Te Awamutu News | March 18, 2021

Page 1

TE AWAMUTU NEWS | 1

THURSDAY MARCH 18, 2021

2 Alexandra Street, Te Awamutu 07 870 1991

Missed Delivery? Ph 07 827 0005

It’s a real newspaper

MARCH 18, 2021

College eyes Maadi success Maadi Cup is back at Lake Karapiro and Waipā schools are sending some of their biggest teams yet after Covid led to the cancellation of the 2020 event in Twizel. Te Awamutu College is represented by Sam Shaw, Katie Dale and Keita Koroheke. Katie and Keita have raced together throughout the season and will be competing in girls’ under 18 double sculls and Sam is racing in under 16 and under 17 single sculls. Te Awamutu Rowing Club representative Tony Edmondson said Sam’s performances have improved over the season. He has reached A and B finals at North Island Club Championships and Aon Junior Regatta. His coach Dave Potts expects him to peak at the Maadi Cup. St Peter’s Cambridge is sending a team of 81 rowers to race at the regatta - the largest team they have ever sent. The school’s Director of Rowing Janey

Charlton said following a training camp at Whakamaru over the weekend the team is excited and ready to race. “Due to the suspension of North Island Secondary School Champs this year it is hard to say where many of our boats sit amongst the field,” she said. “After the disappointment of not having

Maadi in 2020 the team is looking forward to getting out on the water and racing hard against crews from across the country.” Cambridge High School has 50 rowers and three coxswains competing at the event, supported by 10 coaches. The squad performed well at the North Island Club Champs at the end of January,

coming away with two gold, two silver and two bronze medals. The 2021 Maadi Cup will be held at Lake Karapiro from next Monday to Saturday. It will be the event’s biggest with more than 2,623 competitors from 122 schools expected to compete in front of a combined audience exceeding 8,000.

Sam Shaw will represent Te Awamutu College at the Maadi Cup. Photo - Tony Edmondson

Council says:

Māori wards: you tell us

Waipā District councillors are considering reducing their numbers - and after largely shutting up shop on their opinion of Māori wards, backed a plan to go to the public on the issue yesterday. But one broke ranks, calling a proposed Māori ward consultation process a waste of time. Pro-Māori ward councillor Hazel Barnes told fellow councillors at a Strategic Planning and Policy Committee meeting yesterday “we are going out to consult the whole community... well we actually know what the

outcome that’s going to be”. Councillors supported circulating a consultation document which discusses Māori wards and invites feedback. The News has been unable to find any Māori who has been elected to the Waipā District Council since it was established in 1989. Councillors told Cllr Barnes it would be presumptuous to suggest the outcome of consultation was a foregone conclusion. Chief executive Gary Dyet said the council had a targeted programme of

consultation with iwi and the council already had a good body of knowledge of iwi and manawhenua thoughts on the issue. The meeting also revealed there has been “informal” discussions between staff and councillors on reducing the number of district councils from the present 14. At present the council comprises a mayor, five Cambridge and four Te Awamutu ward councillors, two representing Pirongia and one from Maungatautari and Kakepuku. The Government has

removed the power of the electorate to veto the creation of Māori wards, mainly because successive efforts were clobbered when the issue went to a referendum. But Governance Manager Jo Gread said under the Local Government Act the council was obliged to take the community’s views into account, and that was one of the reasons for the consulation.. It has been a quickfire change led by Local Government minister Nanaia Mahuta, and councils have until May 23 to make a

WHETHER YOUR NEEDS ARE MILKING MACHINES, WATER SERVICES OR STAINLESS FABRICATION

#MADEFORNZ

$480 SAVE$5,995

SUZUKI DR200SEL5 TROJAN INCL GST

EVERY DAY $600

RELIABLE

MINIMUM TRADE-IN ANY TRADE DEAD OR ALIVE

See instore for details

A no-nonsense farm bike that’s been designed for New Zealand conditions – day in and day out.

Call our qualified team of experts We have someone on call 365 days a year.

PROUD TO BE LOCAL – PROUD TO SUPPORT LOCAL SUZUKI DR200SE - $4,799 +GST Price excludes GST, savings including GST. Offer ends 31 March 2020.

2 Kihikihi Road, Te Awamutu P 07 871 3069 E info@wilkspenny.co.nz

809 Bond Road, Te Awamutu P 07 870 4011 E office@pml.co.nz W pml.co.nz

decision on whether or not to sacrifice one of their seats to create a Māori ward for the 2022 elections. Many Waipā district councillors have held their cards to their chest over whether or not they back Māori wards – the News has quizzed them over successive weeks and the lack of response reached a new low last week when only one out of 14 elected representative responded to emailed questions. But yesterday’s decision is certain to ignite debate on the issue. The consultation

document when it’s prepared for publicatin will be at www. waipadc.govt.nz

Hazel Barnes


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.