Te Awamutu News | September 18, 2025

Garage project stalls

Te Awamutu’s Holmes Garage community space project is in doubt.

It was the subject of one of the questions at last Thursday’s meet the mayoral candidates session hosted by the Te Awamutu Business Chamber.

The Mahoe St building, which dates back to 1938, was bought by Waipā District Council as part of the original plan to develop the Te Ara Wai Museum space next to the Te Awamutu Library.

Waipā mayor Susan O’Regan said the building was on the Hazardous Activities and Industries List, and the site was contaminated from its previous use.

“There are obvious big question marks hanging over that site now in the landscape of a really constrained financial environment.”

Three years ago, a Te Awamutu and Kihikihi Community BoardTe Awamutu Business Chamber initiative, the Who Are We Te Awamutu survey, revealed a desire for more community spaces.

A proposal to consider the council-owned Mahoe St premises for indoor markets and covered community events was presented to the community board at its May 2023 meeting.

The idea was to create a link between the CBD and Selwyn Park, doubling as a multipurpose community asset and an entrance to the park that acknowledged the cultural and historic significance of the site.

In August 2023, the council’s finance and corporate committee considered a recommendation from the community board about

creating the community space.

It was suggested that community board chair Ange Holt and chamber chief executive Shane Walsh look at the possibility of private funding for

the project as it was not in the Long Term Plan for council funding, so it was not worth looking at in the short term.

Walsh said that in a report to

the district authority, council staff recommended the building be demolished and the area paved.

In December 2023, the work was postponed.

Culture with class

O’Regan said the opportunity could arise for the council to sell the Bunnings site and revert to the former Holmes Garage for Te Ara

Continued on page 3

Eli Harrod Te Kura Tuatahi o Te Awamutu at the Kapa Haka festival

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The Adams family…

Youngsters at Ngāhinapōuri School wigged up last week to support a cancer society appeal – and one of their own.

The pupils came to school in wacky wigs and hair styles and carrying a gold coin donation. The school also supported Childhood Cancer Awareness Month with donations from the community.

The society’s Wig Wednesday has raised $1.5 million since it started a decade ago – and the school assembled for a “family photo” to mark the latest one, principal Mark Harrop aid.

Ngāhinapōuri pupil Fionnlagh Adams was four when she was diagnosed with Medulloblastoma, an aggressive brain tumour.

The treatment was lifesaving, but she continues to face neurological challenges.

“Wig Wednesday is such a fun way for kids and schools to show they care - and for families like ours, that support means the world,” mum Stacey said.

“Seeing Ngāhinapōuri School rally around Finn and our family is really special. It shows her that she’s not alone, and it reminds us of the strength of our community.”

The Child Cancer Foundation had been

“there for us from the very beginning”. From practical help, like fuel and food vouchers during long hospital stays, to emotional support when things felt overwhelming –“they’ve been a constant for our family”.

She said every day brought its own obstacles, but Fionnlagh continued to amaze with her courage and spirit.

the beat with Senior Constable Ryan

A time to reflect

Last week, our policing family was shaken when a colleague of ours was shot in the line of duty. It began for me as a normal day.

As I was leaving for work my group chat on my phone started going off with messages and rumours of a police shooting. I arrived at work and my worst fears were confirmed when I saw the ashen faces of my colleagues in the muster room.

In moments like this, the weight of what we do is felt more deeply than usual. The uniform doesn’t make us bulletproof, nor does it set us apart from the people we serve. We are ordinary men and women, mums and dads, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters. We put on the uniform and do our best to make our communities safer, but at the end of the day we go home to the same worries, hopes, and families as everyone else.

What has struck me most in the days since is the way the thin blue line family has rallied around one another. From the moment the news broke, colleagues have stepped in to support shifts, cover calls, and simply check in on each other. There’s an unspoken bond that comes from knowing your workmates will run toward gunfire for you — and you for them. That bond has carried many of us through a very difficult week.

Māori Wards

I read Maria Low’s letter (The News August 21), and the last paragraph made me stop and think. I quote Maria ‘the Māori Ward is a small step towards a council that truly represents all Waipā. Instead of asking why Māori should have a place at the table, maybe the real question is why shouldn’t we want that voice included?’ Absolutely.

In 2021 Waipā District Council consulted with the community regarding the introduction of a Māori ward councillor. Of the 900 submissions, 84 per cent were in favour. It is therefore disappointing that we are now being asked to revisit this decision with a referendum. It is an unnecessary expense for a council already struggling with debt.

But it hasn’t just been our policing family. The messages, calls, and kind words from the public have meant more than you can know. To everyone who took the time to reach out — whether with a handshake, a message online, or even just a nod in the street — thank you. Your support has been a reminder that behind the headlines and flashing lights, we are part of the same community. We live here, raise our kids here, and care about this place just as much as you do.

It’s easy to think of the “thin blue line” as a barrier that separates us from the public. But really, it’s a thread that connects us. We rely on each other, but we also lean on the people we serve. The line is not made of steel — it’s made of people. Ordinary people, standing together in extraordinary circumstances.

To my fellow officers: keep looking out for each other. And to the wider community: thank you for reminding us that we’re not alone. In times like this, that reminder makes all the difference.

I was fortunate to receive thankyou cards from the year 5 and 6 students at Te Awamutu Primary School for attending school camp. Those cards were a welcome relief to end a very tough week.

Māori ward councillors, once elected, serve the whole community, just as rural ward councillors do. In fact, three rural ward councillors represent a similar portion of rate payers as our one Māori ward councillor. Retaining this ward strengthens our relationship with local iwi. The Māori economy is growing rapidly and there are opportunities for council and iwi to partner on projects that bring economic, heritage and ecological opportunities to our community. As a tour manager I frequently work with iwi to provide cultural experiences for both domestic and international visitors. It is always inspiring to watch people connect with a world that has always been around them but is often unseen. Let’s be collaborative, inclusive and forward thinking and vote yes for a Māori ward.

Penny Pickett

Leamington

Fleming

Wigging it… from left, Ngāhinapōuri pupils Jim Timbrell, Cooper Smyth, Declan Van Dongen, Fionnlagh Adams, Soren Ward, Emersyn Leighton, Milo Bunker, Daisy Rushbrook (standing) and Gabrielle Hack.

Sahara wins

Ōhaupō’s Sahara Stantonwho featured in The News in June when she won the 2025 Cambridge High School’s Ritchie Pickett Scholarship, has now won the solo-duo category of the Smokefreerockquest competition. The finals were held last week in Auckland.

Overdraft debate

Waipā District Council was to discuss behind closed doors at its Finance and Corporate committee meeting yesterday guaranteeing an overdraft for cash-strapped Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust. The trust, which forecast a $500,000 funding gap this financial year, aims to remove forever, or control, introduced mammalian pests and predators from Sanctuary Mountain and restore a healthy diversity of indigenous plants and animals to the mountain.

Rates arrears

Ratepayers owed Waipā District Council $2.1million in overdue 2024-25 rates at the end of last month – 92 per cent of the total rates’ bill - with $881,000 still owing from the previous year. Forty eight per cent of water rates – or $2.1 million from 525 properties – was still owing from the previous year.

Scott in charge

Consultant Kevan Scott is leading the Waipā waters transition team into Waikato Waters Ltd. The team plays a pivotal role in guiding the council through the change and shaping its future operations in a post-water services environment.

More visitors

Record numbers of visitors –188,858, up by 26,527 - went to Cambridge’s swimming pool in the financial year ended June 30. The pool reopened in May 2021 and consists of an indoor 25m x25m pool, a learner/hydrotherapy pool, tots pools and splash pad. Te Awamutu.

Charity begins at home…

By Viv Posselt

The award-winning charity Kids in Need Waikato is securing its future with plans announced for a new ownership structure.

It has launched The Legacy Project, a campaign aimed at moving from renting to purchasing its Cambridge base.

The Fencourt Rd property housing Kids in Need Waikato is owned by the charity’s founders, Graeme and Linda Roil. On it is their personal home plus various other buildings added to accommodate the charity’s growing needs.

The Kids in Need Waikato Charitable Trust, which was set up in 2018, is now spearheading the move to future-proof, with Amy Banks and Matthew Ockleston leading the project.

Trust chair Amy Banks, a business development and marketing planner, said the charity is fundamental to

buying the property from the Roils. Owning the property will allow for the expansion of services, unlock access to grants and funding that are not available while renting, and prepare for future leadership.

“This isn’t just about bricks and mortar,” Banks said. “It’s about making sure the kids and caregivers we support know they matter, that they are cared for, and that the community stands behind them.”

Fellow trustee and property law specialist, Matthew Ockleston, said The Legacy Project’s target was $2 million. Of that, $1 million will secure the property, with the rest going towards realising the charity’s long-term vision and facilitating further development. Included in those plans are a bike track and the addition of more units like the existing Air B&B unit, which doubles as a free retreat for caregivers and children.

He told The News that of the many charities he has seen, Kids in Need Waikato is ‘by far the best’. “It is extremely well run and organised. That is what people expect to see when they support something like this.”

The Legacy Project is intended to ensure Kids in Need Waikato can expand its reach and offer greater stability to the families reliant on their support.

Over a decade has passed since Linda and Graeme Roil started gathering donated clothes and toys in their Cambridge home to help those caring for children not biologically their own.

By then, the couple had been fostering children for several years and knew how tough it was to make things work without targeted support. Even when communities were kind enough to donate, the items were often ill-matched or not age-appropriate.

Responding to that need,

Council hits a speed bump

By Jesse Wood

The community discontent concerning the street changes in Kihikihi has been acknowledged by Waipā three mayoral candidates, but it would be “foolish and fanciful” to expect the entire project be reversed.

The speed bumps, cul-de-sacs and cycleways are among recent changes opposed by many Kihikihi residents.

The question was put to the trio - Susan O’Regan, Mike Pettit and Clare St Pierre - at the Te Awamutu Business Chamber meet the candidates event on Thursday. What were their thoughts on the discontent towards the Kihikihi project?

Pettit likened it to Cambridge, where they have also had similar cycleway issues.

“Speed bumps are really an issue with the cycleways,” Pettit said. “The cycleways themselves, people are pretty happy with but the speed bumps, they’re not.

“I got four council staff members and the Cambridge community board chair in my truck and we went across 12 speed bumps. From that, five of the bumps got ground down.

Incumbent mayor Susan O’Regan said the discontent was symptomatic of an organisation that’s been “acting in silos and not communicating particularly well with its community”.

“For me, this comes back to the need for a big transformation within and that has come with the new leadership that I have brought in - the new chief executive and transformation around that senior leadership table,” O’Regan said.

“Some of those speed bumps are awful. I have actually been working with staff and trying to understand how we can remediate some of those more challenging ones.

Current councillor St Pierre said the community was not properly consulted.

As mayor she said she would make sure plans were not forced through without consultation.

“If plans change, the community must always be asked again. The problem with the cycleway wasn’t just the design. It was the process.

“That is a failure of transparency. It’s a total upheaval for the locals there and I acknowledge all you’ve gone through.”

the Roils began turning community donations into age-appropriate care-packs for children aged newborn to 18 and their caregivers, including foster families and grandparents raising grandchildren. They also offered support in terms of emergency or respite care for older children.

From those beginnings,

the charity has grown into a lifeline for more than 560 caregivers raising 1300 children in the Waikato each year.

Every month, an average 168 care-packs go out, filled with clothes, shoes, toys and toiletries, often to children who arrive in care with nothing but what they are wearing at the time.

Garage project stalls

Continued from page1

“We have to acknowledge the enthusiasm, effort, energy and passion put into the thinking behind the Holmes project by the chamber,” O’Regan said.

“I think it’s really admirable and exciting to see thinking about projects that could have really good economic development outcomes for Te Awamutu. Big thumbs up.

“That site is quite complex and it’s not yet clear what it’s use will be for the council going forward on account of that Te Ara Wai question mark.

Walsh said both buildings were bought for the purpose of Te Ara Wai, but the realisation has never been close.

“The council staff’s plan of knocking down Holmes Garage and building a pathway would disturb the soil,” Walsh said. “Dealing with a contaminated site, it would make more sense to use the existing structure and keep the ground sealed.

• O’Regan does it again – Page 13

Rosetown Funerals proudly serves the people of Te Awamutu, Ōtorohanga and surrounding areas.

Wai.

Holmes Garage has had many uses since 1938. Photo: Jesse Wood

Kids in Need Waikato Trust chair Amy Banks with fellow trustee Matthew Ockleston are leading the charge to future-proof the charity.

Photo: Viv Posselt

A family with the power

For over 92 years, three generations of one family have been a steadfast presence in the Waipā district’s energy story.

They’ve braved storms, crossed rivers, and climbed poles in the dark. They’ve answered the call whenever Waipā needed power restored. And their legacy is one of resilience, service, and generational pride.

The Muraahi name has become etched into the backbone of Waipā Networks, with grandfather Albert, son Lloyd, and grandson Gary dedicating a combined 92 years to the essential, often unseen work of line mechanics.

Now 83, Te Awamutu local and former Waipā Networks linesman, Albert, known to most as Albie, looks back fondly on his 35 years with the Te Awamutu Power Board (now Waipā Networks), reflecting on how it all began, how the industry has evolved, and how it will move forward.

Albie recalls a time when the job demanded raw grit and improvisation. Health and safety were more instinct than protocol, and tools were whatever you could carry or swim with.

“We had a job in Honikiwi. Pole down across the river. No bridge. So, I swam across with a rope, tied a bit of wire to a tree on the other side. That’s how we got our gear over. Dug a new hole, pushed the pole back up, built her up. Farmer was happy.”

While Albie admits that method wouldn’t pass today, the principles remain the same: safety, teamwork, and getting the job done.

“One day, one of the bosses came out to the site without a helmet. I asked who he was. Didn’t care. Told him to put a hat on or get lost. That’s the way it was, no exceptions.”

In 1986, the Muraahi name doubled on the payroll when Alby’s son Lloyd joined the Power Board. Nearly 40 years later, Lloyd is now the second-longest serving employee at Waipā Networks.

NOW SHOWING

“No

Gary Muraahi pictured during the 2024 Connexis Lines Competition in Te Awamutu carrying out a rescue exercise.

Authorised by Stu Kneebone, 271 Baker Road, RD4 Cambridge

Albie and Lloyd worked side by side for over a decade before Alby left in 1998. During that time, Lloyd’s son Gary began to take notice.

“I remember getting picked up by the line truck from about three years old. Every Friday was go-kart poles day,” Gary recalls.

Years later, Gary left a factory job in Hamilton and joined the family legacy.

“I told Dad I was throwing it in. He said he’d try to get me a job. Got the call, got the interview, and I already knew most of the team. They were like family, like uncles. The rest is history.”

Now, both team leaders, Lloyd and Gary, have seen the industry evolve. From minimal PPE to maximum, from climbing ladders to bucket trucks. But the heart of the job remains.

“It’s still the same job. We’ve got more modern equipment, but it’s done the same way. Safety is paramount. You’ve got to be mindful of everything – your teammates, the public. It hangs on your shoulders if something goes wrong.”

And the legacy looks set to continue. Gary’s three-yearold son is already showing signs of following in the family’s footsteps, with pride and curiosity that echo through generations.

“Every day he talks about it. ‘Dad, you going to go fix the power pole today?’ As soon as I get home, he asks, ‘Did you fix the power pole today?’ Then it’s, ‘I’m going to come in your big work truck tomorrow, Dad. One day, son.”

With six kids of his own and six chances of one of them being a line mechanic, Gary is pretty confident in the chances of extending the legacy beyond three generations.

“I’m just so proud of these two, proud of where they’ve been and what they’ve achieved,” Lloyd states emotionally.

Waipā Networks is celebrating over 100 years of powering communities, and believes the Muraahi family stands as a living testament to the values that built it.

From Albie’s river crossings to Gary’s son dreaming of riding in the big work truck, their is a reflection of the people behind the poles and the heart behind the wires.

“The Muraahi family represents everything we stand forcommitment, community, and continuity,” Waipā Networks Chief Executive Sean Horgan said.

Their story is woven into the fabric of Waipā Networks, and it is families like theirs who’ve kept the lights on for generations.”

Next month Waipā Networks will honour its centenary with a celebration for staff and former staff.

Albie, left, was in a competition winning team way back in 1967.

Lloyd pictured at home, where memories of the whanau’s work - and the odd show of support for the Warriors – adorn walls.

The family – from left, Gary, Albie and Lloyd.

We are not alone

by Barabara Kuriger, MP for Taranaki-King Country

Farming is at the heart of New Zealand’s culture and economy. While the lifestyle brings many rewards for farmers, it also comes with unique challenges that can take a toll on mental health. For Kiwi farmers, the pressures of fluctuating markets, unpredictable weather, and the isolation of rural life can quickly become overwhelming. It’s important to recognise that mental health, just like physical health, needs attention and care. Sometimes stress shows up as difficulty sleeping, feeling easily irritated, or losing interest in activities you used to enjoy. If these feelings persist, it’s okay—and even necessary—to reach out for help. And help there is. I have the privilege of being the national patron of Craig “Wiggie” Wiggins’ innovative and incredibly successful Lean on a Gate programme, which seeks to safeguard the ability and the opportunity of rural communities to get together to support each other.

Wiggie does an incredible job, and recently I was pleased to see that he has even more resources behind him with the announced collaboration with MATES in Construction, who have extensive experience in looking after construction workers in New Zealand.

There are also other support networks, such as Rural Support Trusts, offering confidential help, connecting farmers to resources and friendly faces who understand the challenges. Talking to friends, whānau, or a trusted adviser can also provide relief and fresh perspective. Looking out for one another is vital. If you notice a mate isn’t themselves, check in and let them know you care. A supportive community can make all the difference in tough times.

Prioritising mental health is not a sign of weakness; it’s an essential part of keeping Kiwi farms and families thriving. By fostering open conversations, seeking support when needed, and caring for each other, New Zealand’s farmers can continue to weather life’s storms, both on and off the land. If you would like to learn more about the Lean on a Gate and other support services available to farmers and their families, feel free to drop me a line to Barbara.Kuriger@parliament.govt.nz and I will happily get back to you with the information you need.

men in business

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Q: How do you approach cataract surgery, especially for those with other health concerns?

My approach is highly tailored. For patients with cataracts and co-existing conditions like diabetes or macular degeneration, I carefully assess their overall eye health using high-resolution scans. This ensures we select the most appropriate advanced lens options to enhance vision clarity and reduce

strain. By coordinating all aspects of their care, we don’t just remove the cataract - we also protect their long-term vision and overall eye health.

Q: What is your philosophy on patient care?

My priority is providing accessible, world-class care. I work to see urgent cases quickly, as timely intervention is crucial for protecting vision. Using the latest technology for retinal surgery, means safer procedures and faster recovery. My goal is to provide clear advice and cutting-edge treatments that preserve your precious sight for years to come.

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Boost for brigade appeal

By Jesse Wood

The community rallied behind the Te Awamutu Volunteer Fire Brigade at ASB Stadium to support fundraising for a purpose-built ute.

Former All Blacks captain Sam Cane was interviewed by Between Two Beers podcast co-host Steve Holloway – but the ultimate drawcard was supporting the crew who have been there for the town since 1913.

Holloway grilled Cane about his rugby career, giving the community insight into the life of a professional rugby player.

Veteran firefighter of 26 years Deane Mark said they’re now well on the way to achieving their goal after more than 450 attended the event.

“The support that we got from the community was awesome,” Mark said. “The fire brigade got together too. We have 40 members and they all got involved to help. It was really good to see.

“A few years ago, we started fundraising for a first response vehicle. We got that on the road at the end of last year.

“Our next plan was to upgrade our ute which is coming up 10 years old. We want it to be more purpose built to help us with our increase of callouts.”

Mark said each year the brigade has more and more callouts.

As of September 1, they had responded to about 320 for the year.

“We’re trying to future proof; we’re a brigade that looks to the future. We like to be ahead of the time,” Mark said.

“The idea behind the ute is to free up our main trucks sooner at call outs. We send two out, but if we have our ute there, one of those trucks can be freed up quicker.

“He was going back to Japan at the end of August. I thought, I don’t know if this is doable. It’s a lot to do in a short time. But we put a committee together, everyone else jumped on board and it was easy.

“We rang businesses and the whole town got together. People gave us auction items, raffle items and bought tickets for the event.

Items including a signed All Blacks jersey brought along by Cane were auctioned.

“The comments we’ve heard back from that night have been awesomehow well it was set up and how well it was run.”

Noldy Rust from Ray White Te Awamutu said it was an “outstanding community event for such a worthy cause”.

“The way the town got together indicates that there is a huge respect and debt of gratitude for what our firefighters do for us in this town,” Rust said.

Ten years celebrated

By Viv Posselt

Te Awamutu’s St John Op Shop has marked its 10th birthday in a festive celebration at the Alexandra St premises it has occupied throughout that time.

The event was held to celebrate a decade’s operation as well as thank staff and volunteers who have been key to its success from the start.

At the recent Waipā St John Awards, Te Awamutu area committee and Waipā King Country regional board member Richard Hurrell said the outlet had contributed $2.8 million to St John and the local community over the past 10 years. He said the number of volunteering hours in that time amounted to over 64,700.

This month’s celebrations included a cake baked by St John volunteer Christine Peterson. There was also a ‘sell-out’ sausage sizzle, cutprice bargains on the day, youth cadets handing out cake, balloons, stickers and colouring in for children, dress up and ambulance tours.

Vote for Marcus

Local, Community focused, experience.

For several years I have been a dedicated voice for our community on Council .

MarcusWaipa

I’m a local business owner running an IT business, a trustee of Waipa Networks, member of the Institute of Directors and a Justice of the Peace.

It’s been a privilege having your support to make sure Te Awamutu and Kihikihi residents have a voice in Council, it’s important that our local voice is heard around the table and that we get a share of great projects happening around Waipa.

I am fully supportive of the Don’t Burn Waipa campaign, the waste to energy project has no place in our town.

I have been constructive on Council working collaboratively to make sure the district is well placed for the future, we have our Waikato Waters Done Well project under way with our local Council neighbours to ensure cost effective delivery of water.

Authoriser Marcus Gower 18A Carey Street, Kihikihi

Cutting the cake are a pair who have been there since the outlet started. They are assistant manager Michelle Bluett, left, and manager Jan Hoskin. Photo: Viv Posselt

Helping celebrate the op shop’s 10th birthday are, group operations manager Jade Morris, Karen Phillips, Christopher Johnpillai, Jan Bolsom, assistant manager Michelle Bluett, Ces Heron, manager Jan Hoskin, Malcolm Kemp, Paul Walker, Christine Peterson, Karen Phillips, and community engagement co-ordinator Nicky White. Photo: Viv Posselt

We’re all fired up

Get a first look at our workshop in the making at our Open Days.

Friday 19 - Sunday 21 September, 10am – 2pm. Arvida Whai Mauri Ora, 319 Manaia Road, Te Awamutu.

There’s something stunning nestled in the heart of Te Awamutu –and we can’t wait to share it with you this September. Join us for our Open Days and soak up the beautiful surrounds, as you tour our modern villas and established gardens.

You’ll also be among the first to take a look at our nearly complete workshop space – a welcoming spot designed for good times and great company. With an outdoor fire, darts, a bar, and plenty of room to unwind, it’s the perfect place for residents to gather, connect, and enjoy themselves.

With our complimentary pack up and move service, support begins straight away. From carefully packing your belongings to setting you up in your new home, we’re here to take the stress out of moving, so you can focus on settling in and enjoying life at WMO.

For more information, call Juliet on 07 444 4023 or scan the QR code.

Money still unpaid

By Chris Gardner

The resource consent application for a waste to energy plant in Te Awamutu remains suspended, a month after the applicant told The News its outstanding bill would be settled.

The Environmental Protection Authority suspended processing of Global Contracting Solutions application on August 13 due to nonpayment of costs, as an independent board of inquiry prepared to rule on the application.

The applicant owes more than $100,000 to Waipā District Council and Waikato Regional Council, as well as an undisclosed sum to the Environmental Protection Authority.

Project manager Adam Fletcher told The News the costs would be paid a month ago but is no longer returning calls from The News.

“We have been making regular payments to the EPA all the way through,” Fletcher said in the August 21 edition of The News. “We have always intended to settle the bill.”

Costs had doubled one month before the board of inquiry began into the application in June.

“We are a bit bemused as to why they chose to do this now. . . only two weeks away from the decision. It seems a bit non sensical.”

“The application remains suspended,” said an EPA spokesperson this week.

“We are working with the applicant regarding the payment of outstanding costs. At this stage, there is no fixed deadline for payment. Once full payment of all outstanding costs has been received, the EPA will notify all parties and resume processing the application.”

The three-week board of inquiry heard

a plethora of objections to the application for a plant in Racecourse Road, including from dairy co-operative Fonterra and Waipā District Council.

Nearly two thirds of the 2173 submissions received were concerned with the effects the operation could have on air quality, emissions, and human health.

Waipā District Council regulatory services manager Wayne Allan said the resource consent application process was in the hands of the Environmental Protection Authority and remained suspended until the applicant meets its cost obligations.

“From council’s perspective, the situation is unchanged since the suspension was announced. Council will continue to participate in the statutory process as required.”

Join us for the

OPEN DAY

We’re excited to welcome you to Waipiko Landing on Sunday 21 September, where you’ll have the chance to explore the latest completed homes, meet the team, and experience the vision for this growing neighbourhood in Te Awamutu.

Location:

Time:

Date:

952 Cambridge Road, Te Awamutu 12:00pm - 2:00pm Sunday 21 September 2025

Find out more at www.waipikolanding.co.nz

Watching the drama

By Peter Carr

The hustings drama moves on towards what I hope will be a more interesting and voter-filled completion. The candidates have been criss-crossing the district making promises that the bulk of them are not capable of keeping given the bureaucratic nature of local body management – and restrictions of ever-changing legislation. I imagine that the Waipā council chief executive will be shaking her head at some of the utterances and preparing for the demanding onslaught of satisfaction of election-driven dreams.

On Wednesday I watched (on my screen) the riveting drama of an all-ofcouncil workshop. The publicly available presentation took up the whole morning. The cut and thrust of the non-binding debate saw my coffee go cold as I sat, spell bound, at the drama that rolled out before me – and no doubt many others with time to spare.

My interest focussed on two items linked but still key discussions in their own right. The first was the just released public perception survey of recent council successes. In and of itself this is a well-run and well-presented piece of work now in its ninth year - which period of time permits wide and meaningful comparisons.

Key to me was this. The Waipā council (in its wider sense) remains again wallowing around 20 per cent of overall customer satisfaction. Dress it however you like this figure is abysmal and I imagine that the chief executive has a key performance indicator in her contract that council must ‘do (far) better’.

If this was a public company the shareholders would be screaming for the blood of the chief and directors.

But local body stuff is a strange beast, and not all the opprobrium should fall on the shoulders of those professionally and governance related. Central government plays a far from fair game with regard to directing and bullying local body organisations.

Which brings me to my second observation of the workshop.

Councillors were addressed (on a screen) by Steve McDowell who is a highly respected professional advising organisations on improving their governance. He told the elected folk that going into the next triennium members should look very clearly at matters that they should not address – instead drawing back and delegating it to council staff or the community boards. His words were extremely apt, clear and concise. Essentially keep your fingers out of matters that should not involve you. Three-hundred-page reports were mentioned - who has the time to produce these let alone read (and understand) them?

Clearly – and to their credit – this council has cleared out some deadwood recently. It has also brought in a challenging and professional chief to help take those changes further. At the same time the mayor desires to take the changes further.

In management and governance terms this makes sense provided that the table is decluttered, pet silly projects are sidelined and the Big Picture is permitted to roll out. But take care elected folk.

That 20 per cent is going to bite you in a fleshy part of your anatomy if the satisfaction rot continues.

Adam Fletcher.

Marae – like village halls

By Roy Pilott

Tamahere residents have been given a different take on why they should support the retention of Waikato District Council’s Māori wards.

Ngāruawāhia based Tilly Turner will be returned unopposed to the council’s Tai Runga Māori ward.

A three-way battle is in progress for the Tai Raro Takiwaa Maaori Ward seat vacated in June by Paaniora Matatahi-Poutapu.

In Waipā sitting councillor Dale Maree Morgan is challenged by Yvonne Waho, in Hamilton there are six contenders for the Kirikiriroa Maaori Ward and in Ōtorohanga five are campaigning for the Rangiatea Māori Ward.

Referenda around the country will determine the fate of Māori wards – introduced in 2022 by Waikato district – and where a majority of voters don’t want them, they will disappear at the 2028 election.

Turner spoke at last week’s candidates meeting in Tamahere where Waikato district and regional councillors addressed a full room of about 50.

She sought to explain the role of marae – and struck a

chord in comparing them to village halls.

“We have weddings and tangi – like your village halls. It’s a resource you have not tapped into. There were 40 sustainable marae hubs in the district,” she said.

But she also underlined a disconnect between Māori and the local body politics.

“We lost a million acres across three generations... Māori are not confident as councils administered the land we lost.

“I’d love our marae to start connecting and sit down in this community with you.”

The primary marae in the Tamahere-Gordonton area is Hukanui in Gordonton.

Turner – who aside from sitting on the Waikato District Council is also a member of the Raglan, Ngāruawāhia and Taupiri community boards –discussed the Koroneihana where Māori queen Te Arikinui Ngā wai hono te po spoke publicly for the first time since the death of her father Kingi Tuheitia.

The annual commemoration of the coronation of the Māori monarch drew thousands of visitors to Turangawaewae over five days this month.

“It is all driven by volunteers – because we love our culture,” Turner said. She invited her audience to reflect on how much value that passion and willingness to work could bring to the wider community.

Earlier this year Turner revealed she had a succession plan in place and was intending not to seek re-election – but decided not to leave a seat to someone knowing it could be scrapped in three years.

The battle begins

By Roy Pilott

Waikato has Māori wards at Waikato regional council level, in the Waipā, Waikato and Ōtorohanga districts and Hamilton city.

Good Local Media neighbours - Ruapehu, Matamata-Piako and Taupō districts also have them.

Leaders of those councils with Māori wards speak of their worth, but their value to council operations has not made headlines, making the campaigns for some candidates a double one - be elected, and convince the entire electorate of the value of the seat.

The decision by the Labour led government in 2021 to remove the power of veto from electorates was an acknowledgement that democracy may work for the majority, but not for the minority.

That is effectively being overturned. Voting has now started in the local body elections – and voters in 42 council elections are being asked to say yes or no to Māori wards.

The Local Government (Māori Wards) Amendment Act requires councils which introduced Māori wards without polling residents to hold a binding poll or remove them.

But Waikato Regional Council’s two Māori wards are exempt because they were established in 2012 – and predate the 2021 amended legislation.

There, sitting councillor Kataraina Hodge in Ngā Hau e Wha and Tipa Mahuta in Ngā Tai Ki Uta have been elected unopposed

Across the country the numbers could be against Māori wards surviving in a country where 15 per cent of the population is Māori.

A 2014 poll in New Plymouth resulted in a 73-17 vote against Māori wards and effectively spelt the end of city mayor Andrew Judd’s political career.

But the staunch advocate of the seats saw a later attempt to do away with the wards in his city fall at the first hurdle – which was to get 5000 people to sign a petition.

The Act Party brands Māori wards race-based representation which is contrary to its equal rights and democracy platform. Māori ward candidates arguing the value of their seats may wonder at how Te Pati Māori’s attack on “pakeha media” after winning the Tāmaki Makaurau by-election will assist their cause.

Tilly Turner sits on the Waikato District Council – and three community boards.

On the Hustings – with

Mary Anne Gill

Rolls, rhetoric and wrybills

Whether it was Shirley Julian’s sausage rolls and carrot cake supplied to celebrate her 95th birthday or the promise of a cracking mayoral debate, the reason for the crowd is debatable.

But what is certain is that more than 120 people turned up at Arvida Lauriston Park retirement village in Leamington on Monday - 40 more than the same event three years ago.

This time, residents heard from mayoral

candidates Susan O’Regan, Clare St Pierre, and Mike Pettit, who delivered familiar messages heard at other gatherings.

Pettit, after two terms on council and three on the community board, said he wanted to lift accountability and no longer wanted to be “a cog inside the wheel.”

“I’m putting my hand up to lead us out of it. I know how to lead. If you want change, help me.”

St Pierre, a four-term councillor, said her

track record spoke for itself.

“I’m not about talk,” she said, pledging to apply her financial skills to move Waipā forward, empower communities, and lead the Cambridge Connections project.

O’Regan reflected on her three years as mayor, saying she had always fronted, acted with integrity and courage, offered steady, thoughtful and future-focused leadership that was about a long-term vision and not just about today’s decisions.

Residents asked about speed bumps, cycleways, the Newcombe Rd quarry, inclusionary housing, use of consultants, a third bridge over the Waikato River, and post-water reform amalgamations.

There was a noticeable gasp when it was revealed that a location for the third bridge won’t be identified until September 2026, and construction could take another 14 years to begin.

Before the debate began, South African manager Tanya Lindsay arrived wearing a Springbok jersey admitting the previous week’s loss against the All Blacks had been hard going but she was ready to enjoy this one.

Former schoolteacher Bev Woolley made a heartfelt plug for the wrybill as New Zealand Bird of the Year. The wrybill is the only bird in the world with a bill bent sideways - always to the right. Its population is declining and at threat. Before moving to Lauriston, Woolley was a founding member of the Pūkorokoro Miranda Naturalists’ Trust where she observed the birds in the Firth of Thames.

It will be interesting to see who gets more votes from residents – the wrybill or the

MIKE PETTIT 4 WAIPĀ MAYOR

RELATIONSHIPS

Builds strong, respectful relationships with residents, iwi, businesses, sta and councillors

Champions authentic engagement - listening first, acting with purpose

Proposes youth and senior councils to give all generations a voice

Advocating for collaboration across communities and sectors

REALISM

Commitment to financial transparency and zero-based budgeting

Exploring alternative funding models to take pressure o rates

mayoral hopefuls.

The latest Waipā Residents Survey got a mention.

Council communications staff put such a positive spin on it that those who had already read it went back to check if they had the right version.

The executive summary used soft language to neutralise bad news, reframed deterioration as stability, minor improvements as success and widespread neutrality as “not dissatisfied”.

The full report showed the council’s performance and reputation are slipping across key measures: satisfaction, trust, leadership, value for money, and financial management.

This decline has occurred under all three mayoral candidates’ watch. Pettit and St Pierre have now publicly stated Waipā should be a top-performing district with no excuses.

O’Regan has regularly fronted on the results, admitting to The News two years ago that she was frustrated by the dissatisfaction and now believes her consistent leadership is needed to pull the district through.

One of the tools the council uses to communicate with residents - after pulling information only reports from agendas - is a publication called On the Radar. It is sent to the mayor, councillors, community board members and senior council staff. The News has had to request it twice under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act (LGOIMA).

Continued page 12

Supports councillor training in financial literacy, strategic planning and governance

Understands the realities of growth and infrastructure needs

RESULTS

Proven leadership across education, council, and community boards

Plans for a Te Awamutu CBD upgrade and Cambridge transport improvements

Supports cost-e ective delivery of amenities; libraries, sports facilities and rural village improvements

Focused on tangible, timely outcomes for all of Waipā

Birthday girl Shirley Julian shouted morning tea at the debate for her 95th birthday. Photo: Mary Anne Gill

Rolls, rhetoric and wrybills

Continued from page 11

It is now up to issue number 16. We have issues 1-15 up online and will request the latest one, which went out last week.

Interestingly, it is still being sent to current councillors and community board members but not to candidates standing for election.

The News believes that gives incumbents an unfair advantage. Your view to editor@goodlocal.nz

At recent meetings, the public grumbled about the acronyms used by councillors and candidates.

“What is an LTP?” one woman asked us.

“It’s a Long Term Plan,” we said.

And then there’s cadence. In a workshop review last week, council staff referred to a “review of meeting cadence” as part of a continuous improvement initiative. We reached for the Oxford Dictionary, thinking it had something to do with music - not meetings.

Turns out it does mean rhythm. But when the local newspaper must look it up, you have to wonder about its use.

Finally, candidates are keeping in touch, but it was not until the weekend that we caught up with Karen

Morris, who is standing for Cambridge Community Board.

She promised to send us something - and sure

enough a couple of hours later, we received a photo of her at the Salvation Army Store opening. No words. Just a photo.

Regional candidates respond

We asked the four Waikato Regional Council WaipāKing Country candidates 10 questions about why they should be elected.

Today we run the responses from Stu Kneebone and Clyde Graf.

Q: Waikato River and several lakes in Waipā-King Country face water quality concerns. What would you like to see done about those issues?

Clyde Graf – Low-cost things are being done to improve the quality of water bodies, such as plantings that prevent sediment, nutrients and pollutants from entering water. We could also choose to harvest waterweeds such as hornwort, instead of regularly spraying them with herbicides, as is done in many lakes, including Karāpiro.

Stu Kneebone – Working with the community to implement “The Vision and Strategy” for the Waikato & Waipā rivers. Prioritising our resources in a structured way to restore our rivers, lakes and catchments, working with communities and funders to prioritise restoration efforts. Along with a fit for purpose & supportive regulatory framework.

Q: The regional council is responsible for providing and improving public transport services and investing in

long-term planning. Can the regional council be doing this better and if so, who should pay for it, ratepayers, users or partnerships?

Clyde Graf – A lot of people don’t feel safe on buses, or they find them inconvenient, and as a result, we have a lot of big empty buses driving around. Public transport needs to be reviewed, to better fit the needs of the communities that use it. There needs to be a split between user-pays, and ratepayers to fund public transport.

Stu Kneebone – It’s about continuous improvement and engaging with public transport users to understand their needs and expectations, integrating public transport into our everyday lives. We all benefit to varying degrees, so funding mechanisms need to reflect that. So a mix of user pays, some ratepayer and central government via New Zealand Transport Agency.

Q: Organisations like Waikato Chamber of Commerce are calling for widespread local body amalgamation. Do you support that call and if so, what Waikato local authorities would you want to amalgamate with?

Clyde Graf – Absolutely, so long as it results in a reduction in costs and bureaucracy. An amalgamation would require careful consideration and considerable planning. I’ll support the best proposal.

Stu Kneebone - The smaller councils in particular should be seriously thinking about amalgamating. But I’m not convinced that one big Waikato wide council is the solution.

Districts need their identity and focal points. All Waikato councils should be working together more, seeking opportunities to work together and share services to improve efficiency.

Karen Morris at the opening of the Salvation Army store. Photo: Supplied

Stu Kneebone

Clyde Graf

O‘Regan does it again

By Jesse Wood

Waipā district mayoral candidates were governed by a red squeaky toy at a meeting last Thursday.

And for the second time in a row, sitting mayor Susan O’Regan topped an informal poll.

Te Awamutu Business Chamber hosted the meet the candidates event at the Birchell pavilion on Gorst St, chaired by chief executive – and council candidate - Shane Walsh.

Mike Pettit, Susan O’Regan and Clare St Pierre were given the opportunity to introduce themselves a strict three-minute slot.

Chamber administrator and timekeeper Fran Jones alerted the candidates when they had 30 seconds left, and when their time was up, with the squeeze of a squeaky toy.

Cambridge-based Pettit comes from an education background and has been on the council since 2019.

He hopes to create more connection between the council and community if he is elected mayor.

“My parents told me, God gave you two ears and one mouth,” Pettit said. “You’re supposed to listen twice as much as you talk, and I’ve taken that through my leadership journey.”

Te Rore-raised Clare St Pierre said she wants a council that is

better at doing the basics.

Coming from a finance background and from a family of 11, St Pierre has been part of and founded many groups in the Waipā.

She has been on the council for 12 years and is passionate about the environment.

“We have turned our Pirongia section into a food forest and follow a sustainable lifestyle as much as possible,” St Pierre said.

“I’m the founding member Pirongia Te Aroaro o Kahu Restoration Society, which I chaired for 20 years, and also ecological corridor project linking Maungatautari to Pirongia which covers 35 per cent of Waipā’s land area with over 100 landowners actively involved.

“Community service is part of your DNA when you come from a rural community.”

Incumbent mayor O’Regan’s family roots in the Waipā stretch back more than 100 years.

Waipā’s first female mayor is a lawyer and joined the council in 2016.

“We want this district to be a place where it’s fulfilling for everybody, no matter what the life stage and age,” O’Regan said.

“Have I always got it right? No. But I’ve always fronted up, always listened and work really hard to improve.

“Good leadership is not about easy answers or most popular

catch phrase - it’s about integrity, courage and lots of hard work.”

Following the introduction speeches, Walsh put seven questions to the trio.

They all had a chance to answer each question within two minutes, based on what they would do if elected mayor.

The questions included how they would address the district’s debt, the discontent in Kihikihi regarding speed bumps, cul-de-

sacs and cycleways, their views on support community boards, the Holmes Garage community space project, the disconnect between the council and ratepayers, a main street bypass for Te Awamutu and what their leadership style was.

To close the meeting, the floor was opened for people to ask questions of the candidates.

Te Awamutu iSite general manager Harriet Dixon expressed her concerns about the funding cut

for the visitor centre.

Others asked questions about the debt – a big public concern.

Unofficial mayoral voting slips were handed out. Votes counted from the meeting were 17 in favour of O’Regan, St Pierre 10 and Pettit nine.

At a similar meeting held in Cambridge, O’Regan topped the poll followed by Pettit and St Pierre.

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Te Awamutu Business Chamber chief executive Shane Walsh with, from left, Clare St Pierre, Susan O’Regan and Mike Pettit. Photo: Jesse Wood

Aiden’s kapa haka joy

By Jesse Wood

Aiden Vanner was introduced to kapa haka at Kihikihi Primary School more than two decades ago. Now he’s inspiring the next generation.

Last week, the Ōhaupō Primary School teacher organised Te Taitūperepere Kapa Haka Festival,

a kapa haka event hosting more than 1500 students from 16 Waipā groups.

Across two days at the Te Awamutu Event Centre, it was a celebration of art, culture and whānau.

Aiden was elated to see his students perform in front of the masses and walk away with an

award – Rōpū Humarie – the most pleasant or beautiful group.

He paid tribute to everyone who came out and supported “our kaupapa, our tamariki – children – with what they have learned, the culture, everything that we embody as Māori”.

“The community is who we do it for and the community is what

drives us to keep doing what we’re doing.

“My biggest highlight was my rōpū, group, performing their waiata that they’ve worked so hard on all year. Everything was a highlight.”

Ōhaupō Year 7 student Zadie Crawford-Berntsen has been involved in kapa haka since 2018.

“It was nerve wracking seeing everybody staring at you and watching you,” Zadie said.

Having friends and classmates made her feel more relaxed performing.

“My highlight was watching all the other schools perform their items, watching and learning from

Event organiser Aiden Vanner and Ōhaupō School student Zadie CrawfordBerntsen. Photos: Jesse Wood There were more than 1500 people through the doors across the two days. Continued next

them,” Zadie said.

It was the first time Aiden had put together something of that magnitude. He was pleased with the fruit.

“Each school had varying numbers. The smallest school we had was about 25 students and the largest was 180.

“My kapa haka journey began when I was Year 9 at Te Awamutu College in 2009. As soon as I stepped onto Ōtāwhao Marae, that’s when my journey really began.

“I got introduced to it at Kihikihi Primary School but not as much as when I stepped onto Ōtāwhao.

“I wouldn’t have been able to organise this without the guidance of the people that organised

it last year, Sunny West and Cedric Kapa from Kihikihi Primary School, or without the leadership team of our committee that helped put all of this festival together.

“I would be completely beside myself without the constant support of everyone around me. Especially Chris Rennie, my tumuaki, the principal of Ōhaupō School.”

Te Awamutu Intermediate School will run the festival in 2026.

Day one winners: Ngā Kōhanga Reo o Te Purapura o Kakepuku – Rōpū Harikoa, Te Kōhanga Reo o Tuhikaramea – Rōpū Puawai, Koromatua Tuakana – Rōpū Manu tīoriori, Kura Pōtiki o Te Wharekura o Ngā Purapura o Te Aroha

– Rōpū Tino Kaha, Kihikihi School – Rōpū Maioha, Koromatua Teina – Rōpū Whakamanawa, Hauturu School – Rōpū Hūmārie, Pokuru School – Rōpū Rangimarie.

Day two winners: Te Awamutu College - Te Hokai Rangatahi – Rōpū Whakamana, Ngutunui School – Rōpū Whakaahuru, Pirongia School –Rōpū Whakaputa, Te Kura Tuatahi o Te Awamutu (Te Awamutu Primary School) – Rōpū Whakatupu, Pekapekarau Primary School – Rōpū Taurima, Te Kura Waenganui o Te Awamutu - Te Ara Whakamaua (Te Awamutu Intermediate School) –Pakāea (mauri), Kura Pōtiki o Te Wharekura o Ngā Purapura o Te Aroha – Rōpū Tangata Toa, Ōhaupō School – Rōpū Hūmārie.

I’m standing for re-election because I care deeply about Waipā - its people, its places, and its future.

This district isn’t just where I live - it’s part of who I am. Born and raised here, my strong family roots go back well over a century. I’ve farmed here, raised my children here, practiced law here, served my community here.

Waipā has given me so much, I want to make sure it continues to be a place where our children and grandchildren can thrive. A place to raise families, build businesses, enjoy life, and grow older with dignity.

The world is changing faster than ever. Our district needs strong, experienced leadership. I am and will continue to be a Mayor for All of Waipā - listening, building trusted relationships, and working hard for our community.

I’d be grateful for your support so that I can continue serving and providing the leadership Waipā needs.

Susan O'Regan

SUSAN O’REGAN: A MAYOR FOR ALL OF WAIPĀ WHAT

Jamboree troops

Scouts Aotearoa Waikato Zone has appointed troop leaders of three Waikato troops heading to the 11-day 24th Aotearoa New Zealand Scout Jamboree at Mystery Creek next year. They hail from the Waikato’s three largest groups, Sam Hill from Cambridge, Chris Gardner from Kirikiriroa and St Peter’s and Victoria Bankers from Chartwell in Hamilton. Jamboree troops comprise 36 scouts supported by seven kaiarahi (leaders) including a troop leader.

Māori appointment

Ngira Simmonds (Ngāti Huri, Raukawa) has been appointed Waipā District Council’s new kaihautū –Strategic Māori Partnerships director. He most recently worked as chief of Staff and private secretary to the Māori Queen Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po having also served her father, the late Kingi Tūheitia. He has held senior leadership roles with the Māori Anglican Church, serves on the chief Ombudsman’s Advisory Board, and is currently completing his Master of Business Administration at the University of Waikato.

YOU GET WHEN YOU VOTE FOR ME

Consistent, experienced leadership in uncertain times.

Smarter investment and better value for your ratepayer dollar.

Managed growth so that Waipā still feels like Waipā.

Continued work that improves how council listens and responds to you.

Continued strong advocacy for Waipā in every area of reform.

Establishment of an effective Seniors Forum and Youth Panel.

Pekapekarau Primary School were one of the day two performers.

There was plenty of colour on display at the event.

ON SHAKY GROUND

Panic in the headlines

By Janine Krippner

“Tourists warned of volcano (in capital letters) alert in Spanish holiday hotspot as locals urged to leave homes”

This was a headline published a few weeks ago by Great Britain News, and I want to unpack it as a prime example of why we must be cautious when confronted with dramatic headlines.

If you have been reding my recent columns, you know that I just spent six weeks in the Canary Islands, the majority of which was on Tenerife - the island this headline was about. Two weeks of this was with a fantastic group of students working on a volcanic resilience project in the gorgeous seaside town of Garachico. The very town that this headline was about.

We were there because for quite a while now, an exercise has been planned by authorities to test their capabilities for an evacuation; a testrun that can also be applied elsewhere. This is part of a larger European Union effort to test emergency management capabilities for a range of disasters. A quick and simple Google search shows this being openly discussed back in October of last year. Any semblance of factchecking could find this.

Garachico was chosen for this exercise because of its history. The town was damaged during the 1706 eruption, an event that was commemorated while I was there. Not because of an impending eruption.

And yes, if you keep scrolling it clarifies that this is, in fact, not related to some recent small earthquakes below the island. Which, by the way, are common for a volcanic island such as Tenerife.

Can you tell that I am absolutely fed up? I have been for years.

Headlines like this exist to get you to click on

the link, generating profit with no consideration for who they may harm.

This kind of sensationalist headline is designed for one thing: clicks. Clicks mean profit. And unfortunately, this kind of misleading content is everywhere. More and more junk is flooding the internet, making it harder to find clear, factual information. As a volcanologist, I can spot inaccuracies quickly. But I worry about topics outside my expertise, how can I trust what I read when I see how often misinformation spreads in my own field?

Peace with creation

By Christine Bryant, Lay Minister, St John’s

One of the things I have appreciated as I have got older is the increasing realisation of how little I know and, consequently, the joy of learning new things and seeing the world differently.

Recently I watched a thought-provoking documentary, Riverblue, in the context of a Year 9 unit on Art and Environmental Justice. Riverblue is about the impact of “Fast Fashion” - clothing that is cheap and discarded shortly after, on the rivers of Asia where most clothes are produced.

Sometimes, misinformation is intentional; other times, it’s just poorly researched. But either way, it can look deceptively credible when sprinkled with enough technicalsounding language.

What can we do?

Firstly, seek out the experts. One silver lining of the social media era is that it gives scientists and specialists platforms to share knowledge directly. Look for blogs by researchers, articles published by reputable organisations, or commentary from qualified professionals. Be mindful of where your information comes from, and who is giving it.

Watch out for inflammatory language, especially if it’s in all capital letters. That’s a red flag. Even though I’m mad about this issue, my response is measured. Sensationalist headlines rarely come from trustworthy sources. Now more than ever, we need to approach the news with a healthy dose of scepticism. It’s the only way to ensure we’re consuming facts, not fiction created to serve someone else’s agenda.

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This documentary gives a wealth of data about the pollution caused by the textile industry as the colourful fabrics we desire are dyed a different hue every season.

It covers the equally appalling byproducts of the tanneries as the chemicals needed to produce leather for belts, bags, shoes, cricket and rugby balls are discharged by factories directly into the rivers flowing alongside.

The most toxic and lifeless rivers on earth are found in the five countries which produce most of the fashion and sports goods for the western world - China, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Indonesia.

Part of Riverblue focused on the cost to the environment of producing jeans, the most commonly worn garment. According to the film, some 4900 litres of polluted water and 30 tonnes of carbon dioxide are produced for every batch of stone-washed or distressed jeans.

I have chosen to write about this because the month of September through to October 4, the feast day of St Francis of Assisi, is when many churches focus on the care of creation.

This year the theme is ‘Peace with Creation’.

Peace, for a Christian, is not just about the absence of conflict and it does not come from putting our own interests above those of others.

Peace means the calm which comes from being in a close relationship with Jesus Christ who showed us that we are not on earth to be served, but to serve. He said this clearly to his disciples when two of them, James and John, asked for special places in heaven.

We get a glimpse of what peace with creation truly looks like in Genesis 1: 27-31: “So God created man in his own image… God blessed them… ‘Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it… God saw all that he had made, and it was very good”.

Unfortunately, especially over the last 200 years, “subdue the earth” has been interpreted as exploit and abuse, both the planet and its peoples, without heeding the consequences.

The problems of social and environmental injustice exist largely because we of the first world are so reluctant to compromise our comfortable lifestyle.

God has given us the capacity to live in harmony together and with nature. If we simplify our lives, restrain our desire for consumption and tread more lightly on the planet he has entrusted to us, we might again live in peace with creation.

Day for eco-warriors

By Mary Anne Gill

Schools from across Waikato and King Country brought their environmental education learning to Cambridge last week for the Enviroschools Conservation Week event.

Students from Te Miro, Kio Kio, Te Awamutu, Paterangi, Wharepapa South, Te Pahu, Vardon, and Waikato Montessori gathered around Victoria Square, each eager to showcase what they’ve learned about sustainability.

The event is designed to bring together groups of students from schools and multiple community experts from around the Waikato to celebrate and be inspired by conservation and taking care of nature.

Enviroschools is an environmental actionbased programme where students design and lead sustainability projects in their schools and communities.

Community experts - including Anna Cunningham, Natalie Jessup, Sirri Smith, Sara Taylor, Faith Haakma, Phil Margetts, and Shelley Urlich - led engaging, hands-on workshops on bird banding, stream care, kauri protection, and trapping. They came from Tuia te Ora – Endangered Species Foundation, Waikato Regional Council kauri protection, Smart Water, Taiea te Taiao Ecological Corridor, Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari and Kids in Nature –Hamilton City Council. Waikato Regional Council Enviroschools facilitator Alex Daniel said the event

had been planned for the actual Conservation Week from September 1-7 – but rain meant it was delayed seven days.

“Students left inspired - to plant more trees, care for streams, and share their learning with classmates,” she said.

Waikato has 220 enviroschools – 50 of them early childhood centres – and 55,000 students involved.

The vision of creating healthy, peaceful, and more sustainable communities relies on bringing together diverse skills, perspectives, and resources.

Building and maintaining a collaborative support network – each collaborator bringing something different - has been essential to the development of Enviroschools.

The issue of co-governance

It’s a touchy issue, but it needs to be publicly debated and democratically determined. Is the co-governance of public assets the best model for all of New Zealand? Maori make up 18% of the population, but have 50% of decision-making power over public assets in a cogovernance arrangement. Unelected, decision-making power over assets to which we all contribute. Regional Council is currently introducing co-governance by stealth, enabling the transitioning of co-management committees into co-governance committees. I stand for an inclusive Waikato, where all people are equal under one law, and where any person can achieve great things - based on experience, quali cations, and merit - not race.

Vote Clyde Graf for Waikato Regional Council.

Achievements while in Council

St John look for volunteers

By Chris Gardner

Hato Hone St John says it is eight volunteers short for a 10-strong first response unit established in Te Kūiti last month.

The first response unit, led by two Te Kūiti based volunteers equipped with a vehicle and training one step up from first aid, was established last month to respond to incidents in the town.

It was set up after a proposal to move Te Kūiti ’s only ambulance to Te Awamutu came to fruition in March. While the vehicle is based in Te Kūiti during the day, it begins each shift in Te Awamutu to where it returns at the end of each shift.

Waikato Hato Hone St John’s volunteer support manager Lara Davies said, in a statement, eight more volunteers were needed to crew the unit.

Davies said the first response unit was “very much for the community, by the community” and its vehicle would play a vital role in delivering effective and timely patient care.

“Our first response unit volunteers support our paid ambulance staff and are never on their own: back up is always there. Volunteers also don’t need any prior medical experience to become an ambulance operations volunteer as you’ll get full training.”

The first response unit vehicle is equipped with emergency lights and sirens, a defibrillator, a comprehensive first response kit, and the equipment required to manage a patient’s airway.

It will bolster community resilience in the event of medical emergencies and support transporting ambulances, including the Te Awamutu ambulance.

Hato Hone St John area operations manager Craig Scott said the new first response would make a positive difference to pre-hospital care capabilities.

“The team will respond to a variety of incidents that are high acuity, life-threatening emergencies, such as cardiac arrests or major car crashes.”

VOTE Clyde Graf for Waikato Regional Council

Yes to - zero rates rises

Yes to - environmental monitoring

Yes to - supporting primary industry

Yes to - public ownership of water No to - reckless spending No to - polluting air, land and water No to - RMA red tape

During my rst term as a Waikato Regional Councillor, I was a member of the Rates Control Team. Our decisions returned a rates reduction of -3%, unlike the excessive increases we see today. (During this current term I also voted against rates increases). We formed the Coromandel Aquaculture Forum, increased regional funding for surf life-saving, delivered increased funding for rural weather-bomb events, and removed council-collected TB rates. I also led the working group for a successful ood management project. In this recent term, we’ve provided funding for Maungatautari, streamlined public transport, and introduced improved monitoring for water quality, soils, marine areas, biodiversity, and biosecurity. I opposed Three Waters, and the Te Awamutu waste-to-energy plant, and continue to do so.

In response to the skyrocketing rates we’re all facing, we’ve re-formed the Rates Control Team. We’re a group of prudent councillors who are keenly aware of the cost-of-living crisis facing us all.

Visit www.ratescontrolteam.co.nz for policies and to meet our candidates.

Clyde Graf - A bit about me

I have lived in the Waikato for the last 30 years. I grew up in and around Te Urewera National Park, where I learned bush craft and about our environment.

1995 - 2025 - Owner of business in building industry

1997 - Started lming and producing outdoors DVDs and TV series under The Graf Boys’ brand. Gone on to lm and produce dozens of short lms and documentaries.

2004 - Commissioned by NZ Police & NZ Mountain Safety Council to produce a featurelength rearms and outdoors safety DVD titled On Target (released in 2004).

2009 - Released our 4 x international award-winning documentary Poisoning Paradise.

2013 - 2016 & 2022 - 2025 Elected to Waikato Regional Council. Chaired EPC. What I stand for - I support farming and primary industry. I am focused on ensuring regional council sticks to its core business and that it operates within budgets.

To counter the reckless spending in Council, we’ve reformed the Rates Control Team. We’re a group of concerned councillors who are driving change, and are dedicated to bringing your rates down.

I respectfully ask for your vote, and to represent you in council once again.

Vote Clyde Graf for Waikato Regional Council Visit

Clyde Graf for Waikato

A group of Nature Ninjas from Paterangi School after they completed their tests, from left: Scarlett and Mia Hill, Elouise Shaw, Trinity Roa. More photos cambridgenews.nz

Nature corridor plan extends

By Viv Posselt

Those involved in developing an ecological corridor linking Maungatautari to Mt Pirongia are renewing efforts to extend the project from its initial five-year timeline into the future.

The Taiea te Taiao Ecological Corridor project launched in late 2021 under the charitable trust Maungatautari to Pirongia Ecological Corridor Incorporated Society (MtPec). It is aimed at linking the two maunga via a 45km ecological corridor by increasing biodiversity, restoring cultural sites of significance, enhancing native species, strengthening weed and pest control, and improving water quality along its two primary waterways – the Mangapiko and Ngāparierua streams – and other waterways and wetlands.

MtPec chairperson Clare St Pierre said funding for the project has so far come mainly from the Ministry for the Environment’s Freshwater Improvement Fund.

“That was a one-off grant of $800,000 over five years, some of which was in-kind, but that runs out in June 2026,” she said. That supports two dedicated staff members, project co-ordinator Bexie Towle and Mātauranga Māori facilitator Te Ao Apaapa, both employed by NZ Landcare. The rest is done by volunteers. Additional in-kind and

financial support via grants and donations has come from several organisations, companies and landowners.

Now St Pierre and trust cofounder, Don (Bush) Macky, are keen to secure the project financially beyond next year.

They have applied through an online fundraising site which ran a payroll giving campaign. The campaign was promoted to mark International Charity Day and invites employees to donate to their chosen charity directly through their wages.

St Pierre hopes it will add momentum to fundraising efforts.

“We think we need about $230,000 a year to keep going beyond that first tranche of funding. We’re not expecting it all to come from the payroll giving platform, but every dollar coming in will add up and get us there.”

Macky, a long-standing landowner who founded the Lower Mangapiko Streamcare Group, has founded a donations movement within the project and has given $10,000 through his family trust.

“We are in effect creating a joint venture between Taiea te Taiao and us, the landowners, who are the beneficiaries of the increased value of our asset. I have already seen a significant difference on my property in terms of the environment and have lost

nothing by retiring parts of it. We need to support this project … it is essentially a generational task of rewilding our landscape.”

Taiea te Taiao, which was co-designed by mana whenua, landowners and other stakeholders, has several working partners, including NZ Landcare Trust, Waikato Regional Council, the Pirongia Te Aroaro o Kahu Restoration Society, Open Country Dairy and Fonterra. Its 45km corridor takes in roughly 8200 properties, and since it started, more than 300,000 native trees have been planted and maintained, 22km of fencing has been erected to protect waterways and native trees, over 31 hectares of land retired, and over 1300 predator traps installed on private land.

Success is being noticed and there are reports in of clearer waterways and the return of longabsent species of fish and birdlife.

St Pierre said the major issue now was funding into the future. “We don’t want to lose momentum on our project through a lack of finances.”

Annual Pirongia Craft Day

The Pirongia Cottage Crafts Festival Day began in 1978. A group of local crafters who had been involved in the relocation and preservation of the original Pirongia School building – which is now Pirongia Playcentre – planned a festival Day. Initially this was for local stall holders only and a donation was made from the Festival organisers to Playcentre each year.

Eventually Playcente took over the provision of food for the day as their fundraiser. It is organised volunteer committee of dedicated local arts and craftspeople who endeavour to keep the original theme of ‘NZ Handmade or Homegrown’ thereby ensuring only quality NZ items are sold.

The road is closed on Franklin Street from 6.00am to 4.00pm.

Stall holders are ‘open for business’ from 9.00am to 3.00pm creating a unique vibrant, friendly village atmosphere. You will see over 200 stalls containing quality NZ made items including arts, crafts, plants, pots, clothing, jewellery, pottery, woodwork etc. There is live entertainment and food stalls too.

There is ample parking around the village.

Pictured at the annual meeting of Maungatautari to Pirongia Ecological Corridor Incorporated Society are, members Graham Parker, Bexie Towle, Te Ao Apaapa, Clare St Pierre, Don (Bush) Macky and Nardene Berry. Photo: Viv Posselt

CountryLife

Call to complete TB job

By Chris Gardner

A King Country farmer says the sector should push on with its plans to eradicate bovine tuberculosis from New Zealand.

Kāwhia Harbour sheep and beef farmer Chris Irons said the national pest management plan governance group had the choice of dawdling along or doubling down on the plan to rid New Zealand of the disease.

“If we take our foot off the throat, it will come back and bite us,” Irons said.

The group, including representatives of the Ministry for Primary Industries, DairyNZ, Beef and Lamb New Zealand, and Deer Industry New Zealand (DINZ), is consulting farmers on how to finish the job of eradicating bovine TB from New Zealand.

“They are trying to get an idea if farmers want them to push on and kill TB,” Irons said.

An independent review of the National Pest Management Plan for TB found prioritising the remaining hot spots of TB-infected possums would achieve the goal of completely eradicating TB by 2055.

Irons, Federated Farmers Operational Solutions for Primary Industries (OSPRI) delegate and North Island OSPRI chair, hoped most farmers would agree with acting swiftly.

OSPRI leads the TBfree programme.

“People have realised, in the last five years, that we can’t get free in cattle until we get free in possums,” he said.

Group chair Dr Helen Anderson said there was more to do to protect valuable dairy, beef, and deer industries and to safeguard rural communities.

“We are so close to achieving zero infections in our livestock, with just 15 herds, or around 0.01 percent, infected in July this year,” she said.

“That’s an amazing achievement, thanks to decades of hard work and ongoing investment. But while the disease remains in possums, we will keep having outbreaks of reinfection.”

The governance group is seeking feedback on prioritising eliminating TB in the remaining hot spots of highly infected possum populations as soon as possible, using the most costeffective tools in large ‘landscape-scale’ operations.

Dr Anderson said it was proposed to replace the current milestone of TB freedom in herds by 2026.

“We’re so close to zero, but we can’t achieve or maintain zero herd infections until we get rid of the disease reservoirs in the possum population,” she said.

“Farmers contribute to the cost of the TBfree programme through their levies and the sooner New Zealand gets rid of TB in possums and herds, the sooner the cost to farmers can reduce.”

Funding of $60 million a year, 60 per cent from farmers and 40 per cent from the Crown, will cover the costs for the next five years.

“Beyond 2031, its currently expected there will be a shortfall, but it’s proposed to undertake a further review of longterm funding before we get to that point.

“It’s too soon to say what will be required beyond 2031.”

Beef and Lamb New Zealand chief executive Alan Thomson said: “Even if you’ve never faced TB on your farm, this plan affects the whole sector. Every farmer’s voice matters in shaping how we move forward.”

Dairy NZ chief executive Campbell Parker encouraged all farmers to have their say during the consultation.

“Whether or not you’ve been directly affected by TB, eradicating this disease is vital for the future of our entire sector.”

Deer Industry New Zealand Chief Executive Rhys Griffiths said farmer input played a crucial part in the primary sector’s future, “and here’s your chance to feed into important decisions”.

“Get informed on what the plan is proposing and make sure you have your say.”

Consultation on draft proposals for the TB Plan runs until October 12.

Chris Irons warns TB could “come back to bit us”.

Resolving Small Business Disputes

It’s natural when running a business to think in broad terms about business performance, and put smaller issues to one side. In our experience, unresolved legal issues or disputes (whether with creditors, suppliers, business partners, landlords/ tenants, employees) can sap time and energy. When a potential dispute is looming, forward planning is critical to managing your precious resources, to ensure that your attention is not taken away from what you really prefer to be doing for too long.

We have special expertise in alternative dispute resolution and helping to manage relationships to avoid disputes to start with. For our clients, our focus is on pointing everyone in the direction of resolving disputes, so that you can get back to running your business.

Often agreements (like employment relationships, shareholder agreements, or business partnerships) require you to follow a dispute resolution process, like mediation or arbitration. Processes not only improve your chances of resolving a costly dispute, following the right process is often critical to you accessing your rights under a contract. Arbitration and mediation, for the right circumstances, can be a good direction to head, to avoid protracted litigation or court claims.

The key is to call your lawyers early for advice and assistance. We can help with identifying the issues, nipping future problems in the bud, stepping you through the process, and tailoring options that best suit your needs and your life, so you can put disruptive disputes behind you, and get on with what you do best.

Jadin Hooper

Grower entries open

Entries have opened for the 2026 Young Māori Grower Award and Ahuwhenua Trophy competition

The competitions present opportunities for growers to showcase their success and talents, said Nukuhia Hadfield, Ahuwhenua Trophy Management Committee chair.

“The judging process for the senior Ahuwhenua Trophy competition gives entrants excellent insights into their businesses’ operations,” she said. “As someone who has been through this process, it has helped us to make positive adjustments on our farm. It has also provided invaluable networking opportunities.”

Entries were opened by Te Tumu Paeroa Māori trustee Dr Charlotte Severne (Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāi Tūhoe), at a recent Horticulture New Zealand conference.

The Ahuwhenua Trophy is awarded for excellence in Māori horticulture and the Young Māori Grower Award celebrates rising stars in horticulture.

The Young Māori Grower Award has encouraged an incredible alumni of young leaders, while supporting an innovative and successful Māori agribusiness sector, Hadfield said.

Earlier this year, Te Kūiti’s

Grace Watson reached the finals of the Ahuwhenua Young Māori Farmer Award – an equivalent for agriculture won by Northland’s Coby Warmington.

“It’s a privilege to have been named a finalist,” Grace told The News at

the time. “I’m looking forward to the learnings and connections I form through the opportunity.”

The winners of the Young Māori Grower Award and Ahuwhenua Trophy will be announced in Whangārei on June 5.

Twin role announced for Jordan

Game Animal Council chief executive Corina Jordan will be seconded to also serve as chief executive of New Zealand Fish and Game. She will be supported by Richie Cosgrove in the newly created role of chief operating officer.

Jordan was chief executive of Fish and Game from 2022 to 2025 and led significant change in modernising the organisation.

The arrangement will see costs shared between the two statutory bodies.

Jordan said the move was a practical step.

“Hunting and fishing bring both economic and societal benefits to the New Zealand community,” she said.

“The value of which can be measured in more than dollar terms, including improved mental health and physical wellbeing, a sense of community, conservation benefits, and attracting the next generation of hunters and anglers to continue our outdoor traditions that Kiwis value so much.”

The 2025 Young Māori Farmer finalist, Te Kūiti’s Grace Watson. Photo John Cowpland.

Corina Jordan.

The impact of a bad call

Tony Rowe says not concentrating for a moment on the farm can have lifelong consequences.

The former Waikato dairy farmer shared his story to help others stay safe.

It was early evening, February 27, 1999, and Rowe had just finished milking on his parent’s dairy farm, just outside of Te Awamutu, and had a couple more jobs to do before heading in for the evening.

The then 25-year-old got on the tractor and drove into a paddock to start chopping with the maize harvester.

His wife Kylie would usually ride the motorbike alongside him during one of his final jobs for the day, but as she was only one week away from giving birth to their first child, she wasn’t with him that evening.

Rowe had cut about three sides of the paddock when the machine

blocked. He got out of the tractor to clear the blockage, but he didn’t think to turn the machine off.

“Hindsight is a beautiful thing,” said Rowe. “I thought I wouldn’t be near it to have to move it, but then when it wouldn’t shift, I thought I’m going to have to get back on the tractor and back it up to take the pressure off the blockage.

“As I stepped back, I tripped and fell forward. My hand went on the blockage, which must have shifted a bit, and the machine grabbed that, and my arm together and just pulled me in up to my neck.”

Rowe was stuck like that for 25 minutes.

“It all happened so fast, but I can remember the feeling of it grabbing me and then a white-hot pain. It took the chain around my neck, and it took my earmuffs. I used my other arm to grab hold of the skid to try and stop the machine from pulling me in further.”

Rowe tried yelling, but no one could hear him over the sound of the machine.

“Every now and then it would grab a bit more shirt sleeve, or it would sort of try and pull me in a bit more. I think the adrenaline just takes over. It was just self-preservation. I was just trying to not go to sleep and hold myself to keep from going in further. All I wanted to do was fall asleep, but I thought if I close my eyes that would be it.”

From the house Kylie noticed cows in the maize crop and immediately

knew something was wrong.

She rang Rowe’s mother who came down on the motorbike and found him trapped in the machine.

Rowe was able to talk his mother through how to turn the machine off and then she called emergency services.

Rowe was flown to hospital, and his family were told to say their goodbyes before he went into surgery as there was a chance he wouldn’t come out.

Rowe was in an induced coma for a few days following surgery. He spent a total of four and a half weeks in hospital while his body fought and overcame infections.

Rowe lost his left arm in the machine on the day of his accident. Surgeons tried to rebuild his shoulder with his stomach tissue, but it didn’t work. A skin graft was used and expanders inserted to stretch the skin over his entire wound.

“It was tough at the beginning. We had a new bub, I was inside trying to change nappies, and Kylie was out running the farm.

“Someone told me when I had the accident that it would be a couple of years before I started to feel normal, and I thought nah it won’t take that long. But, looking back on it, they were right. It took about two and a half years before I actually felt near normal.”

Rowe was back working on the farm 18 months after his accident.

With support from ACC, an engineer built some adaptations for

Rowe to help him with daily tasks on the farm.

“Between us we came up with a harness I could milk with, which helped hold the cups while I milked the next cow.

“We made adjustments to cup washes in the shed, to vehicles, and to farm machinery.”

He carried on farming for about 16 years after his accident.

“Ultimately it was my back that sort of forced me off the farm. I was shovelling maize and lifting 20-kilogram bags trying to prove I was as good with one arm as I was with two, but I was lifting things I probably shouldn’t have been.”

Rowe and his wife Kylie then took on their next challenge — a major house renovation. He has since worked for a hunting and fishing and outdoor sports stores.

Rowe said getting back to work and normal activities was instrumental in his recovery.

“It made me feel normal, having work to go to and to be back out there doing it. It was something good mentally.

“You can sit on the sidelines and watch everyone else live, because they’re going to continue living their life. But I thought bugger that, you got to get out and live. You got to carry on with life as if it didn’t happen because otherwise you will get left behind. I am lucky to be alive”

Rowe very easily could have lost his life in the accident.

In fact, he almost bled to death

but was saved by the way the rollers sealed his artery while he waited for help to arrive.

“It could have been a different story. I class myself as very lucky to be alive.”

Rowe said one of the hardest parts of his accident was being at home afterwards, while his wife Kylie was going out and working.

The biggest impact has probably been on Kylie, he said.

“Kylie ended up having to compensate for a lot. She missed quite a bit of the early stages with the kids because she was working on the farm instead of being with them.

“I have been lucky to have such good support around me.”

It’s been more than 25 years since Rowe’s accident. He has accepted it but said at night he still dreams he has two arms.

“It’s funny, from the get-go I knew I was down to one arm, but I had to see a psychologist as part of my recovery, and he said when I stop dreaming that I’ve got two arms I’ve accepted the loss.

“I still dream I’ve got two, and I still say things like I’m going to go and wash my hands.”

When Rowe hears about an accident on a farm now, he is reminded of his own.

“I feel for people now, you can see how things happen, you get busy, you get tired, you might make a bad judgment call.”

• Farm accidents cost jumps – see story Page 8

Tony Rowe enjoys a walk at Hamilton’s Lake Rotoroa.

Bees…and now the birds

By Chris Gardner

It takes a community to raise a kiwi, and Rick and Moira Haddrell have spent a decade preparing theirs.

The couple are working with the Department of Conservation and Save the

Kiwi to become the first private landowners in the region to move kiwi onto private land.

The Haddrells, who sold premium Manuka honey brand Haddrells of Cambridge to Prolife Foods in 2015 and purchased the

470-hecatre Mangatiti farm, spent five years retiring the land from sheep and beef farming and preparing it for beehives. Then another five years making it ready to receive kiwi.

Save the Kiwi is supporting their application to DOC to

receive Kiwi next year.

“Waitomo is one of our priority sites to get birds translocated to next season,” said Save the Kiwi operations manager Tineke Joustra.

“We are hoping to create a corridor leading to Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari.”

The Haddrells are hoping to receive the first of up to 250 kiwi over three or four years from Maungatautari and Lake Rotokare Scenic Reservice in Taranaki.

“When Save the Kiwi brought its team to the farm, they said it was perfect,” said Moira. “It’s summer safe.”

The farm, west of Waitomo village, receives about two and a half metres of rain per year, creating ground conditions that kiwi can get their beaks into for feeding on invertebrates, native fruit, berries, leaves and shoots.

Ōtorohanga Kiwi House is also supporting the project.

“It will be fantastic to release kiwi in our back yard,” said kiwi house operations manager Julian Phillips.

The area was known for a wild kiwi population, and kiwi song was last heard in 2023.

The Haddrells held a community engagement day

last year to get everyone on the same page, including councillors, iwi, and neighbours.

The project started with the Haddrells putting bee hives on the farm and planting manuka with funding from Waikato Regional Council to support the bees.

“They were so happy to have the land reclaimed and stop the farm animals from pooping into the headwaters of the Waipā,” said Rick.

The Mangatiti Stream feeds into the Waipā then Waikato rivers.

The couple built a DOC hut style hut, complete with internal bathroom, from which to base themselves from for a few days a week.

From there they have planted 350,000 manuka bushes across the farm.

The beekeeping operation, managed by beekeepers Don and Amy Brill from Tirau, has been what Moira describes as a “bit of a fizzer” with a sharp fall in honey prices.

“The price was nearly $100 per kg of unprocessed manuka honey, now it’s $10 per kilogram,” she said.

The land is earning them “a couple of hundred grand”

in carbon credits through the Emissions Trading Scheme which they are reinvesting back into it.

“It’s sort of our retirement thing; we don’t work for money anymore. It’s the right thing to do. The farm is regenerating back into native bush,” Rick said.

The couple have also dealt with the incursion of introduced pests.

“In the first three years we shot 700 goats,” he said.

They have placed countless traps to rid the farm from rats and stoats and soon noticed native birds and insects returning.

“It was silent before, but by destocking we soon started to see what the land could be,” Moira said.

“We have heard morepork and wētā.”

“Little did we know that years of doing the right thing would create the ideal spot for kiwi,” Rick said.

Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari chief executive Helen Hughes was excited to hear of the Haddrells’ progress.

“It’s always exciting to see new conservation projects coming on,” she said. “It’s great seeing others investing in getting prepared.”

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CountryLife

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Rick and Moira Haddrell have worked hard to prepare Mangatiti for kiwi. Photo: Chris Gardner

Farm accidents cost rise

Waikato farmers received $20.7 million for 4141

Accident Compensation Corporation claims in 2024.

Numbers of accidents reported to ACC have remained consistent over the last five years but the cost has risen to $14.2 million.

Waikato farmers were responsible for around a sixth of the country’s $120 million worth of farming claims, and more than 6000 of the 23,000 occurring during the spring.

“Exhaustion, lack of sleep, the stresses of farming, isolation from friends and family, and being unable to take a break all add to the risks that a farmer or farm worker will have an accident,” said ACC workplace injury prevention manager Paula Wood.

“This is something we want farmers and farm workers to keep in mind, as they go through the busy spring calving season this year.”

Agriculture is among the top five industries for ACC injury claims alongside Manufacturing, Construction, Forestry and Fishing. These industries accounted for 38 percent of all workplace injuries in 2024.

One way to prevent injury

is to simply stop and think, Wood said.

“Most injuries, in the first instance, are avoidable.

“When you’re tired and rundown it effects your decision-making, so take a break when you need it so you can go home safe at the end of every workday.”

New Zealand has some of the best farmers in the world, but we also have higher rates of workplace fatalities and injuries in agriculture, Wood said.

“Injuries can have a big impact on the individual, their whānau and friends, their community, and their workmates.

“We’re focused on reducing harm, injuries and fatalities and on driving positive, long-term change.

“Our partnerships are key to supporting this - we partner with Safer Farms and our $11 million investment into the Farm Without Harm programme, as well as Farm Strong, a wellbeing programme which encourages farmers to farm well by living well.

“There’s always going to be inherent risks in an industry that involves operating heavy machinery and handling livestock, but by working with our partners

and farmers on how they can implement practical safety practices on their farm, we can help to mitigate those risks.”

Farmstrong shares practical tips from farmers for farmers so they can perform at their best, says Farmstrong programme director Gerrard Vaughan.

“Tips that keep you focused and calm, habits that help you to look after the most important asset in any business, which is the people that work in it,” says Vaughan.

There’s a strong connection between your wellbeing and your risk of accident and injury, Vaughan said.

“It’s important to look after your mind and body, so you can bring you’re A-game every day to the work you do on the farm.”

Over 10 years, Farmstrong has built up a collection of practical tools to help farmers improve their wellbeing. This includes a new ‘toolbox’ of mental fitness skills for farmers to maintain a clear headspace and perform under pressure.

“We encourage farmers to check these out, find out what works for you, and lock it in.”

Velvetleaf warnings renewed

One of the world’s most invasive pest plants is expected to emerge soon – on as many as 61 Waikato farms.

Velvetleaf was detected in New Zealand in the early 2000s and is spread by machinery or a contaminated crop such as maize.

Overseas it has caused an up to 70 per cent reduction in crop yields by outcompeting crops for nutrients, space and water.

North Island Velvetleaf Coordinator Sally Linton, who is employed on behalf of the North Island regional councils, Auckland Council and the Foundation for Arable Research, said the discovery of velvetleaf on a property can significantly impact farming businesses as cropping is difficult and more costly.

Velvetleaf can be extremely difficult to eradicate. As the plant matures, it develops a woody stem that resists many herbicides and standard weed control methods.

Each plant can produce up to 33,000 seeds which can lie dormant in the soil for up to 50 years. These seeds can germinate when the soil is disturbed, such as during cultivation, creating long-term challenges for agricultural land.

Linton says an enormous amount of work has gone into controlling velvetleaf by regional councils since it was discovered.

“A big focus is the tracing of machinery and crop movement, so we can establish and mitigate the source of spread.

“The issue is farmers who buy maize, often sight unseen, and contractors who harvest crops often work multiple properties across large areas.”

Velvetleaf is found on 105 properties in nine regions of the North Island: 61 in the Waikato, 21 in Auckland, 15 in Horizons, three in Hawke’s Bay, two in Wellington, and

one each in Northland, Taranaki, Gisborne and Bay of Plenty.

“To be honest, no farmer that crops is free from risk – and that is the message we need to get out. Biosecurity starts at the gate. It’ll save you a lot of headaches.

“So, while there are rules to prevent its spread from properties, we also do everything we can to support landowners who are affected.”

Landowners are responsible for destroying velvetleaf, which is an unwanted organism under the Biosecurity Act, and all machinery leaving an infested property must be cleaned.

Velvetleaf is an annual broad-leaved herb that grows between one and 2.5 metres tall. Seedlings are vigorous and the plant grows rapidly in the first few months after germination.

It has buttery-yellow flowers, about three centimetres across, from spring through to autumn. Leaves are large, heart-shaped and are velvety to the touch.

Suspected sightings of velvetleaf should be reported to Waikato Regional Council.

Velvetleaf can cause enormous problems on farms.

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Piarere work completed

Manager Infrastructure Delivery Darryl Coalter said.

Demise of Kaute

By Meghan Hawkes

‘Māori warrior disappears’ reported newspapers in April 1912 when Kaute suddenly vanished from his home at Puniu, near Kihikihi. Kaute was one of the few survivors who had defended Ōrakau in the Waikato Wars 48 years previously. He was last seen at 5am fully dressed leaving his whare. He had been suffering much of late from toothache. The matter was reported to the Kihikihi police.

Māori survivors of the Battle of Orakau later told of toiling all through the hours of darkness building defences, knowing that the Pākehā soldiers might be upon them at any moment. An account reported they took no rest, they had no time to get fuel and water into the fort, and their stock of food was very limited.

Maniapoto said, “Do not go forth. The Pākehā are settled firmly upon the land, nothing will shake them, but in the darkness of night then is our chance to break out.”

Transport Agency Waka Kotahi began work on what was a state highway 1 and 29 T-intersection in January last year.

Vehicles heading from Tauranga frequently backed up hundreds of metres during peak hour traffic and there were calls for change.

The transport agency opted for a roundabout and was given the go ahead by the Environment Court which rejected suggestions a flyover similar to one on the expressway south of Auckland was a superior long term solution.

The court said it did not have enough evidence to support the roundabout, but opponents criticised the fact that it accepted dated data from Waka Kotahi.

Regardless, the new roundabout layout is a significant improvement.

“We set out to improve safety, connectivity and reliability for the people who travel on this high volume-route, which sees more than 20,000 vehicles daily,” NZTA Acting Regional

“A roundabout was chosen for its proven safety benefits and network resilience.”

It comes with a fourth ‘stub’ which will eventually link to the planned Cambridge to Piarere expressway.

The finished result is a double-lane roundabout featuring two pedestrian/ cyclist underpasses, an improved stormwater system and upgraded street lighting and landscaping.

Te Manu Rangimaarie (bird of peace), is a 12-metre-high sculpture in the centre of the roundabout, which celebrates the connection between hapū and iwi to the land and river.

The work was designed by Waikato artist, the late Fred Graham and built in the Hamilton yard of Longveld, who have fabricated many of the large sculptures on the Waikato Expressway.

Some minor finishing touches including surfacing and line marking will continue through the summer sealing season.

Suddenly the advancing army was seen, the lines of marching men rising and falling as they covered the land like a great flood. Māori crowded into the trenches and against the walls with their guns and prepared for the struggle. Then, as the morning sun slanted down upon the land the cry of “Fire!” rang out. The soldiers rushed forward, long rows of smoke puffed out between the palisades, the guns of the Pākehā poured forth great sheets of flame, the roar of cannon struck against the heavens, and the white cloud of war floated low across the lands which drank the blood of Māori and Pākehā. Then were heard the sharp cries of the Pākehā, the yells of Māori warriors, and the voices of the wahine as they urged them on. Fighting continued all night, they had no sleep, and scarcely any food, apart from a few pumpkins which they ate raw.

There were calls to charge out of the pā and attack the soldiers in the open. Rewi

As night came on Kauaeroa of Tuhoe seized his patiti (hatchet) and leapt from the fortifications. With one blow of his patiti he killed the foremost soldier and then rose a shout of triumph within the pā as the war cry of Kauaeroa was heard - “Mine is the first fish.” The warriors thought the pakeha soldiers would run away when the first man was killed, but they continued to form their ditch around the pā.

On the third day, when the ditch was very near the pā, the Pākehā filled it with soldiers and assembled their forces in the hollow. The sound of their war bugles was heard, and a great multitude of men surged forth and attacked. Then Tuhoe and Waikato, warriors and women, were driven out of the pā like sheep, with the soldiers behind and on either side. For miles they were pursued, the one thing that saved them being the swamp to which they fled.

And so fell Ōrakau pā.

Now Kaute had fought his last battle. An exhaustive search for him revealed mere traces, Constable Ryan tracking his footprints to the banks of the Puniu stream, which was flooded.

It was assumed he was demented through toothache pain and probably inflammation of the brain, and had wandered too close to the river and fallen in.

Piarere’ s new 60 metre roundabout is complete.

An aerial view of the completed job

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GLIDDEN, Carol Anne –Passed away peacefully on Friday, 12th September 2025, in her 84th year. Cherished wife of Cliff. Beloved mother and motherin-law of Steven & Loree, Peter & Sally, Wayne, Vaughan & Shirley. Much loved “Grandma Carol” to all her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Carol’s life will be celebrated at a memorial service of colour at the Te Awamutu Presbyterian Centre, 80 Mutu Street, Te Awamutu, at 2:00pm Friday 19th September 2025. Messages to the Glidden family may be sent c/- 262 Ohaupo Road, Te Awamutu 3800, or left in Carol’s online tribute book at www.rosetown.co.nz

MEREDITH, Leonard Richmond (Len) –On Wednesday, 10th September 2025, peacefully at Resthaven on Burns, aged 84 years. Dearly loved husband and soulmate of Bev. Much loved Dad of the late Marie and Dan. Adored Granddad to his grandchildren and great grandchildren. The family extends heartfelt thanks to the staff at Resthaven for their wonderful care of Len over the past two years. At Len’s request a private family service has been held.

Te Awamutu Funeral Services, FDANZ

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OLIVER, Alice – Passed away peacefully on the 12th September 2025, aged 93 years. Loved wife of the late Ken. A dearly loved mother of Murray, Wendy and Bruce; cherished grandmother of Jodie, Nicole, Matthew, Jenna, Brad and Lacey; adored great-grandmother; and a much-loved sister and treasured friend to many. Alice lived a long and full life, marked by kindness, humour and love that touched all who knew her. Her warmth and gentle spirit will be deeply missed and forever treasured in our hearts. A service to celebrate Alice’s life will be held at St David’s Presbyterian Church, Otorohanga, on Thursday 25th September at 11.00am, followed by burial at the Otorohanga Cemetery. All communications to the Oliver family, PO Box 137, Te Awamutu 3840.

Te Awamutu Funeral Services, FDANZ

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