Waipā couple Ian and Danny Kennedy have lost their home and livelihood after they failed to secure an injunction to stop New Zealand Post terminating their rural delivery contract.
The Kennedys sold their Te Awamutu home last month and moved to the South Island, prompting a call for state owned enterprises minster Paul Goldsmith to open a ministerial inquiry into New Zealand Post’s handling of the case.
Goldsmith’s office passed the request from ProDrive chief executive Peter Gallagher onto Chris Bishop.
The Kennedys were contracted to sort, process, uplift and deliver “all mail and other items for delivery” for the Tamahere RD3 rural post run from April 1, 2019. They invested $500,000 into the business which ran six vans with five staff. Their contract was cancelled on November 10, 2023, after they asked why other contractors were sorting, processing, uplifting and delivering mail in the Tamahere RD3 postal district.
Gallagher, who is representing the couple, wrote to Goldsmith and NZ Post chair Carol Campbell in June and followed up with a second letter last week to TaranakiKing Country National MP Barbara Kuriger alleging “serious matters of poor conduct and management malaise within New Zealand Post” and copied Goldsmith in. Gallagher called for a fair and equitable settlement payment from New Zealand Post to Danny and Ian Kennedy as well as an inquiry “into the poor conduct and culture within New Zealand Post, which consistently appears predicated upon the tactics of deny, lie, bluff, block and bully and delay”.
He wrote: “the shameful treatment of the Kennedys has already been extensively covered by reputable media outlets and
Rural post: inquiry call
journalists over the past two years, without any trustworthy answers from New Zealand Post. We would add that you have personally experienced dishonesty from senior New Zealand Post executives… this is completely unacceptable to the NZ public, who have contributed over $200
million of subsidies to NZ Post over the past 10 years.”
Gallagher urged Kuriger, who he had previously discussed the matter with, to press the relevant ministers and representatives of New Zealand Post to settle fairly with the Kennedys and to “put its house in order”.
Danny Kennedy told The News she supported Gallagher’s move. Kuriger told The News “there are definitely questions that need answering”.
The News has sought comment from Bishop and NZ Post chair Carol Campbell.
Danny and Ian Kennedy, pictured on their run before it was terminated.
More for less
Dogs to be banned from Lake Ngā Roto?
Well that’s in all probability what is going to happen if the same protocols are followed as were used for Mt Kakepuku.
My issue as a dog owner is the almost inevitable removal of yet even more of our dog owners rights based on cultural concerns.
As mentioned this has already occurred at Kakepuku after being backed and supported by the bias of our Mayor and her council, and I fear it will happen again.
Although we all realise that the council’s consultative process goes something like “council calls for submissions/council ignores submissions/council does as it planned all along” I urge people not to lose heart and to voice their opinions via council’s online feedback form.
So a 20 per cent increase in dog registration fees and yet here we are again facing another possible sizeable decrease in dog exercise areas. It seems council is further expanding on their pay more get less policy for animal ownership.
Remember if you do not voice your concerns now then you have no right to complain later. This clock cannot be turned back.
Graham Dunn
Te Awamutu
Where to park?
It is with dismay that we write to express our deep displeasure at the way in which Waipa District Council has dismissed the needs of elderly and physically challenged members of this community.
We are members of the Cambridge Patchwork Club who meet fortnightly at the Masonic Hall in Bryce St, Cambridge. This club consists of talented patchwork enthusiasts who craft quilts for needy and physically challenged persons, as well as ourselves. Indeed, one of our creations hangs in the Grand Hall of the Museum in Le Quesnoy, France.
When the cycleway was built in Bryce St, all parking was removed, starting from the corner of Queen St and extending north to Wallace Court and also around the corner into Queen St itself. This design gave no thought to our ability to access the hall on the corner of Bryce and Queen.
We are dismayed at the total lack of disabled parking, short term or delivery bays, which would enable us to offload sewing machines and heavy material, leaving everyone with a long arduous walk. Our elderly and challenged members find this exercise a major difficulty we should not have to face.
We thought that all public halls had to have at least a disabled park, close to the entrance for public to use. We would appreciate a solution to this problem as we will not be the only ones affected.
Lesley Roberts
Cambridge Patchwork Club.
Cost issue
Regarding the Shakespeare Street roundabout, Bryan Hudson of the Waipā District Council said it was an affordable and less expensive option to make the changes they have to the roundabout. Just what planet is this guy on - $270,000 is affordable to who?
David Natzke
Leamington
Bunty’s story
By Meghan Hawkes
Captain James Annadale HopeJohnstone and Mr Muschamp Earle, two English tourists, decided in 1908 to inspect New Zealand’s scenery, travelling in a caravan. In this conveyance – unique for the time - they toured from Auckland through the country as far as Tarawera. They spent two months fishing and shooting at Rotorua and Okere but then they decided to discontinue their journey in the caravan. “Owing to the lateness of the season,” Mr Muschamp Earle informed the press, “and also the glorious uncertainty of the weather, touring in a caravan is not what it may appear to be to those who have not had the personal experience. The condition of the roads in the majority of the parts of the Dominion is too appalling to describe.” The caravan was discarded for a 43 horse-power automobile.
The two gentlemen intended to tour the South Island before they left for Tahiti, then China, Manchuria, Japan, and across to England, via Canada. Captain HopeJohnstone had already travelled considerably in America, Europe, India, and Australia, and had served two years in the war in South Africa. He was considered one of the crack riders of the British Army. Mr Muschamp Earle was a cousin of Mr Edwin Bainbridge, an English tourist who was killed at Wairoa during the Tarawera eruption.
Captain Hope-Johnstone stated he has been most hospitably treated during his stay in New Zealand, a period of eighteen months. During the last month of their tour the captain accompanied the Anglo-Welsh football team on its travels. He thought New Zealand a very fine country, but rather over-done from a political point of view.
Despite this by 1910 the Captain was back again, this time bringing his new wife, Ethel, known as Buntie, the couple arriving by the
new Orient ocean liner Orvieto. The Captain had purchased a farm named Aratitaha, at Pukeatua, in the Kihikihi district. James and Buntie were active in community events and in 1914 they welcomed a daughter.
But this happiness was tinged with sadness when James left to serve in France with the Imperial army for four and a half years. Buntie then stepped up and successfully farmed their near 3000 acres. She had a great fondness for animals, and took special interest in her cows and her dairy. She had two brothers fighting in the Imperial forces. The younger, who spent nearly two years living at Aratitaha with Buntie, was killed at Gallipoli.
During the 1918 flu epidemic Buntie, who had a smile for everybody, was noted for her hospitality, generosity, and charming disposition. Finally, in 1919 James returned home. He left New Zealand with the rank of captain and was promoted in the field to second in command of the Battalion and was now a Major.
In early 1920 tragedy struck when Buntie gave birth to a still-born son. Six days later Buntie also died aged 33. She had been born in Benares, India, where she spent the early days of her childhood. Her father was Colonel Edward Wighton, Royal Field Artillery, who saw active service in Afghanistan and Burma. She was widely known in the Waipā district and in Auckland, where she had many friends, and was loved and respected by all who knew her.
Buntie was temporarily interred in the Te Awamutu cemetery. Subsequent arrangements were made for her to be sent to England for interment in the family vault at Richmond,
Pair charged after house raid
Police have charged a 20-year old woman after an early morning wake up call for a Te Kūiti resident resulted in a car and money being taken.
And a 13-year-old female was also caught by police after the stolen car, clocked at 130kph just south of Te Awamutu, was abandoned and a search started.
One has been remanded in custody and the other has been referred to Youth Aid.
Value democracy
Recent events have caused me to depart from my usual activity of wrapping up the events of last week in my column. This week I would like to write about political violence.
Police say a woman they described as elderly, woke to find a hooded woman in her bedroom at 3am last Friday.
The intruder, whose face was covered, asked for keys to a car and took $425 and a card from a wallet.
The card was used to pay for petrol and later in the day police recorded the vehicle speeding. They say the driver refused to stop, and the vehicle was found soon after, crashed on Pokuru Road.
A police dog unit and other police staff then found two women.
While working at the Fieldays I was disappointed to learn of an offensive effigy being left in a very public place of the Waipā mayor, the fact she was followed home was next level chilling. With the events in the United States recently where politics has descended into tribalism I ask myself is that what we really want here?
Political violence is never an acceptable solution to our differences. It’s a destructive force that can devastate communities, destroy livelihoods, and as we saw in the US, claim innocent lives. It’s a tactic that seeks to silence opposing voices through fear and intimidation, rather than engaging in respectful dialogue and open debate. In a democratic society like ours, we’re lucky to have the freedom to express our opinions and participate
in the political process. Let’s make the most of it by engaging in respectful discussions, listening to opposing viewpoints, and working together to find common ground. By doing so, we can build a stronger, more united community that values diversity of thought and promotes peaceful resolution of conflicts.
Let’s show the world that even in the face of disagreement, we can remain a shining example of civility and respect. Our elected officials should be able to have discourse without fearing for their families.
I call on the people engaging in this behaviour in our community to engage in the democratic process. Exercise your right to vote, stand in your local elections instead. Political violence didn’t work out well in the 1930’s and it won’t work out for the benefit of Waipā now.
A 20-year-old female was charged with unlawfully taking a motor vehicle and three counts of using a document unlawfully. She was remanded in custody to appear in the Hamilton District Court on July 15 and further remanded to appear in the Te Kuiti District Court on August 8.
with Constable Ryan Fleming
Sheedy elected
Waipa Customer and Community Services group manager Sally Sheedy has been elected the Midlands Area representative on Taituarā Local Government Professionals Aoteaora executive. It follows her appointment as Civil Defence Emergency Management Local Recovery manager for Waipā earlier this year.
Time on
The Westminster chimes on Cambridge’s Town Clock returned this week and the timepiece has been lit up to celebrate the completion of the $721,000 Waipā District Council restoration project. Hoarding came down on Monday and work will soon get underway on paving around the tower building.
Flats open
Waipā mayor Susan O’Regan handed over the keys to the 10 onebedroom pensioner units in Leamington to Habitat for Humanity central region chief executive Nic Greene last week. The council will own and maintain the units and Habitat for Humanity will manage the tenants and rental process. The new units will add to Waipā’s existing 93 pensioner units spread across Cambridge, Kihikihi and Te Awamutu. These will now house a total of 117 tenants.
House grant
Cambridge Community House Trust has been given a $1000 funding to support training and qualifications for a support worker in the latest round of grants announced by Rural Women New Zealand. The organisation assists initiatives for rural communities that support children, the elderly, community, conservation, counselling and education through two fundsScotlands Te Kiteroa Charitable Trust and Cynthia Collier Grant.
Searchers to air frustrations
By Paul Charman
Frustrations are expected to be aired at a public meeting attended by some of the hikers and hunters who aided the search for an Auckland hiker who disappeared in Pureora Forest on March 23.
Experienced hiker Judy Donovan,79, is presumed dead after becoming separated from a group of volunteers laying bait in the northern part of the forest. Her remains have not been found.
A meeting to discuss matters arising from the tragedy will be held next Wednesday in Waitomo.
The initial eight-daysearch for Donovan was coordinated by the police and Land Search and Rescue, with support from
volunteers but it failed to find any sign of the missing hiker.
Last month a farmer whose property was used as a base for the search, Allen Juno, and a hunter who took part in it, Dominique Fortis, called for improvements in search and rescue policy to help to prevent a future tragedy.
They argued that locals with knowledge of the area should have been encouraged to search for Donovan the first few hours, as this represented her best chance of survival in the extremely cold conditions.
Juno said the police search and rescue do a great job but are increasingly hampered by health and safety rules, privacy regulations and shrinking budgets.
At the meeting he intends
to gauge support for a rapid response group, formed from volunteers with experience of local bush conditions.
“This could be deployed at short notice to assist Police and Land Search and Rescue (SAR),” Juno said.
“These people will have local knowledge and experience, will be able to work with police and SAR.”
Juno said forming such a group would address concerns and frustration of public and land SAR members current former, including:
• That experienced locals were stood down on Saturday night (Donovan went missing) and subsequent times during the search.
• A perceived lack of transparency and
communication.
• Lack of media both traditional and social coverage – police did not release the location of the search area to the media.
• Offers of help from experienced locals who knew the area being declined
• A late update of the fact that a call was made by Judy Donvan from her mobile on the Saturday night she went missing.
“This meeting will not be a blame game but rather a chance to see how we can assist in the future,” Juno said.
“We cannot ask questions of the police but they will be invited to volunteer what information they can within the Privacy and Health and Safety Act.”
The matter was first aired in the King Country
News in a carefully worded letter from Judy Donovan’s daughter, Nic. She wrote to thank locals for their dedication in searching for her mother, but also pointed out that the police had to curtail the search on the first day.
This was due to the fact that the officer responsible for radio communications had to go off duty as he had already worked eight hours. Juno said a group of local volunteers could complement future search efforts in the area. Not only did they know the lay of the land (in Pureora Forest), but they also would not need to be constrained by regulations, including the Privacy Act, Health and Safety and a lack of resources police faced due to shrinking budgets.
‘Turning point’ for service clubs
By Viv Posselt
New Te Awamutu Rotary Club president Kylie Brewer could well be the embodiment of what service clubs today are looking for.
She’s a capable, youthful professional, full of energy and ideas she hopes will attract likeminded individuals and help shake off views that might suggest service clubs are filled with retirees overly set in their ways.
Brewer was presented with the chains of her new office at Te Awamutu Rotary Club’s changeover a couple of weeks ago. It was there she declared her theme for the year to be ‘Embracing Change’.
She told The News: “We are at this turning point… if we don’t change, we are at risk of dying out. Many service clubs are in the same position. Our members are growing older, the way life works now is different.”
One of her first moves is to make the club’s schedule of meetings more flexible to attract younger, working people from a range of diverse backgrounds.
To do that, she wants to switch out the weekly meetings to fortnightly ones. She also wants to build on the existing schedule of projects and engage more with neighbouring Rotary clubs.
“Of course, we will still have speakers, still do our regular projects and still have events that are purely social, but I want to change the format slightly to accommodate people who work all day and may not have as much time to offer as those who are not working.”
Continued on page 7
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Allen Juno and Dominique Fortis look near where Judy Donovan went missing. They want changes to the rules governing search and rescue.
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Caring for Ngā Roto
By Julie Guest, Vicar, Parish of St John
My husband, mum and I moved to Te Awamutu in 2019. Because my husband’s career was in shipping, we had always lived in port cities.
When we knew we going to become Te Awamutu residents we wondered how we would cope with living away from the sea. Having no knowledge of Te Awamutu or its surrounds, I searched for relaxation opportunities at rivers or lakes.
I was excited to see photos of Lake Ngā Roto showing people walking, biking and jogging the perimeter, sailing and fishing on the lake and picnicking or camping beside it. I anticipated summer evenings of relaxation in the cool breeze coming off the lake, perhaps an evening walk and picnic to follow, just as at the beach. How wrong I was.
Almost since we arrived, the appalling condition of the water quality and environment around Lake Ngā Roto has been in the news. There are frequent health warnings discouraging any visits to the lake because of cyanobacteria growth in the water.
We know that the lake’s condition is the result of years of farming practices that have overburdened it with nutrients. The long steady degradation has accelerated now that so much damage has already occurred so that remedial action may take years to have an effect. It seems that even creation’s amazing ability to repair is too stretched. Drastic action may be required.
Late last month Waipā District Council’s community services manager Brad Ward invited input from Waipā residents to share their vision for the lake and surrounds. What a wonderful opportunity we have to consider what is best for this local taonga, and more importantly how we might contribute.
You might wonder why I am writing about this in a faith column. It’s because Christians believe that God created everything, all humans, all living creatures, the earth and everything in it and further, that all the intricate balances found in nature are part of God’s greater plan which is that everything exists in relationship. We believe that God tasked humans to be stewards of creation, to live in relationship with all of creation, including our fellow humans.
Living in relationship in the case of Lake Ngā Roto perhaps means that rather than blame anyone for the degradation of the lake, we ask what can be done to bring about improvement.
We know that farming and other land use practices of the past have contributed or even created the nutrient and sediment that is causing most of the problems. We also know that those practices were carried out in ignorance of the possible damage to the lake.
Assigning blame to those who acted within the understanding and practice of their day for the problems now is unhelpful. Nothing is achieved and relationships are not restored.
Many of us who blame probably happily consumed the products the land producedmilk or meat. We too were in ignorance of the results of our consumption.
Moving past blame into collective and collaborative action for the lake’s wellbeing has the greatest potential to return it to a condition that we can all benefit from. Can we enact the Creator’s plan so all the relationships within Lake Ngā Roto ‘s environment can be restored?
TALKING ECONOMICS
Elections reflections
By Peter Nicholl
I’m currently on holiday in Europe. During our stay there have been two major elections in the United Kingdom and France. While both countries are democracies, their voting systems are very different – and so were the election outcomes.
UK still has a first-past-the post single electorate system. This system delivers a quick result and usually a clear result. The UK outcome was clear within a few hours of the polls closing and the detailed result known the next day.
The result was a landslide win to the Labour Party. They got 412 (63 per cent) seats. But Labour only got 34 per cent of the votes cast. Each Labour seat won represented 23,500 voters. The Conservatives got 23.6 per cent of the votes but only 18.6 per cent of the seats - 56,300 voters per seat won.
The gap between votes received and seats won was much more extreme for some other parties. The Greens got 6.8 per cent of the votes but only four seats (497,000 votes per MP). The Reform UK Party outcome was even more extreme: 14.3 per cent of the votes cast but also only four MPs elected. That represented more than a million votes per MP. Not surprisingly, there were a lot of stories in the UK media after the election about the unfairness of their voting system. NZ went through this same debate for the same reasons.
In 1993, we voted in a referendum to switch to an MMP voting system and that is the system we have had for the last 30 years. Will the UK go down the same path?
The French election system is also a firstpast-the post single electorate system – but with a French twist. They have two voting rounds, a week apart. To be elected in the
first round a candidate has to get over half the votes cast in the electorate.
If nobody does this, a second round of voting between the top two and any other candidate that got more than 12.5 per cent of the votes takes place. The right-wing National Rally received the most votes in round one but only 76 seats out of 577 were decided at the first vote. I wonder how many seats in the recent UK election or in our election last year would have been decided on election night if the UK or NZ had this two-round system of voting?
In the French second round because of tactical withdrawals of more than 200 eligible candidates and second-thoughts by some voters, the election result was turned on its head. A left-wing coalition went from third to first and the National Rally fell from first to third. But no group won a majority of the seats. The French face a period of negotiation and gridlock.
These two extreme results may not be due to the voting systems being used by these democracies as the two different systems both delivered large swings or unclear outcomes. Perhaps the problem is democracy itself. Voters have become disillusioned. Italy hasn’t had a recent election. But while we were there I asked a lot of people we know what they thought of Italian politics. The most common reply was it doesn’t matter who is in government, we don’t trust any of them. And then there is the US Presidential election…
Dig deeper says Waipā mayor
By Chris Gardner
Waipā mayor Susan O’Regan is calling on the Department of Conservation to dig deeper into its pockets and help save Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari from closure.
O’Regan accompanied sanctuary chief executive Helen Hughes and conservation minister Tama Potaka on a tour of the mountain in May when it was revealed to the minister a cash flow crisis could result in the closure of the world’s largest predator proof enclosure.
Potaka has deflected the plea back to DOC, saying it is an operational issue. But O’Regan, whose council has spent $3.2 million on the project in 10 years, has been advocating for more DOC support for nearly a year.
“Too many New Zealanders aren’t likely to get the privilege of seeing kaka or watching wood pigeons so what is the value of that to New Zealand? The Government needs to be honest about their value, and I would like to see the Department of Conservation step up a little more,” O’Regan said.
“I certainly made mention of that to [DOC director general] Penny Nelson at the time of the kākāpō release [in June 2023], appreciating we’re in a really constrained landscape across the country.”
The 20-year-old project, which costs $5000 a day to run, was initially funded by the department, district council and Waikato Regional Council. But in recent years DOC has moved away from funding operational costs, cutting $1.5 million from the project over four years, and focussed on specific projects on the mountain.
“Nobody likes the boring funding of
operations expenses, everyone likes capital expenses so that you can go in and cut a ribbon and smile and get a photo and the reality is that it’s the tough grind, day in day out, maintaining the fence, ensuring that all the operational features of the project are met, and that’s a little less exciting to fund,”
O’Regan said.
“The benefits of this living treasure should be more fairly spread across the nation. It’s a crucial piece of work, it’s pretty cool.”
more tourists by scheduling bespoke halfhour tours that suit visitors to Hobbiton Movie Set Tours and Waitomo Caves.
“I’m really heartened for the new general manager, Helen, to put her nose to the grindstone and see how she can help create new income streams, because it needs to continue, and it will continue,” O’Regan said.
The mayor said the project had had its moments over the decades.
“They always manage to pull rabbits out of hats. If anybody’s going to pull rabbits out of hats, Helen’s the person. As you’ve seen, full of energy, great ideas, and curiously doesn’t come from a conservation background, so she brings a different kind of lens which is quite refreshing and hopefully will reap reward for the project in the nottoo-distant future.”
Hughes joined the project in October from the Ministry of Primary Industries where she was a manager of grant and contract management for four years.
“It’s a cool place,” O’Regan said of the maunga.
O’Regan said the project did not give the sense of security and certainty that a project of its importance ought to have. But she was heartened to hear Hughes was tackling the operation’s cash crisis head on with a fiveyear plan to make the project self-funded. Hughes is hoping to realise $1.5 million a year by selling 3363 conservation management hectares at $450 a hectare through Ekos’ market-based conservation financing mechanism. She wants to attract
“I just think it’s up to all of us to support it, not just some of us. The conservation department have funded a considerable amount of money, they haven’t just walked away, but it’s all been attached to specific project work, and it still leaves that op ex budget looking unhealthy.
“You can do all your neat project work like Kiwis for Kiwis and kākāpō translocation stuff, which is awesome, but you still need to have a functioning fence, you still need to have rangers doing work daily for those projects to thrive. Let’s be honest about the actual cost to keep the place intact and what that value has to New Zealand and all New Zealanders.”
Drivers Medicals
A few tips to help you with your upcoming drivers licence medical test. It is very difficult to accommodate urgent last-minute requests, so we hope that these tips will help us to help you.
• Book with your own GP for driving medicals – this is important!
• Allow plenty of time to get your medical done before your current licence expires (you can do it anytime in the 6 months before expiry)
• Currently there are longer waiting times to see your own GP, so book well ahead!
• Tell the receptionist when you book, that you are booking for a drivers medical. These take longer than a normal appointment and the time slot must be booked correctly to avoid problems on the day
Maungatautari has been a conservation success – but it is financial trouble.
Record breaker in hall of fame
By Chris Gardner
In the summer of 1963, the New Zealand equestrian world changed forever.
Dairy farmer Colin Clarke and his 12-yearold thoroughbred Town Boy became a unit.
They were a force to be reckoned with as New Zealand prepared to send its first show jumping team to the Olympics in Tokyo in 1964.
The duo quietly started producing results, breaking the New Zealand showjumping height record twice in 1969.
“The first time was in Dunedin over hay bales at 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 metres) and the second time was 6 feet 8.5 inches (2.04
metres) over a brick wall,” Clarke, 86, of Puniu Rd, Te Awamutu, recalled. He and his horse became veterans of more than 180 showjumping competitions and stars of the sport between 1963 and 1973 on both sides of the Tasman.
Their performance so many decades ago led them to being inducted into the Equestrian Sports New Zealand Hall of Fame this month.
The pair won the horse of the year title in 1969, along with seconds and three other Horse of the Year classes and three Grand Prix wins at Horse of the Year shows.
Clarke put it all down to the horse, which he raised on the family dairy farm on
Pokuru Rd, rather than his own skills.
“The horse did deserve it, and I couldn’t have done it without him,” Clarke said.
Town Boy retired in 1973.
“He was 23 years old. He could still jump all right, but if something happened to him and he dropped dead people would rubbish you.”
Town Boy lived another decade on the family farm.
Clarke continued farming after hanging up his saddle and crop.
“I haven’t been riding for quite a while,” he said.
Clarke wasn’t surprised to get a call from Equestrian Sports New Zealand concerning the hall of fame after so many years.
“I knew there were a few people working on the nomination,” he said.
Clarke’s sister, Maureen Silvester, said her brother was modest about his achievements but his recognition was “the best tonic anyone could get”.
“He’s got three scrapbooks of cuttings,” she said.
Clarke was one of four equestrians inducted into the hall of fame at a cocktail party and award ceremony at Rydges, Auckland, earlier this month.
“It was a brilliant evening,” he said.
His fellow recipients were Kallista Field, Maurice Beatson, and Taupo based Wally Niederer.
Equestrian Sports New Zealand board chair Lynda Clark said Clarke and his fellow half of fame inductees were outstanding representatives of New Zealand equestrian sports and an inspiration to all horse enthusiasts.
“The calibre of these equestrians demonstrates the ongoing commitment to a sport that continues to have a healthy presence in New Zealand. We know approximately 40,000 people in this country ride horses, from grassroots to high performance,” Clark said.
“It is a privilege to share the achievements of our competitors, while also celebrating the enjoyment of a sport many share with their equines.”
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Colin Clarke was inducted into the Equestrian Sports New Zealand Hall of Fame.
Clarke and Town Boy broke showjumping height records.
Lessons on ‘unlocking’ potential
By Mary Anne Gill
An internationally acclaimed retail expert says small town retailers should be open, welcoming and convenient in response to testing economic conditions.
First Retail Group managing director Chris Wilkinson is a specialist in unlocking potential in towns like Te Awamutu and Ōtorohanga.
His solutions have worked around New Zealand – including Nelson, Queenstown, Invercargill, Kaitaia and Auckland suburbs - Australia and the United Kingdom.
Speaking at a Chamber of Commerce function this week in Cambridge, Wilkinson said towns needed to look vibrant and bustling in the face of economic challenges.
“A town centre is a very important part of the socio-economic environment,” he told The News before the meeting.
He gave the example of how he arrived in Cambridge at 6am and was greeted warmly and enthusiastically by a local café.
“I can’t tell you just how important that sort of thing is,” he said.
Working together and championing your own communities was a crucial step. Be positive with shoppers, he said.
“No-one’s out shopping for negative vibes.”
Earning the visit and sale had never been more important so “inspire and enthuse.”
The Chamber of Commerce brought Wilkinson to Cambridge to speak to retailers about navigating the everchanging retail landscape. Among
those present were Te Awamutu Chamber chief executive Shane Walsh, mayor Susan O’Regan, deputy mayor Liz Stolwyk and Cambridge Community Board chair Jo DaviesColley.
“Everyone is in the same situation across the country,” he said.
Customers were spending less, the cost of doing business had gone up and there was uncertainty in the economy.
But communities had the answers.
Retailers could look at individual initiatives and develop their own niche.
“Something you can own and dominate in.”
Converting the visitors who attended events in communities was “domestic tourism” at its best, said Stolwyk, who
manages Mighty River Domain at Lake Karāpiro.
There were 100,000 people through the domain annually and with other events at places like Mystery Creek, attracting them into towns had to become a priority.
Others would happily take your audience and goodwill, said Wilkinson who encouraged retailers to reset the narrative and work collectively.
Local businesses were competitive, unique and filled with choice and experiences.
Get customers to be your advocates by dominating in digital visibility, he said.
“People are looking for good news stories so tell them.”
‘Turning point’ for service clubs
Continued from page 3
Brewer’s association with Rotary started a number of years ago when, as a university student, she went through the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) programme. Then she joined Rotaract for a while, enjoying the opportunity to work with others at the same level – it’s something she kept going until moving to the Waikato around 2011.
Brewer did her initial degree at Auckland University, one in planning and design with a postgraduate qualification in science, specialising in environmental management. Several years later, she added a graduate diploma in agricultural science from Lincoln University.
She has also been involved with Toastmasters, the Young Farmers programme, and spent over two years working with the team on tackling the M.bovis problem out of Hamilton.
“By the time I left, we were down to a couple of active cases in the South Island and none in the North Island,” she said. “It was a very interesting job, I worked with a great team.”
Brewer’s career in the farming sector has seen her tap into jobs focusing on many different sectors of the agricultural community. It also gives her a real appreciation for where she is now and the possibilities that lie ahead.
More immediately, she is off to the United States on a holiday. Now settled in Te Awamutu, she has been a member of Te Awamutu Rotary for a few years.
“My predecessor, Gill Johnston, has done a fantastic job with the club,” she said. “Membership has started to grow under her watch … I want to keep that going.”
Fujitsu
Kylie Brewer
First Retail Group managing director Chris Wilkinson talks about championing your own town to increase retail sales. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
Another milestone reached
By Mary Anne Gill
Magnus Adlam is under no illusion as he watches a truck and trailer unit reverse down the Karāpiro Dam road from the spillway carpark.
“That should sort the men out from the boys,” he says as the trailer’s load – a new 40-tonne water intake gate – edges closer to a crane waiting on the north-eastern side of Ariki Street.
Adlam, Mercury’s Operation Readiness coordinator, recalls the time three years ago when a truck and trailer, not dissimilar in size, got stuck on the single lane concrete arch bridge dam road.
So, there is no room for error, precision is the name of the game, he says.
“That piece there is probably one of the most important parts of the dam. When everything goes wrong, up here somewhere or down there, it’s a big valve that stops the water coming in.”
Two and a half hours later, the job is done, the emergency dam gate is in its place having been loaded by crane into a cradle on the trailer from the spillway carpark and taken along the road where another crane
gently slotted it into place in the dam.
All being well the gate –eight metres wide, six metres high and 0.75 metres deep - will stay there for years protecting one of the dam’s three new generators.
It was the second milestone in Mercury’s $90 million upgrade at Karāpiro Hydro Power Station on Waikato River.
Three new power generation units housing hydro turbines which make electricity from the river’s force will provide an additional five megawatts, enough for 19,000 homes.
The third one should be in place next year and Ariki Street dam road reopened to the public.
“It’s a refurbishment in the truest word. From
32MWs to 37MWs. With new technology and design, you get more bang for your buck,” says Adlam, who has worked at Karāpiro for 15 years.
“With the same amount of water, we can generate more electricity.”
His job in the future will be keeping an eye on any maintenance issues, such as replacing the seals in the gate.
Three engineers, who previously worked for Norwegian company Norconsult and now operate as contractors, can be seen from the Karāpiro Dam Lookout smiling with relief.
Earlier Dean Hassall, Chris Lucas and Kristen Kwo told The News the work involved in designing the dam gates. Each gate
took six people about a year to fabricate in Palmerston North.
“The horizontal beams are full of holes to let air out and water in,” says Lucas, who also mentions his parents did their courting at Karāpiro in the late 1940s.
The three new gates are far superior in hydraulic design compared to the original gates, which were installed more than 75 years ago.
“Design has advanced a lot since then,” says Kwo.
Another interested onlooker was local Fiona Soanes who was taking her dog for a walk when she saw the cranes in action.
She and her late husband moved to Karāpiro from Wellington 14 years ago.
“There’s always activity going on here. It’s a great area,” she says as the rain pummels down helping to feed Karāpiro Dam.
Mercury has nine hydro stations on the Waikato River – Karāpiro, Maraetai, Ōhakuri, Arapuni, Whakamaru, Aratiatia, Waipāpa, Ātiamuri and Taupō – producing about 10 per cent of New Zealand’s electricity.
• More photos teawamutunews.nz
Norconsult engineers, from left Dean Hassall, Chris Lucas and Kristen Kwo ready for the gate they designed to go into place at Karāpiro Dam.
Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
Magnus Adlam keeps an eye on the dam gate’s progress to its new home behind him.
Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
This 40-tonne intake gate is now in place to protect one of three new generators at Karāpiro.
Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
MARY
Ryman Resident
Patrick Hogan Village 23 Hugo Shaw Drive,
Gold clams – here to stay
By Roy Pilott
A new study has modelled which habitats might be most vulnerable to gold clam infestations – and suggest they are here to stay and finding the country more hospitable because of climate change.
It suggests the focus should be on stopping spread rather than eradication.
The tiny pest, which can selffertilise and lay 70,000 eggs a year, are in a stretch of the Waikato River at Karāpiro.
Corbicula fluminea is a highly invasive freshwater mollusc, which has been restricted to the Waikato since being found last years, but there are fears it will spread and water users have been targeted in a campaign.
The Ministry of Primary Industries was criticised by The News over its communication having become aware the clams were in the Waikato River last year and it was subsequently criticised for a “lack of haste” in not communicating with partners and shareholders with the same urgency seen around the mycoplasma bovis outbreak.
Parliament’s Environment Committee suggested it appeared MPI had prematurely eliminated the option of eradication,
The new study’s lead author, University of Otago student Rose Somerville, completed the paper alongside Cawthron Institute freshwater scientists Calum MacNeil
and Finnbar Lee while on placement at Cawthron as a summer scholar.
They found the most accommodating habitats in the North Island were in northern Waikato, Auckland, Northland, Bay of Plenty and Hawke’s Bay. In the South Island the most suitable habitats included Marlborough, North Canterbury and Christchurch.
The details of the report were released on Monday.
Somerville said there was an urgent need to identify suitable habitats for the species beyond the Waikato, given the high probability of spread.
“Our aim was to use modelling to identify habitats in different parts of Aotearoa New Zealand that would be the most suitable for the gold clam to thrive in by looking at environmental variables associated with the species’ distribution here and in other parts of the world where it lives,” Somerville said.
“We looked at environmental variables such as temperature, slope, elevation, the sand content of the river/lakebed, and the pH of the water.
“The value of using a statistical model is it gives us a bit of a head start on the invasion. By identifying freshwater habitats with similar conditions to those where the gold clam occurs internationally, we can allocate resources to high-risk environments.”
“Worryingly, we found temperature to be a key driver of habitat, with the gold clam preferring
warmer waters, suggesting that climate change may result in more of the country becoming suitable habitat for the clam.”
Calum MacNeil, an invasion ecologist at Cawthron Institute, said the gold clam is a major threat to New Zealand’s freshwater ecosystem health.
“Because it’s a recent arrival, the long-term impacts of invasion are yet to be determined, but there’s a lot of evidence to suggest gold clam could outcompete other species including our native freshwater mussel species the Kākahi.”
“Beyond the damage to ecosystems, Gold Clam has also been reported to cause damage to infrastructure by biofouling things like water treatment systems and power plants.”
Finnbar Lee said the study suggested the focus should be on preventing the species from gaining a foothold in new habitats.
“Eradication is a very difficult task once the species has established, so we should focus on preventing it from spreading in the first place,” Lee said.
“Our study only considered where the clam is most likely to spread, but another important consideration is how the clam may move between catchments, for example spread via fishing gear, boats or trailers.
“Identifying the potential dispersal pathways between catchments will further inform where management should be targeted.
ON SHAKY GROUND
When size really does matter
By Janine Krippner
Swimming in the warm ocean, I was looking across large and very busy tourist facilities on the southern flanks of Tenerife. The swimmers around me were laughing and posing for photos, I was looking above the steep terrain at the top of Teide volcano, daydreaming about its very explosive potential.
knowing what an eruption will look like if people have no idea what to do with that information?
Clues as to how it erupts are found across the island. Just like we see around Taupō and Rotorua, here are ignimbrite and pumice deposits from Plinian eruptions. The remnants of the larger explosive eruption style that can bury the landscape with hot rock very quickly. In volcanology, this is what first comes to mind when thinking about this very popular tourist destination.
It’s not this simple though, if we could call that scenario simple for a moment (it’s not). Also around the island are much smaller scoria cones and many lava flows, like we see throughout Auckland; remains of eruptions similar in style to the one I have been studying on the nearby La Palma. Additionally, some interacted with water to form explosive phreatomagmatic events with pyroclastic surges (rich in steam/gas, very hot, very fast).
The response will be different depending on the eruption style. If you have a small eruption with a small lava flow away from people and a lot of ash, you will have to think about things like utilities, airlines, and health impacts. If you have a large lava flow field forming through a populated area, you need local evacuations as well as dealing with ash and gas. If you have a phreatomagmatic eruption, you now have the uncertainty of where very fast pyroclastic surges might go. If you have the larger and much rarer style Plinian eruption, you might be considering evacuating the entire island. You don’t want to evacuate everyone for a small lava flow, that inflicts its own damage and can also destroy critical trust in responders.
If you oversaw readying this population for an eruption, where would you begin? Keeping in mind that agencies have different responsibilities. Volcanologists work to understand the volcanic system, what might happen, and how that might impact us. Civil Defence agencies manage what people need to do (for example, evacuations). Critical utilities like power, water, or roads, are run by those respective sectors. Then there is the political response for areas like financial help. Volcanologists could have a perfect understanding of what would happen (we usually don’t), but if the response isn’t in order what good would that do? What good is
When we detect magma starting to move far below, how would you begin to make useful plans for this wide style of eruption processes from small to very large? In school we are taught that volcano ‘types’ produce specific eruption styles but that is just very unhelpful in my opinion. I would much rather our communities understand the difference between a pyroclastic flow, lava flow, lahar, and ash, and know exactly what to do if you are facing them.
Understanding our volcanoes and the uncertainty around allows everyone to respond as effectively as we can with chaotic and evolving volcanic processes, and this needs to be well underway while people take a relaxing swim in the ocean without a care in the world.
Karāpiro Domain site manager Liz Stolwyk – also Waipā’s deputy mayor – was pictured last August with clams she removed from the boat ramp.
Community Connect
July 18, 2024
Waipā is the Home of Champions
Come along to the Waipā Fan Festival to celebrate our hometown heroes as they take on the world at the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games!
When: Sunday, August 4 from 9am - 12pm
Where: Grassroots Trust Velodrome, Cambridge
Fulfilling a community need
Last Friday, we changed the lives of 10 Waipā residents when we opened the new pensioner housing units at Vaile Court in Cambridge.
What’s on offer: Fun family activities, including velodrome tours, have-a-go track sessions, kid challenges, plus more.
With over 40 Waipā athletes heading to Paris, now’s the time to show Waipā really is the Home of Champions.
To get involved and find out more visit: WaipaHomeofChampions Waipa_NZ waipadc.govt.nz/welovewaipa
WHAT’S ON
• Dog registration reminder: Register your dog before penalty fees kick in on August 1. Scan the QR code to register your dog today.
• Plastic Free July: Learn how to make your own household cleaners at the Te Awamutu Library on Saturday, July 27. There are two sessions available. Scan the QR code to find out more and register.
• Frontier Estate Playground Opening: Celebrate the latest addition to Frontier Estate in Te Awamutu, on Saturday, July 27, from 11am to 2pm.
• Have your say! Lake Ngā Roto and Pirongia Skatepark:
• Shape Lake Ngā Roto’s future by providing feedback on the the draft recreation reserve management plan before 5pm, Sunday, July 28.
• Share your ideas for the future skatepark in Pirongia at a drop-in session on Saturday, July 27, between 1pm to 3pm at the Pirongia Rugby and Sports Club. Feedback is welcome until 5pm, Thursday, August 1.
• Scan the QR code to have your say!
This project means a lot to Waipā and we take great pride in the fact that we are one of the few councils in New Zealand that provides housing for residents over the age of 60. It fulfils a genuine need within the community and given our country’s aging demographic, the demand for this type of housing is increasing. I think we have a moral obligation to assist where we can, for those seniors in Waipā on fixed incomes who, for a number of reasons, find themselves in need of long-term affordable accommodation. Housing affordability in the district is one of the more significant issues we are working on. The success of the project also highlighted the benefit of having strong partnerships with businesses and organisations with like-minded values. It’s been amazing partnering with Habitat for Humanity and Ministry of Housing and Urban Development on this project. Recognition must also go to the consultants, head contractors Livingstone Building and Camex, as well as our dedicated council staff, whose collective hard work has made this project a reality. Together, we’ve aimed to create homes that not only meet immediate needs of those that live in them, but go a step further and hope to enhance their quality of life.
We are proud to acknowledge the units set a benchmark now for high-end architectural specification in pensioner housing. They are built to a six Homestar rating, promising energy savings and a healthier living environment with improved warmth, insulation, and dryness for those that call them home. I was fortunate to have had a sneak preview of one of the units some weeks back and I was extremely impressed with the quality of the fitout and the level of consideration put into the design of the units. It is also plain to see they are in a great location, close to shops, with doctors, a supermarket and pharmacy right there, in the very heart of a growing and popular Leamington.
I am pleased to say these new units will add to Waipā’s existing 93 pensioner dwellings spread across Cambridge, Kihikihi and Te Awamutu, which will bring our total number of tenants to 117. That is something that we should all be proud of as a community that cares.
Waipā District Mayor, Susan O’Regan
CountryLife
Kirwan offers tools to cope
By Mary Anne Gill
Farmers have virtually no control over the most important things that happen around their farms, but they can ensure they don’t take over their lives.
That was the take home message from John Kirwan, who readily admitted to farmers at Fieldays last month that he knows nothing about farming, but experience has taught him how to look after his mental health.
“Most farmers are quite introverted; you sleep and work with your business partner. When you get put under pressure, you work harder because that’s what you think you should do, so you don’t take any time off.
“You are normally isolated, and you have no control over the most important things around your
The signs of depression
• Feeling tired all the time, having no energy
• Sleeping too much, or not enough
• Feeling worthless and hopeless, low self-esteem
• Loss of appetite or overeating
• Sadness or emotional numbness.
Tips
• Stay connected
• Be active in a different way
• Try to manage your stress
• Eat well
• Protect your sleep
• Identify what brings you happiness
• Give yourself time to relax
• Stay on top of daily chores
• Try not to procrastinate
• Avoid negative thinking
• Know when to get help.
farm. Things like milk, wool, sheep and beef prices.
“All of these things are out of your control. That is challenging for your mental health so you should take control,” said Kirwan, who was knighted in 2012 for services to mental health and rugby.
He was at Fieldays with Westpac, the bank he has been an ambassador for since 2013 sharing his experience of suicide ruminations, depression and tools to cope.
Anxiety, depression and burnout took away self-confidence, enjoyment in life and self-esteem, he said.
“A minute feels like an hour, an hour feels like a day and a day feels like a week,” he said. “So, by the end of every day, you’ve got no confidence, no self-esteem, no enjoyment in life and you’re incredibly tired.
“I went to a farmer’s place once. This farmer was in a bad way.
“I looked out his window and I said to him ‘wow I would pay $250 a night for this’. All he could see was debt, all he could see was weather, all he could see was what needed to be done on the farm.”
He said it was important to “connect with your community” – but acknowledged it would be hard because farmers were often isolated.
Kirwan openly speaks about his battle with depression and when it came to a head. He was in Argentina in 1985, on an All Blacks’ tour, where he scored six tries, including four in two test matches.
“There was a window open, and I was on the 10th floor of the Hilton in Buenos Aires. I was sick of fighting the suicidal ruminations.
I was plucking up the courage to jump out of the window.”
It was only the intervention from
his roommate Michael Jones which stopped him.
“He saved my life. I played a test match the next day and scored two tries. It was irrelevant.”
Kirwan told All Blacks’ doctor John Mayhew who told him what the winger had was an illness, not a weakness, and he needed to see an expert.
So, Kirwan consulted a psychologist – who asked what he would do if he had a hamstring injury and he said he would ice it.
“Your brain is no different, you’ve got a hamstring in the head,” she said.
“I used to use alcohol as the ice…”
After several consultations, Kirwan accepted he had a problem. He was prescribed an anti-depressant and the psychologist started to take him through the six pillars of wellbeing.
Emotional, physical, financial, social, intellectual and spiritual.
“I’ve gone from surviving to thriving. I look after my mental health every day. It’s made me a better dad, better husband, better workmate, better me.”
Farmers could look at what they can control not what they cannot control.
“I spoke to a whole lot of farmers and asked them, ‘who controls the milk prices? Who controls the weather? God whatever, not us.’
Farmers cannot control the weather, but they could prepare and have a plan, a worry map. Like everyone, farmers could try chilling, celebrating, enjoying, connecting, moving and doing, he said.
Kirwan is learning how to play the guitar. He admits he is bad at it but it helps him.
He cooks, reads, walks the dog, surfs and moves.
“Do one thing in our day… once you’ve done ‘dot’, then do ‘dat’
(do another thing). Be aware of when you are under pressure.”
Knowing the signs was important.
“Your first stop is to find some time, some time to reflect.
“Who’s so busy you can’t connect with your partner? Stress and pressure can make you feel alone, but connecting with people can make you feel alive.”
Former All Black John Kirwan runs through how to cope with burnout and depression.
Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
Different messages
By Clyde Graf, Waipā-King Country Councillor
The discharge of contaminants to waterways is something that Waikato Regional Council (WRC) is charged with monitoring and preventing.
Recently, a prominent Waikato farming company was fined for discharging “a large volume of dairy effluent in a paddock”.
The $94,500 prosecution was initiated by the regional council. Clearly, the potential contamination of waterways is taken very seriously by council.
Pureora farmers Peter Grant and Tina Goldsmith contacted me last week, concerned about an aerial 1080 poisoning operation happening this month, and surrounding their farm.
They say they have endured 10 aerial operations over 30 years, witnessing the horrific deaths of five of their dogs, other farm animals and wildlife, following previous regional council operations.
Peter and Tina say it is pretty demoralising and they’ve had to collect baits from their paddocks following over-sprays, leaving some paddocks too dangerous to stock.
Although they’re supplied bottled water following the aerial operations – because of contamination to their water supplies - they argue it’s insufficient. They say their neighbours are unhappy too.
Information provided by Peter and Tina reveals that it’s the council and the Department of Conservation poisoning 85,000 hectares of the Pureora Forest Park and surrounding area, with enough 1080 – based on the manufacturer’s warning label – to kill 2.5 million people, in this operation alone.
The Waikato farmers have good reason to be upset. Information supplied by DOC shows that when the aerial operations are undertaken, the deadly bait is spread not only across land, but also directly into almost all waterways within the
operational boundaries.
The 1080 poison is manufactured in the United States and its warning label states “This product is very highly toxic to mammals and other wildlife. Birds and mammals feeding on the carcasses of contaminated livestock may be killed. Keep out of any body of water. Apply this product as only specified on the label.”
The warning is hardly surprising, given 1080 poison has no antidote and is listed in the World Health Organisation’s most toxic category. In New Zealand, the toxic baits and animal carcasses are left to decompose where they fall, on land and in water.
In most states of America, 1080 poison is banned. The US manufacturer, Charles Wiggly, says the United States uses just four tablespoons of pure 1080 poison per year (in sheep collars, used against coyote attacks). New Zealand, he says, purchases most of the five tonnes of pure poison he manufactures, annually. That’s more than enough poison to kill over 50 million people, each year. That’s potentially a lot of contaminated aquifers, and yet testing for 1080 or its metabolites in aquifers isn’t undertaken.
In 2015, WRC, DOC and TB Free jointly applied for a resource consent to spread 1080 poison across land and water for another 35 years, but in 2017, John Key’s Government exempted 1080 poison from needing a resource consent, so the joint application was dropped. That isn’t surprising, given our Government owns the factory that imports pure 1080, and manufactures the bait.
The regional council’s position on prosecuting farmers for contaminating waterways with effluent seems hypocritical, given that it spreads the deadly pesticide 1080 directly into those same waterways, and with impunity.
Smoothing the road
By Jim van der Poel, DairyNZ chair
Right now on dairy farms around the country the first calves are being born, generally in the middle of the night. Farmers are managing crop rotations, wintering and new season budgets. They’re having conversations with their bankers and insurers. Kids are home for school holidays. That is just life for farming families and everyone has to balance their own challenges.
In the background for farmers as with other industries are pending political cycles. These can bring changes to regulation, uncertainty while policy is decided upon, and a disconnect between national and local level while decisions are made.
And to paraphrase Nuffield Scholar Kylie Leonard, it’s best for farmers to be at the table, rather than on the menu.
DairyNZ represents 10,600 dairy farmers and its duty is to help keep them and their farming businesses moving forward.
In the past nine months of a changed government, we’ve seen several policy changes begin to roll out
Much of this we’ve advocated for and welcome.
It is our job to keep engaging, and we do so with information that is supported by worldclass scientists and farm system expertise. We are submitting on behalf of farmers in regard to climate targets and emissions reduction plans, immigration and workforce development, the biosecurity act and freshwater standards.
We are following closely impending government changes to genetic technology regulation.
We will do what we can to help get bipartisan support for regulations that are logical and support good farming practices. Hopefully then we can bed down those rules and not
have them disrupted every few years.
It is important we share our knowledge with decisionmakers to ground policy in reality. Much of our knowledge aligns with the realities of the global market, which is changing the way we farm.
Recently at the Primary Industries NZ Summit we heard from Rabobank that 80 percent of Zealand’s exports are destined for countries with mandatory climate-related disclosures either in force or on the way.
New Zealand dairy farmers have always innovated and will continue to do so. This is the basis of New Zealand’s prosperity and today we stand proud as an internationally competitive dairy farming nation.
We produce over 20 billion litres of milk a year and bring in $25 billion in export revenue.
Dairy employs 55,000 people and last year accounted for about 36% of all New Zealand’s goods exports.
New Zealand dairy farmers have a solid reputation as producers of safe, low-emissions, high-quality milk who uphold the highest standards of care for animals and environment.
The success of dairy underpins the success of the New Zealand economy and the wellbeing of New Zealanders.
At the end of the day farmers and politicians surely have a similar end goal – a prosperous, safe, secure country and strong links to the outside world.
It’s good to be at the table so that on behalf of our farmers we can chart a more enduring course for sustainable growth.
Because at the end of the day, when dairy does well, New Zealand does well.
Waikato lab tackles mastitis
By Chris Gardner
New Zealand’s only facility dedicated to mastitis testing
at Waikato Innovation Park is helping dairy farmers reduce cases and costs.
Microbiologists at Farm Medix’s Hamilton laboratory analyse milk samples from farms across the country.
Through advanced pathogen identification techniques, they partner with GEA Farm Technologies New Zealand subsidiary FIL to create strategies to lower somatic cell counts and reduce clinical bovine mastitis in herds.
Paeroa dairy farmer Stephen Begbie credits FIL for the significant reduction in mastitis cases on his farm over three years.
“I had been grappling with a significant mastitis problem, the somatic cell count was spiking up and down,
reaching as high as 380,000.”
Begbie tested his whole herd. Out of 320 cows, 30 were identified as having Staphylococcus aureus. By segregating these cows, milking them last and supplying milk without the Staphylococcus aureus cows in the vat, he reduced the somatic cell count from
380,000 to 85,000 in one day.
Last year, Begbie only had six cases of mastitis and by taking a selective approach to drying off, he only had to dry cow 10 per cent of his herd.
Begbie is a strong advocate of lab testing, allowing for ongoing monitoring and targeted interventions.
He saved between $2000 and $3000 on dry cowing last year because his cell count was so low.
Mastitis control accounts for about 85 per cent of antibiotics used on New Zealand dairy farms. “Dairy companies are realising that preventing mastitis, not just treating it,
results in more milk in the vat,” said FIL national sales manager Colin May. “Through evidence-based interventions, we are improving milk quality, increasing herd productivity and supporting sustainable agricultural practices, both within New Zealand and globally.”
Fagan shows his class
By Doug Laing
Te Kuiti’s Jack Fagan and Pongaroa’s David Buick have celebrated a test shearing win for New Zealand. It was the second success for The Wools of New Zealand Shearing Sports New Zealand shearing team in a matter of days on its six-match tour of the Europe. The win came at the French championships on Saturday in Martel as Fagan and Buick beat the French team of brothers Gilles and Pierre Renton. Fagan won the French final in 2016 and 2017, following father Sir David Fagan’s exit from 33 years in Open-class shearing with victory in the event in 2015. Saturday’s wins came two days after a double at the Great Yorkshire Show, including a win over England, at the Great Yorkshire Show. It meant the Kiwis had won two of the three tests on the annual northern tour that culminates with a three-test series against Wales,
at the Cothi Shears on July 24, and the Corwen Shears on July 27.
Both the test and the open final, each of 20 sheep each, were exciting spectacles as Fagan and Pierre Grancher, from Creuse in Central France, battled for the time honours, finishing almost blow for blow.
Grancher was first-off in the test, winning the race by four seconds from Fagan and shearing the 20 sheep in 14m 6s, but the King Country shearer had the better quality points and claimed individual honours by 6.6 of the Kiwis’ winning margin of 8.65pts.
It was much closer in the Open final, where Fagan again posted the better quality points but was also first-off, his 13m 24s pipping Grancher by just two seconds, and claiming the overall win by just 1.2pts.
Team manager Mark Barrowcliffe, of Piopio, said the events and Fagan’s experience on the “tricky little sheep”
paid dividends.
The sheep were the French breed caussenade du lot.
A regular in France and a fluent speaker of French, Fagan has now won 22 Open finals, along with 63 speedshear events.
Farm Medix chief scientific officer Natasha Maguire at work
Jack Fagan in action in France.
Young farmer title goes south
“A sharemilking job would be awesome.”
That’s one of the hopes George Dodson has after being crowned the 56th FMG Young Farmer of the Year in Hamilton last weekend.
He succeeded the competition’s first female winner – Pirongia’s Emma Poole.
He said he hoped the win support him in the future – especially in his Canterbury community and the next step in his career.
After his win he spoke of his hope of getting a sharemilking position
and getting more support for the Canterbury Young Dairy Farmers Leaders Network which he had started.
Dodson, 23, pipped the Northern representative Caleb Eady by three points. Aorangi Young Farmer Gareth McKerchar finishing up in third place.
Dodson’s win capped three days of challenges against six other finalists including Waikato’s representative Dennis Main from Piarere.
Challenges included an exam,
an interview, heavy machinery, livestock, quizzes, and public speaking.
More than 500 spectators poured into the Claudelands Oval to watch the action unfold during Friday’s practical day. Points added up with every challenge, and the race continued to play out until the final buzzer quiz on Saturday evening.
It was Dodson’s performance in the final buzzer quiz that secured him the win.
“My Dad put hours and hours and hours into helping me prepare. I also had some of the boys coming out once a week from an hour’s drive away to test me on the buzzer, and I think that showed,” he said.
As well as the title, Dodson also claimed the Agri-Knowledge award and over $90,000 in prizes.
New Zealand Young Farmers chief executive Lynda Coppersmith said Dodson impressed with his broad knowledge and impressive leadership skills.
“FMG Young Farmer of the Year is one of the most prestigious farming awards in the country. It’s inspiring to see it go to someone who will not only be a strong ambassador for the next generation of young farmers, but the agricultural industry as a whole,” she said.
“After seeing the talent from this weekend, it’s exciting to see what the future of the food and fibre
sector will hold.”
A duo from Otago Boys’ High School in Dunedin picked up the junior young farmer of the year title.
Shamus Young, 18, and Hayden Drummond, 17, competed against 13 other teams from schools across the country.
Mt Hutt College students James Clark and Jack Foster were runners-up, while Kaela Brans and Liana Redpath from Napier Girls’ High School third.
The next generation of young farmers, the AgriKidsNZ competitors, also tackled a range of challenges during the event, including modules, quizzes, and an AgriKids race off as part of the grand final weekend.
A trio from Te Waotu School took out the title of AgriKidsNZ Grand Champions, winning three out of four sections of the competition overall.
Jackie Sneddon (12), Ben Barbour
Can I Exclude a Child from my Succession Plan?
Trusts in New Zealand
The Trusts Act 2019 is a significant piece of legislation that has recently come into force in NZ. The Act has placed greater obligations on trustees and and has generally created higher compliance costs in relation to the administration of Trusts. In April 2024 the Trust tax rate increased to 39%. As a result of these changes, we are seeing a number of our clients’ Trusts being wound up. However, Trusts are still a very valuable tool for asset protection and succession planning. There are two main reasons that Trusts are still being formed:
1. The first reason is for asset protection while in business. A Trust can be a valuable tool for protecting against creditor claims and other penalties and fines (for example, those imposed under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015).
2. The second reason is for succession planning, where a parent is wishing to make an unequal distribution to their children or possibly even exclude a child from their estate.
For our farming clients, reason number one is generally the purpose of retaining assets within a Trust and for forming a new Trust However, it is important to consider whether reason number two may also be relevant to the overall succession plan for the farming family.
Family Protection Act 1955
We are seeing more and more complicated family dynamics and much larger estates. It seems that every week there are news articles where children are making these successful claims, particularly in a farming context. This is usually because there is a desire to retain a very valuable asset, the farm, in the
family for multiple generations but the parents don’t always have adequate o farm assets to equalise the benefits between their children.
In New Zealand, the Family Protection Act 1955 (FPA) sets out that parents have a “moral duty” to provide adequate maintenance and support for their biological children from their estate. Where a parent fails to meet this duty, the Court will order that the terms of the Will be changed, depending on a number of circumstances. The result of this is that the estate may be distributed in a way that was never intended by that parent.
We have seen a pattern of recent cases with an average of 17% of a parent’s estate being awarded to a child who has been excluded from their parent’s Will who then has madea successful claim under the FPA.
If a child makes a claim under the FPA and is partly or wholly successful, that child’s legal fees are most o en met by the estate. This can further substantially reduce the value of the estate available to be distributed among the other beneficiaries (usually that child’s siblings).
What does an estate claim look like?
The following scenario is an example of a typical estate claim matter that we see in our everyday practice.
Harry has come to see us as he would like to make a claim against Charles’s (Harry’s father), very large estate. The estate consists of two farms, machinery, shares, and cash investments. Charles le his entire estate to his older son William. William had worked hard on the family farm and Charles felt he deserved to inherit the fruits of his labour.
Harry had some financial assistance from his father
during his lifetime, Harry is a wealthy businessman, in good health and had a good relationship with his father.
In this scenario, if Harry made a claim, he is likely to receive an award of approximately 10%-15% of the estate, potentially more.
If Harry had limited financial means and/orwas of ill health – he is likely to receive much greater provision from Charles’s estate if he made a claim. In this scenario he may expect to receive up to 50% of Charles’s estate. In this scenario, such a claim would invariably mean that the farm would have to be sold.
If Harry was estranged from Charles, Harry would still be entitled to provision from his father’s estate in most cases.
Should I settle a Trust?
If during his lifetime, Charles had settled his more substantial assets (land, shares, stock, plant and machinery) onto a Trust of William was the only beneficiary, then there would have been substantially less assets in Charles’s estate for Harry to bring a claim against.
On the death of Charles, the Trustees of the Trust would be able to distribute the assets of the Trust to William and would be guided by the Memorandum of Wishes that Charles had made during his lifetime as to when and how this was to happen.
What if I already have a Trust?
Many farming families in New Zealand already have their farm or shares in a farming company, owned by a Trust. But, in some cases the Trust still owes the settlors (usually the parents) a significant debt which usually dates back to when the settlors advanced
money to the Trust to purchase the farm. That debt will therefore be an asset of the estate of the parents when they die, and one that a child could bring a claim against. Ultimately, the e ectiveness of the Trust as an asset planning tool in this situation is lost. It is important that settlors and Trustees take advice from both their lawyer and accountant on this to ensure that gi ing is undertaken to remove these debts.
Estate Disputes
Trusts can be a useful succession planning tool, particularly where the structure of the family assets are such that it is not easy to divide the assets equally between children or where a parent wishes to exclude a child for other reasons from their estate. Without a Trust, an estate could spend up to $80,000 in litigation fees, defending a claim made by a beneficiary. It is common for such a dispute to take over two years to either be settled out of court or to make its way through the court system.
Some clients take the approach of “I won’t be here to deal with it so just exclude them” . The problem with that approach though is that the dispute that ensues a er the death of the client can not only reduce the value of their estate significantly, but can also tear family relationships apart. It also places the executors of the Will in a di icult position, potentially for a long period of time.
The cost of sorting out your succession planning will be much less than the cost to your estate of dealing with an estate dispute. Make an appointment with one of our succession planning specialists in our Otorohanga or Te Awamutu o ices and we can discuss your options and how best to move forward with your succession plans.
Alex McIvor
Sue Garmonsway
Nicole Porima
Shelley Greer
Renee Dunn
(12) and Joshua Barbour (11) had finished fifth in the 2023 event in
George Dodson in action during the finals last weekend in Hamilton.
CO M E A N D C ATC H U P
LUNCH $10 RSDAY THU FOLLOWED B Y BINGO AT 1P M
Reser ve your MID YEAR CHRISTMAS DINNER $40 20th July
FRIDAY 19T H JULY RAYMOND & THE CUT
FRIDAY 26TH JULY COUNTRY ROAD BAND PLUS 30 LEG OF LAMB DRAWS
Across 1. Junk mail (4) 4. Church district (6) 8. Stalker (7) 9. Work very hard (colloq) (5) 10. Reverberate (4) 11. Unafraid (8) 13. Therapy (9) 17. Desire to achieve (8) 19. Opera star (4)
Last week
21. Ground meat (5) 22. Worship (7)
23. Girdle (6)
24. Go up and down (2-2) Down
2. Seer (7)
3. Liquefy (4)
4. Person who sets high standards (13) 5. Set aside (8)
COTTAGE CUSTOM DEPOSIT DINING DOORS DRAINLAYER ELECTRICIAN EN SUITE FINANCE FITTINGS FRAME FREIGHT
GARAGE HALL HOMES INTERIOR KITCHEN KITSET LABOUR LAUNDRY LIVING OWNER PACKAGE PERMIT
PLANS PLUMBER ROOF SITE TILER TOOLS VALUE WALLS
Gutsy new PI Lou Alcott takes charge in this brilliantly crafted thriller. Twisty, gritty and unputdownable, in this story the underdog is fighting back.
Woman, Missing
by Sherryl Clark
She’s the one to turn to when you need saving. But first she has to save herself...
Lou Alcott is turning over a new leaf as a private investigator. Formerly police, she was forced to resign when she attacked a domestic violence perpetrator. She’s always vowed to be nothing like her grandfather Hamish, Melbourne’s biggest crime boss, delivering an eye for an eye, but this guy had it coming.
On her first day she draws two cases helping at-risk women. First there’s Diane Paterson, who has apparently left her husband without a word. Who should Lou believe? The charmingly distraught husband, Diane’s suspicious parents, or the freezer full of lovingly prepared food left behind?
Then a house security check for an isolated young woman who is convinced her abusive ex is stalking her again turns worrisome when she fails to show up for their meeting. Lou reports Melinda’s odd disappearance to the police but with no signs of a struggle she fears they’re not able to act quickly enough.
With her protective radar pinging, Lou keeps digging until she unearths chilling evidence that puts her in the hot seat. Suddenly Lou is embroiled in a cat-and-mouse-game where there will only be one survivor... Will Lou’s first case be her last?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
SHERRYL CLARK has been writing crime fiction for many years; her first crime short stories were published in the Artemis Press anthologies, as well as ‘The Age Summer Reading’ and in high school texts. In 2018 she entered her novel, Trust Me, I’m Dead, in the CWA Debut Dagger and was shortlisted. This led to Verve Books UK publishing three books in her Judi Westerholme series. Trust Me, I’m Dead was longlisted for the CWA John Creasey New Blood Award and the NZ Ngaio Marsh Debut Novel Award.
Jan Bilton
Casserole comforts
Last week we were invited to a ‘pot-luck’ dinner. “Please bring a casserole.” I wondered if anyone else was going to provide a Tex-Mex casserole — beef and beans — but knew they probably wouldn’t add tamarillos as I did.
However, it was a fundraising event and it was fun. Casseroles are perfect for sharing especially in winter. Long low-heat cooking mellows the flavours and enhances colour. And vegetable accompaniments can be baked at the same time if the casserole is oven-cooked.
Casseroles cooked on the hob were once differentiated by the old-fashioned name ‘stew’. It is best to employ a heavy, cast iron pot on the hob and use a low cooking temperature. The cast iron diffuses the heat and the ingredients cook more evenly. With thinner, lighter saucepans the ingredients often stick to the base providing an unwanted ‘barbecue’ flavour. There is much debate when making a casserole over whether to brown the meat and vegetables first before adding the liquid. I believe prior sautéing of the ingredients does improve the flavour but if time is scarce then the ‘all in together’ method is fine as long as the cooking temperature is kept low allowing for robust flavours to develop.
TEX-MEX BEEF
3 tablespoons olive oil
1kg stewing beef, cut into 3cm cubes
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon each: plain flour, black treacle
1 teaspoon each: ground cumin, chilli powder
3 large tamarillos, peeled and thickly sliced
400g can each: diced tomatoes, black beans (drained)
3/4 cup beef stock
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan suitable for the oven. Brown the beef in batches and place aside.
Sauté the onion until softened then add the garlic. Return the meat to the saucepan. Stir in the flour. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a simmer then cover and place in the oven.
Cook for 1 1/2 hours. Potatoes could be baked in the oven during the last 45 minutes of cooking.
Great served topped with sour cream, corn chips and chopped spring onions. Serves 6.
RED WINE LAMB SHANKS
4 small lamb shanks
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 each: large carrot, onion (finely diced), bay leaf
1 teaspoon each: dried thyme, rosemary, oregano
3 cloves garlic, grated salt and pepper to taste
400g can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup good red wine
Preheat the oven to 160°C.
Trim the lamb shanks. Score the shanks as you would a ham, at about 2.5 cm intervals.
Heat the oil in a heavy pan suitable for the hob and oven. Brown the shanks on all sides. Remove to one side. Add the carrot and onion and sauté, until golden.
Return the shanks to the pan with the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook in the oven for about 2 hours, until very tender. Add a little more red wine or water if the mixture
gets too dry.
Great served with polenta or mash. Serves 4.
HUNTER’S CASSEROLE
1kg lean pork steak
freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons each: plain flour, olive oil
3 rashers bacon, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 tablespoons tomato paste
400g can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon each: dried basil, oregano 1/2 cup each: red wine, water
Cut the steak into 3cm cubes. Season with the black pepper and dust with flour. Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan. Sauté the pork in batches, until coloured. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Add the bacon to the pan and sauté, until cooked. Add to the pork. Sauté the onion and garlic gently, until softened. Add the remaining ingredients, mixing well.
Stir until boiling. Return the pork and bacon to the pan, cover and simmer gently for about 1 hour or until tender. Serves 6.
Tex-Mex Beef
Red Wine Lamb Shanks
ADMINISTRATION SUPPORT
Location: Otorohanga & Te Awamutu
Join Pratts as an Administration Support member. You’ll work with our Otorohanga and Te Awamutu branches on a rotational basis, reporting to the Group Administrator and Group Manager. Key responsibilities include:
• Showroom consultations, managing inquiries, job processing, and financial duties.
• Maintain stock levels, assist customers, and ensure accurate billing and record-keeping.
• Strong communication and organisational skills are essential.
If you're proactive and detailoriented, apply now to contribute to our dynamic team.
CV & Cover Letter to hr@pratts.co.nz
Job Description: https://www.pratts.co.nz/careers/ Applications Close 12th August
QUALIFIED BUILDER WANTED
We are looking for a Qualified Builder to join our team. If you’re looking for an energetic and fun team environment that knows how to get the job done this could be the role for you.
Successful applicants must:
- Have a full drivers license
- A full set of hand tools and basic power tools
- Be confident in working independently and supervising others
- Strong health and safety practices
Role will include:
• A company van
• Uniform provided
• Pay based on experience
This role is fulltime Monday to Friday with the occassional Saturday. Our work is based out of Ōtorohanga and includes surrounding areas.
Email CV to coullbuilders@xtra.co.nz or call Dylan on 027 722 7914
Receptionist/Administrator – Casual Part Time
Do you have great customer service skills, admin experience and a sense of humour?
Are you available for casual part time work?
We provide family health care for Waipa families. We seek a motivated person with proven administrative skills and experience in quality customer service for our very busy office. This is a casual part time position that covers for staff sickness or leave.
To join our friendly team, you must be able to learn fast and deliver accurate work under pressure. Experience in the health sector will be an advantage. To apply, email your covering letter and CV to the Practice Manager, Lakin Wilton, at lakin@tamc.co.nz
