Young people in Te Awamutu are taking to bowling with unaccustomed zeal - and the man largely responsible is former Te Awamutu News Person of the Year Paul Walker.
He’s had his eye on bringing through a new generation of indoor bowlers for a while. That was at the nub of an interview The News did with him when he won our Person of the Year title in 2023.
Roll on two years, and with a little help from some friends, it seems he is well on his way to succeeding. Growing alongside the numbers of competitors is the respect now being shown Te Awamutu’s young players as they compete around the region, and the increasing willingness of seasoned players to pass on their knowhow.
Walker organised an event at Te Awamutu Bowling Club last Friday, a first gathering of its kind that brought together members of several of the town’s bowling groups, with the outdoor bowlers on hand to help with guidance and equipment.
His initial plan was to put on an end-of-year (indoor bowling season) event for members of the Te Awamutu Junior Bowls Club, with a meal thrown in for good measure. He then invited bowlers with
the Te Awamutu Special Olympics group to join in; Walker coaches a small group of those players at Te Rahu Hall on Thursday afternoons, among them two from Cambridge.
“I wanted this event to give them an opportunity to experience outdoor bowls and demonstrate their ability at indoor bowls to the
members and parents of the Junior Club,” he said.
The upshot was an afternoon spent testing their mettle on the outdoor green then moving inside for a meal followed by some fun competition on the indoor mats. Also there were players who are now at Te Awamutu College.
Walker’s move to attract
more young people to indoor bowls – and thereby ensure its longevity – has been made possible due to his and various helpers being able to work with Te Awamutu Intermediate School pupils regularly. The arrival of Margaret Taylor from Tauranga three years ago led to the establishment of a Junior Club at the school,
and the club’s subsequent involvement with the Aims Games.
Marlene Walker said: “We ended up taking 10 to the Aims Games this year, two more than last year. Out of those 10, two got through to the last eight, which is great given there were 241 bowlers competing. None of our kids disappointed.”
Youngsters on a roll
Supporting the Special Olympic bowlers last Friday, as she does throughout the year, was Trish Lapthorn.
Her daughter Kate has been playing for 18 months and told The News she ‘really loves’ the sport.
Lapthorn described the support Walker gives the group as ‘amazing’.
Nellie Harris was there supporting her granddaughter Mackenzie Harris. She said many of the youngsters involved don’t play other sports, and some are now even entering tournaments around the region.
Brendon Hand, who is president of the Te Awamutu Indoor Bowling Club and a member of Te Awamutu Lions Club, said his Lions club had given $1500 towards Walker’s efforts to grow the sport.
That money has gone towards funding venue costs for Junior Bowling Club members to be able to play indoor bowls outside of the Intermediate School. It covers those costs at the Te Awamutu Bowling Club.
“It is because of that grant that we are able to use this facility,” Walker said, “and we’re very grateful for that.” He said the Junior Club will continue meeting on Tuesday afternoons and urged any young people keen to give it a try to come along.
Enjoying their first crack at lawn bowls are youngsters, Mackenzie Harris and Marie Wing, both 12, Presley Saunders, 11, and Anne Burrows, 10. Behind them are Mackenzie’s nan Nellie Harris and Marlene Walker.
Photo: Viv Posselt
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Running costs on the rise
By Mary Anne Gill
Waipā event organisers say they’re being forced to rethink traditional routes, shifting away from public roads and footpaths to avoid escalating traffic management costs.
The latest example is the Cambridge Harriers and Athletic Club, which hosted its popular half marathon on Sunday using a flat, two-lap route that was almost entirely off-road.
Despite the changes, traffic management still cost $6800 - half the previous amount - thanks to the support of club stalwarts and volunteers, said race organiser Rob Archibald.
Whakatāne’s Chris Lines won the half marathon in 1:11:52, while Cambridge’s Jenny Gater claimed victory in the quarter marathon with a time of 41:19 - beating all male entrants.
The old course ran through low-use traffic routes – the mainly flat Flume, Aspin, and Maungakawa roads north and east of the town - starting and finishing at Cambridge High School.
The new less hazardous course passed through the Town Belt and along some shared footpaths in St Kilda, starting and
purpose responses to risk,” she said.
Both Archibald and Douglas say they want their events to be safe.
“At the heart of every event, our priority is ensuring participants, volunteers, and the public return home safely - but this comes at a cost,” said Douglas.
“For community events, the challenge is even greater, with pressure to keep entry fees low and fewer volunteers available, increasing the workload on organisers.”
Lake Karāpiro Domain site manager Liz Stolwyk said events like the North Island secondary school cycling championships on roads around Maungatautari had faced increasing road management costs.
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finishing at Tom Voyle Park. It had only four major road crossings and half marathoners went around the course twice.
Events Collective director Janette Douglas, who organises several Waipā events, said delivering sustainable events was becoming increasingly challenging as organisers juggled entry fees and commercial opportunities against rising essential costs like traffic management.
”Recent legislative changes enabling councils to adopt a risk-based model give organisers the chance to create fit-for-
youngsters
As we are midway through the school holidays, I wanted to highlight a concern around our tamariki (children). School community officers work with local schools to deliver programmes such as “Loves Me Not” and “Keeping Ourselves Safe” as well as facilitating Road Patrol.
These work to educate and actively engage students with police. Such connection is often started at a young age through kindergarten and daycare visits by officers like me and our Youth Aid officer Dani.
Part of our messaging, especially with young children, is that police officers are safe adults, there to help people and approachable. When walking around in the community however, we regularly see adults pointing us out and telling children things like, “you’d better behave or the police officer will arrest you!” . This approach while undoubtedly well meaning, can back-fire. In a recent situation, a very young child was spotted biking unaccompanied alongside a main road.
When an officer stopped and tried to speak to him, he immediately turned tail and pedalled away on his bike in the opposite direction. When approached again, he dumped his wee bike and continued to run away on foot. While officers managed to catch up with him (and his parent), in such
situations, we want children to run towards us, not away, where they risk putting themselves in further danger. I would ask that as a community when interacting with police, we keep the narrative with our younger children positive.
In catches this week, a male who fled police in Ōhaupō was subsequently located in Leamington, not far from where he had dumped his car. He was arrested and breath alcohol procedures were undertaken. He was found to be driving with excess breath alcohol and contrary to an alcohol interlock requirement. A subsequent search of his vehicle located drug paraphernalia and a knife. He has appeared in court on related charges.
On the topic of alcohol again, further to my recent column about drunk driving, I see that our Impairment Prevention team caught six more people driving with excess breath/blood alcohol last weekend. No trip, no matter how short, is worth the risk if you have been drinking. Thank you to those who do plan ahead before a night out, be it with a sober driver, taxi or simply a walk home.
With daylight savings starting this weekend, I know we will all be looking forward to the socialising of summer evenings. Let’s make it a safe one.
She no longer uses traffic management plans for events within the domain, instead adopting the risk-based model with fewer road cones and bureaucracy.
Cambridge Chamber of Commerce chief executive Kelly Bouzaid said traffic management fees for the Illuminate event which the chamber ran two years ago were “insane”.
“There has to be a better way. People have to reskin it.”
Chamber members are often able to help out particularly if they had facilities off road clubs could use to avoid traffic management costs.
Essential to saving money on traffic management are volunteers and partnerships, said Archibald.
The club used 50 volunteers in a number of roles including marshalling, car parking and handing out medals.
Off they go: Johnny Zhang (449) and Nicolas Kury (452) head off in the Cambridge Half Marathon with from left Jenny Gater (402), Rory Fennessy (883), Richard Conyngham (894), Rob Townsend (521), Jacob Taylor (898), Mel O’Brien (436) and Mike Wood (891).
Photo: Michael Jeans.
Briefs…
Clocks forward
Daylight Saving commences on Sunday – when our clocks go forwards 60 minutes. Daylight saving starts each year at 2am on the last Sunday in September and ends at 3am on the first Sunday in April.
New director
Waipā Networks has added Alex Ball to its board of directors. Ball has more than 30 years of commercial leadership experience in infrastructure, technology, telecommunications, and financial services, including senior executive roles at Vector, Transpower and TelstraClear. Jen Crawford also joined the board this month.
Limit supported
A proposal by New Zealand Transport Agency to reduce the speed limit on the Raynes Road and SH21 Airport Road intersection to improve road safety has been supported by Waipā District Council. The proposal is to install an ‘Intersection Speed Zone’ (electronic sign) which will reduce the speed limit on SH21 Airport Road from 100km/h to an enforceable 60km/h when vehicles approach from Raynes Rd.
Numbers up
A record 275,234 people – up 15.6 per cent on the previous 12 months - went through Te Awamutu Events Centre in the financial year ended June 30. The stadium hosted 33 community events, up from 20 the previous year while monthly usage went up from 160 to 260 hours and occupancy up from 38 per cent to 61 per cent.
Pony club
The Pirongia branch of the Te Awamutu Pony Club has been granted a new fiveyear term at $180 a year to use 2.78ha of Ministry of Conservation land on Kakaramea Rd for horse riding and associated activities.
Voters could scupper plan
By Chris Gardner
Farmers could halt the implementation of a Waikato Regional Council water quality plan change by voting in the “right people”, Waipā-King Country candidate Garry Reymer says.
The Environment Court is yet to rule on Plan Change One which proposes a wide-sweeping set of rules for agricultural land use to improve freshwater quality in the Waikato and Waipā river catchments.
“Plan change one is not a given,” Reymer said at Thursday’s Federated Farmers candidate meeting in Te Awamutu.
“There is a chance to stop it, with the right people around the regional council. Farming should not be a consented process, it should be a permitted activity, and we need to make sure it stays that way.
“The government has also asked that regional councils park any further work until the new Resource Management Act comes out. We shouldn’t be progressing it before that time.
“Regional council needs to become the educator and not the policeman. If they can start getting alongside farmers and say this is how you do things, and this is how you do it better, rather than just walking in there and slapping you with a fine, you would get far better progress.”
Stu Kneebone, one of the two sitting councillors, said arguments to make farming a controlled activity over the last few months had received council push back.
“The government made a legislation change because we simply don’t have the resources to make all farming activities a controlled activity in the next couple of years,” he said.
“One of the things that came out of this was if you planted tree, we’d all be fine,” Stolwyk said.
“It raised major red flags about what could actually occur. A strong economy and a healthy environment aren’t mutually exclusive. We have to achieve both. Our rural communities cannot suffer. We have to find our way through it.”
Kneebone and Reymer talked about the main water quality issue or contaminants in the area.
“The one that has been mostly unregulated has been agricultural discharges,” Kneebone said.
“The challenge is trying to manage allocating the rights to discharge contaminants in an equitable way, and that’s
been the guts of the issues we’re dealing with Plan Change One.
“It’s not easy but we have to acknowledge that there’s a whole bunch of other industries that discharge that have been on numerical limits for 10 or 20 plus years and the agricultural sector hasn’t, and we have somehow got to address that.”
Reymer responded: “Boy, I don’t agree with what I’ve just heard”.
“I don’t think agricultural discharges are the biggest thing. When you look at farmers and what we have done around riparian,
planting and setting aside land I think our water quality has improved immensely and continues to do so.
“The biggest challenge to our water quality are probably things like koi carp, who do massive damage, birdlife unabated onto our lakes and ponds. If you look at Maungatautari, our inland island, the e-coli coming out of there, and it’s increasing as birdlife is improving there. Some of the standards and requirements around water quality are absolute BS.”
Stolwyk was on the same page as Reymer, citing water quality issues at Lake Te Koo
“It’s a whole heap of things, it’s not one thing, there needs to be a multi prong approach because it’s going to take a really long time for any improvements to happen,” she said.”
“The load to come is horrendous. We have got 50 years of load to come through nitrogen, and other contaminants that have been occurring over a long period.”
• 1080 and more, regional council candidates, pages 8 and 9.
Feds unveil 10 priorities
By Chris Gardner
Federated Farmers’ Cambridge and Te Awamutu presented electoral candidates with a gift pack that included the organisation’s priorities for incoming farmers.
Waipā dairy farmer Chris Lewis, who chaired the organisation’s candidates meeting in Te Awamutu last week, urged the three Waipā mayoral candidates and three regional council candidates who showed up to “please read the guide”.
“It’s like a bible to us at Federated Farmers,” Lewis said.
Waikato Regional Council WaipāKing Country candidates Stu Kneebone, Garry Reymer and Liz Stolwyk all
received the pack alongside Waipā mayoral candidates Susan O’Regan, Mike Pettit and Clare St Pierre.
Regional council candidate Clyde Graf sent his apologies to the meeting. Federated Farmers priorities for incoming councillors are keeping rates in check, controlling pests and weeds, giving ratepayers a say on big spending, a fairer funding system, rates relief for protected land, streamlining planning and environmental rules, not wasting ratepayer dollars by setting climate policies, having rural representation in emergency operations centres, using fuel excise and road user charges to cover 90 per cent of ‘local” roading costs, and a lower registration for for working dogs.
Rosetown Funerals proudly
The Rosetown Funerals team L to R: Jim Goddin, Teri Keir and Jordan Goss
Chris Lewis.
Photo: Chris Gardner
Garry Reymer Stu Kneebone
Liz Stolwyk
Utu, Lake Ngā Roto and Lake Parangi and golden clam invasion at Lake Karāpiro.
Waipa Workingmens Club
ON SHAKY GROUND
Four years on
By Janine Krippner
Our planet has the incredible ability to create new parts of itself. Volcanic eruptions occur when material from deep within the Earth rises and forms new landscapes. Islands are built this way, layer by layer, over timescales difficult to grasp.
tsunamis. But there’s something distinctly different about this eruption style.
We can watch rock flow. Molten rock that creeps, or races, across the ground, then cools and solidifies into new forms. When this happens near the coast, lava deltas stretch the land into the ocean. The Earth is constantly reshaping itself.
For many of us, volcanic eruptions are mesmerizing, exciting, and beautiful. The raw power and destructive beauty can be captivating. But what happens when it unfolds right above our communities?
It is now four years since the start of the La Palma (Tajogaite) eruption, and for three years this has been one of my research focuses.
On September 19, 2021, a new vent opened uphill of populated areas. In the first moments it was just a small ash plume as the forces blasted rock into the air. New vents rapidly opened, forming a fissure.
Then the lava came.
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I’ve spent countless hours watching footage of the eruption, seeing how the lava carved its path across the landscape. I’ve watched it consume homes - people’s homes. Family homes containing children’s bedrooms and precious abandoned toys. I have walked around those damaged or destroyed along the boundaries. No one knew their lives would flip upside down in a matter of minutes. Some had 15 minutes to grab what they could before leaving, many never to return.
Our world faces many natural hazards. Here, we’re familiar with floods, cyclones, tornadoes, earthquakes, and the threat of
Lava flows don’t just damage or destroy. Lava cools into rock, sometimes reaching tens of metres thick. Floods may take a house, but they don’t leave the landscape itself unrecognisable. In La Palma, entire communities were buried.
The evacuation and loss of home is just one part of the struggle. The road to rebuilding a life after such a disaster can stretch over years. The mental toll can be immense. The human side of these events, the pain, the grief, the trauma, is something most of us can’t fully understand unless we live through it. And yet, it is the most important aspect for us to grasp.
On this fourth anniversary of the eruption, I am thinking of those people. This kind of disaster will happen again. Those who will one day lose their homes and communities are most likely unaware of the risks they face or at least can’t truly grasp that it could happen to them.
As a volcanologist and science communicator, I constantly wonder what I can do to help those who will be affected. What lessons, however agonising, need to be passed on to mitigate the pain? How can we prepare not just with science, but with humanity, to help people not only survive but rebuild their lives after the ground beneath them is forever changed?
It is up to us how we prepare to face the human cost when the ground beneath us shifts, and how we ensure that, in the aftermath, no one is left behind.
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Crashes put the lights out
A rise in vehicle crashes into power poles across the Waipā district has prompted Waipā Networks to issue a public safety reminder: slow down, drive to the conditions, and stay alert.
Over the weekend of September 13-14 there were two “car versus pole” incidents resulting in power cuts across Te Awamutu and Cambridge areas. In both cases, the damage caused to the lines was significant and cost tens of thousands of dollars in repairs.
This added to a busy weekend with multiple weather-related incidents, including more than 10 “outages” caused by trees falling on power lines, two of which caused significant damage to network equipment.
Ninety per cent of Waipā Networks field crews were working over that weekend to respond to power loss and restore service to the community.
In Waipā Networks’ last financial year ending March 31 there were 17 car-v-pole incidents, affecting 13 feeders and causing power outages for almost 8000 customers.
Since April this year, there have already been 16 incidents impacting around 10 feeders and resulting in more than 8500 customers losing power.
Wet roads, fog and fatigue are just some of the factors contributing to the spike. In one case, the pole had only been replaced a week earlier.
Tom Bromfield, general manager of delivery at Waipā Networks, says each crash not only poses serious risks to drivers and passengers but also disrupts power supply and places significant strain on emergency and repair services.
“These incidents are dangerous, put lives at risk, have a significant financial cost, and can leave entire neighbourhoods without power for hours,” Bromfield explains.
“Replacing a damaged pole can cost anywhere from $10,000 to $30,000, depending on the type and location. If a transformer is involved or multiple poles are affected, the cost and complexity increase dramatically.”
Repairs typically require a team of overhead line workers, traffic management, and sometimes underground crews, and can take anywhere from five to 10 hours to restore power.
Waipā Networks says all customers should have a backup plan if their power goes out. This includes essentials like a torch, a charged mobile phone, warm clothing and
blankets, and basic knowledge of what to do during an outage. Drivers are also being reminded that they may be held financially responsible for any damage caused, especially if they are uninsured or driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
“If you hit a pole, stay in your vehicle and call 111 to avoid an electric shock. Downed lines can be deadly, and your car is usually the safest place to be until we’ve turned the power off,” says Bromfield.
“If you’re a bystander or first at the scene, stay at least 10 metres away and don’t approach the vehicle until it’s safe. Our crews are trained to respond safely, but we need the public’s help to prevent these incidents in the first place.”
Waipā Networks has strengthened its partnerships with fire brigades in recent years to support emergency response.
In 2023, Waipā Networks provided $10,000 to the Kawhia Fire Brigade to purchase an emergency response vehicle. In 2024, a former Waikato Tree Services vehicle was donated to the Pirongia Fire Station. In February Waipā Networks sponsored $10,000 to the Te Awamutu Fire Brigade for an emergency response vehicle.
Lou Brown
We have two new Nurse Prescriber clinics on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, which have shorter wait times for:
• Driver’s medicals (car only)
• Diabetic annual reviews (DARs)
• New diabetic patient assessments
• Annual medication reviews
• Hypertension medication titration
• Gout medication titration. Phone 07 872 0300 and ask for an appointment with our Nurse Prescriber.
Another day, another power pole down – this one in Cambridge Road.
Another 11% rates
Debt $400m
$80m in DCs owed
CEO salary
$400,000 consultants last year
25% increase on water rates this quarter
$100m debt increase expecting results - Albert Einstein
www.BetterWaipa.co.nz in 2025 rise next year
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different
$2m for Bunnings
$14m paid to building in 2024
BETTER WAIPA is a team of new councillors, with the right skills and experience, working together for commonsense solutions. is is the only way to x the system.
1. Rebuild trust through transparency and honesty.
2. Replace predetermined “consultation” with genuine listening.
3. Cap rates, Back to Basics, and cut consultants.
4. No more speed bumps, x potholes instead.
5. Stop the waste so we can maintain community services.
Waipa Ratepayers and Residents Group and CityWatchNZ.org have good articles on council issues. 15.5% rates rise
Our rates are shooting up, council debt is exploding, red tape is blocking business, our roads are a mess, and we’ve lost control of our water supply. If you want a better Waipa District Council, don’t keep voting for the same people. Vote smart. It’s what Einstein would do.
6. Practical and cost‐e ective solutions.
7. Financial responsibility and accountability.
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Jets return, Waikato soars
By Mary Anne Gill
The last time an Air New Zealand jet flew commercially from Hamilton Airport, Russ Rimmington and John Hewitt were mayors of Hamilton and Waipā.
A quarter of a century later, their successors Paula Southgate and Susan O’Regan welcomed the airline back – and farewelled Air NZ’s chief executive, hometown boy Greg Foran.
Flight NZ324 from Christchurch touched down in Hamilton at 4.20pm last Thursday, marking the city’s first domestic jet service in 25 years.
The new A320 jet services will contribute around 18,000 extra seats annually and a further 7000 seats will be added through enhancements to the ATR 72 schedule - delivering around 25,000 additional seats in total.
Several Waikato business identities were on the old ATR which travelled to Christchurch. Among them were Hamilton mayor Paula Southgate, Hamilton Airport chair Barry Harris, Nicola Greenwell (Hamilton and Waikato Tourism), Don Good (Waikato Chamber of Commerce), Russell Alexander (Hobbiton), Richard Lindroos (Fieldays), Sacha Coburn (Coffee Culture) and Todd Charteris (Rabobank).
They joined Christchurch deputy mayor Pauline Cotter and airport company chief executive Justin Watson for a ceremony in the Koru
Lounge.
Hamilton’s Steven Holloway and Seamus Marten, the event’s MCs, noted that two of their most popular podcasts featured Christchurch pair Simon Barnett and Jason Gunn.
They also revealed that Foran, who appeared on their podcast earlier this year and retires next month, received 3000 emails afterward - a result of a dare to personally reply to every message.
“It’s been a little bit challenging
with a few engine troubles and tourism not quite where we want to be but to actually be able to now get some growth on some of these routes is a big deal for all of us,” said Foran at the Christchurch ceremony.
He called it “terrific” to see two powerhouse regions coming together.
“The jet is going to join the existing ATR services so that’s an extra 25,000 seats. That’s a decent amount going of this route,
thousands of more opportunities for business, for events, for tourism and for people to be able to connect with all their loved ones.”
Cotter said the WaikatoCanterbury route was about more than just flights.
“It’s about strengthening the ties between two of New Zealand’s most vibrant, dynamic and fasting growing cities.
“We’re large enough to be exciting and we offer plenty of action and things to do but of a size
that makes it all so easy and stress free.
“This fantastic new service will make it easier to bring you closer to the people, the places and the opportunities that matter most to you,” she said.
In Hamilton, Foran said the onehour A320 trip was “so quick” that airline staff struggled to complete the Koru in-flight service.
“And that’s not because I’m a novice. I’m pretty efficient out there but we were scurrying at the end to get it done.”
Harris highlighted the significant opportunities and high demand for travel between the two regions, thanking airport shareholders represented by Southgate and O’Regan.
“What you represent today is your support for what we’re doing and making sure that we have an absolutely fantastic small but perfectly formed regional airport that’s now an international airport punching above its weight.”
O’Regan, reminding everyone the airport was in Waipā district, called it a vital piece of Waikato infrastructure.
“It’s creating jobs, attracting investment, and showing real confidence in our future. With jets back in the skies, our region is really going to soar.”
• Mary Anne Gill travelled from Hamilton to Christchurch and back and had a two-hour city cycle tour courtesy of Air New Zealand and Chill Explore.
Hamilton Airport staff with Air NZ’s departing chief executive Greg Foran who they presented with a Chiefs jersey reflecting his Waikato upbringing. From left, Glen MacWilliam, Ben Langley, Andrew Hugill, Greg Foran, Barry Harris, Lauren Patterson, Angela Beardsmore, Karen Wilson, Karen Lovegrove.
Photo: Mary Anne Gill
Your New Local is Open Number Three Café
Regional Q and A…
Waikato Regional Council manages and protects natural and physical resources, such as water, land, air, and coasts.
The Waipā-King Country constituency has a population of 70,700 and takes in the Waipā, Ōtorohanga and Waitomo district council areas. The council is responsible for providing regional transport for Cambridge, Te Awamutu, Ōtorohanga and Te Kūiti and for biodiversity and biosecurity, flood protection infrastructure, and providing scientific and technical expertise to support the sustainable management of the region's resources.
Regional councillors are responsible for setting the priorities and adopting policies that direct the council’s work programmes and activities. They, with their other regional council colleagues, monitor performance against the council’s objectives and policies, and manage the council’s resources, including setting financial and infrastructure strategies.
Four candidates – Clyde Graf, Stu Kneebone, Garry Reymer and Liz Stolwykl - are vying for the two Waipā-King Country
We asked them a series of questions - here are their answers. Go to www. cambridgenews.nz for more responses
Q: What is the biggest threat to our native flora and fauna, and how should the regional council tackle it?
Clyde Graf - The loss of habitat, and the broad-scale use of poisons like 1080 are significant threats to native fauna. Like most other countries, New Zealand should ban 1080, and be more targeted in pest control, using bounties and employing locals, rather than filling the pockets of
TAKE THE KIDS TO EXPLORE
corporates.
Stu Kneebone - Biggest threats are introduced plant and animal pests. Everyone has a role – it’s about working together in partnership. Waikato Regional Council needs to be out in front, demonstrating leadership, supporting communities and undertaking its responsibilities effectively under the Biosecurity Act.
Garry Reymer - Ferral animals such as deer goats pigs wallabies and possums are a major problem from a flora fauna perspective but if we could eliminate them we would meet our greenhouse gas emissions targets without any other action. I would have a two-pronged approach of 1080 as well as bounty.
Liz Stolwyk - Introduced pests like rats, stoats, and possums are the biggest threat to our native birds, insects, and forests. The council should continue to support 1080 and trapping. Working with locals and community groups will give wider protection to keep our environment strong long term whilst ensuring ongoing respectful discussion.
Q: Do you support Plan Change One?
Clyde Graf - No, I don’t support PC1 in its current form.
Stu Kneebone - Yes, but not the drawn out Resource Management Act process. It’s hopelessly frustrating and costly. We need affordable and workable regulations to support good farmers. However, the original intent of PC1 has been undermined by litigious processes. Both the regional council and farmers are now bound by the Environment Court’s eventual decision.
Continued page 16
Garry Reymer - No. It is wrong that food production has to be a consented activity. Water quality and farm management have improved immensely over the last 20 years with no draconian laws. Food production is fundamental to the region’s GDP and that needs to grow.
Liz Stolwyk - I was part of the original Collaborative Stakeholder Group set up by Waikato Regional Council, one of only two candidates involved with PC1 from the start. Like many, I’m disappointed by the time and more than $30 million spent, with progress hindered by unnecessary complexity added along the way.
Q: Several district councils and Hamilton city are growth councils. How can the regional council balance the need for urban growth with the protection of highly productive land?
Clyde Graf - We need to protect highly productive soils, but we also need to be very careful about squeezing people too closely together with infill housing. Urban living needs to cater to people’s wellbeing, so we need to provide good quality living spaces with access to nature.
Stu Kneebone - It’s about ensuring Waikato Regional Council’s policies that seek to protect highly productive land are developed alongside constructive dialogue with the district councils in order that both organisations understand each other’s respective obligations and growth predictions/needs. Good forward planning is essential, complemented by modern urban planning and design.
Garry Reymer - This is an ongoing debate. Many parts of the productive land have already been destroyed with the 10 acre block. These are mostly unproductive and councils can look to further subdivision of these before we allow the productive land to get further development. Combine
that with infill housing and build up where practical is the solution.
Liz Stolwyk - I’ve had a front row seat on this issue through 12 years on Waipā District Council’s Regulatory and Future Proof committee. Balancing growth with protecting productive soils is never easy. The regional council must guide expansion, support district councils, and manage farmland loss fairly. With smart planning, we can achieve both goals.
Q: Climate change resulting in extreme weather events increases fire risk, rising tides and impacts on our flora and fauna. Is the regional council doing enough to manage and prepare for this?
Clyde Graf - Climate will always change, and funds will always be limited. We need to focus on core services like flood protection, drainage, and stormwater systems, and focus on the highest risk areas in weather events. We need to involve communities in creating cost-effective solutions, as they are the ones who pay for it.
Stu Kneebone - It’s an ongoing work programme to integrate climate adaptation planning into our various workstreams. The impacts of climate change affect everyone so the council needs to be front footing this work, and working with territorial authorities, the agriculture sector and the community to ensure our adaptation approaches are planned and effective.
Garry Reymer - Mitigation is not something Waikato Regional Council should engage in. Management of the effects of climate change is firmly in the council space. The council needs to do much more here. Flood protection, drainage, energy initiatives and sensible water allocation are areas that can be addressed. Also promoting science at the Waikato University.
Liz Stolwyk - Extreme weather impacts both rural and urban communities. The regional council must use reliable data to understand risks and invest in smart infrastructure like stop banks, drainage, and flood protection. Preparing now with strong planning and practical action is the best way to keep people, property, and farmland safe.
Q: What is your view on (a) rates capping and (b) linking rates to an inflation index?
Clyde Graf - I’ve supported keeping rates under the CPI since I was first elected under the Rates Control Team banner in 2013, but you need a majority of Rates Control people around the council table to keep rates down. Unfortunately, a lot of current councillors have been happy to be frivolous with ratepayers’ money.
Stu Kneebone - Both are blunt tools I don’t support. Inflation indexes don’t always correlate to stuff councils do. There is a real risk that rates capping would severely impact our ability to fund critical work such as flood protection, natural hazard management, biosecurity, pest control and other important responsibilities that in my view we can’t afford to skimp on. We’d be better served by some transparent dialogue with government and community about what they want/expect from councils, along with an honest and frank discussion about realistic, fair and fit
MIKE PETTIT 4 WAIPĀ MAYOR
“
and spend smarter.“
RELATIONSHIPS
Builds strong, respectful relationships with residents, iwi, businesses, staff 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 off rates
Supports councillor training in financial literacy, strategic planning and governance
Understands the realities of growth and infrastructure needs
for purpose funding mechanisms.
Garry Reymer - Rates capping is a poor term. We could just as easily say project capping or wish list capping. What is needed is prudent financial management that delivers improved performance and productivity. In a year like the one we are entering I think it was entirely possible for the Waikato Regional Council to have had a zero percentage increase. But they have chosen to sit on unallocated cash ($2.5 mil) that belongs to ratepayers. They have also had another five per cent increase in staff with no evidence that we have improved service and they have failed to lift the cost recovery of public transport in line with the government directive.
Liz Stolwyk - Rates capping or linking rates to an inflation index sets the wrong mindset and becomes a target rather than a tool. That doesn’t mean I oppose reducing rates - quite the opposite. Councils must take stronger control of management teams and thoroughly scrutinise budgets and spending. Too often, the tail is wagging the dog with elected members sidelined from real fiscal oversight. Ratepayers deserve councils that actively challenge costs, demand efficiencies, and make every dollar count. Elected representatives must have the access and authority to deliver the financial responsibility their communities expect when they place trust in them.
RESULTS
Proven leadership across education, council, and community boards
Plans for a Te Awamutu CBD upgrade and Cambridge transport improvements
Supports cost-effective delivery of amenities; libraries, sports facilities and rural village improvements
Focused on tangible, timely outcomes for all of Waipā
Liz Stolwyk Garry Reymer Clyde Graf Stuart Kneebone
Leases signed
Te Awamutu Association Football Club ($524) and Te Awamutu Athletic Club ($924) have signed new annual leases for five years each with Waipā District Council for land and buildings in Armstrong Ave and Swarbrick Drive. The leases, first signed in 2008, expired in September 2023. The leases note that Te Awamutu Sports Cycling Club – not a registered entity - owns a shed at the stadium in Armstrong Ave.
Gower backs O’Regan
By Jesse Wood
Long serving Waipā District councillor Marcus Gower has thrown his support behind Susan O’Regan as mayor.
Kihikihi Community Board were invited to the Michael Cullen-chaired meeting.
Gower, first elected in 2010 for Te Awamutu, said under O’Regan’s leadership, many tough decisions had been made to improve the district.
Speaking to more than 100 people at the Grey Power Te Awamutu ‘meet the candidates’ event held at Waipā Workingmen’s Club last week, Gower described the past three years as “pretty hard”.
“But under Susan’s leadership we’ve managed some very difficult decisions. We’ve landed our long term plan and we have our waters company that’s about to be started.
“Council is going to be a completely different beast in the next three years,” he said. “It’s going to be exciting change. We need people who are going to support our leaders and work constructively together.
Candidates for Waipā mayor, Te AwamutuKihikihi, Pirongia-Kakepuku and Waipā Māori wards, Waikato Regional Council, and the Te Awamutu-
Former Waikato Regional councillor Andrew MacPherson, who stood down three years ago and is not re-standing, took the microphone and criticised the Rates Control team - a ticket of eight candidates including Garry Reymer and Clyde Graf in Waipā-King Country.
“I served on the regional council, and I’ve had to listen to the rates control group tell you a load of nonsense,” MacPherson said.
“I was part of the council where we decided to have zero rates increase during the Covid pandemic and that caused damage.
“The rates control group is being fast and furious with the truth.”
Pirongia and Kakepuku candidate Les Bennett asked if a member of the team would like a right of reply to MacPherson, which Reymer accepted.
“It’s very disappointing that was allowed to happen. It’s straight up politicking, we can look at these numbers ourselves,” Reymer said.
“I’m part of the rates control team. You can take
us, or you can leave us as you like. We’re like any group; we don’t agree on everything that each one of us stand for. We can have our own minds and our own opinions.
“But the fact of the matter is, it depends how you want
to look at the numbers. I’ve got the numbers in front of me here. These figures came from the chief executive.”
Māori Ward candidate Dale-Maree Morgan then lifted the mood, leading the audience in a rendition of Tūtira mai ngā iwi.
91 Alan Livingston Drive, Cambridge | bupa.co.nz/stkilda
Marcus Gower has backed Waipā’s sitting mayor. Photo: Jesse Wood
On the Hustings – with Mary Anne Gill
Waipā council’s last stand
It was the last Waipā District Council meeting of the term yesterday, and the 284-page agenda offered a mix of controversy and some tantalising publicexcluded items.
Staff advised councillors not to approve a notice of motion from Roger Gordon, who called for a “no right turn” from Newcombe Rd into Tīrau Rd.
The aim: to prevent heavy quarry traffic from passing through the Cambridge CBD.
Staff argued there was no rush to consider the motion, as an appeal is still pending on the decision to grant the quarry operation.
Gordon, however, was reportedly well-armed with evidence supporting the ban on heavy trucks. He even included a rebuttal to the claim of “ultra vires” - the legal term for a council acting beyond its powers - which staff said would be the case if the motion passed.
Behind closed doors, councillors were set to consider chief executive Steph O’Sullivan’s end-of-year performance and review her remuneration. Before leaving Whakatāne District Council last year, O’Sullivan was on $317,099, while Garry Dyet was earning $363,604 in Waipā.
How much O’Sullivan earned after she started in August last year will be revealed when the Annual Report is released soon.
It only seems like yesterday the council finalised the Long Term Plan, and now it’s back - this time with an amendment to recognise Waipā’s transfer of water operations to a council-controlled
organisation.
Mayor Susan O’Regan recently warned there was to be no politicking at meetings, and she was expected to repeat that message. Fat chance!
Of the councillors at the table, we know Mike Montgomerie - elected unopposed in Maungatautari - will return after the elections. Andrew Brown, Liz Stolwyk, and Bruce Thomas, however, will not. Brown and Thomas are stepping down, while Stolwyk is running for Waikato Regional Council.
The mayoral race permutations are intriguing:
• If Clare St Pierre wins, Susan O’Regan and Mike Pettit will not return.
• If O’Regan wins, Pettit is out, and vice versa.
It’s odds-on that St Pierre will be back as a councillor - she’s virtually a shoo-in for the Pirongia-Kakepuku ward.
In Te Awamutu-Kihikihi, Lou Brown and Marcus Gower face tough competition. If Graham Jull ousts Gower, history will almost repeat itself - Gower did the same to Jull in 2010.
The Waipā Māori ward is a two-way battle for one spot, with both candidates urging voters to retain the ward rather than for personal appeals.
Philip Coles and Roger Gordon are among a crowded field in the Cambridge ward. Gordon’s recent populist actions are expected to secure him a third term, meaning at least two, possibly three new councillors will sit at the table.
Several readers contacted The News after our advice a few weeks ago, saying
voters only need to vote for one candidate in the ward, not four. The voting papers say to “tick the circle next to up to four candidates.”
In a field of 14 for four spots, casting just one vote can be more effective for your favourite candidate than spreading your votes among others you’re less keen on.
It’s a little too early to call who has run the best campaign, but O’Regan’s “tiki tour” video of the district - filmed in front of signs in Pirongia, Te Pahu, Maungatautari, Puahue, Cambridge, Te Awamutu, Kihikihi, Pokuru, Te Rore, Hora Hora, Paterangi, Ngāhinapōuri, Rukuhia, Ōhaupō, Karāpiro, Pukekura, Whitehall, Te Miro, and Pukeatua - looks set to win the “most viewed” title.
By Monday, the John Hayward-filmed reel had 26,000 unpaid organic views in six days, meaning she didn’t have to pay to boost it.
Pettit and St Pierre are also using reels and stories for their campaigns - St Pierre hit 12,800 views for one video, while Mike Pettit had 7500 for a reel.
On social media, Gower’s Facebook posts have attracted both positive and negative responses. He doesn’t hesitate to hit back but told The News that some comments have crossed the line into personal attacks.
Most candidates are putting themselves forward because they want to serve the community - not to be on the receiving end of continual serves from the community, he says. Hear, hear.
SUSAN O’REGAN: A MAYOR FOR ALL OF WAIPĀ
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.
I’d be grateful for your support so that I can continue serving and providing the leadership Waipā needs.
We reported last week that the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce backed the no right turn call - Aroha Croft held up a mock-up of the sign.
Get Gardening
October means it’s go time in the garden. Now is the perfect time to start planting a variety of crops. From delicious spring vegetables to vibrant colourful flowers, the options are endless. Zucchinis, cucumbers, capsicums and tomatoes are all coming available. A great way to save money is by growing your own herbs, you cant beat picking them fresh when you need them. No garden is complete without beautiful blooms, they bring in pollinators and beneficial insects, which can make all the difference in the success of an edible garden. Now is the time to plant lavender, scabiosa, delphiniums, sunflowers, daisies, zinnias, cosmos, dianthus, sweet peas, the list goes on. Come in and see our large range of perennial 4 packs. Our “Pick Me“ range is amazing.
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Fund money pie is sliced
By Mary Anne Gill
Waipā District Council staff have recommended 17 organisations receive funding from this year’s District Promotion Fund, which was halved to $75,000, down from $150,000 last year.
A total of 48 applications requesting $425,643 in funding were received
The final decision was to be made by the District Promotions Sub-Committee, chaired by councillor Marcus Gower, on Monday.
The outcome was unavailable when The News went to press.
Other members were deputy mayor Liz Stolwyk, councillors Clare St Pierre and Roger Gordon and community representatives Merv Gyde and Kevin Burgess.
A report from Event and Engagement Delivery team leader Amber Diprose recommended the BMX New Zealand National Championships, to be held in Te Awamutu in March 2026, receive $20,000 due to the strong economic and social benefits it is expected to bring to the wider district.
The Te Awamutu BMX Club successfully bid to host the event for the first time since 2017.
Overall, 70 per cent of the recommended funding is allocated to events in Cambridge and Karāpiro. The remaining 30 per cent was expected to go to events in Te Awamutu, Kihikihi,
Clare St Pierre for Waipa’s Mayor
Fix the finances
I’m proudly standing for Mayor of Waipā. My eyes are on the future of this wonderful district, but we need solid foundations to get us there. This starts with our finances – they need fixing, and we need a plan to tackle our ever-increasing debt. With these foundations in place, I commit to helping build a vibrant, inclusive, affordable and diverse community. One we can all be proud of.
clare.stpierre@gmail.com facebook.com/Clare4Waipa
clarestpierre.com
The recommended events and the suggested grants were:
BMX National Championship $20,000, The Great Waikato Picnic $7500, Waka Ama National Sprint Championships 2026 $6000, New Zealand Dragon Boat Nationals $6000, Ocean Swim Series - Lake Karāpiro $5000, CrossFit New Zealand Team Nationals $5000, Cambridge Cycling Festival (Cambridge Street Festival) $3500, Oceania Track Championships $3500, KRI Christmas Regatta $3500, New Zealand National Rowing Championships $3500, Canoe Racing NZ National Sprint Championships 2026 $3500, Boys Lake
The Waka Ama champs at Lake Karāpiro attracts thousands of visitors from around the country.
Photo: Mary Anne Gill
A dangerous delusion
By Peter Nicholl
Two significant items of economic news came out last week. Food price inflation had risen by 5 per cent over the past year. That would have surprised nobody. Gross domestic product fell by 0.9 per cent in the June quarter, and on a per capita basis fell even more. That surprised almost everyone. Most were expecting a decline but not by that much.
While the gross domestic product fall was alarming, what has alarmed me more is the political and media response to the fall. The Minister of Finance said, “this has been a very hard-fought economic recovery after a very difficult few years of sky-high inflation and soaring interest rates”.
While inflation and interest rates did rise over the past few years, to describe them as ‘sky-high’ and ‘soaring’ is a stretch. Even more of a stretch is to think that they’re the main reasons for our poor growth performance. It is due to our abysmal productivity. The policies that need to change that rest with the Government, not the Reserve Bank.
Red-tape and stifling regulation impose enormous costs on every business. This Government said they were going to light a bonfire under all our unnecessary or overburdensome rules and regulations. While a few things have been done, it certainly hasn’t been a bonfire - and a bonfire is what New Zealand needs.
But the only policy response talked about in the media is the Reserve Bank cutting interest rate more aggressively. One bank economist said, “the Reserve Bank can now cut the official cash rate strongly because there is confidence that inflation will be lower later down the track”.
Really? How can anyone be confident that inflation will be lower ‘later down the track’
when food prices are rising at five per cent, rates and insurance prices are rising at over 10 per cent and we have many people leaving for Australia because wages in New Zealand are too low?
Also, the Reserve Bank has cut its cash rate more strongly than Australia, Canada, the UK and US over the past year yet gross domestic product is rising more strongly in all those countries than here. People need to start realising that lower interest rates are not going to solve any of our fundamental economic problems. It may mask them for a while but when the temporary impact of the lower interest rates wears off, our fundamental problem of poor productivity will stall our economic growth once again.
When I first started working as an economist way back in the 1970s, we had a very similar economic debate. The difference then was that the policy panacea was lowering the exchange rate. We devalued, things looked a little better for a short time, then the old problems that hadn’t been solved started impacting again, so we devalued again – and so it went on for over a decade, a decade during which New Zealand steadily slid down the global table of gross domestic product per capita.
The debate in the media since the poor gross domestic product data came out last week has taken me back to the 1970s. We look for a simple answer for a complex problem. I don’t actually object to the Reserve Bank lowering interest rates a little more.
What worries me is that many people, including some of our politicians, seem to think that is all we need to do get the New Zealand economy purring along again. That is a very dangerous delusion.
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
We provide a range of support to the Te Awamutu business community to help you thrive, from access to events and networking opportunities, professional development and representation for business.
VOTE Clyde Graf for Waikato Regional Council
Yes to - zero rates rises Yes to - environmental monitoring Yes to - supporting primary industry
to - public ownership of water
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.
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
Democracy – and not
The local elections ensure plenty of reading, reflections for consideration, and candidate promises. It’s an interesting time and I’m looking forward to casting my votes. The weight of democracy falls on the weak shoulders of the people and we would do well to bear it as best we can.
I enjoyed Mary Anne Gill’s line last week reporting on one meeting; “Council communications staff put such a positive spin on it [the Waipa Residents Survey] that those who had already read it went back to check if they had the right version.”
Democracy offers a system where “rule by the people” decides representation - often shaped by agendas, certainly dictated by needs, always,
FAITH
IN WAIPĀ
By Phil Strong, Proprietor Chair, Waipa Christian School
and only, resolved by participation. The people have an opportunity to hold past candidates to account and assess the hopeful promises of those offering their services.
The world wasn’t designed by democracy nor governed as such. Yes, many boards are elected while some stand uncontested, and that’s the risk of democracy. Our world is being created continuously, ruled silently, and protected by One that we did not elect. There is a single, sovereign power that had the first say at the beginning of time and will have the last say at the end of time.
Whether you choose to bend your knee now, or not, determines how and where your life goes. But make no mistake, there will come a
reckoning where your choice brings to bear the eternal weight of that decision.
A.W. Tozer, C.S. Lewis, and even myself have been quoted often as saying, “Either Jesus is Lord of all or He is not Lord at all.” Lord is personal and remains a choice. Sovereign King, however, is not determined by democracy.
The personal choice of who is Lord commonly defaults without decision, resulting in self-determined direction and self-appointed lordship. “My body, my choice” is a statement of lordship. My personal un-favourite is, “I’ll live my life based on how I feel, not what someone else says.”
The misconceived anomaly of the Christian faith is that losing one’s personal lordship results
in a life where there is little enjoyment and too many rules. It is true, according to scripture, that the gate to eternal, abundant life is narrow and few choose itconversely, the path to destruction is wide and well-travelled. Jesus says choosing to lose one’s life is the only way it becomes possible to gain the life we were created to live.
Instead of choosing to be lord of your voting decision, why not turn yourself toward the Sovereign King who desires to lead us all? Better than leading, He desires friendship—the greatest gift life offers.
Proud to support this worthy cause
Proud to support this worthy cause 4,000
TE AWAMUTU
329 Benson Road, Te Awamutu P: 07 870 1091
E: teawamutu@flooringxtra.co.nz
OTOROHANGA
Benson Road, Te Awamutu P: 07 870 1091
63 Maniapoto Street, Otorohanga P: 07 873 8640
63 Maniapoto Street, Otorohanga P: 07 873 8640
E: teawamutu@flooringxtra.co.nz
E: flooringxtra@murrayhuntfurnishers.co.nz
E: flooringxtra@murrayhuntfurnishers.co.nz
63 Maniapoto Street, Otorohanga P: 07 873 8640
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flooringxtra@murrayhuntfurnishers.co.nz
63 Maniapoto Street, Otorohanga P: 07 873 8640
4,000 Kiwi men who will be diagnosed with
for Waipa families since 1972
Caring for Waipa families since 1972
Caring for Waipa families since 1972
Supporting cancer research and recovery
Supporting cancer research and recovery
262 Ohaupo Road, Te Awamutu o ce@rosetown.co.nz Waipa families since
07 870 2137
07 870 2137
262 Ohaupo Road, Te Awamutu o ce@rosetown.co.nz www.rosetown.co.nz
Supporting cancer research and recovery 220 Bank St. Ph 872 0300 www.tamc.co.nz
Meghan Hawkes takes us back to 1885 to find sparrows and leeches were causing huge problems – and then there was the fire
Te Awamutu’s ‘great fire’
A gentleman went up with a light into the belfry of the Kihikihi Roman Catholic Chapel and culled about 70 sparrows. The birds were getting very troublesome - they built nests in every place they could get into. The spouting round buildings were favoured, with the result that the pipes were stopped up and did not carry off the water. In a school, water was observed running down between the lining and the weather boards, and flooding the floor. The guttering was stopped up with nests. It was small black leeches causing problems at Alexandra (Pirongia) prompting the local reporter to ask for advice through his columns. Cherries, plums, pears and quinces were completely smothered with them, the leaves devoured and the trees apparently dying.
“Does anyone know what should be done to them?” he asked. “All the whitethorn fences are affected in the same way.” His cabbages were also being fast consumed by either caterpillars or brown beetles but he thwarted them by placing elder tree leaves around the cabbage plants. “The ravages have entirely ceased” he reported. “Try it.”
Half Te Awamutu township was burned down when fire broke out in a small block of buildings at the south of Lewis’ Hotel in the early morning hours. Mr Ford, an elderly rheumatic tailor, awoke and gave the alarm. The front shop was full of smoke, and the fire had firm hold of the partition wall between his house and Sloane’s store. With some difficulty the old man was got out. There were hopes of saving Lewis’ Hotel, and arresting the spread of the fire, but the
wind was blowing steadily along the line of buildings. The lack of long ladders and water also prevented controlling the flames. From Lewis’ Hotel to Bridgman’s store the weatherboards and shingles grew heated, smoked, and burst into flames. Nothing could save the rest of the block, and the fire soon spread down to Gibson’s butcher’s shop. Great difficulty was experienced in preventing the fire’s advance across the road but wet blankets were laid on the roofs and that side of the street was saved. The conflagration destroyed Ford’s tailoring shop, Dalley’s tailoring shop and dwelling, Sloane’s chemist shop and dwelling, Lewis’ Hotel, Bridgeman’s drapery and grocery store, bake house, and stables, Hunter’s saddlery shop, Holmes’ survey offices, and Gibson’s butchery. The fire was the largest which had yet taken place in Waikato and Kihikihi, 2½ miles away, was brightly illuminated.
Butter making for export would soon be one of the leading features in the operations of Waikato dairy factories. The Paterangi factory was doing admirably out of its butter and was the only factory which was worked on the cooperative principle. A number of respectable farmers had agreed to build a factory and supply the milk and the entire management was in their hands. They paid all expenses connected with the factory, and the balance was divided according to the amount of milk delivered. This was a sound principle started in America, and on which they continued to prosper.
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The great escape from hustle and bustle to the quiet country life. Maniaiti / Benedale as locals say is in the middle of nowhere but handy to everywhere. Situated on a good road between Te Kuiti and Taupo. The property is fully equipped to move in, just bring you spare bed for the guests and you’re ready to relax and enjoy the surrounding rural views and rolling hills of Maniaiti. This home is ready for a refresh so you can make it your own, with open plan living, 2 bedrooms, separate bathroom, toilet and laundry. No need for a dining table it has one built-in. The single garage has space to store the wood for the fire and tuck away your toys. Established gardens will delight you as summer comes on. While the section is fenced the neighbours are far enough to give space and close enough to keep an eye out when you’re not around. Hunters gather your mates and buy this property; it comes with furniture and all you need for a cook up. The town boast ,petrol station, cafe , coffee cart open from 4am for those early morning starts, town hall, primary school, police fire stations, with the local sore having a revamp and planned reopening. Contact Vayle to arrange a viewing.
$239,000
Authorised by Stu Kneebone, 271 Baker Road, RD4 Cambridge
Across 1. Give temporarily (4) 4. Knickers (6) 8. Anti (7) 9. Vitality (5) 10. Endearingly pretty (4) 11. Appetisers (8) 13. Capable (9) 17. Angelic (8) 19. At no cost (4) 21. Brandish (5)
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VOLUME WORD WRITE WRITING YARN
Protecting native species from introduced predators in Pirongia Forest Park and Te Kauri Scenic Reserve
The Department of Conservation (DOC) in Waikato District is going to control rats and possums at two Waikato sites comprising approximately 15,876 hectares. This is scheduled for the first suitable clear weather window from the 10th of October 2025. Native wildlife and forests need protection
Native species are fighting for survival due to predation from rats, stoats and possums. Without protection, we risk losing the unique natural heritage and biodiversity within Pirongia Forest Park and Te Kauri Scenic Reserve. Taonga species are under threat from rats, and possums. Without protection, we risk losing the unique natural heritage and biodiversity at these two locations.
A healthy forest is vital for maintaining the stability of the water catchments, reducing the amount of soil eroding into the surrounding rivers and streams and sediment entering Kawhia, Aotea and Raglan Harbours.
These forests have huge cultural importance including sites of mahinga kai and wāhi tapu and provide a home to many nationally important species. It is a high-value site for kākā, pekapeka/long-tailed bats, pua o Te Rēinga/wood rose (Dactylanthus taylorii), kōkako, and kauri.
Predation by rats and possums can severely affect kōkako and ongoing periodic predator control is required to ensure breeding success of these birds, and other threatened taonga species.
Past predator control operations have been hugely successful at reducing rat and possum numbers.
Our plan to protect native species
Through sustained predator control using 1080, there is a big increase in breeding success for native birds, their food source is more abundant, and the forest canopy is healthier.
The safest and most effective method we have to control possums, rats and stoats over large areas is to use biodegradable cereal bait pellets containing 1080. This bait targets rodents and possums. Stoats are also controlled through secondary poisoning as they feed on the carcasses of the dead rodents.
Helicopters distribute bait pellets across the forest area along pre-determined and monitored flight paths using technology that enables accurate placement. This is the only viable method to control predators in Pirongia Forest Park and Te Kauri Scenic Reserve due to the vast and rugged terrain.
SUNDAY 28 SEPTEMBER AT 2PM
Join us for an enjoyable concert featuring Brahms, Haydn & Mendelssohn, performed by The Argyle Trio
Everyone welcome! No need to book.
St John’s Anglican Church Arawata Street, Te Awamutu
$25 cash at the door. Students/kids FREE.
Schedule 10, Local Government Act 1974
Waipā District Council intends to consider closing the following roads at the following periods to ordinary vehicular traffic for Rotary Christmas Parade Te Awamutu.
Date: Saturday, 6 December 2025
CUSTOMER: TE ATA REST HOME PROOF TIME 13/11/2023 12:34:51 PM
Bait stations will also be used within the Pirongia Te Aroaro o Kahu Restoration Society project area in known kōkako territories and along the margins of the operational area.
Roads: Selwyn Lane - whole street Gorst Avenue - whole street
REP ID: NZT451 L AST RUN: 11/30/23
This operation begins with the distribution of non-toxic pre-feed bait pellets (sandy coloured). This prepares possums and rodents to eat the toxic bait (dyed green) that is applied afterwards. Both baits are about 16 mm in diameter and cylindrical shaped.
Consultation and permissions
DOC has consulted with hapū, iwi and key stakeholders including landowners adjacent to the treatment area. DOC is delegated authority by the Environmental Protection Agency to decide applications for permission to use 1080 on land administered or managed by DOC. Permission has been granted for this operation. DOC has also received the required permission from the Ministry of Health. DOC ensures that all legal and policy requirements are met, and that any potential risks of the operation are managed.
Managing risk
1080 is poisonous to humans, domestic and game animals. In areas where the toxin has been applied, dogs are highly at risk until poisoned carcasses have disintegrated. This takes four-to-eight months or longer. There will be warning signs placed at entrances to the treatment area immediately prior to the operation.
Risks can be eliminated by following these rules:
DO NOT touch bait
WATCH children at all times
DO NOT EAT animals from this area or within the buffer zone outside the treatment boundary. The buffer zone is 2 km for deer and pigs, 200 m for rabbits, and 1 km for hares, tahr, wallabies and possums. Poison baits or carcasses are DEADLY to DOGS
Observe these rules whenever you see warning signs about pesticides. These signs indicate pesticide residues may be still present in baits and poisoned carcasses. When signs are removed, normal activities can resume. If in doubt, check with your local DOC office. Please report suspected vandalism or unauthorised removal of signs.
If you suspect poisoning, please contact:
Your local doctor or hospital OR The National Poisons Centre: 0800 764 766 (urgent calls) or 03 479 7248 OR dial 111
• Seek veterinary advice for suspected poisoning of domestic animals.
For more information
Please contact: Pirongia operational planner 0272 086 549, DOC Waikato District Office, 5 Northway Street Te Rapa, waikato@ doc.govt.nz
OR EcoFX, Contractor 07 873 8130, ecofx-office-nz@rentokil-initial.com
Visit the DOC website: More information about DOC’s National Predator Control Programme is available on our website www.doc. govt.nz/our-work/national-predator-control-programme
Map of predator control area within Pirongia and Te Kauri
This map shows the area we are controlling rats, possums and stoats to protect native species. You can also see operational updates and detailed maps of predator control on public conservation land on the DOC website. www.doc.govt.nz/nature/pests-andthreats/pesticide-summaries or in person at the Waikato District Office
Time: 7am to 1:30pm
SIZE: 10X2
Roads: Mahoe St - from Churchill St to Selwyn Lane Alexandra St - from Mutu/Rewi St to Sloane St Churchill St - from Mahoe St to Squash Club
Time: 8am to 1pm
Roads: Arawata St - from Mahoe St to Alexandra/Sloane Sts Sloane St - from Arawata/Alexandra Sts to 35 Sloane St Mahoe St - from Arawata St to Selwyn Lane
Time: 10:30am to 1pm
There will be no detours in place during the proposed road closure. Access for emergency vehicles will be permitted in the event of an emergency.
Any person who wishes to object to the proposed closure may do so in writing to events@waipadc.govt.nz or Events Team, Waipā District Council, 101 Bank Street, Te Awamutu, no later than 4pm Friday, 10 October 2025. See the Privacy Statement on Council’s website for further information.
Steph O’Sullivan Chief
Executive
CARE
GIVER AM and PM shifts
If you are an empathetic person with the “X” factor that all good care givers have and would like to join a committed caregiving team in a supportive work environment. Call Andrew 0275 532 614
WAIPA DISTRICT COUNCIL MEETING NOTICES
Pursuant to Section 46 of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 notice is hereby given that:
The following extraordinary meetings took place in September 2025:
Wednesday, Extraordinary Sustainability and September 17, 2025 Climate Change Committee
8.30am
Council Chambers
101 Bank Street
TE AWAMUTU
The details of this meeting including the subject matter and resolutions can be found on the council website under the Meetings and Agendas page.
The following meetings will be held in October 2025: Monday, October 6, 2025 Audit and Risk Committee
9.10am Council Chambers 101 Bank Street
TE AWAMUTU
All meeting information and electronic copies of Council agendas are available at waipadc.govt.nz/agendasandminutes
HOUSE FOR RENT 4 Bedroom house for rent in the Hauturu district. Close to Kawhia Harbour. Opportunity for a small amount of farm work for the right person Could suit a retired farmer. Must have references. Ph 021 0261 8128 for more information
NOTICE OF 2025 Annual General Meeting
Notice is hereby given that the 2025 Annual General Meeting of Ruapuha Uekaha Hapū Trust will be held on Saturday, 18 October 25, at Te Kauae Pā , 954 Mangarino Road, Hangatiki. Starting at 10am.
KAY, Allison Isabel –Passed away peacefully with family at Waikato Hospital on 15th September 2025. Dearly loved and cherished wife of the late John Kay. Greatly loved aunty of her 24 nieces, nephews and their families. The family extend heartfelt thanks to the doctors, nurses and staff at Waikato and Matariki Hospital and staff from recent supports vision west and Heathcare NZ. A service for Allison has been held. All communications to the Kay family, PO Box 137, Te Awamutu 3840.
A memorial celebration of Maureen's life will be held at the Te Awamutu Brass Band Rooms, 420 Albert Park Drive, on Saturday 4th October 2025 at 11.30am. Followed by placement of her ashes at the Te Awamutu Cemetery. South Waikato Funeral Services Ltd, FDANZ PO Box 459, Tokoroa 3444 Te Awamutu Funeral Services, FDANZ
McGEE, Wayne Leslie –Passed away peacefully on Friday, 12th September 2025, aged 65 years. Loved son, brother, uncle and friend to many. A memorial service for Wayne will be held at Alexandra House Chapel, 570 Alexandra St, Te Awamutu on Friday, 26th September at 11:00am. All communications to the McGee family, PO Box 137, Te Awamutu 3840.
