Kaipara Lifestyler, September 5th 2023

Dargaville’s artistic triumph

Racecourse development past the post

u by Andy Bryenton

A full meeting of the Kaipara District Council made a favourable decision on the fate of Dargaville’s proposed racecourse development last week, after a panel of experts advised that it should proceed.

A detailed report to the KDC, filed by district planner Paul Waanders and district planning team leader Katherine Overwater, confirmed that a hearings panel recommended approving Private Plan Change 81 (PPC81), which would enact vital rezoning and enable construction.

“The PPC81 development will contribute to the economic and financial strength of Dargaville through the collection of development contributions, creating additional rateable properties and the development of other physical

works to be included,” said the district planning representatives.

The focus shifted to elected members and mayor Craig Jepson, who met to vote on the issue last Wednesday. Their decision was informed by the extensive hearings and submissions reported on by a panel of experts, who have met several times since PPC81 was lodged in February 2022.

‘We are satisfied that the PPC81 will provide for a sustainable built environment that effectively integrates

infrastructure with subdivision, use and development. It will provide a sense of place, identity and a range of lifestyle, employment and transport choices. The proposal will provide for the economic potential and social wellbeing of the community,’ stated the official hearings panel, of Mark Farnsworth, Michael Campbell and KDC representative and deputy mayor Jonathan Larsen.

Not every councillor was convinced, with objections focussing on the continued on page 3 …

The 2023 Dargaville Wearable Arts lit up Pioneer Rugby Park’s grand marquee for three huge shows last weekend, premiering the creations of a cadre of talented artists. The supreme winner, The Compost Wizard by Anna Harding, was woven and assembled from natural materials to the extent that parts of the ensemble were edible. With a jaunty step, model Tommy lit up the runway, evoking a sprightly character to match Anna’s creative vision. This wearable creation stunned the full-house crowds who flocked to witness artistic magic on the runway.

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the district including Dargaville, Ruawai, Paparoa, Matakohe, Maungaturoto, Kaiwaka, Mangawhai and Wellsford.

BY PROFESSIONALS

IN YOUR COMMUNITY NOT “EXPERTS” ONLINE

Mayor’s Message

Greetings, I said in my last message that I would be checking my bike and getting ready for the opening of the Mangawhai boardwalk soon. And true to my word, I did! After the blessings and the ribbon cutting I hopped on my bike and took a very smooth ride back along the boardwalk and all the way up to the museum, where we enjoyed a sausage sizzle to celebrate the work completion with the community and all those involved in the project. What a pleasure it was.

From the art design, tasteful timber patterns, to the restful seating provided to take in magical Mangawhai estuary views, to the fishing platform in the centre where kids have already been seen dangling a fishing line – the boardwalk and shared path network is already providing immense enjoyment for our community. Our older citizens find it a gentle stroll. Residents and visitors alike use it to walk safely to work, to the museum, MAZ, supermarket, shops and cafes, and the Saturday markets. Another great milestone ticked off the list.

Onwards and upwards, Council’s next key infrastructure project to look forward to will be the completion of Pouto¯ wharf before the end of the year (another project only made possible with external funding).

In the background, we are still getting on with the basics. Our roading team are using additional resource to speed up pothole repairs, and construction season is now getting underway. Check out the details of work

0800 727 059

council@kaipara.govt.nz

www.kaipara.govt.nz

completed in our monthly roading report on the KDC website.

This week (starting 4 September) our draft Waste Minimisation and Waste Plan goes out for consultation. I encourage you to have a read of the consultation document, and if you have thoughts, to give us your submission. As part of this process we are taking a close look at improving how we manage our waste and reducing the recyclable and compostable material that ends up in landfill.

Separate to this, but connected, discussions are continuing around investigations and options of a modern waste to energy plant. Recently Auckland Council hosted a meeting with the Northland Mayors, Deputy Mayors and the Northland Inc Chief Executive, alongside some senior staff from across the councils. I will keep you updated on the progress of these collaborative conversations.

p Fifty years of married life, five sons and 15 grandchildren, together with partners and friends, made for a major Sheppard family gathering at Pahi to celebrate the Golden Wedding anniversary of Ken ‘Honk’ and Rose Sheppard. “My family dates back to the early days in Matakohe. I met Rose when her family moved to Paparoa when she was 15. She worked on the telephone exchange and the local service station before I popped the question after meeting her at a Pahi barbecue party,” says Honk. “We celebrated our 50 years together, with I guess, more than 30 family members, so it is a fact that over the years they all add up! Like any family, there have been humps and hollows in life, but we have survived these, and together, we have some wonderful memories as well.”

The colour of hope

Stage stars celebrate

t Arapohue School students Kaycee Walker and Mac Piper won third place at the Body Jam event at Dargaville Intermediate School. Solo performer Hailey Alver won second place for her solo performance. “I wanted to do the Body Jam competition since I was five years old,” Hailey Alver said. “I was confident and came up with my dance moves on my own and have always been interested in dance and it felt good being on stage.”

p Bright yellow graced the windows of the ANZ Bank in Dargaville for Daffodil Day, as the staff there raised money for the New Zealand Cancer Society’s appeal. Part of that push for the cause was a major raffle, with prizes donated by main street retailers. Lucky winner Dania Wood (pictured) received one of five prizes in last week’s draw.

Mayor Craig Jepson Kaipara District

Racecourse development past the post

potential cost to ratepayers, which may come from the necessity for new infrastructure.

Councillor Ash Nayyar urged caution, saying it would be a costly decision if elected members got it wrong.

He cited specific parts of the commissioners’ report which he opined remained unresolved, such as the insistence of Waka Kotahi on a roundabout at the development’s entryway and the need to build a shared path linking the racecourse precinct with the existing municipality. Mangawhai Ward councillor Rachael Williams also voted against the development, citing similar cost overrun potentials as a concern.

The council voted six votes to two to approve the development, setting the stage for works to begin. Two councillors did not vote; Pera Paniora registered a conflict of interest, and Jonathan Larsen, as one of the commissioners, elected to abstain from the final ballot. The ‘ayes’ had it when the vote was confirmed.

“That is good news for Dargaville. Three years in the making, four if you count the time spent negotiating with New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing. I would congratulate the commissioners on the very thorough approach they took to this application,

dealing fairly with all concerned, and in the end, the positive nature of their recommendation,” says Richard Alspach. He has been instrumental in helping bring the racecourse development proposal to this stage.

The hearing panel listened to concerns from neighbours, input from engineers, planners, economists, scientists, historians and local iwi, and opinions from legal experts to formulate their final position. The next stage toward construction will be the public notification of PPC81’s adoption, ahead of the turning of the first shovel of earth.

When complete, the site of the former race course will incorporate affordable housing, housing for older citizens, a small commercial precinct and limited light industry, with more than 300 homes easing pressure on the local market. ¢

School transport elation

u by Amy Fifita Poutō resident Julie

Cotton has successfully received results for her remote community after months of appealing to the government to have a secondary school bus route.

“It has brought security to our community to know that we can get our children to school,” said Julie. “The community is ecstatic and our tamariki can stay on their whenua and in their homes.

“When I arrived here a year ago, I saw not having a school bus as an act of government neglect. I was driving 500 kilometres and spending $160 a week on getting my son to school.

“Our biggest roadblock wasn’t that the children didn’t want to go to school; it was that they couldn’t get there. My only bitterness is that it shouldn’t have happened, so we did our best, and I used my skill sets.”

Julie wrote to the government in February. The Minister of Health Ayesha Verrall picked up the issue and contacted Minister of Youth Willow-Jean Prime about the Poutō community’s transport issues. The school bus service started last Monday.

“The Honourable Dr Verrell is a hero. Eight months later, we have a school bus, and it is life-changing. The benefits are instant and have created financial relief. Now, the people here can afford to buy clothes, fix their vehicles and get more food. I have heartfelt gratitude to Dr Verrall, Willow-Jean Prime, Michael Houghton and Geoff Prentice, and the community for their perseverance.” ¢

p Students Hayley Middleton and Utu Cotton set off on the first-ever Poutō secondary school bus after months of Julie Cotton appealing for education transport for the area

p Allan Mortensen, Richard Alspach and Tim Antonio at the racecourse site; a representative from partners Ngāti Whātua was unable to attend this photo opportunity

Making our votes count Acrimony and accusations at meeting

Here we are again.

Dargaville, Kaipara, Northland, even Aotearoa as a whole is on a precipice. A ‘nuclear free’ moment in 2023. What will future generations see and learn about when they look back at this election?

Will they see Aotearoa grasp the future and enact a strong mandate for social change? Will it be seen as a turning point where people looked beyond today and cemented New Zealand as a world leader rather than a follower?

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You’ll have an opportunity to vote in a central government that could radically alter the future of what we know and love as New Zealand. It could be for the worse or the better.

Politicians show up and sell the lines, incite divides and talk of an us versus them mentality. It’s easy to think your vote doesn’t matter, but it does.

Look at where we are locally. Do you feel represented? Do you feel like those around the council table are making decisions for today, or for our future? At times, it seems like they’re barely thinking beyond lunch — not all elected members, but some for sure. Kia kaha to those taking a stand and trying to work against a rising tide and a voting bloc of backwards thinking.

To the future, to the rangatahi, to the newer voters, people inspired to take a stand and vote for the first time, read, listen, research. Think of the others in your life, don’t vote for yourself or vote how your parents have always voted or how your partner votes, vote for those who need a hand up.

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u by Andy Bryenton

Last Wednesday’s meeting of the Kaipara District Council descended to the brink of chaos, as a long-running debate about the role of Māori in governance led to allegations of lies and duplicity.

Following last month’s surprise inclusion of anti-co-governance demagogue Julian Batchelor, Pere Huriwai-Seger opened his presentation with the assertion that Craig Jepson had lied. He contended that the mayor had approached Mr Batchelor to speak. As evidence, he presented an email to the KDC’s IT department from Mr Batchelor.

“When you invited him to the last council meeting, you were inviting a treaty conspiracy theorist to speak,” contended Mr Huriwai-Seger.

“You are twisting my words. I did not lie,” responded the mayor, who refused to make an apology to the accusations, which he maintains are false.

Mr Huriwai-Seger counselled elected members to seek accredited information on the role of Te Tiriti. However, the next speaker to appear was, as last month, a surprise to councillors.

Clive Boonham presented documentation from both the Waitangi Tribunal and the Court of Appeal, which he says indicates that a Proclamation of Sovereignty in May of 1840 made Te Tiriti effectively obsolete. The implication of the assumption of sovereignty in breach of Te

Tiriti was controversial, but less so, in the moment, than the fact that Mr Boonham had not appeared on the agenda.

Councillor Pera Paniora asked how Mr Boonham, like Mr Batchelor before him, had been included at short notice to make a rebuttal to the preceding speaker. Chief executive Jason Marris asserted that the agenda had been publically available online for several days. Repeated questions led to the mayor threatening to eject Councillor Paniora and adjourn the meeting, which would have seen major business deferred at a potentially large cost. ¢

We will be welcoming back Shane Jones from NZ First to raise funds towards the Dargaville Vintage Machinery Club.

When: September 6th, 2023 at 6pm

Where: Northern Wairoa Golf Club

Address: 819 Baylys Coast Road, Baylys Beach, Dargaville

Grab your tickets online for a fully catered dinner and afterdinner speaking engagement - $50 per head. Go to linimentclub. org.nz to book in for an entertaining evening supporting your local heritage machinery club.

Tickets selling fast! Last chance, cut off Wednesday 6th noon.

info@kaipara-agri.co.nz

https://www.kaiparafarmvets.co.nz/kaipara-agri-solution

14 Normanby Street, Dargaville, Northland 0310 New Zealand

Inc

p Pere Huriwai-Seger alleges the mayor lied; implications of ‘stacking’ the agenda with surprise speakers also surfaced

Kaipara Heritage Machinery

Council tackles unfinished business Machinery club’s local support

u by Andy Bryenton

Weather events, necessary post-cyclone repairs, and an already overfull schedule of works have seen the Kaipara District Council forced to put more than $28 million of unfinished projects into the budget for the next financial year.

The KDC must make its plan of works and the budget for it, before June 30 each year and it’s impossible to know in advance which projects will remain uncompleted and thus become socalled carry-overs. It’s up to the council to vote for a higher budget, to see these completed before June 30 2024.

“Last year, the sheer volume of work being undertaken had an impact on the council’s ability to complete its work programme, which has resulted in a significant increase in carry-overs,” said KDC general manager of sustainable growth and investment, Sue Davidson. “The wet weather also had an impact on projects able to be completed in this financial year.”

Analysis of historic data shows that carry overs have been on the rise every year since 2020.

The Annual Plan for 2023 to 2024 already contained a large $49

million programme of building and upgrading infrastructure and amenities district-wide.

The necessity to carry-over unfinished work will bring the total budget needed up to $77.9 million. Additionally, $780,000 in operational and maintenance expenditures must be carried forward.

Uncompleted projects include pensioner housing improvements, a stopbank between Dargaville and Te Kōpuru, Poutō wharf, new tsunami sirens, flood protection for Ruawai, and extensive wastewater and stormwater upgrades, among many others.

u by Andy Bryenton

Funds from the speaking engagement and dinner will go to the Heritage Machinery Club, a group that maintains a unique collection of historic machines. The gift will be gratefully received, as there is always work to do restoring and maintaining the treasures in their care. However, over and above donations of classic machinery and operating capital, the HMC are in need of new recruits.

“We have a fast-dwindling membership of volunteers, as we need a following generation of young people interested in vintage machinery. Our average age is 78 and we’d really appreciate fresh ideas and volunteers,” says Heritage Machinery Club spokesperson Maureen Ross.

“We have two members who service and maintain our existing displays, two members who work on restorations, and two more who can be consulted when required,” says Maureen.

There’s room for all sorts, and a variety of skills are needed to help preserve the engineering and agricultural heritage of the current collection. While many of the founding members of the HMC were (and still are) experienced in engineering, welding, fabrication and restoration, there’s also a need for those who can handle modern IT, promotions online, balancing the books and guiding guests through the displays.

It’s people who will carry this impressive enterprise forward into the future. ¢

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can also repair existing or damaged bitumen surfaces. We can perform a 2-coat seal application of bitumen for durable surfaces that can handle wear and tear.

PGW also offers aggregate, cartage, spreading and bitumen spray truck operating services.

Guest speaker Shane Jones is raising funds this week for the Liniment Club, who will present a large donation to Dargaville’s conservators of pioneering technology.

p Poutō wharf is one of several millions of dollars worth of projects which will now be completed in the next financial year, after a series of setbacks afflicted progress in 2022–23

p Heritage on the hill — Dargaville’s Heritage Machinery Club welcomes classic car enthusiasts at a recent open day

Audience awestruck by arts achievement

u by Andy Bryenton — photos by Sarah Marshall Photography

Colour, creativity and exuberance set the tone for the 2023 Dargaville Wearable Arts, a world-class event hosted in Kaipara.

The Grants Gas & Plumbing Reduce Reuse Recycle category award went to Suzi J for her Michael Jackson tribute entitled Smooth Criminal. The Dargaville Arts Association Our Natural Environment category award was won by Hine Āranga, the creation of Brydie Lenden.

The Creative Northland Youth Award was won by Rosie Cooper and Anna Marden, who both designed and modelled their creative interpretation of the Wonderland Twins.

The Dargaville Arts Association award for construction Ingenuity and technique went to the intricate Hine-nui-te-pō, crafted from thousands of can pull-tabs

by

Jenn Burrows. The Dargaville Arts Association award for the model with the most catwalk presence was taken home by Darcelle Pumipi and her model Giovanna, displaying the wearable artwork entitled Aroha.

The coveted Fosters Home Decor Peoples Choice award, and the Ritchies Avant Garde category award went to Miss Polly Chromatic by Jackie Butterworth. The Kaipara Lifestyler Supreme Award went to a growing, living creation. Anna Harding’s green and mossy The Compost Wizard featured live plants and a variety of natural dyes, fabrics and woven materials, in a raiment fit for a magician.

p The Wonderland Twins were winners of the youth award

p Bear Be-Wear took a stance against animal exploitation

p Hine Āranga, the nature-themed creation of Brydie Lenden

p Smooth Criminal used seatbelts to craft a Michael Jackson tribute

p Ingenuity award winner Hine-nui-te-pō

p Jackie Butterworth’s En-TIE-ly Ties

p Calita Munro’s Avatar brought a cinematic character to life on stage

p Local artist Micaela van den Berg crafted the otherworldly Organism

p Miss Polly Chromatic astounded with colour and flare

p Monarch-KEY celebrated the Elizabethan age’s charismatic ruler

p Recycled materials made a shimmering Silver Lining for this piece

p Debbie Lane, Sue Foster, Lois Stather-Dunn and Reg Payne’s Out of the Blue

A feast of flavours

u by Andy Bryenton

There’s a new destination in Dargaville for international flavours; the D Town Indian Fusion Restaurant opened last Monday, with Mayor Craig Jepson cutting the ribbon.

Council report card — Ron Manderson

u by Andy Bryenton

In our continuing series of candid discussions with council members this week, we talked to Ron Manderson

Have you managed to achieve, or make progress, on your election promises?

“Yes,” says Councillor Manderson, “I have maintained consistency with them in the background, and further developed them.”

Chef Naresh and restaurant manager Manoj have lived in the area for the past seven years and have combined their skills to establish a new restaurant that combines traditional Indian cuisine with fusion-style recipes, offering favourites from many culinary traditions.

“We would like to invite everyone to come and sample our menu; there are dishes to cater to all tastes,” says Manoj.

Kaipara’s mayor attended the ribboncutting ceremony to open the new restaurant, along with two Dargavillebased councillors, Gordon Lambeth and Ash Nayyar. Councillor Lambeth, who has offices near the new venue, says that the scents of spices and sauces leading up to

the opening day last Monday have been tantalising. “Whenever I have walked past, the smell has been out of this world,” says Councillor Lambeth.

“It smelled so good I had to drive over, all the way from Mangawhai, to have a taste,” said Mayor Jepson, who stayed for a meal after cutting the ribbon with his council colleagues.

The first official customers of the D Town Indian Fusion Restaurant reported the food on offer matched the aromatic delights emanating from Naresh’s kitchen. Richly spiced and flavoured, with a side of light, fluffy rice and buttered garlic naan bread, the selection of dishes met with approval all around the table. ¢

42 JUMNA ROAD, MAUNGATUROTO

“Council will likely soon adopt most of the suggestions I have prepared and a few that they are not yet aware of. Kaipara must further develop and market a unique selling position and deal with the excess of land being converted into pine trees, to the benefit of only a few. This is at the expense of taxpayers; the potential abuse of power and self-interest is concerning. What have been the obstacles to achieving change?

Councillor Manderson says working around the restrictions imposed by the present government and historic legislation have been the major impediments to positive change. He opines these impose time and compliance restraints, which cause discouragement.

“The evolution of increasing legislative restrictions generally is hastening the slow demise of farming and adversely affecting younger, more qualified people’s entry into farming,” says Mr Manderson.

“This is especially serious for an export-dependent country with natural advantages in food production. The reduction is being accelerated by people with no skin in the game and,

unfortunately, their incomes benefit from increasing such obstruction and increasing the complexity they may then charge to resolve.

“Farmers wanting to sell have been inept in dealing collectively with their issues. For example, some years ago, in 1978, they often listed with three real estate agencies which promoted true competition. They have since become so compliant they now appoint a sole agent and still expect competition. Salespeople frequently do not share their listing with other real estate agents; farmers need to collectively set up an organisation that is both responsive and responsible to them. How do you plan to deliver good value for your constituents in council, going forward?

“It seems that I am gifted with an ability to often see the bigger picture or a different perspective,” says Mr Manderson. “For example, alternative land uses for our land owners and better lifestyles for our many retirees.”

In general, he believes the council has made progress during the early months of the new administration. ¢

LIFESTYLE AND INVESTMENT

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An opportunity awaits here for someone looking for a future investment. This 5.409ha (approx. 13 acre) lifestyle block has resource consent for 3 lots. Build your house and you have approximately 5 years to finish the development and end up with 3 titles on a tar-sealed road, handy to Maungaturoto. Great buying at $590,000 +GST (if any). These lots would have access to a tidal residents only boat ramp for fishing, etc. This has to be a great investment for someone looking to the future. Phone Gary 021 902 087, or Debbie 021 2333 796 for further details.

p The mayor cuts the ribbon to open Dargaville’s newest restaurant, as the chef, manager, council dignitaries and well-wishers applaud

Volunteers help build careers Citizens Advice Bureau must move

u by Andy Bryenton

Secondary school students have been given an opportunity to pursue a career in law enforcement, with Dargaville High School’s police academy attending firearms safety training this month.

In a comprehensive programme covering all aspects of safety around firearms, the students will get familiar with the equipment used for sports shooting and hunting, opening up job opportunities and tertiary study options. Local rifle club members gave their time to share their expertise, along with those who assist the police with firearms licensing.

“We started in 2021, so this is the third intake, and we have had a very good response,” says educator and course organiser Angela Troath.

“We’re grateful that our local rifle club supports this educational outreach. It’s all about safety which is very important, not just for future employment but also because our students are future, and sometimes current, hunters and farmers.”

Thanks to Dargaville having its own centrally located firing range and volunteers willing to come and help,

another group of students will now be able to handle the firearms component of law enforcement training confidently. Previous graduates of this course have gone on to tertiary studies, leading to a role with the police.

For people like volunteer course mentor Alec Melville, who is also the current president of the Sporting Shooters Association of New Zealand, it’s a way to assist the community and also a means to ensure that the message of responsible, safe firearms ownership reaches a wider audience. ¢

u by Andy Bryenton

Time is running out for Dargaville’s Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) to find a new home, following the announcement by the Kaipara District Council that the Dargaville town hall annexe must be demolished.

“The council has always regarded us as a valuable resource and helped us,” says CAB team member Wendy Koloi. “They have provided premises for us since 1982, covering most of the 44 years of continuous service that we have given to the town.”

Now, with demolition looming potentially early next year, there’s no doubt that the CAB must relocate. The only question that remains is where. Currently, there are no proposals on the table from the KDC, and the CAB’s national office does not have the funding to pay market rent. As the CAB is a not-for-profit, which receives no government funding, this creates a financial problem that could see the town stripped of citizens advice services.

These are in demand and are set to increase as Dargaville grows. Services include relationship and employment law advice, a legal clinic once each month, consumer advice and referrals

to other specialised groups for assistance in a variety of social and legal matters.

“We would ideally have a central location with at least two rooms, to enable us to continue offering confidential advice on sensitive topics,” says fellow CAB team member Richard Faulkner.

For now, all the 15 staff and volunteers of this Dargaville institution can do is continue to help people daily and hope for an opportunity to re-house their organisation. ¢

p It’s a full house at Dargaville’s police academy, with young people keen to explore career options learning about safe and responsible firearms ownership

p Richard Faulkner, Neville Collins and Wendy Koloi are appealing for options as the Dargaville Citizens Advice Bureau is compelled to move

Les Builderseney

Spruce Up

Doing the groundwork first

u by Amy Fifita

After a wet winter and summer period, it is ideal to test your soil to discover what treatment it requires so your plants can flourish during the spring and summer periods.

Northland has had its fair share of wet weather in the past eight months. While water can be refreshing, we all know that the downpours were damaging to the ground, crops and gardens. Heavy rain affects nutrients in the earth and can lead to the leaching of organic matter, so now is a good time to soil test to discover what nutrients remain.

Knowing what type of earth you have is beneficial too. Once you understand its physical structure, you will be able to maintain and monitor it according to how much clay, silt, sand and other materials you have in it.

A soil test will give you insight into what nutrients are lacking so you can treat accordingly. With your results in hand, you can go to your garden supplier and see what treatment they recommend.

Compost, blood and bone, and fertiliser will help replenish the ground’s nutrient reservoirs and encourage growth for plant life. After you have treated your soil, a layer of mulch can be applied to maintain

p Living organisms like earthworms break down organic matter and thrive in healthy soil moisture for what is expected to be a dry summer. Be mindful when applying it, mulching too close to the roots and tree trunks can cause root rot. The result of that causes plant growth to be stunted.

Once you have fed your grounds with nutrients from fertilisers and other treatments, your garden should flourish

with beautiful blooms or be plentiful with bounties from the earth.

Your ground will flourish with living organisms like worms, insects, bacteria and other life forces. They help break up organic matter giving nutrients to the soil. The diverse ecosystem enriches what your plants grow in so they can grow well.

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Spruce Up

Helping nature thrive

u by Amy Fifita

Last Tuesday, Te Tai Whenua and Kaipara Moana Remediation gave away 20,000 mānuka trees to the community to restore local wetlands and river margins.

“I love the restoration aspect of the project. It is great to be able to take something in a bad state and restore it to its former glory,” said Te Tai Whenua coordinator Courtney Davis.

The TTW is a Te Roroa-led project and is working on the land given back to the iwi following a settlement process.

“A lot of it was old forestry land in a bad state covered in weeds and pests. We are planting native tree species and doing pest control. Last year, we opened our native tree nursery, which has an 800,000 tree capacity. Now, we have a state-of-the-art purpose-built structure for growing natives and are working alongside the KMR. It is an uplifting experience, not only for the environment but also because we are providing employment for people who grow the nursery. It is great to see them working on their whenua in an area where there are high unemployment rates and very few job opportunities. They love the mahi.”

The KMR purchased 20,000 mānuka trees from the TTW nursery to give to the local community.

“Now is a good time for people to plant. People were stoked to receive the trees and will be planting them on their properties to restore their wetlands and river margins.

“I thank the community for attending the day and for their support. I am looking forward to updates on how

Recently, the TTW received funding from the Department of Conservation to do a feasibility study around Maunganui Bluff with the intent of building a fence to exclude pests. ¢

p Locals from various generations collected Kaipara Moana Remediation-bought mānuka trees from the Te Tai Whenua nursery the trees are doing in a few years when they are thriving in their new environment.”

u by Amy Fifita

Springtime is a time for new growth and life. Now is an opportunity to have a good think about what will not only enhance your property but what will benefit your area. One way to restore diversity in your area is by planting natives that encourage birdlife to reign the land once more.

Birds require sustenance like seeds, fruit, foliage, nectar, lizards and insects to survive and grow, so planting trees and shrubs is necessary. August and September are ideal months for planting new trees. Northland is ideal for mataī, kohekohe, kauri, rimu, tawa and flax, among others.

The trees will add life to your garden in more ways than one. Almost all birds eaiat insects. To entice insects for the fluttering of fantails (pīwakawaka), vary the height of your chosen trees. Multilayered vegetation attracts insects which the pīwakawaka savours.

Lizards are also a delicacy for some birds. Create plenty of places for these cold-blooded creatures to hide, and like insects, they also require layers of vegetation, but also sunlight. The three

necessities for birds, insects and lizards work hand in hand because lizards eat insects, nectar and berries. With life in your backyard, predator control is a primary consideration. With the ecosystem you have restored, you must protect it from introduced species like stoats, possums, rats and mice that could lay terror on your native haven.

Talk to your local professional about what type of trap or bait will best suit your purpose so the birds and plants remain safe from harm. Your garden will be teeming with the natural sound of the birds and the rustle of lizards, and knowing that you have contributed to it, is a great feeling too.

p Multilayered vegetation attracts insects which the native pīwakawaka (New Zealand fantail) eats for nourishment

Spruce Up

Lawn tractor dreams

u by Andy Bryenton

There’s a piece of general advice which states that if the lawn area you have to mow exceeds a quarter acre, then you need a rideon mower.

It’s a general rule, and there are more considerations to take into account if your yard is the size of an entire suburban section and spans the house. Zero-turn mowers will help you manoeuvre around obstacles, wider cutting decks will cut down on the time it takes to complete the job, and stability is paramount if you have a hilly or undulating section.

However, there’s another criterion which comes before all of these, if you’re part of a club like the Thunder Valley Racing Mower Club of Maine, or the Hell’s Arborists custom mower club of California, both in the US.

Racing ride-on mowers is a part of Dargaville’s annual field days, and it’s also a huge sport in its own right overseas. Mowers retooled for power compete in drag races, where they have to chop the grass on the ‘drag strip’ during their quarter-mile sprint or take to an oval racetrack in imitation of NASCAR action. Thunder Valley president Aaron Boetsch, a former soldier, says the club is an inexpensive, friendly way to compete in motorsport.

“It’s cheap, fun entertainment,” said Aaron, “You don’t have to have a lot of money invested. Guys that have lawn care businesses can mow on Friday, unload Saturday and compete.”

There are some who say that this need for speed can be taken too far. As an example, they might mention ‘Pops and Mike’s Kombobulator,’ a ride-on with five motors mimicking the look of the most outlandish tractor-pull machines. Others chase raw speed, like Antony Edwards of the UK, who hit a frightening 230km/h on his mower down the runway of Alvington airbase in 2021.

Having the wildest, coolest, most tricked-out mower is another imperative for those with a competitive streak. People who love to decorate and detail their mowers might gravitate to clubs like the Hell’s Arborists, which boast ride-ons with the front ends of Harley Davidsons, others with whitewall tyres and superchargers, and even one with a real transplanted Chevrolet Corvette V8 engine.

You may laugh, but mowers tricked out to resemble hot rods have been seen

p There are practical ride-on mowers for a spring spruce-up, and then there are flights of imagination and engineering made for speed or show at Kiwi custom car shows. Pinstripes, fins, chrome and big exhausts could soon be all the fashion on lawns in your neighbourhood, too. ¢

Children collecting for a cause

u by Amy Fifita

Four groups of students from the Kauri Coast Home School Group are creating a charity fair for various appeals on Thursday, September 7, at the Countdown Dargaville car park beginning at 10am.

“We want our children to be aware of world needs and also raise awareness to help cater to those needs,” KCHSG parent Lisa Leggitt said.

“It will teach our children that although they are young, they can do a lot for people in need. We have a sheltered life without worry of how we are going to be fed or clothed.”

Each group has chosen a charity, with two working in tandem to support the Northland Emergency Services Trust.

“Our group chose NEST with a sausage sizzle and silent auction,” said Andrew Ambler.

“It is a charity that supports many people in the community, including farmers, and they need donations to keep going.”

The auxiliary group is bringing a fun activity to the day by setting up a radiocontrolled car racecourse. Another collective will support Whānau Focus.

“We are supporting them because they help struggling families and single parents. We are making bookmarks and doing a bake sale,” Mikaiah Bothwell says.

Teammate Briana Long says that in addition to the donations, they also plan to do a weekly display for a few weeks to

Home show winners

Congratulations to our home show ticket winners Gráinne and Christa van der Woerd, who will attend the huge Auckland Home Show this weekend, thanks to a ticket giveaway in conjunction with the show’s organisers and this publication. Enjoy all the colour, style and inspiration of this massive event.

brighten up

p The group created a design to screen print on to shirts, under the guidance of Trevor Moss, to be worn on the day and for future events

the Whānau Focus window. Other groups involved have chosen to support Eden Australia and Asian Aid with a craft sale and a fudge street store. ¢

Council warned off GMOs

u by Andy Bryenton

Kaipara is the only district in Northland without provisions against Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in its District Plan, and a presentation last week by GE Free Northland aimed to change this position.

GE Free Northland spokespeople Linda Grammer and Martin Robinson presented the case for denying access to genetically modified organisms in the north, citing numerous offshore and New Zealandbased field trials that had ended with unforeseen and negative consequences.

It was their contention that the risks of adopting genetic modification technology far outweigh the potential for financial or ecological gain, even in areas where gene modification has been touted as a so-called ‘silver bullet’ to sidestep issues such as pest species proliferation or the susceptibility of crops to a particular disease.

“Genetic Engineering is not that silver bullet. Even if they say it is safe and effective, it is not,” said Mr Robinson. “Whatever is growing in the hills, will end up in the sea. Whatever is growing in the hills, will end up in someone else’s area.”

He cited several instances of this kind of cross-contamination, and of laboratory tests leading to outbreaks which have proven costly or even impossible to contain in other countries and in other parts of New Zealand. While many in the general public believe that New Zealand operates a complete ban on GE organisms, in fact, in-lab trials are possible and have taken place under the current laws.

In New Zealand, gene editing is currently considered genetic modification and is subject to approval processes under the Environmental Protection Authority. That approval is hard to get, but not impossible. There are those who advocate for lifting the effective ban on GMOs being released into the wild; an example is the push to allow genetic modification that could make the invasive brushtail possum infertile. Unable to reproduce, its numbers would dwindle to nothing, removing a major pest from Kiwi forests.

“There’s a major risk in targeting a species which is indigenous just across the ditch,” warned Linda Grammer. Martin Robinson equated this idea with the illadvised means deployed by colonial-era governments to tackle the rabbit population by releasing stoats; themselves a major pest species.

“GMOs would be our next stoats,” he said.

National Party spokesperson on the issue, Judith Collins, disagrees.

“Restrictive rules, drafted in the 1990s, make research outside the lab all but impossible. This means our scientists must head overseas to conduct further research,” she said, noting that the GMO ban is a commercial disadvantage.

p GE Free Northland’s Linda Grammer and Martin Robinson seek a commitment from councillors to lock out GMO trials in Kaipara

Pricing plan ‘tone deaf’ say farmers

u by Andy Bryenton

Farmers are speaking out against the government’s emissions pricing plan in the last weeks before a general election, which could derail the entire ETS process.

DairyNZ chair Jim van der Poel supports the organisation’s branding of the pricing regime as ‘thoughtlessly timed’ and ‘lacking detail’.

“It shows little understanding of the challenges dairy farmers are facing this season. Dairy farmers are facing significant pressure right now, with business viability under threat,” said Mr van der Poel.

“The issue of emissions pricing is of huge importance behind the farm gate, and we all need to keep our farmers top of mind. We will continue to work with the government on this to seek a workable solution. No deal is still better than a bad deal.”

Jittery markets both here and overseas have compounded the blow to farmer confidence. The farm gate milk price has dropped to a projected low below $7 a kilogram, while lamb prices have dropped by 25 per cent in the past year. Farming advocacy groups opine that a lack of emissions trading scheme clarity, or even the fact of the scheme’s implementation, has had a detrimental effect on those prices.

“At a time when farmers are struggling to keep their heads above water and

are looking for support, they’re instead being weighed down with more uncertainty, complexity, and cost,” said Federated Farmers chairman Wayne Langford.

“Farmer confidence is at an all-time low, and this announcement is going to do nothing to help restore it. It will only erode it further.”

Mr Langford quotes the government’s own statistics to support his stance. These estimate that implementating the ETS would slash sheep farming by 20 per cent and dairy production by five per cent. It would have the potential to strip export earnings from the sector and compound the cost of living crisis through higher food costs at home.

“We have been really clear: we will not accept policies that threaten farm businesses and rural communities. Pricing was only ever needed to facilitate the necessary change. It will not achieve anything unless cost-effective tools and technology are available,” Jim van der Poel said.

Rhetoric such as this and the ongoing cost crunch afflicting Kiwis at the supermarket, highlights the fact that the Emissions Trading Scheme has become a core election issue. As polling day looms, any government misstep is akin to conceding points to the opposition late in the game.

p DairyNZ chair Jim van der Poel has spoken out in support of his constituents in criticising the government’s emissions pricing plan

A dog’s tail …

Boss has sum thorts for food

“Tell ter wot Dog, all these ’lection promises make me laff, well they wood if it wasin’t so serious.”

Gooday readas, Boss an’ me were back ona woolshed step froma lambin’ beet an’ wile it’s been a bit muddy ina paddicks, they sheeps are coping pretty good. But Boss bin more wurried about all sorts of other stuff. Wether the All Blacks gonna come rite in France, whose gonna win the ’lection, an’ then last Sunday nite, he an’ his gerlfren’ Sharlene got all upset watchin’ ona TV about the cost of livin’.

Sharlene came over with a cuppatees tray an’ Boss tole her wot he was thinkin’.

“Deah, we gotta vote in a few weeks, an’ all we bin hearing is free fillin’ atta denist, cheep stuff atta chemists, and a bita tax cuts, sometime ina future. Meentime, we gotta cost of living crisis

rite now. Not next year or whenever. We okay ona farm with a good veggie garden an’ chooks, an’ eggs, an’ muttins. We kin trade stuff ona dairy run-off, too, for milk an’ our mate John over ona harbour for the odd bita kahawai an’ snappa.”

“Yes Deah,” sed Sharlene, slippin’ me a hole butty pikelit. Still warm, yum. Then she read in her skoolteecher voice: “Last financial year, the price of fruit and vegetables went up by 23%, meat, poultry and fish by 11%, like that man said on TV.”

Boss agreed. “Why? I was atta supermarkit an’ a packit of yer favrite chocy biscuits had jumped up by 50 cents in jus’ one week. Insted of $4.50 it was suddinly $5.00. Why does food cost so

much hare at home when we could feed 40 million people from this country? Not just Covid, Ukraine and climate change.”

Boss giva nother snort. “Too many peeple are clippin’ that ticket before peeple get ter the supermarkit. To many govinment rules, and foreign ownership of food producers, like that bloke sed.”

And Sharlene agreed. “Forty per cent of parents run out of food sometimes an’ that meens hungry kids.”

Boss hada think. “Tell yer wot Deah, that bloke reckins we cood have community-owned food shops like Italy for cheaper food and shares in the profits. It’s not rockit science too. Look at us ona farm, usin’ the green dollars. It’s about time these pollitishins moved up a gear and got back ter basics. Now, not ona blimmin four-year plan. It’s reel easy to say wot they gonna faze in over the nek four years. Who nose what the world’s gonna look like then anyway. We need change rite now eh?”

Sharlene nodded. “Look atta papa these days an’ it’s all name callin’ arbybargy and vague ’lection promisis. But neva mine Deah, tha chooks are layin’ the gardins growin’ an’ I’ll have

a good baskit of goodies to take to the skool possum hunt fundraiser an’ fair ata weekend.”

That’s the way it is hare her ona proppity readas. Cooperation an’ self help. Tell that ter the guvmint eh?

Cheers — Billy ¢

their feet in better condition. Limestone is easier on cow’s feet than hard metal and can be used as a capping if needed. We supply a variety of sizes quarry run, crushed 100mm and 50mm and its great for tanker tracks and works a treat on driveways too.

Ask for PARKER LIMEROC at your local Farmlands store for your next application!

Call 09 431 2407 or 027 935 3540 or send an email to trevor@parkerlime.co.nz

Erosion funding on offer

u by Paul Campbelll

Rural land prone to erosion will benefit from $1.7 million in funding, which will see the Northland Regional Council pay to fence grazed land and plant native tree species.

The money from the Ministry for Primary Industries will subsidise the planting of 36 hectares around the region annually. Councillor Amy Macdonald says it aims to change land use to native bush from marginal hill country grazing that is generating large volumes of sediment going into rivers and coastal environment.

“Sediment can reduce light levels in the water, which affects plant growth, and hinder the ability of animals to find prey and avoid predators. It can also smother marine plants and animals and cause sandy environments to change into shallow, turbid, muddy environments.”

The contestable funding is already generating a lot of interest, and approval of applications is based on a project’s environmental benefit. To qualify for funding, the minimum planting size is two hectares, “but this can be made up of multiple sites on the property.

“Funding is $4,000 per hectare paid in two instalments. Landowners will need to do their own research into suitable species for their site, and we advise contacting a registered forestry adviser.”

Funding is also available for fencing of retirement areas that will naturally revert to native bush and fencing off grazed native bush in hill country. Information can be obtained from the NRC.

YARDS

p Amy Macdonald chairs the NRC Natural Resources Working Party

FARMING

From fine art to faster agriculture

u by Andy Bryenton

The maize industry thrives thanks to constant innovation in machinery; a process which has delivered multi-function combines and advanced harvesting tools so advanced that some are now driven by AI. photography could bring the works of the historic masters into small-town libraries and universities.

None of this would have happened if not for an old painting and a pair of farming brothers with an appreciation for art and engineering. The Baldwin brothers of Nickerson, Kansas, lived a long way from the cultural centres of New York and Paris. Still, they enjoyed fine art and benefitted from living in an age when

The pair were inspired to create a new kind of harvesting machine thanks to a painting by Jean-Fracois Millet, which depicted poor peasant women searching in a harvested field for any dropped grains of corn. With the desire to use mechanisation to improve harvests, the Baldwins had two aims; to leave nothing behind as ancient methods did, and to maximise the harvest, meaning nobody would go hungry.

The painting was called The Gleaners, as the old-fashioned term for working over a harvested field for leftover grain was called ‘gleaning’. In a nod to the artwork which inspired them, the Baldwins called the machine they invented the Gleaner. It was the first self-propelled combine harvester based around a tractor, and it put together mechanisms for reaping, threshing and winnowing. By 1923 the Gleaner was ready; its motive power came from the reliable Fordson Model F.

Farmers loved the machine and the name, which hinted at meticulous operation and frugality. Those in the know caught the reference to Millet’s famous artwork, with its message of doing away

p

with hunger and poverty. That being said, the Gleaner was not cheap to invest in; that initial model cost US$950, about twice the cost of a new Model T Ford. As it turned out, making the Gleaner’s following models less expensive meant a business relationship with Ford, adopting Henry’s powerful, mass-produced Model A engine. The dust bowl era of the 1930s, as chronicled in The Grapes of Wrath, was

break down organic matter and thrive in healthy soil cruel to the Baldwins, and their company was bought up by Willaim Brace. Under Brace family management, Gleaner’s factory produced machinery for the war effort in the 1940s. Gleaner became part of AGCO in later years. It is still a popular brand, with its red and silver livery referencing the bare galvanised metal and rust-proofed red bracing of that original 1920s model. ¢

Living organisms like earthworms

WHAT’S ON?

September

The Liniment Club — 6th September, 6pm at the Northern Wairoa Golf Club, 819 Baylys Coast Road. Guest speaker Shane Jones to raise funds toward the Dargaville Vintage Machinery Club. Fully catered dinner $50 per head. Book at linimentclub.org.nz.

West Coast Pouto Pig Hunt — 7th, 8th & 9th September. Support the Northern Wairoa Boating Club, $50 tickets. For enquiries and out of town ticket sales contact 027 2727 968. Tickets available from Hunting & Fishing or Nolas Sports, Dargaville.

Dargaville Club Jam Night — 8th September, 5pm–9pm. Lots of fun, great music, bar and food available.

General Election Candidates Meeting — Hosted by Grey Power, 15th September, 1pm at the Dargaville Methodist Church, Cnr Normanby and Awakino Sts.

Fun Quiz Night — 16th September 2023 at 7pm (doors open from 6pm) at Te Kopuru Southern Rugby Club. Teams of 6. $60 per table (limited tables).

Contact Viv Biddles 027 479 7629 or Kaye Welch 021 202 1966 (after 6pm) — St Peters Anglican Church Fundraiser.

Dargaville Club Jam Night — 22nd September, 5pm–9pm. Lots of fun, great music, bar and food available.

Grand Opening Tika Pono Toi Gallery and Studio Saturday 23rd September at 10am, 3 Poto Street, Dargaville.

Ruawai Promotions & Development Group Ruawai

Spring Fundraiser — 23rd September at 6.30pm, Ruawai Tokatoka Memorial Hall. Contact Silvia to book on 021 253 5684. Bookings are essential, no door sales. Continuous supper, auction, live band.

Ao Te Po Exhibition — Mark and Generites artwork, Tika Pono Toi Gallery and Studio. 23–30 September 2023, 10am–3pm, 3 Poto Street, Dargaville.

October

Grayson Masefield and The Aotango Quintet — 2 October, Dargaville’s Methodist Church Hall.

3 Lakes Trail Run — 14 October 2023 at Taharoa Domain, Kai Iwi Lakes, Sport Northland Event, Do the half marathon, 14k or 5k. For more info and to register go to 3lakes.nz.

Markets

Kaihu Hall Market — 3rd Saturday each month 10am–noon. Phone Robin 09 439 4878.

Monthly Market — 1st Saturday of each month, 8am–noon at the Kaipara Community Centre, Hokianga Road (opposite the Town Hall).

Paparoa Artisan Market — 4th Sunday monthly 11am–3pm. Paparoa Memorial Hall.

Paparoa Farmers’ Market — Every Saturday 9am –12pm. Genuine local produce, vegetables, seafood, olive oils, meats, patisserie, plants and more. Village green, Paparoa.

Te Kopuru Market — 2nd Saturday of each month, 8am–12pm at Coronation Hall. Stall holders ring Rachel on 021 133 7560.

Clubs/Organisations

57 Squadron (Dargaville) Air Training Corps — Mondays 6pm–8pm at the Dargaville Aero Club. For boys and girls aged 13–18 years Phone Gordon 021 262 0547.

Alcoholics Anonymous — Dargaville AA meetings held at The Lighthouse Church, cnr Normanby & Parore Sts. Use Parore St entrance. Monday 4.30pm & Thursday 7.30pm Contact Bernie 027 212 2148, Ladies 020 4082 1373, Murray 09 439 5248.

Alzheimer’s ‘Carer’ Support Group — Contact Maxine on 022 691 6068.

Anger Management Group — Thursdays 6pm–7.30pm 1/12 Kapia Street, Dargaville. Helena 021 564 618 or 09 601 4153.

Badminton — Wednesday evenings 7pm–9pm at the Dargaville High School Gym. Phone 021 439 157.

Baylys & Beyond Gardeners — All welcome, 2nd Monday of each month, Garden ramble, shared lunch, trading table phone 021 063 3444.

Dargaville Aero Club — Learn to fly, free of tuition charges, Gyrocopter, Texan, Stork. Contact Peter 022 025 0235 for further info.

Dargaville Bowling Club Tuesday Bowls — Names by 9.30am, start 10am, finish 2.30pm. Contact Ray King 09 439 5509.

Dargaville Contract Bridge Club — Tuesdays 12.45pm and Thursdays 6.45pm at the Kiosk, Memorial Park, Logan St, Dargaville. dargavillebridge@gmail.com or phone Peter 09 439 2437 or 022 405 6439.

Dargaville Floral Art Club — Meets on the 3rd

Wednesday of the month at 1pm at The Lighthouse Church, Cnr Normanby & Parore Sts, Dargaville. Enquiries to Dawn Donald 09 439 5413.

Dargaville Friendship Club for seniors — meets 2nd Tuesday of month at 10am at the Kiosk, Memorial Park, Logan Street. For info phone Brian 09 439 5959.

Dargaville Tabletop Wargames and RPGs – the Warrior’s Lodge — Interested in games like Dungeons and Dragons, Warhammer, or other strategy games with models? Thursdays 6.30pm, upstairs, Hokianga Road above the cinema. Learn to 3d print, paint, play and design.

Dargaville Girls Brigade — For girls 5–15 years. Thursdays after school — 3.30–5pm held at The Lighthouse Church. Contact Pauline Taylor 021 263 7446 or 09 439 7505.

Dargaville Mainly Music — Interactive music and movement for preschoolers and their carers. Wednesdays 10am Baptist church, Victoria St, during term time. Contact Rebecca 021 969 626.

Dargaville Menz Shed — is open Tuesday and Thursday each week from 10am to 3pm and Saturday mornings from 10am to noon. New members are welcome. For more info phone Paul 027 459 3098 or Brian 09 439 6175.

Dargaville Museum — Open every day except Christmas Day and Anzac morning. Hours 9am–4pm April to October, 9am–5pm October to April. Volunteers, visitor hosts and members welcome. Phone 09 439 7555.

Dargaville Scout Group — For boys and girls aged 5–99 years at 23 Onslow St. All info on door or phone Johnnita 027 296 5889.

Dargaville Women’s Group — New members are welcome to join our social group. Held every third Tuesday of the month 10am @ The Methodist Church, corner of Awakino and Normanby. Morning tea & guest speakers. For further info contact Michelle: 09 439 2930.

Grandparents raising grandchildren — First Tuesday of every month except during school holidays. Noon at Whanau focus, Victoria St, Dargaville (next to bakehouse). Contact Sandy dargaville@grg.org.nz or 021 044 6214.

Hikuwai O Kaipara Waka Ama Club — Meet at the NW Boating Club 5pm Mondays and Thursdays from 5pm for Awa training.

Justices of the Peace — available every Thursday from 12–1pm at the Whanau Focus offices, 61 Victoria Street, Dargaville.

Kaihu Valley Music Club — 3rd Sunday of the Month at Kaihu Hall on Woods Road. 1pm–4pm. Enquires to John or May 09 439 0827.

Kaipara Cycling — Calendar of Rides — Thursdays 3.15pm–5.15pm Junior Rides 10 years and older; 5.30pm–7pm Women’s Rides; 5.30pm–7pm Adult Rides. Meet at Time To, Normanby Street. If you are

riding the Kauri Coast Mountain Bike Park or you want to join the Kaipara Cycling Club go to join.hivepass. co.nz or email kaiparacycling@gmail.com.

Kaipara Heritage Machinery Club — Open and operating Wednesday and Saturday. New members and volunteers welcome. Something to interest both men and women, come and get involved. Phone 021 106 3635 or 09 439 4614.

Kumarani Creative Centre – Creative Dance! — 5pm Thursdays, 15 Onslow Street. For all ages and abilities, fun and inclusive. Koha.

Kumarani Productions — Tuesdays Circus Kids 5–10 years at 3.45pm–4.45pm, Youth Circus 10–18 years at 5pm–6.30pm and Dargaville Fire and Circus Jam 6.30pm–8pm. 15 Onslow St. Through school terms only. Koha.

Lions Club of Ruawai — Meets 3rd Thursday of the month (social night) and 1st Thursday of the month (business meeting). For more info contact 09 439 2029 or 09 439 2557.

Lions Dargaville — Meeting 2nd Wednesday of the month in Lions Den, Hokianga Road. Contact John for more information 09 439 5937.

Mt Wesley Angels — Meets 2nd Sunday of the month at Old Mt Wesley Cemetery to preserve, record and care for this historic cemetery. Wear suitable footwear, bring water, gardening gloves and a friend.

Narcotics Anonymous — Tuesdays 1pm–2pm. 1/12 Kapia Street, Dargaville.

Northern Wairoa Country Music Club — 1st Sunday of the month at the Scout Hall, 23 Onslow Street 1–4pm. Enquiries to Bruce 09 439 5513.

Northern Wairoa Genealogy Society — Learn how to trace your family history or understand DNA at the Research Rooms, Dargaville Museum, 4th Sunday of each month, 12.30–2pm. Phone Sue 021 608 606.

Northern Wairoa Indoor Bowls Assn — Starts at 7pm Mondays at Anglican Church Hall, Tuesdays at Ruawai-Tokatoka Hall, Wednesdays at Dalmatian Hall. For more info contact Warren Younger 027 478 5102 or evenings 09 439 6155.

NZ 60s Up Movement — Dargaville Social Meetings held at the Lighthouse Function Centre on 1st Tuesday of the month. Contact President Margaret Pinny 09 439 4560.

Paparoa Box Fit — $10. Stretching/cardio/boxing. Paparoa Memorial Hall, every Wednesday 6–7pm. Paparoa Dance to Music — $5. Stretching/balance/ resistance bands/Zumba, Paparoa Memorial Hall, every Tuesday 10.30–11.30am.

Paparoa Kids Fun Class — $5. Learning/music/ dodge ball/limbo, Paparoa Memorial Hall, every Friday 3–4pm.

Peggy Purls in our Community — Every 3rd Wednesday 10.30am at Dargaville Sewing and Curtain Centre, 59 Normanby St. Ring Charlene 09 439 6120. Petanque — social play. Mondays 9.15 till 11.30, $2, fun exercise, beginners welcome, all equipment supplied at Sportsville. Judy 09 439 7920.

Pono Lodge Yoga — Pono Lodge, 41 Hokianga Road, Dargaville. Mondays: Hatha Flow 5.30pm, Yin 7pm. Tuesdays: Body Focus 9.30am. For more info

contact Anisha 021 301 860 or see our Facebook page Dargaville Yoga.

Practising Presence — Mondays 6–7pm Coronation Hall, Te Kopuru. Led moving and sitting meditations. Remaining in the present moment is the key to inner peace but it takes practice! Exchange: $10 or what you can afford. Maureen 021 0231 8008. www. bringbalance.co.nz.

Recovery Support Group — Mondays 6.30pm– 9pm. 1/12 Kapia Street, Dargaville. Chrissy 09 601 4153 or 021 564 618.

Rotary Club of Dargaville — meet weekly at 11.30–1pm at the Lions Centre in Hokianga Road. New members always welcome, men and women. If you want to join a Service Club with nearly 85 years to Dargaville. Phone Brian 09 439 6175.

RSA Women’s Section — Social meeting held at the Clubrooms, 4th Monday of the month with guest speakers and afternoon tea. Contact President Noeline Wright 027 733 7396.

Ruawai Gardening Club — Meetings or other activities held on 3rd Thursday of every month, Feb to Nov at the Ruawai Bowling Club, 10am start. New members welcome. Phone Merele 09 439 2335. Stepping Out Leisure Marching Team — Tuesday 4pm–5pm at the Yugoslav Hall, 20 Normanby St. Contact Sharon 027 439 5634 or 09 439 5634 for more details.

Stitches and Craft — 5 Cranley St, Dargaville. 10am–4pm Tuesday and Friday. Contact Lois 027 384 1223 for further details.

Strength & Conditioning — Baylys Beach Community Centre, Mondays and Fridays. Small class groups. 9am–10am, $10 per session. If you’re 50+ and want to improve your movement as you age, this is the class for you. With some commitment you can gain strength as you condition your body for aging. Call Tony 022 311 8447.

Te Kopuru Community Library — access through St Peters Hall. Open Tue 2.45pm–4pm, Wed 10am–noon and Sunday 3pm–4pm. Books for all ages, and jigsaw puzzles, DVDs, CDs and magazines available. All welcome.

Wednesday Crafts — Every Wednesday 10am. Morning tea and lunch will be served. Variety of crafts. The Kiosk at Memorial Park. All welcome. $8 per session. Contact Judy 027 316 3940.

TIDE CHART

LOCAL GALLERY IS RELOCATING TO A NEW ADDRESS

BROUGHT TO YOU BY…

PUZZLE TIME

DARGAVILLE KAURI COAST LIFE CARE

• Short Stay - Respite Care • Day Care Services

• Rest Home Level Care • Hospital Level Care

Contact our Care Home Manager, Karen on 09 439 6367 to arrange a time to visit our Home. We look forward to hearing from you.

Sudoku

ACROSS: 1 Stack, 4 Show a bold front, 11 Duvet, 14 Unwed, 15 Matrimonial, 16 Thespian, 19 Culprit, 20 Chaos, 21 Structure, 24 Intercept, 26 Sprite, 27 Deform, 31 Proxy, 32 Catacomb, 34 Distillery, 38 Ignored, 39 Collie, 40 Client, 41 Chew, 42 Glisten, 45 Headstrong, 50 Escorts, 54 Acme, 55 Acumen, 56 Novels, 57 Dubious, 60 Percentage, 61 Lemonade, 62 Eider, 65 Quarry, 66 Poirot, 67 Accompany, 72 Governing, 73 Canal, 74 Mimicry, 79 Imprison, 80 Connoisseur, 81 Herbs, 82 Saves, 83 Put off the scent, 84 Stays.

Fill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9.

DOWN: 2 Tongue, 3 Cheap, 5 Hoax, 6 Worship, 7 Bamboo, 8 Land, 9 Fracture, 10 Tahiti, 11 Disorderly, 12 Void, 13 Tantrum, 17 Miser, 18 Curtailing, 22 Ocean, 23 Together, 25 Noxious, 26 Subject, 28 Frugal, 29 Foiled, 30 Stance, 33 Adobe, 35 Yawns, 36 Gene, 37 Echo, 42 Grasp, 43 Immortal, 44 Nicety, 45 Home ground, 46 Aunt, 47 Singlet, 48 Revamp, 49 Nylon, 51 Scum, 52 Opinion, 53 Toupee, 58 Tear to bits, 59 Idiot, 63 Bring off, 64 Split, 65 Queries, 68 Classic, 69 Recoup, 70 Saline, 71 Grubby, 75 Inert, 76 Spiv, 77 Knit, 78 Turn. 5x5

Insert the missing letters to complete ten words — five across the grid and five down. More than one solution may be possible.

All puzzles © The Puzzle Company www.thepuzzlecompany.co.nz

FOR SALE

CARAVAN EWOF (and marine). Call your local inspector today at A+ Electrical Inspections and Security on 021 240 6764.

CARPET, VINYL and hard flooring. Full supply and installation service. Mobile showroom. Free measure and quote. Phone Christine — Kaipara Flooring Co 021 515 415.

PLYWOOD V-GROOVE, Interior 9 & 12mm. Scooters

Plywood 09 438 6565.

SUZUKI ESCUDO Vitara/Grand Vitara — car parts, WOF parts, 4x4 parts etc. Good parts, good prices. Phone Derek 09 439 7573.

TOP SOIL, top quality, $85 per m³ onto your trailer, or truck deliveries available for larger orders. Phone 021 132 4107 or 09 439 5141.

FIREWOOD FOR SALE

FIREWOOD — dry hot mix $110/m³, delivered free to Dargaville & surrounding areas. Phone or txt Henry 021 734 906.

FOR RENT

FREE BOARD in lieu of helping with housework while 60+ male cares for his 64yr young female friend with progressive supranuclear palsy. Power, SKY/TV all included. Phone: 022 307 0013, Ruawai.

HOUSE TO Rent in Dargaville. 3 big bedrooms. Good references required. Phone Colin on 021 140 5187.

FENCING

FENCING, ALL types of fencing, pool, stockyards, post & rail, boundary plus… call Jeff 027 476 5458.

NURSERIES & PLANTS

SHELTER TREES and shrubs ready now. Coloured manuka red, pink, white, white bottlebrush, red bottlebrush, pittosporum, pseudopanax, camillas, corokias $1 to $8. Got2Go Plants, 09 439 5556,

PROPERTY MAINTENANCE

LAWN MOWING, local available to take on more lawns. Phone Jackson 022 543 2792.

CLASSIFIEDS

Phone:

FLOWER ANNUAL HEREFORD

BULL SALE

A/C KM FLOWER

Date: Tuesday 12th September

Address: Dargaville Saleyards

Start: 12:30pm

COMPRISING:

24 x 2yr Hereford Bulls

24 x 1 yr Hereford Bulls

DETAILS: Closed herd, C10 TB accredited. All bulls guaranteed, BVD tested negative and vaccinated twice.

AUCTIONEERS NOTE:

Bred for Beef and Dairy Farmers. 59 years of purchasing Top Quality Stud Bulls. Breeding for Temperament, feet, ease of calving, length and colour.

PHONE 09 439 6933

Closing date for classified advertising for the September 12 2023 edition is Monday, September 11 2023

PUBLIC NOTICES

ACOUSTIC MUSIC Blackboard Concert — First Thursday of the month — 7–9.30pm, next is 7th September 2023, Kaipara Community Centre, Hokianga Road, Dargaville.

$2 entry, $2 raffle. Performers and audience welcome.

Phone Allan 09 439 6933 or 021 439 697. An enjoyable night to be part of, sit back and be entertained by some great local talent.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS both Dargaville AA Meetings are held at the church, corner Parore and Normanby Streets. Use Parore St entrance. Monday 4.30pm & Thursday 7.30pm. Phone Bernie 027 212 2148, Ladies 020 4082 1373, Murray 09 439 5248.

ARE YOU having problems with a mobile phone or other device? The next Digital Clinic is Friday 8 September. Call in or phone the Citizens Advice Bureau, for more information and to make an appointment. 37 Hokianga Road, phone 09 439 6100.

DARGAVILLE HEALING rooms 7pm Tuesdays. No charge & no appointment necessary. Lion of Judah Building, River Road. All Welcome. Check us out on Facebook.

ANNUAL GENERAL HUI

Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua and Te Topu Ika o Ngāti Whātua

Notice is hereby given that the 2023

Annual Hui of Te Rūnanga o Ngāti

Whātua and Te Topu Ika o Ngāti Whātua will be held on:

Saturday 25 November 2023

commencing at 10.00 am at Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua

193 Lower Dent Street, Whangarei

AGENDA

• Karakia-Mihimihi

• Apologies

• Confirmation of MinutesMeeting held 2022

• Presentation of 2022/2023 Annual Report and Financial Statements

• Te Topu Ika o Ngāti Whātua report

Kaipara Heritage Machinery Inc

AGM

Wednesday 20th of September 2023

Agenda:

be served at the conclusion of the meeting

M Ross, Secretary

• Presentation of 2023/2024

Annual Plan and Budget

• Confirmation of Appointment of Auditors

• General Business

• Karakia Whakamutunga

Printed copies of the above documents will be available at the Annual General Hui and electronically on Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua website following the huihttps://www.ngatiwhatua.iwi.nz/

In the event that we cannot hold the AGM kānohi ki te kānohi, we will revert to the online MSTeams format, as was done for the 2021/2022 AGM.

Wylma, and the families of Lou & Wylma, wish to thank everyone for their support, food, flowers, cards, visits and messages following the loss of our beloved Lou. Special thanks to funeral celebrant Shennett Clotworthy, Dargaville Funeral Services & Dargaville RSA.

PUBLIC NOTICES

Public notice

(Section 101, Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012)

Adams Family Enterprises Limited of Mangawhai, has made application to the Kaipara District Licensing Committee for the renewal of an offlicence in respect of the premises situated at 10 Wood Street, Mangawhai known as Super Liquor Mangawhai

The general nature of the business conducted under the licence is bottle store

The days on which and the hours during which alcohol is sold under the licence are:

Monday to Sunday 9am to 10pm.

The application may be inspected during ordinary office hours at the Kaipara District Licensing Committee at 32 Hokianga Road, Dargaville or Unit 13, 6 Molesworth Drive, Mangawhai.

Any person who is entitled to object and who wishes to object to the issue of the licence may, not later than 25 working days after the first publication of this public notice, file a notice in writing of the objection with the Secretary of the District Licensing Committee, Private Bag 1001, Dargaville 0340.

No objection to the renewal of a licence may be made in relation to a matter other than a matter specified in section 131 of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012.

This is the first publication of this notice.

SITUATIONS VACANT

TE PUNA O Te Reo O Tākiwira Te Kōhanga Reo: Vacancy for Kaiako. 40 hours per week. Preferably to start 2024. Paperwork to be done by end of December 2023 for pay band and salary. All enquiries to whanau@k01a005. kohanga.ac.nz or call 09 439 0545.