24 April Wainuiomata News

By Frank Neill

The Wainuiomata Cricket Club’s star bowler Ryan Jackson is the winner of two 2024 Cricket Wellington awards. Ryan was named RobLawMax Senior Men’s Club Cricketer of the Year and won the Ron Murray Cup for the most wickets during the 2023-24 season in the men’s top two divisions. Continued on page 2.

Great all round performances

Continued from page 1

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The Men’s Club Cricketer award is presented to the player with the highest number of most valued player points accumulated during the season.

Ryan’s statistics demonstrate great all round performances.

He took 60 wickets during the season at a cost of just 12.25 runs.

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His best bowling performance saw him capture eight wickets at a cost of 92 runs in Wainuiomata’s match against the table topping Karori team on 24 and 25 March.

He took five or more wickets in six matches.

During the season Ryan scored 405 runs at an average of 22.5 and also took seven catches.

Being named the Senior Men’s Club Cricketer of the Year was “awesome,” Ryan says.

“It was good for Wainuiomata and good for the sport,” he says.

While he knew he had the best bowling figures and was therefore top contender for the Ron Murray Cup, he did not expect to win the Cricketer of the Year award.

Ryan was not able to attend the awards ceremony, held in the Norwood Room at the Cello Basin Reserve on 11 April.

So he found out he was the award winner when he received “a lot of happy messages from family, friends and team mem-

Ryan Jackson in action for Wainuiomata. Photo: Supplied. bers and the [Wainuiomata Cricket] Club’s Chair.

“I was very proud,” he says.

Ryan lives in Stokes Valley and works for the Wainuiomatabased company Design and Build Homes.

He began playing for Wainuiomata at the start of the 2023-24 season.

He joined a club that had finished bottom in the 2022-23 season, and has helped Wai-

nuiomata’s premier team record its best result in almost a decade when it finished third in the Hazlett Trophy, competed for in one-day matches in Cricket Wellington’s division two. The team also finished third in the division two two-day competition.

Ryan’s two Cricket Wellington awards came in the wake of winning five awards at the Wainuiomata Cricket Club prizegiving.

He won the Player of the Year award and the award for the season’s outstanding performance.

He also won the club award for most wickets, best allrounder and Colt of the Year.

Now that the summer season is over he is now playing indoor Cricket.

In June he will travel to Australia to play indoor cricket for South Australia.

Police warn about phone scam

The Police are warning people about a phone scam.

“New Zealand Police are aware of reports emerging this month where Kiwis have been contacted on the phone by someone claiming to be an officer,” the Police say.

“The officer will claim to be from a particular department, tell you that you have been a victim of fraud or scam, and begin to try and obtain further financial information from you.

“This is a scam.”

Detective Senior Sergeant Craig Bolton, from Auckland City’s Financial Crime Unit, says there have been at least a dozen reports made to Police, and these scam calls are largely being made to landlines.

“While Police do not have accurate numbers of how many of these scam calls have been received, it is important that the public are aware,” he says.

“Police will make some enquiries into these calls, but our experience has shown that often phone-based scammers will be operating from overseas.

“We appreciate the vigilance of those who have contact Police so far, as this will help us to make others in the community aware.”

Unfortunately, scams can take many different forms and target victims on different platforms, Detective Senior Sergeant Bolton says.

“Scammers are opportunistic and thrive off your trust and good-will.

“If you receive a call of this nature, do not hand over any personal details.” New Zealand Police will never contact people seeking their banking details, card numbers, pin numbers or passwords.

There are instances where legitimate Police officers will contact you as part of

their duties.

Police ask that the public remain vigilant and to remember the following: your bank cards, pin numbers or passwords over the phone.

doesn’t feel right, or is too good to be true, it probably is.

details. Hang up, contact 105 and request the officer to contact you.

prize money.

“If you are in the unfortunate position of being a victim of a scam, please report the matter to Police,” the Police say.

“Take the chance to upskill yourself on scam awareness, check for further information on the NetSafe website: https://netsafe. org.nz/

“Police are also aware of an email scam that has re-emerged, that claims to be authorities from Police and other justice sector partners.

“This scam has been subject of previous advisories.

“We continue to advise people to be extremely cautious when receiving unsolicited emails.

“Do not reply an the email of this nature under any circumstances,” the Police say.

Replacing traps for a kiwi-friendly future

The Remutaka Conservation Trust, supported by the Department of Conservation (DoC), is replacing predator traps across their 7,500-hectare pest control network in southern Remutaka Forest to ensure kiwi continue to thrive.

The trust first reintroduced kiwi into Remutaka, which is on the outskirts of Wainuiomata, in 2006 with a trial group of eight North Island brown kiwi.

A further 20 birds were released in 2009.

To support survival of these kiwi chicks, the trust implemented a trapping network to control stoats and weasels.

The first traps were deployed in 2003, and this trapping network continues to be maintained by a dedicated team of more than 150 volunteers.

With some traps having been in the park for 20 years, the trust is implementing a trap replacement project to maintain effectiveness across the pest control network.

This project will take place over three years, beginning this year, with the team

replacing different traplines each year. Trust volunteer Ingrid Greenslade says they are grateful for DoC’s continued support.

“There have been many kilometres travelled over the last 20 years to service the traps and ensure the kiwi population continues to grow,” Ingrid says.

“The estimated population is now over 200 birds, which is a testament to the dedication of everyone involved.”

DoC’s Kapiti-Wellington district office is supporting the trust by providing helicopter transport of the traps to key locations.

Individual traps will then be carried to their new locations, with the older traps being helicoptered out on back flights the following year.

This is a large undertaking for an organisation that operates solely through committed volunteers, and DoC says it is very pleased to support the Remutaka Conservation Trust in this work.

People wanting to get involved with the trust can email volunteers@remutaka.nz.

Mentors wanted

Big Brothers Big Sisters Wellington is looking for big brothers in Wainuiomata.

Big Brothers Big Sisters provides mentors for young people aged between six and 12.

The mentor – an adult volunteer aged over 18 – spends one-on-one time eith their mentee, initially for an hour a week for a minimum of 12 months.

Mentors also need to have access to transport.

To find out more about becoming a mentor visit www.bigbrothersbigsisters.org.nz or email Wellington@ bbbs.nz.

People can also find out more, including information about enrolling a child, at the above link

Buses replace trains

Buses will replace all Metlink train services on Anzac Day, 25 April, and the weekend that follows, 27-28 April, due to planned maintenance.

Trains will operate as usual on Friday 26 April on all lines except the Wairarapa Line.

The planned maintenance is part of a wider renewal schedule across the rail network.

Remutaka Conservation Trust volunteer James Wright with a stack of old traps to be flown out. Photo: Neil Parker.

A helicopter delivering news traps. Photo: Neil Parker.

Work on hill slip starting soon

Work is scheduled to start on repairs to the landslide on the Wainuiomata Hill in mid to late May, dependant on weather, traffic management and other factors, Hutt City Council says.

This work involves stabilising the landslide that happened at the summit of Wainuiomata Road following heavy rain in August 2022.

Remediation involves first removing vegetation and loose materials from the slope before it can be stabilised by installing anchored steel mesh. The last step will be hydroseeding to encourage revegetation on the slope.

The works are expected to take three months to complete, subject to weather.

Repairing the slip is a priority for the council as the hill road is a vital

link connecting the Wainuiomata community with the rest of the Hutt, Mayor Campbell Barry says.

“This road is crucial for the residents and businesses of Wainuiomata, so we’ve taken the time to get the plans right for this complex site.

“We’ll be working hard with our contractors over the coming months to deliver a safer, more resilient road that will reduce the risk of future slips and ensure better access for everyone.

“We thank the public for their co-operation and support while we repair the hillside and look forward to delivering a better road for Wainuiomata and the wider Hutt, Mayor Barry says.

A start date for the works will be confirmed in early May and shared with the community.

Wainui dairy robbed

By Frank Neill

The dairy on Meremere Street suffered an aggravated robbery on 20 April.

Four young people entered the dairy at around 7:50pm.

The four allegedly took a number of items and assaulted an employee before leaving in a stolen vehicle, the Police said.

“Police dog units tracked the group to a nearby property where they were all taken into custody.”

One youth was expected to appear in Hutt Valley District Court this week charged with aggravated robbery and the appropriate action for the others is being considered, the Police said.

The council will post updates on its Facebook page and people can sign-up to a newsletter at www.huttcity.govt.nz/council/ourprojects/wainuiomata-landslidestabilisation for regular updates as the project progresses.

There will be some traffic disruptions and delays during the works.

Traffic management will be in place each day from 9am to 8pm, with one lane available for vehicles leaving Wainuiomata.

Drivers are advised to plan ahead and allow extra time for their journey.

The community also has an opportunity to hear about the planned works and ask questions at a drop-in session on Saturday 27 April from 2pm to 3pm at the Wainuiomata Neighbourhood Hub.

lington, Hutt Valley, Porirua and K piti Coast zones.

The Wairarapa remains in a prohibited fire season.

An open fire season means people can light outdoor fires without a permit approved by Fire and Emergency New Zealand. Announcing the change, Community Risk Manager Phil Soal says the cooler temperatures with increasing dew in the mornings has reduced the fire risk.

“We are also starting to experience cooler southerlies instead of the dry northerly winds we saw over summer, and we’ve had more rain across the district,” he says.

While the fire risk will continue to decrease as conditions continue to cool, Phil is reminding the public they are still responsible to ensure any outdoor fire they light is well controlled and safe.

“If you need any advice about this, please head to checkitsalright.nz as this website has lots of useful information about outdoor fire use and safety.”

TRM Sports Day a huge success

Basketball action from TRM Training’s Community Sports Day. Photo: Supplied. TRM Training’s Community Sports Day on 17 April was a huge success. Held at the Queen Street Hub Basketball court and surrounding grass area, the sports day was enjoyed by all who attended. This event was aimed at rangatahi interested in participating in sports events and wanting to have some good wholesome fun.

"The idea of the day was to gather rangatahi , say thank you and to give back to our community" says Angus Te Puni from TRM Training.

“It was great to see the new council basketball court used in this way and we hope to see many more events like this in the future.”

Activities included basketball and touch Rugby tournaments.

Competitions included the longest pukana, the meanest mana wave, a half court shot and

catch a bomb kick.

There was a great lineup of free giveaways which were donated by local sponsors. These included Hurricanes jerseys signed by the entire team, Event Cinema family passes, bowling and pool passes and a Woolworths voucher to the value of $100. Even the sign was donated.

The finale was a draw for a PS5 Console which was donated as the grand prize.

This was drawn by local Police Sergeant Patrick Tangipo through a Facebook live post.

The winner was Te Raikei Matthews.

“These events are made great by sponsors and to all the good people who continue to support rangatahi development in our great hapori community of Wainuiomata,” TRM says.

Long-serving teacher farewelled

Wainuiomata High School farewelled longserving teacher Daiji Kataoka on 12 April. Mr Kataoka was the school’s International Co-ordinator and Dean.

He served at Wainuiomata High School for 15 years and has left to take up a position at Queen Margaret College.

“Daiji has been instrumental in growing our international department and forging strong relationships with schools in Japan,” Wainuiomata High School’s Tumuaki Lea Vellenoweth says.

“We appreciate the work he has done and look forward to continuing what he has developed.”

Originally from Tokyo, Mr Kataoka came to New Zealand to study at university when he was 19.

He has been a teacher of Japanese since 2009 and has been Wainuiomata High School’s International Dean since 2018.

Helena Kelly, the assistant International Dean, has been appointed International Co-Ordinator and Dean. Daiji Kataoka.

Photo: Supplied.

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Baring head reopens to public

By Frank Neill

Baring Head/ rua-pouanui and Parangarahu Lakes areas in the East Harbour Regional Park are now fully open to the public.

This follows the area moving down from an orange/very high fire risk are to a yellow/ high fire risk.

The move to yellow came into effect on 20 April.

All areas of the parks are fully open and there are no time-of-day access restrictions.

“"I thank Wainuiomata residents for their patience and responsibility as we navigated the extreme risk of wildfire this summer,” Greater Wellington Regional Councillor Quentin Duthie says.

"Fire risk is very real in our parks and is still present, so we need to be careful and vigilant even now.

"Autumn is a great time to explore your parks and their special coastlines, forests and lakes,” Cr Duthie says.

Baring Head/ rua-pouanui and Parangarahu Lakes were closed to the public on 16 February when an extreme fire risk designation was placed on the areas. They partially re-opened on 9 April, after rain and lowering temperatures made it safe for people to visit before 1pm, with restricted access to some tracks.

NIWA reported the summer as one of the driest on record, with just 33mm of rain falling from December to February at Baring Head – less than half the rainfall central Wellington received in the same period.

The decision to move to yellow was made after recent rain events, dewy mornings and cooler temperatures.

While restrictions are lifting, the ‘high’ wildfire risk warning still means fires can start easily and spread quickly.

Because of this people planning to undertake any “spark hazardous activities” need to contact an East Harbour Regional Park ranger for approval.

“Spark hazardous activities” include:

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Two more local bowlers in rep team

Wainuiomata Bowling Club is going from strength to strength in its one to five year junior section.

In the last two seasons the club has had six juniors selected to represent Wellington.

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Cushla Haimona were selected and now Tui Reid and Phil Hawtin are joining them.

“It is exciting to have had four selected and especially to see Phil selected as he is the first male [from Wainuiomata] to represent Wellington that I can remember,” the club’s President Richard Morgan says.

The four have been selected to play in the Wellington, Kapiti, Wairarapa and Manawatu Quadrangular tournament. This will be contested on 4 May with the men playing at Levin and the women at Foxton beach.

“We are thrilled with the strength in our

bowling ranks,” Richard says.

“With our male and female teams promoted to Division 2 – one step away from premier – we are looking forward to next season.

“The spirit of our players has been lifted and they are keen to gain higher honours.

“We are no longer a middle division placed club, as we make our move towards premier,” Richard says.

The Parangarahu Lakes area. Photo: Greater Wellington Regional Council.

Phil Hawtin. Photo: Supplied. Tui Reid. Photo: Supplied.

Women top of Rugby table

By Frank Neill

Wainuiomata’s premier women’s Rugby team sits at the top of Wellington Rugby’s table following their third successive victory on 20 April.

Wainuiomata defeated ParemataPlimmerton 24-10 at Ngatitoa Domain.

This sees them at one of two undefeated teams, with Petone also winning its third Rebecca Liua’ana Trophy match on Saturday. Just as she did in the match against Oriental-Rongotai the Saturday before, Billie Va’a led the way with two tries.

Serena TauTau and Ruby Clark also dotted down, scoring one try each.

Fanua Rimoni kicked two conversions.

Captain Zoe Clark was once again impressive for Wainuiomata, especially with the way she led the young players in the team.

The premier women’s next match sees them play Poneke/Old Boys University at William Jones Park on 27 April. Kick off is at 11:30am.

The premier men narrowly failed with their late comeback to defeat Poneke.

Playing for the Hakaraia Trophy, Wainuiomata finally lost by just one point, with the final score sitting at 40-39. Although they pressed hard over the closing minutes of the match,

Wainuiomata could only socre one try to close the gap.

Wainuiomata’s cause was not helped by the early red card of fullback Campbell Cowie.

This saw them down 17-3 early in the match, but they then lifted their performance to go to the half time break with just a five point deficit. Playing his 50th premier game, Hurricane Peter Umaga-Jensen played a big role for his team all match and also kicked one conversion.

Day Brayden Soi was named playuer of the day.

Niko Patelesio scored three tries, while Greg Lealofi, Jason Matehe and Raymond Va’a dotted down once each.

Lions second on League table

By Frank Neill

Wainuiomata’s premier Rugby League team was well placed in second position on the Wellington Rugby League ladder following its match against Toa on 20 April. None of the teams in the competition have won all three of their opening matches, with Toa beating the Wainuiomata Lions 32-16 on Saturday.

Toa had much the best of the first half and led 26-12 at the interval, but the Lions had a much better second half, where they scored almost as many points as their opponents.

Seth Nu’uausala, Aethan Tuisila and Fa’asipa Itula scored tries for the Lions, and Rhemus Tutere kicked two conversions.

Lyric Samu had a great game for the Lions and was awarded three most valuable player points.

Tatarakihi (Cicada) art wins award

A Wainuiomata community project has won an award.

The T tarakihi (Cicada) Wayfinding motif, used in Hutt City Council’s (HCC) Maru Streets for People project, won a 2024 KŪmara Award.

The award was in the Looking Back to Move Forward category. This category is for projects that highlight “experiences of culture in our places”.

Begun in 2020, the KŪ mara Awards celebrate placemaking projects throughout Aotearoa that make a positive difference to life in public spaces.

At the heart of the awards is the Whakatau k Ī | M ori proverb ‘K ore te kūmara e k rero m t na ake reka – the kumara does not say how sweet it is.’

HCC’s Pou Hoahoa M ori |Kaupapa M ori Design Officer Joshua Ambler, says he was caught by surprise when the project won the award for the Wellington region.

“For us placemaking/place keeping plays a huge role in acknowledging the rich tapestry of Te Awa Kairangi,” he says.

“It’s truly about reconnecting tangata to the whenua and celebrating unique stories that speak to the ahua of place.”

Economy and Development Director Jon Kingsbury was thrilled that the hard mahi by the urban

design team was recognised. “It is a moment well worth celebrating.

“T tarakihi Wayfinding not only has a practical purpose but also brings joy to the city environment in a unique way.”

Mr Ambler, supported by HCC’s Urban Design team, collaborated with Wainuiomata marae and other members of the local community to design a series of wayfinding tohu.

The The T tarakihi (Cicada) Wayfinding motif is used on key school routes in Wainuiomata. Applied first as temporary spray chalking, the motifs will be applied as reflective curb treatments later this year.

The use of t tarakihi has deep cultural significance.

In Toi M ori (traditional M ori art) the humming or clicking sound made by t tarakihi is associated with the energy of children.

T tarakihi is also a symbol used by Te ti Awa Taranaki Wh nui.

Another Council initiative, Candy Lane – a playful laneway improvement in Wainuiomata using 80% recycled materials was also a finalist in the KŪmara Awards.

Candy Lane is an interactive sculpture with coloured blocks that fold in and out of view, decorating the laneway between Totara Street and Karamu Crescent.

Tyler Tane kicked two conversions and one penalty.

The premier’s next match sees them play Marist St Pats at Evans

Bay Park on 27 April. The senior reserves also lost their match against Poneke, going down 48-41.

Good weekend for Footballers

By Ryan Imray

The weekend was a very good one for the Wainuiomata Football Club as all teams walked away from their games with at least a point with the exception of one team that lost an all Wainuiomata affair.

The men's first team and reserves both travelled over the hill to play Wellington Marist in their respective divisions and both sides walked away with a point each as both games ended in a 2-2 draw.

The OC's game in Masters 6 was postponed but the other three Masters sides were in action at Richard Prouse and all three teams walked away with big wins.

The Undertakers beat Lower Hutt 4-0 to get their first win of the season in Masters 3. Pasifika Originals won a seven goal thriller against North Wellington 5-2 in Masters 4 . The stand out result of the weekend went to the Over 45's Pasifika Young Boys side who scored nine goals against North Wellington to win 9-0. The main game was the Wainuiomata derby between Wainuiomata Halfbaked Roundballs and Wainuiomata Fiddick's in the Wellington 2 division. Games between two Wainuiomata sides never disappoint and this was no different.

This was a competitive game full of banter and goals as The Fiddick's won 4-1.

Tony King of the Undertakers holds off a Lower Hutt defender. Photo: Imray’s Snaps.

Peter Umaga-Jensen, who played his 50th match for Wainuiomata on 20 April. Photo: Supplied.

Tātarakihi (Cicada) crossing the street. Photo: Hutt City Council.