1 February Wainuiomata News

New ambassador

By Frank Neill

Wainuiomata’s Nicole Thornton was promoted from a Youth Ambassador for Crohn’s and Colitis New Zealand to Adult Ambassador on 26 January.

The event took place at Crohn’s and Colitis New Zealand’s eighth Camp Purple Live and was announced by ACT MP Brook van Velden. Brooke also presented Nicole with a certificate.

Continued on page 2.

At the presentation of Crohn’s and Colitis New Zealand two ambassadors (from left) Brook van Velden, Nicole Thornton, Ashburton Mayor Neil Brown and the new youth ambassador Charlotte Livingstone. Photo: Supplied.

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Strong advocacy for Crohn’s and Colitis sufferers

Continued from page 1

Nicole Thornton is well-known for her advocacy work, both in the community and in Parliament. She has also received accolades for her work, including being recognised last year by Kiwibank’s Local Heroes’ Award for the “I Can’t Wait Campaign” she established.

Nicole was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at the age of eight.

urgently, to avoid having an “accident”.

When she was 12 years old, Nicole began a petition to Parliament, seeking legislation that would require businesses to allow IBD sufferers to use their bathrooms in emergencies.

She presented her petition, which attracted some 3,000 signatures, to Parliament in 2017.

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Crohn’s disease and Ulterative Colitis are chronic incurable illnesses known collectively as Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).

Symptoms are severe, urgent, bloody diarrhoea, bowel blockages, abdominal pain, perforated intestines, and abscesses and inflammation in the anal area.

This means that sufferers frequently need to use a bathroom

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In 2018 she gave nationally televised testimony to Parliament’s Health Select Committee to allow workplace toilet access to those that might need a bathroom urgently.

“I truly cannot imagine anything worse than being out with my friends and having an accident in front of them because some store owner wouldn’t let me use their toilet,” Nicole told MPs.

“Sometimes, you just don’t have time to explain.”

Unfortunately, the legislation

Free barbecue

By Frank Neill

Love Wainuiomata’s free community barbecue, originally scheduled to be held at Ngaturi Park on 29 January, had to be

she promoted did not go through, Nicole told the “Wainuiomata News”.

Because Parliament did not pass legislation requiring business to allow IBD sufferers to use their bathrooms, Nicole began an initiative called the “I Can’t Wait Campaign”.

She approaches businesses around New Zealand asking them to join the campaign, and voluntarily allow IBD sufferers to use their bathrooms in an emergency.

When businesses agree to join, they put up a sign and allow people with an “I Can’t Wait” certificate to use their bathrooms.

That campaign “is what I am most proud of,” Nicole says, “and also advocating for raising awareness of IBD”.

Her campaign has been endorsed by several city councils throughout the country.

Nicole became a Youth Ambas-

sador for Crohn’s and Colitis New Zealand in 2018. Trevor Mallard, who was Hutt South MP at the time, presented her with the Youth Ambassador certificate.

She currently works in two jobs, one at Joe’s Cook in Wainuiomata and the other at Motomart in Lower Hutt.

However this month she will leave to study nursing at Otago University.

More than 20,000 New Zealanders have IBD. In fact, New Zealand has the third highest rate of IBD in the world, and it is growing at over 5% per year.

IBD has profound physical, social and psychological impacts on those living with it, affecting their education, social relationships, work lives, and their ability to have a family.

IBD costs New Zealand an estimated $245 million in healthcare costs and lost productivity.

postponed because of the wet weather.

It will now be held on Waitangi Day, 6 February “Come join us for an afternoon full of positive vibes,” Love

Wainuiomata’s Co-ordinator, Anaru Ryall says. As well as the free sausage sizzle there will be fresh water, sack races, fun activity play, plenty of toys for young tamariki and even

some fun rugby games. Ngaturi Park is located in Homedale Village, at the end of Ngaturi Grove – a small cul de sac that runs off Parenga Street.

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Q: How do you think Chris Hipkins will perform as Prime Minister?

Ride to raise awareness about violence

By Frank Neill

Preparations for this year’s White Ribbon Awareness Ride are well under way, and the two main organisers are Wainuiomata residents.

Mahu Rawiri and Ngahaka Puketapu-Deys are both passionate about the White Ribbon initiative, which aims to help end violence by men.

This will be the fifteenth White Ribbon Awareness Ride by the Super M ori Fullas, following the group’s first ride in 2009.

“We are passionate about helping our people and educating them that domestic violence is not very good,” Mahu Rawiri told the “Wainuiomata News”.

“Lower Hutt has the highest rate of domestic violence in New Zealand, so what better place to start the ride.

“We’re going to ride from Waiwhetu Marae up to the Cape, picking up Super M ori Fullas on the way.”

Many of the riders come from the Wellington area and will also start the trip in Lower Hutt.

The main aim of the ride is to raise awareness of the white ribbon programme. “We are not out there to raise money. All we are about is to raise awareness.

“Domestic violence affects our people as a whole,” said Mahu who is also one of the founders of White Ribbon.

This year there will be a strong focus on providing anti-violence resources to small communities where there is often little information on the services available.

“With our ride, hopefully we can take a lot of the information to our people in the rural areas and give them the information so they can contact these services,” Mahu said.

Three days before the White Ribbon Ride, on 16 November the

Super M ori Fullas will travel from Poneke to Te Rerenga Wairua (Cape Reinga). Following a karakia at Cape Reinga they will then travel back to Poneke ready to begin the White Ribbon ride itself.

This will begin at Waiwhetu Marae on 19 November with stops in Levin and Waverley as the convoy travels to Parihaka where they will spend the night.

The next day they will travel to Stratford and Taumaranui before stopping in Turangi for the night.

On 21 November the ride will travel from Turangi to Rotorua, Kawerau and Whakatane before stopping at Opotiki.

From there they will travel around the East Cape and stay the night in Gisborne. The next stop will be Nuhaka, and the riders will then return to Waiwhetu Marae on 24 November.

“We are hoping to have a big White

It’s

Ribbon Day on the 25th, but that is not organised yet,” Mahu said.

After completing the White Ribbon Ride, the Super M ori Fullas will once again travel back to Cape Reinga to complete the kaupapa, with a karakia to acknowledge those who have left.

“Anyone wishing to join the riders are more than welcome,” Ngahaka and Mahu say.

One of the rules of the ride is that nobody can wear back patches. The kaupapa is also alcohol and drug free.

“We have had national presidents

drop their patches just to do the ride,” Mahu said, noting that both Mongrel Mob and Black Power Presidents had taken off their gang patches when joining the Super M ori Fullas. ”It was spine-chilling for us to see them drop their patches,” he added. The Super Maori Fullas currently hold the mauri for the White Ribbon Riders in Aotearoa, which was handed them by Phil Paikea at Takahiwai Marae, Ruakaka, Northland. The group has 12 core riders, and they will also take a back-up vehicle with them to carry their resources and luggage.

Suman Kotra

Nugget Waimatu

Karen Carr Joshua Smith

Similar to Jacinda Adern, probably in a good way.

Ray Glover

Wayne Englebretsen

think he is very well qualified and he’s quite a friendly person too.

I think Auckland may be the making of him. I think he has shown a really strong side in Auckland [in the wake of the floods.

Getting ready for this year’s White Ribbon Ride, Wainuiomata riders (from left) Mahu Rawiri, Ngahaka Puketapu-Deys and Arapeta Mahuika.

Photo: Supplied.

Great response to stationery drive

By Frank Neill

The school stationery drive organised by Nicky Smith and Love Wainuiomata has met with an excellent response from both the community and businesses.

“We have had great donations coming in through the library,” Nicky Smith told the “Wainuiomata News” on Monday 30 January.

“We also received great support from The Warehouse. We were given an $800 store credit from The Warehouse Lower Hutt and a $250 store credit from The Warehouse Petone.

“I couldn’t believe my luck when The Warehouse said they were giving us $800,” Nicky said.

“Things are going well.”

As well as the store credits from the two Warehouses, the stationery drive was gifted shopping bags by Wainuiomata Countdown and the bags are being used to pack the stationery into.

Two of the items that are “in demand” still are glue sticks and the scrap books slightly bigger than A4 with plain pages, usually called activity books or everyday books.

If people could donate either or both of these items it would be greatly appreciated.

“I set myself a target of getting 30 packs to each school.

So far I am quarter of the way there,” Nicky said.

Because of that she plans to reach out to other businesses, and already has sent out some enquiries.

People in the community are also welcome to drop off stationery items. Items can be dropped off at the Wainuiomata Community Hub (at the library), the Salvation Army on Queen Street or at CK & Co Realty, 97 Victoria Street Alicetown.

The aim of the project is to be able to provide the school students with the “basic supplies that every kid needs – to get the basic things sorted for as many kids as possible.”

The idea is to provide for all families – not just families who are struggling financially.

“I want it to be for all kids.

“I don’t want to single out families and say they are struggling.

“Education is for everyone,” Nicky says.

The stationery drive will continue until mid February.

The stationery packs will be delivered to all the primary schools in the valley plus Wainuiomata Intermediate and Wainuiomata High Schools.

More information about the school stationery drive is on the Love Wainuiomata Facebook page, at https://www.facebook. com/LoveWainuiomata.

Gardening Tips: By Wally Richards

There are many tips that can assist you in achieving better results from your gardening pursuits.

Over the years I have collected so many of them that I sometimes forget some and then one day something will activate the memory bank and out comes another great tip.

Over the last 50 odd years of writing weekly garden articles and books (one of which was ‘Green Tips for Gardeners’, that is still available as a few copies are left)

Ok lets open the memory banks and see what comes out now:

First and foremost is: Dont garden the plants, Garden the Soil instead. This is very simple as a viable soil full of soil life will mean great healthy plants.

Man made fertilizers which contain Super Phosphate are acidic by their composition and that is departmental to the earth worms and soil life.

A question I am often asked is why dont I have earth worms in my gardens?

I dont use chemicals fertilisers or sprays and only use natural and organic type products.

I then simply ask “does your tap water supply have chlorine in it”?

They just about always reply yes and that is the reason no earth worms and poor soil life as chlorine kills the microbes in the soil along with beneficial fungi and worms.

So simply for the price of $140 you can have a housing with a 10 micron carbon bonded filter connected to your tap (by Snap on hose fittings) that will remove the chlorine.

Chlorine is a poison which has to be filleted out by your kidneys, your children’s and pets kidneys.

I learnt about soil chlorine damage many years ago when I was breeding Shar Pei dogs; (Roly Dogs that you have to keep your Purex Toilet paper away from)

I had noticed that my dogs would sniff a freshly poured bowl of water from the tap and walk away to drink out of a muddy puddle. The reason? They would smell the chlorine and having more brains than us refuse to drink it unless desperate.

When I gave them chlorine free filtered water they would not hesitate to drink it.

My original Shar Peis lived between 5 to 8 years old all of them dying of kidney failure.

SharPei have genetically poor kidneys and any contaminates such as chlorine puts added stress on their kidneys.

Once I switched to filtered water indoors and outdoors then I had Shar Pei living up to 14-15 years of age.

I read some where that chickens live twice as long without having chlorinated water in their drinking bowls.

Tip for those with showers and town supply chlorinated water; put a filter onto the shower and see the difference with your hair and skin (also your health)

Talking about water; growing up I often saw older gardeners watering their gardens by hand and would see them jetting water onto their plants as well as watering into the soil. Why?

Simple they would see insect pests on the plants and with a jet of water would wash them off.

This would reduce the number of pests feeding on the plants which would improve their well being.

I love watering by hand it gives me time to observe the plants close up, see what problems they may have if any, allows me to take care of weeds which pull out of the wet soil easily.

It is also very relaxing and a healthy activity.

It is best to water in the morning or during the day and not so good to water late in the day which because the water does not evaporate over night and can cause fungus diseases such as powdery mildew.

You hear some saying you should not water in direct sunlight, obviously they have never seen a sun shower. Mind you if its chlorinated water onto plants in sunlight that can be bad for the foliage.

Washing your car or windows with chlorinated water leaves streaks, that is the chlorine residue after the water has evaporated.

During dry times soil builds up surface tension which stops water from penetrating.

Often seen in lawns which we call dry spot and in container plants where the water runs down the inside of the container and out the drainage holes in the base.

The plant gets a little drink and is dry again very quickly. It pays in the summer time to dunk your containers into a tub of water and watch them bubble, getting rid of the air and tension.

Next time you water the liquid will go where you want it to go, into the growing medium.

On the lawn you see dry spot as a area of brown grasses but the grass on the perimeter is green and lush.

To fix this fill the watering can with warm water and squirt a good shot of dish washing liquid into the water and lather up.

Water this over the dry area to break surface tension. Same can be done to containers that are too big to plunge. In summer hanging baskets outside with plants in them should be dunked once a week as they dry out so quickly.

After a bit of a dry spell when rain is forecast it is a good idea to go and water the gardens to make sure water will penetrate. If not use soapy water trick. In event of a lot of rain this will allow a lot of water to be absorbed into the soil and reduce possible flooding.

It is a total waste of time using dish washing liquid with any sprays unless it is used as an emulsifier for oils. Used with sprays it will only wash off quicker in rain.

Of course on the other hand use Raingard with any contact sprays or herbicides for rain proofing up to 14 days.

Used in any herbicides Raingard acts as a chemical bridge and you get a 50% better kill faster.

Old gardeners that would grow their vegetables in tidy rows used to hoe up between the rows. The reason they said was to aerate the soil which was correct but it was also breaking the ends of the roots off the vegetable plants which the plants then would create a bigger root system.

Plants would respond and grow bigger faster. It is the same principal as cutting the end off a branch, the branch left will form a lot more branches. Roots are the same. As above, So below.

Direct sowing of seeds where they are going to mature will always create bigger and better plants as opposed to transplanting.

If you buy a punnet of seedlings and there is lots in the punnet then the best way to separate them is to do it in a bucket of water which means less root damage.

If there are too many for a planting then heel them into the garden in a bunch. (make a hole and put them all in as you would do for one plant)

Because they are in a group they will hold nicely only growing a bit over the next couple of weeks when you can then plant some more for succession.

Spraying your preferred plants and vegetables once a week with Magic Botanic Liquid will give bigger, healthier plants quicker than not.

Spraying your strawberry plants weekly with Mycorrcin will increase your crop by over 400%. Start at the beginning of the season.

Cell strengthening your garlic plants with silica spray once a week from time they corm sprout will help avoid you losing crop to garlic rust. Can also help with curly leaf on stone fruit..

There are heaps more tips like these and looks like I need to sit down and write another book.

Problems ring me at 0800 466464 Email

Nicky Smith’s children Joshua (left) and Haper with a trolley of school stationery gifted by The Warehouse Lower Hutt. Photo: Nicky Smith.

Labour opens new electorate office

By Frank Neill

The opening day of Labour’s new Wainuiomata electorate office – Friday 27 January 2023 – was “a very special day” for her, Hutt South MP Ginny Andersen said at the opening ceremony.

The new office in Queen Street is shared by Ms Andersen and Meka Whaitiri, the MP for Ikaroa-R whiti and the Minister of Customs.

The new offices were blessed by Mate Taitua and Linda Aroha Olsen, starting at 10am on 27 January.

“This office is your office. It is for our community,” Ms Andersen said.

“It is very important that we are visible to the [Wainuiomata] community … and that we are here for the community.”

It was not ideal that the new electorate office was upstairs, making it difficult for some people – for example people using wheelchairs – to access.

Because of that, the two MPs had come to an arrangement with the Library that they can meet with people there. People just need to contact the electorate office and let them know they have an access problem.

The opening came at what has been “a really sad time, personally, for me to hear we are losing Jacinda [Adern].”

Prime Minister Adern had announced that she was resigning, and her resignation took effect on Chris Hipkins being appointed the new Prime Minister.

Jacinda Adern “led straight from the heart,” Ms Andersen said.

“She will leave a long-lasting impression on New Zealand and on the world.”

Ms Andersen predicted that New Zealand’s new Prime Minister “is going to be really great.

“I think he is the man who will win Labour the election.”

Ms Andersen also paid a tribute to Al Daniel of Al’s Glass. While the space for the new electorate office was being renovated, Mr Daniel “worked in this building every single day.

“We wouldn’t have managed without his skills and support,” she said.

”It is such a wonderful occasion,” Ms Whaitiri said, and that was thanks to “Ginny’s hard work”.

“Wainuiomata is a special place in my and Ginny hearts and to Labour.

“It is really important to us our

values of welcoming people – the Labour values of putting people first.

“This is your office. This is the people of Wainuiomata’s office.”

Ms Whaitiri also paid a tribute to Jacinda Adern. “She has been a formidable leader and she has left a legacy for all of us.”

Local Members of Parliament Meka Whaitiri (left) and Ginny Andersen at the opening of Labour’s new Wainuiomata electorate office.

Photo: Frank Neill

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High school’s new hub ready for students

Wainuiomata High School students and staff will be able to use the school’s new science, technology and arts hub from the start of the 2023 school year.

The new building is now complete, and a dawn blessing of the hub was conducted by Ben Ngaia, from Te Atiawa, on 20 January.

“It was a beautiful ceremony,” the school’s Principal Janette Melrose says.

The Mayor Campbell Barry was present at the dawn blessing, along with a number of Wainuiomata Councillors, staff, students (current and ex) and Wainuiomata High School Board members and wh nau. Te Atiawa wh nau were also present.

“Te Atiawa have named the new block Pukeatua.”

The new science, technology and arts hub is the first part of the new school development.

The next block, which will incorporate music and dance studios including a recording studio and the wharekura learning spaces,

is scheduled to be completed and a blessing held within the next month.

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Area 2: Isobel Gr, Wright St, part of Moohan etc - 270 papers

Area 3: Karaka St, Kowhai St, Puriri St, part of Wainuiomata Rd - 295 papers

Area4 : Hamstead St, Kendal Gr, Enfield St, part of Wellington Rd - 220 papers

Area

Te Ra o te Raukura a massive success

to provide health checks and to give advice on health issues.

Despite the bad weather, this year’s Te Ra o te Raukura was a “massive success”, Star Olsen says.

Held at Te Whiti Park from 9am to 4pm on Saturday 28 January, the event featured music, stalls, and health and education tents.

Following two years where the event could not be held because of Covid-19, organisers decided to go ahead despite the weather being “marginal,” Star says.

“Because of the weather, the numbers were not there.

“On a good year, we can get up to 10,000/20,000 during the day.

“The weather as it was, if we had got 2,000 we would have been happy with that.”

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Despite the low numbers “everyone was happy with how the day went,” Star says.

“The health and education tents were packed.”

That was important because the health tents had doctors and nurses giving up their time

51. Confusion (8)

55. Friend(Sp) (5)

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57. Incite (5)

58. Begged (9)

59. Prevented (9)

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1. Tasted (7)

The health tents also included dental people available to give help and advice. Health and wellbeing is important for people, Star says, so as well as the health tents, Te Ra o te Raukura is also a “water only” event, and no other drinks are available from stalls.

The education tents also provided young people with important information on the courses that are available for students after they leave secondary school and like the health tents, they were packed also.

Te Ra o te Raukura began 21 years ago when the radio station Atiawa Toa FM decided it needed a more public profile around radio.

They decided to hold a community event with music and stalls.

The first year, Te Ra o te Raukura was held at the Waiwhetu Marae. It then moved onto the roadside, with Hutt City Council closing a road for the event, before it was stationed at Te Whiti Park.

40. Rows (4)

43. Amassed (7)

44. Spike of corn (3)

45. Rushed violently (7)

46. Nonconformist (6)

48. Informal gathering (6)

50. Wander (5)

52. Offspring (5)

53. Deceived (5)

(3)

47. War veterans club(abbr) (3)

49. Unclear (10)

2. Cleave (5)

3. Digest (6)

4. More pleasant (5)

5. Terrible (4)

6. Most beautiful (7)

7. Women’s stockings (6)

8. Reacted to (12)

9. Theme (5)

10. Disaster (11)

15. Newt (3)

16. Assistant (4)

19. Blunder(inf) (4,2)

21. Women’s bow (7)

23. Task (6)

25. Dry spell (7)

26. Trick (4,1,4,3)

27. Pick (6)

28. Last but one (11)

30. Refuse (3)

31. Dies(sl) it (6)

54. Quick look (4)

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Photo: Supplied.

Helping Hutt Valley win titles

By Frank Neill

Wainuiomata brother and sister, Connor and Georja Keall, helped their Hutt Valley representative softball teams to New Zealand titles. Playing in the ISA North Island Classic under 15 boys and girls Provincial Softball Tournament, held at Akina Park in Hastings on 24 and 25 January, the Hutt Valley girls were dominant in comfortably defeating Auckland 12-3.

The Hutt Valley boys faced a much sterner test in their final however.

Hutt Valley and North Harbour were deadlocked at the completion of the match schedule, and the outcome was decided in a tie breaker innings.

Hutt Valley won the tie breaker 2-1 to lift the national crown.

Georja, who played at second base, not only had a share in the victory, she was also named in the tournament team as an infielder.

Aged 13, Georja currently plays softball for Totara Park. She played for Wainuiomata until this season and moved clubs because there were not enough players in the Wainuiomata Softball Club to make up a team in her age grade.

She was one of two Wainuiomata players who helped take Hutt Valley to victory. Charlotte Woolley was also a member of the champion team. Aged 14, Connor played at catcher for the victorious Hutt Valley team. He is playing for the Hutt Valley Dodgers this season.

Connor began playing at the age of around seven or eight and has played for Wainuiomata until this season, regularly making the Hutt Velley representative teams in his age groups.

Just as there were with the girls, there were not enough Wainuiomata players for the club to be able to field a team this season.

Sports cancelled yet again

By Frank Neill

Last weekend’s wet weather saw the cancellation of many scheduled sports fixtures, continuing the trend of more wet weather than usual this summer. One event that was cancelled was round one of the 2023 Vic Club TSS Motorcycles Race Series.

Wainuiomata rider Luke Riley was entered in the event, to be held at the Taupo International Motorsport Park on 28 January.

The track was under water, however, and the racing had to be cancelled.

Fresh from placing third in the Formula 1 New Zealand Tourist Trophy in just his first season in the

Ulalei celebrates diversity

event, Luke entered the Vic Club Series. Following the cancellation of round one, rounds two, three and four will be run at the Manfeild Circuit on 26 March, 23 April and 20 May.

Wainuiomata’s first XI cricket team also saw its 28 January match abandoned. They were scheduled to play Naenae at Naenae Park.

In what has been an unusually wet cricket season, last Saturday saw Wainuiomata’s scheduled game abandoned for the fifth time in 10 rounds.

Playing in division two of the Wellington cricket competition, Wainuiomata scored their first win of the season when they defeated Petone-Riverside by 65 runs on 21 and 22 January.

Although the Ulalei Sports Club’s origins are firmly in Samoa, the club is celebrating its diversity this season.

The Pacific Islands have always been well represented in Ulalei’s touch and tag football teams and this season include players of Tongan and Niuean heritage.

Maori and palagi also have a good presence again this season and this summer the club boasts wh nau with origins from Laos and Hungary in the Chanhsamone and Hajdu families respectively.

“While we are very proud of our club’s Samoan origins, we are just as proud that the make-up of our teams continues to reflect the community we live in,” says the club’s patron, Fauono Ken Laban.

“That adds a special richness to our Ulalei iga (family).”

The age range of the Ulalei teams this season is again very wide with players from 5 years to 70+ years and the playing roster includes four grandfathers and more than 20 parents. As the club’s five Tag Football teams prepare for the resumption of the Ng Hau e Wh Tag Football competition next month, the Ulalei women’s team will be in action on Saturday 4 February at the annual Rhino Touch Women’s tournament at William Jones Park.

Ulalei’s first game is at 10:40am. Ulalei acknowledges the fantastic support it has received this season from One Foundation, Des Smith real estate agent, Tu Manawa (Nuku Ora), Royal Wolf, Master Upholstery Experts, Wainui Joinery, Harrisons and Fonterra.

Connor and Georja Keall at the New Zealand under 15 softball tournament. Photo: Supplied.

Wainuiomata’s Charlotte Woolley in the batter’s box. Photo: Supplied.

Logan Chanhsamone outruns his father Bo, whose whānau hail from Laos, in an Ulalei derby game. Photo: Supplied.

Terence Hajdu, who is of Samoan and Hungarian descent, making a run with ball in hand. Photo: Supplied.

Helping young people into jobs

By Frank Neill

Arnold Lomax helps hundreds of people, mainly young people, into work in the building industry.

A Wainuiomata resident, Arnold works at WelTec, where he co-ordinates all the apprenticeships for carpentry.

When he began at Weltec seven years ago, there were around 130 to 140 students that were working as apprentices in the industry.

“We are now sitting at about 380 to 400 apprentices,” he says.

“Those 400 are actually out working and they are at different stages of their apprenticeships.”

The carpentry students come from throughout greater Wellington – Wellington City, the Hutt Valley, Porirua, the K piti Coast and the Wairarapa, although not so many come from the Wairarapa.

“There are quite a few from Wainuiomata, I would say about 50,” Arnold says.

To the Editor

“I am quite surprised how many people from Wainuiomata are in the building industry.”

As well as looking after the WelTec students, Arnold is also involved in looking after the Whitirea students who are apprentices in the building industry.

His involvement comes after the students have completed a level 3 course in carpentry. As part of the level 3 course the WelTec students get to build a house.

That means they already have some good skills by the time they begin their apprenticeships, he notes.

After they complete level 3, the students go on to level 4, which is where they need to begin their apprenticeships, while still studying for one day a week at WelTec.

That is the time when Arnold becomes involved, helping the students to get jobs and then liaising with employers.

When placing Wainuiomata students in jobs, Arnold focuses

Letters on issues of community interest are welcomed. A maximum of 150 words please.

They must be signed and a street address provided to show good faith, even when a nom de plume is provided for publication.

The editor reserves the right to abridge letters or withhold letters from publi-

on finding them work either in Wainuiomata or Lower Hutt where possible.

“If you live in Wainuiomata and have to travel into [Wellington] you have to spend about $80 to $100 a week on petrol.”

When he began at WelTec, Arnold was the education provider’s employment broker.

“Building was starting to flourish and WelTec wanted someone to co-ordinate that,” he says, so his role then changed.

Arnold is well known in Wainuiomata, and indeed much wider afield, for his involvement in Rugby League.

In fact he is the oldest of the Lomax League playing family, and has played for Wainuiomata, Wellington and the New Zealand M ori team. He also played for Huddlesfield in England for one season.

“League’s been really, really good for us. Playing League was the best time of my life,” he says. Arnold

Council crosses the line

Dear Editor,

cation.

Email them to news@wsn.co.nz or drop in to our office at 23 Broderick Road, Johnsonville.

Please note that your name and street address MUST be provided with emails. Letters/Opinions not necessarily those of the Wainuiomata News management.

Sorry Mr Mayor but you and the council have crossed the line. Whether 16 year olds get the vote is not in your job description, especially as you have not consulted the community at large or understand the implications of giving 16 year olds the vote.

You will see 16 year olds on party lists without the community having a say.

You will see the age for Euthanasia forced

down to 16 and a raft of other rights given to 16 year olds.

Do you really want a 16 year old as Prime Minister?

Once we give them the vote there will be no turning back.

David L F Smith

Wrights Hill Fortress open day

Wellington’s historic Wrights Hill Fortress in Karori will be open for public inspection again on Waitangi Day, 6 February.

The World War Two coastal battery first opened to the public in 1989 and will be accessible between 10am and 4pm.

On Waitangi Day people are invited to self-guide themselves through the tunnels and gun emplacements.

The walk usually takes about one hour and there may also be a number of guided tours during the day. Bring a torch with you for some fun!

Visitors will be able to explore the 620 metres of underground tunnels with a free map and history pamphlet.

They will see shell stores, plotting rooms and the huge gun pit where Gun Number 1 used to stand, as well as a replica of the 10 metre-long gun barrel.

Also on show will be historic photos, and an assortment of military weapons. A DVD of how a 9.2-inch gun operates will be showing as well.

The World War Two Fortress is the only one of its type in New Zealand

Wrights Hill Fortress was built from 1942 to protect Wellington from Japanese bombardment.

In the early 1960s, the guns were cut up for scrap and sold, ironically, to the Japanese.

Admission is $20 for a family of two adults and three children under 12, or $10 per adult and $5 per child (cash only).

Access is via Karori Road, Campbell Street, and Wrights Hill Road.

All proceeds go to the continuing restoration of the Fortress. There is limited car parking at the summit of the Hill.

Visitors to the Fortress in Wrights Hill Reserve can also enjoy bush walks, picnic sites and panoramic views from the top of the hill. There will also be a BBQ sausage sizzle and soft drinks on sale. Strong footwear is required. For more information contact (04) 476 8593, or contact@wrightshillfortress.org.nz

Lomax at WelTec.

Photo: Supplied.

Inside the Wrights Hill Fortress. Photo: Supplied. available to the public on five open days a year.