Hibiscus Matters_Issue 320_4 April 2022

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Local Board says NO to Penlink toll

April 4, 2022

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Balancing act: Council gets to grips with Ōrewa Reserve Ōrewa Beach was hammered from all directions by what could be described as “a perfect storm” last month.

It’s very complex.

A seawall is not the only way to go – naturalisation, and staged realignment over time is our line of thinking at the moment.

The effects of last month’s storm on Ōrewa Reserve have renewed questions about the seawall build further up the beach, and what may happen to protect the reserve.

A combination of high tides, a 2-3m swell, strong winds and exceptionally heavy rainfall lashed the beach with the runoff from rainwater undercutting concrete picnic tables on the reserve.

Sand that had been transferred from the southern end of the beach as a buffer did its job – it was eroded, exposing tree roots and making access onto the beach difficult.

Auckland Council brought in a digger to build up sand in front of the reserve again to improve access and expects a major sand transfer from the southern end of the beach next month to sort out the rest (see next page).

After the storm, Council staff updated Hibiscus and Bays Local Board members about coastal protection work for Ōrewa. Work has been going on behind the scenes for some time regarding what could happen on the beachfront of Ōrewa Reserve.

Council’s Resilient Land and Coasts general manager, Paul Klinac, told members at a workshop that coastal management on Ōrewa Beach is “a balancing act”, with different responses needed for different parts of the shore.

“Lots of people think because of the process we’ve already been through for the other seawall [Kohu St-Marine View, see chart next page], building another would be relatively easy, but there are real challenges,” Klinac said.

Council’s research on how Ōrewa Reserve is used made it clear that the beach is ‘the star of the show’, and the key reason people visit the reserve. With that in mind, the effects on dry high tide beach of any seawall, over time, must be factored in. Pohutukawa and Norfolk pines on the edge of the reserve are also an issue.

“It’s very complex. A seawall is not the only way to go – naturalisation, and staged realignment over time is our line of thinking at the moment. The width of the reserve gives continued p2

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continued from p1 us more options [than at Kohu St-Marine View]. A wall might stop sand blowing around, but planting can also provide a buffer,” Klinac told members.

He emphasised that any decisions on shoreline protection for Ōrewa Reserve are a long way off, but the process is underway.

Whatever is done will be influenced by the community, mana whenua and the science, Klinac said.

The aim is to mitigate the effects of climate change and sea level rise, while providing the public with access to the things they value about the reserve. It will bring together a number of reports, scientific data and historical evidence, and include public consultation.

One relevant document is the Ōrewa Reserve Service Assessment report, funded by the Hibiscus and Bays Local Board last year (HM August 2, 2021). It analysed how the public use the reserve. The local board used the findings as a guide when it set priorities for the reserve’s long term management – these include retaining play options for children and the basketball/ beach volleyball courts.

Sand transfer Klinac described Council’s current

April 4, 2022 – Issue 320 21 Florence Ave, Ōrewa, 0931 | ph 09 427 8188

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www.localmatters.co.nz Next issue: April 18, 2022 Book your advertising now General manager: Jannette Thompson gm@localmatters.co.nz News: Terry Moore ph 427 8187 terry@localmatters.co.nz Sally Marden ph 022 478 1619 reporter@localmatters.co.nz Graphic designer: Lorry McCarthy hibiscus@localmatters.co.nz Online: Alysha Dudley ph 022 544 0249 online@localmatters.co.nz Advertising: Angela Gallagher ph 022 029 1895 sellit@localmatters.co.nz Leigh Cameron ph 022 096 8517 sales@localmatters.co.nz A division of Local Matters. Hibiscus Matters is a locally owned publication, circulated to more than 25,800 homes and businesses fortnightly: Puhoi • Waiwera • Hatfields • Ōrewa • Silverdale • Millwater • Dairy Flat • Red Beach • Whangaparāoa Peninsula

management approach on Ōrewa Beach – mainly sand transfer – as “quite effective” .

This will continue once the Kohu-Marine View seawall is built and Klinac said it is too early to say whether the eventual protection measures for Ōrewa Reserve could see the end of it.

“It’s good to note that not all the buffer sand was removed by the storm,” he said. “Despite the last 20 years of coastal

processes, the reserve and trees are still there. However, the current response, while effective, could change moving forward.

It’s an interim response while we get our heads around climate change.”

It is two years since the last full sand transfer. Following the recent storm, around 8000-10,000 cubic metres of sand will be moved north as a buffer – this is scheduled to take place next month.

Where is the Ōrewa seawall at? – timeline (Kohu St-Marine view)

Views expressed in Hibiscus Matters are not necessarily endorsed by the publishers. All rights reserved. Reproduction without editor’s permission is prohibited.

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Pressure grows for better enforcement By staff reporters and Laura Kvigstad, Auckland Council Reporter. Funded by NZ on Air

The Hibiscus & Bays Local Board, along with Takapuna-Devonport and Kaipātiki Local Boards, continue to call for better enforcement of bylaws after low compliance in their communities.

Representatives of the three local boards presented examples of the effects of non-compliance to Auckland Council’s Regulatory Committee meeting last month.

All three boards had submitted notices of motion to the committee detailing how flytipping, dog control, illegal camping, driving on beaches, sedimentation and noise complaints to Council had fallen on deaf ears (HM March 7).

Devonport-Takapuna Local Board chair Ruth Jackson said there was a backlog of 1700 complaints from her area alone.

“The most common complaint we get is frustration about council being unable to effectively enforce bylaws,” Jackson said.

“Residents had been told ‘we can’t help you,’ when they complained to Council staff.”

Jackson pointed to staff shortages and travel time as obstacles. She said it was an organisational issue and not a criticism of staff.

“Staff are fantastic. We don’t want to lose

them. We want more like them.”

Hibiscus and Bays Local Board member Alexis Poppelbaum said the bylaw system was immensely complicated and broken.

“People see this as a core function of Council. People are dejected and frustrated,” Popplebaum said.

She said Council and Auckland Transport were battling over who should enforce bylaws related to people driving on beaches.

“We don’t care who does it – just enforce it,” she said.

Popplebaum wants to see a comprehensive review of bylaw enforcement across Council and its organisations.

In response, Council staff told the committee that a key issue is a lack of ability to issue fines.

Licensing and Regulatory Compliance general manager, James Hassall, said he wants the Local Government Act to change and allow infringement when bylaws are broken. He said in the meantime,

many bylaws can only be enforced using education or lengthy and expensive court prosecutions.

He also said that staff increasingly face violence when they take enforcement action.

“There has been a huge increase in aggression,” Hassall said. “In many animal management cases, we have to send two officers. It has halved my compliance staff.”

The board members were invited for further talks on the issue with MPs and police officials by Cr Sharon Stewart.

After the meeting, Poppelbaum said that the local boards need to keep up the pressure “so that we see meaningful organisation-wide changes, not just a plaster over the problem.”

Parking changes proposed

Auckland Transport’s (AT) draft Parking Strategy proposes changes to how parking is managed across the city. The proposals are out for public consultation this month. An updated parking strategy has been prepared in response to legislative and policy changes from the Government and Auckland Council, which include the removal of onsite car parking requirements for new housing developments. AT’s draft strategy aims to reduce the use of private cars, replacing this with an increase in the use of public transport and things like cycling and walking. This means changing how the road corridors are used, designing them around the movement of people rather than just cars. AT says these changes will benefit drivers too, by reducing gridlock. The draft includes a proposal to charge for parking at park ‘n’ rides. AT estimates that the fees would be in the range of approximately $2-$4 per day initially. The plan also includes new ways of managing on-street parking. There are different responses suggested for city centres, town centres and suburban areas. Silverdale and Whangaparāoa are noted as Tier 2, which is focused on encouraging a shift to sustainable transport modes, while supporting short stay parking. Parking Management Plans will be developed for these areas, in consultation with the community and local board. Any changes adopted by AT will be rolled out progressively over the next 10 years and individual communities will be consulted with. The feedback period began at the start of April and ends on May 1. Info: https:// at.govt.nz/about-us/have-your-say/

Coast’s second mayoral candidate A second Red Beach resident, Hibiscus & Bays Local Board chair Gary Brown, has thrown his hat into the ring for Mayor of Auckland.

Twenty-eight year old Jake Law, also of Red Beach, announced his candidacy last October.

A mayoral campaign is a big step up for both of these local contenders.

While Law has local body politics in the family (his grandfather is former Rodney District Council Mayor John Law), he is a teacher and student politics has been his experience in the field to date. He is currently student president elect at Massey University’s Albany campus.

Brown’s first foray into politics was when he was elected to the local board three years ago, whereupon members voted him in as chair. He says he is loving it and standing for Mayor seemed a natural next goal.

He is also known locally as an entertainer – including a long-standing stint as an

Austin Powers impersonator. Brown has continued this work part-time while on the local board, but says if he becomes Mayor, he will have to put performance on the back burner.

In announcing his candidacy, on April 1, he said in his role as chair he has seen the inner workings of how the council operates and feels change is called for.

He said his key concerns include transparency, more robust infrastructure solutions and assisting the homeless.

Other mayoral candidates so far include lawyer Ted Johnston, Manukau councillor Efeso Collins, Heart of the City chief executive Viv Beck, businessman Leo Molloy, and Craig Lord who also stood for the position in 2019.

Candidate nominations close on August 12, with the final list of candidates to be announced on August 17. The election will be on Saturday, October 8 – held by postal vote. Voting papers will be sent to all eligible voters from Friday, September 16.

Gary Brown is standing for Mayor of Auckland.

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Sale process continues for 22 Whangaparāoa Rd sites

Local board says ‘NO’ to Penlink toll The Hibiscus & Bays Local Board is opposing the tolling of Penlink in no uncertain terms, telling Waka Kotahi/NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) that unless there is a bus/T2 lane available from day one, drivers should not be charged to use the route.

Chair Gary Brown says tolling works against a key objective of Penlink – to relieve congestion through Silverdale at peak times.

The future of 22 sites along a busy part of Whangaparāoa Road is being negotiated with potential purchasers. It may be weeks, or even months, before any sales are finalised and made public.

Auckland Council put the sites up for sale in February (HM February 21) and tenders closed last month (March 16).

A spokesperson for Eke Panuku, Council’s property arm, says agent Bayleys Real Estate is working through the next steps of the process.

“It may be some time before any agreements can be finalised, given the number of properties taken to market, and until any sale is finalised all details remain

confidential,” the spokesperson says.

Of key interest to the wider community is whether several of the properties are sold to one buyer for development, as local politicians have been vocal in their fears that multiple homes built on these sites could have a substantial impact on the traffic on this part of Whangaparāoa Road.

The properties, at 472-502 Whangaparāoa Road and 4 Brightside Road, were originally purchased for road widening related to Penlink by the former Rodney District Council. The zoning is Residential – Single House and together the sites make up 13,520sqm.

In its marketing, Bayleys stated that the land comprises two blocks and a single site

which “can be purchased individually, in any combination, or as one consolidated holding”.

Government’s Resource Management (Enabling Housing Supply and Other Matters) Amendment Bill, which became law last December, allows up to three houses of up to three storeys to be built on a residential zoned site without resource consent. More can be built, subject to a on-notified consent.

The proceeds of sale will go back into the Council coffers to fund capital projects or debt.

The process of putting the properties up for sale began three years ago, and was first made public by Hibiscus Matters.

Board considers boulevard budget The extension to Ōrewa Boulevard, earlier budgeted to cost $1.8m, will once again be the subject of scrutiny by the Hibiscus & Bays Local Board.

Auckland Transport (AT) recently completed the tender process for the project, and while the latest potential costs are under wraps for now, due to commercial sensitivity, local board chair Gary Brown says in the current climate it would be a miracle if they had not gone up.

Last August, the local board agreed to fund the work, based on AT’s detailed design estimate of $1.8m. Work was originally expected to begin towards the end of last year but this was delayed by changes in Covid-19 alert levels.

The project, which extends the pedestrian friendly boulevard 220m further along, from Riverside Road to Empire Road, is a

top priority for the local board and paying for it dug deep into its $2.5m transport capital fund.

Brown says if the projected costs substantially rise, how to find the extra money will be an issue for the cash strapped local board.

Provided they can find the money, he says they hope to fix a price and see the project get underway as soon as possible.

The project aims to slow traffic as well as better connect the beach and shops with Ōrewa Reserve and includes a shared path on the beach side of the highway and a brick paved footpath on the other side.

Parallel parking on the beach side will change to angled parking, with a gain of seven parks. Two pedestrian crossings will become raised zebra crossings.

Backstories www.localmatters.co.nz July 14 and August 27, 2021

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Extending Ōrewa Boulevard for 220 metres along Hibiscus Coast Highway is expected to cost more than the projected $1.8m.

The local board’s feedback to NZTA last month says that without provision for public transport and a transit lane, there is likely to be undue pressure on the Silverdale interchange, which is already at capacity.

It also says that it would create inequities for those using the free alternative route, because of the cost caused by distance and congestion.

“

If the toll was halved, and 50 percent went to costs and 50 percent to maintenance it would surely increase patronage on the road.

”

“We recommend any dedicated bus lane and infrastructure be built to make public transport an attractive option, from day one,” the local board feedback says.

With the final design of the route yet to be finalised and revealed, a further issue raised by members is the need to investigate building northern on/off motorway ramps at Redvale, to avoid further congestion at Silverdale.

Finally, the local board considers the level of toll proposed, at $4 each way for light vehicles on the full 7km route, is too high.

Brown says NZTA predicts that as many as 12,000 vehicles could use the route each day, amassing $40,000 per day in tolls.

“NZTA is suggesting 30 percent of that would cover the cost of tolling, and 70 percent would go to maintenance,” Brown says. “If the toll was halved, and 50 percent went to costs and 50 percent to maintenance it would surely increase patronage on the road.”

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Viewpoint Janet Fitzgerald, Hibiscus & Bays Local Board janet.fitzgerald@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

A fond farewell We have and are still experiencing some beautiful weather even though we are dealing with the issues around us. It is so important that we all lead as normal a life as possible and don’t isolate ourselves.

The Local Board has been analysing and giving feedback on a number of bylaws over the last few months as we are required to do.

It was good reading those submissions that had come in from the public and despite some saying “why bother” it is important that we get your feedback.

The Annual Budget that Auckland Council is consulting on includes our Local Board Plan that sets out our priorities going forward.

The consultation closed on the 28th of March but hopefully, you will have seen some publicity and got involved.

Recently, the Hibiscus Matters published the news that I will not be seeking re-election to the Hibiscus and Bays Local Board (HM January 24).

I want to thank all those who have voted for me over the years and the wonderful support I have had. While there is always something more one can do, it is the right time for me to step back. Instead of saying “sorry, I have a meeting”, I can finally do some of the things that I have been putting off doing.

It is a huge learning curve when you are elected to a public position. We all have visions of what we want to achieve but it is not always possible because of the way that local government is structured. That doesn’t

mean to say you can’t achieve your goals, but I know how much time, persistence and energy it takes to deliver projects for our community.

I’ve always worked hard to represent our community, listen, and act to resolve issues and get a result. Sometimes it can be a balancing act between the community’s expectations and the expert advice we receive, as well as the need to find a result that satisfies everyone.

Times have changed and we are now paying for the way we treated the environment in the past. Stormwater being discharged onto our beaches, which years ago seemed okay, is now something that needs to be reversed to save our wonderful beach environment that so many come here to enjoy.

I look forward to the completion of the Men’s Shed in Silverdale. This is something I feel very passionate about, having already seen the positive outcomes for those men in our community that benefit from a community space to share their skills, have a laugh and maybe have a talk over a cuppa.

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Win a Mother’s Day hamper from Life Pharmacy Ōrewa!

HOW TO ENTER: Simply tell us the best advice your mother ever gave you. The best (or funniest) advice wins! Entries can be messaged to Hibiscus Matters Facebook page, emailed to online@localmatters.co.nz or posted to Hibiscus Matters, 21 Florence Ave Ōrewa. Please include a name and daytime phone number. Entries close April 22, 2022.

Welcome to the team!

I can look back on my time in local government and remember the projects that I personally have been involved with and feel satisfied that what I have achieved has made a difference and positive change for our community.

Editor’s note: This is Janet’s final column.

We think her sincerely for all her input over many years and her dedicated work for the community. Enjoy your retirement Janet!

Employer guidelines released

New guidance to support businesses and organisations through the changes to vaccination requirements were released last week. The new guidance is designed to help employers update their health and safety risk assessments, reflecting the changes to the Covid-19 Protection Framework. This week, vaccine mandates narrow to only health and disability, aged care, prison and border workforces. In a statement, Workplace Relations and Safety Minister, Michael Wood, says the new workplace guidance is centred on public health advice, which suggests that requiring vaccination in the workplace should only be permitted if it’s deemed an employee is at higher risk of catching and spreading Covid-19 while at work, than they would otherwise be in the community. “Employers may still be able to maintain vaccination requirements where they continue to be supported by a workplace health and safety risk assessment, but the reason will need to be specific to their role and set of circumstances,” Minister Wood says. “We would anticipate this will significantly reduce the use of vaccine requirements in most settings and the circumstances are likely to be more limited than they have in the past now that Omicron has entered the community.” The Minister says employers should regularly review their workplace health and safety risk assessments. Info: www.worksafe.govt.nz and www.employment.govt.nz

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OurOpinion Hoping for better

And just like that – they’re gone. No scanning, no vaccine passes. No mandates either, unless you’re in the health, aged care, corrections or border sectors.

With 95 percent of the population vaccinated, two years on from the first lockdown, we are at the stage of putting on a mask and washing our hands, but otherwise taking our chances out there with Covid-19.

Travel is opening up and there are smiles on travel agents’ faces. It’s also exciting for winter outdoor sports and events and in particular I’m happy for the various charitable organisations on the Coast who can get back into face-to-face fundraising campaigns.

But with Covid-19 very much out and about in the community it is a mixed bag for many local businesses and facilities such as schools. Some are debating whether or not to still require proof of vaccination status, which will be a legal minefield.

Many have major staffing issues as people are sick or isolating, and problems with supply chains continue to cause shortages that frustrate businesses and the public alike.

It will take time for these things to get back on an even keel, and let’s hope that process is not further disrupted by any more Covid-19 variants. My new found habit of hoarding toilet paper and flour may continue for some time – just in case. And, more importantly a healing process can perhaps begin for those families and friends who were on opposite sides of the vaccine debate: that will require listening – on both sides.

Keeping our distance from each other has become more natural and some may not immediately have the confidence to get back into things like large events, or even dining out, which have been restricted for so long. The upcoming Easter holiday is a chance to give that a whirl. Local businesses need you like never before.

For Christians and non-Christians alike, Easter is about new beginnings, hope and new life. The bunny and chocolate egg side of things is reflected it its northern hemisphere origins, where of course it is spring in April – there’s nothing like a few daffodils or gamboling lambs to cheer people up.

However, this year, even in New Zealand, in autumn, we have cause for looking forward to a fresh start.

Whatever you are doing this Easter, enjoy.

Paper changes Finally, you may notice this paper looks a little different. Like every other business, Hibiscus Matters has been affected by supply chain and other Covidrelated issues. We are working hard to get a newspaper out to you despite these challenges. Thank you for your understanding.

Terry Moore

YourOpinion

Contributions to Your opinion and Off the record are welcome, to submit email: terry@localmatters.co.nz

Bargain Chemist welcomed

by the letter writer contradict his argument. His so called (acid) rain scam was not a scam which disappeared after being debunked. Exactly the opposite happened. The Europeans took action and filtered the sulphur out of industrial smokestacks and acid rain ceased. And of course acid rain did not “panic” Germany to halt all its nuclear energy plants. The acid rain problem had been solved three decades before. The exit from nuclear energy was caused by the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011 and should have happened already after the even worse Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986. However, at that time Germany did not have a scientist like Angela Merkel as chancellor, who understands that nuclear energy is inherently unsafe and the storage of nuclear waste being highly radioactive over thousands of years has not been solved. The letter writer obviously wants us to do nothing about climate change – at least not pay for it, as it will solve itself (like the ozone hole is magically closing). The facts are that the always maligned scientists identified the problem being man made chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other ozone depleting gases.

The production of these was banned by the Montreal Protocol in 1987. The very examples the writer cites for a ‘doing nothing’ approach to climate change instead proves that it is our action which is required to solve, or at least mitigate, the problem we have created in the first place.

Dr Hans B. Grueber, Wainui (abridged)

Loyal customer

Church v state

Big choice coming up

Church case not calling on taxes

Over the years I have supported a lot of local chemists around the Coast – as we have moved around a bit and have three children. We have always had great service there. However, as my children have grown up they generally head to a budget chemist in Albany for their makeup and other health related products to save money. It is super exciting to see that Bargain Chemist is coming to the Plaza (HM March 7). While I understand it will provide significant competition to longestablished local stores, I personally think its model of bulk buying perfumes and other items so they can be sold at bargain prices, and also subsidising the $5 prescription fee, is a good one. Things are tough out there and sometimes tradeoffs have to be made to save money. If we need the expert health advice from a trusted pharmacist, we will no doubt still go to a regular pharmacy. But for everything else I am unapologetic about grabbing those savings where we can.

Michelle Anderson, Tindalls Bay Editor’s note: There is an update since that story was published – Bargain Chemist will not fill the space left by Life Pharmacy.

Instead it is taking three shops, on same level as Countdown and opposite the travelators. It is expected to move in later this month. No tenant has yet been found for the space that Life Pharmacy has vacated.

My long career as a globe-trotting journalist has seen me seek help at pharmacies in many countries including Africa, Switzerland and the UK, as well as New Zealand, and so I feel qualified to congratulate pharmacist Tania Adams on the comments in her advertisement (HM March 21). And, what’s more, she and her team at Unichem Manly demonstrate the truth of her words about the value of truly local pharmacies – ones which take a pride in serving their communities rather than merely raking in the cash as medication peddlers. They are unquestionably the best I’ve encountered and dealing with them is a pleasure.

Leslie Watkins, Arkles Bay

I appreciate all that our local pharmacies do – from offering vaccinations to advice and supplying medicines. I also applaud the arrival of Bargain Chemist to the mix. Why? Because it provides consumer choice locally and potentially more local employment. I don’t see any reason for this to be a bad thing, although I understand the concerns of local pharmacies. The fact is that consumers have the right to choose their provider, according to their preference and budget. That is how the free market works.

Angela Parker, Silverdale

A call to action

A letter about Auckland’s Climate Change Action (HM March 21) demands a response. It substitutes fact with emotive language like “WOKE”, whatever that is supposed to mean, other than to scare the punters. Ironically the examples given

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I have an answer to the question posed in your story about a group of churches challenging the Covid-19 Red light gathering rules - Churches v State (HM March 7). My understanding is that Jesus was all about love, understanding and helping each other through life. He exemplified the importance of making sacrifices for the sake of others. So, yes, I believe that, He may have asked for vaccine passes (while they were still required), on the understanding that they were part of keeping everyone safe. However, if someone did not have one, I’m sure He would have let them in to do a RAT test!

Simon Galloway, Red Beach

First off I have no problems with Religion or Churches. Each to their own I believe. So, have I got this right? A group of non-tax paying churches are going to take the government to court over a situation that the whole country (and world ) has had to endure and us taxpayers are going to foot the bill? I think its pretty rich. The Pastors etc who are on board with this should feel totally ashamed especially when they look their Tax paying parishioners in the eye after receiving their weekly donations.

As the Gentleman from Arkles Bay noted (HM March 21) I think they may be more concerned about their weekly cash intake during the lockdowns although I am sure they are very savey with the on line banking.

Garry Leslie, Tindalls Bay Barrister for Ōrewa Community Church and other, Madeleine Flannagan, responds: The Churches, Mosques and individuals I represent agree with the ‘each to their own’

Marja Lubeck Labour List MP based in Kaipara ki Mahurangi For appointments and assistance please phone:

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Authorised by Marja Lubeck, Parliament Buildings, Wellington

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continued from p6 sentiment expressed by the writer – that is why they are taking the case. They are not seeking special treatment. They are seeking equal treatment and consistent application of the rules in the same way the traffic light rules have been applied to other legally protected rights to date in the pandemic, such as the right to access public transport and school. The writer will be relieved to hear the case is being fully funded by private donations, not taxes. Even if that were not the case, the writer might consider that most individual attendees of Churches and Mosques pay taxes, donations to charities are voluntary, and in NZ all citizens and entities have the right to legally challenge the decisions of their government regardless of their tax or charitable status.

Action on Ōrewa

I am calling on all women, to help move Auckland Council to restore the virtually destroyed – once beautiful – Ōrewa Beach!

Council has waffled for years, costing ratepayers millions by shifting sand on the beach, each time we have a storm or a King-tide. What a waste of time, money and energy. It has been totally useless and hasn’t solved the problem. Recently, I had a look at the beach. Although the parts where

the massive rocks still remain, are virtually unchanged, the rest of the beach now has huge gaps – sand gone to give free access by the sea to some seats and steps. Many of the beautiful old Pohutukawas and Norfolk Pine trees have their roots exposed. They may not be able to shade your children or grandchildren as the sea continues to batter their roots. I call on women to bombard the Council procrastinators with emails, demanding positive action immediately to restore the beach, return the large rocks that were taken away several years ago, or to start building a strong and attractive sea-wall. I have emailed our MP, Mark Mitchell who is contacting Council. Auckland Council, man-up! We do not have a seawall and the sand definitely does not work, apart from filling someone’s pockets with dollars that are ours! We do not want a “plan” we want action – immediately!

Margaretha Western, Ōrewa (abridged) Editor’s note: As luck would have it, this issue was discussed in a recent local board workshop and the paper then spoke with Council staff about the latest damage to the beach, plans for the reserve and progress on building the seawall between Kohu Street and Marine View, which gained resource consent in 2020. The story is on p1.

Second mammal washed up on Red Beach

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Two weeks after a beaked whale was found dead on Red Beach (HM March 21), a common dolphin also washed up there. Department of Conservation (DOC) biodiversity ranger, Olivia Keane says DOC was advised that the dolphin had been seen on the beach, on March 19. She says the dolphin, thought to be a juvenile due to its size, had been dead for a while and had just recently washed ashore. “Because of the state of decomposition, we are unable to determine the cause of death,” Keane says. She says DOC is unable to determine any links between this death and the recent death of a beaked whale also found at Red Beach. However, she says it is important to note that New Zealand has one of the highest rates of whale strandings and common dolphins, especially juveniles, washing ashore is not uncommon. DOC encourages anyone who sees a marine mammal ashore to contact 0800 DOC HOT as soon as possible.

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April 4, 2022 | Hibiscusmatters |

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Townhouses gain consent

The townhouse development in Red Beach – on the site formerly occupied by Faithfull Funeral Services on the corner of Red Beach and Albatross Roads – will get underway soon after gaining resource consent from Auckland Council on March 15. The developer, Red Beach 1, applied for consent for Stage 1 of a two stage project last October. A total of 21 townhouses will be built on the site in Stage 1. The company expects earthworks to start this month and construction towards the middle of the year.

A further eight homes are proposed for Stage 2, on neighbouring 4 Albatross Road.

Council report soundly rejected by local boards Two local boards are united in their opposition to a report by Auckland Council staff which concluded there are sufficient public facilities (libraries, sports, community halls and arts) for the residents of Millwater and Silverdale to cope with the next decade of growth.

Both Hibiscus & Bays and Rodney Local Boards rejected the findings of the Millwater and Silverdale Community Provision Investigation and are determined that it should not be endorsed by the Governing Body in its current form.

Rodney Local Board chair Phelan Pirrie describes the report as one of the worst he’s seen.

Although the Hibiscus & Bays Local Board was unhappy with the report when members first saw it last October, and gave feedback about changes that should be made, none of those had been incorporated when the report went to the Rodney Local Board last month.

One suggestion in the report was that the community can use school pools or facilities – something that raised eyebrows on both local boards.

Rodney Local Board asked if staff had

checked that was even possible, and they said the report was actually done four years ago and they didn’t have the money or resources to update it.

“What, you can’t phone a few schools?”

Pirrie says.

One of the report’s suggestions was that Silverdale residents should travel to Mahurangi College to use their pool, but not only is the school pool not open to the public, it is more than 30km away.

Pirrie says the Rodney Local Board asked for the report to be withdrawn.

Both local boards requested that Council’s Parks, Arts, Community and Events Committee direct staff to address what they call “systemic errors” within the report, and review the evidence and information within it.

“They should have worked with the local boards, as community facilities are their thing, but they just came along and did the presentation and that was it,” Pirrie says.

If they don’t withdraw it and insist on taking it to the Governing Body, Pirrie, Dairy Flat member on Rodney Local Board Louise Johnston, Hibiscus & Bays Local Board

chair Gary Brown and deputy chair Victoria Short will attend and speak about it.

“It is important because if it’s endorsed, the report will be used by developers and Council and other organisations to decide whether spending is justified,” Pirrie says. “Because it says there’s no need for investment, that’s what could happen, and these reports don’t get redone for four or five years, during which time there will be substantial growth.”

Brown says the report shows poor planning.

“We can’t sit by and let this go through,” he says. “Greater in-depth thinking and research is needed. While it’s just one report, it could impact on future service provision for our communities.”

Brown says there will be a meeting between members of the Rodney and Hibiscus & Bays Local Boards and Council staff to go through the members’ concerns again.

The next step in the process if for the report to go to a meeting of Council’s Park, Arts, Community and Events Committee for approval.

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Backstories, www.localmatters.co.nz November 8, 2021

Comp in memory of Matt

More than 100 friends, family members and police officers gathered at Warkworth Golf Club on March 13 to play the first Matt Hunt Memorial Golf Tournament. Thirty three teams took to the course in memory of the young Police Constable, who was killed while on duty in June, 2020, and $2500 was raised for emergency service workers support charity Pilgrim Bandits. The day was organised by Matt’s friends Michael Campbell and Shane MacLennan, who said golf was a game Matt loved so it was a good way to come together and celebrate his life. Matt’s mother Diane also attended the event. Michael Campbell said afterwards it had been a great day and the tournament would definitely be held again next year.

GJ celebrates

The staff of the Ōrewa office of GJ Gardener Homes were popping the corks last week, celebrating 25 years in business. The Rodney franchise (since split into East and West divisions) was the first to open in NZ and is still owned by Elaine and Ross Morley. Elaine says when the couple opened the business, on April 1, 1997, she worked part time doing the books and one salesperson and a receptionist were employed. The franchise now has 39 staff. Elaine says building is a cycle, and currently things are looking really good.

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When complete, The Botanic – Silverdale will be the biggest retirement village on the Hibiscus Coast with more than 700 residents.

Flood mop up continues

Five residents stayed in their villas, four relocated to accommodation of their own choosing and three opted to relocate in nearby apartments which The Botanic provided.

“While this was an extremely rare weather event, we are all disappointed that it has affected our residents like this,” Edwards says. “We are working hard to understand if there are any immediate changes we could make to lessen the impact under similar circumstances. We have taken considerable care to develop the site in an environmentally responsible way and comply with rigorous planning requirements so I don’t think the work undertaken has contributed here. We have also commissioned an independent engineering to conduct a peer review.”

He says residents are being updated and should receive a timeline for the completion of repairs this week.

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Twenty six villas have been completed and a further 43 villas and 32 apartments are currently under construction on the land behind the Hibiscus Bus Station. When complete the 8ha site will contain villas, apartments, aged care beds, an office complex, community spaces and facilities and a childcare centre.

The Botanic executive, Alan Edwards, says the area’s stormwater system was overwhelmed by the volume of rainfall.

The flash flood resulted in varying degrees of floor-level rainwater damage in 13 villas, including the show home. For some, the impacts were quite minor, with three villas needing varying degrees of carpet replacement. Another 10 homes require more substantial replacements to carpet, vinyl and kitchen end panels which were

affected by water at their base.

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Solution page 26

The Coast’s newest retirement village, The Botanic in Silverdale, was among the many properties (including businesses, private homes and schools) that were flooded in last month’s storm.

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Crippling fees hit community project A small wooden footbridge in a park in Puhoi is the latest example to emerge of how out-of-control Auckland Council’s consent fees have become.

Green scene John Stewart, SOSSI

Measuring just seven metres long by 1.4 metres wide, the simple structure crosses a stream in Dunn’s Bush.

info@sossi.org.nz

Varied diet courtesy of nature

It cost $14,841 to build, but then the costs exploded to nearly $35,000 when Auckland Council’s consent fees were added to the bill. In the end, Council’s fees cost more than the bridge.

This is a great time of year to appreciate some of the significant links between plants and the animals that rely on them for food.

The bridge sits on a 96-hectare property that was gifted to the Queen Elizabeth II Trust (QEII) in 1994 by Arthur and Val Dunn.

Until the new bridge was constructed, visitors to the park had to use an old sleeper to get across the waterway, which had become unsafe.

The park is on the Te Araroa Trail, although the bridge is mainly used by day visitors.

The QEII paid for the bridge, which was built

by Pole Specs, aided by a generous pro bono contribution by Hutchinson Consultants.

When a complaint was lodged with Council over the fees, the bill was reduced by $1500.

In its defence, Council resource consents manager Ian Dobson said the site was subject to a number of overlays within the Auckland Unitary Plan, which made the assessment of the proposal more complex.

“It involved assessment from multiple specialists – planning, a stream works specialist, an ecologist and engineering,” Dobson said..

“In terms of the consent processing, there was a complex pre-application meeting with a council planner and engineer which incurred charges. The amount invoiced

by Council was considered to be fair and reasonable, and in proportion to the

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Consent fees more than doubled the cost of building this bridge.

complexity of the proposal.”

One person who is not surprised to hear of the consent charges is Puhoi fire chief Russell Green.

“It’s very disappointing, but not surprising,” he said. “Consents for the fire station in Puhoi cost $85,000. We paid through the nose for everything. I didn’t expect any preferential treatment just because we were a volunteer fire brigade, and we certainly didn’t get it.”

Green remembers how Council made a point of taking responsibility for the removal of the existing house on the Council-owned site on Ahuroa Road.

“We had someone lined up to buy it for $14,000. When Council did it, they sent us a bill for $10,000 so instead of being $14,000 in the positive, we were $10,000 in the red from the get-go.”

Last October, Hibiscus Matters reported on the budget of $420,000 allocated to rebuild a footbridge in Centreway Reserve Ōrewa, which crosses the estuary to Ōrewa College.

As you walk through Shakespear Regional Park, take a closer look at the trees to see which ones are currently fruiting. The lowgrowing karo or turpentine trees are now laden with ripening fruit, which open to reveal sticky black seeds. I’ve seen tūī and bellbird (korimako), whitehead (pōpokatea) and saddleback (tīeke) all feeding on these seeds.

This has been a big year for kohekohe fruit.

The female trees are laden with large fruit that look at first glance like green grapes growing out of the main trunk and branches.

They ripen to a brownish colour and then open to reveal bright red fleshy fruit. On Tiritiri Matangi Island the kōkako seem particularly keen on kohekohe, while in the park they are a favourite of tūī and kererū.

It’s more difficult to spot the tiny flowers and fruit on wire vine (pohuehue), but you can tell they are there when the red-crowned parakeets (kākāriki) and kererū descend to feed on them.

While some of our trees are currently fruiting and providing a generous supply of nutritious food, it’s important to remember that the resident birds, reptiles and invertebrates mostly rely on the bush to provide food every day of the year. So, while people are encouraged to eat what’s currently in season, the birds have no choice

but to do so.

Scientists sometimes categorise birds by the types of food they eat, so there are groups that feed on nectar, seeds, and invertebrates.

But most of our birds don’t rely on just one food source and would be better labelled as omnivores – eating lots of different food types. Just as I mentioned kōkako eating kohekohe fruit, they’ve also been feasting on cicadas over the past few weeks. And, when the flax is flowering, many of our bird species get a dusting of orange flax pollen on their foreheads as they reach into the flowers for nectar.

This dependence on a wide range of plant food presents a challenge for conservationists who are trying to restore the bush so that it will support our native animals. The first steps in replanting bush tend to use what’s called ‘pioneer species’.

These are the tough, drought tolerant, reliably growing species including mānuka, kānuka, flax (harakeke), karo, māpou, māhoe, coprosma species and ngaio. The idea is that these grow rapidly and soon form a closed canopy. Once the canopy is closed, it is possible to inter-plant with succession species that will eventually be the huge dominant trees in the bush. It is important to select and plant a wide range of species to ensure that when bush is established, it will eventually provide the year-round supply of food vital for birds and other creatures.

April 4, 2022 | Hibiscusmatters |

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Assisted living at Evelyn Page is like living in a hotel, says Yvonne

A SWITCH TO ASSISTED LIVING WAS THE RIGHT CALL FOR YVONNE For Ryman resident Yvonne, moving into a serviced apartment was an easy choice.

Living at another Ryman village, she decided travelling to Auckland all the time to see her family was too much stress.

“One Sunday night I had just had enough. I said to my family, how about me coming to live in Auckland?

And they were very much for it!

I was getting a bit of anxiety from constantly going back and forth between the cities.”

With family living in Dairy Flat, Yvonne had passed Ryman’s Orewa village, Evelyn Page, many times before and took the plunge to enquire about a transfer between villages.

“I met with Steph the Sales Advisor here, and she was so kind and explained everything to me so well.

“Steph explained how assisted living, or serviced apartments, would be good for me as it provided more support, but that I wouldn’t lose my independence.

“I didn’t want to move in the future either, so I chose to go into serviced straight away and I got a ring within three weeks to say one was available!”

After working for many years in the aged care sector herself which involved running a day-care centre for the elderly – Yvonne knew that she wanted that same level of care for if or when the time came. Seeing her husband cared for at the end of his life in Tauranga, also gave her confidence in the move.

And when Yvonne saw her apartment for the first time – she knew it was her place to call home.

“What I really wanted was a ranch slider, to be on the ground floor and to get sun in the morning and when Steph opened the door – there was the very thing.

“I knew straight away the apartment was for me, and I’m very happy I made the change.

With nearly a year of serviced apartment living under her belt, she says she now prefers living in a serviced apartment as it reminds her of her cruising days.

“I get my linen changed every week and my apartment cleaned. It’s like living in a hotel. We get clean towels every day, I get a lovely hot meal in the middle of the day. The rubbish is taken away as well.

“At night I feel very secure, and that’s what I like is the security of it.

As you get to know people too, the friendships are nice, you have friends and connections here.

“Lastly, the convenience of being handy to everything and being in the building is great. I have people around me all the time and I don’t have to walk far to get anywhere.

But after living in Tauranga for 50 years, making the switch wasn’t easy.

However, she’s feeling at home now.

“All the staff are very helpful here and I’ve just come back to the village this morning and it felt like I was coming home again.

“You won’t lose your independence by coming into a serviced apartment because I haven’t lost mine. I can come and go as I want to. It’s just the security of being here knowing you have help nearby and also the security that if your health deteriorates, you will be cared for.

“I couldn’t wish for anything better really!”

Serviced apartments are available now.

Call Jo or Steph for more details.

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Rare exhibition by Kiwi artist comes to Ōrewa Estuary Arts Centre manager Kim Boyd is fizzing with excitement to be featuring work by artist Roger Bradley alongside the Autistic Expression exhibition that opens at the Ōrewa gallery this week.

It will be the first time that the Whangaparāoa artist has exhibited in the 12 years since his successful show in Parnell Art Gallery.

Roger is a prolific artist, who paints nearly every day, so it follows that his artworks are piling up, hanging on every wall of his home and stacked throughout other rooms, including the lounge.

You’d think he would be selling online, but a lifelong dislike of computers means that apart from some pieces on a friend’s website, he keeps his work to himself.

“The satisfaction of doing it is enough,” Roger says. “I’m lucky not to have to sell it for an income.”

A long career in advertising, before computers changed how things were done forever, is apparent in his use of graphic,

stylised shapes, colour and words in his work.

His paintings of sea creatures and native birds, reduced to colour and line, manage to convey the essence of each species.

He says he is never short of ideas and likes taking on controversial subjects such as genetic engineering, climate change and even the cost of speed bumps. A series called Screwed (utilising real screws) is a comment on politics.

“A scene of Rangitoto through flax bushes, it is not!” he says. “I don’t want to do what someone else has already done.”

His Dare to be Different series, which will feature at Estuary Arts, expresses his admiration for people who take the path less travelled. This includes his adult son, who was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome at the age of 11 and has an amazing facility for remembering people’s birthdays, among other things.

“He has a mind like a computer, especially when it comes to genealogy,” Roger says.

Roger never seeks the limelight and says

The lounge of Roger Bradley’s home has been unused for some time due to the need to store his artworks.

at times he wonders whether he is on the Autism spectrum himself.

“I don’t like going out and marketing my work,” he says. “I am happy just doing it.”

Roger’s work will be exhibited alongside The Autistic Expression exhibition, on from April 4-May 1 at Estuary Arts Centre, Western Reserve, Ōrewa.

Roger is not afraid to take on controversial themes in his work.

Sunday jazz sessions hitting the right notes

Musician Brian Smith says he and his trio try to “keep things warm, rather than cool” when they play Sunday afternoon jazz.

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Brian Smith, a local musician with a long pedigree, is among the lineup at Sunday afternoon jazz sessions at Paraoa in Whangaparaoa.

Now in his eighties, Brian says he has been playing jazz “all his life”.

The Stanmore Bay resident’s long career as a jazz saxophone and flute player includes touring Europe and America in the 1960s and 70s, playing at venues such as New York’s Carnegie Hall and Ronnie Scotts Jazz Club in London, and concerts with Dusty Springfield and the Four Tops.

He has toured New Zealand with Howard Morrison and Billy T James, and made two

chart-topping albums – the first, in 1990, was called Moonlight Sax. But it all began humbly enough, with childhood piano lessons in the small rural town of Toko in Taranaki.

“Back then I used to get together with my friends and try to play jazz – it was always my first love,” Brian says. “And that’s what I’m still trying to do!”

He plays now in a long standing trio – Bruce Lynch on bass, whom Brian has known since they met in the 1970s in London, and Dean Kerr on guitar.

Locally, he has performed at Muldoons and Downbeat in Ōrewa before the current

gig at Pararoa.

Jazz seems to sit well on a Sunday afternoon, and Brian is hoping the sessions, which go from 4pm-6.30pm, draw bigger crowds as Covid has hit the entertainment industry hard.

Also playing on alternate Sundays are a young group of jazz musicians called the George Brajkovich Quartet.

Pararoa has also recently introduced Open Mic nights, with a backing band supplied.

They are held on the first Thursday of each month, so the next one is scheduled for Thursday April 7.

April 4, 2022 | Hibiscusmatters |

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Covid kills Clique charity The Mum’s Clique Charitable Trust closed operations, including its headquarters, The Haven in Silverdale, last week.

Sarah Watson

Totally Psyched

A

Totally Psyched offers psychiatry, psychology (clinical and behavioural), counselling, occupational therapy and educational assessments for families, children, teens and young adults.

lack of specialist mental health support for young people north of Auckland has led North Shore clinic Totally Psyched to open a branch in Warkworth.

Clinic director and senior child and adolescent clinical psychologist Dr Sarah Watson says the growing demand and booming population made the Kowhai Medical Centre a natural choice for the multi-disciplinary practice.

“My husband and I just recently moved to the area and I noticed there really isn’t anything like Totally Psyched up here.

Demand is so high now, and so many people come down to see us in Takapuna from here, as it’s their closest option,” she says. “We needed to find a way to meet that demand more effectively – families don’t need the hassle and extra expense of travelling to the city. And Warkworth is a beautiful spot.”

“I opened Totally Psyched six years ago to create a relaxed and welcoming space for children and adolescents where they could have the majority of their mental health needs met in the one place,” Watson says.

“The reason we have so many different people is because at different times in children’s development, and depending on their needs, they might need different things.”

The clinic can treat a host of different issues, such as learning difficulties, anxiety, depression, OCD and attention deficit disorders, and it welcomes referrals from GPs, school staff or directly from families.

The Mum’s Clique, a charitable organisation designed to provide many different kinds of support for mothers, has been forced to close its operation after just three years. It closed on April 1.

The organisation initially grew rapidly, moving its base from small premises in Ōrewa Community House to Stoney Homestead in Millwater, before transforming Rotary House in Silverdale into its headquarters, The Haven, in 2020.

Volunteers worked hard on The Haven, refitting the interior with a $10,000 grant from the Hibiscus & Bays Local Board. It was designed as a hub for mothers, providing a base for playgroups, information, education, and counselling services.

Founder Abbey Fouche says after helping thousands of families over the three-year period, closure was an incredibly difficult decision to make. She says that Covid-19 dealt the fatal blow, causing demand for services to skyrocket while funding and sponsorship dried up.

“Our volunteers were working extremely hard trying to meet the demand and it was simply not sustainable,” she says. “We needed at least three more paid staff and a

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bigger warehouse and did not have the funds to meet the needs we required to operate.”

She says no one could have predicted a pandemic and the consequences on the non-profit sector.

“We struggled to maintain adequate funding, volunteers and the core aspects of our charity through the pandemic as we worked hard to be inclusive to every mum with the restrictions in place.”

“Having to close is incredibly sad, not just for us, but for the community. However, the council and government should have backed us over a year ago. We’ve done the best we could and couldn’t be prouder of what we achieved.”

She says Covid-19 has put the non-profit sector, as a whole, “under the pump”.

Fouche says as per the charities’ register requirements, any remaining items and funds will be donated to the many other non profits that The Mum’s Clique worked with, such as Love Soup, Grandparents parenting Grandchildren, and Women’s Refuge.

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Backstories www.localmatters.co.nz November 4 and 18, 2020

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James Webb sees first light Last month, the $10 billion James Webb Space telescope was fully focused and its performance is even better than hoped.

Once the mirrors had been deployed, they had to fine-tune each of the 18 segments, a fraction of the width of a human hair at a time. At the same time the telescope is cooling down, which also has an affect on the focusing.

To ensure that they do this properly, scientists had to focus on a target star. In this case, they used a star named 2MASS J17554042+6551277. This star is 100 times fainter than the faintest object we can see with our eyes from Earth.

Once each section was aligned, the telescope took its first test picture of the star and the results were mind-blowing.

Not only did the telescope capture the star, but also a host of ancient galaxies behind it – some of which we have never seen before.

Marshall Perrin, deputy telescope scientist at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, says the images are focused together as finely as the laws of physics allow. “But as we were focusing on those

D I G G E R

bright stars, we couldn’t help but see the rest of the universe coming into focus behind them, to see the more distant stars and galaxies coming into view.”

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This test image of a single star is only the beginning. Once the telescope begins taking scientific images, it should help unravel some of the universe’s biggest mysteries, from the potential habitability of exoplanets (planets soutside the Solar System) to dark energy.

The James Webb Space telescope will be able to peer inside the atmospheres of exoplanets and observe some of the first galaxies created after the universe began by observing them through infrared light, which is invisible to the human eye.

For the next couple of months, the team will finish the last steps of the alignment process and ensure all of the science instruments are calibrated.

The first high-resolution images of the cosmos collected by the telescope aren’t expected until the end of June.

Until then we have to wait and wonder at the mysteries that it may uncover.

Aaron Point geese rehomed

Auckland Council is continuing the process of rehoming the geese which formerly lived at Aaron Point in Ōrewa. Staff told Hibiscus and Bays Local Board members at a workshop last month that 42 of the geese have so far been captured and rehomed at a pig farm in Waimauku. They were captured in a group from a stormwater pond by ecological contractor Wildlands. The Animal Sanctuary arranged the new home for the geese. Staff told members there are still more geese to be caught and that the process is a “really good outcome”.

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April 4, 2022 | Hibiscusmatters |

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Fashion focuses on fun It should come as no surprise that everyone is ready to have a bit of fun this winter. And that is reflected in fashion.

Trends include a wide range of colours, from earthy shades – greens, cinnamons and golds – to bold brights, mauves and purples and soft baby blues.

Looking along the racks newly stocked for winter at Charisma in Ōrewa, pink is a standout, in all shades.

Charisma manager, Debbie Lyttle says hot pink items, in particular, are selling out quickly.

She says romantic florals are also popular – one way they are being worn this winter is to put a long sleeved floral top underneath on-trend warm tank tops or vests.

More fun is to be had with embellishment, such as embroidery, metallic threads, sequins, studs, lettering and stars.

Quilting and shirring (gathering) features on many garments.

Wide-legged trousers are on-trend and Debbie says joggers, with their relaxed

fit, are the other key pant style to look for this season. They come in many fabrics including denim, suiting and vegan leather (also known as ‘pleather’). Joggers are fitted or cuffed at the bottom, and sometimes come in 7/8 lengths to allow you to show off winter boots or high-top sneakers.

Accessories such as bags and shoes are also embellished, come in many colours and floral patterns.

Charisma manager Debbie Lyttle says joggers, in various fabrics, and designs featuring stars are among this winter’s trends.

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Ed Amon

edamonnz@gmail.com

Autumn holds our hand September is the most exciting time of the year. It is springtime. New Zealanders start to gear up to get out of winter. Little smiles start to show up on our faces. Head nods start to change into good mornings and giddays.

Pink and yellow start to push out the black and grey of our clothing. The Briscoes Lady slashes the price of barbecues and outdoor furniture – 50 percent off everything!

That is all in preparation for the big party that is going to be summer. Summer hits and happiness rolls in. The beach, Christmas, family, road trips, barbecues, stubbies, jandals, bikinis, and drunk uncles making inappropriate jokes about bikinis, all provide the perfect recipe for the euphoric rave that we go through every year. Even Covid couldn’t stop us. If we couldn’t go to the club, we had the house to party. If we could not go to the restaurant, we had our backyards and Dad’s special sausages. Nothing could come in the way of our Great Kiwi Summer.

As March rolls in, the euphoria dampens with autumn. Much more so in 2022. With extreme weather events and Omicron peaking, it feels like the summer was just a quick smoko during a day in a job we hate.

We really enjoyed our mince pie and a vape but now it is time to get back to the grind.

I really feel bad for autumn. It gets wrongfully lumped into winter, which has a bad reputation. We all misdirect our dismay at autumn, even though we are actually mad at winter. I am already hearing from my acquaintances on social media that winter is

here. I used to do that too. In recent years I have altered my thinking.

My Grandmother used to say - autumn is your friend, listen to autumn. Autumn is the helping hand that prepares you for winter. It gives you warning signs of what’s to come.

Hey look – it is getting cooler, better get that heat pump serviced or get that firewood ordered. Hey look it is raining a lot more, better get those umbrellas out and get those gutters sorted. It is like the mock exams that you practise just before the actual test.

Without those practice questions you might not do well on the test. If spring motivates

Autumn is the helping hand that prepares you for winter. It gives you warning signs of what’s to come

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you to have a good time in summer, then autumn holds your hand to guide you through the cold, rainy Auckland winter.

I understand that on the Coast we do not get the harsh winter of the south but that doesn’t minimise the burden of winter on our lives.

We are human and our environment affects us as much as it does any other person on the planet.

All I can share is what has helped me cope: over the years embracing autumn has helped me to physically and mentally ease into winter. Grandma was right.

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Wednesday to Sunday: 8.30am-3pm

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April 4, 2022 | Hibiscusmatters |

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Best Bakes Mechan van der Westhuizen theflourqueennz@gmail.com

Easter egg nest cupcakes These cupcakes make great Easter treats.

Yields: 12 cupcakes Cupcakes: 12 cupcake liners 1¾ cup plain flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt 100g butter, room temperature 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 1 Tbsp vanilla 80g sour cream ½ cup milk 30ml Canola oil Egg nests: 200g desiccated coconut 40g sugar 3 Tbsp flour ¼ tsp baking powder Pinch salt 1 egg white Pinch cream of tartar ½ tsp vanilla Melted chocolate Chocolate shavings Mini speckled Easter eggs Buttercream icing: 250g unsalted butter Pinch salt 500g icing sugar, sifted 1 Tbsp vanilla 1-2 Tbsp milk

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a 12-cup cupcake pan with the liners.

inserted in the centre comes out clean. Set aside to cool.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.

While cupcakes are in the oven, make the egg nests. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Cream the butter and sugar together until soft and creamy. Mix vanilla, sour cream, milk, and oil in a separate bowl.

Then add the eggs to the creamed butter, mix well. Slowly and gradually add the dry ingredients and milk mixture to the egg mixture, mixing as you go. Scrape down the sides of the bowl when needed.

Pour/scoop the batter into the liners – fill only two-thirds full to avoid the cupcakes spilling over the sides.

Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until a toothpick

Combine coconut, sugar, flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Beat egg white and cream of tartar until soft peaks form, then add the vanilla. Fold the coconut mixture into the egg whites.

Roll into balls and place on the pre-lined baking tray. Create small wells in the middle, to from a nest. Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.

Drizzle with melted chocolate and let them cool.

Make the buttercream icing while the cupcakes and egg nests are cooling. Beat the butter on medium-high speed for 6-7 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the salt and icing sugar, and continue beating until fully incorporated.

Add vanilla and milk and mix on low speed until incorporated.

Turn the mixer back up to medium-high speed and beat the buttercream for an additional 6-7 minutes.

If it’s too thick, add a bit of milk, one teaspoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency.

Decorate the cupcakes with a buttercream swirl. Top with chocolate shavings, egg nest and mini easter egg. Enjoy!

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| Hibiscusmatters | April 4, 2022

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Natural gas changes in pipeline Homeowners favour natural gas as a relatively cheap, efficient and reliable form of energy for heating and cooking.

This winter, little is expected to change, however prices are expected to rise starting in October.

That is because natural gas is a fossil fuel, adding to the greenhouse gas emissions that are fueling climate change.

The NZ Government’s aim, as part of its Emissions Reduction Plan (to be released at the end of next month) is for the country to have 100 percent renewable electricity by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2050.

Reaching that target means the future of natural gas is uncertain.

According to the Commerce Commission, there are around 300,000 individual connections to the regulated gas networks, all in the North Island. The majority are residential customers.

It falls to the Commerce Commission to set what it calls a ‘price-quality path’ for all of NZ’s gas pipeline businesses – this influences the pricing by those businesses by setting a maximum average price they can charge, or total allowable revenue. The path also sets quality standards.

The Commission is required to determine a new price quality path by the end of next month. The changes come into effect from October 1 and it will be looked at again four years later.

In a recent press release, Associate Commissioner Vhari McWha said that this year’s reset brings unique challenges in the context of climate change.

“Demand for natural gas is expected to reduce over time, which may create challenges for pipeline businesses to recover the cost of their investments,” McWha said.

“A key feature of our decision will be to

bring some of that cost recovery forward to manage the transition and avoid a potential sharper increase in consumer bills later.”

She said the changes the Commission is proposing are designed to ensure gas pipline businesses continue to invest and deliver a safe and reliable supply over the short-term, until the long-term future of natural gas use in NZ becomes clearer.

McWha said the impact on household gas bills could be an increase of around 4.5 percent, averaged across all household consumers, in each of the four years until 2026.

The Commission estimates that a typical household gas bill of around $1275 will increase by around $55 per year.

This does not includ the impact of changes in other components of consumer bills, such as the wholesale price of natural gas.

“We hope to have a clearer view of the longer-term future of natural gas by 2026, including the impact of further government announcements, changes in technology and consumer preferences for energy sources,” McWha said. “Another issue is whether pipelines can potentially be repurposed for low or carbon-neutral gases such as hydrogen.”

In the meantime, Consumer NZ’s advice is that if you’re weighing up a new natural gas connection, think twice. But, Consumer NZ says, if you already have a connection “you don’t need to go ripping it out just yet”.

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Welcome to COOLTHERM

Looking for the ultimate all-seasons climate control? You’ve come to the right place!

View Services: We are your go-to heat pump retailers and installers, servicing Auckland’s North Shore, Whangaparāoa & surrounds. We offer a wide range of heat pumps from the best brands in the industry, and with 24 years of industry experience, we can help you choose and install the right heat pump to deliver complete comfort to your home or office all year round Don’t let the weather get you down, contact us about installing a heat pump today. We also provide after-sales care, which includes regular servicing from our technicians, maintenance, and warranty claims and repairs if required.

We keep our prices sharp to give you the best deal. For quality heat pump specialists that you can rely on in Whangaparāoa, choose COOLTHERM.

We have been providing quality heat pump installation and maintenance services throughout Whangaparāoa and beyond. With 24 years of experience in the industry, you can have peace of mind knowing our qualified technicians will deliver stellar service that is like no other. We offer a wide range of heat pumps from the best brands in the industry; Daikin and Mitsubishi Electric. With our years of experience and knowledge of these brands, we can help you choose and install the right heat pump to deliver complete comfort to your home or office.

No matter what make or model of heat pump you’re after, we have something to suit everyone’s preferences and budget Maintenance & Repairs: We also provide maintenance services to ensure that your heat pumps are running smoothing and efficiently.

If you bought your heat pump from us, we offer our workmanship guarantee for the full length of the warranty on your heat pump, which is a five years Manufacturers Warranty on both Mitsubishi Electric and Daikin. Doing simple maintenance yourself, such as cleaning the filters regularly, is important to reduce the servicing needed. However, if your heat pump does need a good deep clean of its filters and/or fans etc, we can put you in contact with experts that are part of our extended team to get your heat pump working well again.

Pricing starts from $145+GST for repairs or maintenance $120+GST

Contact Rodney 022 156 2559 or info@cooltherm.co.nz www.cooltherm.co.nz April 4, 2022 | Hibiscusmatters |

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St Stephen’s Anglican Whangaparoa Easter Services Maundy Thursday 14 April:

7:30pm Last Supper Reflection

Good Friday 15 April:

Easter Day 17 April:

8am Holy Communion 10am Family Communion

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3 Stanmore Bay Rd

Coastguard Zane Bryhn, Coastguard Hibiscus crew chief www.coastguardhibiscus.org.nz

Rescues in the rough At this time of year the weather is a little more unpredictable and can turn nasty extremely quickly.

Last month the Saturday crew were called out at 9.30am to a 10.5m launch underway from Westhaven to Gulf Harbour.

Unfortunately it had a mechanical failure and required a tow to complete its journey.

The weather forecast was for 10-15 knot easterlies; however, this wasn’t the case with the actual conditions being 25-30 knots (45-55kph) and at that stage a 1.5m swell.

In short, it was rough, which meant for a very long slow tow, approximately 5 knots (10kph).

As we came back into Gulf Harbour marina, around lunchtime, we were tasked to a 5m Bonito with a flat battery, 1.5 nautical miles off Big Manly Beach. By this stage the swell had increased to 1.5-2m, but even so we were with the vessel in just under an hour.

It was anchored but even so had drifted closer to Stanmore Bay/Red Beach due to the weather conditions. The occupants were very seasick, and unfortunately were unable to restart the engine using our jump packs so were towed back into Big Manly Beach.

By 5pm we were back at Gulf Harbour refuelling Hibiscus Rescue One, ready to call it a day, when in came a Mayday relay – an EPIRB had been activated four nautical miles northeast of Challenger Island. As the closest available rescue vessel, we were tasked to investigate.

While underway we learned that while the EPIRB was still active, all the contact information about the vessel and owners was incorrect. We started out looking for an 18m yacht, but by the end of the night we were looking for a 45-foot Rivera launch.

Working in collaboration with the NZ Rescue Coordination Centre (RCCNZ), Coastguard Operations and Westpac Rescue, we spent over three hours in what by then was a 2–3m swell searching, before it was determined to be an accidental activation. We returned to base around 10pm.

By this stage the swell had increased to 1.5-2m, but even so we were with the vessel in just under an hour. It was anchored but even so had drifted If you have an EPIRB on your vessel (and we recommend you do) please ensure the contact information is kept up to date with RCCNZ. A single phone call was all that was needed to confirm the accidental activation.

Test them, replace the batteries when needed, or ever better upgrade to one of the newer GPS models which provide a much more accurate location fix when activated.

This is the final Coastguard column for the season.

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Call Andy to supply, install, service and repair all major Heat Pump brands and for all your Electrical needs

phone 021 819 733

Winterise your boat If you don’t use your boat much over winter then there are some things you can do to ensure safe boating when the season allows. These steps can save you a lot of aggravation and expense come summer. Use your boat. Probably the best way to ensure your boat remains ready for summer, is to use it regularly over winter! Keep an eye on the weather (the Coastguard app, available for your iPhone or Android smartphone, makes it easy) when headed out. Look after your engine. Engines don’t like inactivity, so paying attention to the engine before laying your boat up is important. In fact, if there’s just one thing you look at before you lay your boat up, it should be the motor. A few specific things to check: • Fuel Left for any length of time, fuel can spoil through degradation or contamination (eg. condensation in the tank). If you’ve got a full tank when you lay up your boat for winter, consider adding a fuel stabiliser – or, if you have less than half a tank, drain it completely. • Change the oils. Now is a good time to give some love to your engine, in the form of fresh engine oil and a new oil filter. Never hurts to also check the gearbox, or outdrive oil as well, if applicable. You’ll help remove contaminants that could cause issues after months of sitting around, plus you won’t have to worry about trying to sort out a service once summer rolls around. • Batteries Keep batteries somewhere warm and dry over the winter, on a trickle charger to keep them fully topped up (a cheap, low wattage solar cell can provide enough juice to keep your batteries topped up). Batteries left uncharged for long periods may need to be replaced completely.

Gulf Harbour boat ramp a priority

Auckland Council assessed nine boat ramps in the Hibiscus and Bays Local Board area over summer to see where improvements are needed to relieve the pressure caused by high demand.

Staff told local board members at last month’s workshop that it was hard to accurately assess the numbers using the ramps. The work undertaken indicated that it would be difficult for Council to make changes to ramps on Whangaparāoa Peninsula that go onto the beach, without negative effects on other users. The recommendation is that the local board focus its efforts on the ramp on the Hammerhead in Gulf Harbour. The next step is a more detailed investigation into what is needed to improve the performance of the Hammerhead boat ramp, where the main issue is a bottleneck caused by the number of boaties launching and retrieving their craft. Last year local board members also raised issues at Stanmore Bay and Hatfields Beach ramps, including the need to widen them, and were told by Council staff that evidence of waiting times would be needed to create a case for improving the ramps.

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April 4, 2022 | Hibiscusmatters |

21

Have skateboard, will travel – epic fundraiser shares the love A Vietnamese-American backpacker who got stranded in NZ due to Covid-19 is heading for the Hibiscus Coast this month, as he attempts to skateboard the length of New Zealand to fight human trafficking.

I’m still not even that good, but I just love it.

first lockdown soon followed, and he had no way of getting back to his adoptive US family in Minnesota. So he decided to start working and see more of the country, which is how he ended up in Mangawhai last year.

When he decided to move on and travel again, he had the idea of skating from one end of the country to the other while trying to raise $2500 to build a home for his birth family in Vietnam, who live in a poor rural area. However, when that total was realised in just five days, John raised the target bar to $20,000 to raise funds for the Catalyst Foundation.

John Addicks O’Toole, known as John AO or Jayo, is steadily skating his way from Bluff to Cape Reinga, raising funds as he goes for the Catalyst Foundation, which works to prevent human trafficking in his birth country of Vietnam.

However, he had never even stood on a skateboard until a year ago, when he moved to Mangawhai to work at the Wood Street Pizzeria. While there, he met local Scottish-Italian pro-skater Umberto Skinner and after hanging out with him at the Mangawhai Activity Zone skatepark and the No Limits Surf & Skate shop, John had a go and was hooked straight away.

“Raising money for this project will do a lot of good in Vietnam,” he says. “But I also want to use it to spread the stoke of skating and my love for New Zealand, and show off NZ’s landscape and scenery in a way many people will never get to see.”

John is sharing his journey on Instagram, with videos of people he meets along the way, and he’s trying to visit as many skateparks as he can.

Do you have difficulty hearing?

“I’ve done other sports, but I’d never skated.

I just loved it, and every day since then it’s been ridiculous, I’m like a kid, six hours a day everywhere I went,” he says. “I’m still not even that good, but I just love it.”

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John hadn’t stepped onto a longboard until three weeks ago, but now he’s travelling 1600km on one.

John says the worst aspect of his trek is the weather when it’s wet and he gets sprayed with water by passing traffic.

“The biggest challenge is just the rain,” he says. “But I can waterproof my stuff in about three minutes now – I’ve been doing fire drills with that.”

He expects to reach his journey’s end at Cape Reinga by early May. “But I’m not in a rush, I’m just seeing how it goes and enjoying the experience. This is an opportunity to see New Zealand and show it off to people,” he says.

John will probably stay in New Zealand until the end of the year, then he hopes to visit Vietnam to see his birth family and how the money he has raised is being used.

John should be passing through the Hibiscus Coast region in late April, with a stop planned in Silverdale. He would appreciate it if anyone could offer him accommodation – email him at john.addicksotoole1@gmail.com For details of John’s progress, visit www.jayoskatesnz.org or @jayo_skates_ nz on Instagram. Donations can be made on the website.

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BOOK HEAVEN

Health

Whangaparāoa Methodist Church

Tania Adams, Pharmacist

Pre-Loved Books and puzzles

tania.adams@unichemmanly.co.nz

Donations welcomed

Inhalers explained Even if you are not one of the 11.5 percent of New Zealanders who have asthma, most will have heard of a Ventolin inhaler or blue inhaler. But there are other kinds, and they do different jobs. Some people use more than one type.

To understand this we first need to dive in to some of the details of how asthma affects your body. Asthma is a condition where your breathing tubes become narrowed, inflamed and swollen with a lot of mucus produced. This in turn causes wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath.

The blue inhaler is referred to as a reliever inhaler. It works by opening up your airways, allowing you to breathe again. If you have mild asthma, this is all you need to feel better again.

However, the reliever does not address the swelling in the airways nor the over production of mucous. The red/orange inhalers are preventer inhalers. These should be used every day to keep down swelling and decrease the mucous. Reducing airway swelling and the production of mucous when you have moderate to severe asthma is very important as it means you will not have to use your reliever as much, but more importantly, when you do use the reliever, it will work oh so much better.

The latest treatment is called Antiinflammatory reliever (AIR) therapy where an inhaler is used that combines both reliever and preventer. In AIR therapy, these inhalers

are often used regularly for keeping down the swelling and mucous and are also used as a reliever, in times of need to open the airway.

Monday-Saturday: 10am-4pm 76 Red Beach Rd, Red Beach | phone 426 5615

Many inhalers are now dry powder inhalers, which many complain often feel like nothing is coming out of them. That is because the amount of drug required is very small and you simply cannot feel it as it enters your mouth as you do with the aerosol inhalers.

As winter approaches, many find their asthma can get slightly worse.

If you do have an aerosol inhaler, it is best used with a spacer. Spacers are clear plastic tubes with a mouthpiece or mask on one end and a hole for your inhaler at the other.

50% more medicine enters the lungs when a spacer is used. In an emergency, when you are finding it difficult to breathe a spacer is much easier to use. Plus, less medicine gets left in the mouth which reduces any side effects from preventer inhalers.

As winter (and viruses) approaches, many people find that their asthma can get slightly worse. It pays to have a talk to your doctor or pharmacist so you can put an action plan together. This involves monitoring your symptoms and changing your medication dose if your symptoms worsen.

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ADVERTORIAL

Specsavers Offers Hearing Health Service In Silverdale Hearing loss affects approximately 330,000 people in the Auckland region and, according to research, it takes New Zealanders on average 7-10 years to acknowledge they have hearing loss before taking action. At Specsavers, we don’t want the community of Auckland to wait that long, and that’s why audiology services are available in-store. Specsavers Audiology Silverdale is open to help with any hearing concerns, with a qualified audiologist Carmela Davies onsite to test and care for locals’ hearing health.

“Once you reach 40 years old, hearing checks should be as regular as eye checks. When you visit Specsavers Silverdale, you will be provided with quality care and a solution based on your lifestyle and budget. We will never recommend hearing aids if you don’t need them or suggest spending more money than you have to. Prices for our full range of latest technology hearing devices are available online or

instore so you know exactly how much you will pay. Our comprehensive hearing assessments are the start of your hearing journey that we can support along the way for years to come,” Carmela Davies says.

SIGNS YOU OR SOMEONE YOU LOVE MAY BENEFIT FROM A HEARING CHECK “Hearing loss can be incredibly isolating, and our ability to form and maintain good social relationships is important to life satisfaction and good mental health. We are innately social creatures after all,” Carmela Davies says.

Our research found that two in three New Zealanders aged 40 years and older know someone who they think suffers from hearing loss. It also found that 83% say they have felt concerned about their own hearing at some point in time and of these, the equivalent to

300,000 New Zealanders have felt concerned about their hearing frequently. That’s a lot of conversations missed!

Carmela Davies says if you or anyone you know experiences any of the below tell-tale signs, you may benefit from some expert qualified advice that begins with a free 15-minute* hearing check at Specsavers Silverdale.

• Do you have the TV or radio turned up louder?

• Do you find telephone conversations hard work or find yourself always using the speaker option?

• Do you ask people to repeat things?

• Do you have difficulty following conversations in groups of people or find yourself lip reading?

• Has someone suggested you might not be hearing as well as you used to?

HOW TO ENSURE YOU PROTECT YOUR HEARING HEALTH Carmela Davies recommends a few simple things to help prolong your hearing.

“Test the noise around you with the ‘one metre rule’. If you need to raise your voice to talk to someone one metre away, the sound level is likely to be hazardous to hearing.

Insist on wearing personal hearing protection such as earplugs, earmuffs or both remembering that everyday equipment, such as lawnmowers and power tools may be loud enough to negatively impact your hearing. And of course, create a routine of getting regular hearing checks.”

For more information or to book a hearing check, visit www.specsavers.co.nz/hearing Alternatively contact Specsavers Silverdale on 428 0845.

*This is a 15-minute appointment, if further testing is required a fee will be incurred.

www.localmatters.co.nz

April 4, 2022 | Hibiscusmatters |

23

Silverdale Village Market 7 Silverdale Street Saturday 8am~1pm Ph 021 030 3273

Coast 21-year-old begins marvellous netball season Jazmin Tufuga, second from right, is back in the game with the Marvels.

(Co as

Ex-Whangaparāoa College student Jazmin Tufuga (Jaz) is the latest from the college to make inroads into top level netball, following in the footsteps of the college’s most well known netballer, Mystics player Michaela Sokolich-Beatson.

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Jaz, 21, has been playing in the National Netball League (NNL) since 2019, as a defender or centre.

The league sits just below the ANZ Premiership and is a pathway in the Netball NZ High Performance programme. The teams are feeders to the Franchise teams.

Jazmin played with the NNL’s Comets in 2019, and joined the Northern Marvels the following year. However, she says not a lot of game time has been had because of Covid-19. In addition, she ruptured her ACL ligament in an U21 netball camp at the end of 2020.

611d Whangaparaoa Rd (behind Ray Garratt’s)

Phone 0800 786 732 or 027 2493335

Selected again for the Northern Marvels, Jaz’s first game in two years came on Saturday, March 19 and she is excited for the season ahead.

Two months ago, Sport NZ introduced an Its my Move campaign, aimed at

combatting the steep drop-off in girls’ participation in sport and active recreation.

Active NZ research shows that young women increasingly opt out of formal sporting environments, as they grow older.

Jaz played for Whangaparāoa College’s top senior team and says she stayed in the game after she left school because she makes great friends in the sport.

“I enjoy the social side and team culture,” she says. “Surrounding yourself with people with similar motivation and interests is such a positive thing.”

She says Mystics defender Michaela SokolichBeatson is an inspiration – not only for taking a path from Whangaparāoa College into top level netball, but also because of her resilience in recovering from injury.

Last year Jaz qualified as an architect and is now working fulltime. Her netball involves training three times a week and playing in the weekend.

She says furthering her career, and overseas travel, are key goals.

“But if a netball opportunity arrives, I’ll take it, as your time in top level netball is only so long,” she says.

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Support the advertisers who support Hibiscus Matters

Lights low for Coast netball Play got underway last month at Hibiscus Coast Netball courts in Edith Hopper Park, Manly, with four intermediate teams playing in a fourweek preseason league.

The main competitions start in the first week of Term 2, for primary school-aged netballers.

As the evenings close in, it is becoming more problematic that the courts still have only two light poles – Auckland Council removed the other two last August during lockdown when they became unstable during a storm (HM September 1, 2021).

The Hibiscus Netball Centre is now a satellite of North Harbour Netball. Its chief executive, Lynette Brady has been discussing how to replace the lights with Council ever since they were removed.

She recently had a quote for replacement of the two light poles, lights and fittings of around $80,000.

She says the centre was advised by Council to submit a funding application to Council, potentially for up to $50,000.

“If approved, the funds would be available in June, so probably too late for the 2022 season,” Brady says. “In any case we need to find an additional $30,000.”

She says primary netball will go ahead and

ToTalspan Rodney pRoud sponsoRs of

THE scorEBoArD ToTalspan Rodney pRoud sponsoRs of THE scorEBoArD scorEBoArD aATHE Roundup spoRTs acTiviTies IN in THE THe DISTRICT disTRicT ROUNDUP of OF SPORTS ACTIVITIES SUPPORTING LOCAL SPORT FOR FIVE YEARS AND RUNNING

Footy players needed

The Puhoi Men’s division three football team is looking for more players. The team trains weekly at Metro Park in Millwater. If interested txt/ph Billy Fry 027 7735 4748.

Two light poles like these were removed from the Hibiscus Coast Netball courts

by Council contractors due to storm damage and have as yet not been replaced.

Hockey

Social adult hockey. A mixed gender adult social hockey competition will be running through Terms 2 and 3. To register to play, email hockeyhibiscustrust@gmail.com Mixed Gender Masters Hockey. Casual masters hockey games on Friday evenings at Metro Park turf in Millwater, throughout the winter months. To register email Bronwyn bron@otsl.co.nz

Darts

will hopefully be workable with the two light poles that remain, provided the games are scheduled so they finish before it gets too dark.

However, any college/adult social competitions played in the evening, are not possible this season.

Defender steps into GD

Mystics defender Michaela Sokolich-Beatson of Whangaparāoa has the first three games of the season under her belt after returning from injury. The Mystics won two of their first three games, with Michaela playing in goal defence (GD) – a position she hasn’t played for a long time. The 25-year-old says it’s a great opportunity to be able to play GD, as well as her usual position of wing defence, but mastering the new position takes time. “I don’t feel like I’m back fully, but getting there with each game,” Michaela says. She hopes for a place in the Silver Ferns for the upcoming Commonwealth Games, and selectors are at every game. But Michaela says her focus is very much on the here and now. “I need to focus on each game as it happens, and not on things I can’t control. Meanwhile I’m really enjoying it – it feels like I never left.”

5 Peregrine Place Birkenhead

1327 Leigh Road Matakana

Matty Ma 021 287 4278

Whangaparāoa Darts Club recently moved from the Hibiscus Coast Community RSA to Paraoa Brewing Co in Whangaparāoa. The club meets every Tuesday at 7pm , $2 on the night. All welcome .

Michael Ma 021 686 031

146 Top Road Dairy Flat

Happy birthday Raiders

Hibiscus Coast Raiders Club turns 40 this year. On Friday, July 1 a weekend of celebrations to mark the occasion will commence. July 2 will be a Club Day, with teams playing at home in Stanmore Bay, and in the evening there will be a mix and mingle, buffet and speeches. On July 3, the weekend will finish with a Masters Module. Details will be on the HBC Raiders Rugby League and Sports Club Facebook page. If you want to help with preparations or to attend, contact organisers - Karen Gibbons, 021 164 4810, karengibbons2@gmail. com or Roger Reid,Rodney 021 177 7255, tutrays@hotmail.com ToTalspan

ToTalspan Rodney 229your sTaTe HigHway 1 email: terry@localmatters.co.nz List sports here FREE 229 sTaTe HigHway 1 waRkwoRTH waRkwoRTH pHone 09 422 3149 ToTalspan Rodney pHone 09 422 3149 229 sTaTe HigHway 1 waRkwoRTH pHone 09 422 3149

26 Bristol Road Whenuapai

28 Clemow's Lane Albany

Blair Herbert Evan Cui Shawn Ma Judy Cao Eric Rong Greg Antona 021 728 301 027 971 1968 021 217 8211 027 729 4697 021 988 383 021 775 287

100 Schnapper Rock Road, Albany

Kevin Wang Bill Zhou 021 116 5666 021 689 876

335 Peak Road Kaukapakapa

Brite Ling Matthew Watson 021 119 6891 022 317 8147

72 Rame Road, Greenhithe Sammie Chan Anthony Kouch Simon Lee Jeff Brill Emma Robinson Murphy Xian Yanning Han Nicole Zhao Winson Yap Assets Operation Rental Manager Marketer 021 182 1202 021 024 99115 021 898 282 027 4789 718 Licensee/ Manager Coordinator Manager 021 354 641 021 530 276 09 448 5299 09 448 5299 027 403 6024

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76A & 82 Mokoia Road Birkenhead

275 State Highway 1, Wellsford

41 Waihou Crescent, Albany

09 448 5299

April 4, 2022 | Hibiscusmatters |

25

Classifieds

ARKLES BAY PAINTERS/DECORATORS In the area for the area. Shane 021 0813 8481.

CARPET CLEANING, repairs and installation. Dwayne 0274 997 929’ HANDYMAN / BUILDER / JOINER Bathrooms, building maintenance, leaks, windows & doors. No job too small. Phone Steve 027 220 7168.

KITCHENS / BENCH TOPS. Measure and install. Water proofing for wet rooms Ph Phil 027 661 8085 PAUL THE PAINTER 027 550 3635 interior & exterior.

WATERBLASTING & CHEMICAL HOUSE WASHING. Careful service, reasonable rates. Ph 426 2253.

WATER PUMPS - no water? old cast iron pump? Sales Service & Installation. Work Guaranteed. Ph Steve 027 478 7427 healthy@aquaworks.co.nz

HOME & MAINTENANCE ALARMS SECURITY AND FIRE, MONITORING, CCTV, servicing & installation, all brands 027 553 3032 www.tdssecurity.co.nz BEAUTIFUL GARDENS, PERFECT PLOTS Having 20 years of experience, including magazine writing & in a NZ garden book, Ann is happy to help home-planters. Free quotes.

Phone 020 4010 8311.

HANDYMAN AVAILABLE for all those odd jobs. Ph Nev 021 399 226 @ Nev’s Odd Jobs. Great rates. Local & reliable.

HANDYMAN – RENOVATIONS, MAINTENANCE 10% off for all Pensioners. For all of your handyman jobs, including renovations & maintenance.

Call John 027 441 9603

97A RIVERSIDE ROAD, ŌREWA. Saturday 9th April 8-30am to 12pm.

SERVICES RECORDING STUDIO Vocals to backing tracks, original projects, vocal training & vocal PA hire. Ph Dennis 021 115 5233.

CLEANER AVAILABLE – FASTIDIOUS, attention to detail, ovens. Refs. WaiweraWhangaparāoa. Ph 027 488 4693

HAIRDRESSING

WANTED TO BUY

A SMART REPAIR Service for F&P smartdrive washers, F&P/Simpson dryers.

Prompt service ph 021 168 7349.

TO BUY, RECORDS/LP’S Phone 428 1587.

DVDS & VIDEOS

COMMUNITY NOTICES

VIDEOS TRANSFERRED to DVD/hard drive. Phone or text Te Totara Video 021 777 385.

MINT HOME CLEANING

your local cleaning team is ready to deliver our 5 star shine in your home for weekly cleaning, spring or moving cleans For a FREE quote 0800 297 253 www.minthomecleaning.co.nz

T H E S O L U T

4 7 2 1 6 8 9 3 5

MR FILTER

Water Filters. Pumps. Rain Tanks.

Unique water filter covers for outside installations. Call John 027 441 9603 or mrfilter@radiantsolutions.co.nz A PUMP DOCTOR will keep you pumping.

Ph 0274 430 654.

ALL YEAR LAWNCARE. Servicing the Coast and surrounding areas. Please call for a free quote on your lawn requirements. Quality ride-on and push mow cuts. Ph Jeff 0274 218 672.

8 9 5 2 3 7 4 1 6

1 3 6 9 4 5 8 2 7

9 4 3 8 5 2 6 7 1

5 8 1 3 7 6 2 4 9

6 2 7 4 9 1 5 8 3

2 5 9 7 1 4 3 6 8

7 6 8 5 2 3 1 9 4

DEMENTIA CARERS SUPPORT GROUP, Hibiscus Coast Community House, Cnr HBC Highway & Centreway Rd, 10am12pm, 1st and 3rd Thursday of month, Gold coin donation. Ph Michele 0274 114 146 or Caryn 021 210 3388.

HEARTBEATS, HEART EVENT SURVIVORS peer-peer support group meet every 1st Tuesday, Hibiscus Coast Community House (behind Estuary Arts Centre) 10am-11.30am. Include regular professional healthcare guest speakers.

All welcome. Info Trent 0220 606 199.

CAN’T MAKE IT TO A HAIR SALON? No problem I can come to you.

Qualified Hairstylist providing cutting and blow wave services.

Please phone Julie 021 112 8015

APPLIANCE REPAIRS

KIWI ROOTS PALM & TREE MAINTENANCE, REMOVAL, STUMP grinding, mulching & hedge work. Free quotes. Ph 020 4027 6200 kiwiroots.co.nz

027 212 1222 or email orewabc@xtra.co.nz COLLECTING NEWSPAPERS – Rather than putting your newspapers into the recycle bin, keep them for Ōrewa Lions Club, we can collect them from you and they will be used in various ways. All funds raised then go into the local community.

Ph Harry 426 6629 to arrange pick up.

DO YOU HAVE ANY OLD CAR OR BOAT BATTERIES sitting in your garage, that you no longer want? We can pick up and dispose of them. Ōrewa Lions collect old batteries, (NOT small batteries ie AAA etc) the money goes to the Child Mobility Foundation fund. Visit www.lionsclubs. org.nz/Clubs/Activities/Child-Mobility Ph Laurie 426 3122 or Frank 021 761 161.

GARAGE SALE

HIBISCUS SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCE CLUB meets each Wednesday 7pm Silverdale Village Hall. Social dancing, great music, friendly group. Contact Gail 0274 242 792.

60’S UP MOVEMENT, HIBISCUS COAST. Meetings 3rd Wednesday of month, 10am, RSA, Viponds Rd, Whangaparāoa. Outings 1st Wednesday. Ph Peter 027 538 6823

I O N

ŌREWA GARDEN CLUB meet 2nd Thursday of month, Feb-Nov, 12.30pm3pm. St Johns Catholic Church Hall, 180 Centreway Rd, Ōrewa. Visitors welcome.

Email: orewagardenclub@outlook.co.nz

A CLUB FOR RETIRED PEOPLE – Manly.

Monthly meetings with guest speakers, bus trips, luncheons, movie group.

Whangaparāoa Combined Friendship Club Meets 4th Wednesday at 10am at the Bridge Club. Edith Hopper Park, Manly. Ph Pat Hoyle 027 242 8749 or 09 428 5285.

BOWLS ŌREWA, Housie every Friday, 1pm-4pm. Lots of fun. Ph Robyn Clarke 027 240 1822.

BRIDGE LESSONS ŌREWA BRIDGE CLUB Tuesdays 7pm-9pm. $50 incl 10 lessons, course material and 2022 annual subscription to our friendly club. No experience necessary, just a love for the game of cards. 121 West Hoe Rd. Ph Jenny

3 1 4 6 8 9 7 5 2

ŌREWA GARDEN CLUB meet 2nd Thursday of month, Feb-Nov, 12.30pm3pm. St Johns Catholic Church Hall, 180 Centreway Rd, Ōrewa. Visitors welcome.

Email: orewagardenclub@outlook.co.nz WHANGAPARĀOA INDOOR BOWLING CLUB New members welcome. Come and learn this easy to play game. Club nights Monday 7pm, Whangaparāoa Primary School hall, and Thursday afternoon, Whangaparāoa Hall. Contact Maurice 238 9137 or Owen 426 8476.

Proud sponsors of

kland Area Sea Watch Auckland Sea Watch Auckland Area Sea Wa HibiscusArea Matters Seawatch

Wed

Thu

Fri Fri

Apr 6

Apr 7

Apr Apr Apr15 18

33am 58am 53pm 15pm

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6:38am 6:09pm Best At

3:42am 4:06pm

6:39am 6:07pm Sun

10:59am 12:57am 5:21am 11:23pm 1:19pm 5:46pm New Moon

2.9 0.8 0.6 1.2 3.2 3.4 2.8 0.7 0.6 1.1 3.2 3.3

Apr Apr Apr17 10 3

1:34am 1:16am 2:30am 7:45am 7:35am 8:54am 1:57pm 1:41pm 2:54pm 8:00pm 8:08pm 9:17pm

6:47am 7:35am 6:41am 7:14pm 5:55pm 6:04pm

Best Best At At

BGF

Sun Sun

Apr Apr Apr16 29

12:42am 1.1 12:31am 2:47am 3.1 0.7 6:50am 2.9 6:48am 9:10am 3.3 0.9 1:06pm 1.0 12:55pm 3:11pm 0.6 3.1 7:04pm 9:35pm 3.3 7:22pm

6:46am 7:34am 6:40am 7:16pm 5:56pm 6:06pm

Best At

4:31am Fishing Guide 4:56pm

G

Sat Sat

11:46am 1:41am 6:12am 2:03pm 6:37pm First Quarter

Tue Tue

Wed Wed

Thu Thu

Fri Fri

Sat Sat

Sun Sun

Apr Apr Apr18 11 4

Apr Apr Apr19 12 5

Apr Apr Apr20 13 6

Apr Apr Apr21 14 7

Apr Apr Apr22 15 8

Apr Apr Apr23 16 9

Apr Apr 24 10 17

2:31am 2:01am 3:12am 8:42am 8:22am 9:37am 2:53pm 2:28pm 3:34pm 9:01pm 8:54pm 9:57pm

6:48am 6:36am 6:42am 6:13pm 5:54pm 6:03pm

Best Best At At

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2.8 0.7 1.3 3.3 2.7 0.6 1.2 3.4 3.3

Mon Mon

6:48am 6:37am 6:43am 6:11pm 5:52pm 6:02pm

Best Best At At

BB

12:10am 2:25am 7:02am 12:35pm 1:47pm 7:27pm Full Moon

3:29am 2.8 2:48am 3:52am 0.6 0.7 9:38am 1.3 10:18am 9:10am 3.4 3.3 3:53pm 2.7 3:14pm 4:14pm 0.5 0.6 10:01pm 1.2 10:36pm 9:41pm 3.5 3.3

6:49am 6:37am 6:43am 6:10pm 5:51pm 6:00pm

Best Best At At

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1:01am 2:09am 7:52am 2:32pm 1:27pm 8:16pm

4:24am 2.8 3:36am 4:33am 0.5 0.8 10:31am 1.2 10:58am 9:59am 3.4 3.2 4:51pm 2.7 4:02pm 4:53pm 0.4 0.7 10:55pm 1.1 10:30pm 11:15pm 3.5 3.2

6:50am 6:38am 6:44am 6:09pm 5:50pm 5:59pm

Best Best At At

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1:54am 2:55am 8:40am 3:18pm 2:23pm 9:04pm

5:14am 0.6 3.0 5:22am 2.9 4:27am 1:34am 12:42am 2.9 6:00am 1.1 5:15am 1.0 0.6 0.9 1:16am 12:31am 3.3 0.8 1:17am 6:02am 0.7 3.1 12:17am 11:21am 3.3 1.0 11:43am 1.1 10:50am 7:45am 6:50am 1.2 12:21pm 2.9 11:39am 3.0 3.4 3.1 7:35am 6:48am 0.8 3.2 7:23am 12:09pm 3.2 0.9 6:20am 5:45pm 2.9 5:43pm 2.8 4:51pm 1:57pm 1:06pm 3.1 2.8 6:16pm 1.0 5:33pm 0.5 0.9 0.4 0.8 1:41pm 12:55pm 0.7 1:38pm 6:35pm 0.6 3.1 12:39pm Tide 11:44pm 0.9 1.0 11:21pm 8:00pm 6:40pm 7:04pm 1.1 11:56pm 3.4 3.0 3.5 3.1 8:08pm 7:22pm 0.8 3.2 7:43pm Times 6:51am 6:39am 6:45am 6:07pm 5:48pm 5:58pm Sun

Best Best At At

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6:52am 6:40am 6:46am 6:06pm 5:47pm 5:56pm

Best Best At At

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6:53am 6:41am 6:47am 6:04pm 5:46pm 5:55pm

Best Best At At

FGG

10:59am 5:21am 4:57am 11:23pm 5:46pm 5:28pm

11:46am 6:12am 5:59am 6:37pm 6:29pm First Last Quarter

Tue Tue

Wed Wed

Thu Thu

Fri Fri

Sat Sat

Sun Sun

Apr Apr 25 11 18

Apr Apr 26 12 19

Apr Apr 27 13 20

Apr Apr 28 14 21

Apr Apr 29 15 22

Apr Apr 16 30 23

Apr Apr May17 24 1

2:20am 2:31am 2:01am 8:27am 8:42am 8:22am 2:42pm 2:53pm 2:28pm 8:51pm 9:01pm 8:54pm

6:54am 6:42am 6:48am 6:03pm 5:45pm 5:54pm

Best Best At At

GBG

3.2 2.8 0.7 0.9 1.3 3.3 3.0 2.7 0.6 0.9 1.2 3.4

Mon Mon

6:54am 6:43am 6:48am 6:02pm 5:43pm 5:52pm

Best Best At At

GBB

12:10am 7:02am 6:58am 12:35pm 7:27pm 7:26pm Full Moon

3:29am 3.1 2.8 2:48am 0.6 3:23am 9:38am 0.9 1.3 9:10am 3.4 9:29am 3:53pm 3.0 2.7 3:14pm 0.5 3:47pm 9:57pm 0.9 1.2 9:41pm 3.5 10:01pm

6:55am 6:43am 6:49am 6:00pm 5:42pm 5:51pm

Best Best At At

GBB

7:53am 7:52am 1:01am 8:16pm 8:19pm 1:27pm

4:24am 3.1 2.8 3:36am 0.5 4:22am 10:31am 0.9 1.2 9:59am 3.4 10:28am 4:51pm 3.0 2.7 4:02pm 0.4 4:50pm 10:55pm 0.9 1.1 10:30pm 3.5 10:57pm

6:56am 6:44am 6:50am 5:59pm 5:41pm 5:50pm

Best Best At At

GBB

8:44am 8:40am 1:54am 9:04pm 9:08pm 2:23pm

5:14am 3.1 2.9 4:27am 0.6 5:17am 11:21am 0.9 1.1 10:50am 3.4 11:22am 5:45pm 3.0 2.8 4:51pm 0.4 5:47pm 11:44pm 0.9 1.0 11:21pm 3.5 11:50pm

6:57am 6:45am 6:51am 5:58pm 5:40pm 5:48pm

Best Best At At

GBB

9:31am 9:27am 2:52am 9:50pm 9:54pm 3:23pm

1:16am 12:31am 6:02am 3.1 3.2 3.0 1:17am 12:17am 0.8 3.3 1:22am 5:22am 3.2 0.7 12:38am 0.6 6:09am 7:35am 6:48am 12:09pm 0.9 0.8 1.0 7:23am 6:20am 3.2 0.8 7:42am 11:43am 0.7 3.2 6:57am 3.3 12:13pm 1:41pm 1:00pm 0.7 6:35pm 3.1 3.1 2.9 1:38pm 12:39pm 3.1 1:43pm 5:43pm 3.2 0.6 12:55pm 0.5 6:39pm 8:08pm 7:26pm 7:22pm 0.8 0.9 7:43pm 6:40pm 3.2 0.8 8:09pm 3.4 6:58am 6:46am 6:52am 5:56pm 5:39pm 5:47pm

Best Best At At

FGB

10:16am 10:13am 3:54am 10:36pm 10:37pm 4:25pm

6:59am 6:47am 6:53am 5:55pm 5:38pm 5:46pm

Best Best At At

GG

10:59am 4:57am 11:23pm 11:21pm 5:28pm

11:42am 11:46am 5:59am 6:29pm Last Quarter

Apr 25

2:20am 8:27am 2:42pm 8:51pm

7:00am 6:48am 6:54am 5:54pm 5:37pm 5:45pm

Best Best At At

GG

0.8 0.7 3.2 3.2 3.3 0.9 0.7 0.6 3.0 3.2 3.4 0.9

Mon

6:54a 5:43p

Best Best At At

GBG

12:04am 12:10am 6:58am 12:35pm 12:26pm 7:26pm New Full Moon

3 0 3 0

Best A

G

7:53a 8:19p

11:13am Rise 12:11pm Set Rise Rise 4:33am 7:04am 1:06pm Set Rise Rise 5:39am 8:07am 1:56pm Set Rise Rise 6:48am 8:09am 2:40pm Set Rise Set 12:20am 9:11am Set 7:59am Rise Set 10:12am 9:13am 1:21am Set Rise Set 10:27am 11:13am 2:24am Rise Set Set 11:39am 12:11pm 3:28am Set Rise Set 12:44pm 1:06pm 4:33am Set Rise Set 1:40pm 1:56pm 5:39am Set Rise Set 2:26pm 2:40pm 6:48am Rise Set Set 12:34am 12:20am 7:59am Rise Set Set 1:43am 1:21am 9:13am Rise Set Set 10:27am 2:24am Set 2:50am Rise Set 11:39am 3:28am Rise 3:54am Set Set 12:44pm 4:33am Rise 4:56am Set Set 5:58am 5:39am 1:40pm Rise Set Set 6:59am 6:48am 2:26pm Rise 12:34a 3:18pm Rise 3:52pm Rise 4:22pm Rise 4:50pm Rise 6:48pm Set 7:27pm Set 8:14pm Set 9:11pm Set 8:57pm Set Moon 9:39pm Rise 7:26pm Rise 5:17pm 7:52pm Rise 5:45pm 7:19pm Rise 7:48pm 7:27pm 8:57pm 9:11pm 10:27pm 5:17pm Rise 11:21pm 5:45pm Rise 6:14pm Set 3:18pm 3:52pm 4:22pm 4:29pm 5:17pm Set 4:54pm 5:45pm Set 5:20pm 6:14pm Set 3:03p Moon Set Set Set 6:14pm Set Set Set Set Set Rise10:15pm Set Rise11:24pm Rise Rise Rise Rise Rise Rise Rise 5:48pm Set 10:27pm Set 11:21pm Rise 6:48pm Rise 8:20pm Rise 8:14pm Rise 9:39pm Rise 3:03pm Rise 3:35pm Rise 4:03pm Rise 4:50pm Rise 10:15pm Rise 11:24pm G B B B F F Fishing Not*Not So for Good navigational purposes. www.tidewiz.com Goodwww.tidespy.com Fishing Fair www.ofu.co.nz Fishing Not Graphic *Not So Good forsupplied navigational

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26

| Hibiscusmatters | April 4, 2022

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What’s on ...

To list events, email: online@localmatters.co.nz

April

2-9

A Streetcar named Desire, Centrestage Theatre, Centreway Rd, Ōrewa. Please note that production dates are subject to change depending on Covid-19 conditions and restrictions. Info and tickets: www.centrestagethreatre.co.nz

4toMay 1

Autistic Expression exhibition, Estuary Arts Centre, Ōrewa. And Dare to be Different (see story p13).

7

9 9

Charity golf tournament, Wainui Golf Club, 35 Windmill Drive, Wainui, 12 noon for 1pm tee off. Prizes and auction. Fundraiser for Big Buddy. Info: brooke@ eighty4recruitment.com (see story back page) Car Boot Sale, behind Centrestage Theatre, 60 Centreway Rd, Ōrewa, 9am-12 noon. A wide range of goods including costumes, books and puzzles will be for sale. Enquires or to book a $10 site, contact Pat on 021 177 4726.

Giant clothing clearance, Love Soup Hibiscus Coast, Whangaparāoa Hall, time to be confirmed. The hall will be opened for a couple of hours with all the donated clothing, shoes, and household items that Love Soup has been storing due to Covid-19 restrictions. Info: Love Soup Hibiscus Coast on Facebook

See www.localmatters.co.nz/whats-on/ for a full list of upcoming events

Twenty one keen members of the Hibiscus Coast Harriers & Triathlon Club swam around the rock at Matakatia as a training session. In the past the event has been open to the wider public as a fundraiser, but Covid-19 restrictions prevented that this time. Those taking part in the 2km swim on Sunday, March 27 ranged in age from 30s-70s. They are a competitive bunch, so times were recorded for bragging rights, although it was not a race. First male home was Tim Rae in 30:36 and first female was Anna Macky in 31:40.

A small group of hard core Hibiscus Coast runners set off at 1am on Saturday, March 26 to run 100km (made up of repeated 5.5km loops around Wenderholm Regional Park) as a fundraiser for Oxfam. The group of seven – three women and four men – had trained for the Oxfam Trailwalker in Taranaki, which was turned into a virtual event because of Covid-19 restrictions.

The Go Run Girls team, Sarah Neve, Maree Leith and Rachel White, raised $1725.

The guys – Steffan Mckinley, Nick Allen, Pat Davies and Chris Johns – brought in $2970. The link is still active for donations – www.oxfamtrailwalker.org.nz/maree-leith

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27

One hour swim aims to raise thousands for charity

Margaret Mullan is determined to do whatever she can to help local charities Rotary and Inner Wheel bring in muchneeded funds.

And what she can do, is swim. Margaret began taking part in swimming-based charity events (Swimarathons) in the UK as a young person, and continued doing it for 20 years.

She has lived on the Coast for almost nine years and also swam in the local Rotary Swimarathon in 2018 and 2019. Since then, the Covid-19 response has seen many Rotary charity events postponed, including the Swimarathon.

Undeterred, the 73-year-old, who is a past president of the Inner Wheel Club of Ōrewa and Whangaparāoa, decided to stage a solo fundraising swim.

Stanmore Bay Pool & Leisure Centre was happy to reserve a lane for her, so she can swim non-stop for an hour.

In that time, she expects to complete 6570 laps.

Margaret has no doubt she can achieve

n hour on-stop foroanroy n im sw l il ullan w rity. Photos, Paul C Margaret M ey for cha n o to raise m

her goal. She swims 2-3 mornings a week, trying to do a kilometre each time. This takes her around half an hour.

“Swimming is my time to switch off,” she says. “I count the number of lengths and don’t think about anything else.”

The retired IT trainer with Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) originally planned to do the swim last year, but broke her foot and was then faced with lockdowns.

“After this long a wait, I just want to get it done,” she says.

Margaret’s fundraising swim begins at 11am on Tuesday, May 10.

Sponsors are invited to donate any sum – per lap, or for the entire hour.

She has already brought in more than $200 from an Australian sponsor. Generation Homes has promised to match the first $500 she raises. Her goal is to bring in $2500.

Money can be donated via Margaret’s Givealittle page, https://givealittle.co.nz/ cause/supporting-rotary-and-inner-wheelcharity-swim

With final games played last month, Hibiscus Coast Cricket Club is very satisfied with its first season in the top grade in one day and T20 competition. The men’s premier team finished in the middle of the table in the one-day (Richard Jones Cup) and 7th in T20. Club manager Gair McSkimming says it’s a positive start. Highlights for the season include back-to-back wins over Birkenhead and Ellerslie. Coast also chased down Waitakere’s 274/4 at home on March 19, winning the game with 276/2. This included a 151 not-out knock by 19-year-old Bevon-John Jacobs. All-rounder Ramesh Lakmal finished fourth in the Richard Jones Cup player rankings. McSkimming says bringing premier quality games to Victor Eaves Reserve was also a highlight – and the ground itself received a lot of praise from umpires. The final game of the season was also the swansong for fast bowler Brad Norris, pictured front centre, who was farewelled in style. He is heading to the UK after playing 150 games for the club.

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