29 September Independent Herald

By Jacob Page

Karori’s Samuel Marsden Collegiate is proud to celebrate the achievements of Year 10 language Chinese student Telesia Tanoa’i.

In May, Telesia was third place getter at the regional Chinese Bridge Speech Competition. Last weekend she was flown to Auckland for the national final and was named as a Chinese Youth Ambassador.

Telesia says that learning Chinese has given her the chance to talk about the issues she cares about on a global platform and she encourages other Kiwi kids to give it a go. Continued on page 2.

Telesia Tanoa’i has been named a Chinese Youth Ambassador.

Chinese Week celebrated with national honour

Continued from page 1.

In this new role, Telesia was invited to Parliament on Monday night, to an event to mark Chinese Language Week, where once again, she delivered her speech. Despite the nerves, Telesia felt very honoured to be part of this event.

From lion dances, to calligraphy, yum cha to speechmaking, students studying Chinese language at Marsden have enjoyed a diverse range of activities to support their engagement with Chinese language and culture over the past few weeks.

Chinese language week officially runs from 25 September to 1 October, but with so many events to squeeze in, things got underway early at Marsden.

Thanks to Chinese teacher Mrs Jing Ying Herrington, all students of Chinese have had the opportunity to enjoy a unique aspect of Chinese culture.

Year 11 and 12 students had great fun trying their hand at lion dancing, with eight colourful costumes available to try on and practise hand eye coordination, working the eyes and tongue and body parts of the lion costume while dancing.

Marsden’s novice lions were very grateful for the expertise

of a professional lion dance tutor on hand to help them with their moves. There were other opportunities to learn new dancing styles, which culminated in performances of a beautiful ethnic dance from Year 9 and 10 students and a traditional Chinese square dance by an ensemble cast of Year 11, 12 and 13 students.

The senior students took their learning for this popular form of dance directly from YouTube, while the younger students took part in Chinese dance lessons

over many lunchtimes to perfect their beautiful performance.

Food is essential to any Chinese cultural experience and so it was with great gusto that Marsden’s Year 10 and 12 students tucked in to their yum cha experience at a city restaurant. They loved trying the different delicacies, although Mrs Herrington reported that no-one was keen to try the chicken feet.

Other year groups got to enjoy a yum cha experience back at school and even the staff benefitted from national dumpling

day.

Students in Year 8 had a lovely afternoon with an external tutor teaching them the ancient art of calligraphy and by the end of the session, had produced some beautiful pieces of work.

Support from the Confucius Institute has enabled the school to enjoy these rich cultural experiences.

However, language learning lies at the heart of the Mandarin Chinese classroom at Marsden and its popularity as a subject continues to grow.

I recently hosted a meeting which included local property developers and representatives from the City and Regional Councils. The background for the meeting was the need to ensure all people involved in providing more housing in our electorate, whether it be those building them or those regulating and permitting that building, understand the issues which govern the ability to build the houses everyone agrees we need.

There are essentially two types of development; greenfields and brownfields. Greenfields means building on currently undeveloped land, typically ex farmland on the edges of current urban areas, where infrastructure like sewers, water supply and other essential services don’t exist are usually built by the developer.

Brownfields development means rebuilding on existing sites, and there has been considerable discussion in recent times around how much intensification should be allowed in existing suburbs, especially changing of height limits to allow for more apartments.

Both have their advantages and disadvantages; the Regional Council in particular see their role to prevent more

New Zealand is looking more and more like an Island of stability in a very volatile world currently. The rise of the American dollar is causing currencies everywhere to reduce in value, especially in the UK, where they have decided to cut taxes for the wealthy and borrow the money they need to run the country. We have a plan to repay the debt we incurred to fight COVID to keep businesses operating by paying their wages bill. It’s been great to see the profile New Zealand is getting on the world stage through our Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. That means we get more tourists wanting to come here, and more demand for our export goods overseas. It also means we can afford to do more for New Zealanders, including building more houses, schools and hospitals, and employing more Police. Inflation is still hurting, due to those overseas pressures, but the outlook for New Zealand is good compared to most other

countries, despite the negativity of political commentators.

runoff and other material ending up in our harbours, especially the Porirua harbour in the case of development north of Johnsonville and Newlands. The Wellington City Council are concerned that the existing infrastructure cannot handle the pressure it comes under when new housing areas are developed. Existing infrastructure is aging and needs upgrading across our city, as evidenced by recent pipe failures. An advantage of intensification of existing areas means more people, therefore more ratepayers to pay for those upgrades.

The Queens funeral, and the associated events here in NZ recognising her passing, have given New Zealanders an understanding of our historical ties with Great Britain. I was privileged to attend the national service at St Pauls, and shortly afterwards, I participated in a local service at St Luke’s in Wadestown.

Developers of course need to make a profit, and wish to keep their compliance costs as low as possible. Many believe the Resource Management Act is too cumbersome. We as government for our part have undertaken to rewrite that act.

The feedback was good, but the success will be when there are sufficient affordable houses to meetdemand. That is certainly my goal as your MP.

That, and of course having a vibrant and functioning Johnsonville Shopping Centre we can all be proud of.

There’s plenty to be getting on with.

In a fairly secular country where religion plays a diminishing role, the rituals we revive on these occasions serve as a reminder that our history, whatever culture we arrived here from, is often kept alive in those rituals. An example is Chinese National and language celebrations this week, where enacting ancient traditions and costumes serves as celebration point for Chinese immigrants, old and new. Local community centres are often the venues for these celebrations, which I am fortunate to be often invited to as the local MP.

Samuel Marsden Collegiate try Lion Dancing for Chinese Language Week.

Farewell to Karori Community Centre manager

A fond farewell was held at Karori Community Centre to say ka kite ano to its Manager Kay Webster.

Kay has served in this role for four years and has had a remarkable impact with her friendly, nothing-is-a-bother attitude and community centred approach.

Heather Baldwin, Karori Community Centre Chair noted that when the Manger role was established in 2019 the centre was looking for someone who could engage effectively with a range of people, have a finger on the pulse of our community and have an enabling attitude. Addi-

tionally, the manager needed to be hands-on with facility and office management.

‘We really needed a Jack or Jill of all trades. We found all these attributes and more in Kay,’ says Heather.

“We will miss her hugely.

“She is an immensely resourceful, caring and capable person serving not only the Community Centre but the entire Karori community. Her work with us has meant we can support our community in even more ways.”

Kay was presented with a pounamu as a farewell gift during an event attended by around

40 of her friends and notable community members.

Andrea Skews, of the Kaori Residents Association added “Kay really has become the heart of our community.

“She’s a connector, the one we all go to when we need help.”

The Community Centre is still searching for a new manager. This is a varied, part time role. Email treasurer@karoricommunitycentre.org.nz for a job description or further information. Until a new manager is appointed Rubbana Adnan (currently the Office Administrator) will fill the position.

Busy Weekend for Altrusa Ohariu

Members of Altrusa Ohariu were excited to have an active weekend helping the community in September.

On Saturday they “Walked with Me” to raise awareness and funds for the Samaritans, and then on Sunday organised a clean up in Johnsonville.

“It is great now {with COVID restrictions eased} that it is easier to be face to face- and actually get hands on and help people in the Ohariu area,” says club president Yolanda Van Dorrietsen.

“As well as this weekend’s activities, we have recently had a working bee at a local Guide Hall, and are looking forward to being part of Spring Into Tawa.”

Saturday’s Walk With Me event saw four Altrusa members walk or bike 10km to support the Samaritans.

“We raised over $800 for the Samaritans, which will really help them, as they receive zero government funding” Yolanda

advised.

“It was enjoyable to be out walking along the Wellington front, with some good company, on a sunny spring day.”

Then, on Sunday afternoon, Altrusian and friends collected rubbish from Memorial Park and surrounds as part of Keep NZ Beautiful Week.

They were amazed at the large pile of rubbish they collected, and look forward to making it a regular event in the future.

As a service organisation, Altrusa Ohariu offers members a flexible way of contributing to the community.

“We currently aim to have a couple of different hands-on activities a month so members can choose what suits and interests them.

“Some people are there at most things, others we may not see for a few months. It’s about lending a hand when you can and what fits with your other commitments.”

Karori Business Association will be hosting Carols in the Park from 4-6pm on December 3 at Ben Burn Park with Nick Tansley and his Pop Up Carols . They are keen to make this event bigger and brighter for 2022 and invite any community groups who might like to sell food at the event to contact info@karori.org.nz

Carols in the Park returns Botanist market in Ngaio

The Wellington Botanist Market will be held on Sunday at the Ngaio Town Hall from 10am to 3pm. They have a huge line-up of stallholders with some extra special and exciting market releases.

World Probus Day

This year on Saturday 1 October, thousands of Probus Club members across New Zealand will be celebrating Probus Day.

The Probus Clubs in the Wellington region have organised a range of celebrations during the month, including socialfunctions, BBQs, picnics, special morning teas and highlighted with a Parliamentary Reception hosted by the Deputy Prime Minister, Grant Robertson

Karori Community Centre manager, Kay Webster has bid farewell to the role she has had since 2017.

Members of Altrusa Ohariu were excited to have an active weekend helping the community in September.

New figures reveal Wellington’s incredible winter rainfall

New rainfall figures from Greater Wellington’s Environmental Science team confirm that last winter was the wettest on record, following the misery of a summer that was also the wettest on record in the Wellington region.

The figures paint a portrait of suburbs soaked and districts drenched by record amounts of rainfall which exceeded many of the previous highest totals recorded across the entire region.

On average, June rainfall was approximately 160 percent up on long-term seasonal averages, with July coming in higher at 200 per cent and August at 170 per cent.

“Spare a thought for the standout soaking of Karori, which in August had a nearly 250 per cent increase in its average rainfall,” says Greater Wellington Senior Climate Scientist Dr Alex Pezza. Other notable records

were set in Otaki at 236 per cent and Paparangi at 227 per cent.

The main causes of the extremely wet pattern were threefold, says Dr Pezza.

“Background global warming increasing moisture in the air and leading to higher rainfall, a third consecutive year of a developing La Niña and the development of semi-permanent marine heatwaves around New Zealand.

“These factors contributed to an enhanced northerly flow and formation of the phenomenon known as ‘atmospheric rivers’, which brought large amounts of tropical moisture into our region.”

The compounding factor of the wet seasons is important and has led to lasting, disruptive and expensive consequences, says Dr Pezza.

“A chain of significant rain events effectively prevented our

saturated soils from drying out, contributing to the severe slips seen in many areas of the capital by the end of winter.”

Downfalls also raised the threat of flooding in the region, resulting in a hands-on winter for Greater Wellington’s Flood Response Team, which responded to eight flooding events in various parts of the region alongside the Wellington Regional Emergency Management Office, including one where the team was in action for over five days. While the heavy rain and high river flows ultimately presented no major flooding issues, they did result in significant erosion in Wairarapa’s rivers.

Additionally, the Waihenga Bridge on SH53 near Martinborough was closed several times this year, a clear indicator of a strong La Niña pattern, which brings early summer floods.

Salvation Army report shows reality of housing, cost of living

Unaffordable housing, an increased cost of living, inadequate healthcare services and increasing levels of crime are some of the challenges local communities are facing.

The Salvation Army Social Policy and Parliamentary Unit has released their fifth State of our Communities report released today, with focus on four local communities: Royal Oak, Westgate, Petone and Blenheim. Using public data, interviews with 496 residents and 15 community leaders across the four communities, the report illustrates the realities, challenges, solutions and aspira-

tions of those living and working in these communities.

‘The housing catastrophe is at the heart of many of the challenges local communities are facing,’ says Social Policy Analyst and Advocate Ana Ika. ‘Home ownership is a pipe dream, rental property is unaffordable, social housing is unavailable and homelessness is more visible in these communities.’

The report also shows how housing intensification is putting a strain on infrastructure and building houses not fit for the community. In Westgate, for example, building consents have

increased by 400 percent over the past 10 years and 72 percent of these building consents are for townhouses.

‘Communities also discussed the increasing cost of living, which includes high costs for housing, petrol and food, along with a lack of quality employment,’ says Ms Ika. In Blenheim, locals emphasised that the dependence on viticulture and lack of economic diversification meant that many locals were ‘working poor’ and confined to employment with low wages. One respondent said: ‘The rich keep getting richer and the poor keep

getting poorer. Low wages and not enough affordable housing in Blenheim.’

Key issues for local communities are increasing levels of crime, particularly the presence of gangs and meth use. In Royal Oak the number of victimisations reported to police had increased by 40 percent in the past five years. Locals also highlighted the difficulties in accessing health services, such as a GP or mental health services, with one local stating: ‘Try getting a doctor’s appointment within a week—unless you’ve chopped an arm off or something’.

‘Despite these challenges local

communities also provided solutions, such as community gardens to alleviate the increasing cost of food, investment in the wellbeing and education of young people and the creation of meaningful and quality employment locally,’ says Ms Ika.

‘It is essential to ensure that the realities communities are facing are continually brought to the forefront to ensure that we don’t normalise the current housing and cost of living crisis, but that the community, local and national government endeavour to work collectively to address these challenges for all Kiwi,’ says Ms Ika.

“Stop the leakslet’s fix Wellington’s woeful water infrastructure.”

Persistent wet weather has kept Wellingtonians on their toes this year.

Metlink sets festive fares

Metlink trains and buses will be free this year on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Eve for all passengers in the Wellington region.

The three fare holidays were approved by the Greater Wellington Transport Committee today as a gesture of goodwill to Metlink customers.

Metlink General Manager Samantha Gain said regional councillors were pleased to offer free public transport on these special days.

“Helping to bring friends and whanau together for free at Christmas and New Year’s Eve is a way of supporting the community hard hit by cost of living increases during a difficult year.”

The fare holidays also have regional health and safety benefits, Ms Gain said.

“By offering free alternatives to private vehicle use, the fare holidays reduce traffic volumes and carbon emissions, particularly late in the evenings.

“They can also discourage drinking and driving on days we’re all eager to celebrate with loved ones.”

While service cancellations are unlikely during the fare holidays, Metlink will work with its operators to minimise any disruption caused by the driver shortage, Ms Gain said.

“The national bus driver shortage continues to cause high levels of cancellations, particularly in Wellington city. We share our customers’ frustration with these disruptions and assure them we are doing everything we can to restore certainty for

passengers and reliability to our network.”

On Christmas Eve, buses and trains will run to the Saturday timetable. Buses replace trains on the Melling Line.

On Christmas Day, buses and trains will run to the Sunday timetable. Buses replace trains on the Melling and Wairarapa Lines.

On New Year’s Eve buses and trains will run to the Saturday timetable. Buses replace trains on the Melling line. The New Year’s Eve fare holiday finishes at 4am on New Year’s Day.

The special timetable for Metlink services over the Christmas and New Year period will be available through the Metlink app and website later in the year.

Back to

Metlink’s festive season fares have been confirmed for 2022.

The extra hour of sunlight at night time.

readers have their say... Find out the WORD on the Street.

I don’t like that they give it to us and then they take it away. I wish they’d keep it there.

I love daylight saving. I’d love to have it all year. It gives us more light at night to get things done.

I like that we get more light. I don’t like having to wake up an hour earlier.

I enjoy the extra daylight. You’ve got more time in the day.

I like the extra hour of light, but I don’t like having to get up an hour earlier.

Newtown School’s focus is on increasing water confidence

“Students are looking forward to the reopening of the school pool so lessons can be resumed” said Nicki Read Tumuaki / Principal at Newtown School. ”We have an indoor heated swimming pool, library, administration block and staffroom being renovated. This recent funding from NZCT will contribute to the costs of a heat pump water heater and enable us to re-open our school pool, which has been closed for over three years while the building was refurbished with funding from the Wellington City Council. Without a new heat pump, the pool could not be used.”

“The grant will enable increased swimming education by our primary age children in Newtown and the surrounding suburbs. The pool services not just our school community but the wider Newtown area. Our school kids and others from around the community are looking forward to getting back in the water.”

“We aim to provide a learning environment which values cultural identity, encourages personal achievement and

develops life skills in readiness for an ever-changing world. Whenever possible, we make use of resources in the community and have frequent trips to Newtown Library, community gardens and parks. School trips are taken to the wider community like Te Papa, City Gallery and Wellington Zoo to support current learning topics.”

Newtown School is a vibrant, culturally diverse school that caters to students in Years 1 to 6. It provides students with a wonderful experience throughout their primary school years, including a Te Reo M ri bilingual and full immersion class, N i Kotahitanga. These classes vary depending on the capabilities of the current teaching staff and the availability of coaches, but can include activities such as netball, mini polo, basketball, and kapa haka. There are private providers of piano, drum, and guitar lessons, during class time also.

NZCT awarded Newtown School a grant of $5,000 to install a new heat pump in the swimming pool.

Q: What do you like and what don’t you like about daylight saving?

Wayne Newman

Keanu Macdonald

Karen Warrington

Des Jago

Bruce Walker

Paul Richardson

Students are looking forward to the reopening of the school pool so lessons can be resumed” said Nicki Read Tumuaki / Principal at Newtown School.

Young writers celebrated for compelling work

Two parallel love stories in a respite care setting by Year 13 student Hannah Wilson has been judged the winning entry in the 2022 Mansfield Short Story Award, announced at an event held for fi nalists at the National Library on Wednesday 21 November.

A shortlist of 11 fi nalists from local secondary schools was judged by Victor Rodger CNZM, an award-winning writer across a range of forms.

The annual competition is open to Year 12 and 13 students in the Wellington region.

Wilson, a student at Raphael House Rudolph Steiner School in Lower Hutt, said she got the idea for her story ‘Henry and Eliza’ while in hospital herself when she had conversations with another patient through those classic blue hospital curtains without ever seeing them.

“I kept the idea in my mind for almost a year before I revisited it and developed it further, incorporating the parallel relationship between the nurses.”

Rodger said he awarded the $500 cash prize to this story because it stood out.

“Of all the stories, this was the one that truly made me care about each of the characters.”

He praised the “beautifully modulated piece of writing” and noted that “neither love story ends in the way I expected it to.”

Wilson was a finalist in last year’s awards and the Director of Katherine Mansfield House & Garden, Cherie Jacobson, said this was the second year in a row that a fi nalist from the previous year’s competition had gone on to win the award.

“I’m thrilled to see students persevering with their writing, continuing to develop, and being rewarded for that.

“I hope that all the Year 12 fi nalists this year keep writing and enter again next year.”

Speaking at the event, Rodger highlight-

ed the subjectivity of awards, “Awards are great. I’ve won a few. Love getting them.

“But over the years, I’ve come to realise one thing: awards are – like all forms of art – entirely subjective.

“Ultimately, the winner of any award is only ever a reflection of whoever is judging the award. I could literally make a case for just about any one of these shortlisted stories to be the winner of this competition.”

Three stories were highly commended. ‘Full Grey Sky’ by Maxim Ericson from Wellington College was described by Rodger as having “an incredibly strong rhythm and a muscular use of language that builds to a dark, unsettling climax.”

Rodger found ‘Leave Me Alone’ by Carly Hyde from Newlands College to be “utterly compelling from start to fi nish and full of surprises - some of them very gruesome.”

Rodger described ‘Borame’ by Elise Jung-Leask from Wairarapa College as “technically in a league of its own and highly unusual in that the main character is not a person, but, instead, a park in Korea.”

Rodger said, for him, a good short story should take you somewhere and all eleven of the finalists’ stories succeeded in doing that, in very different ways.

Jacobson acknowledged the support of the Gay Saker Bequest, “We are so grateful to the Gay Saker Bequest for making this Award possible,” says Jacobson.

“Recognising the work of young local writers is a wonderful way of celebrating Katherine Mansfield’s creative legacy, especially as we approach the centenary of Katherine Mansfield’s death in January next year.”

The stories of all 11 fi nalists have been published on the Katherine Mansfield House & Garden website, with the winner also being published on the Verb Wellington website.

Roger Blakeley

Authorised by Ross Murdoch

BARBARA

Winner Hannah Wilson, highly commended Elise Jung-Leask, judge Victor Rodger, highly commended Maxim Ericson, highly commended Carly Hyde.

Voting more accessible than ever in Poneke

Wellington City Council has made accessing information, resources and voting easier for all members of the community for this year’s election.

General details about the election are available in New Zealand sign language, audio,

large print, and e-text formats, and candidate statements are available in large print, audio and braille files for the first time nationwide.

Resource packs include specific information on enrolling and voting with additional needs, and there are more places to cast a special

Market Update? YIP!

Hey Everyone! During our career we have been able to guide our clients through a lot of market changes and provide great insight and information to maximising their financial position. Yes, market predictions can be crystal ball gazing, but markets are also dictated heavily on human behaviour. As we are selling the most properties in this area, we can provide the latest insights and give good information, well ahead of when others get the data for this area. If you are not in our support network, here are some areas that you should keep an eye on to look for market changes.

Buyer Affordability: This is 100% the biggest influencer of house prices. Mainly dictated by interest rates, bank stress tests, LVR rules, etc. If interest rates go up we will see prices fall due to the reduction in affordability. So, if the forecast of interest rates/cash rates goes up, we will expect prices to cool further as buyers’ preapprovals readjust.

Buyer Deposits: A lot of buyers are relying on their savings / investments to make up their deposit. The most common saving method is a form of managed funds (with the most popular being via Kiwisaver), these funds are mostly tied in with the share market, property, etc. So, when the stock and markets struggle buyers’ deposit will fall, further eroding their budget.

Relocation Trends: Globally a lot of companies have removed any opportunity to work from home and we are starting to see this change in NZ. As people return to working in the ‘CBD’, houses in locations within a convenient commute (like our areas), will attract more buyers / create more competition for buying. As we see more people return to Wellington, CBD we will see a lot more prosperity in our area.

Buyer Incomes: It is no secret that income in NZ compared to cost of living is terrible, and the minimum wage continues to lag the living wage. More and more people are looking to greener pastures and eventually this needs to be resolved. Either cost of living will need to come down or income must increase. Either way if this is solved, we will see an improvement in buyer affordability that is external to interest rates.

Supply of Houses: We have already seen the rush of enquiry to sell houses, and this is always expected in Spring. Unfortunately, this is disproportionate to the extra buyers we may see in Spring, so this has a negative effect on supply and demand.

Recently, we have been getting properties under contract with multiple offers and within the first month. Although we continue to see higher buyer confidence & competition for properties, the process which a buyer goes through when buying a property is a lot more comprehensive to get the best possible outcome. If you would like to discuss your plans and how to position yourself as best as possible in this everchanging market, get in touch – love to have a strategy meeting! Have a great week!

vote in Wellington than ever before.

Enrolment information is available on Vote.nz in several different languages including te reo M ori, NZSL, Arabic, Burmese, Chinese, Farsi, Tokelauan, Tongan, and Vietnamese.

Braille books of candidate statements for the Wellington City Council are available at six public libraries and Blind Low Vision NZ.

Braille reader Allan Jones says a big thank you to everyone concerned in making the braille pamphlets a reality.

“I have been a braille reader for 75 years and this is the first time I have been able to walk into my local library and sit down and read and decide for whom am I going to vote. In other years I have had to wait till someone has time to read the material to me.

“This has been an extremely pleasurable experience and I trust in the future it will extend to other parts of the country.”

Information is also available using the Alexa smart speaker, just ask Alexa to “enable My Information” then ask Alexa to “Play option 6”.

Wellington City Deputy Electoral Officer Jennifer Parker says participating in elections is a democratic right and a hugely important function of our local democracy, so everyone should be able to take part.

“We are committed to making our information, services and facilities accessible to all Wellingtonians.

“We consulted our Accessibility Advisor, Accessibility Advisory Group, and the Ministry of Social Development’s Accessibility Service in developing our elections plan for 2022.

“This year we are doing more than we’ve ever done to ensure as many Wellingtonians as possible can have their say.

“That said, we’re always looking to improve in the accessibility space, and are always keen to hear feedback from Wellington’s disabled community, either directly or through the Accessibility Advisory Group, which meets regularly to help the Council to shape a great and accessible city where barriers to people with impairments are minimised.”

Election information for voters in additional accessible formats is available on

Wellington City Council has made accessing information, resources and voting easier for all members of the community for this year’s election.

the Council’s election section. We’re also providing ballot boxes at every Wellington supermarket, Council library and several other locations – and they’re all on a handy map with a list of locations making voting for everyone even more accessible than before.

The Voting Hub on Manners Street will also be open until 7.30pm every night of the final week to make it easier for people to visit after work.

Vote

Friday 16 September: voting hub opened at Te Pokap Hapori Community Centre 107 Manners St with special voting available Monday 3 October: additional voting hubs open at Johnsonville (Waitohi), Karori, Newtown, and Ruth Gotlieb (Kilbirnie) Libraries

Saturday 8 October: voting closes at 12 noon

Results

Saturday 8 October: preliminary results out

Thursday 13 – Wednesday 19 October: final results out

Post-election

Friday 14 - Thursday 20 October: elected members take office (the day after final results are notified)

Wednesday 26 October: mayor and councillor inauguration and swearing-in ceremony For more information visit our elections section on the Council’s website.

AED unit in Johnsonville

Johnsonville’s Westpac branch has now installed an AED unit in the urn ATM lobby. The units are being installed in almost

every other Westpac branch across New Zealand.

The lobby is 24/7 access by anyone.

Johnsonville has a new AED machine available 24 hours a day at the Westpac ATM booth.

Written by William YIP

GARDENING THIS WEEK

Coming up roses: By Wally Richards

A gardener this week phoned me asking about roses and what should he be doing this time of the year?

He suggested that I should write an article about roses so here is a copy of a past article I wrote over 5 years ago and revised now:

There is something special about roses that gardeners like.

It could be the shape and form of the flowers; it maybe the exotic perfumes some varieties have; or it could be something in our genes, because roses must be the oldest cultivated ornamental plant in the history of the world.

In nature things such as leaf diseases (black spot, rust etc) and insect pest attacks on plants is part of life but when it comes to the rose enthusiast these natural occurrences are like the end of the world.

Woe betide a blemish to the foliage or an aphid feeding on the newly forming flower buds in spring.

It is war and every chemical of mass destruction will be mixed and used to control and eradicate.

The goal is the perfect bloom (with a tear drop of dew on a petal) framed by perfect foliage of a dark rich green. Picture perfect and hopefully with a divine scent to boot.

For those that show their roses at their annual local rose show or in the national rose shows the perfect specimen is the ultimate challenge.

I remember in days gone by when chemicals; that have since been banned because of the damage they did to the environment and to our health, such as Shield for Roses.

These would be used religiously by gardeners on their beloved roses biweekly.

Alternating with Super Shield and

applications of Rose Fertiliser and Nitrophoska Blue.

If the rose sprays did not do what was expected there were other lethal chemicals to use, Captan, Bravo, Orthene, Target and Maldison. (All banned now as far as I am aware)

To say that the health of the roses was compromised would be an understatement and every season instead of the perfect rose the plants would be a very sore sight.

Years ago I recognised the problem that the chemicals were doing to the soil life and the immune systems of the roses and wrote articles on the matter.

I remember a garden centre owner in the Taranaki region telling me how she read my articles on roses and followed the advice. Within a couple of seasons she had turned the sickly roses in her home garden into lovely roses.

The local rose society members visited the gardens and were amazed at how healthy her roses were and wanted to know what chemicals she was using to have them looking so great.

Her reply was no chemicals which the members had problems believing because they had been indoctrinated into Shield, Nitrophoska etc as the ultimate tools of rose perfection.

The products made the companies that sold them a lot of money but did nothing for the health of the roses or the health of the users.

Here is a little logic I remember as a boy visiting my uncles farm in Taranaki where my auntie had a few rose bushes between a paddock and the gravel driveway.

Besides the dust on the plants in a dry summer and the occasional cow

or possum nibbling the foliage they were very healthy.

They had some horse or cow manure thrown at them from time to time and cut back in the winter along with a bit of a tidy up.

Another aspect was that being in the country the plants were not suffering from chemicals in the water such as Chlorine. Just rain water from the sky or the tank.

I remember another rose enthusiast who also told me that his parents were great collectors of roses and had over the years several hundred specimens on their farm property which he was also involved in their care.

He told me how over the years of growing up how wonderful and healthy the plants had been.

As ‘new’ things were introduced to assist with the rose care, the health of the roses deteriorated so more stronger chemicals were used to no avail.

His parents passed and it was then his sole responsibility to care for the sick inheritance.

No matter what he used, how much he sprayed the roses only got worse and one winter after another poor health season he was seriously considering plowing all the roses into the ground as they were hopelessly sick and some had already died.

He told me he read an article I wrote about rose health and a program to follow and decided to give it a go for one last attempt.

What happened was that season there was a marked improvement in the roses, not up to their former glory but certainly heading in the right direction.

Then in the following season most of the roses turned to their full health state and a phone call to thank me was

made. He said that my advise was the best gift to his deceased parents ever.

It is just common sense really, work with nature not against it.

Chemicals are designed to kill and control; they can kill both the good as well as the bad plus adverse side effects as we commonly see with our own human pharmaceutical concoctions.

Chlorine in water is bad news for soil life so if you have this poison in your tap water then see about removing it with a 10 micron carbon bonded housing and filter. Email me for more info if interested.

Next stick to natural things to feed your roses (and other plants) this includes all animal manures including sheep manure pellets, blood & bone, compost that is not made from green waste.

(I know people that have lost their roses to compost containing herbicides

from green waste).

The compost is used to cover over the blood & bone etc.

For extra minerals use Wallys Unlocking your Soil twice a year and Ocean Solids once a year.

Apply a little Fruit and Flower Power once a month during flowering season.

Spray your roses 2 weekly with Magic Botanical Liquid (MBL) This will do more for your roses health than anything that I know of.

Once a month spray them with Perkfection starting in Spring when there is a good show of leaves. Perkfection can be added to every second spray of MBL.

Any sign of aphids spray just before sunset with Wallys Super Pyrethrum, it is a quick knock down control.

During season any sign of leaf diseases spray with potassium permanganate at a quarter teaspoon per litre of water.

Photo: Steve Unwin

by blood or by love, let’s celebrate the joy

Keeping itLOCAL

Tawa company giving back to the community

At Skye Candle and Body Care, their hearts are big. They like to give back to the community opportunities for local clubs, sports teams, schools and community initiatives.

Skye’s goal is simple – to handcraft homemade home fragrance and self-care products that are kind to you, and to the unique NZ environment.

An exciting offer they have already for Christmas is their “Advent” parcel package, where a small individually wrapped parcel is opened each day, up to Christmas Day. But you’ll have to be quick to get an Advent Package

as they’ve proved popular, with only a small number now remaining.

Skye’s products are homemade and handcrafted in small batches in Wellington, and made with love. They don’t use any products they wouldn’t put on their own skin, they select committed to reducing plastic packaging.

Skye have handcrafted a range of soy scented candles, tea lights and wax melts, bath, body and skin care, aromatherapy and essential oil products that can all be purchased at their online shop –www.skyecandleandbodycare.co.nz/.

Local photography through the years

Renowned Wellington photographer Max Bruce, who grew up in Khandallah and spent much of his life there, has recently published an intriguing autobiography.

His book “Black & White – My life in photography” is full of entertaining anecdotes and some of his best work in and around Wellington.

It follows his interest in swimming and tramping and explains how he eventually came to make a career in photography at

the National Publicity Studios.

Throughout, it introduces readers to career including most of all, his wife Pam whom he had met as a colleague at the NPS.

In partnership with Khandallah’s Mitchell Gallery, Max has his book featured on display there for the public to peruse and to see how his work has had so much connection to the district.

Mad Hatter at the Johnsonville Club

Whacky, fun and exciting, the Mad Hatter iwill be an event not to be missed.

Live Entertainment is provided by the very popular and very lovely Nova Starr who is back by popular demand and is performing all night long.

Reserve a table for just $10 per person and enjoy cocktails in teapots, crazy tables, games and more.

Open to members, their guests, or

Not a member? not a worry - it’s easy to join with either a full or temporary membership. Come in and talk to the

The Mad Hatters Tea Party Saturday 8 October from approximately 7.30pm.

The anatomy of dyslexia and the Davis method

As Ronald D. Davis says, “Dyslexia is not a complexity. It is a compound of simple factors that need to be dealt with step-bystep”. Because the Davis™ methods utilise the picture-thinking strengths of dyslexics, based approach.

Each success brings improved self-esteem which creates a willingness to try new strategies, quickly replacing the old habits as they bring success for the person.

Developed in 1980 and refined during

1990’s, Davis™ Programmes are the most widely used intervention across the globe. They have helped tens of thousands of sociated with dyslexia, ADHD, dyspraxia, dyscalculia and autism, allowing them to progress in the education system and the workplace.

For further information contact Margot Young, Licensed Davis™ Facilitator, at Wellington Learning Solutions on 04 478 2208 or email margot@wls.co.nz

HELD BACK BY A LEARNING DIFFICULTY?

Discover your learning style and unlock your potential

Individual programmes tailored for success cover:

Dyslexia Dyspraxia Autism Maths ADD/ADHD Suitable ages 5-95

FREE initial consultation Phone 04 478 2208 www.wls.co.nz

RELIEVING INDIGESTION & HEARTBURN

Who hasn’t suffered from indigestion and heartburn, especially after overdoing it with food or drink, or when rushing meals? These are very common conditions although for some of us, indigestion and heartburn happen for other reasons and can cause considerable discomfort. It’s good to know that help is available from your Self Care pharmacist.

With indigestion (or dyspepsia), we can feel sick and experience gas, or a bloated feeling, in the stomach. “Indigestion causes discomfort and pain in the area between your ribs and belly button, and occurs during eating, or immediately after” advise Self Care pharmacists. A common symptom of indigestion is heartburn, where there is a burning feeling rising upwards from the stomach towards the throat. The acid contents of the stomach return, or ‘reflux’, back into the oesophagus (the space between the throat and the stomach, which is shaped like a tube) and causes irritation there.

Indigestion and heartburn can be caused by: Foods such as cabbage, onions, cucumber, curries and chocolate.

Certain drinks, e.g. alcohol, fizzy drinks, strong coffee and tea.

Eating food too fast; eating fatty or large meals, especially late at night.

Stress and anxiety, smoking, bending and stooping, being overweight.

Pregnancy

Certain medicines – such as aspirin and other anti-inflammatory medicines for pain and arthritis.

Try to identify the cause of your indigestion or heartburn and if possible avoid these things. If the medicines you take give you symptoms, let your pharmacist or doctor know. Sometimes taking food at the same time as you take your medicines can help. Remember to take your medicines with a glass of water, while sitting or standing upright.

According to Self Care pharmacists, “there

are changes you can make to help prevent or reduce symptoms of indigestion and heartburn. They include stopping smoking (see the Quit Smoking fact card); avoiding rich, spicy, fatty foods, and large meals late in the day, and eating smaller meals; having plenty of physical activity – at least 30 minutes most days; losing weight if you are overweight (see the Weight and Health fact card) and learning to relax and sleep well (See the Sleeping Well fact card).” Sometimes focusing on lifestyle changes may be all that is needed to stop indigestion and heartburn.

If medicines are required, your pharmacy has a wide range of products available for the short-term relief of heartburn and indigestion symptoms. “We can assist you in selecting the one that is best for your situation”, advise Self Care pharmacists. Antacids neutralise excess acid in the stomach. They can provide quick and effective relief but their effects don’t last long. Reflux symptoms can be relieved by medicines called alginates that form a ‘raft’ on top of your stomach contents, helping to prevent them being regurgitated. Where these medicines do not help, or symptoms are experienced as often as 2 or more times per week, other medicines may be required that decrease the amount of acid made by the stomach. There are several different types of medication available that do this. Your pharmacist can, in certain circumstances, supply these medicines without a prescription for the short term relief of heartburn symptoms. Your Self Care pharmacist will advise if this is appropriate for you.

“If there is still no improvement with lifestyle measures along with short-term use of medicines, or if symptoms suggest another cause, then we would refer you to your doctor for further investigations and treatment”, confirm Self Care pharmacists. “Our Indigestion & Heartburn fact card has more information, so ask us for a copy.”

Anne-MarieRose

Top young New Zealand chef to compete in Mexico for international title

Josh Ross, the head chef at Parliament’s prestigious Bellamy’s Restaurant is shortly to leave New Zealand to compete in the International Jeunes Chefs Rotisseurs 2022 (Young Chef of the Year competition) run by the Chaine des Rotisseurs, an international association of gastronomy.

Josh, 26, won the New Zealand Jeune (Young) Chef Award last year, but the international competition was delayed until October his year.

As New Zealand’s representative in the international competition being held in Mexico City, he will be competing against seventeen other young chefs from Europe, Asia and the Americas for the international title.

He says he is “quite excited and obviously nervous.”

The competition has several rounds and runs according to the mystery box format which is standard for such culinary events.

Chefs are given a box of ingredients and asked to compose a three-course meal. Points are awarded for the menu, their preparation, presentation, organisation and for the meal itself.

In addition to running Bellamy’s and his own cafe called Twenty Eight in Lower Hutt, Josh has been practising every Sunday for several months using the mystery box format under the guidance of Anita Sarginson, an accredited and very experienced New Zealand culinary judge.

“I haven’t had a lot of free time lately, but the training has been very helpful and very useful in expanding my skills,’ he said.

“Being a head chef has certainly been to my advantage. I got to head chef at the age of 23, and the reason for that was working at Logan Brown where Shaun Clouston the co-owner, believed in me and mentored me and it seems to have worked out well.

“I am really looking forward to competing. It’s tough, stimulating, tiring and exhilarating all at the same time, and obviously I want to do well.”

“Josh is a hugely talented, dedicated, and knowledgeable young culinarian, he is the perfect representative for New Zealand, and we wish him every success,” says David Shackleton, the head of the Chaine des Rotisseurs in New Zealand.

Chef Josh Ross is about to test his talents against some of the world’s top emerging chefs.

meters tall, or 2,716.5 feet, the Burj Khalifa is twice the height of the Empire State Building. It far exceeds the scale of anything that’s been built on Earth.

SPORTS TALK

With Jacob Page

Roger Federer says goodbye

All good things must come to an end and that’s the case with the career of Swiss tennis ace, Roger Federer.

The 41-year-old called time on his illustrious career on Friday after appearing in a Laver Cup doubles match with his friend and greatest foe on the court, Rafael Nadal.

An emotional Federer, forever known for his calm, composed and elegant nature on the court even had some of modern tennis’ best players welling up as he bid farewell to the sport.

It speaks volumes to the type of people Federer and Nadal are

that they can be embroiled in the biggest tennis rivalry of the past two decades on the court, and such good friends off it.

Of their 40 matches, 20 were on hard court, 16 on clay, and 4 on grass. Nadal leads on clay (14–2) and outdoor hard court (8–6), while Federer leads on grass (3–1) and indoor hard court (5–1).

A total of 14 matches were in majors with Nadal leading 10–4. [2][3] Nadal leads 6–0 at the French Open and 3–1 at the Australian Open, while Federer leads 3–1 at Wimbledon. On several occasions, they were a match away from

meeting at the US Open, but were denied each time.

Much like in boxing, styles make good rivalries.

Federer was visually appealing on court, effortless to watch, with all the shots and a level of precision more accustomed to a surgeon than a tennis player.

Nadal is known for his scrappy, never say die attitude.

He would run himself into the ground chasing points and that stamina served him well on the slower clay courts of Europe.

From a personal standpoint, I have always favoured sportsmen

and women of substance rather than flair.

I preferred Pete Sampras over Andre Agaasi, Andrew Mehrtens over Carlos Spencer, Kane Williamson over Ross Taylor.

Federer has been the reason I have watched tennis for the past two decades.

He has proven you can be arguably the greatest player ever in your chosen sport and remain a nice guy, free of controversy and ridicule.

Ultimately, Father Time has caught up to Federer as his body failed to handle the physical output needed as he aged into his late 30s.

Federer’s last grand slam at the Australian Open in 2018 felt like the final great chapter in a legendary career, and so it proved to be for a man who once spent 237 consecutive weeks at No 1 in the world rankings.

Federer, Nadal and Novak Djokovic have pushed mens tennis to new heights over the past 20 years.

Without each other, one of them may have 35 to 40 grand slams to their name but without them this golden era simply would not have existed.

Every sports fan is richer for having witnessed it.

Northern football collaboration proves beneficial

The ongoing five-year collaboration between Onslow Junior Football Club and North Wellington FC is starting to pay dividends in the youth space.

Running a joint Talent Development Programme for boys and girls in the 13, 15 and 17 year old age groups has lead to the best showing yet in the Capital Development Leagues, the highest local youth competition.

The 13th Grade team under coaches Davor Tavich and Hugo Barber-Dale won the winter competition and also took out the

end of season cup competition, defeating Western Suburbs 5-0.

The North Wellington- Onslow 15th and 17th Grade sides also finished in the top four for the season. Last weekend the 17’s finished off a successful run in the Youth National (Central) League competition with a stunning 2-1 win over the Wellington Phoenix. The team progresses directly through to the national phase of the competition which is being held between 14 and 16 October at the newly minted New Zealand Campus of Innovation and Sport in Trentham.

Smallbore shooters on target

The Wellington Secondary Schools team took out this years’ Smallbore Shooting Triangular, against Hutt Valley and Manawatu.

STEAM INCORPORATED’S 50TH YEAR

In 2022, Steam Incorporated is celebrating its 50th year as an Incorporated Society. Please join with us in 2022 in a series of special anniversary events to commemorate the work that a small group of people embarked on in 1972, and what so many others have maintained through the last 50 years.

We thank you for all of your continued support. Created in collaboration with our friends at Kapiti Signs, we will be running a special anniversary Tail Board on the back of all of our excursion trains this year.

We look forward to seeing you sometime in ’22 to help make our 50th one to remember.

The Wellington Team was made up of Megan Brodie (Captain) – Queen Margaret College, Tim Stirling – Wellington College, Gabi Hemsley – Tawa College, Michael Ling – Onslow College, Brendan Shaw – Wellington High School, Callum Mackay – Rongotai College,

Alexi James-Kinsey – Wellington High School, Keya Parekh – Newlands College, Luke Gibbs – Rongotai College, Ben Dunning – Onslow College, Trinity Avery – Newlands College, Lori Thomson – Newlands College.

RIGHT: The Wellington Secondary Schools team took out this years’ Smallbore Shooting Triangular, against Hutt Valley and Manawatu.

The North Wellington Under-17 boys team secured a straight qualification into the Youth National League with a win over Wellington Phoenix Academy, over the weekend.

30 Seconds Spray and Walk Away Hose End 2 litre

Works over time. Fast application from hose end. Hose end deflector provides FAN spray for wide coverage.

201833

LOW

Easy DIY installation.

Bends around corners. Proven for all seasons. Stops leaves and debris from blocking the gutter yet lets water flow the gutter. 121711

WEEKEND PROJECTS

Start Thursday 29th September - Wednesday 5th October 2022.

Taurus GARDEN Compost Bin 240 Litre Black

Ready to assemble. Manufactured in NZ from recycled polypropylene. Ventilation holes for increased aeration.

Top opening for easy accessibility. Durable and weather resistant. 235400

Strawberry Assorted 10cm

Easy to grow. Produces masses of juicy berries. Perfect for garden beds or patio pots. 377824

Keter

Easy Growing Planter 120 Litre Dark Grey

Simple drainage system that can be opened or closed for full control of watering.

Full watering system includes a reservoir to prevent root decay and over watering. 295740

Tui Tui 3 Tier Worm Farm Kit

Recycle organic waste to create fertiliser for your garden. 100% recycled plastic. Two tier system with tap. New leg insert mechanism – no clips needed. 346411

Number

Plastic Leaf Rake Assorted Colours

Wide 20 tooth head for easy raking. Sturdy wooden handle. Assorted colours available in black, blue,

rattan. Plush and durable olefin cushions. 120kg

Tui Lawn

WAS

Browns Superior Telescopic Wash Brush 280mm Yellow and Black

3 stage 1.6m to 3.6m reach extending waterflow handle. Jet grip flow control soap dispenser valve. Flagged Synthetic fill. Rubber squeegee blade. 119489

Heater 40MJ/hr

Steel

Piezo ignition for easy lighting. Maximum output 40MJ/h. Safety tip-over switch halts supply of gas to the unit should it be knocked over.