6 September Wainuiomata News

By Frank Neill

Continued on page 2.

Brooke Neary in action for Wainuiomata. Photo: Imray’s Snaps.

How to reach us

Phone (04) 587 1660

Address 23 Broderick Rd, Johnsonville

P.O. Box 38-776, WMC 5045

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ONLINE: www.wsn.co.nz

REPORTER

Frank Neill

wainui@wsn.co.nz

027 490 3916

An amazing achievement

Continued from page 1

“Considering I only picked up [goal] keeping this year it’s an amazing achievement.”

Brooke and her coach were talking about her prospects of making the New Zealand team about seven months ago and “we never expected it at all. Then seven months down the track ...

“I’m really excited and very nervous at the same time,” she says.

“If we win the qualifiers [the Oceania Under-16 Women’s Championship] we will be entered in the World Cup in the Dominican Republic next year.

“I’m hoping to make Wai-

nuiomata proud by winning the qualifiers.

“I’m really looking forward to it ... to representing Wainuiomata and showing them what we’ve got,” Brooke says.

Playing in Tahiti will be a quite different experience from playing in New Zealand too. Over there the temperatures will be around 27 to 30 degrees, compared with playing in temperatures of around 14 degrees in New Zealand.

New Zealand will play its opening two matches in group B, where it will meet the Cook Islands and Samoa.

The other teams in the competition are New Caledonia, Tonga,

Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Tahiti and Vanuatu.

Brooke began playing Football when she was five years old, with the Wainuiomata Football Club. For nine of her 10 years in the game she played for the Wainuiomata club.

One aspect of that which she values was playing Football with boys. Not only was that fun, but

“I think that’s made a massive development in my Football,” she says.

She also played with boys while playing Football for her primary school, Fernlea School.

After nine years playing for the Wainuiomata Football Club this season she has been playing

for the Phoenix Academy in the Capital Development League.

This year she is also in her third season playing for her school, Hutt Valley High School, and this year her team won the Wellington Secondary Schools Competition.

As well as Football, Brooke also played cricket, including playing in Wellington representative teams, although she has now given that up so that she can focus on Football.

Being selected for the Football Ferns is one of Brooke’s goals.

“I have the professional footballer dream, so I will keep the work up and keep pushing,” she says.

SALES

Les Whiteside

les@wsn.co.nz

021 360 008

PM visits Wainuiomata schools

By Frank Neill

NATIONAL SALES

Sam Barnes

sam@wsn.co.nz 021 109 4406

CLASSIFIED SALES classifieds@wsn.co.nz

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins was in Wainuiomata on 5 September, visiting Arakura School and Wainuiomata High School.

His visit came on a special day for him – his birthday – and Arakura School presented Mr Hipkins with a birthday cake.

“This is my first visit to Wainuiomata since I became Prime Minister,” he said.

It was not, however, his first time in the valley. In fact he worked at Woolworths in Wainuiomata before it became Countdown

“so I know this area well.

“It is nice to be back and see all your smiley faces,” he told the Arakura School students.

One of the reasons he was visiting the school

was because it is in the free and healthy school lunches programme.

It is a good programme, Mr Hipkins said, providing as it does healthy food for the children, which also helps with learning.

“We are really blessed to have this special occasion at Arakura School,” the school’s Tumuaki/Principal Tute Mila said.

The school then gave Mr Hipkins a birthday present – an envelope containing “some solutions for education”, although the school did not say what those solutions were.

Ms Mila went on to comment on the free

and healthy school lunches programme, which is being trialled for a year.

She asked that the government make a commitment to the programme for the long term “because our wh nau need it.

“Twelve months is not a big enough commitment,” Ms Mila said.

She then thanked Mr Hipkins for the free lunches progamme. “It is making a difference,” she said.

Following his time at Arakura School, Mr Hipkins made a visit to Wainuiomata High School.

Chris Hipkins and Hutt South MP Ginny Andersen check out a maths lesson with Arakura School pupils Ryder Jensen (left) and Ellie Ryan-Martin. Photo: Frank Neill.

At what age do you stop taking your kids on holiday?

When they are old enough to get a job and pay for themselves.

they have jobs.

Just came back from my holiday with my daughters.

Always welcome but a struggle to get teens along with you.

Home made bus stop erected

By Frank Neill

Wood Street has a new bus shelter.

The new shelter was not put in place by Metlink – which manages and maintains bus stops in Wainuiomata –however.

Rather it is a home made shelter, erected by a Wood Street resident, who asked the “Wainuiomata News” not to name her in the paper.

She is one of a number of local residents who have been asking Metlink and Greater Wellington Regional Council for a bus shelter at this stop for years.

“I’ve been here [in Wood Street] for 13 years and agitating for a bus shelter all that time to no avail.

“We got a bit desperate,” she says.

So last week she made a bus stop and placed it on Wood Street near the intersection with Parenga Street.

It has been constructed from old election signs that local list MP Chris Bishop had put up during previous election campaigns.

“Basically I’m trying to [annoy] the council or Metlink or whoever is responsible for bus stops.

“I don’t know how else to embarrass them and kick them into action.

“Everything else has failed. We’ve phoned and emailed and nothing works.

“Now we have got a bus shelter and it is being used. The kids are using it and so are the older people.

“Even the bus drivers say that this spot gets more demand than the other bus shelter further down Wood Street,” another local resident, who also did not want to be named, told the “Wainuiomata News”.

“We get excuse after excuse after reason from them [Greater Wellington Regional Council and Metlink],

but no bus stop.

“The locals are loving this home made one for now.

“Even the fact that it has not been tagged yet says something,” the resident said.

When approached by the “Wainuiomata News” Greater Wellington Regional Councillor Quentin Duthie said he was “happy to facilitate Metlink talking to local residents about a bus stop there.”

There is good news in relation to another bus stop people have been seeking for years.

The site of the proposed bus stop is on The Strand, near the Wainuiomata Masonic Village.

“We’ve been fighting for a bus stop there for years,” local list MP Chris Bishop says.

“The regional council are now saying they are investigating a site for the bus stop.

“This is good news for Wainuiomata. It is good progress,” Mr Bishop says.

The council’s response came in reply to a letter Mr Bishop wrote on 21 August.

“You may recall that in 2020 I contacted you after residents of Wainuiomata had requested a bus stop along The Strand,” the letter said.

“I received a response from Metlink stating that Buses 160 and 170 serviced both North and South Wainuiomata operating on either side of The Strand and to divert one of the services would result in bus stops being missed and it was a short 250m walk to the 170-bus stop located on the Wainuiomata Road.

“Following a recent visit to the Retirement Village this issue was yet again raised by many of the residents.

“Some do not have vehicles; some

Community funding

By Frank Neill

You don’t – give them to their grandparents and enjoy your holiday kid free.

Bounce Back this Allergy Season

have mobility issues and a 250m walk with shopping bags is difficult.

“Not having a bus stop in this location has created an accessibility issue to services such as banking, medical and transport connections over the hill.

“Please would it be possible to have a review of the decision and look at options that will work towards a positive outcome for all,” the letter said.

“Metlink officers are investigating options to improve bus access to the Strand area of Wainuiomata town centre,” Greater Wellington’s Council Liaison Advisor, Public Trnasport, Lisa Colebrook said in reply to Mr Bishop’s letter.

“We will come back to you both when we have decided on the best course of action.”

Spring brings us many things to smile about. Daffodils, sunnier days, baby animals and blossom trees should be things we enjoy, rather than avoid this season.

Why should you have to hide from the fresh scent of freshly mown grass and the pollen in the light of springtime air? Allergies are no joke when you’re under attack.

Take the power back with these tips to help reduce your allergy symptoms:

Avoid being outside on humid or windy days. Anytime between 5am and 10am is when the most pollen is being release, so take extra care during this time.

Use you weather apps. They will tell you about the daily rankings for allergens. Try www. weather.com to track pollen in Wainuiomata.

Aim to keep your windows closed at night to avoid pollen getting inside the house.

Your skin and hair will collect pollen during the day. Having more frequent showers will help to wash away any that has been trapped. It will also reduce skin irritations that can come from too much exposure to pollen

If you want to make the most of this season and melt away those winter blues, here at Clive’s Chemist there is a wide variety of products to manage or eliminate allergies. Our specialist team can talk to you about a plan to that you can look forward to getting out and smelling the flowers.

Siobhan Saunders

Hannah Sewell

Hamish Turnbull

Depends who is paying –and if

Chris Davies

Carl Sinclair

Always – love having quality, shared time.

Natalia Grebbe

The new home made bus stop on Wood Street. Photo: Frank Neill.

Rugby World Cup 2023

B

Roundballs win Wellington plate

By Ryan Imray

It was an all Wainuiomata Final in the Wellington Plate Competition as Wellington 2 side Roundballs faced Wellington 3 side Halfbaked on 2 September.

It was a fixture worth being played in a final as both sides played out a very exciting encounter.

While everyone knew silverware would be coming to Richard Prouse, they just needed to find out who would be bringing it there and after a 90 minute battle it was the Roundballs who earned the right to bring it home.

Goals to Tyler Titov-Smith, new father Josh Castle and a double to Adam Ross gave Roundballs a 4-0 win.

It was a great game between the two Wainui sides played in good spirits in front of a good number of fans from the club.

In the only other game of the day, the Capital Premier side was looking to see out their season on a high as they faced Seatoun in a catch up game due to it being postponed a few

weeks back.

Coming off the back of a convincing 6-3 win last week against Karori, the lads in Green and Black had their confidence high and it showed.

It only took six minutes for them to

Meet the candidates

Wainuiomata Grey Power will host a “meet the candidates” event at the Wainuiomata Bowling Club at 1:30pm on Wednesday 27 September.

“We want to publicly thank the candidates for making themselves available at this busy time.,” Wainuiomata Grey Power’s President Helen Thomas says.

Anyone from the community is welcome to attend this question and answer time with the candidates.

“Some of the concerns being raised by Grey Power members include the cost of living. The effect this is having on many seniors is critical.

developments going on in the valley. Are the developers and Real Estate agents involved in these builds contributing to the cost of repairs for roads and improvement to infrastructure? Or will this fall on the Wainuiomata ratepayers?

“The Office for Seniors has worked tirelessly to keep seniors throughout New Zealand informed. Will this office remain under a new government?

“These are questions we can pose to our candidates on the 27th, so please come along and enjoy this opportunity.

take the lead through Isaac Harper and it didn’t stop there.

Another 6-3 win for Wainui meant they rounded off their final two games of the season with 12 goals in two weeks.

“Retirement savings dwindle as they try to keep up with all the rising costs,” Helen says.

“There are concerns about the intense and immense

“As always, Wainuiomata Bowling Club is supporting the association to host this event.

“Grey Power Wainuiomata would struggle without this amazing club,” Helen says.

Adam Ross chips goalkeeper Geoff Piercy to give Roundballs a 2-0 lead.

Photo: Imray’s Snaps.

National Ki o Rahi selection

By Frank Neill

Three Wainuiomata KĪ o Rahi players have been selected in the New Zealand secondary school team.

Reihana Te Rauna, Kahukura Te Rauna and Braddock Akuhata have been named in the team. They will go into a camp and play in a tournament over Labour Weekend in the Bay of Plenty.

Reihana won his selection following his outstanding performance for Wainuiomata High School’s Wharekura team at this year’s New Zealand Secondary Schools Championships.

Kahukura and Braddock are also members of Wainuiomata High School’s Wharekura team. They won places in the New Zealand team following the withdrawal of two other members.

One of the matches the New Zealand Secondary Schools team will play will be against the New Zealand M ori Secondary School team and this encounter will see a Wainuiomata father on one side and his two sons on the other.

Deliverers Wanted

M tauranga Te Rauna, is the coach of the M ori team and his sons Reihana and Kahukura will be on their opposition.

Reihana and Braddock are in year 11, and Kahukura is in year 13 at Wainuiomata High School.

Mr Te Rauna is the head teacher of Wainuiomata High School’s Te Kura Matua o Wainuiomata.

The Wainuiomata High School team played very well at this year’s New Zealand tournament in April.

Following the first day of play they were ranked number one.

However they lost their semi-final match and finished the competition in seventh place.

KĪ o Rahi is a fast-paced contact sport that uses a circular field.

Games are played between a defending 'taniwha' team and an attacking 'kĪoma' team. Teams score points by touching the tupu (central marker) with the ball.

KĪ o Rahi is derived from ball games played in circular clearings before Europeans arrived in New Zealand.

New Tongan early reader books

Mila’s Books launched a new series of Tongan early reader picture books on 1 September.

The launch took place in time for national Tongan language week, which began on 3 September and runs to 10 September.

Pets

CATTERY Casa De Wootton, home away from home. Rural surroundings. 187 Moores Valley Road. Phone Jane 5644310

Based on the bestselling Mila’s My Gagana Series 1 and translated by Tongan tapa creative and Pasifika advocate Mele TongaGrant, the Mila's My Pasifika Series are a result of the ongoing need and demand for culturally safe and rich language readers for our tamaiti, families and teachers.

Each book includes two stories in one book.

The first story provides language learning support in English and the second story is the Tongan version of the story.

48. Of plants (9)

49. Sperm whales (9)

51. Not tied (5)

52. Brochure (7)

53. Avoid (5)

54. Soaks up (7)

55. Allure (11)

DOWN

of the new Tongan early reader picture books.

supplied.

The Niuean and Tokelauan versions of the Mila’s My Pasifika Series are also being released in October, and the Pasifika Wellbeing Journals will be released later this month for New Zealand Mental Health Awareness Week.

33. River in Scotland (3)

38. Finger joints (7)

40. Obvious (8)

42. Conserves (7)

44. Free (7)

46. Captivate (6)

47.Canadian province; Nova (6)

48. Light wood (5)

49. Inflammation of the colon (5)

slow tempo

1. Monetary unit of Ecuador (5)

2. Perspective (5,2,4)

3. Bursts (8)

4. Amateur (6)

5. Weight measurement (5)

6. Small orange (7)

7. Short story (8)

8. Disclose (6)

9. Bandits (7)

10. Antelope (5)

16. Slender (7)

17. Foot lever (7)

19. Deadens (5) 20. Enrols (7)

22. Qualify (7) 24. Hotel (3)

50. Cloying (5)

Solution

Last Week: 30 August 2023

Conpetitor (7) 45. Scanty (6)

Three

Photo:

The three Wainuiomata Kī o Rahi players have been selected in the New Zealand secondary school team (from left) Kahukura Te Rauna, Reihana Te Rauna and Braddock Akuhata.

Photo: Mātauranga Te Rauna.

Year sevens are the Netball champions

By Frank Neill

Wainuiiomata Intermediate Schools’ year seven team is the Wellington region’s intermediate schools Netball champions.

They defeated Hutt Intermediate School in the final of the Wellington Regional Intermediate School Sports Association’s (WWRISSA) netball tournament held on 23 August at the TSB Arena in Wellington. And the school’s year 8 team finished as runners-up in their competition.

This was the first time in Wainuiomata Intermediate School’s history

that they had qualified for a final in the WRISSA netball competition, let alone qualified for both finals.

This was an amaziing achievement, given that the Wainuiomata teams were up against so many historically strong netball teams.

The teams in the competition also came from a wide geographical area – Wellington, the Hutt Valley, the Wairarapa and up through the K piti Coast to Levin.

Coached by Komia Va’a, the year seven team went through the competition undefeated.

Maria Gillies coached the year 8 team and Pani Christie was the

manager for both teams.

Komia, Maria and Pani did an outstanding job in raising the standard of the school’s netball to the point where they emerged with the best results in the province.

The outstanding performances in the WRISSA competition followed a very successful season in the Hutt Valley’s Saturday netball for Wainuiomata Intermediate School. The school entered five teams in the Saturday competition and four of the five teams won their section. That saw the school win the most sections of any of the intermediate schools in the Saturday Netball.

Still battling for just payout

By Frank Neill

Wainuiomata resident John Carter has been waiting almost 40 years for what he considers to be proper compensation after he was unfairly dismissed by the Post Office in 1985.

John began a job as a postman in Wellington’s Aro Valley in September 1983.

“When I initially worked at the Post Office in 1983 I was employed on a temporary basis and I applied for a full-time position,” John says.

“When I asked if I had got the job they put me on special leave without pay while they tried to find the paperwork.”

While he was on special leave he was told he was dismissed – that the Postmaster had decided to dismiss him. He was given no reason for the dismissal.

That marked the beginning of a long battle, firstly to get his file and secondly to get compensation.

When he finally got the paperwork in 2002 it showed that he was not dismissed and that he had not resigned.

It also showed that only the Postmaster General could dismiss him.

The battle to get his file and get compensation came with a high cost too.

First of all he lost his home and then the stress of the situation led to mental health issues.

“This whole business drove me crazy,” John says. “I ended up spending five years in a mental hospital.”

While he was in Porirua Psychiatric Hospital, Crown Law contacted him in 1999 offering him an apology and a small settlement. Crown Law is now saying that he “fully and finally” settled his claim in 1999.

However he was not legally able to accept any settlement at that time because he was a “compulsory inpatient in Porirua Hospital without a lawyer [and] involuntarily intoxicated on mind impairing psychiatric drugs,” he says.

“Most recently Crown Law wrote to me on 7 August saying they

‘fully and finally settled my claim in March 1999’.

“However on 1 April 1999 we were due to have a meeting in my lawyer’s office to settle my claim but Crown Law and Treasury did not attend.”

The payment Crown Law gave John, which he unsuccessfully tried to return, was six months in lieu of notice.

“But there was no notice given and I hadn’t been dismissed so what they offered was a pittance compared to the 14 years of employment with the Post Office I was entitled to,” he says.

What he would like, John says, is for the Crown “to honour their agreement [and] settle in full”.

New Streets for People design

By Frank Neill

Hutt City Council is currently preparing a semi-permanent design for road layouts to improve safety and accessibility in Wainuiomata. This follows the council evaluating feedback on the Maru | Streets for People trial in May.

The council will share the semi-permanent design with Wainuiomata residents this month. Installation of the semi-permanent design is scheduled to start in November.

“There were several key themes from your feedback which we’ll be addressing in the semi-permanent design,” the council says.

“While there was a shared vision to improve safety in the area (particularly for rangatahi and tamariki) we know you weren’t fans of the materials used and there was concern around the narrowed intersections, traffic flows and parking in the area.

“Speeds were also tracked before, during and after the pop-up trial with all sites experiencing lower top speeds during the trial.

“Following the trial, speeds along Totara Street remained slightly down overall but higher speeds in the range of 100-110km/h were still recorded.”

Key themes from the feedback, the council says, were:

in the area, particularly for rangatahi and tamariki walking, scootering or biking around schools.

the area quieter and calmer, and supported the interventions for making the area safer.

yellow kerb ramps that improved accessibility for bikes, scooters, prams and mobility aids at the intersections.

materials used during the trial, particularly the cones and astroturf. -

sections were not suitable for bigger vehicles. and parking in the area.

project was being funded.

“Temporary materials were used during the trial to create an adaptive layout that could quickly be altered as needed,” the council says.

“For the semi-permanent design we’ll be using more durable materials with a greater visual appeal and the community will be invited to select artwork used at intersections in the project area.”

The semi-permanent interventions will be in place for the next few years “and we’ll check in with the community over summer 2023/24, allowing the layouts to be adjusted before a permanent design is confirmed,” the council says.

The council heard from wh nau walking to and from school through the laneways that they would like to see more colour and art by local people. “We worked with students attending after school care at Konini Primary School to paint 200 t tarakihi that now fly down the laneway leading from Totara Street to Karamu Crescent. As part of installation we also made repairs to the fence and footpath in the area.

“Each t tarakihi includes a reflective vinyl outline increasing visibility for walkers and cyclists using the laneway during the evening.

“Stainless steel backing and ties were used in this project to ensure no plastic ended up in our precious awa,” the council says.

The champion Wainuiomata Intermediate School netball team. Photo: Supplied.

John Carter with some of the paperwork around his claim for what he sees as a just settlement.

Photo: Gerald Rilstone.