Mahurangi Matters_Issue 465_9 October 2023

Warkworth joins space age

A global leader in the aerospace industry is setting up shop in Warkworth. Rocket Lab USA has acquired SailGP Technologies’ manufacturing complex in Woodcocks Road, where the 50 staff on site will shift from building world class racing yachts to rockets, used to deploy satellites. SailGP Technologies has been a close partner and supplier to Rocket Lab for some time, providing selected advanced composite materials and components for the Electron, the world’s first carbon composite orbital rocket. The Warkworth facility will also be involved in the new 13,000 kg payload class rocket Neutron.

A Rocket Lab spokesperson says only SpaceX launches more frequently than Rocket Lab. She says that under the new arrangement, the Warkworth team will gain experience in the aerospace industry at the highest level, and staff will have opportunities to expand their knowledge and experience with Rocket Lab teams in NZ and overseas. Founded in 2006, Rocket Lab delivers launch services, satellite manufacture, spacecraft components, and on-orbit management solutions. Sail GP will start moving its operations to the UK next month. Full story online at localmatters.co.nz.

Heated debate on cooling climate response

Kaipara District Council is cancelling its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions accounting contract and halting the development of Kaipara’s climate policy to save $33,000.

Deputy Mayor Jonathan Larsen’s notice of motion split the council, provoking lengthy debate at its meeting last month, before being passed by six votes to four. “There is no statutory requirement to carry

out either of these activities,” the notice of motion read, adding that they delivered no tangible benefits to ratepayers and the funds would be better spent on projects that would.

During the debate, Larsen stressed that the motion related only to the two specific “work streams” budgeted through council’s 2021-31 Long Term Plan. It would not impact work such as the Ruawai Adaptive

Pathways, a project set up by the Ruawai community to prepare for and respond to flood hazards and sea level rise, or the Raupō drainage scheme, which aims to reduce the risk of flooding on the Ruawai Flats. He said that with ratepayers struggling, council needed to find efficiencies in the budget and there was little value in Kaipara duplicating work already being done at a national level.

Larsen said the money could be better spent on improving the poor state of Kaipara’s roads. The $33,000 saved could be leveraged, using Waka Kotahi’s 62 per cent funding assistance rate, and “there’s $87,000 that you could use to fix potholes”.

“You’re suggesting that because we can only do a little we should do nothing?” Cr Eryn Wilson-Collins asked.

Photo, Joseph Baxter

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Heated debate on cooling Kaipara’s climate response

“I’m suggesting that anything that we do [in Kaipara] is absolutely and utterly inconsequential,” Larsen replied, pointing to the global situation, and alluding to reports that China was building the equivalent of 100 coal-fired power stations in a year.

Mayor Craig Jepson threw his support behind Larsen’s motion, saying it was “painfully obvious that central government covers all these issues and we’re repeating the process here, and we don’t need to”.

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“If we want to respond to adverse weather for our ratepayers, how about we respond by doing mitigation of the effects of our weather on our roads, which are our biggest spend and our most highly effective piece of infrastructure?”

“We all know and have experienced personally the extreme weather events we have endured at the hands of – I hate to say it – climate change. Those who don’t believe in it are unfortunately on the wrong side of history,” Paniora said. “We’re trying our hardest to get some good policies going, to get some good insights and some good data, and our supposed leaders are calling it a waste of time.”

Northland climate plan

Voting in favour of the motion were Jepson, Larsen, Mike Howard, Gordon Lambeth, Ron Manderson and Rachael Williams. Ash Nayyar, Mark Vincent, Paniora and Wilson-Collins voted against.

Earlier in the meeting, freelance climate specialist and researcher Peter Bruce-Iri urged council not to pass Larsen’s motion.

“Climate change has been conceptualised as a cost, and no doubt it is and will be costly. But if the Kaipara council fails to take action now, there will be increased financial burden on ratepayers.

“To those councillors who have children and grandchildren, we do this work so they can enjoy the bounties of the natural world that we’ve enjoyed,” Bruce-Iri said.

“I implore you not to be the Neville Chamberlains of climate change.”

In 2021, Kaipara adopted a target to reduce

Deputy Mayor Jonathan Larsen.

its own organisational GHG emissions by 30 per cent by 2031 (compared to a 2018/19 baseline), and to achieve net zero council emissions by 2050. It commissioned an energy auditing firm to calculate its emissions and report annually.

Hill Street design nears completion

Auckland Transport (AT) is seeking a budget of $20 million over three years to upgrade the Hill Street intersection in Warkworth.

AT spokesperson Blake Crayton-Brown says construction will take about 18 months, but a starting date won’t be known until a business case for construction is finished.

“The Hill Street improvement project was prioritised for $18.8 million funding in the Regional Land Transport Programme (20212031) and, in 2021, AT secured $2 million for the detailed design phase,” he says.

is within our contractually committed and baseline capital programme.”

AT has been meeting with Warkworth transport advocates this year to find a compromise after it presented a surprise redesign labelled ‘a value engineering’ design, late last year. It changed the formally accepted plan by reducing the lanes around the intersection from two to one, removing slip lanes, exiting Kowhai Park onto the roundabout rather than State Highway 1 and dispensing with cycleway/ pedestrian paths.

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“Once the design is confirmed, a business case will be prepared as a basis for applying for a funding subsidy from Waka Kotahi.

“It is important to note that this project

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The Warkworth advocates have put forward an alternative design that retains most of the features of the original plan, but still keeps within the budget. A decision from AT is expected soon.

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Northland Regional Council has adopted an ambitious plan to slash the organisation’s own carbon emissions by half by 2030 and to net zero by 2050. The council then aims to have a ‘climate positive status’ from 2050 onwards. Chair Tui Shortland says while unashamedly ambitious, analysis done on potential emissions reductions that could be implemented indicates the goal is achievable. She says the scientific evidence around human induced climate change is unequivocal and as an organisation tasked with serving Northland’s environmental, economic and community resilience needs, the council is well positioned to display strong leadership. “Climate change is an existential threat and, therefore, it is vital that we reduce greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible,” Shortland says. Central to the plan is the electrification of Whangarei’s CityLink bus fleet by 2030, but other potential moves include swapping the remainder of council’s vehicle fleet to electric and installing solar arrays to cover all electricity consumption over the same period.

Footpaths rolled out with targeted rate

The Rodney Local Board was last month given an update on the projects being funded by its transport targeted rate.

The footpath projects currently under construction are in Warkworth (Wech Drive), Whangateau (Leigh Road), Leigh (Pakiri Road) and Wellsford (School Road), and Auckland Transport is finalising contracts with Wharehine Construction for Albert Street in Leigh, Puhoi Road, Goodall Road in Snells Beach, Rodney Street and Olympus Road in Wellsford, Point Wells Road and Ahuroa Road.

Warkworth fire service upgrades callout fleet

The proceeds from the annual Christmas tree sales, organised by the Warkworth Volunteer Fire Brigade, have delivered the fire service with a present of its own – a four-wheel drive response vehicle.

The new Ford Ranger replaces a 10-yearold Ford Transit and will be used to support firefighters at most callouts, from vehicle accidents to vegetation fires and weather events, and will make it easier for crews to reach hard to access areas.

As well as the Christmas tree sales, the vehicle was bought using donations from local businesses and organisations such as Lions, Rotary, the Anglican Parish, NX2 project open days, Barfoot and Thompson and many individuals.

Senior station officer Devan Flewellyn said local businesses had also helped set up the vehicle, including Tyre Power Warkworth and Totally Wrapped Signs.

“The 2023 4x4 Ford Ranger has been

fitted with off road tyres, winch, raised air intake, upgraded heavy duty suspension and a Utemaster Trailcore body and roof rack,” Flewellyn says. “The completed package comes in at over $100,000.”

The Warkworth brigade has a full complement of 30 members at present and responds to around 300 calls a year.

The new vehicle was officially blessed by kaumatua Ringi Brown at a ceremony on October 3.

Business body faces funding challenge

The One Mahurangi Business Association held a lacklustre annual meeting at the Bridgehouse on September 28.

Just 24 people attended and among those absent were half the association’s committee, some of whom had not even submitted apologies.

In a statement after the meeting, manager Murray Chapman said the turnout “tends to be a bit lower unless there’s a controversial topic at hand”.

“Nonetheless, it was great to see an engaged and interested audience,” he said.

It was reported at the meeting that the association made a loss of just over $41,000 last year. This compares to being in the black at the end of the previous financial year to the tune of $22,333. However, that positive result was only as a result of receiving covid assistance.

Interim treasurer Jennifer Smith said after the meeting that although the situation was far from dire, it did signal that the

association needed to stick to its budget this year and keep a close eye on spending.

The association gets the lion share of its funding from the compulsory Business Improvement District (BID) rate, which is set at $500 for every property/business in the BID area. Last year, the rate brought in $142,000, up from $135,000 the previous year.

Asked at the meeting if the BID rate needed to be reviewed, in light of this year’s loss, co-chair Bevan Morrison said the financials demonstrated just how tight the association’s budget was, but raising the BID rate would need support from 70 per cent of the business community. He indicated that that would be a challenge.

“The only way for us to grow will be organically, through growth [in the number of businesses in the BID area] or sponsorships,” he said.

Sponsorship was the other main contributor to funding, worth $38,504 this year, down from $44,039 in the previous year.

The biggest expense was wages and administration, which totalled just under $195,000, up from $169,854 the previous year.

Co-chairs Morrison and Dave Stott reflected on a busy year, where the association had devoted a lot of time and energy to advocacy, particularly with Auckland Transport and Auckland Council, over infrastructure issues associated with the town’s growth. They were hoping to announce a positive outcome on the Hill Street design soon.

The association will hold two late night shopping nights in December and the Warkworth Santa Parade will be held on Sunday, December 3, from 11am. Elected to the committee were: Morrison, Stott, Smith, Patrick Steuart, Mark Macky, Burnette O’Connor, Matt Henderson, Chris Murphy, Colin Barlow, Donna Wyllie, Steve Reynolds, Sally Peters, Louise Riddle, Bruce Tomlison, Duncan Standly and Simone Liley.

An additional $695,000, from the Wellsford subdivision portion of the transport targeted rate, will be spent on building the Rodney Street footpath and pedestrian bridge over the rail corridor in Wellsford.

Meanwhile, Auckland Transport (AT) will hold a workshop with board members next month to update them on the feasibility of a proposed on-demand bus service trial in Mahurangi. The trial was paused in May to investigate using some of the funds for roading and whether there were any alternative approaches and funding streams to deliver an on-demand service.

Since May, AT has:

• reviewed the potential to revise the routes of the 997 (Warkworth to Omaha via Matakana and Snells Beach) and 998 (Warkworth to Wellsford) bus services during off-peak times in Warkworth

• investigated the use of a fixed shuttle service only for Point Wells/Omaha/ Leigh to complement the revised 997 bus service

• investigated the use of the targeted rate funding for unsealed road improvements in the Warkworth subdivision.

AT reported to last month’s board meeting that a weekly average of around 11 passengers a day were boarding and disembarking from AT bus services at the community transport hub, just south of the Warkworth Showgrounds.

The weekday average was around 13 passengers and the maximum number of passengers a day was 20. Around 15 to 20 Mahu Express passengers were using the hub on a daily basis during the week, with around six passengers still catching the bus in Warkworth.

The hub was built with target rate funding for a cost of $3.7 million.

Leigh Road at Whangateau is expected to be finished at the end of this month.

Above, Service club representatives joined members of the Warkworth Volunteer Fire Brigade for the blessing by Ngati Manuhiri of the new 4x4 response vehicle.

Wastewater overflow causes Hill Street poos

Raw sewage flooded across a driveway and path onto the main road just north of Warkworth’s Hill Street junction for nearly four hours on September 22.

Watercare blamed the blockage and resulting smelly brown overflow on a combination of factors, including a buildup of fats and oranges in the pipes.

However, a local business owner says it is just the latest in a series of raw sewage leaks that end up in the Kowhai Stream and the Mahurangi River, and it’s not good enough.

He says he has official records of up to 180 cubic metres of raw sewage being discharged into the waterways via a pipe at the start of Elizabeth Street, including one overflow in June that contained infectious norovirus.

“It’s Watercare’s dirty little secret,” he says. “They deny discharging sewage all the time, but they have a resource consent to pump sewage into the sea when it rains or if there’s a blockage. It’s been going on for years.”

The man says he has seen toilet paper, tampons and discoloured water flowing from the Elizabeth Street overflow pipe into the stream behind the row of shops there.

Watercare chief infrastructure officer Steve Webster confirms there is an engineered overflow point on Elizabeth Street, which is designed to direct overflows into the Mahurangi River when the wastewater network is inundated with rainwater. He says such points exist to try to prevent overflows on private properties, which pose a greater health risk.

“Overflows can also occur in dry weather, when things like wet wipes and fats and oils build up in our pipes and cause blockages. This is why we’re always encouraging our customers to only flush the 3Ps – pee, poo and toilet paper – and to avoid pouring cooking fats and oils down the kitchen sink,” he says.

Webster acknowledged that test results

indicated the presence of norovirus in the raw wastewater in June, but said further tests confirmed that wastewater treatment processes were sufficient that effluent from the treatment plant itself was not a contributing factor.

“We have a wastewater network rehabilitation project underway in Warkworth that will reduce stormwater and groundwater infiltration,” he added. (MM, Sept 11)

Webster said Watercare was also fasttracking an interim-term solution for the Elizabeth Street pipe to reduce wet weather overflows until the delayed Warkworth growth servicing pipeline could be completed.

He added steps were also being taken to minimise the impact of dry weather overflows, which can be caused by power outages, such as the installation of a generator at the Cornel pumping station in Snells Beach.

Aucklanders want intensification, not urban sprawl

Aucklanders want more investment in infrastructure to support growth, according to feedback on Auckland Council’s draft Future Development Strategy. The strategy looks at how the city should grow over the next 30 years.

Planning, Environment and Parks Committee chair Councillor Richard Hills says public feedback shows that 66 per cent of individual responses support focusing growth in existing urban areas.

“People have said they support more homes close to amenities, transport, jobs, shops and schools,” Hills says. “They want more efficient public transport, reduced emissions and infrastructure that supports housing with amenities and facilities like parks, education and healthcare delivered at the same time to improve people’s quality of life.”

Council planner Jacques Victor says the strategy puts a stronger focus on responding to climate change, particularly flooding hazards and protecting people and property, and a greater recognition of council’s financial challenges, and when it can invest in infrastructure and services, especially in greenfield areas.

“The draft strategy strikes a balance between both growing outwards at the edges of the city and having new homes closer to centres in existing urban areas,” he says. “It stages the outwards growth in a way that provides the enabling infrastructure needed to support communities so that, for example, we don’t end up with new housing developments which don’t have services or facilities like public transport.” The proposal to prioritise investment in more nature-based infrastructure that responds to the impacts of climate change, such as rain gardens, swales and detention basins, received 74 per cent support from 5270 individuals, with 14 per cent not supporting it. For a summary of the feedback report go to: akhaveyoursay.nz/futureauckland

A combination of material in the wastewater network, including oranges and fats, resulted in raw sewage spilling onto the road opposite Kowhai Park.

Ho-no! Link road naming causes ructions on local board

The naming of a single new proposed street prompted a wider debate on the use of Māori names at Rodney Local Board’s monthly meeting on September 20.

Milldale developer Fulton Hogan Land Development applied to name a tree-lined road Parklink Avenue while, after standard mana whenua consultation, the Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust suggested and gifted the name Honohono Avenue instead, which means to connect or link up.

Auckland Council road naming guidelines give developers the option of suggesting their own preferred names, but also “actively encourage” the use of Māori names, though in this instance, staff recommended that members approve the applicant’s choice of Parklink Avenue. However, deputy chair and Dairy Flat representative Louise Johnston moved that Honohono Avenue be chosen instead, which prompted questions from several members.

Geoff Upson asked why the applicant’s choice was being skipped over, while Tim Holdgate said that even with the protocols, whoever was doing the development should have some preference.

Colin Smith agreed, saying developers who were “pouring money into the community” used to have their name preferences accepted in the past and they should again. He cited a recent example where the developers of Warkworth Ridge had just one of a block of road name preferences accepted, with all the others being gifted names by Ngāti Manuhiri.

“The community should accept what the developer is asking for, and we should start to accommodate that,” he said. “We need to start blocking this, I’m not in favour

of subdivisions having all Māori names.”

Louise Johnston said she thought it was “an absolute honour” to be gifted the name.

“I’m sure in Wales they don’t say that about Welsh language names,” she added.

Guy Wishart said Parklink Road didn’t seem to have any particular local significance, but was just a name and both versions meant much the same thing, and

Ivan Wagstaff agreed.

“I think using that in this context, it teaches people what ‘link’ means in Māori and it probably fits,” Wagstaff said.

Fulton Hogan Land Development said in its application that Milldale naming applications were normally lodged for entire stages.

“This has meant that after research and consultation with mana whenua, several te reo names have been able to be named in each stage. Both te reo and European names have reflected a theme or the history of the area,” the developer said.

“In this instance, the road requiring a name links the two main parks in Milldale, the central Milldale Reserve and Waterloo Reserve. A name that will provide public guidance and that will help to direct locals and visitors is considered appropriate and is, therefore, preferred.”

The developer added that it would use the name Honohono elsewhere in the development, in future, if not adopted by the board.

However, members voted to approve Honohono Avenue in favour of Parklink, although Upson, Holdgate and Smith voted against.

Chair Brent Bailey commented that it was a good discussion to have and members were never all going to agree.

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Sometimes this can be more straightforward to navigate. When your home is broadly comparable to other recently SOLD properties in your area, it can be easy to see the pros and cons of each property and calculate your potential value. When you have a point of difference ie. view, land size, upgrades… be mindful that you could potentially overestimate your value and lose buyers, or under value your property and not sell as well as you could have.

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Kawau powder keg

There seems to be some misunderstandings about the impacts of wallabies and possums on Kawau Island regarding fire risk.

As it stands, mānuka and kānuka survive and dominate the island now because wallabies and possums don’t like to eat these trees.   Both mānuka and kānuka are at high risk of burning in a drought. Kawau Island is currently a powder keg. In a fire the carbon in the trees would go up in smoke, polluting the climate.

When rats, possums and wallabies are removed from Kawau Island, a whole new forest will grow beneath the mānuka and kānuka. The seeds of these plants will be dropped in by birds from Tāwharanui, Tiritiri Matangi and mainland Mahurangi. It’s happening now. But the seed and seedlings get scoffed by rats, possums and wallabies before they get waist high. These native broadleaved plant species will have larger, thicker leaves which are much more fire resistant and diverse. Without the mammals you’ll have lovely smells of mahoe flowers in spring and berries on trees for a year-round food supply for native birds to eat.

We welcome your feedback but letters under 250 words are preferred. We reserve the right to abridge them as necessary. Unabridged versions can be read at www.localmatters.co.nz/opinion Letters can be sent to editor@localmatters.co.nz or 17 Neville Street, Warkworth 0910

The whole island will change rapidly to be more fire resistant and become a complex carbon sink.

There are always concerns when toxins are used in pest eradication operations. But that subsides. Nobody now is talking about the toxins used decades ago to clear Kāpiti Island of pests that allowed the last six little spotted kiwi to survive, nor any of the islands, large and small, from the Kermadec Islands down to the subAntarctic where native wildlife and plants are now thriving.

Forest & Bird supports the Kawau Island pest eradication proposal and we can’t wait to see the positive changes after the hard work is done. Many thanks to all the people over many years who have contributed to the proposal.

If all goes as planned, this time next year all sorts of native plant seeds can be sprouting without being eaten.

Dean Baigent-Mercer, Forest & Bird Northland conservation manager

Protecting Lake Tomarata

Let me congratulate Auckland Council and the Rodney Local Board members

for taking steps to protect Tomarata Lake Reserve from further vandalism by four wheel drive vehicles. I hope they will also consider further management of motorised craft on the lake itself.

This is a idyllic family picnic venue that has been abused many times over the years, both on its foreshore and the lake. The recently installed rock barriers will certainly stop further vandalism to the grass surface by four wheel drive vehicles, but the continuing problem of jet skis despoiling the lake with engine noise, reckless use and oil slicks on the water surface remains a concern.

The photograph of a jet ski jump dumped in the children’s swimming area is an indication of the low regard some have for other lake users.

As an ex-Auckland Regional Council councillor myself, I am well aware of the disregard some folk have for public spaces and the difficulties of managing mixed use areas. But I believe Tomarata can accommodate all users.

My suggestion is that motorised craft be moved off Tomarata Lake, possibly to

Crash course

Rodney Local Board members were all ears when Matakana Community Group appeared at its September meeting to explain about plans for a pump track at Diamond Jubilee Park. One of the board’s more elder statesmen, Warkworth’s Tim Holdgate, asked for clarification on whether use of the track would be limited to a younger age demographic. However, he was reassured that even he could enjoy the facility.

“I could use it?” he asked, a little incredulously.

“Yes … and then we’ll get you a helicopter ride!” quipped board chair Brent Bailey.

Spectacle Lake or the newly formed sand mine lake.

Tomarata Lake itself could be designated as a paddle and sail zone only, with its foreshore for picnickers and pedestrians and a ban on off-leash dogs.

I hope the Local Board will continue its good work and give these issues further consideration.

Brent Morrissey, Te Arai

Gardens extension

Auckland Council has purchased 1.6 hectares of land on Hill Road in Manurewa to extend the Auckland Botanic Gardens. Mayor Wayne Brown says a large land acquisition is a difficult decision to make at a time of significant budget constraints, but the benefit for future generations and open space provision in a fast-growing part of the region weighed heavily in favour of the purchase. The council has paid $12.37 million for the property. The future use of the land will be held as a regional park and be protected in perpetuity under the Local Government Act 2002.

Cr Sayers calls for unsealed road budget security

By Laura Kvigstad, Auckland Council reporter. Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air.

After a history of underfunding, Rodney Councillor Greg Sayers is calling on Auckland Transport to safeguard a recent funding boost to improve rural roads.

The Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP) 2024 has proposed $124 million in funding to the unsealed road improvement programme. In the previous RLTP 2021, the unsealed road budget was $40 million. The budget will be used for unsealed roads

in Franklin, Rodney, the Gulf Islands and the Waitakere ranges to do work such as sealing, road widening, strengthening and drain improvements.

The RLTP will go through a priority filtering process soon and Sayers wants to see rural road funding remain intact.

He said the newly allocated funding would see $12.5 million spent annually on unsealed road improvements, which was “a marked improvement”.

Sayers met with the Auckland Transport (AT) Board on September 26 with the backing of Mayor Wayne Brown, AT’s

chief executive Dean Kimpton and all five rural councillors.

Following the meeting, he said the board seemed receptive to his message.

“The chair, Wayne Donnelly, acknowledged the historic underfunding for unsealed roads,” Sayers said.

Sayers pointed out AT’s Statement of Intent specifically highlighted the need for equitable treatment for maintenance and renewals.

He says the Statement of Intent says AT must “ensure the whole of the Auckland region benefits evenly from the maintenance and

renewals programme, including rural roads. “We are in a rather unique position of not asking for more money, but simply asking to safeguard what AT has already proposed, and not allow any cuts to it,” Sayers said.

The Auckland Anniversary floods and Cyclone Gabrielle put a spotlight on the vulnerability of rural roads and Sayers felt this contributed to a shift in priorities towards roading.

“If there was any highlight that came out of those events, it was the understanding of how vital these roads are,” he said.

Geoff Upson, Rodney Local Board geoff.upson@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

Unexpected challenges

Speed bumps, potholes and speed limits –these are the three key topics that got me elected as a representative of the people. As a lifestyle farmer living in the rural north of Auckland, Rodney, the three challenges mentioned above, which impact all of us, are amplified significantly.

Here is some shocking news for you: the Rodney Local Board voted on building a $600,000 speed bump outside Mahurangi College at its July business meeting. I was obviously disappointed that this item passed even though I tried to vote against it. As I’m sure you can imagine, there are far more appropriate uses for $600,000 of Rodney ratepayers’ money.

Speed limits on major transport routes have been reduced as per the direction set under our current government to increase journey times and discourage vehicle use, instead of maintaining our roads.

Potholes need to be prevented and not repaired. Potholes form because the road surface is fatigued due to lack of regular maintenance, and this is partially because money is continually siphoned away from the road renewals and rehabilitation in favour of employing more bureaucrats and consultants, building speed bumps and reducing speed limits, not to mention the hundreds of millions wasted on “road to zero”.

The worst offence on the Rodney Local Board that I have seen, in relation to wasted ratepayers’ money on administrative and consultant costs, is the proposal from the previous Rodney Local Board to build a

park and ride in Kumeu for a cost of $4.5 million. The project has been cancelled by the current local board (2022-25) but $450,000 has already been consumed by administration staff and consultants, who seem to be in it just to make a profit off the ratepayers. The consultants have no responsibility for that money they have taken from you as the ratepayer and $450,000 is a reasonable chunk of cash for zero delivery of anything other than a couple of concept drawings.

I want to challenge the system and redirect funds to where they are needed and not where the unelected bureaucrats think it should be spent. Unfortunately, it seems that the challenge is far more difficult than I had first imagined, especially with a minority vote against the Rodney First political party who have majority control of the board and, therefore, have the option to overrule any common sense suggestions I make.

Being an elected member on the local board does come with some unique challenges that I wasn’t expecting, such as the mental and emotional stress pushed onto us from bureaucrats driving their own agenda, which I can assure you doesn’t align with what I stand for and what I am hearing from the community. I can see why very few good people from normal workingclass backgrounds stand for government and why even fewer stick around for more than one term. P.S. The next council election is two years away.

Plea to avoid tree consent process

Whangateau residents who want to save five pōhutukawa trees along the domain shoreline took their case to the Rodney Local Board on September 20.

Leesa Irving said it would be a travesty if the 50-year-old trees were allowed to die as a result of erosion since Auckland Council removed a rip-rap rock seawall in 2012. She said a community strategy had been drawn up to protect them.

The options included installing groynes and protecting the trees with rock gabion cages, and local suppliers, contractors and sponsors had committed to supply what was needed.

“We’re not asking for money,” she said. “What we are asking for is that you don’t

put us back through the resource consent process because if we have to do that, it will suck up any money we have and the trees will die.”

Irving added that council was unwilling to help, as it had always accepted that the trees would eventually perish and had offered replacements instead, which residents had rejected.

Chair Brent Bailey pointed out that even if council itself wanted to build something on the foreshore, it would still need to obtain resource consent.

“I know a lot of people are against it, but you will need to comply with the processes in order to get what you want,” he said. “I suggest that you stick with the process.”

Land owners contemplate personal cost of road plan

The projected expansion of Warkworth will require significant future additions and upgrading to transport corridors around the town. Auckland Council is considering eight Notices of Requirement (NoRs) lodged by Supporting Growth, a collaboration of Auckland Transport (AT) and Waka Kotahi, aimed at protecting the land needed for eight specific transport projects. Together, the eight proposals will affect an estimated 19 full properties and parts of a further 217. Submissions were invited earlier this year, and hearings are scheduled for November.

In this edition, Mahurangi Matters takes a closer look at NoR7 – a plan for a new two-lane road linking Matakana Road (at the roundabout where Matakana Road meets the new Te Honohono ki Tai Road) to Sandspit Road, with separated cycle lanes and footpaths.

The route option favoured by Supporting Growth cuts eastward from the roundabout, looping around the western side of the lime quarry and then down to Sandspit Road, near the existing access road to Northland Waste’s Re:Sort transfer station.

Supporting Growth is proposing that it runs east from Matakana Road and curves south to avoid key environmental features and the existing quarry. It will then continue towards Sandspit Road, connecting with a new roundabout.

Submissions have been lodged by private property owners impacted by the proposed road, as well as retirement living and care provider Arvida and Northland Waste. Arvida owns the 55ha Paddison Farm, and will make a private plan change application ahead of the planned building of a “modern and vibrant retirement community” in the next few years (MM 11 Sept). In its submission, Arvida opposes the

station at 183 Sandspit Road, says in its submission that although the proposed road misses the site, it does impact the driveway and would require temporary use of the land during construction.

Like Arvida, it opposes the 25-year lapse period, saying AT should be made to buy the land sooner rather than later. It says it is not acceptable for the landowner to have to wear the cost of holding the land in the meantime.

Several private landowners affected by NoR7 want the route moved further east – to run north and then east of the quarry, cutting across rural land until joining Sandspit Road at a point further east than

Our home and place of identity for our parents, us, and our children and grandchildren, essentially our turangawaewae, will be demolished as it is in the middle of the proposed road.”

They felt the proposal had been well received, and heard nothing for years, until he found out almost by accident that a line had been drawn across his property indicating a future road.

“I was pretty sure that this is not the way things

John Bryham with some of the paperwork for NoR7, which impacts his and neighbouring properties.

rolling landscape where the future road could be built. “That is just shocking.” He is unimpressed with the engagement process and is not expecting much to come out of the hearings in November.

“I think they’ve made their minds up.”

Bryham argues that the route favoured by Supporting Growth not only impacts private property, but traverses slip-prone land, whereas the suggested alternative route could use a worked-out section of the lime quarry, and benefit from a bedrock limestone base.

While NoR7 cuts a line across a corner of the Bryham property, a neighbour, Rodney Macdonald, is affected even more significantly – the proposed route would mean the demolition of his near-new

In his submission, Macdonald writes that,

if Supporting Growth’s preferred route option is retained, “our home and place of identity for our parents, us, and our children and grandchildren, essentially our turangawaewae, will be demolished as it is in the middle of the proposed road”.

“Our house is three years old, and used regularly for community events, including pony club meetings, children and youth events, and large family gatherings,” Macdonald says.

“Were Supporting Growth aware that the proposed road goes directly through the middle of our home, and gathering place in our community?”

Macdonald says the landowners who met with Supporting Growth in 2018 have been surprised and disappointed at the lack of meaningful engagement since.

“Nevertheless, we would like to extend our offer to help provide local perspective to deliver better outcomes for our community

and explore constructive alternatives to preserve our turangawaewae for future generations.”

Macdonald says a route further east would make much more sense, avoiding the loss or impairment of four or five residential properties, and yielding better results for ecology and local infrastructure.

Supporting Growth referred queries to AT.

Invited to respond to criticism about the engagement and consultation process, AT spokesperson Blake Crayton-Brown provided a brief statement:

“Te Tupu Ngātahi (Supporting Growth) has engaged with potentially impacted landowners and community throughout the indicative and detailed business case phases and Notices of Requirement process. This consultation process has been comprehensive and included individual meetings with landowners at local community venues, online and onsite.”

Rodney Macdonald’s near-new home stands in the way of the proposed link road. from previous page

Come in store for moreideas!gift

The ultimate in a great night’s sleep

Spoil yourself for Christmas

Christmas is not too far away so I get busy and organise gifts with my children and now grandchildren. Nothing beats a homemade gift so we make confectionery and put into these bright cups with lids. Ideal for friends, neighbours and don’t forget the postie.

White Christmas Truffles

180g white chocolate chopped

80ml (1/3 cup) thickened cream

1 tsp vanilla bean paste (optional)

Christmas

Fudge Balls

3 cups Brown sugar

1 Cup Boiling Water

1 Tablespoon Vinegar

1/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1 Cup Nuts, chopped

What a treat!

1 Cup Raisins, Dates, or Dried Figs, any dried fruit you like chopped

1/4 Cup Coconut

In a saucepan, put the Brown Sugar, Water and Vinegar and stir over moderate heat until sugar is dissolved.

Bring to the boil and boil until it reaches the soft ball stage (112-116oC). Remove from heat and cool, then beat in the remaining ingredients. Form into balls and let set in refrigerator.

40g (1/4 cup) dried cranberries, chopped

40g (1/4 cup) pistachios, chopped

35g (1/3 cup) desiccated coconut

Place the chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water). Use a metal spoon to stir until melted and the mixture is smooth. Stir in vanilla if using. Set aside to cool slightly. Stir in the cranberries and pistachios. Refrigerate for about 3 hours, stirring occasionally, or until firm enough to roll into balls (the mixture will still be a bit sticky.

Place coconut in a shallow dish. Roll level tablespoons of mixture into balls and roll in coconut. Arrange in a single layer in an airtight container and keep in the fridge.

We have a great range of sheets, duvet sets, inners and pillows to makeover your bedroom.

¾ cup dried apricots

1 cup desiccated coconut

¼ cup sweetened condensed milk

¼ cup Caster Sugar (for rolling balls in)

Mince the apricots into a bowl. Add the coconut and the sweetened condensed milk. Mix together and then roll into walnut sized balls. Roll the balls in Caster sugar and refrigerate until you serve. I keep them in the refrigerator in a glass jar with a screw top lid.

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Residents fear events centre threatens rural lifestyle

An Auckland Council decision to grant consent for an events venue on Rodney Road, between Leigh and Pakiri, without public notification, has raised the ire of residents on the road.

Council has granted Vanderosa Farms consent to convert an existing dwelling into visitor accommodation and an existing farm shed into a wedding and corporate events centre. The consent allows for up to 20 weddings a year for up to 150 people and unlimited corporate events for up to 50 people.

Weddings can be held from 2pm to midnight, while corporate events will be able to operate between midday and 10pm. Guests will access the site by a shuttle bus service and anyone hiring the venue will need to provide portaloos.

Council planners deemed that the effects of the business would be ‘less than minor’ and processed the consent as non-notified. This means the only option residents have to challenge the decision is through a judicial review in the High Court.

As the paper was going to print, a residents’ meeting was being organised in the Leigh Hall for Sunday, October 8, at 3pm.

An organiser, Kevin Lawton, says the events centre will bring a “ridiculous and dangerous” amount of traffic including large buses, along a very poorly maintained, windy and narrow metal road, where people walk dogs and young children ride horses, tramp and generally enjoy one of Auckland’s previously peaceful environments.

“This consent has been deemed by council to be non-notifiable to anyone, even though it is affecting so many people and will change this environment forever,” Lawton says.

“We are concerned about how easy it is to make these decisions from afar without fully understanding the ramifications for those of us who live here and will live with the consequences – financial, environmental and emotional.”

Lawton predicted that noise would be

a “huge” problem, which had not been properly assessed. He was also concerned about who would monitor the consent conditions and that the establishment of one venue could set a precedent.

Vanderosa Farms owner Jesse Van Kekem said he realised there was some apprehension from “a small number” in the community.

“We have worked with Auckland Council and our planner to mitigate these concerns,” he said. “These come in the form of certain stringent restrictions for any weddings or

events on the site.”

Council’s resource consents north-west, acting manager Steve Seager, says the processing planner’s assessment, which included a site visit, found that notification of the consent was not required, as adverse effects on the environment or affected persons would not be more than minor in nature.

“The consent sets out specific conditions in relation to noise and waste management, which were considered adequate to address any effects related to these matters. The

consent has been discussed with council’s monitoring team and they have been briefed on the conditions of consent, so they can ensure they are adhered to.

“Under section 128 of the RMA, if adverse effects occur with the exercise of the consent – for example, if noise controls are not adhered to – the consent may be reviewed by council at the consent holder’s cost and more stringent conditions can be imposed. The consent also requires the presence of a manager knowledgeable of the consent conditions to be on-site with each event.”

Works starts on camera installation project

Motorists on Matakana Road will be keeping to the speed limit from next March onwards, or face the consequences.

Auckland Transport (AT) is in the process of constructing the foundations, bases, power and communications for two speed cameras on the road – one at 297 Matakana Road, just after the Te Honohono ki Tai Road roundabout, and the other at 789 Matakana Road, between Oak River Drive and Wright Road.

In a letter to residents, AT says installation of the poles and cameras will occur later, with the cameras expected to be operational after March next year.

AT says the project supports Vision Zero, on the basis that safety cameras encourage people to slow down and drive safely.

Vision Zero is an ethics-based transport safety approach that was

developed in Sweden in the late 1990s. It places responsibility on the people who design and operate the transport system to provide a safe system.

The equipment being installed on Matakana Road will be averagespeed cameras, which calculate a vehicle’s speed across the length of the road between the two cameras. The time taken for a driver to travel between the cameras is measured, and the average speed calculated.

AT says sites for the safety cameras have been determined based on risk and were considered alongside speed limit changes and other safety infrastructure improvements.

Waka Kotahi/NZ Transport Agency had not responded to a request for more information about crash statistics on the road when Mahurangi Matters went to press.

Jenny Marcroft

New Zealand First Candidate for Kaipara ki Mahurangi

jenny.marcroft@nzfirst.nz

Authorised by H. Howard, 3/33 Pahiatua St, Hokowhitu, Palmerston North.

A photo from the Vanderosa Farms resource consent application captures the rural aspect of the property.

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2019-2023 AgedCare & RetirementVillages

Matakana track plan pumping along

Rodney Local Board members were brought up to speed on long-term proposals for a pump track in Matakana at their monthly meeting on September 20.

The Matakana Community Group (MCG) has been hoping to install a pump track at Diamond Jubilee Park since 2018 and board members heard last month that the project was finally approaching the detailed design and landowner approval stage.

The track – an asphalt area full of bumps and curves for bikes, scooters and skaters – would be on land in the north-western corner of the council-owned park, behind Matakana Tennis Club, and well away from Matakana Pony Club, which is also based there.

MCG member Kathryn Norman said there was a huge lack of such recreational space for youth in the Matakana, Leigh and Warkworth areas.

“The closest pump tracks are in Orewa or Mangawhai, which is a fair distance for people to travel,” she said. “When I arrived in Matakana 18 years ago, the population was 420 people and it’s absolutely exploded since then. There’s a huge need for this, for locals and for visitors.”

Norman said pump tracks were not like a skate park, but a community facility for all ages and abilities, from two-year-olds on scooters to adults on bikes and boards.

She said MCG had engaged specialist track designers Empire of Dirt to come up with a detailed plan for the site and, as a planning consultant, she could look after resource consenting requirements.

“We’re seeking the board’s support and landowner approval to start the process,” Norman said. “We’re not looking for any funding, we’re going to completely fund the pump track from the community, just

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like we did the tennis court. Matakana is a very close-knit community where people really get in behind these free local recreation facilities.”

Auckland Council parks and places specialist Matt Woodside said the proposal had been “simmering away for a wee while” and he envisaged it coming back to a local board workshop in November to start the landowner approval process.

“The area is classified for informal recreation, it’s a flexible park space,” he said. “We’re happy to look at a pump track, it’s quite low key, it fits into the landscape, and fills an identified gap in our youth provision.”

Chair Brent Bailey thanked Norman for her presentation, adding: “You know we’re never going to say ‘No, no, don’t bring your own money to our problems and solve them for us’, don’t you?”

Smith steps into museum role

There is a new face at the Kauri Museum in Matakohe, but it will be a familiar face to many.

Former Kaipara Mayor Dr Jason Smith has been appointed museum director, following the early departure of former director Barbara Hilden, who has returned to Canada for family reasons.

Dr Smith, who has been acting director since August, is a fifth-generation descendant of Matakohe Albertland pioneers, for whom the Kauri Museum was dedicated. He is very familiar with the kauri story, and had a Matakohe-based small eco-tourism business called Kauri Country, which was a New Zealand Tourism Award Finalist for Eco-tourism in 2000. His doctorate was about New Zealand’s creative economy and the importance of non-city places. It was inspired by the fact that The Kauri Museum was a success “in the middle of nowhere”, which defied popular global economic development theories.

In 2011, Smith was senior policy advisor (Auckland) at the Ministry for Culture and Heritage, focused on museum and cultural space strategies in the city. Most recently he was a two-term Kaipara District Mayor until 2022.

He says kauri tourism, economic development, cultural policy and a strong sense of local place are in his DNA.

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Potential pump track – design idea for the Jubilee Park space from Empire of Dirt.

installed in Raglan by Empire of Dirt in 2017. Photo, Jane Alice @surfsh0t

Dr Jason Smith is the new museum director.

Community get-together

Mahurangi West Pest will hold a community event at the Mahurangi West Hall on Saturday, November 4, starting at 4pm. It will be an opportunity to thank active volunteers, but organisers hope locals, who would like to know more about the pest free project or who would like to become involved, will also attend.

Mahurangi West joins predator free advance

A grant from Predator Free NZ will be spent on educating children on the Mahurangi West peninsula about the importance of pest management.

Mahurangi West Pest has received $3000 to fund a number of hands-on workshops for school-aged children, which will be held in the Mahurangi West Hall, possibly over the next school holidays.

The group’s community coordinator, Nada Cottrell, says the full list of activities is still being drafted, but it is likely to include making tunnel chew cards, involving the children in the location of the cards and then teaching them to identify the animals by the footprints left on the cards.

“We’re thrilled to get the grant because it is so important to get the next generation involved in what we are doing and to teach them why we are doing it,” she says.

Mahurangi West Pest formed in 2020, making it one of the newer pest management groups in the area. It has grown from an initial 2100 hectares to now cover 3500 hectares of privately owned land, including parts of Hungry Creek. Its vision is to restore the natural ecosystems

and enhance native biodiversity by making the peninsula pest free. Since starting, it has caught and disposed of more than 4000 pests, including 1500 possums.

The area has been divided into eight distinct trapping areas and each area has one lead coordinator. About 120 pest control volunteers are involved in regularly checking and baiting the labyrinth of traplines that criss-cross each trapping precinct.

Additionally, there are more than 50 biodiversity volunteers who are involved in tree planting and weeding, bat research and bird counts.

Nada puts the group’s success down to “a very good community spirit and a lot of clever people who have innovative ideas”.

Group founder and current chair Brian Bramell told a recent annual meeting that thanks to Auckland Council support, and grants and donations, the group now has more than 1000 pest control tools.

“We have also recognised that we have to trap smarter,” he said. “We are eradicating stupid pests and breeding smart ones.

“As a result, we got cameras in the field,

attended training programmes, redesigned traps and refined our techniques.”

Predator Free NZ Trust runs two funding rounds a year and community groups can apply for up to $5000 to buy humane traps, tunnels or materials. In the last eight years, more than 90 community groups have been awarded funding.

Trust chief executive Jessi Morgan says the 2050 predator free goal is ambitious and challenging, and technology, innovation and government funding will be needed to get there.

“But community engagement and participation is also vital,” she says.

“Nature and wildlife isn’t something that’s ‘over there’ on offshore islands and big national parks. It’s right here in our towns, suburbs, parks and backyards. It’s up to us to help support it to thrive in places we work and live.

“Community groups also encourage residents to care for the cause, and Mahurangi West Pest has an awesome plan for motivating and involving kids as the next generation of nature lovers and guardians of our native wildlife.”

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Support for the project comes in many forms, from trapping and tree planting to bat research.

Health Managing Halloween

Halloween can be scary for parents, and I don’t mean the plethora of fancy-dress ghosts, witches and goblins that will be roaming our streets. When we want the best for our children, the scariest thing at Halloween has become the idea of our child consuming too much sugar! Raising healthy kids with a positive relationship with food and their bodies becomes challenging when certain foods are marketed directly to them. In an ideal world, we want to empower our children to make healthy choices without compromising their happiness. This includes learning to regulate their own eating and deciding what’s right for their bodies. It’s a skill that takes time and experience to develop. So, how do we create a safe environment for them to learn while protecting their healthy relationship with food and their bodies? Basically, they need two things: regular structured access to the foods and opportunities for unconditional access to more highly palatable foods. With structured access on a regular basis, we select the portion amount (usually around the size of a child’s palm) and we serve it alongside the main meal, then the child gets to decide when and how much of it they eat. I would recommend doing this a few times a week. When it comes to unconditional access, we serve these foods alongside other foods in a larger amount at snack times (so it doesn’t affect the intake and nutrition of the main meal) and let children eat as much as they want. This

In brief

Pink Ribbon volunteers

sweets

should be done every couple of weeks. If your child is becoming more obsessed with this food it’s better to do it more often (sounds counterintuitive, I know)! Research tells us that if we restrict sweet foods, children never get the opportunity to learn how to manage them and it leads to binging when they do have access to these foods.

Halloween is a perfect time for children to learn how to self-regulate these foods. If we let go of the need to control our child’s eating, we can relax and enjoy the celebration with them – creating memories of mischief and fun, rather than battles over how many sweets they have.

Halloween plan:

• Allow your child to eat as much or as little as they want on the night of Halloween. They may eat more than their body feels like (especially if this is a new freedom) and feel sick after, and that’s okay.

• Use neutral language in reference to the foods on offer. Try not to refer to them as ‘treats’, ‘occasional foods’ or ‘unhealthy’. Food is food.

• Give your child the autonomy to manage their sweet collection the following day. Afterwards, implement a more structured access to the remaining stash during mealtimes.

• As the novelty fades, balance naturally emerges. Knowing that treats can be enjoyed guilt-free eliminates the need to sneak these foods or to excessively indulge.

The annual Pink Ribbon Street Appeal will be held in the Mahurangi area this month. Local coordinator Shona Pickup says “pink” volunteers will be rattling their buckets at supermarkets and The Warehouse in Warkworth on Friday, October 20 and at the Matakana Market on Saturday, October 21. She says even people without cash will be able to donate by texting their donation. Last year, the Mahurangi community donated $6500, which was used to support people with breast cancer and fund education programmes. Shona, who has been coordinator for the past 12 years, says this year will be her last and she is actively seeking a replacement.

Loud Shirt day returns

Kiwis are being invited to don their brightest outfit on Friday, October 27 to help raise money for children and adults with impaired hearing. Loud Shirt Day is the national fundraising campaign for The Hearing House and the Southern Cochlear Implant Programme (SCIP) – the only two charities in New Zealand dedicated to helping children and adults with cochlear implants learn to listen and communicate. Both organisations deliver a range of services and programmes to assist babies, children and adults with cochlear implants as they learn to hear and communicate.

Rachael Wilson, The Food Tree rachael@thefoodtree.co

Taking steps towards recovery at new Warkworth retreat

Tucked away down a quiet side road just outside Warkworth, a former B&B has quietly been welcoming and helping people from all over New Zealand face up to and recover from dependency on alcohol since it reopened its doors in January.

The Retreat is a registered charity running a 30-day residential programme that can accommodate up to 12 people at a time. The emphasis, according to chief executive Janet Thompson, is to provide a safe, supportive space where alcoholics will be treated with compassion and understanding by people who understand what they are going through.

“When you come here, you’re greeted by people like myself, who’ve been in the same position,” she says.

“One alcoholic talking to another is one of the most healing processes you can have – I know the lies we tell ourselves because I’ve told them to myself. I know the shame of not being able to not drink.”

Thompson says it’s the shame and stigma surrounding alcoholism that stops many people seeking help.

“One of the big things is alcoholics are ashamed – we think we should be able to control it. We think it’s because we’re weak and think people will think we’re a failure,” she says.

“But an alcoholic isn’t a bad person, they’re a sick person in the grip of a progressive illness.”

Alcoholism doesn’t discriminate, either, she adds.

“We’ve had pilots, schoolteachers, doctors,

nurses, farmers, housewives, you name it.

“For a lot of people, alcohol wasn’t the problem, it was the solution. Then the alcohol that was the solution becomes the problem itself.

“When they come here, they can drop the mask that they’ve had to wear to protect themselves from the world. They can be vulnerable in a safe space, and the healing can start.”

The Retreat programme is based on the 12step recovery process originally outlined in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). There are daily group meetings, one-on-one sessions with counsellors and weekly visits to local AA meetings. For downtime, there is a gym, extensive grounds and gardens, shopping trips and visits to local attractions, plus in-house chefs to prepare three healthy meals a day. Thompson says the only requirement to attend is a desire to stop drinking and the only prerequisite is willingness and openness. None of this comes cheap, however – fees range from $13,000 to nearly $20,000 for 30 days, something she knows is well beyond most people’s budget.

“We know there are people who can afford nothing, so we raise money for our Scholarship Fund so we can help anybody. We don’t make money; we run on the bones of our bum.”

The Retreat also provides aftercare for residents and there are sober living rental homes in the area for those who don’t feel quite ready to return home.

Info: Call The Retreat on 0800 276 237 or email janet@myrecovery.org.nz

Chris Penk MP for Kaipara ki Mahurangi

Janet Thompson’s mission is to help alcoholics realise that they don’t have to suffer.

Board votes to lease vacant Sandspit house by a whisker

Rodney Local Board has agreed to lease a vacant house on Sandspit Wharf to Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust (NMST) as a marine and community information hub, but only after a split decision and the chair using his casting vote.

The trust applied to lease the former wharf manager’s house earlier this year as a base for its marine operations in and around the Hauraki Gulf, including protecting and monitoring ecosystems and educational activities.

Council community lease specialist Karen Walby gave board members two options at their meeting on September 20 – to undertake an expression of interest process, which would allow any other interested parties to come forward, or to progress a new lease to NMST directly, subject to conditions. This prompted concerns over perceived transparency and process from some members.

Warkworth member Tim Holdgate asked why a similar application by Bowls Warkworth to lease land in Glenmore Drive for a new club had gone out for expressions of interest, when NMST had the chance to be granted a lease without having to go through that process.

Walby said both matters were in response to the board’s own feedback. At a workshop in March on the Bowls Warkworth proposal, members said they wanted it to go out for expressions of interest, whereas at a workshop in May for the Sandspit lease, there was mixed feedback from members, hence her giving members two options to vote on – one for expressions of interest, the other to progress the lease. Holdgate also asked why the information in the report had not been provided to the Sandspit Residents and Ratepayers Association, which had expressed its interest in sharing the cottage with other groups in a presentation to the board in July.

Walby said that presentation had not been passed on to her and she had only received one formal application to lease

the building, and that was from Ngāti Manuhiri.

Ivan Wagstaff then asked repeatedly if the trust would be running commercial activities from the site. Walby said it would not, but pointed out that there were several businesses already being operated from community-leased venues, such as the restaurant at Sandspit Yacht Club and Omaha Beach Golf Club’s pro shop, bar and café.

Wagstaff also queried the “large cost” of $120,000 to renovate the cottage to the required standard, something which members had already approved at their July meeting.

“Council cannot reasonably put a community group in a council building if it’s not brought up to spec,” Walby said, adding that recently increased rent and maintenance fees would be paid.

Council lease performance and system advisor Michelle Chen said the opportunities offered by granting NMST a lease outweighed any risks.

“The environmental activity they intend to deliver, just think how many boxes that will tick for you,” she said. “What are community leases for? To deliver on outcomes for the community – and all these align with local board and council plans. “Ngati Mānuhiri were the ones who saw the building was vacant and took the initiative to apply for a lease. They are open to collaboration and conversation on how this space can be best used with the community.”

An amendment by Wagstaff to send the matter back to another workshop was lost. Members then voted to approve public notification of council’s intention to grant NMST a new community lease, subject to engaging with other mana whenua, and building and resource consents for refurbishment and change of use. The rent will be $1300 plus GST per annum, if demanded, and there will be an annual maintenance fee of $5000 plus GST.

Council aims to increase Māori wellbeing through targeted support for Māori community development projects, such as the proposed marine hub at Sandspit.

Kowhai Festival blooms again

Warkworth will welcome back the Kowhai Festival on Saturday, October 21, albeit a pared down version of its former self. Organisers are calling it the Welcome Back Celebration, recognising that the festival was last held in 2019 when it celebrated 50 years.

The festival’s three year hiatus was the result of covid and the difficulty last year of picking up momentum again. Finding volunteers to take on key organisational roles has also been a challenge.

This month’s event will be based around the wharf area and Kapanui Street, and will run from 11am to 8pm. The programme will feature live music, a bar run by Bohemian Cider and Matakana Wine Growers, and food trucks.

Entertainers will include jazz group Latter Karma, Jade River Ukes, Warkworth Big Band, The Drive, The Dirty Happys and the perennially popular White Chapel Jak, who will be on stage from 6.30pm.

Organisers hope the community will get behind this year’s event in the hope of seeing a return to a bigger festival with markets and street parades next year.

2023

Celebration Back Welcome

Saturday, 21 October 2023, 11am to 8pm, Kapanui Street and Wharf Street, Warkworth

Bar (run by Justin and Cynthia from Bohemian Cider) and the Matakana Wine Growers.

Live music all day long and food trucks by the wharf.

Variety of life performances throughout the day on Kapanui Street.

Jade River Ukes can be counted on to entertain the crowd.

The Dirty Happys will also be playing.

White Chapel Jak will be the closing act at this year’s festival.

Cuisine

Lauraine Jacobs www.laurainejacobs.co.nz/blog/

Pasta with asparagus and spring flavours

Never have so many looked forward to the arrival of spring with more optimism. Our long, soggy year has been depressing, but where there’s a peep of sunshine, there’s hope. My particular mood-lifter of the moment is asparagus. Those first spears appear in a very expensive tight little bundle, but it is not long before they take pride of place in the stores and we can indulge of one of the last truly seasonal vegetables.

Despite its suggested origin in Asia and the Mediterranean, I always think of it being a very western vegie, perhaps influenced by my memories of spring market stalls in Paris, laden with bunches of fresh green asparagus, or eating fat white spears drenched in butter in the little back street bistros of that wonderful food city where I cooked in my early career. Now we have choices if we shop in good places, as our New Zealand growers produce purple, white and the more common green asparagus. White spears have a milder taste, the purple spears change to olive green when cooked, and the green are usually cheaper and simply delicious.

Try cutting asparagus spears paperthin into long curly strips with a potato peeler to add to a salad or, if they are very fresh, slice the spears into very thin rounds and they will add a lot of crunch to your salads. But like many vegetables, serving them raw only works within one or two days of harvest, as the flavour is no longer as bright and they tend to become a little soft and floppy.

As the season advances, the stalks tend to become a little woody, so snap them off where they break easily and add those bits to a vegetable or chicken stock. When the spears are thick, I like to peel the ends for more even cooking. The heads can be rather fragile and do cook more quickly than the stalks, so it is worth the effort with the thicker spears to peel the ends.

When shopping for asparagus, you will find the freshest spears have tips that are tightly closed and not starting to turn into a more open, flower-like bud. The tips should be dark green, almost purple, with the lower part still bright green and clean. Some stores have started keeping the asparagus bunches upright in a tray of water and that’s a great idea to preserve freshness. Once you get your asparagus home, pop it into a vegetable storage bag in the refrigerator’s vegie drawer to keep it crisp.

Butter has a terrific affinity with asparagus and it is a real indulgence to whip up a buttery sauce to accompany the spears. If you’re into making hollandaise or bearnaise sauces, you will be truly rewarded, but dipping the spears into melted butter or a softboiled egg can be almost as good. For this week’s recipe, I used the last of my perpetual spinach, which has decided to go to seed, as the little baby leaves are tender and delicious. Watercress would make a good substitute. I added Matakana Smokehouse hot smoked salmon to the dish, but vegetarians will enjoy this tasty pasta dish equally without it.

Unlock Matakana: The Village Gift Card is Coming!

Finding the ideal gift just became easier for locals, visitors, and businesses in Matakana. Matakana Village is releasing a village gift card –a versatile ticket to some of the best experiences in town.

We’ve all felt the anxiety of lastminute gift shopping, but the new Matakana Village Gift Card is here to change that. From $20 to $500, it’s adaptable to any budget and is perfect for:

• Locals looking for a meaningful gift to suit absolutely everyone.

• Holiday makers looking to experience the best of Matakana.

• Companies seeking the ideal appreciation token for employees, clients, and suppliers.

What sets this card apart is its extensive reach within the village.

The card can be used to watch a movie at Matakana Cinemas, to enjoy gourmet dining, or treating yourself

at the myriad of boutiques and artisan food producers in the village. Not forgetting the convenience of shopping for daily essentials (like wine and cheese!) at Matakana Four Square.

Tom Klockseth from Matakana Village, shared, “We believe this card isn’t just a gift, but an investment in our community. Every time someone uses the Matakana Village Gift Card, they’re not only discovering what makes our village special but also supporting local businesses and strengthening community bonds.”

The Matakana Village Gift Card promises more than just monetary value, it’s a gateway to authentic experiences, capturing the essence and charm of the village in one neat package.

The gift card is set to launch any day now, just in time for Christmas! For more information visit matakanavillage.co.nz

Spring Pasta

(Make quick work of this recipe by doing all the preparation of the ingredients before you start cooking, and have the warmed plates ready to serve.)

300g dried linguine pasta

Small bunch tender young spinach leaves or watercress, washed well.

1 lemon, grated rind and juice

1 bunch asparagus, trimmed into bite-sized pieces

200g frozen baby peas

100 ml olive oil

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese

Handful of young mint leaves

100g hot smoked salmon, broken in chunks

Freshly ground black pepper

Extra lemon wedges to garnish

Fill a large saucepan with salted water, add a teaspoonful of olive oil, and bring it to the boil. Add the linguine (or any other dried

pasta) and cook according to the packet instructions, drain, return to the pan and toss in the remaining olive oil. While the pasta is cooking, cook the peas in boiling salted water and add the asparagus to steam over the peas for about three to four minutes. Drain well and set aside. Reheat the pasta very gently with just a couple of spoonfuls of water at the bottom of the pan, adding the spinach leaves so they just wilt. Add the peas and asparagus and toss well together with lemon juice and grated rind. Divide between two plates and top with the cheese, mint leaves and the salmon. Finally grind a little black pepper over and garnish with a wedge of lemon. Serves 2 as a main course, but recipe can be doubled for 4 to 6 people.

Environment

Christine Rose christine.rose25@gmail.com

Mealtime mindfulness

When you’re cold and hungry, even baked beans from a can taste delicious. So, after tramping in the winter rain and finally reaching the hut, the previous night’s lentil and potato cottage pie was like ambrosia. The lentil stew was made from sauteed onions, garlic, mushrooms and lentils simmered in vege stock, herbs and spices, with carrots, celery, peas and broccoli forming jam-packed nutrition in a thick and flavoursome gravy, topped with mashed potato.

We heated it up on a little primus gas cooker by candlelight as the tui turned into kiwi calls in the forest. The rain fell outside. We felt like druids in a cave. After a slow warming in the camping pot, we dished up our lentil pie. It seemed appropriate to acknowledge how fortunate we were to be there and to be gracious – to say grace, even though we’re not religious. That meant acknowledging the place we were in, its kaitiaki past and present, its forest being and beings, and the food we were about to eat. That took us about an hour!

Each ingredient in our lentil pie had a genesis back beyond us to the grower of the seed source, the sower of the seed and the workers – the planters and harvesters in the fields. Everything had a family tree that was long, enduring and deliberate, through time down to me. Whether it was the onions,

the garlic or the spices, every passing on of a seed to grow something we ate had been an act of faith and investment in the future. Then there was the effort from the retailers and the transporters. My green lentils came from France, so that meant we had to consider the growing heritage that these were the product of, in their country of origin. Then there was the soil, water and fertiliser that went into what was grown. And the Himalayan salt – what processes and labour were involved in getting that to my bowl in the hut? Shepherd’s pie never tasted like such a significant meal! It sure gave the gravy more gravitas. Mindfulness at mealtimes honours all that went into our food – we’re lucky to have it. Covid and Cyclone Gabrielle, the Ukraine war, climate change and even the ship, the Ever Given stuck in the Suez Canal, all show how fragile our food supply is. When I think about how hard it is to grow a broccoli that doesn’t get destroyed by weather or eaten by bugs, while still being wholesome and not filled with chemicals, it makes me appreciate food even more. It’s pretty easy to eat without thinking, and maybe you can do too much thinking if your lentils go cold. What we eat in a moment might take years to grow, and more time after that and many processes to get to us. That’s all worth chewing over.

Battery safety warning issued

At least one home insurance claim is lodged every month for fire damage caused by lithium-ion batteries and their charging systems, new AMI data shows.

“Consumers should be mindful of reputable battery production when purchasing electrical products,” AMI executive general manager for claims Wayne Tippet says.

“There is nothing inherently dangerous about lithium-ion batteries, so long as they are treated correctly, and basic safety measures are followed.

“Our data shows that lithium-ion batteries have become predominant over the last decade, as they are found in an increasing number of everyday products including phones, laptops and children’s toys. These batteries are useful because they hold more energy, so they can last longer, and they charge faster than regular batteries.

“However, for many consumers, lithiumion batteries are newer technology, so it is

important to make sure they are used safely.”

Fires generally start with the battery overheating and eventually catching light or, in some extreme cases, exploding.

“We have seen cases of Chromebooks, e-bikes and e-scooters going up in flames or even exploding after being left on charge. Three of the main causes we’ve seen are defective parts, incorrect charging and mistreatment.”

Defective parts often come in poorly produced items bought from cheaper and less reputable manufacturers. Correctly matched chargers are far less likely to overheat.

“You should never use a charger that did not come with the device or use it in a way that does not meet the manufacturer’s instruction,” Tippet warns. “When charging electronic devices such as phone or tablets, do not place them on soft surfaces and do not leave devices on charge on for extended periods of time.”

TI POINT

MOONLIGHT BLUE, DALENE MEIRING

Pinny high energy rock to Mangawhai bringing

and Leigh

Dairy farmer turned rock musician Merv Pinny is promising a high energy show when his band comes to Mangawhai and Leigh for two shows in October and November.

Pinny became an online global sensation when he penned a gutsy blues-rock song highlighting the plight of war refugees in 2016. The video for his ‘OB Can You Hear the Children Cry’ went viral when he posted it on Facebook, resulting in tens of millions of views, interest from radio stations across the US and even appreciative emails from people caught up in war zones around the world.

Since then, Pinny has continued to write and perform original songs, many of which touch on humanitarian and social issues, winning him an even wider global audience and putting him in the running for several international song writing awards. His song ‘Amazing’ made the Amazon world music charts in 2020 and his music has been streamed more than 30 million times on various global music platforms.

Pinny comes from a family with both music and farming in their blood, and he was always a keen singer-songwriter. However, farming took centre stage for many years, seeing Pinny eventually become the biggest dairy farmer in Northland, before he sold up seven years ago and was able to pursue his passion for playing music.

He describes his repertoire as being from rock, blues and soul to sweet ballads, with a twist of modern country – “grooves that make you move and a voice you won’t forget”.

“This tour is about bringing original music back to our smaller, local venues and

Jazz club comes to town for swinging 170th party night

Get out your glad rags and dust off your dancing shoes – Warkworth Town Hall is being transformed into a 1940s jazz club next month, when a Swingin’ Jazz & Funk Party will be held as part of the town’s 170th anniversary celebrations.

Former farmer Merv Pinny has a global following for his powerful songs.

getting up close and personal,” Pinny says.

“Hold on to your hats, this high energy show is about to rock your town.”

The Dark to Light tour marks the upcoming release of a new eponymous CD album, with dates at the Mangawhai Tavern on Saturday, October 28 and Leigh Sawmill Café on Friday, November 24. Shows start at 8pm and tickets cost $25 plus booking fee.

Info and tickets: www.undertheradar.co.nz/ tour/21431/Dark-To-Light.utr

Three bands will take to the stage on Saturday, November 11, with the 18-piece WBB Big Band – the latest, hip incarnation of Warkworth’s historic brass band –headlining on the night.

Band manager Aaron Rodgers says the band’s four-piece rhythm section, 14-piece horn section and jazz vocalist Jennifer Eirena will play three rocking sets, starting with 1940s big band swing from the likes of Glenn Miller, then move to late 20th century jazz before finishing up with more modern rock and funk classics. They will be joined by Trad Revival, a New Orleans style Dixieland jazz band playing all the old favourites, and Phat Jazz, a jazz-funk outfit playing cool, 60s Herbie Hancock/Blue Note-style numbers.

There will be a dance floor in front of the stage, with round tables, chairs and couches around the room for relaxing. Atmospheric lighting, spotlights on the bands, finger food and a cocktail bar will add to the classic jazz club ambience of the evening.

Rodgers says the night will be a fitting celebration for Warkworth’s 170th, with dance tunes to suit every taste from World War II to the present day, and he wants to see people jiving, bopping, rocking, grooving and generally getting down to the music.

“It’s a chance to step back in time and swing through the ages,” he says. “We’d love people to dress up if they want to, but we don’t want that to put anyone off – you certainly don’t have to.”

The Swingin’ Jazz & Funk Party starts at 7.30pm and tickets cost $30 for adults and $15 for children from www.eventbrite.com.

Info: www.warkworthbigband.co.nz/ swingin-jazz-funk-party

WBB Big Band will be in the swing with three sets of red-hot dance numbers.

The fortnight promises something for every artistic taste.

Mangawhai gets creative

Everything from cement sculpture and Japanese Shibori to creative photography and Christmas card making is on offer in Mangawhai next month, when two weeks of creative workshops will be held.

Mangawhai Artists have lined up 15 local arts and crafts tutors for a multimedia fortnight of artistic fun that runs from Saturday, November 4 to Saturday, November 18.

The range of classes will include abstract painting, working with resin, theatrical drawing, cement sculpture, bonsai, working with charcoal, painting with acrylics, mixing paints, harakeke weaving, Japanese Shibori and dyeing, scrapbooking, making Christmas cards with quilling and photography.

All the workshops are being held at the Mangawhai Artists’ workspace and gallery at 45 Moir Street, except for the cement sculpture workshop, which will be held in Devich Road.

Organisers say the comprehensive programme is aimed at everyone from artists wanting to improve and expand their skills to beginners keen to have a go at something new, or even just as a different way to socialise and meet new people.

Prices for workshops start at $35 and go up to $190, with most sitting between $50 and $70.

There is also a free social event at the Moir Street gallery, Creative Connection, on Tuesday, November 7, from 5pm to 7pm, with Creative Northland’s new Kaipara creative adviser, Kylee Newbold. Info and bookings: www.mangawhaiartists.co.nz and www.eventbrite.co.nz

Sat 4 Nov

Cement Sculpture, 9.30am-12.30pm

Absolutely Abstract Day One, 10am-1pm

Sun 5 Nov

Absolutely Abstract Day Two, 10am-1pm

Cement Sculpture, 1.30-4.30pm

Monday 6 Nov

Resin Art, 10am-3pm

Tuesday 7 Nov

The Art of Bonsai, 9am-12pm and 1pm-4pm

Creative Connection, 5-7pm

Wed 8 Nov

Creative Photography, 9am-12.30pm

Thurs 9 Nov

Mixing Your Greens, 10am-3pm

Canvas and Cocktails, 6-9pm

Friday 10 Nov

A Day of Flax Weaving, 9am-3pm

Creative Photography follow-up, 3.30-5pm

Sat 11 Nov

Subtractive Charcoal Drawing, 9am-4pm

Mon 13 Nov

Japanese Shibori/Indigo Dye, 9am - 4pm

Tues 14 Nov

Scrapbook and Tea, 2-5pm

Wednesday 15 Nov

Theatrical Drawing, 10am-4pm

Thursday 16 Nov

Theatrical Drawing, 10am-4pm

Manual Photography, 6-8pm

Fri 17 Nov

Xmas Cards with Quilling, 9am-12.30

Sat 18 Nov

Joy of Painting and Drawing, 10am-1pm

My husband and I have been up here for 22 years and we regularly shop at New World Warkworth. Little Brittany is the most adorable girl with her bright flowers-in-her-hair decoration – a treasure to all who are lucky enough to get her packing their bags. Through covid, and whatever misery a customer might have been feeling, that bright little spark was there. We live in the Oaks now and you could ask any of our residents, and they all sing her praises. Thank you, Brittany.

” “

Cafe,

Mill Lane,

IMELDA’S SHOES WARKWORTH FOR PASSIONATE SHOE LOVERS NEW ARRIVALS IN STORE NOW! www.imdeldas.co.nz (09) 425 9466 imeldas@xtra.co.nz Argyll Angle, 58 Queen Street, Warkworth 122x130mm MM advert 09.10.23.indd 1 2/10/23 9:25 AM 660 Whangaparaoa Road, Stanmore Bay, Whangaparaoa Phone 09 985 6900 PERSONAL, PROPERTY AND COMMERCIAL LEGAL SERVICES Nola McGowan Partner Property and Personal Matters nola.mcgowan@denhambramwell.co.nz Ph. 09 940 0260 Bruce Whitehead Legal Executive – Associate/Conveyancer Property and Subdivisions bruce.whitehead@denhambramwell.co.nz Ph. 09 940 0261 Edward Derepa Associate General Property edward.derepa@denhambramwell.co.nz Ph. 09 940 0263 Emma Boad Associate General Property emma.boad@denhambramwell.co.nz Ph. 09 974 9390 Also at: Level 4, 3 Osterley Way Manukau www.denhambramwell.co.nz

Murray Chapman, Manager https://onemahurangi.co.nz

OneMahurangi Giving youth their chance

Do you recall hearing the phrase ‘When I was young’ during your youth? It was often followed by a gentle reminder, “You don’t know how easy you have it”, accompanied by a knowing nod. I found myself echoing these words recently, as we had some spirited teenage schoolkids on holiday causing a bit of commotion outside the Warkworth Information Centre. They were making quite a racket, using colourful language and leaving litter in their wake –perhaps not too different from our own youthful escapades.

But it got me thinking, what has changed?

Did more of us have part-time jobs during school holidays back in the day? I know I did, because I was required to work alongside my Dad in his plumbing and drain-laying business. As Dad would say, “If I have you working for me, I don’t have to hire a digger!” Nearly all of my friends found themselves in similar situations, some working on farms, in shops or shadowing their dads while gaining practical skills and knowledge. This reflection led me to consider whether we’re doing enough to support our young people. While I appreciate the efforts of the Mahurangi College careers department, I wonder if local businesses could step up more. Are there junior or apprentice-type positions that you could offer these kids in collaboration with the college, through One Mahurangi, or even via Mahurangi

Matters? It might only require a few hours a day to introduce them to your industry. Who knows, they might eventually become valuable full-time team members for your company.

I’m aware that some businesses in our area already offer such opportunities, and I’m simply asking if there are more who would be willing to lend a helping hand and provide valuable work experience to young individuals. The cost would be minimal, but the long-term benefits for both your business and our community could be substantial.

In my own experience, working alongside tradesmen who took pride in their craft taught me not just the skills of the trade but also valuable life lessons. It was a time when good manners were emphasised, and though I don’t advocate for the corporal punishment like I received back in my day, it’s true that youngsters learn by observing and doing.

I genuinely believe that this initiative could bring about something incredibly positive for all of us. It might assist your business with various tasks and provide a muchneeded boost to these young people at this juncture in their lives. Consider how such an opportunity could have impacted you during your youth.

Ultimately, the core message here is that indeed we are Stronger Together.

Bill rocks at winning school garden design

A multi-year project to design and install gardens across two sites at the redeveloped Warkworth School has won national recognition for local master landscaper Bill Holden.

His Design and Landscape business was awarded three medals for the school gardens in the Registered Master Landscapers’ 2023 Landscapes of Distinction Awards – a silver in the section for commercial projects up to $100,000 and bronze medals in commercial design and horticulture. Holden says creating the school gardens meant being a part of the entire redevelopment process, dating back to 2015 when the new junior school was built on the north side of the Hill Street site. “We had to be involved with the whole building project, and work in with the contractors, with school hours and submit the design for approval by the Board of Trustees,” he says.

“That all presented its own challenges, but we managed to work around everything.”

Designing gardens that are going to be used by several hundred children every day requires a slightly different tack from, say, landscaping a new house, Holden says.

Create your

“There were two key things – there had to be plenty of seating and there had to be durability from a planting perspective.” There also needed to be plenty of tracks and pathways, as well as raised veggie beds on the junior side.

“The key thing was that the gardens should assist children’s activity and movement, and to soften the buildings in relation to the landscape – to make sure the buildings were anchored to the landscape with plenty of planting and make sure there were plenty of places to sit,” Holden says. This brief allowed him to bring in one of his favourite materials – rocks, in this case from Matakana quarries.

“I placed them throughout, so it allowed the kids to hop across or jump from one to the other, with plants growing around the base. Rocks were the main hard structure and it also gave a bit of a sculptural element.”

Holden says one or two teachers were initially unsure about the wisdom of mixing small children with hard rocks, envisaging lots of falls and accidents, but so far there had been zero.

“There’s no reason why children shouldn’t navigate challenges,” he says. “When I

went there to take photos for the awards, I just sat back and watched when all the kids came out for playtime and they headed straight for the rocks and were jumping all over them, so that was quite satisfying.”

The planting used on both school sites is mostly natives – coprosmas for ground cover, with some non-native Canary Island ivy for durability, plus two kowhai trees –as featured on the school logo – and titoki trees to soften the garden areas. There are also two tall tanekaha trees either side of the central stairs on the main two-storey senior school building.

Holden says though the whole project has been challenging, it’s also been very rewarding. It’s also ongoing – as well as replacing the odd plant or tree, Holden has adapted a footbridge to the veggie beds to cope with storms, after the first one was washed out during a flood; it is now hinged, so it can be lifted out of harm’s way when bad weather threatens. And he is just about to design and install a new nature walk area on the southern edge of the senior school.

Holden also won two silver medals and one bronze in the awards for designing a beach house garden in Omaha.

Stones, Rocks, Pebbles, Scoria, Shell, Spawls, White Chip, Pavers, Rock Walls (huge variety)

Sand, Asphalt

Mulch (great selection)

Bark, Ponga Logs

Top Soil, Potting Mix, Garden Mix, Compost Concrete, Mortar

Garden Tools, Equipment, Gloves

Weedmats & Pins

Fertilisers, Weed Killers, Supplements etc

Grass Seeds

Sleepers

Pothole Mix, Builders Mix

Clean Fill (WARKWORTH ONLY)

Drain Coils

Tree Stakes

Greenwaste Disposal

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Plus loads more...

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big or

small we have it all & we just love to help...

The gardens were designed to anchor the buildings to the landscape, while giving students somewhere to play and sit.

Artistic touch leads to garden win

A passion for collecting and a knack for creativity have won a Warkworth woman a national award and praise from a wellknown gardening guru.

Jan Harris won the Best Creative Garden Design category in the second annual garden competition organised recently for residents of 36 Summerset retirement villages throughout New Zealand.

Her creative use of space and innovative ways of incorporating an eclectic range of items and plants in her villa garden caught the eye of competition judge Tony Murrell, an Auckland landscape designer who appears regularly on TV and radio gardening shows.

He said Jan’s considered use of textural elements and creativity in her garden was inspiring.

“The verticality and carefully layered parts certainly make you want to explore to see more, and more there is!” he commented.

“Her appropriate use of materials has transformed her garden into a crafter’s dream. I could have done with some of

her ideas when I was working on TV1’s Mucking In.”

Jan won a $250 voucher for Mitre 10, some of which she’s already spent on a sizable deep pink flowering cherry tree for the front garden and a box of tomato plants.

“Not that I know where I’m going to put them,” she says, looking round her compact garden that is already overflowing with every type of plant.

“It’s a very small property, so you have to be creative, but I love creating and I love making things.

“I’m one of those people who can always see potential in certain things. I’m not a hoarder by any means, but I’ll keep things that I can imagine will one day come in handy.”

Her artistic touches include re-purposing weathered fence posts and chains, making screens and pathways with bamboo, and using piping to train wisteria, roses and other climbers.

Shrubs, trees, perennials and succulents rub shoulders with fruit, vegies, annuals and herbs right around the villa, which sits on a corner block bordered by a public walkway and grassed area. There are little surprises everywhere, from a fig tree being espaliered up a wall to a wicker basket bursting with air plants and candles, a worm farm, and plenty of sheltered seating spots.

“I’ve lived in Warkworth for nearly 50 years, most recently in Southgate Road, and I’ve been here in Summerset for two years,” Jan, a former exhibition organiser, says.

“I love the sharing with gardening friends, the plants and cuttings, and I love being creative. There were only four categories in the awards, so it was a lovely surprise to win, especially as it was for best creative design.”

Central’s Tips

May 2023

Beat the rising cost of produce with your own veggie garden!

The fruit and vegetable garden

Imagine harvesting home-grown veggies! Let’s face it—supermarket produce is expensive, and growing your own food for the family not only saves you money, it just tastes better. Even in a small backyard garden, it’s amazing what you can grow with the help of a good garden mix.

• Worms don’t tolerate cold in winter – place an old rug or piece of carpet over the top of the worm farm to insulate them

• As the weather cools planting seedlings rather than trying to germinate seed is more successful. Plant brightly coloured chard, cabbages, sprouting broccoli and cauliflower. Successive plantings (a month apart) allow a good supply of the vegetable crops that have become so expensive of late

Time is of the essence—you need to get your crops planted now to make the most of the warmer, sunnier days ahead. Available at Central Landscapes Warkworth, our weed-free Premium Garden Mix has everything plants need to get established over the next few months. For best results, we recommend adding some compost and sheep pellets to the garden mix.

• Strawberry plants are coming: prepare strawberry beds in the garden or pots with plenty of Garden Mix, sheep pellets and keep pea straw handy. If the garden soil has a lot of clay, gypsum will help break it down

• Calendulas (winter marigolds) flower in the cool weather and add colour to the vegetable garden. The edible flowers look yummy in winter salads

Build up your garden soil with our range of organics, including Dave’s Growth Booster Sheep Pellets, Revital Grow-All Compost (with worm castings) and Morganics Fertiliser, a combination of chicken manure, processed fish, kelp, finely crushed rock dusts, along with additional beneficial minerals and plant matter. Grow your veggies anywhere.

• Winter stocks, casseroles and soups can be flavoured with herbs that take you through the cold season – hardy bay leaves, rosemary, thyme and sage are great to harvest in winter

• Olive trees that have been stripped of olives (by the keen gardener or the wily birds) should be given a dressing of garden lime before winte

The rest of the garden

It’s a common misconception that you need a big yard to set up a vegetable garden. With a good garden mix and a few raised garden beds, you can grow a surprising amount of produce per square metre. For building raised garden beds, we stock NZ Pine Railways sleepers for that rustic look, or long-lasting Trustwood Sleepers. Raised garden beds keep the soil warmer and provide better drainage for plants.

• Houseplants – time to reduce the amount of water that you give indoor plants. Most won’t need fertilising until September. Keep the leaves free of dust to maintain health

• Tidy up dying foliage and flowers from dahlias, geraniums, hostas and other summer flowering perennials. Place small white marker sticks with the plant name in weatherproof ink beside the crowns of plants that die down completely, so they are not disturbed over winter

• Get hardy annuals in for colourful winter flowers. Polyanthus, poppies, primulas and cyclamen are all good to plant now

• Loving the autumn colour on deciduous trees? Be sure to rake dead leaves off the lawn to allow light to penetrate, otherwise the lawn will die off

• Housework for NZ plants – remove spent leaves and old flower stalks from flaxes; rake dead grass out of native grasses to rejuvenate them, apply snail bait to renga renga lilies

Focus on vegetable varieties offering good yields and ongoing harvesting, such as beans, courgettes, salad greens and snow peas. Use stakes to allow climbing plants to grow vertically. Height gives the plant more sun exposure and helps maximise your crop. Get your herb garden going by loading up some pots with garden mix and planting basil, coriander and parsley. Get what you need online with Central Landscapes Warkworth. Beautiful landscapes begin at Central Landscapes Warkworth. We’ve got a huge range of mulch and bark to tidy up those garden beds and keep the weeds down. Add a stunning path with our decorative pebbles and pavers. To make the process easier, we now offer an online order and delivery service. Go to www.centrallandscapes.co.nz, enter your postcode, and order all the necessary products to establish your veggie garden.

• Remove the coarse, older leaves of winter flowering hellebores (winter roses). This helps bring light to the crowns where the buds are forming and gives a better display during their peak winter flowering period

Plant now and reap big with Premium Garden Mix. Order a delivery online at Central Landscape Supplies. You’ll be delighted.

Jan Harris won for her creative use of materials in her villa garden.

Matakana Plant Sale

Anniversary display

The old Masonic Hall in Warkworth will be the venue for a special Warkworth Garden Club display on Saturday, November 11, marking the town’s 170th anniversary. The display will feature eight categories of roses and five general floral categories including pot plants, single blooms and seven stems of mixed garden flowers. Entries can be submitted on the day, between 8.30am and 9.30am, and there is no limit on the number of times a person can enter. The winners will be chosen by judge Sally Greenwood. Doors will be open to the public from 10am to 3.30pm and entry is free. The garden club will stage its annual show in the Warkworth Town Hall next February.

Club invites novice gardeners

Even a small garden can produce a winning bloom, according to long-time Warkworth Garden Club member Sally Greenwood, who will judge the Anniversary Display next month.

Sally and club president Lynne Crump are keen to promote the display (see panel above) to gardeners who may not have exhibited their flowers before.

The event will be a less formal version of the annual Rose & Flower Show, which will be staged in February.

“It will be a great opportunity for new growers to experience what a show is like without any pressure,” Lynne says.

“Having the confidence to take that first step can be a barrier, but everyone has to start somewhere, and competing in garden club shows is a great way to learn.”

Sally says that when gardeners show their flowers, they are both sharing part of their garden and appreciating other people’s efforts.

“Once you start, you get the bug and it can become a passion. Warkworth has some beautiful gardens such as the ones you see in Ashmore Crescent.”

Although the annual shows are not as competitive as they once were, they lack nothing in quality.

“Every year, the NZ judges say the standard in Warkworth is as good as anywhere in NZ,” Sally says.

“One of the things I love most about the shows is seeing entries from new gardeners. I love encouraging the novices – it’s a real privilege.”

Lynne and Sally say that during covid, a lot of people literally stopped and smelled the roses, so they believe there must be a lot of new gardeners who could benefit from both joining one of the local clubs and showing their flowers at a local show. Gardening clubs are a place to socialise with other like-minded people, and both men and women are welcome.

“Members share knowledge and experience, and the club meetings are the perfect place to find out what plants flourish in our area.” New members are always welcome.

Some local garden clubs:

• Warkworth Garden Club meets on the third Tuesday of the month and has a varied programme throughout the year. For more information, go to: www.warkworthgardenclub.co.nz

• The Warkworth Library Gardening Club meets in the Warkworth Library or council rooms on the first Wednesday of the month, at 6.30pm. Info: warklib@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

• Snells Beach Garden Circle meets at the Mahurangi East Community Centre on the second Wednesday of the month, at 1.30pm. Info: Barbara Carpenter 425 5371 or 027 2941 780 or Jeni Hart 09 473 5954 or 021 241 1007

• Kaipara Flats Garden Club usually meets in homes in the Warkworth area on the first Thursday of the month, at 10am. Info: Noelene Pyle 027 343 2298 or Jeni Hart 473 5954 or 021 241 1007

• Wellsford Horticultural Society meets at the Wellsford Community Centre on the fourth Thursday of the month at 1pm during winter (May-Aug). Bus trips are arranged in other months. Info: Carolyne Andrews 423 8614

• Point Wells Garden Circle formed 50 years ago and runs a programme of speakers and garden visits throughout the year. The group meets in the Point Wells Hall on the fourth Thursday of the month at 1.30pm. For inquiries to join this friendly group, email ptwellsgarden@gmail.com

Sally Greenwood (left) and Lynne Crump hope the more casual Anniversary Display will encourage more gardeners to enter their flowers.

Lynne Crump’s garden is recovering from the damage wrought by the unusually wet start to the year.

The Anniversary Display programme, which includes competition categories, can be read with this story online.

Pale-flowered kumarahou, or Pomaderris hamiltonii – rare, local and definitely not a weed.

Local plant blooming marvellous

A rare shrub that only grows in a handful of places, including between Warkworth and Leigh, is currently in flower and at least one local plant lover wants to make sure people don’t mistake it for a weed.

Angela Gibbons, who lives near Whangateau, says the pale-flowered kumarahou, or Pomaderris hamiltonii, is sometimes mistaken for a similar bush, the much more common yellow-flowered Pomaderris kumeraho, known as gum digger’s soap or golden tainui, or even an invasive weed, cotoneaster.

“This kumarahou grows locally, it’s very special, but I’ve seen locals cutting it down, not knowing what it is,” she says. “It’s a good time to let people know as it is in flower now.”

So, how do you tell your local kumarahou from your kumeraho or cotoneaster?

According to the New Zealand Plant Conservation Network, pale-flowered kumarahou is a rare native shrub that grows to between three and six-metres tall. It’s branches point upwards, it has small, oval pointed leaves with prominent veins underneath and has sprays of small cream flowers.

Kumarahou only grows in a few spots in the North Island, including around Warkworth, Whangaripo, Big Omaha, Whangateau, Ti Point and Leigh, where it can often be seen growing along the roadside. It can also be found around the Firth of Thames, the Wairoa estuary and on Aotea Great Barrier.

The shrub was named Pomaderris hamiltonii in 1955 by renowned Warkworth botanist Lucy Moore, after Dr Max Hamilton, another respected Warkworth plant scientist, who was head of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research at the time.

The other, more widespread Pomaderris is easy to tell from the local rarity because it’s flowers are a pale golden yellow, not cream. Plants are also shorter and more bushy than pale-flowered kumarahou, rarely reaching four-metres tall, and its leaves are wrinkled and blunt-tipped. Meanwhile, non-native weed species cotoneaster is a spreading, evergreen shrub with little clusters of white flowers spread quite evenly along lengthy, arching shoots. It usually flowers later than kumarahou and is distinguished by its vivid red or orange berries in the autumn.

Info: www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species

Cotoneaster – an invasive weed. Photo, Trevor James.

Photo, Peter de Lange.

The much more common Pomaderris kumeraho, known as gum-digger’s soap.

Warmer temperatures bring unwelcome biting bugs

Health NZ/Te Whatu Ora has issued a timely reminder that tipping out containers of stagnant water is a simple way to reduce mosquito numbers around the house and garden.

They suggest doing a check for old tyres, tins, bottles and jars that might be holding water, as well as checking gutters and drains to make sure they are clear of leaves and blockages, and emptying and cleaning pot plant saucers. Better still, fill the saucers with sand. There are 16 species of mosquito in NZ – 13 natives and three introduced. Thankfully, NZ’s native mosquito species have mainly adapted to bite birds, so generally leave humans alone. According to Te Papa, the Southern house mosquito is now one of the most common mosquitoes in NZ. It is believed to have been introduced in the 1830s, most likely via whaling ships visiting ports in the Bay of Islands and Auckland. It is a nocturnal mosquito and is found indoors and outdoors.

Another common mosquito is the striped, or ankle biting, mosquito. It arrived in the 1920s and was also first found around ports, but is now widespread. It also feeds in the evening and early morning.

Digging in to win

The onset of summer is also the time when mosquitoes start breeding.

Te Whatu Ora recommends householders:

• Use screens on windows and doors.

• Use insect sprays when mosquitoes are around.

• Use mosquito coils.

• Use a mosquito net over the bed at night.

• Turn on air conditioning if available, as this is an effective way of keeping mosquitoes out of a room.

A single female mosquito can lay more than 200 eggs at a time and some mosquito eggs can survive outside water for months or years. But all mosquitoes need water to complete their life cycle, which is why it is important to remove potential breeding sites.

Thank you to everyone who entered our recent gardening competition. Congratulations to our three winners, who each received a collection of heirloom seeds and a commemorative tote bag, courtesy of Yates. The winners were Mandy Burnside of Wellsford, Dawn Ferguson of Warkworth and Eliza Dell of Matakana. The competition was organised to mark National Gardening Week (October 16 to 23), which is promoting the multiple benefits of homegrown vegetables that are cheaper, fresher and often have a higher nutritional value.

Spring Fling for rural women

A timely look at saving money on food and not wasting resources will be the focus at an event being organised by Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ) in Wellsford next month.

The northern region’s second annual Spring Fling will feature guest speakers Sophie Gray, the cook, writer and inspiration behind Destitute Gourmet, and local recycling champion Trish Allen, of Mahurangi Wastebusters.

Gray has written several food books and says her mission is to help people eat well and spend less via Destitute Gourmet resources, such as cook books, community workshops, social media and a website. She will explain practical and effective ways to shop, cook, eat and save money at the supermarket and, using her personal experience and plenty of anecdotes, she’ll show how to make family food more interesting, healthy and cost effective.

Mahurangi Wastebusters founder Allen will talk about the group’s two community

Community garden

recycling centres and waste education programmes in schools, as well as providing practical tips on reducing waste.

RWNZ regional leader Heather Sorensen says the Spring Fling will be a chance for all women to learn something new and have some fun at the same time.

“During the last year, many people have experienced multiple adverse weather events, putting added stress on families who are having to cope with the cost of living increases and, in many cases, decreased income due to fluctuations in prices for their products,” she says.

“We encourage all women – members, friends, neighbours and family groups – to get together and come along for a great day.”

The Spring Fling will be held at the Wellsford Memorial RSA on Saturday, November 4, from 11am to 4pm. Tickets cost $20 for RWNZ members or $25 for non-members and food is included.

RSVP and registration: Contact Heather Sorensen at heathersorensen55@gmail. com or on 027 472 4485

A gardening success story in Mangawhai is the 14-year-old Mangawhai Community Garden in Moir Street, next to the Domain. One of the organisers, Alison Bain, says the garden welcomes new volunteers to its weekly working bees on Fridays, from 8am onwards. Volunteering at the garden is an opportunity to meet new people and learn more about growing a variety of fruit and vegetables. Alison says the garden is working towards being self-sufficient with activities such as making chutneys and preserves from garden produce and selling them in the shop on site. “The garden has grown into something quite exceptional,” she said. Long-term, she would like to see community gardens across the district share knowledge and experiences. “We’re all very busy and we are all volunteers, but it would be great if a get-together could be organised so we can learn from one another.”

Visit us on Facebook for daily notices at www.facebook.com/Mahurangimatters/

Sophie Gray and Trish Allen will offer tips, tricks and techniques to reduce waste and make money go further.

Solving the agri-methane problem

The performance of New Zealand in seeking to achieve zero carbon by 2050 has been satisfactory as reflected in UN global climate performance indices, but it could have been more exceptional. The single issue that has raised tensions between the NZ farming sector and those in the broader climate-sensitive community has been agri-methane or enteric methane. Methane must be viewed among the most damaging of the common greenhouse gases – even worse than carbon dioxide. The good news is that an effective scientific solution to agri-methane emissions has presented itself.

DSM, the major international corporation (US$16 billion) based in the Netherlands, specialises in nutritional products for humans and animals. DSM has developed an agent, Bovaer, which includes 10-25% of 3-nitrooxypropanol (NOP-3), a simple, selective agent that acts as an effective agrimethane inhibitor.

Bovaer NOP-3 seems certain to be deployed widely among the leading international dairy-producing countries, including the USA, UK, Germany and Australia, following years of testing and approval. The NZ Rural News Group reported that Bovaer has been cleared for use in 45 countries and it was approved this month by the NZ Environmental Protection Agency, an essential step in registering it for use in NZ. Importantly, Bovaer has been demonstrated to be safe for cows and humans.

The efficacy of Bovaer has been evaluated in the Oxford Academic Journal of Animal Science (July 4, 2023). During fibre digestion in the rumen, enteric methane is produced. There have been a series of studies to develop specific

inhibitors of methanogenesis, and Bovaer NOP-3 is the most practical and effective agent for this process. This peerreviewed paper in a respected journal has evaluated Bovaer NOP-3 at two levels on methane emissions, nitrogen balance and performance by feedlot cattle. In this study, no effect of NOP-3 has been found on animal performance or nitrogen balance. However, NOP-3 consistently decreased methane emissions and methane yield from dry matter intake. This study has decisively demonstrated the potential role of NOP-3 in reducing methane emissions from feedlot cattle.

Meat and Livestock Australia also reported that Bovaer added at a low dosage rate of 100mg/kg to barley-based finishing diets containing the antibiotic Monensin and 7% fat, reduced methane production by 90%. Average daily gain and feed conversion ratios for steers were found to be aligned with industry expectations. NOP-3 was evaluated as part of a funded project, which has the aim of reducing enteric methane emissions in Australian feedlot operations and was found to reduce methane production. At the lowest rate, methane reduction of 60% was observed and, at the highest rate, it was 90%. When Bovaer is finally adopted and implemented in New Zealand, one of the more sensitive and divisive problems in reducing carbon emissions will be resolved. Both the farming community and the rest of NZ should rejoice because when this happens, the NZ community as a whole can move on to become world leaders in climate remediation.

Chance to fly south next autumn

Dedicated dairy farmers and workers could win a trip to Queenstown next year, simply by entering the 2024 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards. All entrants in the NZ Share Farmer, Dairy Manager, Dairy Trainee and Responsible Dairying of the Year categories will be eligible to win a trip south for the National Finals Gala Dinner in May. Those entrants who make it to the national finals will win flights and accommodation in Queenstown for finals week, while dairy trainee finalists will also win a study tour around the region. Online entries are open until December 5, but anyone who enters before October 27 will go into an Early Bird entry prize draw and be in with a chance to win prizes from Honda.

Emeritus Professor Ralph Cooney ONZM, FRSNZ r.cooney@auckland.ac.nz

Animals

Stephen McAulay, CEO and head vet, Wellsford Vet Clinic https://wellsfordvet.com/

Balancing available feed

The old saying that “the definition of madness is doing the same thing and expecting a different result” could be reinterpreted after the last 12 months of wet weather as, “the definition of madness is running livestock that eat grass”. Some people are proactive and some reactive but, either way, some good gold can be found by critically reviewing this year’s winter grazing management.

The regional Animal Welfare investigators were very busy this year with large numbers of lifestyle blocks, as well as some larger farms, being under their investigation magnifying glass. How did your property get on?

Strategies which most large farms use relate to growing, managing/rationing and balancing available feed with animal demands. Some time spent considering these are good lessons for the coming winters ahead. Most beef farms reduce stocking rate through winter, exiting larger animals and allowing smaller/younger animals to enter. Many farms this year anticipated the crunch feed months of August and September back in March/ April and reduced stocking rate to lower levels than normal.

Fertiliser application is used to increase pasture growth and potentially “feed on hand” as increased pasture mass in autumn (when the grass is still growing well). Conserving pasture as hay or silage/ baleage is an additional method which can be utilised to improve pasture rationing. Another old saying is when pasture cover is low, slow the rotation down and increase the supplementation (hay, silage/baleage, meal, PKE etc), allow the grass time to grow. An old boss of mine, Soren Moller’s

PhD confirmed the idea that pasture mass/ height increased pasture growth. Hence, the idea to leave paddocks at 1500kgDM/ ha after grazing.

The most proactive farmers started standing animals “off pasture” from early June. This was to both leave the paddocks with good pasture residuals and reduce treading damage. Using covered yards or sheltered areas (from wind and rain) helped reduce animal heat loss and, hence, feed demands. Speaking to the farmers who used these techniques, they felt that this was not their preference for looking after their animals, but that they had made the conscious decision that running out of feed was worse. Frequently, they provided supplement in the form of hay or baleage and commented that the animals were more content than they would be “if they had been left exposed in the paddock”. Choosing areas which have good drainage for stand-off areas or placement of shelters or tree planting to achieve sheltered areas for animals in winter is a good investment. One farmer recommended assessing your property in the light of the full moon as the subtle undulations in land are easier to decern with the shadows generated from the Moon compared to the Sun. Give it a try and see if you can be better prepared to feed your animals next winter and the winters ahead.

Entries open for Māori dairy award

Calling all Māori milkers – entries for the annual Ahuwhenua Trophy for Māori farmers and growers are open and this year, the focus is on dairy farmers. The trophy was established 90 years ago to foster the growth and development of Māori in livestock farming and horticulture and rotates every year between the sheep and beef, dairy and horticulture sectors. Entries are open until December 8, with initial judging in January and finalists announced at the end of February. Ahuwhenua Trophy chair Nukuhia Hadfield says the competition is a great opportunity for Māori farmers, trusts and other entities to showcase their dairy farming operations, and not enough people understand the contribution that Māori farmers make, including more than 10 per cent of the total earnings of the dairy industry.

Info and entries: www.ahuwhenuatrophy.maori.nz/about/enter/dairy-competition

Call Connor Wilson

Summerfooty

Summer Football registrations are open for the upcoming season at Warkworth Football Club. The season runs every Tuesday night, beginning Tuesday, October 24 and ending Tuesday, December 19. Mixed juniors from 5-6pm and mixed seniors from 6-7pm. Seven-a-side format. Create your own teams. Senior teams must have either two women or two 15-year-olds or under in each team. This is social football with an emphasis on fun. Registrations close on Sunday, October 15. Juniors $50 per team, seniors $200 per team. For more information contact admin@warkworthfc.org

Chess

The Mangawhai Chess Club runs every Tuesday afternoon from 3.30-6pm at Mangawhai Tavern, 75 Moir Street, Managawhai. Adults, teenagers, boys and girls, of all ages and levels are welcome. We teach chess from scratch so don’t be shy. Under 18-year-olds must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Training session from 3.30-4.15pm, chess games from 4.15pm-5.30pm, order food from 5.30-6pm. Contact Tina on 021 689 988 for more information or visit the Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/795009064527481

Girlsfootballprogramme

Warkworth Football Club and Northern Region Football have teamed up to run a free fourweek fun football programme for girls. Open to all girls whether they have played football before or not. All skill levels and experience will be catered for. Coached by experienced Northern Football Federation coach, Hayley Stirling. The session will run every Tuesday afternoon for four weeks, commencing on Tuesday, October 17. 5-8 year old sessions will run from 3.30pm until 4.15pm and 9-12 year old sessions will run from 4.15pm-5pm. To register visit https://forms.office.com/r/EmcbzmsWzD

Snellstennis

Adults & child tennis has begun at Mahurangi East Tennis Club on a Saturday morning. Adults (parents/grandparents) can bring along their children/grandchildren to play fun social tennis. 9-10am every Saturday morning. Free for members of the club or $5 each for casual players. Racquets and balls can be provided if needed. Info: clubcaptain@mahutennis.co.nz

Junior rugby winds-up season

On Sunday August 26, Mahurangi Junior Rugby held their annual prize giving. This was held at the club where there were rides and activities for the kids and parents alike. It was great to see all the family enjoying the club atmosphere and celebrating what was another awesome year of Junior Rugby. The club had 22 teams made up of 280 kids register and play the season, slightly up from the 245 the previous year. For the first year in many, the club was able to field two J1 teams. This is the top team for the junior club and is made up of Year 7 and 8 kids. Their last game of the draw was against each other and it was played under lights at the club on the last Thursday night of training. A true mate vs mate battle and a great send off for the Year 8 kids who will, hopefully, further their

rugby journey at college next year. A special thank you to our sponsors and our coaches, referees and managers. Along with the effort from our fabulous committee –without them we simply would not be able to keep the kids playing the game that we all love.

We do, however, need new people to get involved across the whole club. New people bring energy and fresh ideas and stop the club succumbing to volunteer fatigue. The upcoming Mahurangi touch session will start on October 12. Even if you are not in a team, come along on a Thursday night for dinner and enjoy the club hospitality and find out first hand why Mahurangi is the best club to play for, at and against.

The junior prizegiving was a chance for players and organisers to relax and enjoy an end of season get-together.

Contributed by Tammy Morris Mahurangi Junior Rugby administrator

HAIR & NAILS

COLLINS ELECTRONICS HAVE YOU LOST PRIME? Or need your Freeview box tuned for the new channels? TV repairs, microwave oven repairs, Freeview installations.

Ph Paul 09 422 0500 or 027 29 222 04

Rainfall figures for September

Bowls celebration nears

A special centennial booklet titled Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow has been printed to mark Bowls Warkworth’s centenary this month. The booklet looks back on the club’s history, with articles and photos covering the various eras and achievements. Meanwhile, the club still has room for six more teams in its Warkworth Oaks centennial fours tournament, which will be played at both the Warkworth and Omaha Bowls Club greens on October 21.

“We hope to have the greens full,” organiser John Hurdley says.

“The tournament is filling up nicely but we still need six more teams to have the full complement. A delicious afternoon tea will be put on at the Warkworth club, along with the tournament prizegiving and a special cake cutting ceremony, at the conclusion of the tournament.”

A Centennial Dinner on the following evening (October 22) is a sell-out and Hurdley is expecting the night to be an enjoyable affair.

“The clubrooms will be decorated and a lot of effort will go into the table settings. Danny Crocome will provide background music and there will be a humorous debate put on by Warkworth Toastmasters with the moot ‘Is sexism still alive and well in bowls’.

“Master of ceremonies for the evening will be Murray Chapman and the dinner is being catered by Daniel Emmanuel, of

The special Centenary Booklet takes a look back at 100 years of bowling in Warkworth.

Emmanuel`s Café.

“A second cake cutting ceremony will also be held.”

Special guests will include the club’s oldest Life Member, May Evans, who is 100, as well as Life Members Les Hatful and Jack Knowles, who are a mere 97 years old. While Knowles has retired from bowls, Hatful still plays.

Hurdley says an informal get-together will be held at the club on Friday evening October 20 where anyone is welcome to enjoy a drink and nibbles from 5pm onwards.

Business bowls changes name

Warkworth Bowls’ social bowls event, the annual Business House Bowls, will be known as the Community Bowls competition this year. An organiser Cathy Parsons hopes the name change will encourage more people to think about fielding a team. The tournament, which is played on Tuesday evenings from 6pm, gets underway next month. The season is broken in to two halves, with a break for Christmas. “The emphasis is on having fun, relaxing and enjoying the game,” Parsons says. “In keeping with this, we will be awarding a prize this year for the team that comes up with the best name.” New bowlers will be able to attend a coaching night on the Tuesday evening before the competition starts.

Info: bowlswarkworth@gmail.com

9 Mahurangi Trail Society AGM, Mahurangi East Community Centre, 7.30pm. Brief AGM followed by speaker and presentation by society chair. All welcome. Info: https://www.mahurangi.nz/whats-on/

12 A Year in the Moana, Warkworth RSA, 7.30-9pm. Talk by freediver and conservationist Frances Dickinsonis who is keen to set up a rewilding project at Te Kohuroa – Matheson Bay to highlight the marine species there.

14 Election Day. Results available from 7pm. For voting locations visit https://vote.nz/2023-general-election/how-to-vote/find-a-voting-place/

14 Warkworth Great Debate, Warkworth Town Hall, 7pm.  Two moots: The World is Not PC Enough; and Manners Are Not Sexy Anymore. Fundraiser for Harbour Hospice. Tickets $35 from Mahurangi Matters, Harts Pharmacy, Warkworth Information Centre or Hospice’s Tui House.

16 Low Vision Support Group, Summerset Falls Village, Warkworth, 1.30pm. All welcome. Info: enquiries@mcdonaldadams.co.nz

16 Warkworth Men’s Rebus Club AGM, Shoesmith Hall, Shoesmith Street, Warkworth, 10am. Guest and club speakers. Missing your mates? Why not come and join us. You will be made welcome. Info: Ron 422 3111.

17 Whangateau Folk Club presents Himmerland, a Danish multi-cultural band, 7pm for 7.30pm start. Tickets $20. Info: jenine@torkington.com

20 U3A Waste Management talk, BeSoul Magnolia Room, 12 Gumfield Drive, Warkworth, 2pm. Speakers Trish Allen, Mahurangi Wastebusters, and Stephanie Gibson, Sustainable Kaipara, on new food scraps collection process and Kaipara Council’s waste to energy proposal. All welcome.

20&21 Pink Ribbon Street Appeal in Warkworth (20th) and Matakana Village (21st) (see brief p16)

20-23 Morris & James Labour Weekend Sale (see ad p30)

21 Kowhai Festival, Warkworth Town Centre, 9am-8pm. Food and market stalls 9am3pm, food, live music and bar until 8pm on Warkworth Wharf (see story p19)

21 Food Trucks Up North, Warkworth Showgrounds, 5-9pm. Diverse food and pop-up bar. Info: www.facebook.com/events/1689947151432336

21& 22 Labour Weekend Garage Sale Bonanza, Puhoi Hall, 10am-3pm. Antiques, bargains, clothing, tools, collectables, and homewares. Upcycled, preloved, vintage and new.

24 Gold Connect, Snells Beach Baptist Church, 2.30-4pm, every second Tuesday (the day you collect your super). Creating opportunities to meet more locals. Afternoon tea, music, games, chat and introductions. Free. Info: Susanna 027 476 7484.

26 Gibbs Farm fundraiser for Albertland Heritage Museum, 10am-2pm. Bookings essential – email info@albertlandmuseum.co.nz or phone 423 8181

26&27 Coastal Heritage Art School Art Exhibition, Warkworth Town Hall, 10am-4pm

28 Know Your Dog Training Workshop, Shoesmith Hall, 2-4pm. Run by The Forest Bridge Trust and designed to help dog owners better understand their pets. No dogs please, just owners. RSVP: email Tris at Tris@theforestbridgetrust.org.nz

28&29 Kiwi avoidance training for dogs, Matakana Country Park, 9am-1pm. Help protect kiwi in the Rodney area. Run by Save the Kiwi avoidance trainers. Training free, but you will need to book a 20-minute slot. Email Tris at tris@theforestbridgetrust.org.nz

28 Merv Pinny Band, Mangawhai Tavern, 8pm (see story p22)

29 Matakana Winegrowers annual tasting and film night, Matakana Cinemas, 5-8pm. Wine tastings followed by French film La Degustation (The Tasting). Tickets $40, which include tastings and a glass of wine to take into the movie.

29 Puhoi Market, Puhoi Sports Club grounds, 9am-1pm. Live music, artisan crafts, plants, car boot sales, coffee, food etc and dog friendly. Cash only. To book a $20 stall email puhoivillagemarkeet@gmail.com.nz

SCHOOL SHOW & AG DAYS

Wellsford School

October 14

Competition for the best fancy hat, animal parade, stalls, food, raffles and lots more.

All welcome.

Tapora School

October 14, from 9am

Animal parade and judging, games, auction & raffles.

All welcome.

Kaipara Flats School

October 28, from 9am-2pm

Stalls, raffles, auctions, games, food stalls, animal parades, scarecrow competition and lots more.

All welcome.

Coastguard seeks better launch facility

Kawau Coastguard is looking to move its boat to a berth at Sandspit Wharf to make callouts quicker, easier and safer.

At present, the Coastguard vessel is kept on a trailer in a compound just off the southwestern edge of the Sandspit car park, 250 metres down from the wharf.

Whenever there is a callout, crew members have to hook up a tractor and reverse the boat trailer along the beach until they get to the launch area near the boatsheds.

Coastguard president Paul Steinkamp told last month’s Rodney Local Board meeting that this took precious time and was becoming more challenging all the time.

“Our boat is around 10 tonnes and it’s a bit difficult to launch from a trailer, because it’s quite a heavy boat,” he said. “There’s more and more congestion at the boat ramp because there are more people coming up from Auckland to launch up here. Plus, the beach tends to get a bit potholed and, with sea level rises, we’re already quite deep in the water at high tide.

“It also means our tractor goes in salt water every time, which makes it unreliable and sometimes difficult for us to launch.”

Steinkamp added that Kawau Coastguard was fundraising for a new $1.5 million boat (MM, Sept 11), which should hopefully be arriving in 2025, but the new vessel would be even more difficult to get on and off a trailer. The solution, he said, would be to store the coastguard vessel on an inflatable boat lift moored at the wharf itself, either in the working berth area or extending out from the top of the jetty. Either option would improve response time by at least 10 minutes and save $5000 a year on tractor maintenance.

“Ten minutes can save a life,” Steinkamp said. “Every time we go out, time is important. It’s always a bigger distance to our callouts than on land and it takes us time to get there. We’ve had boat fires where they’ve capsized, and time was so tight because guys were in the water and if they’d been in there another half-an-hour, they could easily have had hypothermia, or worse.”

He added that the wharf was the only real possible venue, since neither the neighbouring Sandspit Marina or Lees Boatbuilders had room to accommodate the coastguard boat.

“There are cons to both options – using the working berth would need dredging, would reduce space on the wharf and make the boat more easily accessible to the public, while the other spot would be more exposed to the weather and boats coming in and out,” Steinkamp said.

“We’re not asking for money, but we’d appreciate the backing of the local board in our dealings with Auckland Council.” He added that the crew was also hoping it could use the vacant harbourmaster’s office on the wharf as well.

“This is about the public good. We have around 25 volunteers with more than 100 callouts a year, covering all the Rodney east coast and beyond. We want to ensure we can continue to provide a highly capable search and rescue service for the growing number of people who are boating.”

Chair Brent Bailey said he thought he could safely say that the board would offer Coastguard its support, and thanked the Kawau crew for its service.

Current Coastguard compound

Sandspit Marina

How the new wharf-side berth could look.

The boat currently has to be reversed 250m down the beach to be launched – see dotted yellow line.