Local Folk: Neville Johnson page 11
College update pages 44&45
Rural beat pages 29-36
May 23, 2022
www.localmatters.co.nz
Term two has kicked off with much more of a ‘back to normal’ Last week we took a number of feel which staff and students are enjoying. Students have Waikato University, a new partnership participated in all manner of activities: cross country champs, house to consider tertiary futures. The studen relays, living classroom and enviro experiences. Construction Academy receiving a fully escorted campus tour, a unique l Your locally-owned Community Newspaper students have been pouring concrete pads, and we even had some of our of residence. Waikato University has a focus on ar STEAM students providing all of the delicious food for teachers at the student, and has recently introduced a world’s fi recent parent teacher interviews. No doubt we’ll get a spike in Covid cases Climate Change. at some stage, but for the time being it’s great to be mostly back to normal. Literacy is a real academic focus for staff at the mo Congratulations to Ruahei Demant (Te Whanau a Apanui, Te Whakatōhea, rates are well known and obviously it’s an area Awa)is who beensignificant named captain Ferns team. nationwide. From 2024 may a new literacy requiremen where intensification not be suitable UD of andthetheBlack MDRS arerugby not optional, TheNgāti MDRS one has of two such timely as in impetus areas of for cultural, historic Ruahei was Head Girl in reforms 2013, and debuted the Black in 2018.decisionSince further a renewed focus on but for Council does Ferns have limited central government planning that or ecological to engaging avoid Council thenhas shebeen hasmandated gone on to toimplement. play 15 tests making at first powers. and second five-eighths. We spent the recentsignificance, teacher onlyorday with development in areasincluding with natural hazards. buildi Thewish otherRuahei is the National Policyfor Statement all the best the upcoming Cup! literacy vocabulary For World instance, it will be able to determine disciplinary on Urban Development (NPS-UD), which O’Connor she was tryingthese to think of forwardsaid to incorporating learnings int some exemptions, called ‘qualifying look alsoBasketball governs the rules around urban density. some creative waysskill of describing the local matters’, which may allow in it North to limit is really the master of schooling. player numbers have surged, with 14 teams entered building heights or density requirements TheHarbour changes competitions set out in both NPScontinued on page 2 (upthe from 7 teams last year). It’s also great to see the number of pickup games happening around the school at break times, with students enjoying the new hoops. Pleasingly this uptick has not been at the ANZAC DAY SERVICES expense of other sports, with player increases also for traditional sports like rugby and netball. Many students have added a second (or in some Once again our Prefects proudly represented o cases third) sport to their schedules, which is commendable. services. This year we had the honour of forming our students, positioned at the four corners of th The resurfaced rugby field is bedding in well, and should be available to over the memories of our fallen soldiers. Head gir teams at the start of next term, and hopefully the pool should be back in 10:30 Service where she remembered her great action soon, once the minor repairs are completed. but she also emphasised the importance of this g
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Residential intensification on its way New housing density rules will change the face of Warkworth’s existing residential area, with taller buildings set closer to neighbours’ boundaries. That was the message delivered by Warkworth planner Burnette O’Connor to a Warkworth Area Liaison Group meeting this month. The Medium Density Residential Standards (MDRS) will allow three homes of up to three storeys to be built on most residential sites in the town without resource consent. O’Connor gave the example of Victoria Street in Warkworth, where potentially a house could be replaced with three new dwellings that were up to 12 metres high. “Suddenly, someone with a sunny north facing house and a view could be looking at the side of a building,” she said. “There is no requirement to consult or notify neighbours. “It could potentially triple Warkworth’s existing population.” O’Connor says if the rules just applied to new developments, then at least people would know what they were buying into. “But that’s not the case in established neighbourhoods. This potentially will have massive social implications, plus we don’t have the parks, open space or infrastructure such as roads, water and wastewater systems to cope with this level of intensification.” The new MDRS standards, where they apply, will come into effect immediately on August 20, when Auckland Council publicly notifies its plan change to the Unitary Plan. Residential land in settlements of less than 5000 people are exempt from the rules, as well as large lot residential zone areas and rural and coastal settlement zone areas.
s” k n a h “t s y sa y it n u m m o C
Guns, gangs, youth crime and escalating ram raids all took a back seat when Police Minister Poto Williams visited Warkworth on May 11 for the Emergency Services Dinner. The Minister, along with local politicians, was only too happy to do her bit to say thank you to the area’s emergency services personnel, by helping to serve them dinner. The Minister is pictured dishing up kai to Warkworth Police officer in charge Sgt Mark Stallworthy. See page 22 for coverage of the event.
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