One ranks third-highest in the country for rate increases at 15.5 per cent, while the other sits near the bottom at just 2.91 per cent.
The stark contrast in performance has prompted calls from groups like the Taxpayers’ Union and the Waikato Chamber of Commerce for council amalgamations to spread costs and keep rates in check.
Waikato Chamber chief executive Don Good said the 20-44 per cent increases “beggars belief” and would significantly affect voter sentiment in the upcoming local body elections.
Mayors Susan O’Regan
(Waipā) and John Robertson (Waitomo), lead councils that have faced three years of unprecedented financial challenges, including high inflation, ageing infrastructure, water reforms and soaring debt.
Waipā has cut nearly $200 million of costs out of its Long Term Plan in a bid to find savings.
But O’Regan says the issue goes beyond individual councils.
“It’s bigger than that, it’s looking at the whole of this sector and how it is structured and funded and where those shortcomings are,” said O’Regan.
“Anybody that promises rate suppression really fails to understand the situation we’re in as a sector and as a country around the need for infrastructure renewal.”
According to the Taxpayers’ Union, the average council rates increase across New Zealand for 2025 is 8.39 per cent, while Waipā’s three-year cumulative increase of 40.55 per cent is
described as “staggering and unsustainable.”
Local Government campaigns manager Sam Warren said councils like Waipā, Hamilton and Waikato used growth as a smokescreen to justify excessive spending and pass the burden onto ratepayers.
“Councils are gaslighting those already struggling to get by,” he said.
Robertson sees the upcoming water reforms as a catalyst for necessary mergers, particularly between Waitomo and Ōtorohanga.
“When we lose water, we lose 20-25 per cent of our business. You can’t keep the overheads.”
Waitomo, once one of the most debt-ridden councils in the country, is projected to have similar debt levels to Ōtorohanga, making amalgamation a practical necessity.
Robertson, a former member of Parliament, mayor of Papakura and local government commissioner acknowledged the government’s water reforms could be seen by some councils as “mergers by stealth.”
O’Regan said councils would need to reassess their situations next term.
Waipā is likely to transfer its drinking and wastewater infrastructure to a councilcontrolled organisation called Waikato Water Done Well comprising Ōtorohanga, Hauraki, South Waikato, Matamata-Piako and Waitomo.
“Water reform will prompt a lot of councils to consider what the future for local government of the rest of council looks like. If that’s not a discussion then you don’t understand what the position is in the sector,” said O’Regan.
Merger calls grow
“If you’re not prepared to contemplate what local government could look like going forward, you’re misunderstanding the memo.
“You have to look at how we can deliver better and more efficient, cost effective services to our community.”
She cited Waikato Regional Airport and Co Lab – a council-owned initiative to find shared opportunities - as successful examples of collaboration.
“Waikato Water Done well in and of itself is an example of excellent inter district collaboration.
“I would like to think we would be mature enough to have a discussion about how the future of that representation and delivery of services could be created for our collective communities and at the same time not lose that local voice and expression and sense of place.”
Robertson said his council had “stripped back” costs to avoid insolvency, a situation that once led the Productivity Commission to label it the worst-performing council in the country.
Good said the performances of Waitomo and Waikato Regional Council – its 2025 increase is 5.7 per cent and 19.65 per cent over three years – were acceptable premiums for growth.
“Business accepts inflation increases but objects to paying two to three times inflation for the same service.
“Double or even triple above inflation means voters will vote with their wallets for more business like financially prudent candidates,” he said.
“It is time for accountability and real change. This is the year voters need to vote.”
Susan O’Regan
Don Good
Sam Warren
John Robertson
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Sound advice from Nick
By Jon Rawlinson
Ōtorohanga-raised Nick Jones returned to his former home town recently with a most welcome message for parents.
“Parents have a lot of fears and uncertainty if their child has hearing problems, including how they’re going to live in the real world when they’re older,” he told The News. “So, it’s great to be able to assure them that it’s all going to be fine and their children can go on to do anything they like.
He should know – he was diagnosed as profoundly deaf in his infancy, The now 33year old was fitted with a Cochlear implant as an infant.
Now an audiologist for The Hearing House, he has been providing hearing checks through a mobile clinic in Cambridge and Ōtorohanga this week.
“Giving back what I was given, knowing that I’m making a big difference in people’s lives, is so rewarding.”
Launched in September, The Hearing House mobile unit is a purpose-built hearing lab on wheels.
“It’s like a campervan but inside it’s soundproofed, we have two clinicians and all the equipment we need including a testing booth. We can reach out to people who can’t make it up to Auckland.”
With internal and external components, Cochlear implants (CI) bypass parts of the inner ear, stimulating the auditory nerve with electrical signals. They improve
hearing in most cases, Nick said.
“Sometimes they’re not recommended but if people are medically suitable then there’s no reason why not. Hearing can improve significantly after an implant for 99 per cent of the people we see.”
Even with a CI, there are challenges.
“The CI has helped me, but it doesn’t mean my hearing is perfect – there are still instances when I struggle to hear, if there’s background noise or a big group of people, for example,” Nick said.
But help is available.
“I was lucky to have one-on-one support from Anna McKey, a teacher aide at Ōtorohanga South School. She’s a compassionate and intelligent lady who made sure I was up to speed with my learning. Receiving her support throughout my early years was invaluable.”
People you can count on CONTACTS
Another Ōtorohanga South School teacher has been in Nick’s corner even longer. It’s his mum Barbara.
Initially, Nick’s family did not notice the warning signs, Barbara said.
“He was such a switched on kid, good at responding to visual and vibration cues, so we didn’t pick up on it at first. Then, John, my father-in-law, said he thought there might be something wrong – we’re so grateful to him for that.”
Implants can be fitted on children aged as young as six months. As the technology was new when Nick was diagnosed, Barbara was advised to wait and try communicating with her son using sign language first.
“When we started signing to him, it
On the beat with
Senior Constable Ryan Fleming
was like a dam broke. He was so eager to communicate, but I was like the interpreter between him and the world, so it wasn’t ideal.”
Aged three, Nick became one of the first children born deaf in New Zealand to receive an implant. Since then, Barbara said her son has been an inspiration.
“It’s made a huge difference in his life,” she said. “Having experienced the shock of being told my child had profound hearing loss, I know how reassuring Nick’s story and his work must be for other parents. I’m so proud of him.”
Continuing on with the various work groups based at the Te Awamutu Police Station, this week I will write about our wonderful front counter staff.
At Police College our training sergeants dutifully told us to be nice to the front counter staff as they had the ability to make our lives easier or make our lives hell. Never has a truer word been spoken.
We are blessed at the Te Awamutu station with a number of front counter staff including casual staff. They are the first point of contact for any member of the public who come to the station with an enquiry. Front counter staff have a wealth of knowledge and rarely respond with
an “I don’t know” when a constable asks a question about some policy, procedure or where something is in the station. They also complete a lot of the background paperwork after an arrest which allows constables more street time. My personal favourite when it comes to front counter is being told they have someone at the front counter who is demanding to speak with a uniformed police constable. Invariably I’ll go out and field the question only to have to get the answer from the front counter person.
Front counter staff of New Zealand Police: We salute you.
Inside The Hearing House mobile unit, from left, board member David Welch and audiologists Bri Putnam and Nick Jones
Briefs…
Library stats
New figures show a surge in Waipā library use for the year ended June 30. Te Awamutu Library saw a 3.5 per cent increase to 172,023. In Cambridge book issues rose by 24,097 – nearly eight per cent - to 328,911. Visitor numbers also climbed: Cambridge was up 5.3 per cent to 84,594, while Te Awamutu rose 3.3 per cent to 86,829.
On the move
Te Awamutu Museum
Education and Research Centre’s temporary Rickit Road site closed this week, and staff will now prepare for the move back to Roche Street which was deemed earthquake-prone in October 2022. Since then, extensive strengthening work has been completed, ensuring it is safe for visitors, staff and taonga.
National award
Ahu Ake – Waipā Community
Spatial Plan is a finalist in the Local Government New Zealand SuperLocal Awards announced tonight (Thursday). The plan is in the SuperEngaged – Tū Hononga Award category, which celebrates councils that use creative ways to involve their communities, including voices that are not always heard. The approach included a ‘World Cafe’ and saw staff and elected members take to the road, visiting 11 towns and villages across the district.
Petition calls
A petition has been launched calling on Ōtorohanga District Council to review its December 2024 decision to change its logo from a threekiwi inspired design to one representing a nest.
Powering ahead
Members of a five-strong team from Te Awamutu’s Trainstation gym qualified for August’s national powerlifting champs at an event in Pukekohe this month. The team comprised Gary Hobb, Chara Reti, Rob Blacket, Ash Claperton-Tiney and gym owner Mike Smith.
LGNZ goes eight down
By Mary Anne Gill
Waikato Regional Council has become the eighth council in two years to withdraw from Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ), the national advocacy body for local authorities.
As a consequence, chair Pamela Storey was not at the LGNZ annual conference which kicked off yesterday in Christchurch.
Waikato Regional Council voted 6–5 to exit LGNZ and save an annual $122,000 membership fee.
The councils follow in the footsteps of 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.
Waikato Regional Council strategy and policy chair Warren Maher said LGNZ focussed too much on district issues and took a left-leaning approached that hindered cooperation with central government.
Representatives from Hamilton, Waipā, Hauraki, Waikato, Ōtorohanga, Matamata-Piako and Waitomo were booked in for the conference this week.
Mayor Susan O’Regan told The News prior to the event that she would attend and participate in an electoral reform working group led by Nelson mayor Nick Smith.
Waipā chief executive Steph O’Sullivan was scheduled to present today (Thursday) on driving organisational performance. Other attendees from Waipā are Māori ward representative Dale-Maree Morgan and Kihikihi councillor Marcus Gower.
Members of the Ahu Ake Spatial Plan team will not be present for the Local Government awards tonight despite being a finalist in the Super Engaged
category for its World Café engagement initiative.
Ōtorohanga mayor Max Baxter and his deputy Annette Williams, who are both standing down at this year’s local government elections, chief executive Tanya Winter, and councillors Katrina Christison and Jaimee Tamaki were all attending the conference.
Waitomo mayor John Robertson said he and chief executive Ben Smit would be at the conference but no other elected members or staff.
“This is part of our costsaving exercise. Only one elected member to go to the conference,” said Robertson.
Neither Waipā nor Waitomo elected members had formally discussed leaving LGNZ. However Robertson said he was concerned at the lack of engagement between central and local government.
“It’s not new,” the former MP for Papakura said. “I recall when we met with then prime minister Helen Clark. It was a terse relationship.”
Central and local government needed to work together but local decisions were best made locally, said Robertson.
O’Regan said her council had not discussed whether to continue belonging to LGNZ. “It’s not one we’ve had and neither will we have time between now and the elections.”
The conference this year was a “pared back” event reflecting current economic
conditions but still featured a wide range of speakers and sessions.
The conference included a Women in Local Government breakfast yesterday followed by a speech via video from prime minister Christopher Luxon.
Local Government and
Resource Management Reform and Infrastructure ministers Simon Watt and Chris Bishop were to speak on powering the economy.
Other break out sessions included what councils needed to know about Māori wards and constituencies, unlocking
the Māori economy, the role of local government in the changing landscape and managing community facility projects.
Deputy prime minister David Seymour was to speak this morning before a session on driving efficiencies and productivity.
Fergus is Cairo bound
Te Awamutu squash talent Fergus Hill has been added to the touring squad to represent New Zealand in the junior world champs.
The Year-12 Hamilton Boys High student was originally named as a reserve but a rule change announced by the World Squash Federation has opened the door for him to represent his country.
Hill, 16 and a member of the Te Awamutu Squash Club will travel to Cairo, Egypt as part of the New Zealand junior boys team for the July 21-August 1 series.
The World Squash Federation had reduced team sizes from six to four for the tournament – but changed its mind the day after the New Zealand team was announced.
This unexpected update prompted selectors to reconvene and expand the team, paving the way Hill and Te Puke’s Jack Lord to be included in the travelling team.
“Fergus’s inclusion comes as no surprise for our local squash community, given the dedication, determination and accomplishments that he has already achieved in what is a truly incredible junior career,” Te Awamutu club publicity officers Bronwyn Brier said.
Having grown up on court, after picking up a squash racket as young child, alongside his other sporting loves of cricket and rugby, Fergus has quickly risen through the ranks with a cheeky and engaging style of squash play. This dedication and commitment to the sport saw Fergus, earlier this year, attaining the elite A2 grade – an exceptional accomplishment for someone just 16 years
old.
Squash runs deep in Hill family. His great-grandfather Raymond Bowers was one of the founding members of the Te Awamutu Squash Club in the early 1960s. His grandparents Glenice and John Hill, his parents Scott and Rebecca Hill, and older brother Connor have all played the sport competitively.
Notably, Connor was also a member of the New Zealand Junior Boys Team that competed at the 2023 World Championships in Melbourne and has been a great mentor and competitive rival for Fergus as they have both risen through the junior ranks.
Funeral Director: Teri Keir
Pamela Storey Max Baxter Ben Smit Steph O’Sullivan Tanya Winter
Fergus Hill in action.
Photo: Dave Lintott Photography
How
By Janine Krippner
When it comes to volcanic eruptions, people love numbers, especially big ones. The largest eruption in 20 years, the highest ash plume in our lifetime, the most terrifying pyroclastic flows - these make great headlines.
But behind these impressive figures lies a lot of careful work to measure, verify, and confirm what actually happened.
One measure of the size of an eruption is the Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI). As soon as an eruption begins, estimates start circulating, often stated as fact. This looks at the amount of material that was erupted, and ash plume heights, so this is not calculated until an eruption has ended.
To calculate volume, how much magma was erupted in total, as well as the breakdown into ash (pulverized rock), lava flows, or pyroclastic flows, can be a bit tricky and generally takes a mix of field work, computing power, expertise, and time.
It is important to understand the eruption volumes of past events so that we can understand what future scenarios might look like. To explain how we calculate the volume of lava produced during an eruption, I am sitting in Tenerife with Sergio Alfaya, who is working with me at GeoTenerife. Sergio has calculated lava volumes for past eruptions across the island of Tenerife, as well as the 2021 La Palma eruption.
One challenge with lava flows compared to other volcanic processes is that it entirely buries the landscape. The La Palma lava flow field (made up of many individual lava flows erupted over the three-month period) reaches around 75-100 metres thick in places. To put that into perspective, the typical height of a room is about 2.5 metres high.
We have to “reconstruct” what the landscape looks like before the lava covered it. For recent eruptions we can compare before-and-after satellite data, but for older eruptions we don’t have that luxury. For those we have to rely on historical maps and imagery to build a mathematical model of the pre-eruption terrain.
We use satellite imagery and drone data to capture the surface detail of the lava flows. With these datasets, we can compute how much lava now buries the landscape.
The La Palma eruption is the first in the Canary Islands to have high-quality data from both before and after the eruption. Researchers like Sergio can use this to refine their volume calculations and validate or test their methods.
The final result? The La Palma lava flow measures approximately 177 million cubic meters (m³). If we think of a dump truck typically carrying 10-14 m3 per load, it would take about 14 million truckloads to move that much lava. For another comparison, building Auckland’s Sky Tower required around 15,000 m³ of concrete. La Palma’s lava flow field is more than 11,000 times that volume.
Understanding the lava flow volumes from past eruptions allows us to run simulations of eruptions across different locations to see where they would go, and what the impacts to communities would be. Each step, from data collection to computer modelling, takes careful consideration and testing so that our science can be used to inform decisions and protect lives.
Standing up for our values
By Christine Bryant, Lay Minister, St John’s
Paris Saint Germain won the European Football Cup on May 31. The next two nights there were riots in France. In Le Monde on June 2, the editorial asked: Why do hundreds of young men, mostly aged 15-25, think these are appropriate actions to celebrate a football match? Why do they have little respect for the property and livelihood of others? Why are they so disengaged from the norms of society?
On June 18, Le Monde reported the speech of King Abdullah of Jordan to the European Parliament. He addressed the same questions in a geo-political context. He stressed that at the end of World War II, Europe made a conscious decision to live together differently, in peace and harmonyto talk through problems in a freely-elected forum and resolve differences by nonviolent means. Now 27 diverse nations have committed to living in a climate of respect for each other’s cultures and world views.
The purpose of the king’s address was to warn that values we prize are in danger of unravelling.
The example he gave related to the attacks on Gaza’s hospitals. “Twenty months ago,” he said, “the world reacted in horror at the first incident of Israel bombing a hospital”. In the 20 months since, the World Health Organisation has documented 700 strikes on Gaza’s medical facilities.
This now doesn’t even raise a collective eyebrow. “How”, asked King Abdullah, “have people whose history is the JudeoChristian-Muslim ethic - Love your neighbour; do good to those who would harm you - become inured to such inhumane conduct?”
King Abdullah is not wrong. We see daily the spectacle of world leaders who cannot tolerate criticism, neglect basic courtesies in their responses to questions and have no respect for alternative views.
Even though less than half of our population identifies as Christian, New Zealand has chosen to be a country in the Judeo-Christian-Muslim tradition, a country that identified in the Treaty of Waitangi that there was a right way of living together.
I acknowledge we have not always lived into the promises which Māori and the Crown made. Nevertheless, at a time when the danger of distant conflict threatens to spread further south, we need to stand up for the values we share with Europe and Jordan.
Lack of respect for others leads to conflict and violence.
When the lawyer asked, “who is my neighbour?”, Jesus replied with the story of the Good Samaritan. In this story, two respectable Israelites were invited to identify with a man who had been beaten up. They declined to show compassion and crossed to the other side of the road. The Samaritan, however, saw how the injured man could be himself and took steps to ensure he was cared for. Jesus asked the lawyer to name which of the three was a true neighbour and then challenged them to go and do likewise. If we want a more just and equitable world, that challenge still holds good today.
Project had old school ties
By Jon Rawlinson
A new film centred on Hamilton’s Fairfield College has deep connections spanning the Waikato, Waipā and King Country.
Telling the story of Fairfield College, ‘Kukutaaruhe – Ngā Taonga Tuku Iho’ - treasures of the past - explores bonds between the school, the people and the land.
An advance screening was held at the college ahead of Matariki.
Film maker Robbie Neha, a former Fairfield College head boy and former board member based in Ōtorohanga has had more than 35 years’ experience in film and television.
“I always wanted to tell this story,” Neha said. “It’s about the school but also Ngāti Wairere. I was honoured when Richard contacted me.”
Principal Richard Crawford said he was inspired to contact Neha and historian Wiremu Puke after encountering cultural narratives in Alaska and Canada during a sabbatical.
“The school was opened in 1957, so I thought it was about time we put something on video to acknowledge the land where the school sits and especially to pay tribute to Ngāti Wairere, the mana whenua – it’s an acknowledgement of their narratives,” Crawford said.
“It’s a story about the school but also the land and where we hope to be in future by making it more sustainable, raising consciousness of this for our community.”
This message brings urban biodiversity and gully restoration initiative, The Fairfield Project, into frame.
The project has been responsible for planting more than 31,000 trees across the Kukutaaruhe Gully.
“The project featured quite strongly in the film – it’s an important part because it’s about the land and how we’re going to preserve it.”
The documentary will soon be accessible through the Fairfield College website.
Past and present students of the college feature on screen and behind the scenes. Puke and Neha, both Ngāti Wairere, were instrumental, Crawford said.
“Wiremu was critical in making sure what we were showing was culturally appropriate and accurate. It couldn’t have happened without him or without Robbie because of his ideas and production skills.”
‘Kukutaaruhe – Ngā Taonga Tuku Iho’ could encourage other schools to explore and share their history and ties to mana whenua on film.
“It certainly wasn’t my intention, but I
hope it does motivate others,” Neha said. There are many more schools across our towns and districts, so I certainly hope that there will be more.”
Neha has worked in numerous governance roles including as the Taarewaanga Marae representative on the Ōtorohanga Kiwi House Trust and as a committee member of the Pirongia Heritage and Information Centre.
Guests at the centre’s recent annual meeting heard Neha discuss filmmaking, whakapapa and history.
Neha is well known for his books and documentaries about the New Zealand Wars, including works in collaboration with University of Waikato professor and News columnist Tom Roa, and Corey Wilson.
Ensuring Māori voices feature in history was essential, Neha said.
“Many of our historical books were written by colonials – some would say ‘to the victors go the spoils’. We’ve referred to James Cowan’s writing, among others, which is all part of being a good researcher, but we’ve also done our own research. We’ve documented, recorded and captured what our tūpuna told us.”
‘Ōrākau, Ka Aowhia Te Rangi – A Rich History poorly known’ concentrates on the final battle of the Waikato War, the scene of Rewi Maniapoto’s last stand and recalls the infamous attack on the peaceful settlement of Rangiaowhia near Kihikihi.
Another book, by Neha’s aunt Dr Kahu McClintock, ‘E Paa Too Hau – Softly blows the wind’, was released in February to mark the anniversary of Rangiaowhia.
“It was lovely to share Ngāti Wairere’s history of Rangiaowhia, of the place, not the conflict, so future generations can understand it,” Neha said.
“Very
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Thank you.” Aaron Pendergast — Vendor
Fairfield College principal, Richard Crawford with city councillor Sarah Thomson and filmmaker, Robbie Neha attended an advance screening of a new film about Fairfield College.
Changes at Rotary
By Viv Posselt
Te Awamutu Rotary club has ushered in a leadership direction for 2025 that will see the club run by a group rather than an individual.
Outgoing club president Kylie Brewer said the club will be led this year by a committee, made up of Graham Jull, Gill Johnston, John Harrison and Chris Kay. She said the change was made to ensure the club’s sustainability and viability.
Brewer outlined activities during her year in office which saw it donate more than $20,500 to the community. Recipients included the Te Awamutu Health Shuttle, the Citizen’s Advice Bureau, foodbank and boxing academy.
Support has also been given to the Pirongia Forest Park Lodge, the Te Awamutu Brass Band for building repairs, and to Te Awamutu College student Blake Gower for his upcoming participation in the London Science Forum.
Several Rotarians were presented with awards during an early July dinner evening.
Brewer presented the Paul Harris Fellow award to Stephen Cox for his extensive involvement in wetlands
restoration, particularly at Lake Rotopiko where his work with Waipā District Council, Wintec and the New Zealand Wetlands Trust has helped establish the New Zealand Wetlands Headquarters at the site.
“He has organised all the Rotary volunteers and has put in a huge effort with the project,” Brewer said. “Stephen’s Rotary life has shown his commitment to the environment and innovation within the struggles to maintain biodiversity and healthy wetlands.”
Richard Reynolds was awarded an honorary membership in recognition of his ‘outstanding contribution to the club and the wider community’.
Since joining Rotary in 1995, he has been involved numerous initiatives including the organisation’s successful firewood project, the 4-Wheel Drive Safari, and the Urban Miners Project.
Reynolds served as club president from 2003-2004 and was a recipient of the Paul Harris Fellow award in 2008.
Honorary membership was also presented to Michael Cox, and a community service award was presented by Elizabeth Bayley-Jull to Jill Taylor for community service.
Kylie Brewer presented Stephen Cox with his Paul Harris Fellow award.
supplied
outlined Taylor’s many initiatives, including her ‘Muffins for Mums’ project to support out-of-town mothers of babies in the hospital’s intensive care unit, her Operation Christmas Hamper which gives food and presents to 200 needy families at Christmas, and the free youth programme Jenga, which made the longest hot dog in New Zealand last year, and with the assistance of a Freemason’s grant, also designed a fitness circuit now in one of the council playgrounds.
Taylor, who is a Te Awamutu Community Board member, is also advocating at parliamentary level for improvements in rest homes.
Sunday train date set
Approval has been given for the first Te Huia Sunday service between Waikato and Auckland stations.
The passenger service will leave Frankton on the afternoon of July 27 for a three and a half hour journey to central Auckland and the return journey will start early that evening.
A timetable plan for the Sunday afternoon service was approved by Auckland Metro in May.
Waikato Regional Council’s Regional Transport Connections Director Phil King said it was a “significant step forward for our Waikato to Auckland rail service as it enters the final year of its trial”.
“It will strengthen connectivity, support tourism, and make the service better for workers, students and families travelling between both regions. It will especially provide an alternative travel option to large sporting and cultural events and provide connection seven days a week to the
Auckland Airport.
He said it came in time for the council to assess its success ahead of a NZ Transport Agency decision early next year on the future of Te Huia.
KiwiRail’s Executive General Manager Passenger Tracey Goodall said patronage on Te Huia was growing and the service expanding.
Work upgrading the Auckland network would cause some delays.
“A final push to upgrade the rail network in Auckland is ongoing for the rest of this year and into 2026, ahead of the City Rail Link opening and at times KiwiRail’s Waikato maintenance teams will need more time working on the tracks between Hamilton and Pukekohe,” Goodall said. “This means occasional disruption to the Te Huia service, but we are trying to keep this to a minimum wherever possible, while still delivering the much-needed Auckland upgrade.”
Bayley-Jull
Outgoing Te Awamutu Rotary club president
Photo:
Te Huia is entering the final year of its trial.
Penalising the young
By Peter Nicholl
A colleague recently sent me an article by a former Secretary of the Treasury on the problems in the tax system and recommendations for change.
Among other things, he wanted “a tax system that does not disadvantage younger people who are in the work force”. He said the “lazy reliance on bracket creep to bring the budget back to anything approaching balance is doing enormous damage to younger people in particular”.
The thing I found sad and worrying about these comments was that the person was actualy talking about the Australian income tax sytstem. But the New Zealand income tax system is even more biased against young and low-paid workers.
The tax brackets in New Zealand were introduced in 2010. Since then our average income has risen by over 70 per cent while the tax brackets stayed the same. It’s a great system for the Government as their tax take rises steadily without them appearing to increase taxes. But that is exactly what the government is doing. The Australian commentator called it a ‘lazy system’. You could also call it a sneaky and underhand way of raising taxes.
The Australian system also has an initial income tranche on which the tax rate is zero – up to $18,200. We used to have a zero tax income tranche too - I am not sure when it disappeared.
Someone working part-time in Australia, possibly while studying, and earning up to $18,200 would pay no income tax. Someone doing the same thing in here would pay just over $2000. Someone earning $50,000 a year here would pay
around $7650 in tax while the person earning the same amount in Australia would pay just over $6000.
It seems we have sleep-walked into a situation where young people earn lower incomes in New Zealand than in Australia but pay higher taxes on that income. It should not surprise us that many young people are crossing the Tasman.
Two other features of our tax system also make it more regressive than the Australian system, penalising young people further. We raise around 30 per cent of our tax revenue from GST. In Australia, GST is about 12 per cent of tax revenue. GST is a regressive tax as low-income people typically spend a larger proportion of their income on consumption.
We are also is one of the few OECD countries that does not have a capital gains tax. Australia’s capital gains taxes are not heavy – I think they raise just under 10 per cent of the Federal Government’s revenue. The hesitation and nervousness amongst politicians here to even discuss this issue can only be described as an abdication of responsibility. There have been recent surveys where a majority of respondents supported some form of capital gains tax as most taxpayers can see that the problems we have with infrastructure investment and superannuation entitlemnents which will sink the current tax system unless the tax base is broadened. The leadership on this issue is coming from the people, not from the politicians.
Raffle? No dice…
As Mr Coggins was walking home from Te Awamutu to Ōhaupō he fell through the railway bridge into the Mangapiko River.
He was carried downstream a short distance but managed to grab an overhanging willow.
The current was very strong and the willow broke, and he was washed on to a second tree, to which he clung.
His cries attracted the attention of the Reverend Entrican who assisted him to land. Mr Coggins then made for Mr Hampton’s at Ngaroto, and Mr Hamilton conveyed him home
The Government Inspector of Machinery, in examining the boiler at the Paterangi creamery, discovered a crack in a place very difficult to get at. It was fortunate the discovery was made as an explosion might have occurred at any time with probable loss of life.
The boiler was at once condemned to undergo repairs and sent to Auckland. A portable engine was placed outside the creamery and used to run the machinery. Suppliers had to travel to
Ōhaupō or Pirongia with their milk.
It had been many years since the music of the hounds and the horn had been heard in Te Awamutu, but a visit from the Waikato hounds changed that.
The rendezvous was the fine estate of Pat O’Connor, close to Te Awamutu. It was ideal hunting country with rolling hills and flats stretching down to the Pūnui River.
Punctually at 11 o’clock Mr Selby arrived with the pack, by which time quite a number of sports from the neighbourhood had gathered.
Mr O’Connor, in his wellknown hearty style, invited the sports inside, where a sumptuous hunt breakfast was laid. A few spills occurred during the day but only of sufficient severity to make the fallen ones keener.
Several paddocks were drawn blank, but after some little time hares were found and the hounds in hot pursuit.
In the evening Mr Laurie, host of the Te Awamutu Hotel, exuberantly entertained the hunters at a spread, winding
up one of the most pleasant days of the season.
The licensee of Kihikihi’s Star Hotel was charged with a breach of the Licensing Act by allowing the casting of dice on the premises.
The charge was the outcome of a raffle for a sheep which took place in the hotel. The animal was originally won at a church bazaar by Mr Morrison through a guessing competition, and he took it to the hotel and raffled it. Mr Morrison had been charged previously with a breach of the Gaming and Lotteries Act, but he didn’t appear at court, nor had he been found since.
Mr Ricket, builder, the winner of the sheep in the hotel raffle, gave evidence as to the raffle taking place in the hotel and the throwing of dice. The licensee was charged with ‘suffering an illegal game’ and fined.
CountryLife
2050 – a step too far
A Waikato University pest expert says New Zealand’s bid to be predator free in 25 years is – at present – out of reach – and more fenced sanctuaries should be created.
Carolyn (Kim) King, a university emeritus professor, has been studying stoats and their effect on New Zealand’s native species and biodiversity for the last 54 years.
Stoats were introduced, despite protests, in the 1880s in the hope of bringing the country’s rabbit population - introduced by European settlers for food and sport 50 years earlier - under control. The stoats found native wildlife much easier to catch and became invasive predators.
King, who immigrated from the United Kingdom in 1971, holds a PhD on weasels. It was thought her expertise could help with New Zealand’s stoat problem.
Weasels and ferrets were also part of the doomed 1880s attack on rabbits but stoats were the most successful predator of the three.
They have few natural enemies other than rare encounters with ferrets or cats, so the only effective limit on their numbers is food shortage.
“Populations of animals are controlled either from the bottom up by food supply, or from the top down by natural enemies. And stoats belong to the first category,” she said.
King said New Zealand’s predator free hope is out of reach because of the lack of technology and resources to enable effective control of invasive predators like the stoat.
The plan was launched in 2016 by Prime Minister John Key – but the Crown owned company driving the programme is being disestablished as part of the 2025 budget. Its responsibilities will be shifted to the Department of Conservation.
King said trapping should continue because ‘the moment you stop trapping predators, they all come back”.
“...It’s still worth doing because you can make a difference to the survival rate of birds that are breeding in that area.”
In more remote areas, and for the severely endangered and most precious endemics,
King said for the same amount of money as any feasible extension of Predator Free 2050, there could be an increased number of fenced sanctuaries like Maungatautari in Waipā.
“There are people who argue that we don’t want the whole country dotted with fenced sanctuaries. But in areas which are beyond human access like the high country, it isn’t possible to put enough pressure by conventional means on stoats and rats. What would help would be a series of fenced sanctuaries at the same cost as a massively extended
King’s latest book, summarising more than five decades of research, is titled Stoat in the Dock: Ecology and Management of Invasive Mustelids in New Zealand and documents the history and management of stoats in New Zealand.
‘There are people who argue that we don’t want the whole country dotted with fenced sanctuaries. But in areas which are beyond human access like the high country, it isn’t possible to put enough pressure by conventional means on stoats and rats,’ - Kim King
“The suggestion that stoats should be brought in to control a self-sustaining rabbit population was based on a very naive 19th century idea about the balance of nature. But New Zealand is a very different environment from that of United Kingdom, so people here are now facing a very different dilemma of trying to manage stoats,” she said.
“We should take into account that even if predator control looks easy to do and the results look as if they should be worthwhile, it is not wise to proceed until after you have looked very carefully at the whole issue, because you’ve got to know the historical and biological background.
“Some attractive ideas risk repeating the 19th century misjudgement that brought stoats here in the first place. Who wants to be responsible for that?”
Carolyn ‘Kim’ King.
It’s estimated stoats kill more than half the kiwi chicks hatched every year.
Photo – Northland Regional Council.
It's been a honey of a season
By Chris Gardner
Lindy Bennett’s bees made honey while the sun shone through the drought.
“Warm, sunny days with little wind are perfect for bees,” Bennett said.
“They can forage longer, collect more nectar and pollen, and keep the hive humming.”
Her bees, whose honey is sold under the Mountain View Honey label, produced 1000kg of honey last season, helping her pay for the honey packing shed she made from an old shipping container and installed on the dairy farm near Pirongia early in the season.
She hopes to double honey production next season.
This winter the couple have
LEVERIDGE FENCING
planted their dairy farm in manuka and kanuka trees to give her honeybees plenty to forage. They planted 2000 trees in June, after planting 4500 trees last year.
“We used to farm at Kakepuku, and the bees used to forage well,” Lindy said. “We are trying to give them something to forage in the winter.”
As well as keeping bees in eight hives on her farm, she keeps 12 hives near Mt Pirongia, 10 in Waitomo, eight near Mt Kakepuku, 10 near Mt Ruapehu and two near Mt Maunganui.
Each hive homes between 40,000 and 60,000 bees, including its own queen, sourced from the Waikato bee keeping community.
The going rate for a queen bee is between $50 and $60.
While Bennett hopes next season will be profitable, it’s still a labour of love.
“It is still at the hobby stage,” she said.
Before she can sell her honey the Ministry for Primary Industries insists, she must test it for plant toxin tutin which is found in tutu plants.
“I have been testing every year,” she said. “I have never had any problems.
Bennett started bee keeping at Kakepuku.
“I have always been interested in bees,” she said. “I’d just bought a book on beekeeping, purchased
brand new hiveware, and finished painting the undercoat — when, out of the blue, our first swarm arrived. We skipped straight to chapter seven on swarm catching and dived right in from there.
“We got up to about 12 hives at Kakepuku.”
She believes bee keeping is
a good thing for her as well as the family – she has two young daughters.
Even if she doubles her hives to 100 this summer, Bennett says she is far from making the endeavour a full-time job.
“Four hundred hives is a fulltime job for one person,” she said.
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Lindy Bennett working with bees.
Lindy Bennett converted a shipping container into a honey packing shed on her dairy farm near Pirongia. Photo Chris Gardner
Axing the pine explosion
By Jon Rawlinson
More than 300,000 hectares of sheep and beef farms have been sold for forestry throughout New Zealand since January 2017, Beef and Lamb says.
Its report said sheep and beef farm sales for conversion to forestry are continuing at an alarming rate.
“It’s clear that more and more trees are going onto productive sheep and beef farmland,” the organisation’s chair Kate Acland said.
“The numbers show whole-farm sales for conversion to forestry for carbon credits are continuing at pace.”
Her comments come as the government pushes ahead with a bill to put a cap on conversions which Agriculture minister Todd McClay said have been “gutting” rural communities.
Mapiu sheep and beef farmer David Richardson told The News if the trend continued, rural communities would feel the pain across the board.
“It’s mostly whole farms being sold and converted to grow pine because there’s such good money through carbon credits. We’ve already lost huge numbers of stock units to forestry, and it’s hit other downstream jobs like vets, shearing, drenching, fencing and
all that.”
Meat processing businesses have also been feeling the pinch, Richardson said.
“The meat processors are being adversely affected by the increase in sheep land gone to forestry, which has happened in this area quite a bit. It’s mostly due to ‘carbon credit farms’ that have been sold in the last 12-18 months.”
Pine forests also come with their own environmental impacts through increased biosecurity, fire and flooding risks as well as damage and pollution from forestry slash.
While native bush is better than pine from an environmental standpoint, it doesn’t generate carbon credits to the same degree.
“A lot of farms in the King Country have some native bush, which is good at sequestering carbon, however it’s very hard to get this into the carbon market.”
The new government bill should restrict whole farm conversions, but it can’t reverse the trend, Richardson said.
“It’s pretty hard to convert a forest back into pastoral grazing land because of all the carbon credits required to do so. The bill will probably help, but it’s not going to make that much difference because it’s too late –hundreds of farms have already
been converted.”
Richardson and other King Country farmers see the fallout first hand, but they are far from alone.
Farmers who grow trees on their land are “part of the solution” Acland said, and government restrictions on whole farm conversions nationwide are positive but they do not go far enough.
“Anecdotally, we’re still hearing of a significant number of farms being sold despite the government announcing limits last year,” she said. “We’re concerned some sales are continuing on the basis of intent to purchase land before the limits were announced.”
New legislation, based on land use classes, has been welcomed by Beef and Lamb, however Acland said the issue remains a distraction.
“Our sector wants to be able to get on and further grow exports, not spend time worrying about this issue.”
Introduced last month, the Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading Scheme –Forestry Conversions) Amendment Bill is intended to protect the country’s most productive farmland. It will put a stop to large-scale farm-to-forestry conversions, McClay said.
“For too long, productive sheep and beef farms have been replaced by pine trees in the race for carbon
credits,” he said. “That ends under this government.”
The legislation will still allow farmers to plant trees on up to 25 per cent of their land.
“It will protect farmers’ ability to diversify while stopping blanket Emissions Trading Scheme planting that’s been gutting rural communities in places like the
East Coast, Wairarapa, the King Country and Southland.
“This policy is pro-farming, profood production, pro-commercial forestry and pro-rural New Zealand.”
The legislation is expected to come into force from October and restrictions would take effect retroactively from last December.
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Agriculture minister, Todd McClay and Beef and Lamb chair Kate Acland.
Farms nationwide are giving way to pine forests.
Strike 3: it’s a new generation
By Chris Gardner
Farmers are being urged to conduct a technology audit before telcos switch off New Zealand’s 3G network.
2degrees and One NZ will shut down their 3G, or third generation, mobile networks at the end of the year and Spark will follow next March.
The 3G network was introduced to New Zealand with the iPhone in 2008.
“It’s a bit long in the tooth now,” New Zealand Telecommunications Forum chief executive Paul Brislen said. “We can put the spectrum to better use with 4G and 5G networks.”
While mobile phones and tablet computers such as iPads are the most obvious devices to check for compatibility with more modern 4G and 5G networks, other farm management platforms and smart devices could also be
impacted.
Some electric gates, farm security systems, irrigation controllers, smart meters, soil moisture probes, solar panels, vehicle trackers, and weather stations are among “smart” systems” which could be impacted. So are medic alert systems and pacemakers.
Most modern phones use the 3G network, but they are not reliant on it. The best way to ensure you can make calls after the switch off is to text 3G to 550 for a report back on your particular phone. An immediate response comes to identify the device which sent the text and whether it can connect to 4G.
“Most people will be fine,” Brislen said.
“Some people will have phones that can’t be upgraded, but for many in between they’ll need to make some changes to the
settings or download some software to make it work.”
For some, a visit to their mobile provider’s store is in order.
He said providers have been working over the past couple of years to upgrade their equipment and will have a plan - so customers were best advised to get in touch with them about what needs to be upgraded and what that looks like
“In terms of coverage the good news is that all the 3G towers are being upgraded to 4G and a bunch of new towers are being built to fill in the gaps,” Brislen said.
“Coverage should be as good if not better, because 4G can carry more customers per cell site than an equivalent 3G tower, so you won’t find there’s as much congestion on the smaller towers.
“One NZ is also turning off its 2G network, and
by the end of the decade Chorus will have shut down the last few remaining copper lines. If you’re using any of these technologies now is the time to work out what you need to do for the future.”
Uni team takes their pick
A Waikato University team is developing cost-effective technology to reduce fruit wastage.
Te Kura Mata-Ao School of Engineering senior lecturer Ajit Pal Singh and his team of seven have been working on a new gripper, the part at the end of a robotic system that physically picks the fruit, much like a human hand.
“One of the innovations is the actual gripper structure. The other is a soft ‘finger’ that attaches to the structure and gently interacts with the fruit, so it doesn’t get damaged,” said Singh.
“If the fruit is bruised or dropped, the benefit of robotic automation is lost. Our designs aim to reduce damage through their soft, flexible contact surfaces.”
The team believes the system could assist growers facing labour shortage - “a lot of fruit goes into the waste because it’s unpicked - so they’re losing money”.
The team’s long-term goal is to develop robotic tools that reduce dependence on seasonal labour.
Preliminary field trials with the grippers had produced promising results - effective fruit handling and
minimal visible damage.
“These grippers are 3D-printed prototypes, single, jointless structures designed specifically for orchard use, not just lab testing.” Singh said.
“We wanted something that performs in real conditions: easy to maintain, robust, and ready for the
demands of the field.”
“From an engineering point of view, our focus is on solving practical, realworld challenges.
“This project is a strong example of how innovative design can potentially deliver high-impact solutions tailored to industry needs.”
The Blended Bunch – Succession Planning for Stepfamilies
Every family is different, and blended families are no exception. The classic scenario is two people in a relationship who each have children from previous relationships. It is common for each parent to want to make sure their own children are looked after and receive the assets their own parent contributed to the relationship. However, while you may have your plans for what happens when you pass on, the law often has a different idea.
For starters, you are required to make “adequate provision” in your Will for your spouse. You also have a moral duty to look after your kids. These obligations can be tricky to balance.
There may be further complications. Your spouse’s child might perform some kind of service for you, such as assisting on the farm when you can’t work it the way you used to. This scenario could give rise to a claim that the child did this expecting to be rewarded in your Will - a successful claim could come at the expense of your natural children. Furthermore, if your relationship ends you could expect to part with some of your wealth. The key to avoiding a worst-case scenario is preparation ahead of time. Ensure your Will is current. Consider establishing a family trust, preferably well ahead of starting a new relationship. You may also consider contracting out of relationship property laws. Always get proper legal advice to ensure your future unfolds the way you envisage it.
Effluent Spreading of Oxidation Ponds
• We have over 2 kilometres of
• We run high horse power pumps and secondary pumps to boost
Jamie Graham
New Zealand Telecommunications Forum chief executive Paul Brislen is urging farmers to conduct a technology audit.
Ajit Pal Singh pictured second from left with Hung Le Phan, Christoff Venter and Eva Prinz.
Across 1. Spanish rice dish (6) 5. Strain (6)
8. Pledge (3) 9. Courteous (6) 10. Sullied (6)
11. Flightless bird (4)
13. Salutation (8)
14. Leg bone (5)
15. Cruelty (5)
19. Cheat, con artist (8)
21. Reverberate (4)
Last week
22. Energy (6)
23. Categorically (6)
25. Regret (3)
26. Contemptibly few (6)
27. Comment (6)
2. Do away with (7) 3. Garland (3) 4. Retaliate (6) 5. Spin (6)
Te Awamutu Sports beat Morrinsville 33-12 in their final game of the season in the Waikato men’s premier grade rugby competition.
The home crowd witnessed try scoring efforts from Ethan Refoy, Connor Moore, captain Jake Russ, Leo Scott and veteran Brad Van der Heyden. Scott also added eight points off the kicking tee.
Sports finished the season in sixth place after six wins, six losses and a draw.
Waipā neighbours Hautapu have secured a home Breweries Shield semifinal against University on Saturday by thumping Hamilton Old Boys 64-13 at Fred Jones Park, Hamilton.
Hautapu finished the round-robin in second place, registering 12 wins and a loss.
In the premier development competition, Hautapu B pipped Old Boys B 26-22 and Te Awamutu’s development side lost 22-12 to Morrinsville. They finished fifth and 10th respectively.
Leamington and Pirongia were both beaten in the division 1A Mooloo Shield round,
Leamington were demolished 53-5 at home by Suburbs, who had the services of Hurricanes back Daniel Sinkinson and former All Blacks first five-eighth Lima Sopoaga.
Pirongia fell 38-17 to Hinuera at Wealleans Park.
Ōhaupō had success in the 1A championship division, beating Te Rapa 33-17
In Division 1B, all three Waipā teams had success.
Leamington B beat Suburbs B 26-24, Pirongia beat their Hinuera counterparts 24-13 and Ōhaupō B defeated Te Rapa B 26-12.
Hautapu thumped Pirongia 74-10 in the under-21 competition, while Te Awamutu Sports beat Morrinsville under-21 28-25 and Leamington lost
24-17 to Fraser Tech colts.
Tane Barlow and Maraekaiti Nepia registered hat-tricks in Hautapu’s 12 tries to two victory.
Hautapu are the only Waipā under-21 side to advance as the semifinals beckon this weekend. They will face Hamilton Marist. Te Awamutu finished ninth overall, Pirongia 10th and Leamington 12th.
Jockey mourned
By Joshua Smith
“You knew straight away when you saw him on a horse that he was a natural.” Those were the words of New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Northern Riding Master Noel Harris when describing 18-yearold apprentice jockey Ngakau Hailey who died following a collision.
His motorbike and a car collided in central Hamilton on Wednesday last week.
“It’s tragic, words just can’t describe it. I was talking with him on Monday and then this happens,” New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Northern Riding Master Noel Harris said.
Hailey, apprenticed to Te Awamutu trainer Debbie Sweeney, launched his riding career two years ago and recorded his first win on the Sweeney-trained Chattahoochee at Cambridge in June 2023. He rode 39 winners in the last two seasons.
Hailey was initially raised on the East Coast where he began riding bareback. He
competed in horse sports before moving to Hamilton when he was eight. He aspired to play at a high level in rugby league, and played for Hamilton City Tigers, Waikato Māori and Waikato District. His small stature kept him from progressing in league but helped follow a new path when he joined his uncle on a trip to Pokeno where tried his hand at riding track work.
He began riding regular track work for trainer Shelley Wright before commencing his apprenticeship with Sweeney.
A service was held at Park Chapel, Newstead Cemetery on Monday. – Loveracing
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Ngakau Hailey Photo: Kenton Wright.
Fullback Leo Scott on his way to the tryline during Te Awamutu Sports’ win over . Photo: Justin Miezenbeek
EXPERTS
Te Awamutu Concerts Alive!
SUNDAY 27 JULY AT 2PM
Join us for an enjoyable and inspiring Sunday afternoon concert, performed by gifted musicians from the University of Waikato. Everyone welcome!
St John’s Anglican Church Arawata Street, Te Awamutu $25 cash at the door. Students FREE.
ThisRequestforTendersisissuedjointlyby
This is a joint procurement for the provision of
It
the operation of
and transfer stations including; Te Kūiti Transfer Station (WDC contract), and the transportation, processing, and disposal of both waste and recyclables. Tender Details: Tender Opens: 8 July 2025 at 2pm Tender questions deadline: 15 August 2025 at 2pm Tender closes: 29 August 2025 at 3pm GETS reference: RFx ID 32019660
and
(Government Electronic Tenders Service) website using the RFx ID above. For any
The Waipa Community Facilities Trust (GoWaipa) is seeking responses from suitably experienced parties who are interested in taking on the lease at the Te Awamutu Event Centre
The term of the lease is for 3 years, with a 3 year right of renewal. Further details of the opportunity and the requirements for parties interested in submitting an Expression of Interest are contained in the Request For Proposal document which is available from Te Awamutu Event Centre reception or via email request gowaipa@gowaipa.com.
Expressions of Interest close 4:00pm on Friday 25th July 2025. Expressions of Interest are to be posted to the Te Awamutu Event Centre –Reception, 3 Selwyn Lane, Te Awamutu 3800 or by email at gowaipa@gowaipa.com
WALL UNIT – Harvey Norman cabinet. 2m high, 1m wide. Side opening doors. Glass front and shelves. Mirror back and downlights. $1500. Phone Paula on 07 823 4520.
WALL UNIT – Danske Mobler Strada cabinet. 1.8m high, 1m wide. Glass doors and shelves. Mirror back and downlights. $1500. Phone Paula on 07 823 4520.
VEHICLES WANTED
VEHICLES WANTED – We buy all cars, vans, utes, trucks, in any condition, dead or alive. Call 0800 333 398 or text 021 344 449
TE KŪITI
Assistant Retail Manager
WAAF – Passed away peacefully on 11th July 2025, aged 94 years. Loving wife of the late Gus, treasured and respected mum of Mike and Chris (dec), Greg and Nicette, Steve and Judy, Peta, Craig and Robyn, and Kris. Adored nana to Roland, Loimata, Olivia, Ruby, Angus, Hannah, Nathan, Noah, Nicholas, and Leo. Special great nana to Ziwa, Rita Rose, Kobe, Levi, Daxton, and Cyrus.
“Mum was an amazing woman - strong, resilient, faithful, funny, witty, charming and always the Boss. We love you Mumyou made us very proud, Rest in peace”. Requiem Mass will be celebrated at St Patrick's Catholic Church, 625 Alexandra Street, Te Awamutu (today) Thursday, 17th July at 11am followed by burial at the Te Awamutu RSA Cemetery. Mass will be livestreamed please email office@teawamutufunerals. co.nz for the link. All communications to the Lindstrom family, PO Box 137, Te Awamutu 3840.
Te Awamutu Funeral Services, FDANZ
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
HANCOCK, Ian Walter
12 June 2025
BROOM, Jillian Patricia (nee Askew) – With heavy hearts, we share the news of Jill’s passing on Saturday, 12th July 2025, at Hamilton, surrounded by her loved ones, after a courageous fight with cancer. May she rest in peace. A private cremation has been held and an informal memorial gathering will be held at the Te Awamutu RSA on Friday 25th July 2025 from 10am to midday.
Te Awamutu Funeral Services, FDANZ
We are looking for a confident, well organised person to manage and control the day-to-day operation of a busy Te Kūiti retail store.
Applicants must have good people skills, good computer skills and be able to ‘think on your feet’, provide good service to customers and manage the daily workflow of our team in this hands-on position.
This is a full-time position working from Tuesday to Saturday 39 hours per week
If you are interested, please send CV and request a Mitre 10 employment application from tekuiti@mitre10.co.nz
Noeline, Janine, Brad and family sincerely thank everyone who attended Ian’s funeral service. We were very grateful for your comforting words and shared memories. We extend our deepest thanks to our wonderful friends, relatives and neighbours for your visits, calls and messages, beautiful flowers, cards and baking. Some of your addresses are unknown so please accept this as an acknowledgement of our gratitude. A very special thanks to St John and the District Health Nurses who cared for Ian.
HEWETT, Michael (Mike) 25th June 1936 - 1st July 2025
Loved and cared for by Olive and her family. Memorial service to celebrate his Te Awamutu days and friends over the last 18 years, 1.30pm Saturday, July 19 at Presbyterian Centre, Mutu Street, Te Awamutu. All welcome.
