, make sure you like our facebook page to keep up to date with all the

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latest event news on social media at facebook.com/ ŌmokoroaCoastalChallenge Finally, as exciting as it is to announce that this popular event is back, it is also with a little sadness that the current event organisers will be making this our last OCC event. With growing children and family/work commitments taking much more of our time, the reality is we just won’t have enough hours to pour into this 100% voluntary project. The event has grown in popularity and financial success with each year so we are hoping there is a local community group that would like to take over the running of this event, using the money raised as their own annual fundraiser. Alternatively, a new person/group passionate enough to volunteer their time and organisational skills could run the project that is not only personally rewarding but also provides financial rewards to community projects. A lot of time has gone in over the past four years to establish excellent relationships with our sponsors and community stakeholders which makes this event a great one to take on for someone wanting to make a difference in the community.

We invite any interested parties to contact Catherine McDonald on 021 024 59106 to discuss further. You would be welcome to shadow this year’s organising in preparation to take on as your own event.

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Bethlehem Birthing Centre celebrates 1000 births en thousand tiny fingers and 10,000 tiny toes – Bethlehem Birthing Centre has celebrated the birth of 1000 babies.

The centre opened in November 2014 to offer another birthing option to Tauranga mothers, and has since become known for its focus on primary birthing and nurturing post-natal care - its breastfeeding support and meals are legendary among new mums.

Birthing Centre is owned and supported by the Wright Family Foundation. The service is free for women who birth at the centre and are eligible for care in New Zealand

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hospitals, whose pregnancy is considered low-risk primary care.

CEO Chloe Wright says 1000 births is an important milestone and should be celebrated as an indicator that the centre is making a positive difference in the lives of families in Tauranga and beyond.

“Evidence consistently suggests that healthy women with a low-risk pregnancy who labour and deliver in a primary birthing facility have better outcomes for both mother and baby.

Birthing Centre’s philosophy is to offer that choice and support for women who can give birth without intervention, with the support of a midwife, in areas where it was not previously available, like Tau-

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Ōmokoroa Road alignment on track pgrades are in full swing for a 1.7km section of Ōmokoroa Road.

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Downer is undertaking the work on behalf of the Council’s roading manager, WestLink Bay of Plenty. We received the following updates from Downer’s Peter Atkins.

Earthworks: The bulk of the earthworks have been completed at Ōmokoroa with the remaining trim to be completed at the new roundabout by the end of April.

Prole Road intersection: Some small localised trimming is to be completed.

The pavement is almost complete, with a small section being held up by a service relocation needing to happen first. This

section will be completed in the next few weeks.

Nightshift: The team have been working hard at night to reduce congestion and impacts to the State Highway.

General programme: We are pushing hard to have the majority of the main alignment of Ōmokoroa Road completed by the end of June. Following this, we will be looking to complete the shared cycleway and the new park and ride.

Westlink’s Bryan Crean says the contractors would like to thank road users and residents of Ōmokoroa for their tolerance.

At the time of going to print, the night work was scheduled to come to an end at the start of May.

ranga,” says Chloe.

The Wright Family Foundation’s Love Grows Brains initiative showcases the importance of bonding and love in a child’s early years in determining their future. Birthing Centre is a practical way the foundation can help facilitate this and make a difference in the lives of families.

The success of the Tauranga centre has been replicated in Palmerston North, where Te Papaioea Birthing Centre opened in November last year. 2018 will be a big year for the Birthing Centre team, with new facilities opening in Wellington and South Auckland.

Article supplied.

our little digital lizard has been globe-trotting again. The online version of Lizard News has been accessed from some pretty exotic locations so far in 2018.

Our website designed by Shotbro of Ōmokoroa - lizardnews.net - was viewed multiple times from the USA, Australia, UK, India and Singapore in January as well as individual hits from Canada, Germany, Saudi Arabia and Algeria.

A third of January’s online readers were on a mobile device, one in ten were on a tablet, and remaining bulk used a desktop computer.

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In February, there were hits from France and Denmark too while the proportion of tablet users doubled in comparison.

In March, there were hits from Spain and South Africa, and 52% of viewers were using mobile devices, ahead of 36% on desktops.

In April, there were more than 60 readers from South Africa, along with another 16 from half a dozen previously mentioned countries. Tablet use was at 47%, mobiles 28% and desktops 25%.

The vast majority of our online readers are in New Zealand.

Construction is underway on our new early learning centre at 351 Omokoroa Road With separate learning spaces your child will explore and play in an environment developed for their age and abilities.

Complete with extensive outdoor areas, BestStart Omokoroa will provide the very best education and care for your child.

May 2018 | Lizard News |

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Mayoral mentoring embraced by Cale ale Borell wants to be a leader one day, and he has already started networking his way to the

“One day I want to be a Garry Webber – I would like to be in politics and be an effective politician.’’

Cale caught the Mayor’s attention as an outstanding student at Tauranga Boys’ College and his commitment to completing his university studies.

“Cale certainly has the ambition to be a leader, and hopefully I can contribute

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top.

Cale, 19, from Pirirākau hapū in Te Puna, has been chosen to work alongside Western Bay Mayor Garry Webber in the Local Government New Zealand 2018 Tuia Te Here Tangata leadership development programme.

The year-long programme aims to develop leadership in young Māori across all communities and involves one-on-one mentoring with the local mayor.

Cale will be mentored by Mayor Garry with the aim of building Cale’s community involvement and developing his relationships across a diverse network of individuals and political and non-political organisations.

For 19 years of age, Cale’s CV reads impressively. At Tauranga Boys’ College, he passed his studies with merit or excellence, and he has a list of achievements to his name, including seven scholarships to attend university. He finished his first year in Pharmacy at Auckland University last year.

Cale’s whakapapa is across the Tauranga Moana Iwi of Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui and Ngāti Hangarau hapū – an allegiance of which he is extremely proud.

Acceptance into the leadership programme is timely for Cale who, after a year at university, is at a crossroads with where he wants to go professionally.

The death of his mother Paula Heke in

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to him achieving that goal. I am hopeful that the community at large also recognises his potential and helps him on this journey towards leadership.”

For more information on the programme contact Chris Nepia at Western Bay of Plenty District Council on 07 571 8008.

Article supplied.

SH2 action timeline Cale Borrell offers a voice for all young people.

PHOTO: Supplied.

a car crash in 2016 profoundly impacted Cale who was just 17 at the time, in his final year at school.

Cale has decided to take time to devote to his Te Puna community – one to which his mum also contributed greatly. Most days Cale pops by the urupā to tell his mum about his day and his dreams.

He is excited at what the mentoring programme offers. In the time already spent with Mayor Garry, he has found strong connections. Garry also started out as a pharmacy student before changing direction into corporate business and community involvement.

“The Mayor understands where I am in life – and through the year ahead I can see many opportunities will arise from our relationship.

“In return, I can offer the Mayor a voice for our rangatahi– not just young Māori – but all young people.

ollowing the hearing of submissions on 10th-12th April, the BoPRC’s Hearings Committee is due to deliberate on all verbal and written submissions in May. Recommendations on the Plan are to be made to the Bay of Plenty Regional Transport Committee.

The Regional Transport Committee has a representative from each district council in the Bay and two from the Regional Council.

Once it has made decisions on submissions, the Regional Transport Committee is due to recommend the Plan on 8th June to the Bay of Plenty Regional Council.

On the 21st June, the Regional Council will consider the Plan for approval and submit the final Plan to the NZ Transport Agency on 30th June. NZTA is due to release the National Land Transport Programme on 31st August, which ultimately determines which projects are funded through the next three years

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of the National Land Transport Programme.

A key element in the process is the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport which was released for public feedback during the past month. The draft GPS for consultation had signalled changes in strategic direction, including specific areas like safety.

The Minister of Transport, Phil Twyford is also Minister of Housing and Urban Development.

In response to an urban design question from Judith Collins on April 11th about Mt Albert’s Unitec development, Mr Twyford said, “Our Government is going to invest in the infrastructure and amenities that the new community at Unitec needs, because this Government believes that when population grows, you invest in the infrastructure to support that population.” Ōmokoroa Community Board chair Murray Grainger says this Government belief should also apply here.

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Mayor acknowledges people power he Mayor of Western Bay District tells Lizard News he's grateful to the wider community for getting so strongly behind the push to reclaim State Highway 2’s position as a priority road for a major upgrade.

The Fix the BLOODY Road campaign mounted in the past couple of months is calling for urgency from central government to make the road safer and able to cope with its huge increase in traffic volume.

Public anger has been growing since it was revealed that upgrading SH2 between Ōmokoroa and Tauranga had been ranked as low as number 11 on a list of Bay of Plenty Regional Council transport priorities in the draft Regional Land Transport Plan.

Outrage sparked a community petition that gained 7000 signatures in three weeks.

120 people had been drawn to a public meeting in Te Puna to discuss community-led initiatives to bring about changes to the road. A Facebook group started on March 14th had grown to 1700

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members.

Mayor Garry Webber says the community response has been amazing and has certainly reinforced Council’s determination to get a commitment from central government and NZTA to get the highway raised to priority one.

"Let’s get past the rhetoric and get the money in the bank to complete the capital projects previously agreed. The Northern Arterial should have been done 20 years ago when the land was purchased, the route designed and expectations were high.

"Sadly, lobbying for the Tauranga Eastern Link superseded political commitment for the Northern Arterial; hence we have this untenable situation today of growth outrunning the infrastructure and people’s safety being compromised every day on that stretch of road.’’

Garry Webber was among those submitting to the Regional Land Transport Plan last month and was meeting Minister Phil Twyford in Tauranga as we went to press.

Going batty in the Bay

By Stacey Walden n the night of Saturday 7th April members of the Wild About New Zealand group from the participating local schools and their whānau gathered at Puketoki reserve for a night of bat monitoring in Whakamārama.

The group walked slowly through the bush on dusk with our ‘bat boxes’, which pick up the bats echolocation calls, to see if we could detect any bats. Along the way, we saw glow worms and used our torches to peer into the creek for koura/freshwater crayfish and eels. We didn’t spot any eels but did find several koura.

We heard the call of the Ruru/Morepork several times and some members of the group were lucky enough to spot a Kererū/NZ wood pigeon sleeping in a tree. She was disturbed by the torches shining in her face and flew away to find some peace and quiet.

The stars were out in full force. Orion, the Southern Cross and the Milky Way were some of the constellations in clear view. Unfortunately, we didn’t pick up any bat presence with our ‘bat boxes’, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t there.

Bats are NZ’s only native mammal. There are three species of bats: The long-tailed bat, the lesser short-tailed bat and the greater short-tailed bat.

The greater short-tailed bat is thought to be extinct.

The long-tailed bat is classed as ‘nationally critical’, while the short-tailed bat subspecies range from 'nationally vulnerable' to 'recovering'. The long-

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tailed bat prefers the habitat of an undisturbed forest as it can fly at 60 kilometres per hour and has a very large home range (100 km2). They are in danger of extinction in the medium term if nothing is done to help protect their populations.

Causes of decline are combinations of clearance and logging of lowland forests; cutting of old-age trees for firewood; predation by introduced animals such as cats, possums, rats, and stoats, and exclusion of bats from roosts by introduced mammals, birds, wasps, and human interference.

To find out more about long-tailed bats and what you can do to help protect them: www.doc.govt.nz/longtailedbat.

Learn more about Wild About NZ at www.wildaboutnz.co.nz

Checking for bat echolocation calls in Puketoki Reserve.

PHOTO: Matthew Farrell.

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Pavilion fundraising heats up

By Matthew Farrell

Hill Signs shows $600,000 of the estimated $1.6m cost has been conditionally ommunity volunteers are step- secured. ping up their fundraising efforts A grant application has now been to make a new sports pavilion a made to Lotteries and further funding reality at Western Avenue in Ōmokoroa. applications are now being made to ASB, A fundraising thermometer installed on TSB and others. On a grassroots level, tai the corner of the sports ground by Tony chi and taekwondo master Sonja Janssen chipped in another $1000 from her community classes, $800 was raised from the St Patrick’s night picnic at the Settlers’ Hall and $263 from raffle tickets sold during the televised Joseph Parker fight at the Boat Club.

The architect was expected to be authorised to continue with plans to the consent stage at the cost of around $25,000 to come from the Community Board. Prices were also to be obtained for electrical, plumbing and engineering works.

The next community event is a Bingo night, sponsored by Noel Benstead of Ray White Real Estate, on Saturday 12th Sports & Rec committee members Andrea May at the Settlers’ Hall from 7 pm. If you Willoughby and Suzanne Kirk with the new would like to donate prizes or could fundraising thermometer sign. help out on the night, please email Andrea Willoughby at willowbuilders@kinect.co.nz or call Suzanne Kirk on 548 0732.

Karen Loten of Ōmokoroa Environmental Managers Incorporated was hoping a giant poplar tree felled at Precious Reserve might make for a good pavilion fundraiser.

The current recreation hall faces an uncertain future. One idea is for a Men’s Shed.

However, the firewood was

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unclaimed and was thought likely to have been spirited away before any plans were made.

Karen has also been hoping the current pavilion building might have a new lease of life as a Men's Shed if a suitable section of land could be found in time.

The committee discussed the matter and decided the community will be advised that, when the time comes, the current recreation hall may be donated to a community group for relocation and reuse.

Details would be developed in the future.

The committee was next due to meet on Monday 7th May.

This giant poplar tree will make good firewood, even if it doesn’t make a good fundraiser.

PHOTO: Karen Loten.

The news and views from the TOP Club

By Ranald Ducat 018 marks the 20th year since the Ōmokoroa Beach Probus club (now The Ōmokoroa Peninsula Club) was formed, and the committee believed this milestone should be celebrated.

They have asked Dave and Erin Barry, and Denise de Latour to co-ordinate some of the earlier members to share their memories of the club’s early days, and dig out any old photos from then.

Jacqui Kerr has become a Life Member.

Jacqui can always be relied upon to help out within the Club wherever necessary, and the Committee decided unanimously that a fitting accolade for her service to the Club would be to bestow on her the honour of Life Membership.

Jacqui followed Marc Ulyatt into the chair in 2004 and had two very successful years in her capacity of Ōmokoroa Beach Probus President. She was very much involved in the transition to TOP (The Ōmokoroa Peninsula) Club when it was decided that we would ‘go it alone’ and not be affiliated with any other organization. She also took over the role of Newsletter Editor. Congratulations, Jacqui.

The April Club Speaker was Brian Smith, who talked about his recent trip to the USA, with photos of his time in Pennsylvania, New York, Washington, Las Vegas, and points in between.

The Guest Speaker was Graeme Carley who entertained us all with anecdotes from his 47 years as a ministerial driver.

Royal passengers included The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh, Tāufaʻahau

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Tūpou IV (King of Tonga), Prince William, and Prince Edward. Also several NZ Prime Ministers, and cabinet ministers, and overseas dignitaries were passengers.

A variety of cars were used, his favourite being the Rolls Royces with their smooth power.

Some sad occasions occurred, such as when he drove the Singapore PM to Lake Rotoiti, at the time Traffic Officer Robin Dudding was shot nearby; Dudding was later posthumously awarded the George Medal. On another occasion, he safely drove Indian PM Rajiv Gandhi in a specially armoured limousine round New Zealand, shortly before Gandhi was assassinated back in India.

Graeme closed with some lighter anecdotes of his time driving various NZ politicians.

The TOP Club meets at 9.30 am on the first Thursday of each month (excluding December and January) at Ōmokoroa Church Hall. For further information, please email omokoroa.bp@gmail.com

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Boaties reminded to use lights at night

Busy end to term at No. 1 he middle syndicate have been very busy with lots of swimming activities.

The Small Schools Swimming Sports were held in our lovely pool against Matahui, ĹŒmokoroa Point, WhakamÄ rama and Pahoia schools. The children trained really hard during all pool sessions, and this really shone through on the day. Well done to all the children who made it through to the North Cluster Swimming Sports.

The Year 8’s 'Getting Creative' Students in Room 1 and 2 have been busy screen printing, hand painting pillows and the odd t-shirt.

Next, they had to heat set their artwork, machine-sew their pillows up, stuff them and then hand sew up the opening. Learning to thread a needle has been an exercise in itself!

At least now they have something comfy to sit on.

It has been a fun time, with lots of Easter craft activities being made. Room 8 and 13 came alive as Easter bunnies. Room 9 made woven Easter baskets and face-cloth bunnies.

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Room 7 brought the letter 'D' to life with a visit from Mr Pentecost’s dog, Moko.

The Year 5/6 members of Wild About NZ explored one of Puketoki Reserves streams.

They found an eel and five koura/crayfish.

They also did a water quality study and found the stream to be very healthy. Next term they will be learning about pest species.

Many children in our school have written to the Prime Minister to express our concern about State Highway 2, and on the last day of Term One, we held a whole school Commonwealth Games Day organised by Mr Jo. All the children were divided up into teams representing the more obscure countries in the Commonwealth, eg. Guyana, Cyprus, Botswana. We then took part in lots of fun activities with the winning team receiving medals made on our new 3-D printer. Awards were also given to some of the children displaying great sportsmanship. A great way to end the term.

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Commonwealth Games Day teams representing smaller nations.

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he night time collision between a power and sail boat in March has led to a reminder from the Harbourmaster about the importance of having your boat well-lit at night. Skippers are required to ensure their vessel is well lit between sunset and sunrise and during heavy rain and fog.

Maritime New Zealand rules say that during this time every boat at anchor must show a white light that’s visible from all directions. The colour and type of lights required vary depending on the size and type of your craft. The colour of the light is also important as it indicates port and starboard, showing which way you are traveling.

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Bay of Plenty Harbourmaster Peter Buell says not displaying the correct lights at night is a hell of a risk. “If your boat isn’t well lit then not only are you endangering the lives of those on board your vessel but you’re putting others at risk too. You need to be visible to be seen,� says Mr Buell. “It’s equally important that people travel at a safe speed for the conditions. If you’re travelling at night then this isn’t fast. If people are not familiar with the rules, they can visit www.boprc.govt.nz/safeboating ,� says Mr Buell.

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What the boating rules say about lights Powerboats: • Over 12m need to display red and green side lights, a white stern light and a white masthead light. • Less than 12m need to display red and green side lights and as a minimum one all-round white light. • Less than 7m, and not capable of speeds over 7 knots, need only display an all-round white light.

Sail boats: • Over 12m need to display red and green side lights, a white stern light and a white masthead light. • Must show red and green sidelights and a white stern light (may be combined into a single tri-colour light mounted at the top of a mast on yachts less than 20m).

All non-powered boats under 7 metres in length, such as a rowing dinghy, canoe, kayak or sail boat must show a white light or torch to indicate its presence.

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A patient’s heartfelt gratitude

By Matthew Farrell Te Puna man has spoken of his gratitude for the medical first responders of Ōmokoroa, in recalling his rescue from a Whakamārama hillside last August.

Hugh Gardiner broke his leg and five ribs when his quad bike rolled on uneven ground after hitting a tree stump hidden in long grass.

“It was a freak accident. I’m normally pretty circumspect operating a quad, but you can lose your balance very quickly.

Quads behave differently on a downhill side slope. I knew it would go over and I am thankful for the roll bar. They are es-

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sential to prevent you being pinned, but unfortunately I couldn’t get out of the way in time as it went over,” he says.

Hugh lives on Quarry Road but leases a block at Whakamārama where he was running 50 ewes and half a dozen breeding cows.

“I lay there for almost six and a half hours. The accident happened just before half past twelve and I was found at about 6.45 pm. My wife and I were due to go out, so she knew something was wrong and the neighbours came looking,” says Hugh.

“I couldn’t move. I was in a bit of pain.

I knew I would be found, but it was a

Ōmokoroa Volunteer Fire Brigade

By Ian Blunt, Chief Fire Officer he Ōmokoroa Volunteer Fire Brigade Firefighters have had a quiet month call-wise. On 20th March, firefighters were called to a fire in the vicinity of Margaret Drive which turned out to be a controlled burn where no further Brigade action was required.

A motor vehicle accident at Apata on 25th March resulted in no serious injuries.

Two assists with the medical responders were followed by a call to assist

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Katikati at a scrub fire in Upland Road on 10th April.

The First Responders have been busy.

One call on the 20th March and the other to the MVA at Apata ended the March total.

At the time of the newspaper deadline, the team had responded seven times to a variety of calls including chest pains, violent vomiting, abdominal pains and a 12-year-old with a neck injury. All of these callouts have been in the Ōmokoroa township.

clear winter afternoon, and I was worried about the cold. I just made myself as comfortable as I could.

“The landowner Chris Beattie later put her possum fur hat on me, and it was like being put in an oven. It was absolute bliss, but I knew then how cold I was.

“Rachel, my youngest, alerted the emergency services. It felt like the first responders were there within half an hour despite tough vehicle access and a considerable walk.” Rachel found some cell coverage, and they managed to get a GPS location for the helicopter.

“First responder Megan Thorne looked after me and talked me through what she was doing. The way she dealt with the situation put me totally at ease, and I was thankful for what they did. I was anaesthetised with ketamine, so I saw a few elephants flying out of the ponga. After that things became hazy but the Ōmokoroa firefighters who had also arrived were then able to move me to the chopper safely, and I was tucked up in ICU shortly after 9 o’clock,” says Hugh.

Hugh is a kiwifruit client manager for Mount Pack & Cool. When he met me, they were gearing up for their busiest period of the year, but he was still keen to make time to thank the medical first responders and echo their appeal for new volunteers.

“The first responders were of paramount importance to me being where I am today. If they hadn’t found me and dealt with me as quickly as they did, who knows if I would be here with the complications of hypothermia? It’s

Hugh Gardiner.

such an essential service.

“Without them, there would be a lot more downstream effects for victims.

I know Megan got a thrill out of doing a great job in difficult circumstances.

I have such gratitude for them providing the service that they do,” he says.

If you could help to keep the medical first responder service going by volunteering your time, contact fire chief Ian Blunt on 0274 599 478 or deputy Simon Priest on 0274 366 265.

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Blowing up over blow outs

By Matthew Farrell costly number of punctures have been caused to both regular and space saver spare tyres on the rough metal of Ōmokoroa Road in the past few weeks of construction work.

The first resident to approach Lizard News says he found a flat tyre on his vehicle at the end of a long shift at work during Easter Weekend.

“I then got a puncture on my space saver spare tyre on the way home as I drove over the sharp metal. Are the contractors using the correct grade of material?” he asks.

Since then, we’ve learned of a local mum who recently paid for two new tyres because of the road surface - and has already had a puncture in one of the replacements.

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We approached the District Council, Ōmokoroa Tyre & Alignment, and Mike Deane Motors for comment.

Steve Abbott of Ōmokoroa Tyre & Alignment has seen in increased number of punctures in the past few weeks.

“Sharp rocks have gone through tyres and they’ve been damaged beyond repair due to the size of holes the rocks are leaving. In most cases the rocks have still been lodged in the tyres when they have been dropped off to us.

“A lot of the tyres, but not all of them, have been very low on tread anyway making them more likely to get punctures - but others have been good tyres, and people have had no choice but to replace them. I do feel for those people who have been caught out by the extra cost of having to replace tyres due to the

damage from rocks lately.”

Mike Deane Motors was also able to provide us with three photo examples of punctures caused by stones on Ōmokoroa Road.

“We have had more punctures than usual. I have just replaced half a dozen new tyres where sharp stones have gone through.

“We’ve also seen nails from builders and in one case a spanner. It’s pretty large aggregate they are using and stones can be razor sharp coming out of a quarry,” says Mike.

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neer, Stuart Harvey, says contractors have been trying to keep the surface as tight and smooth as possible by continual rolling and applying water to be considerate to road users.

“While reduced speed limits are primarily for safety of road work teams, they also help minimise damage and stop stones being lifted by cars or trucks.

Unfortunately stop/start traffic can break up the surface. If workers carry out maintenance then and there, it stops traffic and causes delays. It’s a bit of a catch 22 situation while works continue,” he says.

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May 2018 | Lizard News |

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Māori representation opportunities

By Julie Shepherd āori seek representation of their interests by establishing a Māori Ward within the Western Bay of Plenty District. We offer a compelling rationale that is based on fairness, equity and collaboration, we do not envisage separatism, and we believe that our plight is one of democracy. General Wards represent their constituency, a Māori Ward would represent its constituency.

Our approach is connected to the valid Māori position within this District. Our approach of collaboration is aligned to ‘Moving forward together’. We are already in this space, we have moved from 1918, this is 2018, and we are forecasted to grow substantially in the next ten years.

The growth of Māori in the New Zealand economy is a story of growing success that is informed by multiple reports which support this. Nationwide, Māori form around 15% of the population this is predicted to rise to 19.5% by 2038. The largest share being 25% of the Māori population is in Te Puku O Te Ika – Waikato/Bay of Plenty Region. This percentage of the population is far younger than the New Zealand population overall. Māori in the workforce account for a larger share of agriculture, mining, manufacturing, utilities and construction with potential employment opportunities in other sectors.

The Te Puni Kōkiri Māori Economy Report 2013 states, “Māori enterprises and businesses are not new to the economy.

M

However, Māori enterprises are likely to be on a different development cycle than others in the New Zealand economy.

Many Māori enterprises are well governed, innovative and export-oriented, while some others are in earlier stages of development. Some Māori organisations are further progressed than others in this process of renewal, while others are just beginning. This renewal is being undertaken within the context of a wider New Zealand economy that is in advanced stages of development, fully integrated into the global economic landscape.

It is this context that should be recognised, to ensure suitable policy settings are adopted to support the establishment of a Māori Ward in the Western Bay of Plenty District. So that the Māori economy develops in tandem with the wider New Zealand economy, as would be implicit in a true Crown-Māori partnership under principles of the Treaty of Waitangi.

The Māori economy asset base has increased in size and value, the asset base of the Māori economy has increased from $36.9 billion in 2010 to an estimated $42.6 billion in 2013. Based on these figures, Māori producers contributed $11 billion (5.6%) to New Zealand’s GDP or value-added production. Assets of Māori enterprises are a clearly visible component of the Māori economy. However, the asset base of Māori employers and self-employed Māori should not be overlooked.

It is evidenced that Te Puku O Te Ika is

ĀORI M O T S E Y SAY ON IN I T A T N E S E R REP Y OF WESTERN BA !

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estimated to have the biggest share (27%) of the Māori Asset Base. This is consistent with the large holdings of primary sector activities in this rohe as well as property services interests. Note in particular, that this area includes a large majority of New Zealand’s forestry resources”.

Local government New Zealand have stated within a 2016 Report that Māori and Pasifika communities are over-represented in many outcome-focused measures of inequality. They are also set to grow as a percentage of New Zealand society. We need to ensure the systems we have set up are tackling this ethnic dimension to inequality, which has the potential to get worse. Securing the establishment of a Māori Ward is important to address inequality.

In the same report, cultural prosperity is recognised. “We want our communities to be empowered and enabled to express and celebrate their diverse cultural heritages and recognise the particular cultural significance of Māori as tangata whenua of New Zealand”. Māori are representative of their culture and the establishment of a Māori Ward addresses cultural prosperity.

In light of this compelling rationale, Western Bay of Plenty District CouncilTauranga Moana, Te Arawa ki Takutai Partnership Forum, Iwi and Hapū members seek support to legitimise our approach to ‘Moving Forward Together’ as a contributor to New Zealand Economic Prosperity to establish a Māori Ward.

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With your food basket and my food basket the people will thrive We are a group of locals who want Western Bay of Plenty to be a fair and flourishing city with a robust local democracy where everyone participates. A place where all our children and grandchildren can thrive, and see themselves represented in the leaders we elect.

But right now, Don Brash, Hobson’s Pledge and a handful of anonymous backers are using fear and the politics of the past to put up barriers to community participation for Māori.

Thankfully, we have an opportunity to fix this by voting yes to Māori wards by Saturday 19 May.

Voting in the Western Bay of Plenty Representation Review closes this month. Voting documents can be returned by post or hand delivered to a ballot box during normal business hours between Friday 27 April 2018 and Friday 18 May 2018, and from 9 am to 12 noon on Saturday 19 May 2018 at the following locations: Western Bay of Plenty District Council’s Main Office, Barkes Corner, 1484 Cameron Road, Greerton, Tauranga; Katikati Library & Service Centre, 36 Main Road, Katikati; Ōmokoroa Library & Service Centre, McDonnell Street, Ōmokoroa.

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Nāu te rourou, nāku te rourou ka ora ai te iwi

advise the Western Bay of Plenty District Council through the Tauranga Moana and Te Arawa ki Takutai Moana Partnership Forum, are delighted to host Māori Ward Open Q & A Sessions. These are an opportunity for communities to participate in the campaign message of Moving Forward Together in establishing Māori Representation by a Māori Ward. We welcome anyone with any questions and would appreciate you popping in to support us at Ōmokoroa Settlers Hall Friday 4th May 2018 - 4 pm to 7 pm.

Nau mai haere mai.

Julie Shepherd is the Environment Manager for Pirirākau Incorporated Society.

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Visit votemaori.co.nz for more information.

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| Lizard News | May 2018

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Garden tips for autumn Lucky few enjoy Matakana walk t’s autumn, the air is cooling, and it’s time to prepare for winter’s chill in the garden.

Digging in compost is an excellent way to boost soil nutrients lost over summer so you can enjoy beetroot, carrot, lettuce, herbs and flowers during the colder months.

Freezing, pickling and preserving are great ways of extending the last of your summer harvest.

Pick tomatoes, apples and pears. You can still plant frost resistant fruit trees in a sheltered sunny spot, particularly citrus near existing trees. A mix of evergreen and deciduous trees can help with year-round colour and fragrance, as do perennials and annuals.

It’s time to trim hedges, deadhead flowers and thin out or prune deciduous trees and climbing roses. It’ll soon be time to plant, fertilise, mulch and water flowering shrubs - while spring bulbs can go in the ground, in hanging baskets or pots. Containers are suitable for dwarf daffodils, tulips, crocus, hyacinths and strawberries.

I

Dig over flower beds and sow lawn seed. Look out for moss as well as aphids, slugs, snails and the white butterfly.

Maybe think about hiring a landscaper or arborist. Designers may have more time to answer questions or help with smaller projects now, rather than next spring.

By Matthew Farrell ne of the main organisers of a sponsored walk on Matakana Island has spoken of her disappointment, that the fundraiser wasn’t as well-supported as on past occasions.

Minda Kuka put a lot of time and effort into arranging public access to private farmland, roads and bush trails which aren’t usually accessible. Signage, vehicles, volunteer marshalls and a first aid response were prepared - but only about 50 walkers took the barge across on Sunday 15th April.

“In previous years there have been 200 people, so the numbers are a bit disappointing considering it was on the radio and in the Bay of Plenty Times. We’ve been lucky with the weather, and it’s a uniquely interesting walk with a lot of variety. This isn’t a regular event, so if it doesn’t work out, maybe we won’t organise it,” says Minda.

Proceeds from the 10km and 12km walks were to go towards maintenance and repair of the three marae on

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Matakana, but some donated just a few dollars.

Nonetheless, there was a warm mihi or bilingual welcome and thanks from Ranginui Ngātai and a karakia or blessing for the visitors from Hēmi Poka before they set off.

Hannah and Santiago Bermeo have lived in Ōmokoroa for the past 18 months and made the trip with Julian (5), Isabel (3) and Luca (7 months) after Hannah saw the event on the noticeboard at Ōmokoroa Point School.

“It’s been on our bucket list of things to do, so an organised day with a bunch of people made us think we may as well go now. I’m surprised there aren’t more people taking this opportunity for access to private land,” admitted Santiago.

Les and Kay Dawson made the effort to drive from the Avenues. Although Les has boated to Matakana’s southern beaches before, he’d never gone over from Ōmokoroa. Kay says she has visited a few times and has worked at the school there.

Minda Kuka gives walkers a safety briefing outside Tubby’s Store.

PHOTOS: Matthew Farrell.

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May 2018 | Lizard News |

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New group classes to help Ōmokoroa residents live stronger for longer trength and balance classes for older adults, designed to reduce falls and improve movement confidence, are coming to Ōmokoroa this May as part of a Sport Bay of Plenty initiative.

Keep on your Feet is about creating access to approved community group strength and balance classes across Western and Eastern Bay of Plenty, as part of a nation-wide drive to reduce falls and fractures, and support older people to ‘live stronger for longer’. Ōmokoroa is the latest Western Bay of Plenty location to receive the Keep on your Feet programme, with an aim to improve access for the community to these much-needed group exercise sessions.

Thirty-five strength and balance classes are now up and running around the Western and Eastern Bay of Plenty, with hundreds of older adults reaping the benefits of attending a class every week.

“Recently a number of participants had their strength and balance re-tested, with 67% improving their sit-to-stand score (which is a measure of leg strength) and 35% improving their balance,” says Project Leader Jen Riley.

The benefits are not only physical, with many participants saying they enjoy the social aspect of the classes as much as the exercises.

Keep on your Feet Ōmokoroa starts on

S

Wednesday, May 2 at 10 am to 11 am.

Held at the Ōmokoroa Sports Pavilion, Western Ave, this class will run regularly on Wednesdays and is a fun, safe and social environment suitable for all ages.

Sessions are $6 per class or $50 for ten classes.

For more information, contact Maureen Taylor on 027 533 6363 or maureen@bodiwellness.co.nz If you belong to an older adult community group that has a regular guest speaker, and you would like to learn how to maintain strength and balance through a set of simple and effective exercises, contact Jen Riley, Keep on your Feet Project Leader, on 027 419 0067 or email jenr@sportbop.co.nz Article supplied.

Keep On Your Feet participants in a recent class in Bethlehem. PHOTO: Supplied.

41st National Youth Jazz winners announced he 41st National Youth Jazz Competition held at Baycourt Community and Arts Centre at the end of March featured the most competitors in its 41-year history says National Youth Jazz Competition Director Liam Ryan.

“We had a record number of registrations: 320 students from 21 secondary schools as far and wide as Christchurch and Wellington. Due to this, we added an extra day to cater for the 18 combos and 14 big bands performing.”

The judges, Dr Rodger Fox from New Zealand School of Music (NZSM), international judges Dave Wilson and Dewayne Pate from the USA, Gwyn Reynolds from ARA Christchurch, and Mike Booth from University of Auckland were impressed by the standard of performance from the young musicians.

Head Judge Dr Rodger Fox felt the standard of combos and big bands was improving year to year, in large part due to the schools returning to the competition and building on their performances each time.

T

“It’s very encouraging to see the competition continuing to grow; it shows it is valued by the schools,” says Dr Fox. “The bands are very receptive to feedback, and this is showing in the band performances. It’s great to see students really working on improvisational playing; It was also good to see the schools staying on for longer than a day this year and attending the concerts.”

After performing, combos and big bands had a workshop with a judge receiving immediate feedback on their performance. Director Liam Ryan says this year’s National Youth Jazz Competition showcased the best of youth jazz in the country.

“The standard of performances is incredibly high, with jazz becoming a popular part of the New Zealand school music curriculum. The students blew us away again this year with their musicality and their enthusiasm.

“It’s great to see the students performing in a limousine theatre like Baycourt’s Addison theatre – they get the full experience of performing on a big stage to a

large, appreciative audience. We love that Tauranga comes out and supports them too.”

He adds that the National Youth Jazz Competition is a major logistical exercise for schools and the organising team.

“A big thank you must go out to the school musical directors, young performers who played their hearts out, parents and support teams who came along and make it happen.

Some prizes of note for local performers include: Best Jazz Combo – The Norman Family Trophy: Tauranga Girls College and Katikati College Combo ‘Thomas the Tank Engine’.

Most outstanding Bassist – P & S Penman Trophy: Louie Campbell/Katikati College.

Most outstanding keyboard player – Bay City Music Trophy: Gena Gray/Tauranga Girls College/Katikati College.

Most outstanding pianist – Bill Hoffmeister Trophy: Troy Weenink/Tauranga Boys’ College.

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Small publishers feeling confident

By Matthew Farrell hile big media companies have been painting a negative narrative about the industry, small publishers like Lizard News are buoyant about 2018 according to an industry survey.

The poll of publishers, editors and owners found most respondents didn’t see being print focused as negative - and the push to go digital was a low priority for three-quarters of respondents.

The survey was conducted by consultants Flame Tree Media and distributed by the NZ Community Newspaper Association. Lizard News is one of the CNA’s 80 member mastheads across the country.

Flame Tree executive director Stuart Howie says the data shows while big newspaper industry players are branching off and transforming digitally, smaller publishers still see a future in serving communities with hyperlocal news content and print advertising.

Almost 80% of survey respondents were very or extremely confident about the future of their businesses.

Top priorities were reader engagement, advertising sales and creating quality content.

“While online and social media is unlikely to increase revenue significantly, it

W

does help publishers leverage extended reach to make print stronger for longer,” says Howie.

“Community newspapers are concentrating on what they do best - relevant local storytelling and supporting local businesses and jobs,” he says.

NZCNA president Simon Ellis says the ability to generate unique and relevant content continues to set home delivered local papers apart from other media.

“This is proven to drive sales for advertisers in a cost-effective manner.

No other media offers this local connectivity and connection with buyers and sellers.”

Facebook and Google took an estimated 54% of global digital advertising revenue in 2017 according to eMarketer.

“Research shows while clickbait grabs attention, print is more likely to provide information that is retained, acted on and converts to sales. Essentially, print equates to trust and credibility,” says Howie.

Lizard News is an independent, local family-owned publication. We distribute 5,000 copies from the Wairoa River in Te Puna to RD4 Katikati at Aongatete.

If you’re reading this online or picked it up at a local business, ask your postie if you live inside our free mailbox delivery area.

Connecting COMMUNITIES

Fund-razor fun for Pahoia ell done to Mrs Mack and Mr Harwood for pulling together a fantastic movement that has captured the interest and hearts of our children and community this term. Shave for a Cure has been such a great cause and the $6000 presented at assembly to the Leukaemia and Blood Cancer Foundation will make such a difference in the lives of many. Thank you, Jane, for the big cheque. The total has since passed $7300.

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Well done to Riley, Felix, Matthew, Will, Daniel and Sam - our learners that showed the courage needed to shave their hair for this great cause, in front of 300 people at the afternoon assembly on Friday 23rd March.

Also, thank you to our community that came to donate blood to the NZ Blood Service in the school hall and to support the many happenings.

Article and photos supplied.

Meanwhile, the ninth Pahoia School Triathlon took place at Ōmokoroa Domain on Sunday 8th April.

Thanks to parents, teachers, organisers, marshalls and sponsors - and congratulations to all participants for giving it a go. PHOTOS: Matthew Farrell.

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Call to dob in dumpers ubbish bags dumped at the end of roads in the Western Bay will be on dob-in-a-dumper watch.

There is a particular problem in the District where people dump pre-paid rubbish bags on rural roads. Western Bay of Plenty District Council is urging residents to dob in dumpers by taking car registration numbers and photos of the culprits.

Council has had enough and is aiming to identify and fine those partaking in this particularly nasty habit up to $500 under the Litter Act. Environmental Solid Waste Team

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Leader Ilze Kruis says people are leaving bags throughout the week, which become unsightly, smelly and are often ripped apart and spread around by dogs.

“Often these dumping hot spots are by school bus stops and other well-used intersections. It creates a huge mess, can be a danger to road users, and is unsafe and unsanitary.”

Hot spots around the District include Work Road near Katikati.

Signs will be erected at hot spots warning against illegal dumping and where possible surveillance cameras will be used.

“We’re unsure if people are just unaware that they can’t place pre-paid bags here or are deliberately dumping their rubbish because it’s easier than waiting for their pick-up day or driving to a transfer station.

“For this reason, we’re looking for help to identify recidivist rubbish dumpers.”

Pre-paid rubbish bags can only be placed directly outside the gate of

the property where the rubbish is generated.

If your home does not have kerbside collection, please make arrangements with a door-to-door contractor or take your rubbish to a transfer station in Te Maunga, Tauranga or Waihī. To dob in a dumper email Customer Service Customer.Service@westernbay.govt.nz or phone 0800 Trashy.

Todd Talk

By Todd Muller MP for Bay of Plenty ur city’s transport has certainly been a hot topic over the last few months, and that has only been heightened by the release of both the Bay of Plenty Regional Council’s draft Regional Transport Plan and more recently the Draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport. It has started what I sense is a serious conversation about transport and what our community wants to see prioritised moving forward.

I was as shocked as most to see the upgrade of SH2 between Tauranga and Ōmokoroa was ranked at number 11 on the list of regional priorities. This is New Zealand’s deadliest stretch of road.

You’ve all seen the statistics: 401 no injury crashes, 146 minor injury crashes, 52 serious crashes and sadly 20 fatal crashes. To have this on our back doorstep is an absolute tragedy.

Our community really rallied around this issue. The huge crosses on the side of the road have been a highly successful, impacting, grassroots initiative that caught the eye of everyone who drove past. As has the petition organised to go to Regional Council. You coordinated an astounding 7000 submissions. In my view, the Council has little choice now but to set their priorities straight and put that road at number 1 – where it should have been all along. The community should be proud of the huge effort to ensure the voices of Ōmokoroa and Te Puna are heard.

You’ve done your bit, and now I need

O

Asian paddle crabs invade biosecurity officer says the discovery of Asian paddle crabs (Charybdis Japonica) in Tauranga Harbour is devastating news.

A mature male and female pair were caught in the same pot near the Matapihi bridge in a marine pest survey by MPI. The invasive pests are well-established in the Hauraki Gulf and Northland, but this was the first time they’d been found in the Bay of Plenty.

Regional Council biosecurity officer Hamish Lass says it’s most likely that larvae floated here or hitched a ride on a fouled hull or in ballast water.

“It’s also possible they naturally migrated here as they are large and very capable swimmers. It’s an extremely aggressive competitor for native crabs and also feeds on shellfish such as pipi, tua tua and cockles,” he says.

Further surveillance is being set up in Maketū Estuary and Ōhiwa harbour, but

A

to keep working on mine. I’ll be doing my best to keep the pressure on the Minister of Transport, Phil Twyford, and NZTA, down in Wellington. The Draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport wasn’t great for our community as it confirmed that the four-lane Road of National Significance stretching from Katikati to Tauranga was no longer going ahead.

The Government wants to put up our fuel tax by 12 cents a litre, costing the average road user $15 extra each time they fill up the tank, to fund rail in Auckland, but won’t pay for our road. Our community will be paying more, and getting less. Please do make sure you have signed my petition to the Government to ensure they know how badly our community wants and needs this road.

current control methods are known to be limited in their effectiveness.

It is illegal to move living pest crabs, and people are encouraged to kill them and report finds by calling 0800 STOP PESTS (0800 786 773).

Up to 12cm across, with six distinct spikes on each side of the carapace and five spines on each claw, Asian paddle crabs prefer hiding in estuaries with firm sand or fine muddy sand.

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Todd.MullerMP@parliament.govt.nz (07) 542 0505 | Lizard News | May 2018

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Looking after water total of $46m has been allocated for water management in 2018/19, in Bay of Plenty Regional Council’s ten-year plan, due for adoption by 30th June.

The budget is spread across a range of on-ground action, science, planning, and policy work - to improve and protect local rivers, streams, lakes and underground aquifers.

BoPRC chair Doug Leeder says all Bay of Plenty residents can consider how they care for the water that sustains us.

“Everyone has a role to play; from fixing leaks, and using drains only for rain, to making good choices about infrastructure investment, land use, and business practices.

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"The effects of past land-use change, urban and farm run-off remain a risk, but overall our region’s water quality and supply are in good shape by national standards.

"Untreated discharges to water have been illegal for a long time now, and we have a lot of pro-active work underway to clean-up waterways, prevent pollution, and reduce land run-off,” he says.

“We have more nature-based work to do; fencing, planting waterway margins, steep slopes, and restoring wetlands.

"Science, stakeholder engagement, and public infrastructure upgrades will be crucial to securing clean waterways for local communities and wildlife longterm," says Doug.

Illegal street racing sting

By Sgt Scott Merritt Western Bay of Plenty Police operation targeting illegal street racing and anti-social driver behaviour was carried out on the third weekend in April.

It followed community concern around illegal street racing activity in several communities.

The operation took place on Saturday night and Sunday morning between the hours of 9 pm and 4 am and involved staff from the Bay of Plenty, Waikato and an NZTA vehicle inspector.

Police witnessed vehicles travelling at speeds of up to 150 kilometres per hour on the Tauranga Eastern Link and congregating at Old Coach Road doing

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burnouts and engaging in other anti-social behaviours.

Checkpoints were put in place around Pongawaka.

This isn’t a case of young people having fun. This type of high-risk behaviour is incredibly disappointing. These drivers are a danger to themselves, and they put other road users in significant danger too.

Among those charged was a 17-yearold doing a wheelie on Marine Parade.

We want to assure the community that we take their concerns and road safety very seriously.

Enquiries are ongoing to locate further vehicles identified as having committed illegal street racing offences.

INTERESTED IN HELPING YOUR COMMUNITY? The Ōmokoroa Volunteer Fire Brigade requires more FIREFIGHTERS and personnel for the MEDICAL FIRST RESPONSE TEAM. Full training is given, driving courses are mandatory, full uniform provided.

Community minded? Come and join this dedicated team in Ōmokoroa.

Please call CFO Ian Blunt 0274 599 478 or DCFO Simon Priest 0274 366 265.

Regional Council must act

By Angie Warren-Clark Labour list MP hat a busy few weeks it’s been.

That extra hour of sunshine we lost when daylight savings came to an end over Easter could come in handy right now!

With the release of the Government’s Position Statement (GPS) on Land Transport, there has been many a robust debate play out around our region, particularly with questions about how it will help to ease the unacceptable death toll on SH2.

To help best inform Local Government Leaders on how the GPS will benefit and work in our region, I organised for the Minister of Transport, Phil Twyford, and the Associate Minister of Transport, Julie Anne Genter, to visit Tauranga to speak to locals about how the GPS will work in our region.

Ministers Twyford and Genter spoke of how the GPS sees the government take a fresh approach to Transport planning, with safety on our roads being the number 1 priority. Minister Twyford pointed out that the previous government’s obsession with expressways, where they spent $11.3 billion on just seven projects on which only 4% of the country’s driving is done, is not a good use of the Transport budget. I’m very pleased to see that our government has put aside more money for regional and local roads, for example, money for Local Road upgrades has been increased by 43%.

Regional roads also see a 96% increase in funding. On top of this, there is an extra 17% for Local Road Maintenance, 81% increase in funding for Road Safety along with a 47% increase in funding for Public Transport. Minister Genter spoke of the many opportunities for our region to benefit from Multimodal transport.

With the Western Bay of Plenty Council looking to build a “Park and Ride” facility

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to help get more people onto public transportation, this increased funding will further help our region get moving again. As I always point out, 40 people on a bus, means 40 fewer cars on the road, reducing the chance of injury along with reducing congestion for those who still choose to drive. It’s now up to our Local and Regional Councils to prioritise and submit projects to NZTA which fit these criteria to ensure the best chance of getting funding via the new GPS guidelines on safety.

In the midst of this transport debate, it was incredibly refreshing to attend the Aongatete Forest Restoration Trust Breakfast with the Birds event, which was a sellout event where we experienced the intensity of the New Zealand bush at night and then woke up to hear native birds in a rousing dawn chorus.

The Aongatete Forest Restoration Trust are doing incredible work in trying to see the Kaimai-Mamaku Forest Park flourishing with healthy flora and abundant wildlife again. I highly recommend that you head along to their next event to experience it for yourself.

The numbers: • 43 infringement notices issued for speeding, driver licence breaches and vehicle defects • 12 vehicles impounded • 12 vehicles green stickered for compliance issues • 7 drivers charged with sustained loss of traction • 3 drivers charged with operating a vehicle exhibiting unnecessary speed or acceleration • 2 drivers charged with illegal street racing • 2 drivers charged with excess breath alcohol • 1 driver charged with driving while suspended

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Shared kai and learning at Songbird

By Carole Parker

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• Contribute to caring for our native forest • Engage with nature • Get fit • Meet local people

WHEN

WHERE

MORE INFO

9am-12.30pm 1st & 3rd Wed of every month

@ the Kohanga, end of Wrights Road

email: events@ aongateteforest.org

before Aongatete Lodge

or call Mary 07 576 5933

WHAT'S ON? OUR WINTER PEST CONTROL PROGRAMME! Learn how to set & maintain a Timms Trap for possum control

16 MAY

26 MAY

In the bush: putting pre-feed (non-toxic) into bait stations

6 JUN

9 JUN

In the bush: putting Feracol (toxic bait) into bait stations

20 JUN

Preparation for baiting: Prefeed set up @ the kohanga Baiting day preparation: Feracol set-up @ the kohanga In the bush: retrieving any uneaten Feracol

AFP is a joint Aongatete Forest Restoration Trust and Forest & Bird project.

As a non-profit charity organisation, it's reliant on volunteers to help to protect and improve the Kaimais, your backyard native forest.

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| Lizard News | May 2018

cover the cost of a mid-winter annual lunch, and a Christmas event for our volunteers as an acknowledgement of their outstanding efforts. Without our volunteers, we could not open our museum seven days a week, change our exhibitions every four months and enable students to experience a child’s life in the early 1900’s.

Do you enjoy meeting people? Are you good at talking with people? If so then we are looking for people like you to be part of our Front of House team. We will provide training, ongoing support and social activities. Eventually, if you wish, you could be one of our Museum Guides taking people through the Museum. You would go on a roster and work days and times that fitted in for you and work with one other person.

Either email Carole at chairwbmuseum@gmail.com or call into the Museum at 32 Main Street, Katikati in the old Fire Station and see the Manager/Curator, Paula Gaelic.

Awareness Week roadshow e are hitting the road throughout Hospice Awareness Week, taking our quirky caravan to the people. We’ll be set up beside each of our charity shops, a different location every day, so no matter where you live in the district, we’ll be in your neighbourhood. Come along and have a chat with our experienced and knowledgeable hospice staff. They can help demystify Hospice, answer your questions and give you information to take away. You might be interested in volunteering, making a bequest, attending one of our education courses, or a fundraising event.

Symposium – Planning for the future: topical issues in palliative care. Health

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professionals, carers and interested members of the public are invited to register for a one-day symposium to kick off Hospice Awareness Week. We are pleased to present a number of high calibre speakers from New Zealand and overseas who will share their specialist area of knowledge across a wide range of topics.

This will be an inspirational day of information and reflection. Spaces are limited so visit waipunahospice.org.nz to view the full programme and to register. Monday 14th May at Waipuna Hospice 10 am to 3 pm, $80.

Article supplied.

Roadshow pit-stops Monday 14th May: Tuesday 15th May: Wednesday 16th May: Thursday 17th May: Friday 18th May: Saturday 19th May:

www.waipunahospice.org.nz

turned on the lights and siren too.

At Songbird, we are fundraising for the Breast Cancer Foundation of New Zealand. To celebrate Mothers Day and to support this excellent cause, we are hosting a Pink Ribbon Morning Tea on Monday 14th May at 10 am.

We have been sending invitations to all our mums, grandmothers and aunties.

Please visit our Pink Ribbon Fundraising page at pinkribbonbreakfast.co.nz then search for Songbird.

All funds raised go directly to the Breast Cancer Foundation NZ. Nine women a day are diagnosed with breast cancer in New Zealand. Let’s get donating, so we can find a cure.

BE PART OF THE AONGATETE VOLUNTEER COMMUNITY!

2 MAY

he Western Bay Museum is located in Katikati and tells the history of the Western Bay of Plenty; We are a small museum based in the old Katikati Fire station.

To open the museum seven days a week we rely on volunteers; we have 70 in all who undertake a vast range of tasks from conservation and research work, to the front of house tasks, guiding, administration work, act as teachers in the schoolroom, shift exhibitions, and much more.

The average age is 70, and for most, it is a way of continuing to use their expertise and to interact with people socially.

We like to provide regular social activities for our volunteers who are mostly retired. We run on a tight budget as we rely on grants and donations to run the museum with some support from the local council.

We would love to receive funding to

BOOK NOW

By Dan and Rebecca Hesson ongbird Early Childhood Centre in Aongatete has some fantastic helpers. What a great team effort in the garden last month. Together we created a pretty little garden - removing the stones, washing them, sweeping up the bark, laying the weed mat, planting the plants, laying the rocks back on the garden and giving it a good water.

Ehara taku toa I te toa takitahi Engari, he toa takitini - my successes are not mine alone; they are ours the greatest successes we will have are from working together.

We celebrated Easter at Songbird with lots of art and craft, learning new waiata, bunny ear cookie decorating and finishing this celebration with an Easter egg hunt.

We have had some lovely donations of different foods to try by our awesome Songbird whānau lately. Thanks very much, we enjoyed tasting the courgettes; we ate these raw and roasted some. We were fascinated by the enormous marrow that Logan brought in. Everyone loved trying Johnny’s kahawai fish that his dad smoked. Yummy!

At the end of March, we were lucky enough to have ambulance officer Max and his ambulance visit us. Max gave us lots of information about how the ambulance service can help us. We even got to have a look inside the ambulance. Max

Volunteers bringing history to life

271 Fraser Street, Tauranga 1267 Cameron Road, Greerton 17 Main Road, Katikati 200 Jellicoe Street, Te Puke 2 MacDonald Street, Mt Maunganui 157 Domain Road, Pāpāmoa

PLANNING FOR A FUTURE SYMPOSIUM 2018 e A Conversation around th tive Care ia ll changing Landscape of Pa 14 May 2018 | 8am – 3pm WAIPUNA HOSPICE 43 Te Puna Station Rd, Tauranga Limited Spaces available – Book now!

SPEAKERS Dr Michal Boyd Simon O’Connor, MP Professor Merryn Gott Dr Yvonne Bray Dr Sarah Russel Helen Mason

lizardnews.net

Ōmokoroa Playcentre any of you might have noticed little painted yellow rocks hidden (or not so hidden in some cases!) all around the peninsula recently.

These were hidden for our Easter Rock Hunt and kids from all over the wider Ōmokoroa community were out treasure hunting in search of their little piece of ‘gold’ that they could swap for a chocolate Easter egg. The kids had a ball, and it was a great way to get them outdoors and explore nature and our local area.

One of our little rock hunters was also the lucky winner of our Easter hamper.

Congratulations to Eden Kerr. We hope you enjoyed all that yummy chocolatey goodness and that mum didn’t mind the sugar feast! Thanks so much to Athenree Lifecare for kindly donating the hamper.

You may also have read in previous issues about the exciting renovation work that’s been happening at our Playcentre over the summer. We’re indebted to the Harcourts Foundation for their generous donation to help us achieve what we wanted to with this revamp of our facilities. Thanks so much, Harcourts – we love your community spirit.

If you’ve never been to Playcentre, and have kids under six at home during the day, pop in sometime and check out what we’re all about. Our Playcentre offers fantastic opportunities for your kids to explore and learn and grow, and to make new friends. We LOVE messy play and letting our kids experience all those things you’re less keen for them to do at home. It’s also a great way to meet other mums and dads in the community and have some grown-up conversation for a

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few hours each week. Parents stay onsite for the whole session and get involved in what their kids are doing: cooking, painting, collage, junk construction, carpentry, water play, playdough, music, large blocks, our huge sandpit, climbing, gardening and so many more opportunities to develop new skills in a fun, safe, backto-basics environment. There’s no need to book, and your first three visits are free. We’d love to see you sometime soon. Ōmokoroa Playcentre is located behind Settlers Hall, 334 Ōmokoroa Rd, and is open from 9.00am – 12.00pm Mon, Thurs, Fri (during school terms).

For more information, pop in during our open hours, email omokoroa@playcentre.org.nz or phone 07 548 1343.

Eden receiving her Easter hamper full of chocolate treats.

Ōmokoroa Playcentre President, Angela Wallace, receiving the grant from Simon Martin and Nigel Martin of Harcourts. PHOTOS: Supplied.

Omokoroa

Come along to Playcentre for a morning of FREE PLAY and exploration of the senses

By Helen Osborne outines play a significant role in most people’s day – and this is very much the case for our young tamariki attending our early childhood settings. If you delve a little closer into this subject, you can discover a whole host of interesting ideas. For example – if we were to remove all routines from our day, wouldn’t our day lose much of its shape? With this, our eating habits, our sleep patterns and therefore, our overall well-being would inevitably be affected.

Our routines offer us a sense of structure, predictability, comfort and often security - you can quickly see the relevance and value here for our young children attending early childhood settings.

To gain further insight into this topic, I recently attended a thought-provoking training event facilitated by the Childspace Early Childhood Institute.

This workshop, entitled Rituals: making the everyday extraordinary in early childhood, invited teachers to consider the role of routines and rituals in their own lives and, in turn, the significance of these activities in the lives of our tamariki. A key message which I took from this event was that if we slow down and give careful, deliberate attention towards the delivery and content of these important aspects of the day, we can enhance the quality of these experiences for our children and make them more meaningful. In other words, we can transform the everyday routine into something which feels a little more special for our children.

Mindful practice is about teachers planning and preparing for a routine thoughtfully so that our tamariki can be genuinely and as actively involved as possible (this is about doing with, not doing to). In this way, children feel empowered, valued and unhurried.

Thoughtful routines can, for example, offer children real opportunities to get involved with food preparation (washing hands, handling food, cutting, slicing, grating, spreading). Along the way, they can be helped to develop an understanding of where food comes from and to share and enjoy the fruits of their labour alongside their friends. The experience

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of eating is unrushed, and teachers make special time to sit down with children at the kai table, to be present and attentive to their comments and observations.

This is a valuable opportunity for listening and responding to our tamariki’s casual thoughts and ideas.

A settled, calm environment of this kind also provides an opportunity for children to learn about and experience aspects of self-regulation, for example, calming down after very active play, engaging with others and learning to wait for their turn.

A well-planned routine is one that puts the children right at the heart of it and allows them to develop a sense of ownership and belonging – whether this concerns settling, bathroom, sleep routines or other.

So planning for our routines and enabling our tamariki’s real engagement are key considerations, but let’s not forget the importance of the physical environment in all of this. The Childspace team remind us that attractive and carefully selected resources for areas (for example for table settings, bathroom areas and sleep areas) signal that these are special places, where important activities take place. This can be enriching for the senses and in turn, helps our tamariki to feel settled and to see these routines as valuable within their day. I’m sure a lot of us can identify with this – maybe enjoying the sight and smell of a vase of flowers on our coffee table, as we sip our first cup of tea at morning break, or possibly lighting candles for atmosphere during weekend evenings, while we relax with a good book.

So, there is indeed a lot to routines.

They are important - and interesting.

Each one of us will have a set of routines, which in one way or another, will look different to other people’s and these routines form part of our individual cultures. Yes – our everyday routines can be pretty special and are an important part of our everyday learning.

For more information about the Childspace workshop, you can visit the Childspace website www.childspace.co.nz and look for professional development opportunities under the heading For Educators.

Helen Osborne is a teacher at Minnows Kindergarten.

Te Puna

OPEN 9am - 12pm Mon Thurs Fri Behind Settlers Hall, 334 Omokoroa Rd

Would your kids love some messy play fun but you don’t want the mess?

Recognising the richness of our routines

What makes us unique?

- Rural setting, quiet and relaxed - Child portfolios show their learning journey - Strong whānau support - Our environment allows us to have creative freedom alongside our children

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07 548 1343 omokoroa@playcentre.org.nz

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*Annual membership fee applies

May 2018 | Lizard News |

23

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Kaimai community skate park on a roll aimai School’s new community skate park is drawing the crowds and creating exciting changes to the pupils’ skill levels.

The skate park was designed by Richard Smith of Rich Landscapes who also designed the Ōmokoroa Skate Path.

Completed late last year, the skate park has exceeded Principal Dane Robertson’s expectations – drawing people from across the District and proving a hit with the local community.

The skate park was built for use by the community and the school. As such it has been co-funded with $26,500 from Western Bay of Plenty District Council’s Facilities in the Community Fund. Other funders for the $130,000 project were NZ Lotteries Commission, Tauranga Energy Consumers Trust, Tauranga’s Sunrise Rotary Club, Pub Charities and $50,000 was raised over two years by the school’s Parent Teachers Association.

Dane says the skate park has had tangible impacts on

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Kaimai School pupils with Principal Dane Robertson on their new community skate park.

the pupils’ competency skills.

“They are developing more resilience, patience, sharing behaviour, confidence and co-operation – it has been great to see. Some of our less resilient pupils have grown braver and have formed more positive relationships with other pupils. We are also seeing our less active pupils enjoying the physical exercise.

“I recommend that children have access to facilities such as this – the physical and emotional benefits we have seen have been impressive.’’

Dane says the skate park has been treasured by the pupils and respected by the wider community who use it after hours. Positioned in the front of the school, the park is easily accessed to share with the public.

The skate park was opened in December by Western Bay Councillor Margaret Murray-Benge and blessed by kaumātua Karena Borell of Ngāti Pirirākau and Karora Smith of Ngāti Hangarau hāpu.

Article supplied.

Kūwaha installation at Quarry Park

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they can be justifiably proud of.

One of our most energetic volunteers, Lorraine Ryan, recently ‘ran the ruler’ over sustainability practices at the Te Puna Quarry Park. She found lots of worthwhile examples.

Compost bins: The latest of these is in the heritage rose garden. Other heaps at the top of the Quarry are continually turned by tractor and delivered on request throughout the park’s plantings. This is a natural way to recycle suitable vegetation back to the soil, adding valuable nutrients to the plants and improving poor soil for better water retention.

Mulching: Prunings and the many fern fronds that fall are put through the mulching machine. Mulch is used extensively to conserve moisture around the root systems of our trees and shrubs.

Water: We pump to much of the Quarry from a dammed stream and also use rainwater tanks at the Herb and Butterfly gardens.

Beehives: These appear from time to time, on loan.

The bees are invaluable in pollinating plants, especially the natives that bear fruits for the birds.

Pest control: What a difference this enthusiastic and committed group of volunteers has made to bird life.

Last year they trapped 1,000 pests. We now see families of quail busying themselves at ground level, and Kererū feasting themselves on tree lucerne that can hardly bear their weight.

Worm farm: Two disused baths have been converted into worm farms which produce many litres of fertiliser and worm ‘tea’ used as foliar feed.

Weed control: Hand pulling weeds before they seed is still the most sustainable way of controlling weeds.

Among our plantings, the Wonder Weeders do a wonderful job. In the larger undeveloped areas, volunteers hand-pull and chop gorse, wattle, pine, Taiwan cherry,

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honeysuckle and other invasive weeds. We continue to experiment with environmentally friendly sprays, using salt, white vinegar, baking soda and oil. If anyone has an environmentally friendly formula for keeping weeds down, we’d love you to share it.

Works of art: these enhance and add interest to our park. Many pieces have been cleverly constructed from recycled materials. How brilliant.

Those who want to know more about how this COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL ARTS came about can see a new display that describes how the place used to be and many of its memorable events. You will find it on the rear side of the Information Kiosk.

For more information, contact Shirley Sparks on 552 5874.

Produced with support from Dulcie Artus and Lorraine Ryan.

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WEB | PRINT | DIGITAL

By Beth Bowden arving of a kūwaha, or ceremonial gateway, commissioned for the Te Puna Quarry Park’s eastern bush area, is now complete. The formal installation of the nearly three-metre structure, created by Morris Wharekawa under guidance from Pirirākau kaumātua Jimmy Tangitū, was planned for 10 am on Tuesday 1st May. The project, the first entirely traditional Māori artwork at the Quarry, was supported by Creative Bay of Plenty as well as donations from members of the public.

“This sculpture provides a whole new dimension for the Quarry,” says Ian Cross, Quarry Park chair. “All are welcome to the ceremony of blessing. The kūwaha ensures that those who visit the bush area will understand and enjoy the importance of Papatūānuku and her stories in creating this wonderful place.”

Those happy locals who came to the autumn QuarryFest on 8 April might like to know that it has been many years since an autumn festival was held there.

The first was a rather low-key event, a Herb Festival to mark Herb Awareness Week in March 2006. Spring Festivals have had a longer history, and have steadily built in popularity and scale since Merry Cooney revamped the idea back in 2006. Last November’s QuarryFest was almost too big to cope with, so the Bethlehem/Te Puna Lions’ offer to run another Fest in April was gratefully accepted. It was a lovely day and a well-run event, with a broad range of food, music, and craft and gardening bargains.

It was great to see George and Lorna Baldock offering a lovely variety of fuchsias to sell. These wonderful people look after the Quarry Park’s famous fuchsia garden and do an amazing job – planting, pruning, weeding, watering – to create an area we can all enjoy and that

DIGITAL DESIGN.

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Maintenance & Alterations Phone 07 548 2667 • Mob 021 834 441

Follow the news updates online at

lizardnews.net and facebook.com/lizardnews

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Literary goodies in the library this month Ōmokoroa Library Ph. 07 571 8008 Open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm Sat 9.30am-noon

Whakamārama Community Library Ph. 07 578 7015 Open Thu 9am-noon 3rd Friday 6.30pm-8pm

Te Puna Community Library Ph. 07 552 5715 Open Mon-Fri 12.30pm-1.30pm (closed school holidays) Weds 6.30pm-7.30pm Thu 3pm-4pm (closed school holidays) Sat 10am-noon

PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER

Can You Keep A Secret?

by Karen Perry

HISTORICAL FICTION

The Songbirds of Colliers Row

by Jennifer Hart

MYSTERY

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

The Disappeared

by C. J. Box

COMING OF AGE FICTION

The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart

by Holly Ringland

Demi-Gods

by Eliza Robertson

Book Review The Treaty of Waitangi in Tauranga: Te Tiriti o Waitangi Ki Tauranga Moana by Debbie McCauley

By Lee Switzer of ARTbop here are a number of Bay of Plenty history books - from early Māori occupation to subsequent wars between various Māori iwi, and Māori vs Māori and colonial forces. Dates of conflict, compassion and cooperation can be found throughout newspapers, letters to and from individuals and monographs.

Debbie Macaulay’s’ book thoroughly, yet concisely, presents facts with many dates covering the development of Māori and Pākehā relations. She has compiled a sequential list of events from early New Zealand history ‘c925 Kupe: Explorer … chased the giant wheke (octopus) right across the Pacific Ocean…’ and moves on to Bay of Plenty/Tauranga in the 1800s, 1900’s and finally Tauranga treaty settlements in the 2000s. The reader can follow a progression of exploration, tears, fears and years of Māori/Pākehā relations.

The Tauranga Treaty of Waitangi Māori signatories, their signatures, and a short bio of each ariki shows a strong depth of research. The author consulted kaumā-

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Debbie McCauley with her published book. PHOTO: Lee Switzer.

tua and others who provided insight and suggestions for completing the biographies. Often the signature was a replication of the leader’s moko.

The book provides textual content, photographs and illustrations to a variety of historical developments. For example Rev A.N. Browns’ journal notes and Article Three of the Treaty of Waitangi Broken. Murders and cannibalism discussed; the Ōtamataha Pā massacre – 1828 and carnage at Ōngare Pā – 1842 (Katikati). A ‘peace stone’ from Maunganui used at Ōtūmoetai Pā in 1845 for gathering Māori warring chiefs hoping to prevent further intertribal violence is described.

This well researched, bilingual, illustrated book is a forward leap in understanding and appreciation of local history. It covers events that often have been overlooked, underreported or surreptitiously ignored.

Māori translation by Tāmati Waaka, illustrated by Whare Joseph Thompson. Mauao Publishing, 2018.

Award-winning Debbie McCauley’s other books are Mōtītī Blue and the Oil Spill: A Story from the Rena Disaster, Taratoa and the Code of Conduct: A Story from the Battle of Gate Pā and currently at the press: Ko Mauao te Maunga: Legend of Mauao expected in June.

From crane to climb raditionally the ‘Mt Everest Challenge’ fundraises money for the Waipuna Hospice where participants will climb to the top of Mt Maunganui 38 times in 50 days - the equivalent of climbing Mt Everest.

Simon Clotworthy, Truck Driver & Crane operator for local company Modcom Portable Buildings Ltd (a division of Supermac Group Ltd) based in Te Puna, has exceeded the ‘Mt Everest Challenge’ this month by climbing Mt Maunganui 50 times in 50 days.

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The motivation for Simon to complete this challenge was to raise money for a cause close to his heart. At the Tauranga Alzheimer’s Society friends & family monthly morning tea, he presented the committee with the $2,000 he had raised through donations.

Congratulations to Simon for his fantastic effort and determination to complete this physically demanding challenge and his team of supporters at Modcom Portable Buildings.

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Simon Clotworthy gives Tauranga Alzheimer’s Society funds raised from his Everest Challenge.

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This month in history: May

1. Known as ‘King Dick’, who was NZs longest serving PM, with an unmatched five consecutive election victories?

2. Who sung the May 1970 Number 1 hit Cheryl Moana Marie?

Create as many words of 4 letters or more, using the letters once only and always including the letter in the middle of the wheel. There is one 8 letter word.

4. Which controversial sporting event went ahead in May 1960 despite nearly 160,000 signing a petition opposing it?

5. Who is considered NZs most decorated soldier?

KENTUCKY DERBY MAY DAY MORSE CODE

AUTUMN EIFFEL TOWER GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE

STR8TS

RAMADAN SPIRIT OF ST LOUIS TAURUS GEMINI

SUDOKU Tough

6. What did Black Magic win in May 1995?

Easy

3

7. Started on May 14 1907, which organisation’s founder was the first private citizen to be honoured with a state funeral?

5 3

1 2

4 8

2

7

1 9

9. Born May 27 1958, which musician currently tours with sons Liam and Elroy?

7

4

2 5 6

9

6

8

5

How to beat Str8ts – Like Sudoku, no single number 1 to 9 can repeat in any row or column. But... rows and columns are divided by black squares into compartments. 2 1 4 Each compartment must form a straight 6 4 5 a set of numbers with no gaps but it can be 4 5 in any order, eg [7,6,9,8]. Clues in black cells 4 3 6 2 remove that number as an option in that row and column, and are not part of any straight.

3 5 2 1 Glance at the solution to see how ‘straights’ 2 1 3 are formed.

10. On May 30 1901, Premier Richard Seddon declined what offer from Australia?

3

3 1

4

9

7 1 4

© 2018 Syndicated Puzzles

Can you figure out these two rebuses?

8. Who was the first NZer to win the Indy 500 in May 2008?

9 1 5

5 3 2 2 1 1 5 4

9 9 1

9 8

2 3

© 2018 Syndicated Puzzles

3. What is believed to be the longest running serial publication for children in the world, first published in NZ in May 1907?

To complete Sudoku, ll the board by entering numbers 1 to 9 such that each row, column and 3x3 box contains every number uniquely.

For many strategies, hints and tips, visit www.sudokuwiki.org for Sudoku and www.str8ts.com for Str8ts.

If you like Str8ts and other puzzles, check out our books, iPhone/iPad Apps and much more on our store.

Omokoroa Tide Chart May 2018 1 Tue Omokoroa Tides

Fishing Guide Moon Phase

Omokoroa Tides

Fishing Guide Moon Phase

2:40 8:53 15:04 21:23

2 Wed 0.2 1.9 0.1 1.9

0.2 1.8 0.1 1.9

G

B

S 7:35 R 18:30 17 Thu 3:06 9:13 15:30 21:45

3:27 9:37 15:48 22:07

3 Thu

0.2 1.9 0.0 2.0

B

R 8:33 S 18:52

0.2 1.8 0.2 1.9

G

S 8:34 R 19:08 18 Fri 3:57 10:04 16:19 22:36

4:12 10:20 16:31 22:49

4 Fri

0.1 1.9 0.0 2.0

B

0.1 1.9 0.0 2.0

B

R 9:40 S 19:48

*Not for navigational purposes

0.3 1.8 0.2 1.8

R 10:42 S 20:50

S 10:25 R 20:34 20 Sun 5:40 0.1 11:47 1.9 18:00 0.0

G

0:19 6:33 12:41 18:51

0:10 6:20 12:20 18:32

7 Mon 1.8 0.4 1.7 0.3

0:50 7:03 13:01 19:14

2.0 0.1 1.8 0.1

S 12:02 R 22:14 22 Tue 1:14 7:27 13:37 19:45

R 12:27 S 23:05

1.7 0.4 1.7 0.4

1:32 7:47 13:45 19:58

1.9 0.2 1.8 0.2

2:10 8:23 14:35 20:42

Tide chart supplied by OceanFun Publishing, Ltd.

1.7 0.4 1.6 0.4

1.9 0.2 1.8 0.2

24 Thu 3:08 9:20 15:37 21:41

S 0:12 R 13:46

1.9 0.2 1.7 0.3

G

S 1:18 R 14:20

www.ofu.co.nz

omokoroa Proud to Support

Our Community 160 Omokoroa Rd, Omokoroa.

Open 7am – 9pm, 7 days.

Phone 281 1577.

26

| Lizard News | May 2018

Owned and operated by locals

2:18 8:34 14:33 20:46

10 Thu 1.7 0.4 1.6 0.4

B

S 13:23

G

R 13:09

9 Wed

B

S 12:44 R 23:07 23 Wed

G

B

8 Tue

B

F

S 11:16 R 21:22 21 Mon

B

R 11:38 S 21:56

6 Sun

5:38 0.3 11:41 1.7 17:52 0.3

G

S 9:31 R 19:49 19 Sat 4:48 10:55 17:09 23:27

4:56 11:01 17:12 23:30

5 Sat

1.7 0.4 1.6 0.4

B

R 0:03 S 13:58 25 Fri 4:06 10:18 16:38 22:41

3:07 9:24 15:26 21:39

11 Fri

1.8 0.2 1.7 0.3

G

S 2:21 R 14:52

1.7 0.4 1.6 0.4

B

R 1:00 S 14:31 26 Sat 5:03 11:15 17:37 23:39

4:00 10:18 16:23 22:35

12 Sat

1.8 0.2 1.8 0.3

G

S 3:24 R 15:24

R 1:59 S 15:02 27 Sun 5:58 1.8 12:10 0.2 18:33 1.8 G

S 4:25 R 15:56

4:54 11:12 17:21 23:32

13 Sun 1.7 0.4 1.7 0.4

5:47 1.8 12:06 0.3 18:18 1.7 G

F

R 3:00 S 15:34 28 Mon 0:35 6:49 13:01 19:24

14 Mon

0.3 1.8 0.2 1.8

G

S 5:25 R 16:30

0.3 1.8 0.2 1.8

G

R 4:02 S 16:07 29 Tue 1:27 7:38 13:50 20:12

0:28 6:40 12:59 19:13

15 Tue

0.3 1.8 0.2 1.8

G

S 6:24 R 17:06

0.3 1.8 0.1 1.9

G

R 5:07 S 16:41 30 Wed 2:16 8:25 14:36 20:58

1:22 7:32 13:50 20:05

16 Wed

0.3 1.8 0.2 1.9

G

S 7:22 R 17:45

0.2 1.9 0.1 1.9

B

R 6:14 S 17:20 31 Thu 3:02 9:09 15:20 21:41

2:14 8:23 14:41 20:55

R 7:23 S 18:02

0.3 1.8 0.2 1.9

G

S 8:18 R 18:29

NOTE: Tauranga tides subtract 50 mins, and Katikati tides subtract 20 mins from the times shown.

Lizard Classifieds

painting . plastering . finishing

• Feel better • Relieve stress • Ease pain Offering 30, 45, or 60 minute Sports, Therapeutic, or Relaxation massage *Gift vouchers available*

Western Ave pavilion, Ōmokoroa.

Fun classes, all ages.

Three weeks free trial for newcomers.

Andrea Van Klei (Registered Massage Therapist)

Do you suffer from panic attacks or anxiety, or know somebody who does?

Cooking Classes and Personal Chef services.

I’ve helped hundreds of people like you. I treat anxiety and depression without medication.

Kymberley Carter-Paige

Feature items:

Rapid Transformation Therapist AMHNZ, AAAH

Sturgeon Caviar • Salmon Caviar

Contact Sonja: 027 548 1960

027 538 3777

Omokoroa Point School Recycled Clothing Boutique Open Saturday May 12th 2018 10.00am-2.00pm At Omokoroa Point School Whare Manaaki Join us for the exclusive Pre Sale Evening Friday May 11th 7pm-9pm Tickets $10 can be purchased from the School Office All funds raised from this event will go towards Year 7 and 8 Wellington Camp

WANTED Garden help wanted for large country garden in Pahoia. We are flexible regarding hours & experience. Ph 548 1121.

WANTED

Sudoku Solution 9 1 5 4 7 6 8 2 3

WANTED

For all your painting and decorating requirements, interior and exterior, including roofing.

Gerard Quilty 027 447 5493 or 548 1337 after hours.

Quiz answers

3 4 2 1 8 9 5 7 6

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING This meeting will be held at 6.30pm on Tuesday 12th June 2018 at the OMOKOROA Boat Club.

The Club awards will be followed by the A.G.M.

8 7 6 5 2 3 4 9 1

022 193 1063 admin@zerkacaviarfinefoods.com

4 9 7 2 6 8 1 3 5

zerkacaviarfinefoods.com

OMOKOROA COMMUNITY TENNIS CLUB

Contact Alessandra 021 183 5591

Painter

Puzzle Solutions

6 8 3 9 1 5 2 4 7

Delivery to Te Puna, Whakamaramara & Agongatete only. $5.50

2 5 1 7 3 4 9 6 8

Delivery to Omokoroa & Pahoia $4.90

Amore Omokoroa Lasagne, pizza bases, sauces and homemade Italian meals by order.

Tai chi.

Sat 9-10am, Wed 7-8pm. $3/session.

Vanilla beans • Truffle products Saffron • Cinnamon quills Kitchenware • Cake mixes

Remedial; Interior painting/plastering; Skims; Cove repairs.

30 years’ experience.

Contact Duncan: 548 2453 022 038 7782

Phone or Text 021 0818 4170 omokoroamassage.co.nz

Mon, Wed, Thu, from 6pm. $45/month, term discounts available.

We have a great range:

• Decks & Fences • Alterations • Retaining Walls • Houses Please phone Chris Schabrun 027 261 8095 or 07 548-2091

Plasterer / Painter

Now open locally!

COMMUNITY

TAEKWONDO & SELF DEFENCE

CA S Builders

Licensed Builder Practitioner (LBP)

Str8ts Solution

1 2 4 3 5 7 6 8 9

See you there!

Call Aaron on 027 441 7296 or aaronhook82@gmail.com

7 6 9 8 4 1 3 5 2

Every third Saturday, monthly.

Now taking bookings for your Autumn and Winter projects.

5 3 8 6 9 2 7 1 4

arts • crafts • produce coffee • face painting clothing • local fundraiser

Painter & Decorator

07 552 5420

Word Search Solution

7 6 8 7 9 8 5 1 9 4 3 2 3 5 4 4 5 1 2 6 2 6

A fabulous selection of stalls

Call Hannelore on 548-0824

Redwood Originals

6 5 7 8 9 2 1 4 3

9am-Noon

Saturday 19th May

Is your Animal in Pain, having Skin, Eye, Ear problems, Arthritis, Epilepsy, Anxiety or just unwell? Homeopathy and Bowen Therapy offer safe and effective treatments supporting your animal back to health.

dianesdecor@xtra.co.nz 548 1920 • 027 284 6543

Train your body to heal.

Relieve chronic pain.

BodyTalk, Applied Kinesiology, cranio-sacral, visceral & TMJ release.

5 4 6 7 8 1 2 3

Settlers’ Hall 334 Omokoroa Road

Zerka Caviar & Fine Products

Animal Health Care

By appointment 10am-4pm

GENTLE HOLISTIC TECHNIQUES

2 3 1 2 3 2 3 5 3 6 4 7 5 6 7 9 8 8 6 7 7 5 9 8 4 8 9

The Lizard Market Omokoroa

Call Hannelore on 548-0824

Curtains • Roman Blinds Tracks • Rods • Rollerblinds Wooden Venetians • Shutters

Tracy Livingston

1.

2.

3.

4.

A

The price for the service improvements is $14.8 million per annum, compared to the current cost of the existing contracts at about $12.8 million.

The contract is funded by passenger fares, NZTA and Regional Council rates.

All buses will be fully accessible, as one in five Tauranga and Western Bay residents identify with a disability that impacts on their daily life.

NZ Bus currently holds contracts with Auckland Transport and Greater Wellington Regional Council and also offered drivers increased pay.

The tender process was delayed after public complaints about cutbacks proposed for school buses.

Are you suffering from Neck, Shoulder or Knee pain, Sciatica, Tennis Elbow, RSI, Migraines, Chronic Fatigue or any other discomfort?

Bowen Therapy offers a gentle and effective hands-on treatment.

not just curtains!

Frederic Truby King.

8. Scott Dixon.

9. Neil Finn.

10. To become a new state of the Commonwealth of Australia.

fresh nine-year contract for western Bay of Plenty bus services has been awarded to NZ Bus. The Regional Council’s previous nine-year deals with Go Bus, Reesby Rotorua, Bethlehem Coachlines and Uzabus will expire in December.

Services to Ōmokoroa and Katikati will be doubled on the new Bayhopper network, including the addition of Saturday services.

Routes will be redesigned with new interchanges, extended operating hours and more frequent services overall. A fleet of low-emission vehicles will include five state of the art electric buses. All buses will have bike racks, and customers will have access to real-time journey information and bus tracking.

DIANE’S DÉCOR

Richard Seddon.

John Rowles.

The School Journal.

The All Black’s tour of South Africa.

Charles Upham VC. The America’s Cup. Plunket Society -

New bus contractor to enhance services

Ease Pain and Discomfort with Bowen Therapy

SERVICES

5.

6.

7.

• 400g beef schnitzel 1 can chopped tomatoes • • oregano • 2 cloves garlic sliced • 4 tbsp olive oil • salt and pepper to taste Put the garlic and olive oil in a large heavy pan. Cook on a low flame until the garlic starts to brown. Then add the can of chopped tomatoes, rinse the can with a bit of water and add it to the sauce. Season with the oregano, salt and pepper, cover and let it simmer for 10 min-

utes. Then add the meat, cover it with the sauce and add salt if needed. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, turning the meat after 5 minutes.

Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.

To be served with mashed potatoes or pasta or good bread and a salad.

SERVICES

Word Wheel solution: Asteroid

For 4 people

SERVICES

Rebus solutions: First Aid Read between the lines

Carne alla pizzaiola (beef steak with pizzaiola sauce)

HOUSE AND DOG SITTER 11th August - 25th September Would prefer either a retired person or couple as our happy, friendly dog is used to having company all day.

Plummers Point location.

Nicola: 548 0758 or 021 682 432. nanewton47@gmail.com

April 2018 | Lizard News |

27

lizardnews.net

Drains to be drilled for walkway restoration

By Matthew Farrell riday the 6th of April marked the passing of a year since the major slips on the Ōmokoroa peninsula, which have led to twelve months of insurance and EQC battles for a number of property owners - some of which remain unresolved.

Meanwhile consenting and design work is underway for a $600,000 engineering project, aimed at restoring the damaged Ruamoana coastal walkway.

Two slips narrowed a 60-metre length of the walk-

F

way in front of numbers 23 and 24 Ruamoana Place.

The popular track has since been closed.

The residents of numbers 23, 24 and 25 are to contribute half of the cost of the work. It currently involves working out the land shaping, and spacing of either horizontal bored or chimney style stormwater drains.

One of the main causes of soil instability leading to slips is the high level of groundwater during prolonged periods of intense rainfall - as was experienced in

March and April 2017.

Drilling is to be carried out between numbers 20 and 27 Ruamoana Place. This work will allow for the installation of groundwater pipes, to discharge from multiple water tables to the foreshore. In turn, this will reduce the weight of the soil pressure within the cliff face.

It’s hoped this will decrease the likelihood of further slips destroying the remaining walkway land and compromising the nearest properties.

Ōmokoroa update from WBoPDC

By Matthew Farrell

he District Council says a document that sets out the framework for the future development of the Ōmokoroa peninsula includes creating a residential zone which could accommodate up to 4,000 people.

The Ōmokoroa Structure Plan shows how undeveloped areas will be laid out and the possible location of housing and schools. It will also allow for around 9Ha of active reserve space and a commercial area which could be a town/shopping centre, as well as community and industrial areas.

At public meetings last November, 70 people lodged feedback while 122 attended community workshops, where improved social interaction and building more community facilities were common responses - as well as environmental protection. Further consultation is expected in the next couple of months. Ōmokoroa has shown the greatest increase in dwelling consents in the Western Bay district over the past three years. In the next 12 months, Ōmokoroa is expected to have another 130 houses with 325 new residents.

T

Soil testing and test drilling have been completed, and soil samples have been taken. PHOTOS: John Roper.

Meanwhile, Ultrafast Fibre says it has installed 12,320m of fibre optic cable with another 14,548m to go. The scheme is on target for completion in mid-2018, but is currently only planned to be available north of the railway line until new housing developments are completed.

In other news, the District Council says the cycleway between Tinopai Reserve and Lynley Park has been used by more than 30,000 pedestrians and 10,000 cyclists since opening last July. The bridge from Ōmokoroa to Plummers Point was programmed to start in April.

Elsewhere, Council is considering a redesign of Ōmokoroa Domain depending on evidence of user demand, tracked by cameras installed over summer. Issues include vehicle movements, freedom camping, parking occupancy and enforcement, boat ramp activity and dedicated boat trailer parks.

Also on the cards, is the imminent completion of the two new tennis courts at Western Avenue and the finalising of a design for a new playground at the skate path.

This is expected to be followed by a new playground at the Domain.

Harcourts is New Zealand’s most trusted real estate company 2018 Reader’s Digest Quality Service Gold Winner If you’re selling or buying real estate in Omokoroa or Western Bay come and work with our local teams that deliver Gold results

Cathryn & Anton van Breda 07 578 8740 Cathryn: 027 472 7689 Anton: 027 662 1691 cath.vanbreda@harcourts.co.nz

View listings on www.tauranga.harcourts.co.nz

Ron & Patricia Shanks 0800 766 728 Ron: 021 956 270 Pat: 021 804 463 ron.patshanks@harcourts.co.nz

Advantage Realty Ltd Licensed Agent REAA 2008

28

| Lizard News | May 2018