Cambridge News | July 31, 2025 by Cambridge, King Country & Te Awamutu News, Waikato & Bay of Plenty Business News

We say…

It’s your call

Here we go again – encouraging voters to take an interest in the running of their districts.

The candidates will be known tomorrow afternoon and after voting forms are posted from September 9, voting will continue to October 11.

From Waikato district in the north, south through Waipā and Ōtorohanga to Waitomo, and an overlay of a regional council, it is local body politicians – some would say their staff too – who have the heaviest influence on community life. It’s only when the service and services fall over that entire electorates get a real understanding of that.

Ask residents of Havelock North who have gone years without drinkable water. Ask the residents of Cambridge who became extremely animated about local body politics when The News revealed the “blue

blob” - a residential zone tagged to take traffic from a new bridge across the Waikato River.

Fact is, most councils are more than happy to fly under the radar for three years, save getting some input on the odd community project.

Good Local Media has always placed local body politics in the A-category of importance. It has been pretty much the solo media player doing so in Waipā and more recently in King Country, where our coverage – belated as it was – of a new Ōtorohanga council logo has prompted a petition.

Added to the election is a sword hanging over Māori wards. Their introduction to district councils was supported by The News three years ago but they are now under threat after central government ordered referenda in most councils to give all voters the say as to whether or not they stay.

With the fields set from tomorrow, Good Local Media will keep you updated on Waikato, Waipā, Ōtorohanga and Waitomo districts and the Waikato Regional Council elections.

Roy Pilott, Mary Anne Gill, Viv Posselt, Chris Gardner and Jesse Wood – whose combined experience of local body elections goes back to the 1970s - are being joined by regular columnists and former Fieldays president Peter Carr to make up the Good Local election team. Carr’s commentary on the elections will appear fortnightly under the moniker Ticking the Boxes.

The News will be the place to go to for election coverage – it’s also where candidates will take out advertising space promoting themselves. On the news pages, we will be asking questions of candidates, not taking statements.

There was a predictable lament in some areas earlier this month at the level of interest in the elections and councils were encouraged by Local Government New Zealand to contact their local media in an attempt to publicise the elections. Notably national organisations involved in local body elections rarely spend any of their advertising budget with us in print or online where we attract thousands of visits every week without a pay wall.

• See more on the elections, Page 3.

Good Local Media journalists will be following the elections. Pictured from left are Roy Pilott, Chris Gardner, Mary Anne Gill, Jesse Wood, Viv Posselt and Peter Carr. Gill will lead the team and her contact details are on page 2.

Memories of Cambridge

In researching some articles recently I came across a story in the Cambridge News about the closing of the Lyceum Club.

My grandmother Evelyn Rishworth was the club’s first president and the story brought back many memories of time spent in Cambridge in the early 1950s. My grandparents lived on a farm across the road from Karapiro School where my mother and three sisters were all pupils. In those days a trip from Auckland, where we lived, to Karapiro was a four-hour journey on largely unsealed roads -- a far cry from a trip I made a couple of years ago in under two hours -- but the chance to visit our grandparents was well worth it.

My grandfather, injured at Gallipoli in WW1 did not drive but my grandmother did and I can remember going the five miles into town to Walsh Motors with her to get her car serviced.

While waiting she would take me and my brother to the nearby library which was not far from from “the white church on the corner” where my parents were married and I was christened.

She also treated us at the cafe wedged on to the corner of Victoria and Dukes Streets which,

Roy

editor@goodlocal.nz 027

maryanne@goodlocal.nz

viv@goodlocal.nz

chris@goodlocal.nz

I am starting again with some incidents police have taken action on. Last Monday, staff attended a family harm incident in progress where a female was assaulted. Following an investigation, a male was arrested the next day. He has appeared in court on related charges.

On Tuesday, road policing staff responded to a driving complaint involving a truck and trailer travelling north into our area on Tirau Road (SH1). Over a period of time, the same vehicle had been the subject of a few 111 calls. Police were told the truck was repeatedly swerving, crossing the centre line and travelling at speed.

Trucks have a speed limit of 90kph, however due to their mass, the effect of an impact from a truck is equivalent to a car travelling over four times that speed. Staff responded and found the truck travelling near Hydro Road. Routine breath alcohol testing was carried out and showed that the driver had alcohol in his system. As a result, the driver was forbidden from driving for a period of 12 hours. He will be appearing in court associated with his dangerous driving.

This is an example of how our different teams work together. Because a heavy motor vehicle was involved, the local staff

in a much-changed form, remains today. The dam needed behind the hydro power station in the late 1940s meant the Waikato River backed up and took part of the farm which my grandparents eventually sold and moved into town.

I can remember swimming in the lake above the power station and as a sports reporter later marvelled at how the lake became one of the premier rowing courses in the world.

Cambridge might still be considered a “sleepy New Zealand town” but it is much, much more than that as one of the real sporting hubs in New Zealand but still with a wide main street most towns and cities would die for. The loss of institutions like the Lyceum Club are, sadly, a sign of the times but the memories linger on and, hopefully, will never be forgotten.

Terry Maddaford Gold Coast

Three into one

So, three have put their hands up to be Mayor: the incumbent, Mike Pettit and Claire St-Pierre. I made the mistake of voting for the incumbent last time solely because she

contacted a member from the Commercial Vehicle Safety Team (CVST) who also attended. CVST members will attend or consult on any traffic crash involving a truck and routinely police commercial vehicles, their speed, loading safety and limits, driving hours, logbook entries and the like. We appreciate the people who called 111 about the truck. Their actions no doubt prevented a traffic crash.

Last Friday, Police attended a single car crash on Tirau Road where a vehicle had hit the wire barrier and overturned. The driver was found to have a breath alcohol level over three times the legal limit and will appear in court on associated charges.

Last weekend, after a couple of quieter car crime weeks, we again had a spree – predominantly involving offender/s smashing quarterlight windows to gain entry, damaging ignition barrels and sometimes removing items. One car was stolen and another suspicious vehicle fled from police. If you hear or see anything suspicious overnight, or have CCTV footage relating to such behaviour, please call 111 at the time or 105 if discovered later or come into the station. Your information could be the last piece in an investigation puzzle.

promised to improve communication with residents. And look how that turned out. Not this time. I was enthused reading Pettit’s pitch for the role but that quickly turned to scorn when I saw that he would, “prioritise partnerships with mana whenua to strengthen the Māori economy”. Since when has that been a core function of council? Pettit would be well advised to take a look at Tainui’s accounts over the last few years and the financial clout they have to expand and build the Māori economy here rather than use rates, most of which are paid by non-Māori So that rules him out. St-Pierre’s pitch looks reasonable on the face of it but we have heard it all before. I might have to vote for her just because I reject the others. Not the best reason… but the alternative is not to vote at all.

Kelvin Dunn

Cambridge

LGNZ decision

It is astounding that mayor Susan O’Regan has not even had a discussion with the council about leaving the LGNZ. (The News, July 17).

With council expenditure requiring a rate rise, and already having executive positions, one wonders how the council can justify also subscribing to LGNZ at a rate of supposed $122,000.

Furthermore, I thought it would be the people that the council represents that should influence policy, not a left-leaning agency that tells the council what to do. One of the roles of LGNZ, according to Google, is to provide policy advice and support to member councils. What input does the voter get on this policy advice? (Abridged)

Delwyn Smith

Cambridge

Candidate withdraws

Fabio Rodrigues has withdrawn as a Waikato district mayoral candidate throwing his support behind former deputy mayor Aksel Bech’s second all or nothing bid to be mayor and oust incumbent Jacqui Church. Rodrigues, 19, will stand as a councillor in the PōkenoTuakau ward.

Leases extended

Cambridge and District Senior Citizens’ Association and Cambridge BMX Club have had their leases extended for council land in Victoria Street and Milton/Lamb Streets.

Annually, the association will pay $192 plus GST and the BMX club $653 with a $405 and $392 administration fee.

Financial

result

Waipā District Council’s expenditure for the financial year ended June 30 was $12.8 million more than budgeted mainly driven by non-cash adjustments for assets written off ahead of the revaluation of council’s assets for the annual report as well as a loss on investment properties and forestry assets. Operating income of $163.5 million came in at 99 per cent of forecast revenue.

Who will stand?

There was a lack of community board nominations in Maungatautari, Cambridge and Te Awamutu/Kihikihi when The News went to press. There were no nominations for the one Maungatautari seat – although Andrew Myers previously confirmed he would restand – one in Te Awamutu and two in Cambridge for the four seats on each board. Elections are confirmed for the mayoralty and council positions in Cambridge and Te Awamutu/ Kihikihi.

Money owed

Ratepayers owed $1.2 million at the end of Waipā’s financial year on June 30 and $183,000 from previous years. Water rates owing were $936,000 with 94 per cent collected.

Gaylene drums up support

By Chris Gardner

Kāwhia’s Gaylene Kanawa is about to hit the local body elections’ campaign trail.

Not as a nominee, but as deputy electoral officer for Waikato District Council.

Kanawa has spent the last few weeks checking nominee details, including whether they were in the same ward as candidates. If they were not, the candidates were asked to resubmit.

Nominations close tomorrow at noon.

Kanawa confessed to being concerned that both her home and work district could eventually call by-elections for the lack of enough candidates to fill every council and community board seat.

In Ōtorohanga, a byelection would cost around $15,000, while a Waikato byelection would cost around $30,000.

“Am I concerned?

Absolutely,” she said on Monday. “We don’t have candidates for half of our positions as yet in Waikato. We are doing as much as we can to get people to stand. I am not sure why it’s so slow.”

One reason could be low base councillor salaries - $25,777 in Ōtorohanga, Waitomo $37,754, Waipā $37,884 and Waikato $49,742. The average New Zealand salary is $65,853.

From next week Kanawa will hit the streets to promote enrolling and bust some common myths surrounding enrolment, continuing a promotion phase that started a year ago.

“A common myth is people believe that they are not eligible to vote because they are renting,” Kanawa said.

Not the case.

Kanawa will also join her counterparts at other councils in promoting enrolment on the electoral

roll at special events around the region and, for the first time, Waikato District Council will install ballot boxes in high schools across the district to ensure that they are more accessible to the community.

Election papers will have candidates for district and regional council, community boards, where applicable, and include a referendum on whether to keep or remove Māori wards. In Waikato, district voting papers will also include candidate profiles for Te Kauwhata Licensing Trust.

Waikato district recorded a voter turnout of 32 per cent in the 2022 election, below the national average of 40 per cent. Kanawa has a theory on why.

“People don’t realise the council is local government, they don’t link the council to their rates, they don’t put two and two together in terms of what councils do,” she said.

“If you don’t vote, you

can’t complain about rising rates,” she said.

She shared Kāwhia councillor Kit Jeffries’ concerns that a recent Ōtorohanga rate rise of $10.16 per cent could turn the township into a ghost town.

“It’s only people with significant income that could afford it,” she said. “Most of us work out of the district. That’s what we have to do.”

Kanawa’s concern is driven by a deep commitment to community.

She recently spoke to Kāwhia Community Board about the slow grind of the wheels of bureaucracy when it came to the development of the Kāwhia Fitness Trail proposed by GP John Burton five years ago.

Kanawa is also president of Pirongia Bowling Club where she is a standout competitor. She has represented the Aotearoa Māori team internationally and earned more than 35 centre titles.

Centre.

Waipā Governance manager Jo Gread ran a stand with the Electoral Office at the recent Leamington Domain Playground reopening and at selected places around the district. In a media statement after The News went to press last week, she urged people not to leave it too late to get their nomination forms in.

Powering ahead at Arapuni

Mercury Energy is two weeks into a jet grouting trial at its Arapuni hydro dam, laying the groundwork for major remediation work scheduled to begin next year.

The trial is part of the electricity generator’s 26-year, $628 million programme to refurbish its nine hydro stations along the Waikato River.

Principal project manager Tom Newson said jet grouting is a soil improvement technique used to strengthen and stabilise the ground. It is typically used in construction and geotechnical engineering to help improve poor soil conditions, water seepage, and to reinforce foundations.

Mercury staff presented at Waipā District Council earlier this month to provide councillors with a project update.

“Jet grouting has been used in several hydro dams around the world, and we want to run a trial to see how well it works with the geology at the Arapuni Hydro

Dam.”

An engineering study shows the dam is safe and fit for everyday use, but work needs to be done to improve the left abutment to protect it from the risk of water seepage.

“The jet grouting method will enable us to replace the original seepage cutoff wall with a new one.”

The jet grouting trial started mid-July and will take about three weeks, followed by a programme of verification tests over four-to-six weeks.

Residents may notice a specialised rig on site - originally from Hong Kong - along with new support buildings for the project team.

“We have limited public car parking on the crest of the dam and people will still have access to the walking paths towards Powerhouse Road,” said Newson.

Arapuni Dam was built in the 1920 and was the first governmentbuilt hydroelectric station on the Waikato River and the second after the now closed Horahora station.

Seepage was first identified at Arapuni as early as 1929. There have been a number of episodes of remedial work carried out over the years. From 2005 to 2006 a long term definitive programme was carried out to prevent further seepage.

Meanwhile Mercury is planning a community event for next month to celebrate the end of the $90 million Karāpiro Dam work.

Once finished, the Karāpiro station will generate an additional

16.5MW -boosting output from 96MW to 112.5MW - and increase average annual energy production by 32GWh to 537GWh.

Karāpiro, the third power station built on the Waikato Hydro System, has been supplying electricity since 1947. Two of its three generation units have already been replaced and commissioned in 2023 and 2024. The final stage began in October and is on track for completion by September.

Jono Gibson Funeral Director

Kanawa chairs Kāwhia Education Trust too which governs Kāwhia Early Childhood

Gaylene Kanawa

Project team members, from left: Mike Francis, Tom Newson, Peter Amos, Marco Lucchi, site manager Shaun Matthee, Jane Ganley and Giovanni Matassoni during a site visit to the toe of Arapuni Hydro Dam earlier this month. Photo: Supplied

Waipā greenlights new projects

By Mary Anne Gill

A new funeral home on the site of the now closed Lyceum Club site in Cambridge is among 87 approved land use consents issued by Waipā District Council in the first six months of the year.

Another 40 were pending a consent decision on June 30.

In the same period, the council issued 515 building consents.

The News sought the information from the council on July 3. On July 11 the Lgoima (Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act) response team responded acknowledging the request.

Until this year readers of The News have seen the figures in news stories after they appeared in quarterly activity reports presented to councillors by Growth and Regulatory services group manager Wayne Allan.

The reports no longer appear in council agendas and the council decided our request should be filed under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act, which is designed to increase the availability of official information and provides for a 20-day time limit to provide answers. The council provided the information on July 15 and 16.

The News has sought comment from Allan.

The Lyceum Club closed in December after distributing thousands of dollars to five Cambridge organisations from the proceeds of the $900,000 sale of its Dick Street property four years ago. The building was demolished earlier this year, and earthworks are now underway for the funeral home, located in the Cambridge A Character Precinct.

Other notable land use consents approved include:

• A specialist medical centre at 63

Shakespeare Street, Leamington (currently home to Pet Stock).

• The removal of a protected English oak tree outside Woolworths supermarket.

• Retrospective consent for 21 standalone cabins, ablution facilities, and a pole shed, with dining, kitchen, and laundry areas, for seasonal workers at Kaipaki Berries.

• Oversized illuminated signage and repainting at the Regent Theatre in Te Awamutu, as required in the Character Precinct.

• A digital sign at Te Awamutu Presbyterian Church on Mutu Street, despite breaches of site relevance and internal illumination standards.

• A healthcare facility in Rukuhia focused on rehabilitation and respite care for 10 patients, with three daytime and one nighttime staff.

Work on a high-profile corner site at Hamilton

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Road and Victoria Street in Cambridge -

opposite St Andrew’s Anglican Church - is awaiting approval for subdividing and the construction of two duplex houses under new medium-density residential zone rules.

The site has previously been a popular location for local election billboards.

Among other developments yet to be approved are 15 terraced units at Hamilton Rd in Cambridge, retrospective consent for artificial crop protection structures and shelterbelts in 3693 Cambridge Rd, Leamington and a commercial development on the corner of Te Rerenga Tce and Cambridge Rd.

Meanwhile two outstanding consent applications of interest for a quarry operation in Oreipunga Rd, Maungatautari and an Arvida retirement village at 151 Maungatautari Rd are both on hold awaiting further information. A new application

for 96 villas and 20 apartments on the Maungatautari Rd site has recently been lodged

The Maungatautari quarry has been under scrutiny since The News revealed in April 2022 it was operating without a resource consent and had been doing so for at least five years. The council suspended operations at the site – the same month.

At the time, Beacon Hill Contracting – the quarry operator – had four shareholders, including former Waipā councillor Elwyn Andree-Wiltens, who resigned due to a conflict of interest. She had not disclosed her involvement in the unconsented quarry. She and her husband Albert, who stepped down as director in December 2022, transferred their shares in March 2023 to their son’s family trust.

• See cambridgenews.nz for full list

The former Cambridge Lyceum Club building has gone.

Conference costs revealed

By Mary Anne Gill

Ratepayers paid just over $17,000 in airfares and accommodation for mayor Susan O’Regan, councillors Dale-Maree Morgan and Marcus Gower, chief executive Steph O’Sullivan, group manager Strategy Kirsty Downey, project lead Vanessa Honore and mana whenua representatives Gaylene Roberts and Poto Davies to attend the recent Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) conference and awards dinner in Christchurch.

Two representatives from Beca – Ahu Ake Spatial Plan contractors chief executive Amelia Linzey and engagement advisor Regan Powell – paid their own way to the dinner. According to a Waipā District Council communications’ spokesperson, their time and costs will not be billed to the council.

The elected members part of the total was $8674.50 for O’Regan, Morgan and Gower excluding incidental expenses such as airport transport and food.

This was funded from the elected members’ professional development budget and approved by O’Regan.

The council paid $2586.18 for O’Sullivan to attend. She was invited to speak on a

panel about organisational performance. O’Regan and O’Sullivan returned to Waipā before the conference dinner, in order to attend a council meeting the next day to adopt the Long Term Plan and confirm the future of water services.

It cost $5841.88 to send Downey, Honore, Davies and Roberts to the awards ceremony and gala dinner where Waipā received the Super Engaged Tū Hononga Award for its Ahu Ake-Spatial Plan engagement.

Waipā funded the mana whenua representatives’ costs “reflecting the strong partnership” that underpinned the project – recently revealed through a Local Government and Official Information Meetings Act (LGOIMA) request as costing $1.71 million, with nearly $1.5 million in consultancy fees.

A photo issued by Waipā District Council from the awards dinner cropped out elected members and the two Beca staffers. The spokesperson said this aligned with good

practice guidelines for communications during the pre-election period, helping ensure current elected members were not given any “perceived advantage” over other candidates.

The uncropped photo was made available by LGNZ.

The News was provided with an incorrect name for one of the people in the winners’ photo - used online - as Ngā Iwi Toopu o Waipā’s Maria Huata (Kirikiriroa Kaunihera) when it was in fact Amelia Linzey. We apologise for the error.

Storey keeps council in tent

By Mary Anne Gill

Waikato Regional Council is back as a member of Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ), following chair Pamela Storey’s casting vote to overturn last month’s decision to leave.

The motion to renew the council’s $80,375.55 LGNZ subscription for the new financial year was initially defeated 6-5, with one abstention.

Eight councillors, including Waipā-King Country representative Stu Kneebone, signed a notice of motion to reverse the decision. However, veteran Waikato constituency member Noel Smith - one of the original signatories - changed his stance, saying he now believed the council should leave LGNZ. This led to a 7–7 deadlock, which Storey broke with her casting vote.

LGNZ is the nationwide representative body for local authorities. Operating as an incorporated society, it advocates for local government interests and supports councils through policy development, sector-wide collaboration, and governance training.

The vote was – for: Bruce Clarkson, Kataraina Hodge, Stu Kneebone, Tipa Mahuta, Jennifer Nickel, Pamela Storey, Angela Strange, against: Robbie Cookson, Mich’eal Downard, Ben Dunbar-Smith, Clyde Graf, Chris Hughes, Warren Maher, Noel Smith.

The News reported last week the decision would have meant the regional council was following Auckland – on mayor Wayne Brown’s casting vote, Kaipara District, Christchurch City, the West Coast Regional, Grey District, Westland District and Western Bay of Plenty District councils in quitting LGNZ.

Award presentation, from left: Beca chief executive Amelia Linzey, Waipā Māori ward councillor Dale-Maree Morgan, principal strategic planner Vanessa Honore, group manager Strategy Kirsty Downey, mana whenua representatives Poto Davies and Gaylene Roberts, Te Awamutu-Kihikihi councillor Marcus Gower, Beca communications advisor Regan Powell. Photo: Mark Tantrum

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The dilemma of refugees

By Viv Posselt

Perceptions around refugees and displaced people were unpicked this month by a Cambridgebased academic whose life has been shaped by his own flight from El Salvador in

1981. Dr Vladimir Pacheco was speaking at the July meeting of Cambridge U3A on the topic of Displacement and Identity: A Migrant’s Journey from fear to resilience.

Pacheco is an Associate

Professor at the School of Culture and Society at Aarhus University in Denmark; he and his family have been based in Cambridge for five years.

The News carried a story in mid-2020 when he and the couple’s elder daughter

The Board invites applications from parents who wish to enrol their children at Cambridge Middle School next year in Years 7/8/9/10 If the number of out -ofzone applications exceeds the number of places available, students will be selected by ballot.

Ballot, if required Wednesday 03 September

Applicants notified Friday 05 September

were temporarily prevented from joining his New Zealand-born wife Kelly Pacheco, and their younger daughter, after being caught up in New Zealand’s Covidrelated border closures.

He now works between Denmark and New Zealand, continuing his research work and encouraging debate on building inclusive societies rooted in broader understanding and placing a higher value on diversity.

Perceptions around refugees and the reasons for their displacement were often wrong, he said.

The displacement of many millions of people globally is rooted in various causes, including ongoing international conflicts, natural disasters, the effects of climate change, common crime and gang warfare within some countries, and the fallout from economically-driven environmental conflicts – the latter including mining, the destruction of forests and the like.

“Development covers infrastructure such as new roads, plantations, the building of dams…there are people suffering because of it but who have nothing to do with it. In a way, we

in countries like ours are complicit because whatever is being sourced through that development is being created for our consumption. Think chocolate, grains, oil… we are all connected economically to such development.”

The number of internallydisplaced people is greater than the number of refugees, he said.

In 2021 there were approximately 25 million refugees and 50 million internally displaced people in the world.

Pacheco said fewer people were dying from intercountry conflict than from common crime and gang warfare in their homelands.

Increasing levels of crime was driving much of the displacement of their people.

Another cause of displacement was climate change, he said.

“The number of deaths as a result of climate change is calculated this year at around 300,000 people, with another 300 million affected by this phenomenon. That number is quite high.”

Displaced populations often move first within their own countries, and then cross borders into neighbouring countries.

With each move, he said the search for a safe place adds to their initial trauma.

He said Iran has the highest number of refugees (3.5 million) in the world, followed by Turkey, Columbia, Germany and Uganda.

Pacheco said refugees and displaced peoples everywhere were facing increasing levels of xenophobia.

“That is usually driven by fear,” he said. “Plus, when things are seen to be going wrong in your country, it is easier to blame the person next to you. Many refugees face that. It is very isolating and is something that adds to the trauma of their initial displacement.”

Vladimir Pacheco.

The Pacheco family pictured in June 2020 when they reunited in Cambridge, from left Gabriela Vladimir, Nina and Kelly Pacheco. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.

www.treetrust.org.nz

Idesia polycarpa

Five-finger (Neopanax/ Pseudopanax arboreum)

Five-finger (Neopanax/ Pseudopanax arboreum) Native to East Asia, the Idesia is known in Japan as Igiri and in China as the Wonder Tree. It has been introduced to only a few other parts of the world including New York and New Zealand, where it brings a welcome splash of colour to our streets and gardens in winter. A member of the willow family, it is drought resistant and can grow to a height of about 20 metres. The flowers occur in panicles up to 30 cm long and are small, yellowish-green and truly insignificant. Male and female flowers occur on separate trees and the female flowers only are fragrant. Its large heart-shaped leaves turn a light yellow colour before falling in autumn, but it is the spectacular drupes of bright red berries that adorn

the female tree in winter that are without doubt its most wondrous feature.

Although some sources claim the berries are unattractive to birds, they are apparently quite edible. Tree Trust members have observed with delight that in late winter the native pigeon (keruru) sometimes feed happily on the berries of this Idesia near the Tree Trust depot. Moreover, scientific studies in China in the last couple of years show the berries of at least 15 varieties of Idesia to be a good source of high-quality vegetable oil with excellent antioxidant properties. When the fruit is dried, powdered and the oil then extracted, tests show the oil to be rich in minerals, fatty acids, tocopherols, flavonoids, sterols and polyphenols. Maybe a new commercial crop and not merely a street tree?

Cambridge Tree Trust would like to thank Mitre 10 for their support for these monthly articles which are intended to raise interest and awareness of trees in Cambridge.

Fear not…

By Murray Smith, Bridges Church

I was in a changing room cubicle trying on jeans at a clothing store when someone bashed loudly on the door, shouting at me with startling urgency to ‘get out immediately!’ Hobbling out of the store ‘shoeless’, one leg in and one leg out of a pair of jeans that I didn’t own, clutching onto personal belongings, held little appeal.

Still, I did my best pulling back on my own daks as quickly as I could while the urgent voice trailed off burbling something incomprehensible about a bomb. A bit dishevelled, I left the cubicle and walked out into a deserted shop. Previously busy, it was now empty and silent - although a faint alarm wailed somewhere far off in a distant part of the large shopping mall that I had chosen for some casual shopping.

Downstairs things were far from casual as panicking people in evacuation mode crammed exits trying to vacate as quickly as possible. Confusion and uncertainty escalated, charging the atmosphere with fear. Stragglers like me picked up the pace realising it warranted being taken a little bit more seriously. Getting marshalled into a huge outdoor covered carpark, the frightened crowd’s mood subdued generally though some sobbed quietly.

Feeling a bit tousled, I saw many were worse off… some with unfinished haircuts, others had abandoned transactions, uncompleted purchases of food and goods abounded - it was a messed up situation. I learned later, one national chain store sustained losses of tens of thousands of dollars when opportunistic ‘customers’ became shoplifting thieves, rushing through checkouts taking goods unpaid for.

A security officer told me the mall’s

administration had received an anonymous phone call about a suitcase left in the Food Court, alerting the hint of a bomb being planted there. Heavily padded personnel with a robotic device on caterpillar style treads arrived as I was exiting. I’ll never forget how fear ‘shrouded’ people in that bizarre experience.

Though the bomb scare proved to be a hoax, the threat of imminent life-threatening danger literally struck terror into many. An acronym for fear came to mind as a reminder that often, fear is baseless - False Evidence Appearing Real.

Unwanted interruptions and scary unexpected invasions can occur in life, up-ending equilibrium, triggering fear that grips a person’s heart - maybe fears long entrenched within thinking patterns. Fear of death -either our own or that of a loved one, perhaps fear of being harmed, of illness or receiving a sinister medical diagnosis, fear of redundancy, or mounting debt crushing us, fear of failure, fear of others rejecting us, fear of confined spaces… fear of the future. A very long list of awful fears that afflict people could be compiled.

But did you know there is an antidote to all fear? Repeatedly in the Bible is the phrase ‘fear not’. How is that possible? When we personally experience God’s love, His perfect love expels all fear and the torment it afflicts our minds with. We’re also told, “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind”.

Being free from slavery to fear and knowing the inner peace that God provides, will hold you steady through every situation.

Celebrating the raucous kākā

Sally and Eric Fox spent 32 years working at the Ōtorohanga Kiwi House where Eric was curator. Since retiring they have been volunteering at Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari in the aviary team. Today Sally discusses working with kākā – which come to Maungatautari from three areas, enabling the breeding programme to maintain a large genetic base.

For the past five years, we have been enjoying volunteering out at Maungatautari Sanctuary Mountain assisting in the Aviary

team looking after the kākā and hihi in the Southern Enclosure with supplementary feeding and monitoring and also caring for rescued and captive-bred kākā housed in aviaries in the forest prior to being softreleased.

After working with the kākā at the Ōtorohanga Kiwi House for many years, we are well-acquainted with them and their incredible personalities.

Kākā have been breeding well over the years in the safety of the sanctuary since initially being released into the Southern Enclosure in 2007. We feel very lucky to be able to enjoy the vibrant group out there (a mixture of banded and unbanded kākā, with a ton of personality). They have such a funloving spirit enhanced by their wonderful array of melodic and raucous whistles and everything in between – such great entertainers and a highlight with visitors.

Presently we are enjoying watching a female kākā raising her delightful juvenile (a late nesting) teaching it meticulously the skills for survival and feeding. Kākā are excellent parents.

The other area we have very much enjoyed is helping with the care and feeding of the captive-reared kākā and rescued kākā who are housed for around a month in large aviaries within the forest which accustoms them to their new surrounding before being soft-released.

These kākā at different times have come from Hamilton Zoo (light purple band),

Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre (light blue), and Ōtorohanga Kiwi House (light green). If these birds are sighted the different colours identify where they have come from, plus each individual bird will have a metal band numbered which is recorded in a studbook and two colours on the other leg which identifies the individual. If you do sight kākā in the wild, it is worthwhile reporting location and if possible, any bands seen to the Department of Conservation. It is great to hear about increasing

sightings of Kākā in the wild, and the ongoing research being done to help with their protection and welfare. It is lovely to have places like Maungatautari where you can enjoy these charismatic birds in such a natural and beautiful environment. I would also like to highlight the gorgeous pair of Kākā at the Ōtorohanga Kiwi House who have been breeding so successfully over the past few years and bringing important new genetic lines into the wild population.

Restoring

A three and a half month old fledgling pictured at Maungatautari in June.

Eric and Sally Fox pictured recently at the Ōtorohanga Kiwi House.

Mum – the fledgling’s banded female parent.

Stepping into the unknown

By Steph Bell-Jenkins

What careers will still be around in five years?

That was one of the questions on Alicia Smart’s mind as she visited a free Community Careers Expo at the Cambridge Town Hall last Thursday with daughter Chelsea (14) and son Zavier (13).

She wondered if AI might end up taking over jobs her children could potentially have trained for.

“People change and careers change, life evolves and changes, so have a look, be really broad is something we’re looking at,” she said.

Year 13 Cambridge High School student Rebecca Brocklebank, 17, went along because her friends were going.

“And because I don’t know what to do with my life,” she said.

She had been planning to study software engineering, but took a university paper in the subject through a school extension programme this year and realised it wasn’t her cup of tea.

“I figured out I really, really don’t want to do that, so now I don’t know

what,” she said. “I’m feeling very, very nervous and confused about it, because everyone has different opinions about it.”

Rebecca spent more than an hour browsing information at exhibitor stands and had “got good stuff out of it”.

“I heard about a forestry degree that could be quite interesting to look into,” she said.

“I didn’t even know that that could be something I’d be interested in, which I guess is the good things about days like this.”

Attendance at the expo, organised by Cambridge High School, St Peter’s School and Te Awamutu College, was up 50 per cent on last year – 1500 visitors were recorded.

Cambridge High School’s careers faculty head Karina Judson said she was “absolutely stoked” with the turnout.

She said students from schools around the Waikato, including Te Awamutu College, Cambridge High School, St Peter’s School, Hamilton Girls High, Hamilton Boys High, Hillcrest High and Putaruru College attended.

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Cambridge High School student Rebecca Brocklebank checks out university courses at last Thursday’s Community Careers Expo.

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Caught out at the death

The financial strain of burying loved ones is becoming more evident, two Waipā funeral directors say.

Waipā District Council has confirmed significant

increases in burial-related fees for 2025-26 and 2026-27 in its 2025-2034 Long Term Plan.

A standard adult burial plot in Te Awamutu or

Hautapu now costs $2783, rising to $3284 next year.

The interment fee, which is the cost of actually burying a loved one, has also increased to $1271, with a further increase to $1460 expected in 2026/27.

These increases far exceed the Consumer Price Index and are putting pressure on families already struggling with rising household costs.

Jim Goddin, funeral director at Grinters Funeral Home in Cambridge and Rosetown. Funerals in Te Awamutu, says the financial strain is becoming more visible for families and loved ones.

“We’re seeing families caught off guard. The government’s funeral grant from Work and Income is capped at $2,616.12, which doesn’t even cover the cost of a plot and burial in Waipā anymore,” said Goddin.

“People are having to make difficult choices, whether to cremate, delay services, or take on debt. It’s heartbreaking.

“For those that choose to pre-plan their funeral, about 70 per cent are opting for a cremation to lessen the financial burden on their loved ones once they’re no longer with us.”

While Goddin accepts that council fees and charges need to recover the true cost of cemetery services, including land use, maintenance, and staff time, he is concerned the gap between public support and actual costs is widening.

A simple graveside service with only essential charges is now over $9000. A direct cremation through a provider like Waikato Cremations is a more affordable option, however it doesn’t provide the family with an opportunity to say

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goodbye in a way they choose to.

The cost difference between natural burials and full burials is very minimal.

Goddin is urging families to plan ahead and talk openly about their wishes. “Pre-planning can ease the burden. But we also need a broader conversation about how we support people at the end of life, financially and emotionally.”

Board elections

Get on board – that’s the theme for the upcoming triennial school board elections.

Boards, formerly boards of trustees, play a critical role in the education system, said New Zealand School Boards Association president Meredith Kennett.

“They make decisions that affect students, teachers and whānau across the country.”

Nominations for Cambridge High School closed yesterday while Te Awamutu College, Te Kūiti High and Ōtorohanga College close next week.

Closing dates vary across Waipā and King Country for primary schools but voting closes on September 10 with boards taking office the following week.

St Peter’s School is an independent school and chooses its trust board – made up of between seven and nine trustees who serve three-year terms to a maximum of 12 years.

Eligible voters for state and state-integrated (former private) schools should have received details by post or by email.

CAMBRIDGE VOLUNTEER FIRE BRIGADE CALLS OVER THE LAST WEEK

MONDAY 6:54am, Alarm sounding, Ariki Street

CAMBRIDGE VOLUNTEER FIRE BRIGADE C ALLS OVER

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

9:55am, Cardiac Arrest, Bryce Street

2:26am, Building alarm and evacuation, Cambridge Road 4:44am, Car fire, Tirau Road 9:17am, Cardiac arrest, Thompson Street

5:33pm, House fire, Taane Road

WEDNESDAY

7:55am, Building alarm and evacuation, Cambridge Road 8:48am, Building alarm and evacuation, Cambridge Road

1:09pm, Building Alarm and evacuation, Ruakura Road 11:56pm, Building Alarm and evacuation, Hautapu Road

THURSDAY

11:08am, Building alarm and evacuation, Coleridge Street

FRIDAY

FRIDAY 8:42am, Building Alarm and evacuation. Maungatautari Road

8:59pm, Building alarm and evacuation, Lake Street

SUNDAY

1:16pm, Car leaking fuel, King Street

3:53am, Medical assistance, Karapiro Road

2:21pm, 2 car MVC, Hall Street

2:54pm, Bush fire, Te Awa River Ride

Jim Goddin, left and Jordan Goss.

SHAKY GROUND

Learning about slides

By Janine Krippner

Geology tends to move very slowly, until it doesn’t.

Below our feet are enormous tectonic plates moving at around the speed fingernails grow. Depending on location, there may also be molten magma, faults that will one day produce earthquakes, and for those of us who live on slopes, soil and rock that may one day move downhill. As geologists, it is our collective job to understand these processes and how they might impact us.

Not long ago, we experienced Cyclone Gabrielle, which led to around 140,000 landslides. Landslides also happen to cause the most fatalities out of any geologic hazard in Aotearoa. As with other hazards, understanding when and where they may happen is crucial in preparing ourselves so that we can move people out of the way, prevent injury or death, and recover faster. We have increasingly powerful computing technology to help us to.

After working with researcher Sergio Alfaya over the past month with the GeoTenerife programme, we will be heading into the field to hunt down what we call mass-wasting events. This is a term that basically encompasses soil and rock moving downhill, whether it be a landslide or a rockfall, or any other process where terrain becomes unstable and shifts downslope.

His research has been using Machine Learning to work out which areas of the Canary Islands are most likely to experience these events. Important factors for when and where these processes may occur are the slope – how steep the land is - elevation, geology - the rocks - vegetation and rainfall.

In Machine Learning we create a type of AI

to work through large amounts of information, in this case, where past landslides match patterns in those five factors. This is called model training, and in this case, he used a database of well over 1000 landslide events across the Canary Islands.

After months of work, he managed to get this to around 90 per cent accurate, a great result especially given the complex terrain.

A surprising find was that elevation is an important factor here, when the assumption was that vegetation and rainfall would be.

Through research like this, we understand more of the metaphorical puzzle that is the land we live on.

Over the next couple of weeks we will be going into the field to check out where more recent events have happened, mostly rockfalls in this case, to gather information that we can’t see on a computer screen.

Combining computing power with human experience makes this research all the more powerful and will hopefully contribute to helping emergency management planning on the islands.

This is a great example of how new technology can help us work through so much more information to gain more insight into our planet, and guide smarter decisions on how we prepare, build, and respond to our changing landscapes.

As with any hazard, being prepared by understanding the hazards around our homes and having an emergency plan can make a huge difference when it matters most. The National Emergency Management Agency Civil Defence is a good source of more information.

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Five Stags – An icon of Cambridge Hospitality Spotlight on Cambridge

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Hospitality is a tough business, so to be thriving after almost 13 years you have to be doing something right. But Five Stags is no ordinary restaurant and bar, community is at its heart and true to its values, Five Stags proudly supports numerous loc al sports clubs and schools.

A beautifully designed concept bar that reflects New Zealand’s rugged landscape and rich hunting traditions, Five Stags offers something special every day

or as owner Matt Palmer puts it: “Anything for a celebration.”

With April bringing the roar, venison is on the menu, while May means duck. On Fridays and Saturdays, a two-piece band takes the stage for an evening of hits, while Mondays offer a hearty sirloin steak with two eggs and chips for just $25.

Excellence underlines the Five Stags ethos and the glowing Google reviews say it all:

“The person who took our orders and delivered food was seriously good at her job.”

“The service was professional!”

“The staff were super helpful but not invasive.”

“The two ladies that served us were delightful, helpful, and friendly.”

Whether you’re celebrating, catching up with mates, or just after a top-notch meal, Five Stags continues to set the standard for hospitality in Cambridge.

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Abuse a ‘stain on national character’

By Viv Posselt

The spectre of abuse in some New Zealand care institutions will remain unless those responsible are held accountable and a bipartisan government approach is taken to address the recommendations of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into historic abuse in state and faith-based Institutions.

This was said last week by Judge Coral Shaw, who chaired what became the largest and most expensive Inquiry in New Zealand’s history.

Established in 2018 to investigate what happened to children, young people and vulnerable adults in care between 1950 and 1999, the Inquiry finally ended last year. Its 139 recommendations were delivered to Internal Affairs

Minister Brooke van Velden in May 2024.

Speaking to members of the Ōtorohanga Friendship Club, Shaw outlined the ‘staggering scale’ of the Inquiry, its findings revealing decades of sustained horrors, systemic failures, cover-ups and deflections. Many of those responsible for the abuse were never held accountable, she said, others had enjoyed the wider

institutional cover-up of their crimes while some had gone on to fulfil similar roles abroad.

“I have no confidence that such events will not occur again,” she said. “Most of us are just one or two degrees away from the tragedy. We need to know and recognise that it was not a case of a few bad people working in good institutions but rather it was the institutions themselves that hid the violence and neglect, thus attracting the bad people to work in them.”

Shaw, who as a district court judge in Auckland introduced a first fast-track system for family violence cases, also served as a judge of the New Zealand Employment Court and a judge of the United Nations Dispute Tribunal. She was appointed to oversee the Royal Commission into abuse in 2019, taking over from Sir Anand Satyanand. She lives in Pirongia.

She spoke of being ‘haunted’ still by the face of a young woman who brought to the then new lawyer her own harrowing story of abuse in state care. Shaw reached out for information but couldn’t trace anything on the woman. The case faded away. It was her first brush with the mechanisms

put in place to hide information and shield the perpetrators.

During the almost six-year Inquiry, Shaw presided over four commissioners and teams involving some 300 lawyers, researchers, policy analysts, experts and more. Over a million documents were gathered from faithbased institutions.

“The scale was staggering. We estimated that from 1950 to 2019 about 655,000 people were in care, and of these 256,000 (well over

a quarter) were abused or neglected – an indelible stain on the nation’s conscience,” she said. “We conducted 13 public hearings and countless private sessions, where survivors spoke with raw courage about the trauma they lived with.”

Some 64 per cent were Pākehā, 44 per cent Māori and five per cent Pacifica. Shaw said the imbalance in the number of Māori represented was disturbing given that at its peak they were 20 per cent of the population.

With the final report, the Inquiry delivered seven case studies that focused on particular institutions where people had been abused. They were the Hokio Beach and Kohitere Boys’ Training Centre (a case study of the state’s role in creating gangs and criminals); the Kimberley Centre (an institution for people with learning disabilities); Van Asch College and Kelston School for the Deaf; Boot Camp – Te Whakapakari

Lighting the way

Headlights are vital for safe driving, especially during winter and bleak conditions.

A number of issues can cause them to fail or underperform. One of the most common problems is burnt-out bulbs, which can happen suddenly and leave you with reduced visibility or make you less visible to other drivers. Regularly checking both low and high beams can help you spot this early.

Electrical faults such as faulty wiring, blown fuses, or a bad headlight relay can also cause

headlights to icker, dim, or stop working entirely. Corroded connections or moisture in the housing may interfere with the circuit and are especially common during wetter months, like winter in the Waikato.

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may still work, but if they’re pointing too high, low, or o to the side, they won’t e ectively illuminate the road ahead.

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Youth Programme; Jehovah’s Witnesses; the Order of the Brothers of St John of God at Marylands School and Hebron Trust; and the Lake Alice Child and Adolescent Unit.

An imbalance of power within institutions and a fear-based reluctance of bystanders to report incidences was key to much of the abuse remaining hidden.

“Our findings were unequivocal and quite horrible,” Shaw said. “State and faith-based institutions were entrusted to care for many children, young people and vulnerable adults. New Zealanders held the leaders of those institutions in high esteem. They had a duty to care for people and help them flourish … they failed. Instead, those in their care were exposed to physical, mental and sexual abuse and severe neglect. The true number of those abused with never be fully known as records were never kept or were destroyed.

“This gross violation occurred at the same time as Aotearoa New Zealand held itself up as a bastion of human rights. If this injustice is not addressed, it will remain a stain on our national character for ever.”

Judge Coral Shaw flanked by Ōtorohanga Friendship Club president Trish Neal, left, and club secretary Catherine Short. Photo: Viv Posselt

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What will the bank do?

By Peter Nicholl

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand will announce its next Official Cash Rate decision on August 20.

Lots of people are giving them advise. Most expect the bank to lower the cash rate again by 25 basis points – and some are saying they should lower it by as much as one per cent - 100 basis points.

A lot of points being made in the debate are being misused and some important points are being left out altogether.

First, current interest rates are invariably described as high.

They are only high in relation to the very low interest rates that existed at the time of two recent crises: the global financial crisis and the Covid crisis. It is these rates that were unusually low.

The average interest rate on mortgages in New Zealand over the last 20 years was similar to the current interest rates.

People with longer memories, like me, will know that mortgage interest rates in the 1980s and 1990s were much higher.

We need to stop describing current interest rates as high – they are average.

Second, the discussion about the impact of lower interest rates on household disposable incomes focuses on only one side of the impact: the disposable income of mortgage borrowers. It does go up when interest rates come down.

I have not seen anyone do a calcualtion of what happens to the disposable incomes of savers when interest rates come down.

But clearly, their disposable income drops. Total household debt in New

Zealand is about $390 billion. Total savings and time deposits in banks is around $310 billion. So when the disposable incomes of mortgage holders goes up when interest rates fall, most of that is a transfer of disposable incomes from savers to borrowers.

Third, some are saying that the reserve bank has got interest rates wrong again by leaving them too high.

John Key for example made this claim and recommended the bank lower the cash rate by a full one per cent.

The implication is that the bank is dragging the chain compared with other Central Banks. That simply isn’t the case.

The bank has lowered the cash rate further this year than its peers in Australia, Canada, the UK and US.

Only Canada has a lower official interest rate than New Zealand and their inflation rate is also significantly lower.

Australian and US inflation rates are currently similar to New Zealand and their official interest rates are higher.

I see absolutely no scope for the reserve bank to lower its rate by one per cent on August 20.

If they do, the value of our dollar will sink. That might be good for exporters but it would be lousy for inflation.

I don’t think the bank should lower the cash rate at all - but they probably will by another 25 basis points to three per cent.

Marist crowned Waikato champs

By Jesse Wood

After an impressive regular season, Hautapu fell short 32-21 against Hamilton Marist in the Waikato premier club rugby Breweries Shield final on Saturday.

Both teams had only one loss a piece before heading into the final match on Marist’s artificial turf.

“Our winning run showed we had the confidence in ourselves. By the end of season, we had a real identity of how we wanted to play our games,” Hautapu head coach Jackson Willison said.

“The thing I was most proud of the boys for on Saturday was, we knew how we wanted to play the final.

“While we didn’t get the result, we didn’t go away from how we approached the season.”

The visitors were down 19-7 at the break and managed to add a further two tries in the second half. Ultimately, the Marist “green machine” was too strong.

Hautapu halfback and captain Quintony Ngatai led from the front, while lock Dylan Eti had several barnstorming carries.

“We probably gave Marist too much of a head start. We came back with three nice tries and were within three points, but it wasn’t to be,” Willison said.

“Marist have been really good all season. It was quite an exciting challenge for our club.

“Without our supporters and certainly sponsors, there’s no club, so thank you. My sense is the club is in a good position moving forward.”

Hautapu under-21 also played in a final on Saturday, losing 41-18 to Hamilton Old Boys in the Elliott Shield match at Fred Jones Park.

Beau Wallis and Maraekiti Nepia scored Hautapu’s tries. Ned Collins added a conversion and two penalty goals.

The home side seized seven tries to lift the shield in front of their fans.

“The under-21s can be really proud of their season. They had a few challenging games and people probably wrote them off,” Willison said.

“While they didn’t win the final, I do think that in time, the boys will reflect on the season and see their success.

“There’s a good bunch of lads now who will be ineligible for under-21s, so they will naturally move up into the senior squad.

“It’ll be quite exciting if we keep hold of all our depth.”

The year isn’t quite over for Hautapu. They’re well represented in Waikato sides this season.

Several Waikato NPC, New Zealand Harlequins and Waikato under-19 representatives have been selected out of the Cambridge-based club.

In the division 1 Mooloo Shield competition, Leamington and Pirongia also played their final games for the year on Saturday.

Pirongia finished on a high, beating Tokoroa-based Southern United 24-10 under the mountain.

Flynn Wuest, Lochie Bolstad, Daniel Belk and Callum Hall crossed the chalk for the home side.

The Pirongia B team have booked themselves a home final against Suburbs after beating Southern United B 17-12.

Backs Jake Pitcon and Sani Ramuwai scored tries, while Kingston Grant sealed the deal, adding two conversions and a penalty.

Leamington travelled south to Putāruru, and lost 43-7. Henry Drew was their sole try scorer.

In the division 1 championship, Ōhaupō had a bye week, as did their B side.

Both Ōhaupō teams have secured home finals against Taupiri this Saturday.

Reps miss final

By Jesse Wood

Waikato rugby’s premier grand final on Saturday was robbed of seven players who were removed due to provincial rugby commitments.

Hamilton Marist hosted Cambridge-based Hautapu at Marist Park in the Breweries Shield final, and won 32-21.

Provincial rugby kicks off tonight when Waikato face Auckland in the opening match.

Rep players, who took part for most club games this season, ruled out of the club final.

Hautapu lost co-captain Mitch Jacobson, winger Waisake Salabiau, loose forwards Andrew Smith and Senita Lauaki – all capped by Waikato in 2024. Hamilton Marist were missing props Mason Tupaea and Gabe Robinson from their previous weekend’s line-up.

Marist was also without Tom Martin who has been named in the Counties Manukau team.

Waikato played a pre-season game on Friday against Hawke’s Bay, while Counties Manukau had a preseason fixture on Saturday.

Hautapu head coach Jackson Willison said clubs were given fair warning.

“We as a club, and every club, knew the situation well prior to the final. There was enough time for us to prepare for the situation that played out,” Willison said.

“It was gutting not to have the boys there but it’s not like I didn’t know. The information was there

Leamington 8 De La Mare Drive

Step

early enough for clubs to plan.

“We had to get to the final first, so we put all our eggs into the basket of winning the semi.

“That was a cool result for the club, but it was certainly a funny feeling on Monday in the lead up to the week of the finals.”

The day was club rugby’s showpiece with finals across most grades.

Other finals were played under lights on Friday and others take place this coming Saturday.

Willison said they focused on developing depth in their squad.

This was to help the club’s future and safeguarding for a final without their NPC players.

“Naturally there was a bit of frustration within the squad because we were chopping and changing the team so often,” Willison said.

“But we were trying to create depth for the likelihood of being put in that situation.”

Hautapu Waisake Salabiau was one of several players not named for the Breweries Shield final. Photo: Matt Gould

Prestige, Privacy &

Street, Cambridge

- Two living areas offering excellent separation, room for everyone

- Fully fenced 762m² (more or less) section.

- Two heat pumps ensure year-round climate control Open Homes Saturday 11 - 11.30am & Sunday 2 - 2.30pm

3 Madison Street, Cambridge

- 5 bedrooms with the large master opening to a covered deck.

- Spacious open plan living flows to private, covered outside deck.

- Endearing and generous living areas include a well appointed kitchenand separate lounge.

Home Sunday 1.00 - 1.30pm

- Massive 1343m² (more or less) section with excellent privacy.

- 280m² of well-designed, easy-care living.

- Seamless indoor-outdoor flow to multiple entertaining areas. Open Homes Saturday & Sunday 12.00 - 12.30pm

3/20 Queen Street, Cambridge 2 1

- The professionals have just finished repainting inside, the new stove is in, and the new vinyl in the dining area has been laid, meaning this 1960’s Huntly brick unit is ready to be moved into now.

- Fully fenced home will be ideal to enjoy the spacious yard in safety. Open Homes Saturday 1 - 1.30pm & Sunday 12 - 12.30pm

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Market Appraisal

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Reds rally for double draw

A 24th-minute penalty by Rachel Major secured a hard-fought draw for Cambridge women against Birkenhead in their Northern League championship clash at John Kerkhof Park on Sunday. Birkenhead’s Nina O’Leary equalised in the

37th minute, setting the stage for a tense, goalless second half. Tempers flared both on and off the pitch.

Cambridge’s Bella Stark was booked in the 66th minute, while Birkenhead substitute Nicola O’Leary was shown yellow at 83 minutes - prompting calls

from the crowd for a red. Hamilton’s Melville United lead the table with 40 points, followed by Onehunga on 32. Birkenhead remain third, now three points behind Onehunga instead of one. Cambridge sit fifth with five wins, nine losses, and one

gritty draw.

Meanwhile, Cambridge’s men’s Northern League championship side played out a dramatic 3–3 draw against second-placed Manukau United on Saturday.

Two goals from Joshua Clarkin and one from Jack

Portegys overturned a twogoal deficit, putting a home win within reach.

But right on full time

Dylan Morris beat Cambridge keeper Stefan Heuberger to disappoint the faithful.

Cambridge remain in equal fifth, seven points

behind leaders Melville United, who beat Wanderers 3–0 in the Hamilton derby.

This weekend, Cambridge’s men travel to Auckland to face Mt Albert Ponsonby at Anderson Park, while the women also head north to Waikaraka Park to take on Onehunga Sports.

Goalie Hannah Alpine challenged by Cambridge’s Bella Stark late in the second half with from left Birkenhead captain Shayden Cathro and The Reds’ Lisa Busch.

Photo: Mary Anne Gill

BUNTING, Heather Bell –

Passed away peacefully at Waikato Hospital on Monday, 21st July 2025, aged 95 years. Dearly loved wife of the late Norm Bunting, and the late Eric Overton. Much loved mother and mother-inlaw of Alan & Corey, George, Carol & Mark, and the late Lynette. Adored Nana of Harlee, Centayne, Natasha, and Brooke. Heather lived a life marked by resilience and warmth, having lovingly endured the loss of two beloved husbands and her dear daughter. Her grace, and strength will be deeply missed by all who knew her. A heartfelt thank you to the Hematology and Palliative Care teams at Waikato Hospital for their exceptional care and kindness to Heather. A celebration of Heather’s life has been held. Messages to the Bunting/ Overton Family may be sent c/- 3 Hallys Lane, Cambridge 3434 or left in Heather’s tribute book at www.grinters. co.nz.

COSTER, Roderick James Alan (Rod) – A loved, devoted, and passionate man, Rod very peacefully slipped away in his wife Irene’s arms at Waikato Hospital on Friday, 25th July 2025, aged 79 years. Loved stepfather and father-in-law to Jason, Patrick & Haley, William, and the late Paul. Treasured Grandad to 11 grandchildren.

Gone far too soon.

A celebration of Rod’s life will be held at the Cambridge Cosmopolitan Club, Burns Street, Leamington, Cambridge on Thursday, 31st July 2025 at 11:00am. Messages to the Coster family may be sent c/- 3 Hallys Lane, Cambridge 3434, or shared in Rod’s online tribute book at www. grinters.co.nz.

LUSBY, Marian – Passed away peacefully on Sunday 27 July 2025, aged 97 years. Much loved and loving wife of the late Roy. Dearly loved Mother and motherin-law of Judy and Clem, and the late Wayne. Adored Nana of Aaron and Betsy Tipping, Jason and Karla Tipping, and dearly loved Nana Lusby of Jack, Felix, Zephyr, Ruby, Noah and Jesse. Special thanks to the staff at Lauriston Park for their compassionate care of Marian. A service to celebrate Marian’s life will be held at St Andrews Church, 85 Hamilton Road, Cambridge on Saturday 2 August at 11:00am. Please refer to Legacy Funerals website for link to the livestream.

HARNETT, John – Passed away. Known as Scooter John at Speedway. Friend of the Roigard family. Sadly missed.

McLEAN, Judy Elizabeth Gay (née Ryder) –Passed away peacefully at Resthaven on Burns on Thursday, July 24, 2025, aged 81 years. Loved mother of John Kerr. The family extends their heartfelt thanks to the wonderful staff at Resthaven on Burns for their kindness, compassion, and dedicated care of Judy during her years with you. In accordance with Judy’s wishes, a private farewell has been held. Messages to the McLean/Kerr family may be sent c/- 3 Hallys Lane, Cambridge 3434 or shared in Judy’s online tribute book at www.grinters.co.nz.

PACE, John William

Richard – Passed away peacefully on the 27th of July 2025 at Resthaven on Burns Street Cambridge, aged 83 years. Much loved husband of Dorreen and adored Dad of Virginia, Brenden, Sophia, Barnaby, Jonathan and the late Matthew. Loved Grandad of all his grandchildren.

“John will leave a huge hole in all our lives. We will always love you” A service to celebrate John’s life has been held. Communications to the Pace family C/- Legacy Funerals Cambridge, PO Box 844 Cambridge 3450.

WHITE, Ashley Stannard

Hamilton (Ash) – Very peacefully slipped away at home, surrounded by his loving family, after a brief illness on Sunday, July 27, 2025, aged 83 years. Most wonderful and devoted husband of Colleen. Dearly loved stepfather to Lisa, Cherie & the late Mike, Lynda & Chris. Adored grandfather of Tane, Christopher and Sarah. Loved and respected cousin of Roger, Julia, and their families. Thank you, Ash, for loving us. You were so very loved in return. A memorial service to celebrate Ash’s life will be held at The Victoria Room, Cambridge Town Hall, Victoria Street, Cambridge, on Tuesday, August 5, 2025 at 1pm. Messages for the White family may be sent c/3 Hallys Lane, Cambridge 3434 or shared in Ash’s online tribute book at www. grinters.co.nz.

Taylor Street, Cambridge

For enquiries: E: greypower.cambridge@gmail.com Visitors aged 50+ keen to become Greypower members are welcome to attend Speaker Mark Hanlon from Urban Miners

NEW MEMBERS WELCOME

SEEKING A RETIRED FARMER

vans, utes, trucks, in any condition, dead or alive. Call 0800 333 398 or text 021 344 449

PANELBEATER available for onsite repairs. Accident damage – rust repairs –motorbike tank and plastic fairings – welding. No insurance work. Ph Geoff 021 464 687

CONTACT GOOD SPEED CONSTRUCTION for all your building and project needs. No job to big or small. One call does it all. Call Ross 021 063 2268

Cambridge Seventh-Day Adventist Church

Cr. Shakespeare & Browning Streets Bible Study Each Saturday: 9:30am-10:45am

Like us on Facebook: h�ps://www.facebook.com/cambridge.sda.9 email: cambridge.sda.nz@gmail.com

Jono Gibson Funeral Director

“We realised mum wasn’t taking her medication.”

Heather Taylor noticed changes in her mother, Ann, that signalled she was no longer coping as well as she had been. Recognising that Ann needed a bit more help, Heather and her husband John stepped up. After almost two years of trialling in-home services and caring for Ann in her home, Heather and John knew Ann needed more support.

“It got to a point where we realised mum wasn’t taking her medication. We weren’t sure whether she was eating properly. Of course, she said she was fine, but we were also worried that she wasn’t showering, we looked for little signs.” said Heather.

“We had in-home services go in to see what they could do to help her, but she wasn’t having a bar of it. She wouldn’t let anybody in. So, we went to the doctors to have her assessed and started the process of having the care coordinators come around and a psychiatric assessment.”

John and Heather had been planning ahead, knowing they wouldn’t be able to care for her mother indefinitely. “John and I visited Summerset before mum moved in. We had a look around the village and decided this was the place, I just felt good about everything.” said Heather.

It can be challenging juggling your career, life and children while moving a loved one into care. It’s important to have the right people on your side to guide you. It won’t always be smooth sailing, but having professionals you can trust makes all the difference.

“I found it hard handing the care responsibility over to other people, but you could see the benefits almost straight away. Mum started looking better. She was having her pills, three meals a day, she was hydrated.” said Heather.

Once settled, Ann’s social life improved as well. “It took around four or five months for mum to fully settle in, but I knew we had done the right thing. I came in one day and she was sitting in the lounge chatting with a couple of ladies. She wasn’t really interested in me. Then one day mum suggested we go to the village café. So, we went downstairs and she’s waving at all these people, and I thought ‘this is fabulous’.”

If you’d like to know more about the supported living options and continuum of care coming to Summerset Cambridge, visit summerset.co.nz or call 07 839 9482