Mahurangi Matters_Issue 385_3 June 2020

June 3, 2020

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Audrey Sharp says a misguided policy of planting pines on steep hillsides will come back to haunt Whangateau.

Whangateau logging threatens harbour Whangateau residents and environmentalists, incensed by the logging of pine trees near Ashton Road this summer, can only expect much worse to come, according to some.

The logging of trees on less than three hectares of steeply sloping land over summer has dismayed

environmentalists who fear debris, silt and felled logs will clog Youngs Creek at the bottom of the slopes and go on to pollute the Whangateau Harbour.

Whangateau HarbourCare Group founding member Elizabeth Foster says it’s fortunate that there has been little heavy rain of late, but if there is a big

downpour there is potential for disaster.

“There’s a lot of rubbish that has been left behind, which is going to probably block the stream and no doubt demolish the bridges that the locals rely on to get in and out of there,” she says.

Moreover, she says silt washes down the now tree-less hillsides and ultimately

into the sea, smothering cockle beds and destroying other marine life.

“You can see the great plumes of mud going down, and as the tide goes out it goes out into Omaha Bay,” she says.

Ms Foster blames a disinterested Auckland Council for allowing such

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2 Mahurangimatters June 3, 2020

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Whangateau logging threatens harbour logging to continue.

“Logging is a permitted activity, and people can do what they like,” she says.

However, Whangateau Residents and Ratepayers secretary Audrey Sharp says the current environmental damage is only the tip of iceberg.

At the same time, she is quick to defend small landholders currently logging, saying they had little choice but to fell ageing pine trees that were getting blown down and blocking the creek anyway.

Ms Sharp says the real problem began about 40 years ago, when farmers and other landholders were given grants and encouraged to plant pines on steep sloping land unsuitable for grazing cattle or sheep. Pines were seen as a potential cash crop.

“But there was no consideration at that time – because people were too stupid – to look at the environmental impact when those trees were felled,” she says.

Ms Sharp says there are at least another 150ha of pines that will need to be felled in the area in the coming years.

“Stand at Point Wells and look across toward Mount Tamahunga and imagine all that pine forest gone.

That’s what’s going to happen over the next 15 years,” she says.

Landowner Simon Mills, who has owned his land for only eight years and is among three currently participating in the logging, says there is no question the pines must go.

He says in addition to trees already falling over and blocking the creek,

pines suck up large quantities of water, which creates cracks in the earth and causes more slips, ultimately generating more sediment for the waterways. Moreover, pines generate a vast carpet of discarded needles, which also end up in the creek.

Mr Mills says that falling pines create a danger hazard for both people and stock, ruin fences and make farmland unusable.

He says landowners are undertaking extensive measures to minimise the immediate detrimental environmental impacts of the logging and dramatically improve things for the future.

These include the creation of sediment traps, the planting of grass seed to inhibit erosion and replanting with native trees, such as manuka, which survive much longer than pines.

Mr Mills says the expectation of reaping a cash reward from the timber is a pipe dream for smaller landowners such as himself. The logging contractor takes the timber in return for removing the trees. The landowner is saddled with the costs associated with environmental mitigation work afterwards.

Ms Sharp says although the felled slopes visible from Ashton Road have “freaked people out”, landowners currently logging are doing their best to make things better for the environment long term.

But she says this partly reflects the fact that the current logging can easily be seen. Most logging is out of sight and scores of hectares have still to be felled

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in areas where landowners will likely be more interested in profit than the environment.

“There will be siltation, siltation, siltation going out into the harbour and ultimately out into the ocean,” she says.

Ms Sharp says fish will die and mangroves will proliferate.

“We’ll end up living in an environment where we can’t actually swim in our harbours because they are all full of mud,” she says.

Meanwhile, Auckland Council denies people can do what they like when it comes to forestry.

Spokesperson Eileen Cameron says forestry works are subject to Unitary Plan standards, as well as national standards, specifically the National Environmental Standards for Plantation Forestry, and Council’s compliance team assists with ensuring these rules are adhered to.

Ms Cameron says it received several complaints about the forestry operation in Ashton Road and has made several site visits to assess the situation.

“We asked for some remedial work to be carried out after a visit in early May and when we returned on May 20, most had been carried out,” she says.

“We are continuing to work with the owner and contractor to see that the remaining minor work is completed over the next few weeks, and to ensure the site continues to comply with the national standards.”

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June 3, 2020 Mahurangimatters 3

No relief in sight for Rodney’s drought-stricken farmers Despite recent rain, north Rodney and Kaipara are in the grip of the worst drought seen in modern times.

Although the district’s urban residents have seen their grass turn green and might be forgiven for thinking the worst is over, the upper North Island has so far received only a third of its usual rainfall this year.

Successive dry years have meant that soil moisture is well below average and underground aquifers and bores have dried up. The upshot is that grass has failed to grow.

Stephen Dill’s family has been farming the Kaipara Hills for five generations and has been keeping records for all of that time.

Stephen says this has been the driest 12-month period since 1946.

The Dill farm needs to have grass 7cm tall by June 1, but presently it’s sitting at 4cm.

“That’s the equivalent of going into the dry season with your rain tank half empty. It’s the lowest pasture cover I’ve seen in my time farming,” he says.

Stephen has been trucking water from a deep bore at the base of the hills up to his farm but will soon have to buy commercially delivered water.

“It’s the second year in a row with a deficit of rain and so the aquifers haven’t recharged.”

Despite the adverse conditions, Rodney and Kaipara farmers are battling on.

Tomarata dairy farmer Murray Fell dried off his cows early and slowed his pasture rotation in anticipation of the extended drought.

As silage and hay became increasingly scarce and difficult to buy, Murray began stocking hay in his barn and supplementing his feed with palm kernel.

“It’s better to have a barn full of hay than money in the bank,” he says.

These measures have meant that his milk production is down 10 per cent, but Murray is in a relatively good place, heading into the dry winter.

Matakana farmer Keith Trotter says his milk production could be down by up to 20 per cent and his pasture cover is only at 1400kg/ha, when he would normally be hoping for 2500kg/ha.

“You just have to be prepared to farm your way through it and be prepared to buy more feed,” he says.

Shane Hood has had a tough run on his finishing farm in Glorit thanks to the drought and Covid-19 drastically reducing demand for exports.

He bought 41 young Friesian bulls for $1050 a head during spring, when cattle prices were at historic highs.

An empty dam on a Wellsford farm.

The earth has opened up in Wellsford.

Cracks so big, you could lose a dog down them.

Photo, Teresa Woolley of Topuni.

The animals put on 60kgs of weight, yet Shane has had to sell them at a loss for $920 a head.

“That’s farming – you take the good with the bad,” he says.

“We budgeted for worst case scenarios, and we are very lucky that we don’t have a mortgage, but people with debt will be really struggling.”

This month, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor announced $500,000 in relief for drought stricken farmers in the Hawkes Bay and later announced a further $500,000 to be shared between Northland and Waikato.

The funds are to be distributed via local district authorities at their discretion.

However, north Rodney farmers have no way to access the funds because they reside below an arbitrary line dividing the Auckland and Northland regions.

This is despite meteorologists confirming what Rodney farmers already know – the region has been among the hardest hit.

NIWA meteorologist Ben Noll says it is the most extreme drought event for Auckland in modern times.

Auckland has been particularly dry, with more than 77 consecutive days spent in severe drought – more

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Losing sheep in dried up dams has been a common occurrence this year.

Photo, Brett Wilson of Kaiwaka.

The Baldrock Dam near Kaiwaka is still low.

than any other region, including Hawkes Bay and Northland.

Mr Noll says that soil moisture is not likely to significantly improve until rains arrive in late winter or spring. (See season outlook story page 29).

But Rodney farmers that Mahurangi Matters spoke to believe it’s up to them to find farming solutions to get through the winter and they’re not expecting the Government to take notice.

One said that waiting for the Government to intervene would be wishful thinking.

4 Mahurangimatters June 3, 2020

published only two stories regarding Rodney Local Board feedback on the landfill. It has pointed out numerous times that Waste Management is Chinese owned. In a story published online on April 6 we reported Waste Management was resisting pressure to halt the resource consent process while the country was under lockdown – Ed.

Chatterton’s legacy See story page 1

YOU SAY

We welcome your feedback but letters under 300 words are preferred. We reserve the right to abridge them as necessary. Unabridged versions can be read at localmatters.co.nz/opinion.

Letters can be sent to editor@localmatters.co.nz or PO Box 701, Warkworth

Terrible tolls Tolling the new Puhoi to Warkworth motorway is exactly the wrong thing to do (MM May 20). A toll of $2.80 will double the traffic flow on the old State Highway from 7000 vehicles per day to 15,000 vehicles per day. Even a toll of $1.50 would increase traffic on the old State Highway by 50 per cent. Doubling the traffic can be expected to double the accidents. One of the main reasons for building the new motorway was to reduce accidents by diverting traffic from a lower standard highway. Tolling is promoted to generate revenue, but in doing so it increases accidents. The efficiency of collecting revenue by tolling is very low. The transaction cost is $0.70 per vehicle. Other costs that are incurred are ‘tolls not recovered’ ($0.021) and gantry operation and maintenance costs (at least $0.07). For a $1.50 toll, 53 per cent of the revenue collected is wasted. The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) objective should be to attract as much of the traffic in the corridor to the new highway as possible. We are paying NX2 the same amount for the use of the motorway for the next 25 years, regardless of the traffic volume. At the hearings for the new motorway, the traffic model predicted only 48 per cent of the corridor traffic would use the new motorway. Add a toll to this and the figures can only get worse. The reason that the split is so poor is that NZTA did not include a Warkworth southern interchange. NZTA should build the southern interchange now and agree to

no tolling to get the split closer to the 83 per cent split predicted by Beca. To do this would make much better use of the of the monies already committed to the NX2 project. The people of Rodney are already hit by a triple whammy.

They pay $2.80 for the only toll road in the Auckland area. They pay 10 cents a litre levy to Auckland Council as an Auckland Transport Levy, and they pay $150 per property for the Rodney Local Board transport targeted rate to carry out projects not paid for

by Auckland Transport. NZTA are now proposing an additional whammy by tolling the new road. Further tolling is unacceptable.

Roger Williams, Warkworth

Go Greg Congratulations to Mahurangi Matters in getting back to print. We always look forward to reading one of the best community papers we know. We are in total support of our Rodney Councillor, Greg Sayers, when he states it is time to slash costs (MM May 20) and have a zero per cent rates increase option. Like Council, many pensioners who rely on dividend income will have their income slashed as a number of companies cancel or defer dividends.

Council can expect at least a half billion dollar hit on income this year, so must go hard and slash costs. It will undoubtedly mean Council staff working hard and being more efficient. Staffing is an obvious starting point. With 86 staff paid more than a quarter of a million dollars ($250,000)

and the Mayor suggesting that all staff paid over $100,000 take cuts of only between five to 10 per cent, surely it is time to cull staff like every well-run business. Keep up the battle Greg, for a zero rates increase.

Terry and Beatrice Nuthall, Warkworth

Chasing minnows Recently you’ve spent a lot of time hammering the Rodney Local Board about this feedback on the landfill they provided (MM May 20). This seems to be a case of chasing the minnows instead of the big fish. Why haven’t you investigated the actual applicant for the landfill. Waste Management is a Chinese-owned company that is predominantly owned by the Chinese Government. Apparently, they are placing a great deal of pressure on Auckland Council to ensure the consent process is completed by end of 2020. This seems very strange for a landfill that is not supposed to begin official operations until 2028.

Why is a Chinese Governmentowned waste management company so set on getting official sign off on its new landfill so quickly? In fact, why is a Chinese company so intent on managing our waste? I’d suggest you stop wasting your time chasing a group of people that have no control over this whole process and start asking questions about who is actually pushing for this landfill in our area Thomas Davidson

To clarify, Mahurangi Matters has

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I sympathise with Trevor McKinney’s letter (MM May 20) commenting on the proposal to erect a sun shelter on the unspoilt Sunburst Avenue Reserve.

However, just a note: James Snell certainly planted many trees, including the remaining oak tree off Snells Beach Road where the old homestead sat – as a plaque shows. However, except for one or two ancient specimen, all the pohutakawa on the beach front from Daltons Road to Ariki Drive were planted and tended under the direction of Trevor Chatterton, between about 1965 and 1970. At the time, he was the Rodney County building inspector, reserves and property officer, seen around in his little black Ford Prefect. Incidentally, he also looked after the Martins Bay Holiday Camp. I remember one Friday night in the Warkworth Hotel asking him what he had been doing all day. He replied, “Planting pohutakawa at Snells Beach.” Last summer, I watched an enlarged family spanning five generations enjoying a picnic in the shade of one such tree, now 50 years old. “Chattie” would have been pleased.

Geoff Ward, Snells Beach

Lowdown on litter With takeaway outlets closed for the four weeks of Level 4, and being a “glass-half-full” sort of person, I decided that I would use my daily walk to rid the town of takeaway litter.

As it was difficult to quantify the bags and bags of general waste that I picked up, I counted the aluminium cans. Over the 33 days, I squashed and recycled 343 cans. The biggest daily tally was 59. One day, I met a golden labrador out walking his gentleman, and he summarised the continued next page

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June 3, 2020 Mahurangimatters 5

Viewpoint Mark Mitchell, National MP for Rodney markmitchell.national.org.nz

Countering Covid It is now over seven weeks since New Zealand entered lockdown and I am proud to say that together our efforts have resulted in very low numbers of new Covid-19 cases being reported each day.

A big thank you is owed to our frontline staff for working around the clock during these trying times and also to our community for so diligently adhering to the restrictions that came with Level 4 and Level 3 – I acknowledge this wasn’t easy and have heard from many of you about the pressures this has put on yourselves and your family.

Like many of you, for me lockdown meant working from home and keeping to my bubble, so the reduction in restrictions on activity and movement in Level 2 is a welcome change. It is great to see the reopening of many of our local businesses and schools, however it is important to remember that businesses are still facing economic shock and undergoing some significant changes. It’s important now more than ever that we get out there and support local.

National has released part of its National Recovery Agenda to support the economy and respond to the disruptive effects Covid-19 has caused in communities. Earlier this month, we outlined five core elements of our agenda: getting out of lockdown by getting New Zealand working again, delivering an effective stimulus to a stalled economy by creating an upward curve of growth and jobs, creating productivity in a two-metre world, unleashing private sector investment, and investing in things that will guarantee New Zealand will succeed in the post-Covid world.

Through the Epidemic Response Committee, I have been ensuring that the Government is making the right decisions and investing where it is most needed to get us through this challenge. My wonderful team has been working hard throughout the lockdown supporting those who have reached out to us.

Finally, earlier this month we welcomed the news that Auckland Transport (AT) has given the go-ahead for Matakana link road (MLR) to be built with a four lane capacity. There has been widespread concerns around the delays in plan developments and construction, and MLR consultations have seen large public engagement. So, it is fantastic that the preparatory works started last week and that AT is planning to have the link road completed in time for the opening of the new Puhoi to Warkworth motorway. from previous page

situation succinctly (the gentleman that is, not the labrador) – “We live in such a beautiful part of the world, and so many people are irresponsible”. So, which parts of the town were the best and the worst? Hepburn Creek Road was awarded the chocolate fish for best outlying road and Woodcocks/ Falls/Hudson Roads earned the liquorice strap. For town streets, a

chocolate fish for Northwood Park Estate and six of the best for Wech Drive and anywhere within cooee of McDonald’s. I kept a keen watch to see how long it would take for the irresponsible to undo my good work.

Five hours after McDonald’s opened, I picked up one of their newly discarded coffee cups.

COVID-19 update and what’s next for the project I’m not sure anyone could have predicted the events of the last two months and the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. One thing the construction industry in New Zealand has proven in events like this, and the Christchurch and Kaikoura earthquakes, is how resilient we can be to deal with whatever is thrown at us.

This is no different for the project team. We led an orderly shutdown, kept our people safe and protected the site. We are now carrying out a similar orderly process to open the site, whilst adapting to new protocols to keep everyone safe until we see the back of this virus.

I am proud of the way NX2, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency and other parties have worked collaboratively to ensure the decisions made during this time are in the best interests of everyone’s safety, whilst balancing the requirements to complete the project in a timely manner.

As we gain an understanding of the full impacts and restrictions that will apply as we move through the various Government Alert Levels, we will work with Waka Kotahi to minimise the effects of the COVID-19 restrictions on the project completion date.

The project is now focused on our winter works programme and while the remaining earthworks activities will lessen, you can expect to see good progress with the viaducts and preparation for pavements across the project. You will also start to receive regular updates on works associated with the motorway tie in at the Southern Connection (near the Johnstones Hill Tunnels) and at the north where the motorway ties into the existing SH1.

We are disappointed that we had to postpone this year’s community open day as a result of COVID-19. We are working on a new way to share the progress our fantastic team made during the 2019/2020 earthworks season, so watch this space! Keep checking our website NX2group.com and our Facebook page for updates.

Nga Mihi, Robert

Maureen Young, Warkworth

Marja Lubeck Labour List MP Based in Rodney

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Edmonds’ recipe for radio making waves in Matakana News that UK entertainment legend Noel Edmonds has not only migrated to NZ, but is living near Matakana and launching 100 online free community radio stations has come as quite a surprise to local residents.

A TV interview last month was the first time that many people had any idea that the former radio DJ and presenter of shows such as Noel’s House Party, Multi-Coloured Swap Shop and Deal or No Deal was living on Omaha Flats with his wife, Liz Davies.

The couple fell in love with NZ on a holiday in 2016, moved here in September last year and gained residency just before Covid-19 Level 4 restrictions came in. Having already established a global platform of online radio stations around the theme of positivity, Noel got to thinking how he could apply the concept here to support businesses, individuals and communities in the wake of coronavirus.

“There’s an opportunity to create a new normal, and individuals and groups will define it,” he says. “The people in charge in Wellington will try their best, but the future is people pulling together, and the message I’ve got since we first came to New Zealand is that everyone here is really good at team playing and that’s what we want to harness.”

The former DJ is providing 100 slots to stream digital content for communities across the country, all at his own expense and completely free of charge. Several stations are already playing live, including Positively Matakana, which plays a combination

The PositiviTeam - from left, Lane Dawson, Noel Edmonds and Rachel Demler worked every day during lockdown to get Positivity Radio New Zealand live and online.

of music, interviews, information and uplifting messages.

“We’re news free, commercial free and listen free, and can be played anywhere in the world through our website and app. It’s more like streaming social media – it’s very targeted to each community and sharing local information.”

When it came to the nuts and bolts of getting things going, Noel turned to local IT programme manager Rachel Demler, who is also chair of Matakana Community Group and runs The Matakana Bag Lady stall at the weekly farmers market.

“I was thinking we’ve only just got here, what if this fails – I didn’t know how it would be received. The thought of stepping out of the shadows and it not working would have tarnished

what I wanted our lives to be here,” Noel says.

“We’d met Rachel at the market and it just went ‘ping’. I needed someone who could tell me if that idea was likely to work. Rachel just got it.”

Rachel says her main role was to take Noel’s idea and turn it into reality.

“I’m a person who works with creative types and makes things actually happen,” she says. “Noel had a wonderful platform and infrastructure, but he didn’t have anything over the top of it, so I gave him a plan for a website and app.”

Aucklander Lane Dawson also joined the team and now all three work together on everything from creating content and recording interviews to liaising with the UK-based tech crew.

The team has received more than 100 enquiries so far from individuals, groups and schools interested in running their own station, including from traditional community radio stations struggling to survive. Future plans include talking to Mahurangi College about the possibility of students contributing to, or even running, Positively Warkworth.

“There’s an opportunity here for schools to grab this as a project, covering things like the creation of content, formulation of argument and art of communication. They could go out and talk to local businesses. It’s all about bringing people together of all ages for individual and common good,” Noel says.

To find out more or listen live, visit positivitynz.radio

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June 3, 2020 Mahurangimatters 7

Science

eessed!

B Impr

Emeritus Professor Ralph Cooney r.cooney@auckland.ac.nz

Time for a rethink Covid-19 has provided humanity with a pause to consider the status quo and hopefully to make both short-term and longer-term adjustments for a better and brighter future.

The most obvious learning from Covid-19 and the earlier SARS and MERS pandemics is that these events are likely to recur regularly (perhaps every decade) in the future. Many Governments have had to develop urgent pandemic management strategies under duress. This Covid-19 pandemic will have taught the international community a great deal about managing similar future pandemic events. The New Zealand Government has received plaudits from many international sources for its leadership and, specifically, for the clarity of its strategy and consistent communication during the crisis. There is an urgent need now to restore the economy of New Zealand and to minimise the damage to organisations caused by the unavoidable strangulation of cashflow during Covid-19.

There is an ongoing need for both short-term and long-term strategies to start on a new track towards more sustainable development, especially regarding climate change. The temporary reduction of atmospheric pollutants in the European Union, caused by reduced combustion of fossil fuels associated with reduced road and air travel during Covid-19, demonstrates what is possible in the short term. These improvements should confirm to the global community that with strong motivation, key climate change factors can be minimised relatively quickly.

There are some grounds for some longer-term optimism regarding sustainability and climate change. The advent of electric vehicles, electric planes and electric vessels over the coming two decades will contribute substantially and positively to an improved climate change status. At the same time, a reduction in coal power is evident in many countries, including even the USA under the current administration. This encouraging trend is offset by the increased use of thermal coal in the industrial development of China and India. The other difficult global challenge is the projected increase in the population of the planet from about 7 billion at present to about 11 billion in 2100, with this growth being mainly in Africa and Asia. This population increase raises the serious question of growth limits for a planet of finite resources, and where already 40 per cent of its population live in extreme poverty.

This is a good time to address the question of best practice models for future sustainable economic development in New Zealand. Many New Zealand companies already promote higher sustainability practice. We now need to think beyond our leading trading partners – China, Australia and the USA. Circumstances are right for New Zealand to explore new dimensions of sustainable economic development, inspired by the most innovative countries, with a special focus on smaller countries with populations similar to New Zealand. The Scandinavian countries (Norway, Finland, Denmark, and Sweden) as well as some of our Asia-Pacific neighbours (Singapore and Taiwan) have much to offer us in terms of new economic ideas and high environmental values.

Joint appeal for Wellsford foodbank Four community groups and businesses are joining forces to appeal for food items for Wellsford foodbank Loaves & Fishes.

Wellsford Plunket, Citizens Advice Bureau, Wellsford Four Square and Warkworth Food Rescue are collecting non-perishable food and other essential items for families in need. Together, they are appealing for donations of flour, sugar, milk powder, cereal, rice, pasta, canned foods, crackers, biscuits, toilet rolls and paper towels.

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8 Mahurangimatters June 3, 2020

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June 3, 2020 Mahurangimatters 9

localfolk Dave Parker

For more than 50 years, Dave Parker has been at the forefront of nearly every major community initiative that has gone to make Warkworth a better place to live. He spoke to James Addis …

I

had a bizarre upbringing to be honest. I had three mothers before I was five. My birth mother did not want to keep me, so she put me into a home, and I was advertised for adoption in the Auckland Star. My step dad came along and adopted me, but he and his wife divorced soon afterwards so that was my second mother gone. Soon afterwards, my Dad fell in love with a Maori lady. We lived in an old army hut on a marae near Port Waikato, where my mother would cook over an open fire. Frankly, there were a lot of things that went on in Port Waikato that were not good.

That’s why I will be forever grateful for my grandmother – that is my step dad’s mother. At the age of 76, she took me, my step-sister and two cousins in, and brought us all up in a little cottage in Snells Beach. Suddenly, I had better schooling and better opportunities all round. If it had not been for Grandma Simpson, I would not be where I am today. She was my guiding light. ven so, I was a bit of a handful.

In 1955, Grandma marched me along to the Methodist Church to sign me up for the Boys Brigade to sort me out. The captain was also the minister of the church, a chap by the name of George Trebilco. He took me under his wing and became a father figure to me. Boys Brigade opened a whole lot of channels to me for the rest of my life. It’s a movement that taught me habits of reverence and self-respect and all that tends to what I think of as true Christian manliness. I travelled a lot with the movement and attended the best leadership training courses you could ever have hoped for. Eventually, I was appointed captain of the company and started a junior division known as the Life Boys. ur 1st Warkworth Company grew and grew. Before long, we had 200 boys and 26 adult leaders, making us the largest company in New Zealand. We occupied all the church halls – Methodist, Anglican and Presbyterian. But my focus was to get the kids out of the four walls of the church and into some adventurous activities. We had an aikido club, a canoe club, a tramping club, we taught them to sail. We cycled over 2000km of roads. We even had our own drum and bugle band. We were doing things that boys loved doing, and that’s why I think we became so strong. Boys

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Brigade led me into other things. I was invited to join the Auckland branch of the Mountain Safety Committee, I served on the Auckland Conservation Board, I became an assessor for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme and was co-founder of the Warkworth Search & Rescue group, which later became the Kawau Coastguard. left school in the fifth form because my grandmother could not afford to keep me. My first job was pumping gas at the old Rodney Motors. Later, I moved to Auckland to work in the spare parts department of a car dealer.

At the end of every week, I used to run down from the top of Symonds Street to the bottom of Queen Street to catch the bus to Warkworth, so I could run the Boys Brigade meeting on Friday nights. I was happy to do that because I really enjoyed it. I saw the changes in a lot of kids. I remember one mother who brought her son along saying, “Here he is. I don’t hold much hope you can do anything with him.” But he was a good kid who just needed encouragement. I taught him to play the side drum, and he went on to build his own canoe. He proudly took the canoe on a Brigade expedition down the Whanganui River. We nearly lost him when he wrapped himself around a huge rock in the middle of the river, but he had the time of his life. ended up getting a job as manager of Hedley King’s electrical shop back in Warkworth. Around the corner was a little paint shop where the One World Travel Agency is now.

The old chap who used to run the shop would come up from Auckland and would turn up at all sorts of odd hours. It was no way to run a business.

He told me the owners wanted to sell and I saw an opportunity. Even though my only asset was a 1952 A40 Devon, I managed to scrape together $3000 and bought the paint business.

Warkworth was growing, Omaha was growing, everybody wanted paint and wallpaper. I moved the shop into bigger premises three times, finally ending up where So French café is now and tripled my turnover. I would bring up 10-litre pails of paint by truck and park it outside the shop on Saturday mornings. People would come and buy all this paint. It was an amazing business. y 1983, I felt Warkworth needed to be better recognised.

I partitioned part of my shop and

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opened Warkworth’s first voluntary public relations and information office, which represented tourist businesses and interests. We identified Warkworth as the Kowhai town and coast, helped put together the Twin Coast Discovery Route and I remember producing the very first wine trail brochure. The information office eventually became an accredited i-SITE Information Centre, operating from what was then a new office in Baxter Street. hat else? I’ve been on the Kowhai Festival committee for 50 years, I founded the Warkworth International Relations Group, and the Kowhai Coast Youth Trust. I am deputy chair of the Warkworth Riverbank Enhancement Group, I was on the advisory committee of Harbour Hospice and am chairman of steering committee of the Jane Gifford Maritime Heritage Trust. he riverbank group started when the old Rodney District Council demolished the original town wharf at the bottom of Kapanui Street.

They said it was too dangerous to remain standing, but they had no money to replace it. A group of us got together with a plan to build a totally new wharf and walkway. Local service clubs, especially the Jaycees, got behind the project and we raised money by selling the planks that make up the walkway that now runs right through to Lucy Moore Park. That’s why today there is a little plaque above each plank honouring the person who paid $50 to put it there. The walkway became a great venue for fundraising dinners that I used to organise for causes like the Jane Gifford and the Coastguard. I remember one in 2002 when more than 650 people sat down all along the wharf to have a meal and we raised $50,000. When the Johnstone’s Hill tunnels were about to open, I hit on the idea of another long dinner inside the tunnels. The southbound tunnel was used to seat

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diners and the northbound used for entertainment. People loved the idea.

They snapped up tickets 20 or 30 at a time. We thought we might get 1000 people, but more than 2000 showed up and we raised $130,000 for initiatives to help young people. Now every time I pass through the tunnels, I chuckle to see the exact spot where I tripped up and spilt my glass of wine. he Jane Gifford keeps me flat out doing all the bookings and marketing. I remember seeing her as a wreck at Okahu Bay. I thought that boat has got to come back where it belongs in Warkworth. I put that to Peter Thompson, of the River Restoration Trust, and he paid a nominal amount of money to buy it back from the Waiuku Museum Society. Peter got her on to a house moving truck to bring her back to Warkworth and had to tie her sides together to stop her falling apart.

Essentially, she was a truck-load of firewood. It took four years to restore her, and she’s been taking people on trips up and down the Mahurangi River ever since. hat keeps me going? Well, all that I have ever wanted to do was repay a community that helped me along the way as a bloke with no real backing as such. It was the local families that would pick me up and take me here and take me there. I thought what can I do to repay them over the years. It’s all just trickled on from that.

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10 Mahurangimatters June 3, 2020

localmatters.co.nz

One Warkworth cries foul over proposed toll road “tax” A NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) proposal to make the new Puhoi to Warkworth motorway a toll road has so far got a firm thumbs down from the One Warkworth Business Association.

One Warkworth chair Chris Murphy says members’ views are currently being sought via the association’s newsletter and website, and indications are that they oppose any tolling He says the toll amounts to an additional tax on local people.

“When you ask the question, ‘Are other parts of the country taxed in the same way?’ the answer is ‘no’ they are not. Where is the equity there?”

Mr Murphy says as far as he is aware there are only two similarly tolled roads – the Northern Gateway toll road on State Highway 1 through the Johnstones Hill tunnels, and another in Tauranga.

Mr Murphy says the presence of tolls will make the new road less attractive to users and many may choose to stick with the old road to Puhoi.

He says this is especially true given the NZTA appears to be dragging its heels on a proposed southern interchange, which would connect the southern part of Warkworth to the new Puhoi to Warkworth motorway.

One Warkworth has pressed the NZTA to vary the terms of the construction contract to allow “enabling works” for such an interchange, but says the

response has been that the existing contract cannot be changed.

Mr Murphy says it may well be quicker for motorists travelling from the south of Warkworth to use the old road rather than head north through the notoriously clogged Hill Street intersection to access the new motorway.

An NZTA brochure on the proposed tolling says every new state highway in New Zealand is assessed to see if it meets the criteria to be tolled.

“In many cases tolling helps us to build roads earlier than we would have otherwise,” the brochure says.

It adds that revenue collected from the toll will be used to ensure the new motorway remains safe and well maintained and contribute to repaying contractor Northern Express Group for financing and building the road.

The proposed toll and method of payment would mirror the Northern Gateway toll road, which is currently $2.40 for light vehicles and $4.80 for heavy vehicles.

In addition to the toll road, NZTA is simultaneously consulting on proposed lower speed limits on State Highway 1 between Sheepworld and Puhoi, to make the road safer for road users.

The public consultation closes on June 15. Details of the consultation can be found online at nzta.govt.nz/about-us/ consultations

PROPOSED Existing 100km/h PROPOSED Existing 100km/h

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June 3, 2020 Mahurangimatters 11

&

Pets Vets Corner

OneWarkworth Murray Chapman, Manager www.onewarkworth.co.nz

Love local Sir Edmund Hillary’s famous words, “We knocked the bastard off” certainly resonate in today’s world as we hope and pray that we’ve beaten Covid-19 while we look to regain some sense of day-to-day normality. As I walk around Warkworth, it has been pleasing to see so many people on the streets and in the shops.

The feedback I’m getting from a number of retailers is that business has been brisk and a lot of customers are commenting that they are doing their best to support local. I have heard a few stories of customers getting annoyed at the contact tracing requirements and getting quite agitated with shop staff. It is at times like these that we need to remind ourselves to be patient, be kind and remember that the rules are there for a reason – to keep everyone safe; it’s not the staff members’ fault.

Buy Local, Support Local, Visit Local, Employ Local, Love Local has been One Warkworth’s mantra for a long time now, and as we head into winter and a seasonally quiet time for our area, this is more relevant than ever. Many businesses in our region have supported local schools, sports clubs and not-forprofit organisations over the years, and now is the time to give some of that support back. Please think twice before you buy online or head off to Auckland to the malls – they are not the ones who have donated products and services to you. Local businesses have and, to the best of their ability, I’m sure they will continue to do so.

We have over lockdown fielded a lot of calls and emails around Covid-19 and have answered those with the support of local experts like Tanya Gray, from Consulting HQ, who has eagerly helped us assist those in need. When we look back on these days, I think seeing younger people volunteering to help those in need will be a really positive aspect of lockdown, as well as that renewed sense of community spirit and locals helping locals.

One Warkworth is looking at additional ways we can promote our local businesses over the next few months, and we welcome any ideas, feedback and input. Please feel free to stop me in the street or email me. Together, we can really knock the bastard off! Email: murray@onewarkworth.co.nz

Pet of the Month “Blue”, a 4 year old huntaway

Some things in life come down to good timing.

That certainly applies to Blue, who chose to develop one of the most life threatening conditions that a dog can develop on the morning that our vet was scheduled to see a lame horse on the same property. The phrase “while you’re here can you…” sends shivers down the spine of most rural vets as it surely means another reason to be late to the next call. When he saw Blue though, he instantly recognised that she was in a bad way. Even without his spectacles perched on his nosetip in an academic manner, he was able to identify that Blue, with a basketball sized and shaped abdomen, had a twisted stomach.

Blue was rushed into Warkworth vets in the footwell of the ute, clasped between the knees of an accompanying vet student, whose main task was to prevent the regurgitant, being produced at an alarming rate, to not get on the dashboard.

Blue underwent immediate surgery. Her stomach was untwisted, stitched in place, and she went on to charm all staff and visitors to the clinic over the next few days. She even developed a small fanclub from the local school who monitored her progress with bated breath.

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No Pressure | Friendly Service | Open 7 Days 12 Mahurangimatters June 3, 2020

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SUMMIT PILLOW TOP, KING SINGLE TRUNDLER BED Board process under scrutiny Landfill feedback puts Local Rodney Local Board chair Phelan to provide feedback in a timely manner Pirrie has defended the Board’s and engage constructively with their then feedback on the Waste Management fellow Board members, andJUST taking a predetermined position on landfill resource consent.

Responding to a story in Mahurangi this issue, some members have not Matters (May 20) that the Board only undermined the Local Board submission did not oppose the they are part of but they have also let landfill, Mr Pirrie said Board members their community down by deliberately had a responsibility not to have a removing themselves from the decisionpredetermined opinion if they wanted making role the Local Board has in to participate fully in a hearing or preparing its Plan Change feedback.” decision-making process under the However, Board member Tim Holdgate disputed Mr Pirrie’s claim Resource Management Act. In a prepared statement read before the he did not provide feedback. start of a Board meeting on May 20, He says Mr Pirrie was made well aware Mr Pirrie said Board members were of community concerns regarding the invited to forward concerns and ideas landfill proposal and he sent several that their communities had raised so emails raising those concerns. that they could be incorporated into “The opportunity to workshop the commentary. or provide feedback on the Waste “This was an important time for Management consent was not made SINGLE Board members to represent their available to the full Board,” Mr community views and try to achieve Holdgate says. “The technology is the best outcome possible for local there – there really is no excuse for the KING SINGLE residents,” he said. “Only four lack of communication. members of the Board decided “At the very least, we should have been DOUBLE to make comment on behalf of allowed to comment on the feedback their communities, with Member document before it was submitted, QUEEN Houlbrooke being the only northern not just been given a copy ‘for your board member taking the time to raise information’.” concerns aboutKING the landfill, on effects Board member Steven Garner said that cannot be avoided or mitigated. he acted on the assumption that the “Members Smith, Holdgate and Board’s response would reflect the Garner did not take the to put views that had been already shared at 5 time year warranty forward comments on behalf of Board meetings (pre-lockdown) on their communities, which must be several occasions. disappointing for local residents that “Tim and Colin (Smith) had made their elected representatives did not their opinions very clear and I thought fulfil their roles to their best ability. that, as a Board, we were all on the “By failing to respond to the opportunity same page, but that hasn’t happened.”

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June 3, 2020 Mahurangimatters 13

Auckland Transport bid for Matakana traffic calming trial Repeated calls by Matakana residents for measures to slow traffic speeding into town along Matakana Valley Road could finally be answered if a new road safety trial goes ahead next year.

Auckland Transport (AT) has applied for money from a new $7 million government fund that aims to help councils make towns and streets safer and more people-friendly. The Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Innovating Streets for People pilot fund would fund 90 per cent of a 12-month trial to encourage lower speeds through Matakana. If successful, the trial techniques could then be made permanent as part of AT’s minor improvements works programme.

AT spokesperson Natalie Polley said details of exactly what methods might be used to slow traffic down would only be looked at once the funding decision was made later this month.

“It is only once funding has been approved that any design of treatments will begin,” she said. “There are a range of techniques that could be used to achieve the project outcomes.

Should funding be approved, then the project team will be looking to work closely with the local community and

stakeholders to help co-design the tactical treatments.”

According to the NZTA, any Innovating Streets for People projects will be carried out by June next year.

As well as AT, Rodney Local Board also had the chance to put forward potential trial projects. However, Beth Houlbrooke told the May business meeting that the Board’s limited transport budget had already been allocated.

“We would have to fund 10 per cent of the trial and then budget for a permanent solution, which would have to come from the Local Board transport capital fund, and we’re already fully committed to footpaths,” she said. “I don’t really see any value in proposing more projects when we don’t have the means to fund them beyond a trial, and a trial might raise expectations.”

However, Board members did vote to support AT’s application for Matakana Valley Road.

“This is something that the community has been asking for for some time. Coming in from the north, vehicles are travelling far too quickly,” Ms Houlbrooke said.

Got a story to tell?

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Let us know.

Safe, resilient and reliable travel between Pūhoi and Warkworth Waka Kotahi is seeking feedback on two proposals along this transport corridor

Have your say Public Consultation 15 May – 15 June 2020

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency is proposing a toll for the new Ara Tūhono – Pūhoi to Warkworth motorway and formally consulting on proposed lower speed limits for the current State Highway 1 between L Philips Road (SheepWorld) and Pūhoi.

Before decisions are made, we want to hear from you.

Find out more and make a formal submission at www.nzta.govt.nz/about-us/consultations

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14 Mahurangimatters June 3, 2020

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Boost for unsealed road network Rodney’s extensive network of unsealed roads looks set to receive a long overdue funding and maintenance boost, with a wide range of new safety and maintenance improvements and extra sealing

by Auckland Transport (AT).

The Unsealed Road Improvement Programme is the result of more than three years of lobbying

by Councillor Greg Sayers and the Rodney Local Board, especially Wellsford member Colin Smith, who has long fought for a tailored and more cost efficient approach to improving rural roads, rather than a ‘one size fits all’ policy.

“It’s great. In the past, road maintenance has been reactionary, but now we have a plan with a principle wrapped around it,” Mr Smith said. “What’s pleased me most is that AT has allowed me to come on board with my history, knowledge and experience of contracting over the years and allowed me to help them adopt this ‘fit for purpose’ strategy.

“Normally these organisations don’t like any outside input at all, it’s all done through consultants, but they don’t have the knowledge and history of a particular area.”

The new programme will boost spending over the next three years and broaden the use of the existing Seal Extension Programme to include road widening, safety improvements and pavement strengthening, as well as extra sealing. Different surface treatments will be developed and employed to suit particular road conditions, allowing flexibility of cost away from a ‘gold-plated’ standard that averaged $1 million per kilometre.

Cr Sayers said it was a watershed moment for the rural community.

“This will not only mean more roads will be able to get sealed, but ratepayers will also get better bang for their buck,” he said. “Along with achieving more sealing, the new methodology also allows for

Nearly 80 per cent of Auckland’s 868km of unsealed roads are in Rodney; recent rain turned many of them to mud.

other unsealed roads to be prepared in advance for sealing by widening them, improving drainage and improving their driving safety.”

The plans were unanimously supported and endorsed at last month’s Local Board meeting. They now have to be approved by Council’s governing body.

AT chief engineer Murray Burt told the meeting that he was hopeful the programme, which is part of an already approved budget, would not be affected by any Covid-19 spending cuts.

“Obviously in these unprecedented times, we can’t foresee the future, but we will be doing our best to advocate that roads receive the amount they should,” he said.

Colin Smith agreed.

“Maintenance of rural roads and connectivity is really important. It’s one of the things Council would be silly to cut, because for every ratepayer this is a win-win. There are a lot of projects that are luxuries that would be better to be cut.”

Taste of Brick Bay

Brace for cuts - Sayers North Rodney should brace itself for bad news as a result of Auckland Council’s increasing post-Covid funding shortfall.

That was the message from Rodney Councillor Greg Sayers to the monthly Local Board meeting on May 20, just before Council revealed its estimated revenue losses for next year would be $550 million, in addition to the $250 million estimate for this financial year.

Cr Sayers said major projects will be deferred or shelved, and facilities and services cut as Council tried to recoup its losses.

“Hard choices are going to have to be made in the coming weeks. There are services that will be lost, and projects that won’t proceed,” he said.

“Major projects in our area like the Matakana link road, Hill St and local facilities, like opening hours at libraries, are all very much up in the air.”

Cr Sayers said exactly what projects in Rodney would be deferred, or what services would be cut, would not be known until after the public consultation process on the Emergency Budget had been adopted and any rates increase decided in late July.

Some 60 per cent of Council revenue comes from sources such as concerts and visitor attractions, pools and leisure centres, port operations, Auckland Airport share dividends, parking, development contributions and public transport, all of which have dried up as a result of Covid-19.

Mayor Phil Goff said rates revenue could also drop next year due to a proposal to allow ratepayers who could prove financial hardship due to Covid-19 to defer their rates payments.

“The reality is, we have less money coming in, so we have less money that we can spend on the city and less money to deliver the essential services that Aucklanders rely on,” he said. “All of this adds up to a huge challenge for Auckland. We’re looking at every way possible to save money and reduce expenditure.”

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June 3, 2020 Mahurangimatters 15

Send your nominations to editor@localmatters.co.nz

Congratulations to Paul Wilson, of Warkworth, who is a recipient of a gift basket from Chocolate Brown. Paul was nominated by Beth Houlbrooke, who wrote:

Paul called to arms on that dark “ochre and eerie day of January 5, via

a post in the Warkworth Facebook group, asking what we could do as a community to support victims of the Australian bushfires. By 10am the next morning, a small group assembled for a meeting to brainstorm. By the end of that meeting, we had a clear plan of action involving Warkworth Lions, One Warkworth Business Association and two individuals who had already started fundraising efforts – Grant Henderson and Anna Hanley. Paul has deliberately stayed behind the scenes and heaped praise on all involved, but has not taken any recognition himself.

Know someone who deserves a big “thank you” for their community spirit?

Tell us and they will receive acknowledgement in Mahurangi Matters and an amazing hamper from Chocolate Brown, 6 Mill Lane, Warkworth. Send your nominations to editor@localmatters.co.nz (subject line: Sweet Appreciation) or post to: Sweet Appreciation, Mahurangi Matters, PO Box 701, Warkworth.

Kindly refrain from nominating members of your own family.

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16 Mahurangimatters June 3, 2020

localmatters.co.nz

Developer seeks plan change to ramp up housing A private plan change (PPC) lodged

by Mangawhai Central with the Kaipara District Council would allow developers Viranda Partners to build as many new houses as it wants.

The plan change seeks to remove a rule that capped the number of residential dwellings at 500 within the estuary estates site where Mangawhai Central is being developed.

The new subzones set out in the plan would theoretically allow for 1700 new dwellings, although they would still have to be consented.

Viranda Partners chairman Andrew Guest previously hinted at a public meeting last year that the intention was to build between 700 and 1000 homes, up from the originally planned 500.

A report produced by KDC planner Paul Waanders recommended that the Council urgently accept the plan change in whole and that it be publicly notified.

Submissions on the public notification of the change closed last week.

Allowing for an increased number of dwellings has prompted concerns that it could overburden Mangawhai’s waste water facilities.

The plan change will require that all developments are connected to the Council’s controversial EcoCare waste water system, where previously there was some scope in the plan for on-site treatment.

There are also concerns about the demand for freshwater from the new development.

Mangawhai Central has already

Subzone 3C Residential 2.38ha

Subzone 3D Residential 25.73ha Subzone 3B Residential 23.56ha

Subzone 3A Residential 34.63ha Subzone 1 Business 5.32ha

The plan change would allow as many 350sqm properties as developers could fit into the 34-hectare subzone 3A, shown in orange.

acquired consent from the Northern Regional Council to draw 100 cubic metres of water a day from the ground.

A proposed bore would tap the Mangawhai West aquifer which, according to the consent application, has a capacity of 76,600 cubic metres of water a year.

Rainwater harvesting will still be required to meet the demands of the new development.

Former lawyer and critic Clive Boonham opposed the plan change in a submission to the KDC.

Mr Boonham wants an independent report into whether the aquifer and rain tanks could feasibly supply the development’s demands for water.

“The figures provided do not take into account drought conditions, and the effect that the aquifer’s use could have on other consent holders,” he says.

Mr Boonham is also calling on Council to consider whether Mangawhai Central ought to include its own wastewater treatment facilities within the development.

“And if that is not feasible, the Council should obtain a report from

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an independent engineer on the condition, capacity, and the life-span of the current wastewater plant,” he says.

“The Council should not enter into any agreement without open consultation with ratepayers, including providing ratepayers with a copy of the engineering report.”

He writes that the number of potential new houses will ruin the “special character of Mangawhai”.

“It imposes a typically Auckland highdensity urban solution on a rural/ coastal/beach based township.”

Mangawhai Central put out a statement suggesting that the private plan change was needed because the current plan requires developers to build an excessive amount of retail space.

“Please be assured that the plan change is closely aligned to the masterplan that Mangawhai Central has presented to the Mangawhai community via public meetings and open-forum consultations at the Library Hall,” the statement says.

“Throughout the process we have encouraged community participation, engaged with people and sought feedback for incorporation into the PPC.” Meanwhile, the consent hearing for the retail component of Mangawhai Central was held on May 20 – one week after the country moved to Alert Level 2 of lockdown.

The only ratepayer present, independent of the developers and the Council, was Mr Boonham.

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Hopes by and developer and Tara Iti golf measure quote^. course owner Ric Kayne to name quick, confirmations must in by a Get newinTe Araiorder subdivision after his 22nddaughters June 2020.have been dashed by three Rodney Local Board.

So come and choose your new curtains today Mr Kayne starts wanted toat name theGuthrie Inspiration here, your local development Jemasa Lane – which comes from the first two letters of his daughters’ names, Jenni, Maggie and Saree. However, at last month’s Local Board meeting, members voted instead in favour of Manaaki Lane, which means ‘to support, take care of and give hospitality to’ and was suggested by iwi to represent Mr Kayne and iwi working harmoniously together. Board members also voted to approve the name Katipo Lane for a nearby rural residential development at Te Arai North. The katipo is a venomous native spider found in the area.

localmatters.co.nz

June 3, 2020 Mahurangimatters 17

Rogans continue to fight rates’ penalties despite costs Tireless campaigners against perceived unjust rates charges have vowed to fight on, despite losing their case in the Supreme Court.

Last month, Mangawhai retirees Bruce and Heather Rogan, both 74, were compelled to pay $115,000 in courtordered costs after they lost an appeal in the Supreme Court to overturn an earlier Appeal Court decision.

Failure to pay could have resulted in the Kaipara District Council (KDC) forcing the sale of the Rogan’s home to recoup alleged debts.

The dispute goes back to a year-long rates strike by Mangawhai residents in 2012. The strike was prompted after the KDC allowed costs for a sewerage scheme for Mangawhai to spiral out of control, which in turn forced steep rate rises. The charging of these rates was deemed unlawful by a High Court judge, but they were ultimately validated by Parliament.

Among the issues at stake was the fact that while the Rogans agreed to pay the validated rates, they did not agree to late payment penalties on those rates of around $13,000. The rates dispute saw the KDC and the Rogans face off in the District Court, High Court, Appeal Court and Supreme Court.

Despite having lost in multiple courts, Mr Rogan says he will now seek a legal opinion on whether Council was right to impose an “oldest debt first policy” on outstanding rates demands.

This meant that when the Rogans

attempted to pay their most recent rates, the money was used to instead pay off earlier penalties. This meant the new rates effectively went unpaid and attracted further penalties.

The Rogans say Council has told them that they have a legal opinion that the “oldest debt first policy” is valid though will not release that opinion to the Rogans unless they pay a fee.

Mr Rogan says if there is in fact no legal basis for the “oldest debt first policy”, then Council will have committed a crime and the mayor could go to jail.

Meanwhile, Mr Rogan says he and his wife succeeded in finding $98,000 to cover their court costs and the remainder of the money was covered by the Mangawhai Ratepayers Association and supporters.

Mr Rogan says currently he requires surgery that may be unavailable through the public system. If he has to have the operation done privately, he and his wife will be “completely skint”.

Mr Rogan says he’s considering writing a book about the dispute that has gone on for almost 10 years, but wonders if people will believe that the Council, the Government and the Courts could have behaved so badly.

“People will say, ‘Balderdash, they would never behave like that’. But the fact is they did,” he says.

KDC spokesperson Ben Hope acknowledges that the Council had an “oldest debt first policy”, and says it is common practice among councils.

But he says that the legal opinion supporting it is “privileged” and Council will not release it.

He says Council has had no discussions with Mr Rogan about releasing the opinion for a fee.

Social Credit party leader Chris Leitch has also weighed in on the dispute.

He says Kaipara Mayor Dr Jason Smith should make good on an

election promise to make a “fresh start” and pay back the penalties Council imposed on the Rogans.

“For Jason Smith to fall back on the fact that the Supreme Court had ordered the Rogans to pay $115,000, which included penalties for unpaid rates, is not a fresh start. It’s carrying on in the same vein the old council had started,” he says.

Beth stands in Kaipara ki Mahurangi The deputy chair of the Rodney Local Board, Beth Houlbrooke, has been selected as the ACT party candidate for Kaipara ki Mahurangi for the 2020 General Election.

Ms Houlbooke says if she should enter Parliament, she would likely relinquish her Board role.

A by-election would need to be held if more than one person sought her Board position.

Ms Houlbrooke says one of the frustrations of working in local politics is the extent of Government regulation and red tape, which severely restricts what local politicians can achieve.

“It’s all going too far and not helping us as a country. It’s crushing the Kiwi spirit,” she says.

Ms Houlbrooke hopes by entering national politics she can drive moves to cut red tape.

Ms Houlbrooke is currently ACT deputy party leader. Assuming she retains this position, she will likely be

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number two on the ACT party list due to be announced at the end of this month.

She says on current polling, ACT could Beth Houlbrooke expect to gain three seats at the next General Election.

“But that’s just current polling and a week is a long time in politics,” she says.

Ms Houlbrooke has served served three terms on the Rodney Local Board, including one term as chair.

ACT Leader and MP for Epsom David Seymour says Beth is a doer and a worker.

“Her rich experience of business, education, and local government would make her a better MP than 90 per cent of incumbents on day one,” he says.

health&family

18 Mahurangimatters June 3, 2020

health&family

L I V I NG W E LL

Adjusting to Covid-19 creates sweet memories for agent Mahurangi travel agent Cindy Bakewell found the ability to move with the times paid big dividends during the Covid-19 lockdown.

While Covid-19 proved damaging to her travel business, Bakewell Creamery – the family’s farm and raw milk delivery business near Wellsford – was overwhelmed with orders.

Owner Guy Bakewell, Cindy’s younger brother, estimates business quadrupled during lockdown, with many reluctant to join long queues in supermarkets with strict social distancing regulations.

“Everyone was stuck inside. They were wanting home delivered goods and they had plenty of time to order it,” he says.

Bakewell Creamery found itself taking orders for milk from as far north as Marsden Point and as far south as Manurewa. Even when lockdown restrictions relaxed, demand for raw milk remained high, with the business still delivering 400-500 litres of milk each day.

“Once people have tried it, it’s quite hard to go back. It really does taste completely different and we know it’s a healthy product,” says Wendy Bakewell, Cindy’s stepmother, who looks after the business’s books.

To cope with the rush, Cindy was

Before and after: Cindy delivering with her Dad today (above) and back in the ’60s.

persuaded to temporarily leave her travel desk and join her father Marty Bakewell, 87, to assist with deliveries.

That brought back memories of helping her Dad in the 1960s, when he worked as a grocer in Levin. Cindy recalls travelling in the basket on the front of his bicycle as he made his rounds.

“Delivering milk was a fun way to reconnect with Dad during lockdown,” she says.

“But I think he is pleased that those days of me sitting in the basket on the bike have gone,” she laughs.

Although she continues to deliver milk, Cindy says she cannot afford to neglect her travel business, making sure she keeps up-to-date with cancellation and refund policies so that clients with disrupted travel plans do not lose money.

Last week, she took heart from the fact

that people were again starting to think about travel. Her Rotary club is looking at booking several trips through her, including to Australia and Japan, even though the borders are yet to open.

Another client who books a lot of student travel to Asia, Africa and South America has abandoned trips to those places, but is looking at other options in Australia and New Zealand.

“I’m not finished yet,” Cindy says.

“Every day we feel pleased we made the right decision to move into the Oaks retirement village.

The staff are so kind and respectful to our needs and we have felt safe and supported during the COVID-19 lockdown. We are very grateful for the level of care we have received.”

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health&family

June 3, 2020 Mahurangimatters 19

Health Eugene Sims, Warkworth Natural Therapies www.rodneysurgicalcentre.co.nz

Care during covid Okay, everyone is talking about the coronavirus and there is a heightened awareness of every cough, cold and sneeze. I was surprised that the sales of Corona Beer decreased recently, maybe they should have diversified into toilet paper manufacturing! Bad jokes aside, now is the time for the most critical aspect of conventional and traditional medicine … preventative care. This begins with good sanitation to reduce as much as possible the spread of infectious and contagious disease. While masks can be useful, there is controversy as to how effective they are, especially when damp. Always From a cough/sneeze into your elbow or tissue. Discard the naturopathic tissue immediately after use into a bin. Keep hands clean viewpoint, eating by washing thoroughly for a minimum of 20 seconds with soap. Don’t touch your face unless your hands are good foods is clean. Of course, if you have any cold/flu symptoms, essential, but then please get tested and self-isolate. just as essential From a naturopathic viewpoint, eating good foods is is eliminating all essential, but just as essential is eliminating all rubbish foods, too. Everything that goes into your body has rubbish foods, to be processed. Eating junk food reduces your body’s too. capacity to function and can severely compromise your immune system. Keep hydrated with plenty of water and avoid diuretics, especially coffee and teas high in caffeine.

Your digestive system (especially the large intestine) is the store house for your healthy bacteria. This is a major contributor to your immune system. Probiotics can be very helpful, especially if the bacteria have been compromised, as can be the case after antibiotics.

Mineral and vitamin levels are essential to immune function, too. Zinc, iodine and vitamin C are especially crucial. New Zealand soils are particularly low in zinc and iodine so supplementing with these may be useful. Vitamin B6 helps the absorption of zinc and selenium is essential to allow iodine to be absorbed.

Reducing stress levels and taking time out is also important for your wellbeing.

Taking time to do things that are fun and restorative are important. Don’t forget to look after yourself.

Homeopathic remedies have been used for the last 200 years and in the last 100 years specifically to help with outbreaks of flu and viruses, especially during the Spanish flu. The following is an extract from Homeopathy In Influenza – A Chorus Of Fifty In Harmony by W. A. Dewey that appeared in the Journal of the American Institute of Homeopathy in 1920.

Dean W. A. Pearson of Philadelphia collected 26,795 cases of influenza treated by homeopathic physicians with a mortality of 1.05 per cent. Thirty physicians in Connecticut reported 6602 cases with 55 deaths, which is less than 1 per cent. Fifteen hundred cases were reported at the Homeopathic Medical Society of the District of Columbia with but fifteen deaths. Recoveries in the National Homeopathic Hospital were 100 per cent – E.F. Sappington, MD, Philadelphia.

Don’t forget to maintain some happiness and keep laughing … important medicine!

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20 Mahurangimatters June 3, 2020

what’son

E NT E R TA I NM E NT

Life before lockdown – Mako Road playing the Sawmill last September.

Leigh Sawmill Cafe suffering after Covid cancellations A leading local music venue is hoping a national fundraising campaign can help it survive the cancellation of all concerts due to Covid-19 restrictions.

The Leigh Sawmill Café has joined the Save Our Venues movement, which was launched last month by musicians keen to raise awareness and funds for New Zealand’s smaller venues.

Organisers say such places not only make up a crucial national touring circuit for musicians, they are also vital community hubs for local music lovers.

Sawmill Café general manager Susan Kaiser says the loss of live music during lockdown and beyond has been a painful blow for the iconic venue.

“Covid certainly threw us – it was heartbreaking seeing all our shows cancel for months and closing the doors right when we were shoring up for winter,” she says. “Our point of difference, and what has kept us going through winter, has always been the gigs. There are so many lovely places to eat in our region now and the Sawmill is just that little bit further out, so without the added incentive of live music it may just be a journey too far for some. Losing the shows is certainly a cultural loss for our community, and financially it’s been quite devastating.”

She says any money raised via their Save Our Venues fundraising page will help in a number of ways, not least

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keeping the venue open for business.

“It will help keep our doors open, pay our lovely local suppliers and our rent,” she says. “It will also support artists by contributing to their touring costs, making it easier to play at an out-of-the-way venue like ours.”

With numbers limited to 100 including staff, and the continued need for table service, a return to most music gigs is not feasible until restrictions drop to Level 1, but Susan says the Sawmill is getting lots of inquiries from customers and artists keen to come back.

“We’ve got a comedy night with Ben Hurley on June 20, and we can

do some other seated shows, but there’s not much else we can do now for people who want to get up and dance,” she says. “We’re just starting to book dates from July on, though, so hopefully it will be Level 1 by then, with normal bar service and capacity.

“And people are booking further out, so I’m pretty confident for when it’s getting back to normal.”

The Save Our Venues fundraiser runs until June 16 and donations can be made at boosted.org.nz/projects/we-lovethe-leigh-sawmill

Show info and bookings: Leigh Sawmill Café on Facebook or sawmillcafe.co.nz

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June 3, 2020 Mahurangimatters 21

Cuisine nicole@nutritionkitchen.co.nz

Fabulous fibre It turns out that most New Zealand adults are consuming less than the recommended daily intake of dietary fibre – in fact about half the recommended amount. You might be wondering why that might be a problem. Well, the big thing is that there are all sorts of health benefits associated with dietary fibre, from its effect on heart health, to Type 2 diabetes, to cancer. These associations have shown that as fibre intake increases, chronic disease risk decreases.

There are two different forms of fibre, and they both play important roles in our gut health. One is soluble fibre, which forms a gel-absorbing fluid and makes the bowel contents softer. It also helps to lower blood cholesterol and improve blood glucose control. The other form is insoluble fibre, which acts as a bulking agent to help keep us regular.

Fibre is found naturally in plant products – fruits, vegetables, legumes and wholegrains. When increasing your fibre intake to reach the recommended amount (30g/day for men; 25g/day for women), it is a good idea to do it gradually, to minimise potential side effects such as wind and bloating.

This recipe is packed full of fabulous fibre, which comes from the cannellini beans and onion, and it’s rich and tasty to satisfy your tastebuds. It’s also packed with slow release energy to keep you fuller for longer. It’s great as a breakfast or brunch option but also perfect for a simple dinner.

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Smoky Baked Beans Ingredients 1 tbsp olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 1-2 dashes of Kaitaia Fire (or Tabasco sauce) 2-3 cloves garlic, crushed 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped (1 tsp dried) 1 tsp ground cumin ½ - 1 tsp smoked paprika 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp sumac

Tahlia Meharry and Andy Cameron

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1 tsp dijon mustard 400g tin chopped tomatoes 1 tbsp tomato paste 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 1 tbsp soy sauce/tamari 1 tbsp blackstrap molasses 400g tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed Salt and pepper 1-2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

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Method

Place a pan over a moderate-low heat, add the oil and onions, season with a pinch of salt, a grind of pepper and a dash of Kaitaia Fire (hot sauce). Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent. Add in the garlic, rosemary, spices and mustard. Cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce and molasses. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the beans, season to taste with salt, pepper and hot sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes to heat the beans. Finally stir through the parsley before dishing up. Serve over crusty wholegrain bread slathered with butter or drizzled with olive oil. Top with crumbled feta, grated/ shaved parmesan or a poached egg.

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localmatters.co.nz/whatson

22 Mahurangimatters June 3, 2020

Filmmakers talk at Matakana screenings Vivian closes Matakana Cinemas has livened up its post-Covid-19 lockdown screenings with film introductions and Q&A sessions with some of New Zealand’s top filmmakers and actors.

The Talk of the Town series kicked off on May 30 when actor and vocal talent Rhys Darby introduced Snells Beach-made animated feature Mosley and answered questions about the film and his role in it afterwards.

The series continues this Friday, June 5, at 5pm, when local cinematographer Nigel Bluck will introduce and answer questions afterwards on the American independent film he helped make, The Peanut Butter Falcon.

Then on Friday, June 12, (time to be confirmed) cinematographer Crighton Bone will introduce and answer questions on the 2017 film Pork Pie – a remake of the 1981 New Zealand classic, Goodbye Pork Pie, directed by Geoff Murphy.

It’s hoped to continue the series throughout June and possibly into July to coincide with the school holidays.

Matakana Cinemas owner Dan Paine says much of New Zealand’s best film talent is currently back in the country, after the industry ground to a halt in places like Los Angeles due to Covid-19.

“It’s a great opportunity to hear them while they are back in town,” he says.

Mr Paine says it’s a challenging time for theatres, with no new films being released, but it was wrong for

in Matakana

The Peanut Butter Falcon will feature in the Talk of the Town series – a man with Down’s syndrome runs away to pursue his dream of becoming a professional wrestler.

Matakana Cinemas to simply sit dormant, especially as its staff had benefited from the wage subsidy.

“With that in mind we decided to open the doors and do what we can.

We felt these Q&As would add a layer or excitement to our reopening,” he says.

“It’s definitely engaged the town and got people talking about what we are doing.”

Tickets to the Talk of the Town

screenings are $10 until June 17, a reduction on the standard adult ticket of $17.

Mr Paine encourages cinemagoers to book their tickets online as details supplied online can assist with contact tracing if necessary.

The cinemas will employ appropriate social distancing during Talk of the Town, which may include seating patrons in alternate rows.

Info: matakanacinemas.co.nz

Tough times brought about by Covid-19 has forced The Vivian – one of Mahurangi’s most prestigious art galleries – to close in Matakana.

In a letter to supporters, director Scott Lawrie said with all shows cancelled due to Covid-19 and art fairs postponed, The Vivian literally had nothing to show in an empty gallery.

“Naturally, it’s been a tough call and I know some of you will share our sadness at saying goodbye to our beautiful gallery space,” he wrote.

Speaking to Mahurangi Matters, Mr Lawrie says having a gallery in Matakana had its drawbacks.

Although some art is now sold online, most collectors still want to physically see work before purchasing. This means a collector in Auckland had to drive an hour to visit The Vivian, which proved prohibitive for some.

The Vivian in the Village – a retail outlet in Matakana village – will continue to trade in art, but under a different name with different owners. Mr Lawrie says he is helping the current staff there establish their own business, which means they won’t be laid off.

The Vivian itself will continue to trade online until it can find another gallery space – probably in Auckland. All Vivian gift vouchers will remain valid for another 12 months.

Mr Lawrie is unsure what will happen to the rented space, which was purpose built to house an art gallery.

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gogreen

June 3, 2020 Mahurangimatters 23

gogreen

FE AT U R E

HarbourCare mounts blue belt bid for local marine life Leigh

Whangateau

take a lifetime to happen,” Elizabeth says. “This is about local people taking on board the idea and starting to push for a blue belt for this area.”

HarbourCare is keen to get feedback from as many residents and organisations on what people want for the waters from Cape Rodney to Takatu Point, including Omaha Bay and Whangateau Harbour.

Elizabeth says the aim of the blue belt would be to protect marine life, keep coastlines and waterways clean, healthy and safe and possibly establish or extend marine conservation areas.

y ha Ba

Whangateau HarbourCare wants a new zone to help restore and protect marine life from Cape Rodney to Takatu Point.

Oma

Omaha Omaha Beach

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Pt Wells

Oma

Ti Point

Little

A local conservation group is hoping to establish a new ‘blue belt’ marine protection zone between Leigh and Tawharanui in a bid to restore severely depleted fish and shellfish stocks.

Whangateau HarbourCare is making the proposal in memory of renowned marine biologist, conservationist and underwater photographer Dr Roger Grace, who died last year.

Committee member Elizabeth Foster says Dr Grace, who lived locally, worked tirelessly to improve the health of the entire Hauraki Gulf and would support any move to protect local waters.

“I know he would be wholly approving of what we’re doing. It’s essentially what he wanted for the whole Gulf,” she says. “The latest State of the Gulf report came out and it was disastrous, so we thought we have quite a compact area here, let’s try to do something.”

While blue belts are common in the UK, they are new to NZ. They work in much the same way for the ocean and coastline as green belts do for land.

Establishing one would involve the community applying for a change to the Auckland Council Unitary Plan.

“We don’t quite want to follow the UK’s plan, because it’s a Government thing there and the last thing we want to go through is Government; it would

Tawharanui Regional Park

Maori customary rights, sustainable commercial and recreational fishing and other recreation pursuits on and under the sea would likely all be retained, but “damaging fishing techniques and recreational activities” would not be allowed.

A post about the proposal on social media during lockdown prompted a spirited response, with posters from the Leigh area largely in favour, but many Omaha residents worried that it could mean a clampdown on recreational fishing and activities.

According to Elizabeth, this is not

necessarily the case.

“It’s all about increasing biodiversity and developing sustainability,” she says. “There are lots of issues, but sustainability doesn’t mean you can’t do or take anything. And it’s up to the community – we have to get people to say what they do want, as well as what they don’t want.”

She says applying to create a blue belt now is only possible due to the Motiti Island Court of Appeal decision in November, which ruled that councils could use the Resource Management Act to control fishing.

“If we could persuade Council it’s viable for us to do this, then other groups could do something similar in their areas. It could make a huge difference.”

The HarbourCare group is writing to Council in the hope of encouraging it to support a plan change, and consulting with a number of interested parties and organisations. A meeting is being held this month with Ngati Manuhiri. A public meeting to outline and discuss the proposal will be organised when Covid-19 restrictions allow.

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24 Mahurangimatters June 3, 2020

Students key to stopping Kauri dieback in Warkworth

Mahurangi College has been working with Auckland Council to establish a kauri dieback management plan for the bush surrounding the Mahurangi River on the school’s edge.

The bush, along with a “living classroom” located inside, had to be closed off last year when one of the kauri trees was found to be infected with dieback.

Details are still being worked out, but the management plan will tentatively provide students with first-hand experience of being caretakers of a bush with dieback and preventing spread.

All kauri in the bush will be fenced off, preventing access to the trees, but there will still be work to be done, including pest trapping to prevent animals from spreading the disease.

The students will have to adhere to strict protocols, including removing footwear before entering the bush.

Dedicated footwear and tools will be stored in the living classroom and will not be removed. This is to prevent any possibility of dieback spores leaving the area.

Even within the bush, gardening tools used in one area will have to be washed with chemicals before being used in another area of the bush to prevent spreading the disease.

Auckland Council kauri dieback advisor Zacc Forbes-Smith gave a presentation to Mahurangi College staff and students to prepare them for their new roles as caretakers.

From left, board of trustees chair Dean Iversen, environment group leader Natalie Caldwell, Kauri dieback advisor Zacc Forbes-Smith and forest restoration coordinator Colin Binsted.

Kauri trees exchange nutrients with each other through roots which can, unfortunately, also spread dieback.

The main cause of the spread of kauri dieback is human interference, with 71 per cent of cases being within 50 metres of a walking track.

Dieback is spread by a spore that lives in the soil and can remain dormant for at least a decade.

“Ten thousand kauri dieback spores could fit on the head of a pin, and a speck of dirt on a boot could contain 100,000 spores,” Zacc says.

“It only takes a single spore to infect an entire forest and a spore could sit dormant on a boot in a cupboard for more than 10 years.”

Kauri trees have feeder roots which spread along the surface of the soil that are extremely delicate and easily damaged.

The roots extend from the trunk and reach three times the length of the tree’s leaf canopy.

Dieback is a Phytophthora (fungal disease), similar to the Irish potato blight, which caused famines in the 1800s.

The exact origins of kauri dieback are unknown, but in the 1960s agathis plants, related to kauri, were brought from around the world and planted in New Zealand.

A pathogen similar to dieback was first found on Great Barrier Island in 1973 and it is believed then evolved into dieback.

Mahurangi College principal David Mcleod says it is important to get students involved and interested in taking care of kauri to ensure their survival.

“We don’t want kids raised in a concrete jungle stuck on devices. We want them exposed to the natural environment,” he says.

If they are broken by humans or pests, they release a pheromone which triggers dormant dieback spores to become swimming spores, which migrate to the tree.

“When the spores sense pheromones they morph and grow a proboscis, which then injects enzymes into a tree, which sucks it all up like a milkshake,” Zacc says.

There is no cure for kauri dieback, although some programmes exist where kauri are treated with an injection of phosphite, which slows the spread of the pathogen.

A common identifying symptom of kauri dieback is a yellow-red excretion, which usually starts close to the base of the tree where infection first occurs.

The tree senses the pathogen and attempts to flush it out by bleeding, but it is unable to because the dieback pathogen is in the soil.

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June 3, 2020 Mahurangimatters 25

The Splash Water team, from left, Janine O’Gorman, Daniel Hicks, Nathan Butler and Julie Penny.

Splash wins Pride award Years of faithfully meeting customers’ water treatment and transfer needs has won Splash Water Specialists the Whakahī (Pride) award from Davey Water products.

There are 42 Davey master dealers in New Zealand and the Whakahī award is presented to the dealer who successfully represents the Davey brand and delivers exemplary customer service.

Judges said Splash Water owner Daniel Hicks and his team showed pride every day with their professional approach and by keeping their store up to date with the latest technology and range of products, which allows customers to be easily guided toward the best solution for their water needs. This included anything from treating drinking water, to transferring water for commercial or farming applications, to ensuring a healthy swimming pool for the whānau.

“Davey believes in supporting those who support us, and we are proud to have Splash Water Specialists as a passionate member of the Davey family,” the judges said.

Mr Hicks said the win came as a pleasant surprise, though he knew Splash Water was in with a chance when it was announced the company was one of three finalists.

He says it likely helped that Splash Water rearranged its store recently and established a special area, painted in Davey colours, to showcase Davey pumps, filtration and swimming pool equipment.

Mr Hicks said the key to good service is asking customers the right questions in order to find the right answers to their needs.

“We make sure they go away with something that is going to solve their issue. We don’t try on scare tactics or anything like that,” he said.

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26 Mahurangimatters June 3, 2020

Environment Christine Rose christine.rose25@gmail.com

Love a duck Every May, the mallard ducks return to my valley, doing the rounds between my garden through to the neighbours’ ponds and pools. Mallards are homebodies.

Research from the New Zealand Fish and Game Council concerning the tagging of mallards found that they usually only travel 25 to 50km, which is why they can be re-seen from year to year in my garden. Having said that, recently two tagged mallards were found to have travelled 2000km to New Caledonia.

Fish and Game commissioned research and duck shooters’ anecdotes report that mallard numbers have been declining and no one knows exactly why, though they face many threats. Mallard mums lay their eggs on drain and stream edges from July to December and can have up to four clutches, depending on their success. But within a week of hatching, most ducklings are predated or die from cold or some other cause. We’ve all seen the plucky mother duck leading her flock across paddocks, her duckling numbers dwindling by the minute.

Mallards were introduced to New Zealand from the 1870s with populations supplemented through the decades for use as “sports game” and food. They’re one of those species that seem ubiquitous – part of the landscape – but were brought to New Zealand so they could be killed. Some conservationists consider mallards to be pests and therefore support mallard We’ve all seen the culls. They’re demonised because they breed with and reduce the purity of the native grey duck, plucky mother duck which is punishing the individuals for a judgement leading her flock on the collective. The Fish and Game Council across paddocks, don’t distinguish between mallards and grey ducks her duckling in their research, tagging or management strategies because they are so hybridised, and neither do numbers dwindling by the minute. hunters. This makes the conservation angle moot – they’re both being shot. And if this were not so, would it mean that if a duck is 51 per cent mallard and 49 per cent grey you can shoot it, but if it is 51 per cent grey and 49 per cent mallard you should conserve it? How could you tell?

Most of our wetlands have been lost to “development”, so the work that Fish and Game do, mandated by the Conservation Act, in preserving mallards is essential. Every week, there are articles about wetland destruction. On the other hand, magnificent wetlands like the Taieri Scroll Plain in Otago – one of the world’s best examples – have recently been protected and vested with Fish and Game. The area’s outstanding natural and habitat values will be enhanced and maintained in perpetuity – except, one assumes, during duck season when some of its inhabitants may be shot.

This spring, I’ll be providing a refuge to mallards, as I have for generations of local birds. The will to live of even tiniest ducklings is an inspiration in bravery that I can’t help accommodating. We shouldn’t be biased about ducks, or demonise mallards for breeding with greys. We should focus on rebuilding wetland habitat generally, since both species and places are under pressure.

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June 3, 2020 Mahurangimatters 27

Central’s Tips June 2020

In the Edible Garden • Coloured Swiss chard or ‘Brightlights’ silver beet as it is known is a great sight in the vegetable bed now

Ecologists inspect a site for lizards along the designated route for the Matakana link road.

AT struggles to find rare lizards during link road search Efforts to minimise environmental damage due to the construction of the Matakana link road got underway last month.

Auckland Transport (AT) spokesperson Natalie Polley says it was a condition of Auckland Council’s resource consent that AT formulate plans for the protection of lizards and bats, and undertake replacement planting to compensate for vegetation removal within riparian margins.

The Warkworth area is known to be home to several at-risk lizard species, including the forest gecko, Pacific gecko and elegant gecko.

AT is required to relocate native lizards, but so far surveys of the designated route have failed to discover any, despite spotlight searches of potential lizard habitats at night.

AT also undertook monitoring of bats which have a conservation rating of “nationally critical”. The concern is that bats may be killed during the

felling of trees, though so far no bats have been found.

Ms Polley says as part of the conservation efforts twice as much vegetation will be planted as is removed.

She says the priority for restoration planting will be in areas that form part of the riparian zones of local streams.

“The restoration planting will be ecosourced where possible – using seed collected from the Rodney ecological district,” she says.

A range of plants will be used, including karamu, tawa, kahikatea, pūriri, tī kōuka, manuka, māhoe, harakeke and houpara.

When constructed, the four-lane Matakana link road will connect State Highway 1 and Matakana Road. It is hoped the road will be completed by October 2021, prior to the opening of the new Puhoi to Warkworth motorway.

• Plants that are struggling to grow as it gets colder and

wetter benefit from a cloche which is a clear protective ‘hood’ that limits chill. Simple cloches are made from cutting the neck off plastic drink bottles (great recycling) and upturning them over the plant

• Lift strawberry runners and trim away from the parent –

these can be planted in fresh Garden Mix as new plants for the summer season

• Herbs that contribute to winter dishes are rosemary, thyme, bay leaves and parsley. All are easy to grow and will become an edible garden staple

The rest of the Garden • Camellias are a wonderful winter flower with flower shades from white and soft pink though to deep rose and red.

Sasanqua varieties make excellent hedges

• Gardens visited by Jack Frost can experience damage on tender NZ plants such as tree ferns, pukas, renga renga lilies and some coprosmas. Fruit trees such as citrus and tamarillos also experience frost burn. On still, cold nights frost cloth will protect these beauties

• NZ’s best-known dwarf Kowhai ‘Dragon’s Gold’ will start to flower around now. It’s easily clipped as a shrub, hedge or topiary and it’s a bright look in winter

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28 Mahurangimatters June 3, 2020

Forest Bridge seeks volunteer trappers for Dunn’s Bush

An upsurge in possum numbers at Dunn’s Bush Reserve has prompted The Forest Bridge Trust to appeal for more volunteers to trap the pests and other predators.

Forest Bridge spokesperson Liz Maire says Covid-19 hindered pest eradication efforts as trappers were unable to continue their work during lockdown.

She adds that the colder months are an excellent time for trapping as food is more scarce and hungry pests are more attracted to bait in traps.

The trust says volunteer trappers have caught more than 200 pests, including more than 100 possums and dozens of rats, over the last 18 months in Dunn’s Bush – a 100ha reserve, located seven kilometres north-west of Puhoi.

But Ms Maire says pest re-invasions and other demands on trappers’ lives mean there is a need to boost the number of volunteer trappers.

“The goal of a predator-free New Zealand by 2050 can’t be achieved without small local projects like these,” she says.

Liz says trapping can be done by young and old. A family, for example, could volunteer to manage one or more trap lines.

Volunteer trappers need to be reasonably fit to attend to lines off the beaten track and have to devote about four hours a month to trapping. Trappers must also be comfortable dealing with dead pests.

For those not so fit or uncomfortable dealing with dead animals, volunteer coordination roles are available.

Ms Maire says benefits include free training, exercising with a purpose, being allowed off track in a beautiful area of native bush and being part of a team effort for a worthwhile conservation project.

“Dunn’s Bush is classified as a Biodiversity Focus Area by Auckland Council – basically it means it’s a

really special place.”

The reserve was gifted to the QEII Trust in 1994 by conservationists Arthur and Val Dunn.

The bush contains a diverse range of native plants from large trees such as kauri, puriri, taraire and groves of nikau palms, to small native orchids and ferns, and everything in between. The bush is also an important refuge for native wildlife including birds, invertebrates and reptiles.

To volunteer, contact Liz Maire on 012 234 0831 or email: educator@theforestbridgetrust.org.nz

Volunteer trappers benefit from free training. Photo, Chris Floyd

Wellsford residents clean up the streets A group of seven environmental volunteers cleaned up 40kgs of rubbish from the streets of Wellsford in just one hour.

Organiser Jerusha Tucker says if just 50 of the town’s residents turned up to help for the next one, it could have an enormous impact.

Jerusha has started the Keep Wellsford Beautiful group on Facebook and hopes to hold clean up days regularly on the third Sunday of every month, starting on June 17.

Having seen first-hand the waste that the town is generating on the streets, the group has determined that Wellsford has a bit of a problem with rubbish at smoko time.

“The most common items we found were cigarette butts, pie wrappers and Glad wrap from sandwiches,” Jerusha says.

“Even right next to the public bins, we must have picked up 50 cigarettes.”

Cigarette butts never break down and are one of the most important waste items to dispose of properly.

Jerusha hopes that as more people get involved with the clean-up days and residents take charge of cleaning up their town, more people will get the

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Volunteers filled five sacks with trash in Wellsford.

message about properly disposing waste.

“With this platform, we want to create a waste conscious community.”

When they brought their sacks of trash to Mahurangi Wastebusters and explained they had collected it from the street, Wastebusters disposed of it for them for free.

Jerusha has a background in environmental management and is planning to collect statistics from the clean-ups to create a waste profile for Wellsford.

awordonwinter

awordonwinter

June 3, 2020 Mahurangimatters 29

F E AT U RE

Dry weather expected to continue until Spring Despite recent rains, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) meteorologists are forecasting that it will be a dry winter with rainfall not expected to return to typical levels until spring.

Soil moisture and river flows in the north of the North Island are expected to be below average for the season.

Meteorologist Ben Noll says this winter is likely to have atypically long dry periods of around five to seven days without rain.

“We understand that despite some rain, folks are still experiencing very dry conditions across New Zealand,” Mr Noll says.

“That’s the lag between the end of a meteorological drought and the end of a hydrological drought. The rivers and soil moisture are still low. It takes a number of moderate rain events to replenish that.”

Meanwhile, NIWA has released its winter season climate outlook.

Sharp cold snaps were expected during the month of May as fronts moved on to the country from the Tasman Sea and Southern Ocean.

Westerlies will be the prevailing wind direction in the North Island for the next two months, including both

Children from Leigh School were out in force for the swim last year.

Leigh winter swim

A lack of atmospheric “moisture streams” from the tropics may mean a dry winter.

north and south westerlies.

Air pressure in the North Island is expected to be higher than normal.

Dry conditions are expected to ease in spring when warm water north of Australia may encourage atmospheric “moisture streams” to move towards New Zealand.

Ocean temperatures in the tropical Pacific are cooler than average, which may mean that La Niña patterns will

emerge later in the year.

“These two features could give northern and eastern New Zealand better odds for seasonal rainfall, but not right away,” Mr Noll says.

“New Zealand might begin experiencing these effects during the second half of winter or early spring.

In the meantime, longer than normal dry spells will remain possible during the month of June.”

Brave swimmers looking for a chilly winter challenge are invited to head out to Matheson Bay for the annual Leigh Community Mid-Winter swim.

This year, the swim takes place on Sunday, June 21 – the shortest day of the year.

Swimmers will collectively plunge into the water at 10.15am.

Afterwards, Leigh School will provide hot soup and baking and the Leigh Central business community will have a stall offering coffee and tea.

Money raised will support community causes.

The Leigh Waste Minimisation Team will also have a stall selling environmentallyfriendly shopping bags.

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30 Mahurangimatters June 3, 2020

Women’s Centre seeks donated blankets to beat winter chill Women’s Centre Rodney has launched a Winter Warmer Appeal to ensure struggling families stay safe and warm this winter.

The public are invited to donate new children’s and adult’s pyjamas, hot water bottles, socks, duvets and blankets to support the appeal.

New and secondhand pre-washed duvets and blankets are also sought.

However, secondhand duvets and blankets need to be sealed in a bag or boxed and clearly labelled to comply with Covid-19 restrictions. They are unable to be opened for 72 hours.

Centre manager Colleen Julian says demand for warm winter blankets has always been strong and demand is likely to be even greater this year, due to the economic fall out in the wake of Covid-19.

Colleen says one culprit is the high number of mouldy, cold homes in New Zealand. While landlords might be forced to insulate such homes, things can be more difficult for a homeowner on a modest income and a mortgage.

“You don’t qualify for any support or insulation subsidies or anything,” she says.

Last year, the centre distributed 220 sets of new pyjamas and 439 blankets, some of which were included in more than 100 care packages distributed to low decile schools. Children in difficult circumstances each received socks, pyjamas, a blanket and a hot water bottle.

“Lots of people are incredibly

Women’s centre coordinator Bridget Farmiloe with some of the items already donated to the Winter Warmer Appeal.

generous and we manage to pass on some amazing things. If you want to support by buying a packet of socks or a child’s pair of pyjamas – maybe eight or 10 dollars – it’s not a big ask,” Colleen says.

Beneficiary families are nominated through social service agencies, schools, pre-schools and public health nurses. Donated items are distributed

throughout north Rodney and southern Kaipara.

Donated items can be dropped at the Women’s Centre Rodney, 10 Morpeth Street, Warkworth, between 9.30am and 2.30pm on Monday, Thursday and Friday.

Meanwhile, Wellsford Plunket is holding a Winter Thermal Drive to assist families struggling with the winter

chill. Plunket is seeking donations of flannelette pyjamas, thermo or merino thermals and socks. All of these items can be found at Postie Plus in Wellsford in sizes ranging from 1 to 5 years. Plunket is also looking for good quality new or secondhand natural fibre blankets. Drop donations at Mike Pero Real Estate in Wellsford from 9am to 4pm on weekdays.

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June 3, 2020 Mahurangimatters 31

Despite the festival cancellation, lights will still be strung up around Warkworth.

Festival of Lights cancelled Dry winter ramps up fire risk The Mahurangi Winter Festival of light up their premises from July 4 to Households need to clean their fireplaces before their first burn of the season.

With the onset of winter, the Auckland region has moved to an open fire season, but unusually dry conditions mean there are still risks.

Warkworth Fire Station manager Devan Flewellyn says despite recent greening of grass, the ground is still dry.

“You should only be lighting fires in the right conditions. Pay attention to the wind direction and what is nearby and notify neighbours,” he says.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand is reminding households to be vigilant of fire risks as they bring out sources of heating such as electric blankets.

Electric blankets should be replaced every five years, and when stored they should be rolled not folded.

“Twisted cords are a common cause of electric blanket fires. Make sure the blanket is always flat on the bed and that controls or cords are not caught

between the mattress and the base of the bed,” FENZ warns.

“If you have a fireplace, take precautions to ensure a fire doesn’t spark or spread and make sure your chimneys and flues have been cleaned first.”

Flammable materials should be kept at least one metre away from heaters.

Only one appliance, including a heater, should be plugged into a multiplug at a time.

The Residential Tenancy Act requires landlords to replace expired smoke alarms with photoelectric smoke alarms with a long-life battery.

Tenants are responsible for checking smoke alarms are working each month by pushing the button to sound the alarm.

Every six months, smoke alarms should be vacuumed or dusted.

Lights has been cancelled in the wake of Covid-19.

Organising committee chair Murray Chapman says given the high possibility that there will still be restrictions on large gatherings this July, and the difficulty of securing sponsorship from businesses in the current economic climate, the festival committee reluctantly decided to delay holding another festival until July next year.

“You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to work out that in the current circumstances asking businesses to fork out several grand for a festival isn’t going to be a goer,” Mr Chapman says.

Mr Chapman adds that any additional funding from Auckland Council is also likely to be strictly limited due to the difficult economic times.

Nevertheless, the committee will still encourage businesses in the area to

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20, and it will organise the stringing up of lights in trees around Warkworth.

“We don’t just want the CBD lit up, we hope to have the industrial areas lit up as well,” Mr Chapman says.

“If we do nothing, it will be a lot harder to get the festival up and going again next year. You have got to have a presence.”

Despite the setback this year, Mr Chapman anticipates the festival will come back even bigger and better next year.

Last year, an estimated 6000 people crowded into Warkworth’s Baxter Street on Saturday night, July 20, for the grand finale of the 2019 Mahurangi Winter Festival of Lights.

Festival goers enjoyed a laser light show, ice skating and fun in the snow, together with a cannon spewing foam and a disco in the Old Masonic Hall.

environment

32 Mahurangimatters June 3, 2020

Court rules quarry exceeded extraction consent The Environment Court has ruled against an appeal by O’Callaghan Holdings over the right to extract 130,000 cubic metres per year from the Lake Road quarry in Te Arai.

The court ruled against the expansion of the quarry, and also established that the quarry had been extracting up to 60,000 cubic metres per year when it had only been consented for 15,000 cubic metres.

“Curiously, the applicant was not able to tell [the court] how much rock has been moved, but given the dimensions of the hole, we think the figure would be well in excess of one million cubic metres,” the ruling says.

If the quarry had operated within its consent limitations, it would have only extracted 80,000 cubic metres over the 40-year period since it was consented.

O’Callaghan Holdings was ordered to close or reduce the volume of the quarry in order to comply with

Volunteers assemble for the annual riverbank clean-up.

River rubbish down on previous years Te Arai has been the focus of numerous controversies and legal challenges in recent times involving quarries, sand mines, golf courses, developments and dams.

its 1981 consent.

The Court also ruled that the parties should come to an agreement on costs to be paid to the Lake Road Residents Association, which opposed

TANL ordered to remove weir Te Arai North Limited (TANL) must remove a weir it installed across Te Arai stream by the end of this week.

The New Zealand Fairy Tern Charitable Trust has long maintained the weir impeded fish passage upstream and threatened the survival of the endangered fairy tern, which depend on the fish for food.

Trust convener Heather Rogan says following a hearing in the Environment Court conducted over the phone last month, TANL must

remove the weir by June 5.

Ms Rogan says she was pleased with the ruling, but says it is a shame that a small community trust was left to enforce the removal of an environmental obstruction because of the apathy of Auckland Council and the Department of Conservation.

“It will be great to see the stream back to its natural state and for the birds and whitebait to benefit from it again,” she says.

the expansion.

However, the association understands that O’Callaghan Holdings is appealing the decision with the Environment Court.

Link road appeal settled An Environment Court hearing scheduled for June 2, regarding the route designation of the Matakana Link Road, was cancelled after Auckland Transport settled an appeal with developer Goatley Holdings.

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Volunteers who turned up for an annual clean-up along the banks of the Mahurangi River got a pleasant surprise.

The amount of rubbish collected were considerably less than in previous years.

About 12 bags of rubbish was collected at the Warkworth Rotary event, but normally collectors would expect to fill around 20 bags.

Rubbish was collected between the Bridgehouse Bar and Restaurant and Lucy Moore Park, and in nearby streets.

Spokesperson Alan Boniface says that collectors usually manage to pick up a couple of abandoned supermarket trolleys, but there were none this year.

“I don’t know whether compliments are due to the people of Warkworth or to Auckland Council,” he says.

“I do think people are a little more conscious of rubbish these days.”

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June 3, 2020 Mahurangimatters 33

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Michelle Viljoen and Keelan Viljoen spot eels on the Matakana River jetty. Photo, Stephen Farrell.

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Richard Didsbury wants to protect New Zealand’s freshwater eels.

Bid to protect native eels Finding a jetty on the Matakana River covered in blood has prompted the owner to put up signs prohibiting fishing, as well as information signage on New Zealand’s freshwater eels.

The jetty is located behind the Matakana Village Farmer’s Market and the signs were erected by market owner Richard Didsbury.

Mr Didsbury says one of the distressing things about fishing for eels in the river is that often the eels are never eaten and are killed just for fun.

“We have had cases where people hooked 10 eels and just hung them up on the bandstand and walked away,” he says. “What a terrible waste of a resource.”

Mr Didsbury says the jetty used to be an industrial site and the river was polluted indiscriminately, making it inhospitable for eels.

But today, the Matakana community

is concerned to clean up its waterways and bring the native eels back again.

The erection of the signs is designed to encourage this trend, and Mr Didsbury says the move has the support of Auckland Council and the Department of Conservation.

The signs explain that the New Zealand longfin eel is probably the largest in the world and sometimes lives for 80 years. Females can reach up to two metres in length and weigh up to 40kg.

They swim for five to six months to tropical Pacific waters, possibly near Tonga, where they spawn. Their eggs hatch into leaf-shaped larvae that float back to New Zealand on ocean currents.

Mr Didsbury says the eels are a great attraction for visitors to the market, and sometimes 20 or 30 eels can be seen from the jetty.

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34 Mahurangimatters June 3, 2020

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Henry and William Marsh emigrated to New Zealand aboard the Ida Zeigler in 1863. Although not part of an organised group, they still qualified under the 40acre scheme. Coming from a family of tenant farmers in Shropshire, this was their chance to own a farm.

When the brothers arrived in Auckland, they bought a team of horses and a wagon and carted timber for builders while waiting for land to become available.

Henry wrote to his family, “I hope some of you will come out here, what’s the use of stopping to be humbugged with landlords. You can soon be your own landlords here. There is plenty of room, they are not tramplin’ on one another yet.”

In March 1864, three Albertland settlers visited the Marsh brothers’ lodgings and told them the Opou Henry Marsh before he left England.

Block, adjacent to their Wharehine property, was coming up for auction. Henry decided to go up with the settlers to have a look. It took three days to get there, five hours by small boat to Leigh, then on foot up Pakiri Beach and across country to Wharehine. As they approached the Opou, Hovey and Albert Brookes of Takapau met them. The Brookes’ also wanted the new block and older brother Edwin was going to bid on it.

Henry wrote: “And very good land I found. There is two lots of 46 acres each, half of it is very good and the other very poor, and there is peach trees on it to grow a ton of peaches. When the tide is out, I could pick a cart load of oysters in an hour. I shall be very well satisfied if I get it.” It took him another three days to return to Auckland, two of which were at sea; “the wind was against us”.

If there had been no other bidders at auction, Henry would have got 40 acres for each Land Order – any more cost ten shillings an acre. However, there were two other bidders for the Opou, and Henry had to pay more than expected. As Edwin Brookes wrote later, “ … my rival became the possessor – who did not seem at all pleased at having to give double the upset price, and I am sure the feeling on my part at losing it was every bit as painful.”

However, Henry was content; “So we have 92 acres for 47 pounds and our Land Orders. It is only about 3 miles from a market town, Port Albert, and there are nearly a dozen settlers within about a mile.”

“I would not come back to [England] if anyone would give me five hundred pounds. I have 46 acres of land now. If I had stop’t in England till doomsday, I should only have got the length & breadth of me.”

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June 3, 2020 Mahurangimatters 35

Fighting fires and fundraising for leukaemia

Warkworth Volunteer Fire Brigade members Simon Manawaiti and Dan Auber refused to let lockdown hold them back from raising money for leukaemia.

The brigade had assembled a team to compete in the Firefighter Sky Tower Stair Challenge, which was scheduled for May 23, but was cancelled due to Covid-19. The annual challenge sees firefighters climb 328 metres via 1,103 steps.

Simon and Dan decided that they S ATwould THEinstead climb Conical Peak in the Dome Valley on the same day.

SHOW, 21wearing MARCH 2020 gear, Despite full protective the pair powered up the 2km climb in 20 minutes.

Simon says the brigade team will still compete if the stair challenge event is rescheduled for its back-up date in November.

“Book us in for a spot at the podium.

We pretty much have to win it because we have done the training, climbed the Dome, and now we have even more time to prepare, so there’s no excuses,” he says.

The team set a goal of fundraising $6,000 and, despite being set back

by Covid-19, have managed to raise $1800 so far.

“We’ve been stoked to have been sponsored by Sentient PPM Software and Accountech Warkworth,” Simon says.

The team had also planned to

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Simon Manawaiti, left, and Dan Auber climbed the Conical Peak track from Conical Peak Road.

fundraise by having a BBQ stall at the A&P Show, as well as a scaffolding tower that kids could climb in full gear, before the event was cancelled.

The Firefighter Sky Tower Stair Challenge is an annual fundraiser for Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand (LBC).

Each year firefighters from New Zealand, Australia, the US, Chile and Germany compete and fundraise.

Each day, six children and adults in New Zealand are diagnosed with a blood cancer such as leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma, or a related blood condition.

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Table tennis Table Tennis resumes at the Matakana Hall every Tuesday from June 2, 7.30pm. Everyone welcome, including junior players wanting tuition. Ph: George 423-0424.

Tennis tennis Warkworth Tennis and Squash Club has reopened and the social evenings on Thursdays have resumed. The club is also offering a special rate of $199 for newcomers looking to dust off the cobwebs after lockdown. It offers unlimited access to courts for a year. wwts.org.nz Cricket and netball grants ANZ is offering grants to struggling cricket and netball clubs to help them get back on their feet after lockdown. A $1 million pool has been set up for grants to be used for gear, team subs, ground repairs or administrative expenses.

See anz.co.nz/promo/good-sports/ Community sport grants Community sport clubs can apply for grants from Sport New Zealand’s $15 million community resilience fund. Clubs must be able to show they cannot pay their bills for the period April 1 to June 30 and have exhausted other reserves.

Applications can be made to either Sport Northland or Aktive Auckland Sport.

Back to play With the Government having permitted groups of 100 in level 2, Sport New Zealand has advised that contact sport training can resume as usual from JuneRodney 2.

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36 Mahurangimatters June 3, 2020

International players return home for club rugby Despite being set back by Covid-19, the club rugby season is shaping up to be a showcase of high-level play.

Both Northland Rugby Union and North Harbour Rugby Union club rugby tournaments are set to begin on June 20.

With international tournaments being cancelled, top players are returning from overseas to play for their home clubs.

Former All Black Rene Ranger is set to return to play for Wellsford RFC after managing to make a quick escape from Colorado right before lockdown began.

Meanwhile, former Northland representative player Heath Colthurst returns to the club from the United Kingdom.

Wellsford has also confirmed that its Mitre 10 Cup-level players, Paddy-Jo Atkins, Matt Wright, Ross Wright and Sean Sweetman, will return.

Manager Mick Sweetman says this year’s squad will mix top level players with young risers such as Sage WaltersHansen.

“Given the right conditions and not too many injuries, we are hoping the club will have a good year, but we are conscious that other clubs are also in the same position,” he says.

Although it is still subject to confirmation, Wellsford has organised a friendly pre-season game with Silverdale United on June 13 at the Wellsford club grounds in Centennial Park.

“We are quite confident that most of

the players have kept up their fitness levels, but a pre-season game will help to ease them into it,” Sweetman says.

On the same day, the club is hoping to host a game between the U18s Kaipara Wolves and Mahurangi College’s 1st XV team.

Meanwhile, Harbour Rugby is considering a shorter club rugby season, consisting of one full round of nine games as well as quarters, semis and finals.

Mahurangi Rugby Club director Haden Kose says arrangements are being made at Harbour for U21 games to follow the premier schedule.

This is anticipated to prove a big benefit for Mahurangi, as the premier

Rodney will see its first pre-season rugby games on Saturday, June 13.

side can then boost its bench with young players and U21s will have the chance to play at the top level.

Unfortunately, Mahurangi has lost its overseas signings due to Covid-19,

including the “flying forward” Osea Qamasea.

However, the team is pleased to welcome Lloyd Gravatt back to the forward pack after returning from Ireland.

Warkworth Tennis makes a welcome comeback Warkworth Tennis and Squash Club was one of the first sports clubs to be able to return to play after a shift to Alert Level 2.

Club captain Jono Boundy says tennis is a unique in that is possible to play while keeping a large distance from competitors and teammates.

He believes that in the Covid era, when people have been locked inside and social events have been cancelled for the foreseeable future, tennis has a big role to play.

“Some people are finding that tennis is their big night out for the week. We had 30 people turn up on

the first night.”

The club didn’t lose any of its memberships during lockdown, despite most members being unable to play.

Jono says that in these unusual times, playing sport is a great way to network with people from other industries.

“All the real business gets done at the tennis courts on a Thursday night.”

The club hosts its social evening on Thursday night, which allows players to pay a one-off casual fee rather than sign up for a membership.

“It doesn’t matter about the skill level – it’s just about being in the community and being active.

The business house tennis tournament had just two weeks remaining when lockdown began.

The club is currently agreeing on terms with the top-ranking teams on how to finish the highly competitive tournament.

For the first time, the club is also going to hold a club competition on Saturdays during winter.

The club is offering a special rate for newcomers of $199 for a year’s membership, with unlimited access to the tennis and squash courts.

The fee can also be paid off weekly or monthly.

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June 3, 2020 Mahurangimatters 37

The NEW Splash Drone 3+ for fishing

Fishing Anthony Roberts, Tackle & Outdoors tecnisportnz@gmail.com

Thinking outside the boat I am sure for all of you boat owners it was tortuous under Levels 4 and 3 to look at the boat and not be able to use it. With the wonderful weather we were experiencing, every boatie must have been chomping at the bit wishing he could get out on the water. Alert Level 2 is now thankfully here and that means boats can get back on to the water. Sadly, the weather has turned foul since moving to Level 2 but, hey, we desperately need water in Rodney. Reports from boat fisherman have not been that wonderful since being able to get out, but the weather has had a lot to do with the catch results. During Level 3 the good news was that we could at least take a rod and get on to the beaches and put a bait or two into the water.

Reports of good snapper catches were received from just about every person who ventured out. Many reports of huge Kingfish cruising in the shallows sparked massive interest in shore fishing. Who can watch a big Kingi cruise past your feet and not want to get a rod and try to catch him? For those who did and went to have a cast, the results were excellent. Reports of good catches from beaches were plentiful. There were many sightings of massive schools of piper, and for those of you who had a set net, the rewards were great. Mullet schools were also plentiful and once again set netters made the most of the occasion by landing some for smoking as well as for use as bait. Incredibly, during lockdown some amazing things were seen such as the mighty orca right up inside the Omaha estuary.

For Kontiki owners (those engaged in electric longline fishing), Level 3 was a match made in heaven. With no boats around, you could launch your weapon from just about any beach in New Zealand. Beaches that are generally a no-go when boats are around, such as straight off Snells Beach for example, were seeing some great success. If you are thinking of buying a Kontiki, the key is to purchase a local brand with good after-sales service. Also, if your budget will allow, always purchase one with a stronger motor. You never know if you might want to use it off the west coast in traditionally big surf. The stronger motors with a 54-pound thrust would most definitely get you through the breakers and beyond. Maintenance is not costly, except for the occasional loss of hooks and trace.

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PH 09 425 6431 MOBILE 021 353 529 UNIT 5/1 HAMATANA RD, SNELLS BEACH

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Fax 09 422 5800

2-4 Morrison Dr, Warkworth 09 425 7754 Mon-Fri 8-5, Sat 8am-1pm www.farmandlifestyle.co.nz www.facebook.com/ farmandlifestylewarkworth/

For rural and lifestyle property advice and products to suit visit the Farm and Lifestyle Centre. We have huge selection of farm supplies, stock and equine feeds and supplements, garden supplies, hire equipment, pet food, pet supplies, chemicals, spraying equipment, clothing & wet weather gear, work boots, gumboots, pool chemicals and so much more.

Servicing Wellsford, Kaipara, Mangawhai, Warkworth, Puhoi, Matakana Coast, Snells Beach and all areas in between.

FLOOR SANDING - FLOOR PREPARATION FLOOR SANDING - FLOOR PREPARATION Polyurethaning:- Wooden Floors, Particle Board & Cork Cork Tiles:- Natural & Coloured Enviro Friendly Products available

KAE JAE CONTRACTORS (LTD) PHONE KEN 0274 866 923 or A/Hrs 09 422 3716

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40 Mahurangimatters June 3, 2020 FURNITURE | GLAZIERS | HAIR/BEAUTY | HANDYMAN | HOUSE MOVERS | JOINERY | KITCHENS | LANDSCAPING & SUPPLIES | LOCKSMITH | MARINE

Main Street Traders

WG

Domestic and Commercial Glazing Glass Showers Splash Backs Mirrors • Cat Doors Windscreen Replacement and Chip Repair

arkworth lass & lazing

149 Rodney Street, Wellsford

Buy • Sell • Trade

Quality Second Hand Furniture

20 Glenmore Drive, Warkworth 09 425 8678 • 021 952 077 wwglassandglazing@xtra.co.nz

Phone shop 09 423 8787

Kelvin 027 367 2820 • Renae 027 428 2185

Wellsford

ALUMINIUM & GLASS GLASS & ALUMINIUM

FOR ALL YOUR GLASS, GLAZING, AND ALUMINIUM NEEDS

53 Station Road, Wellsford • Phone (09) 423 7358 Email: wellsfordglass@xtra.co.nz

Beauty Therapy & Nail Creations for head to toe pampering

Alison Wech

C.I.D.E.S.C.O, C.I.B.T.A.C, dip Beauty Therapy, dip Electrolysis, dip Body Therapy, dip Nail Technician

46 McKinney Road, Warkworth Mob 021 051 3661 • Ph 09 425 7776 tlcbeautytherapynails@yahoo.co.nz

WE BUY HOUSES FOR REMOVAL

We specialise in: • Vantage Aluminium Joinery • APL | Architectural Series • Metro Series

1 STOP SHOP FOR HANDYMAN SERVICES Peter 021 912 805 tickidiboo@orcon.net.nz

Local and Reliable

• Facials • Waxing • Tinting • Gel Nails • Acrylic Nails • Manicures • Pedicures • Electrolysis • Make-up • Body Wraps • Massage • Spray Tans

Building Maintenance Repairs Cleaning

Call Ian on 021 639 562 www.jrhc.co.nz

We relocate houses, we buy houses, we sell houses.

Say No to Leaky Homes

• Robust, Good Looking and Durable • Specify Best Practice, Specify Flashman • The only Flashing System Guaranteed

Northland 0800 55 66 00 www.flashman.co.nz

sales@compositejoinery.co.nz • www.compositejoinery.co.nz YOU CAN RELY ON THE TEAM AT COMPOSITE JOINERY WITH OVER 30 YEARS’ EXPERIENCE

Beautiful Landscapes Start Here

THE ULTIMATE ALUMINIUM

WINDOW AND DOOR FLASHING SYSTEM

09 425 7510

7 Glenmore Drive, Warkworth

Imagine | Transform | Enjoy

Quality finishes of kitchen cabinetry using high quality products with low environmental impact.

Retaining Walls • Decks • Pergolas • Fencing • Concreting • Custom Buildings • Planting Services

For any queries call Mark / Sandi on 09 425 7669 or email us at info@msdprospraykitchens.co.nz

LBP with 35 + years experience delivering excellence for customers who demand perfection

MATAKANA LANDSCAPES

Unit 21, 30 Hudson Road, Warkworth 0984 www.msdprospraykitchens.co.nz

021 085 12024 | matakanalandscapes@gmail.com

• Retaining Walls/Decks • Fences • Paving/Concreting • Planting • 1.7 tonne digger and operator hire

WE CAN •Sand•Metal•Shell•Pebble•Scoria •Mulch•Garden Mix•Topsoil•Compost

TOTAL LANDSCAPE CONSTRUCTION for complete quality projects

• Lawns - contouring & seeding • Top soil • Retaining Walls • Driveways • Paths • Digger • Truck • Tractor Phone Bruce 425 7766 a/h 021 055 4226 I take the hard work out of Landscaping

Ph Jeff - 021 368 552 | warkworthlandscaping@gmail.com www.warkworthlandscaping.co.nz

DELIVER! •Tirau Gold•Pine Chip•Cambian Bark

183 SANDSPIT RD, WARKWORTH • OPEN 7 DAYS! Mon-Fri: 7am-5pm Sat: 7am-4pm Sun: 9am-3pm

Your LOCAL Community Newspaper

The re-tube specialists New boats from 2.1 to 5.5m Full repair service on any inflatable brand. 100% NZ Made

1487A State Highway 17, Dairy Flat Ph: 021 570 505 • em: info@seafarerinflatables.co.nz

www.seafarerinflatables.co.nz

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June 3, 2020 Mahurangimatters 41 MOVING & STORAGE | PAINTERS | PAINTERS & PLASTERERS | PICTURE FRAMERS | PLASTERERS | PLUMBING | PRINTING | PROPERTY MANAGEMENT | ROOFING

MASON CONTAINERS LIMITED

HIRE A CONTAINER ON YOUR OWN SITE

WARKWORTH

REMOVALS

• Owner Operator • Local and Long Distance • Packing Service • Packing Materials

0800 833 323 www.masoncontainers.co.nz

Self Storage Association Member

0275 489 104

Warkworthremovals@me.com Warkworthremovals.co.nz

PERFORMANCE PA I N T E R S Due to construction delays we now have space available to get your painting done before winter.

Call Brian 027 499 2257

No trouble for our team!

Chemwash | Rust Inhibitors | Repaint

Matakana Painting Services

James Taylor

Visit us at 76 Hudson Road, Warkworth

Roof Need Painting?

09 425 9679

Arkles Bay Painters & Decorators

Painting • Plastering • Wall Papering “In the area for the area” Phone Kevin on

022 0291 056

Phone Brian 027 499 2257

CraigthePainter

Since 1997

• Residential Specialists • Interior | Exterior • Plus Stopping & Skim Plastering

021-858 524 | 09-423 After 8521 Hours Email: craigthepainter@xtra.co.nz

WARKWORTH PICTURE FRAMERS COMPLETE CUSTOM FRAMING SERVICE Painting and Decorating

Exterior/Interior/Roofs/Staining

New builds • Re-paints • Re-stains • Roofs • Commercial • Water blasting

Harley 021 0220 8727 or 09 423 9012

Ph: Luke 021 507 463 luke.raphaella@gmail.com

Husband & Wife team • harley.mcvay@xtra.co.nz

John Beker YOUR LOCAL PLASTERER

GIB stopping, cornice, patching and all repairs.

Fast and friendly service, competitive & fair rates.

Call John 021 107 3658

David and Pat Little P. 09 425 8143 E. the_littles@xtra.co.nz 15 Coquette Street,Warkworth 0910 DAVID LITTLE GCF

& DRAINLAYING Cameron Carlaw Ph: 09 422 2376 M: 027 468 4695

P O Box 444, Warkworth 0941 gas@northengas.co.nz

GAS SERVICES I HOT WATER I PLUMBING MAINTENANCE www.northengas.co.nz

Helping you with plumbing, drainlaying, jet machine & drain camera tplumber@xtra.co.nz

021 102 4561

TRIED – TESTED – TRUSTED

Have a look on our website to see the huge range of items we can custom brand to suit your needs.

www.positiveimage.co.nz For any queries, please contact us on:

09 424 1262

sales@positiveimage.co.nz 18A Silverdale Street, Silverdale

• New Roofs • Roof Repairs • Re-roofs • Roof Inspections Specialists in long-run roofing

Roofing NZ Ltd

ROOF AND CLADDING SPECIALISTS NEW LONG-RUN IRON

Rob Campbell Northern Contracts Manager

0800 649 324 | 021 425 117 rob@rightnowroofing.co.nz www. rightnowroofing.co.nz

Tickle 021 356 965 RNZ Matt iron.man@xtra.co.nz Support the advertisers who support Mahurangi Matters.

A great team you can trust

For a fresh approach in Property Management, with proven results.

Serving Puhoi to Ruakaka.

Sam 021 1966 391 / Shona 021 539 391 rentalsitn@bayleys.co.nz Your LOCAL Community Newspaper

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42 Mahurangimatters June 3, 2020 SCAFFOLDING | SCRAP METAL | SECURITY | SEPTIC TANKS | SURVEYORS | TILING | TV AERIAL & DIGITAL | WATER

Servicing Auckland - Rodney - Kaipara

Metroscaff Limited

For your safety we have: • Experienced Qualified Scaffolders • Full range of Equipment • Including Alloy Mobile & Builder’s Props

PHONE 0800 622 7929

OMAHA - SNELLS BEACH - WARKWORTH - MANGAWHAI Member of Scaffolding and Rigging New Zealand

- Residential & Light Commercial - Quick Stage - OSH Standards - Tube & Clip - Qualified Scaffolders - Reliable Service MacJimray Septic Cleaning Services are the P 09 425tank 0300 M 021 774 653 F 09 423 0017 septic cleaning specialists in your district. admin@metroscaff.co.nz Residential to commercial, fast,www.metroscaff.co.nz reliable, professional service at competitive rates.

Buyers of: Copper • Brass • Aluminium • Lead • Steel • Stainless Steel • Batteries • Cable • Machinery • Electric Motors • Cars • Car Removal. Pick up or drop off bins

Phone 0800 14 15 30 • 426 9150 35 Forge Road, Silverdale

Serving and Protecting our Community for over 15 Years

.

• Rural & Urban Subdivision • Boundary Locations • Site Contour Plans • Construction Set-out

Septic Tank/Grease Trap Cleaning Septic & Sewerage Treatment Systems

Don’t let your septic tank become costly - service it now!

23 Bertram Street, Warkworth

DOMESTIC & COMMERCIAL • New Alarms - Design, Install & Service • CCTV - Design, Install & Service • Panic Alarms • Fire Alarm Systems • Access Control Systems • Alarm Monitoring • Rapid Response 24/7 • Premise Patrols • Lockup Checks

Rupert Mather 021 425 837 Graeme Smith 021 422 983 09 425 7393 admin@wwsurveyors.co.nz

FOR ALL YOUR SECURITY NEEDS!

Hibiscus Tiling

Contact Insite for your

Wall & floor tiling • Accredited Waterproofer Underfloorheating • Free consultations and quotations • 23 years experience

FREE SECURITY appraisal.

0800 66 24 24 www.insitesecurity.co.nz

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• Water Filters • UV Sterilisers • Reverse Osmosis • Water Coolers • Whole House • Water Pumps • Tanks • Rain Harvesting • Pre-Tank Filters Call Steve 027 478 7427

steve@aquafilter.co.nz

Rodney Sales & Service 09 425 6080

We Service All Leading Brands! www.aquafilter.co.nz

Pump & Filtration Services (2007) Ltd

• Water treatment & Filtration • Pumps • Pool & Spas • Waterblasters 7days / 24hours Paul Harris M: 021 425 887 T: 09 425 0075 E: pumps4u@live.com

Phone Darcy 021 482 308

Digital Freeview Satellite Installation & Repairs

TV • FM Aerials • Tuning Additional TV Outlets Phone David Redding 09 422 7227 or 0274 585 457

clean. care. repair.

WATER TANK CLEANING & REPAIR SERVICES

Warkworth: Phone Karl or Kylie Oldham 027 240 7791 email: mobikair.rodney@gmail.com

Mangawhai: Phil Lathrope 431 4608 | 021 642 668 email: mobikair.mangawhai@gmail.com

www.mobi-kair.co.nz

Household Water Deliveries 0800 747 928 mobile: 027 556 6111

Pumps & Filters Water Treatment Spa & Pool Shop Water Testing Valet Service Water Blasters Tanks & Sprayers 24 Hour Mobile & Workshop Service 31 Woodcocks Rd, Warkworth 09 425 9100 splashwater@xtra.co.nz

Shop hours Mon - Fri 8am-5pm Sat 9am-12pm

09 423 8061 Tanks: New & Cleaned • Pipes: PVC & PE, Filter Systems Pumps: New & Rebuilt, Pipes & Parts, Irrigation Supplies • Pool & Spa Cleaning Equipment, Chemicals 6 Worker Rd, Wellsford • sales@watertechplus.co.nz • www.watertechplus.co.nz • Open Mon-Fri 8am - 5pm Support the advertisers who support Mahurangi Matters.

Support local

June 3, 2020 Mahurangimatters 43

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING APPLIANCE REPAIRS A SMART REPAIR Service for F&P smartdrive washers, F&P/Simpson dryers. Prompt service 021 168 7349.

DRIVEWAYS MAINTENANCE Grading, rolling & metalling for rural Driveways. No job too BIG or small. Ph Bruce 425 7766

FIREWOOD FIREWOOD Hot Az Phone/text Edwood 021 0844 1750

FOR SALE CAMPERVAN Ford Transit 2005, manual, diesel, 164,944kms, 2 berth, self contained, tv, microwave, awning, 2 new solar panels 100 watt, well maintained, view Snells Beach, $46,000. Phone 021 268 8889 CAR FOR SALE Suzuki Kizashi limited, 2010. $7500.

Ex condition, 1 lady owner, always garaged, good service records, leather upholstery, sunroof, tow bar, 13300kms. Ph Warkworth 027 497 7745 DOUBLE HORSE FLOAT Thoroughbred DLX 2005, excellent condition. $8,600 ONO. Phone 027 5415 049

FOR SALE FOR REMOVAL SKYLINE GARAGE 9 x 8.5 metres, includes a sleep out with shower and toilet and a small workshop. The garage will need to be dismantles before removing.

Contact Paul on 021-260-3065 or pmyallop@gmail.com for further information and price.

RAWLEIGH Products. Ph Pat 09 423 7875

HOME MAINTENANCE & IMPROVEMENT

Blue Skies Cleaning Window Cleaning, Soft Bio House Wash, Gutter Clean, All Exterior Cleaning, Water Blasting, Roof Treatment, Local Professional service.

Ph Pat 022-646-5849

COLLINS ELECTRONICS HAVE YOU LOST PRIME? Or need your Freeview box tuned for the new channels? TV repairs, microwave oven repairs, Freeview installations.

Ph Paul 09 422 0500 or 027 29 222 04 WATER FILTERS - Underbench, Whole house, UV & water spotting, Work Guaranteed. Ph Steve 021 278 7427 steve@aquafilterrodney.co.nz WATER PUMPS - No water? Old cast iron pump? Sales Service & Installation. Work Guaranteed. Ph Steve 021 278 7427 steve@aquafilterrodney.co.nz

HOME MAINTENANCE & IMPROVEMENT WINDOW CLEANING/HOUSEWASH/ GUTTER CLEANING Local professional service. Ph Pat 022-646-5849.

PUBLIC NOTICES MATAKANA COAST TRAIL TRUST AGM 5.30pm Monday 22 June 2020, Warkworth location.

Email matacttnz@gmail.com by 17 June to register your interest and receive video call invitation.

WARKWORTH & DISTRICTS RSA (INC) EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING Please take note that a Extraordinary General Meeting of the Association will be held at the Clubrooms, 28 Neville Street, Warkworth, at 10.00am on Sunday 28th June, 2020 BUSINESS: 1. Receive apologies 2. Confirm minutes of the AGM held 31st March, 2019 3. Presentation of Annual reports and accounts 4. Election of Officers 5. Election of Executive and committee 6. Notices of Motion Nominations for Officers and Committee as well as written Notices of Motion, are to be lodged with the Secretary not later than 9.00am 12th June 2020.

Bob Harrison. President

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$4.55 inc GST per line or $11.60 per/cm inc GST for boxed adverts.

Lost during lockdown Not forgotten, Milton George Charles Gibson Milton Gibson, formerly of Mairangi Bay and more recently of Warkworth, passed away peacefully at home on Sunday, March 29 (as a result of non-Covid-19 condition).

Born on 23 April, 1928, he was aged 91 years. Milton was the much-loved husband and best friend of the late Sheila; loved father of Rob, Claire, and Andrew; father-in-law to Lee, Kerri and Angela; and grandfather to Sean, Brooke and Alex.

He was a Fellow of the NZ Institute of Chemistry and had a career as an industrial chemist and lecturer of chemistry at the Auckland University of Technology (formerly the Auckland Technical Institute).

Always ready to have a chat, he was often seen around Warkworth and, prior to that, Mairangi Bay. He was known to many as a jovial person, and

in his private life he was wellrespected in the Auckland Masonic community and a Life Member of the East Coast Bays Probus Club.

Gone and taken from us when we were not permitted to gather to mourn your passing, you will not be forgotten by those of us who loved and respected you.

Contributed by his family.

Farewelled, Barry John Robert Cavanagh

SITUATION VACANT

Have you just finished school or taken a break from work?

Are you planning to start a new career?

At Matakana Dental, every year we train 2 new employees to become confident dental nurses. Some of them have gone ahead to become oral health therapists. Flexibility is a must as we work late evenings and weekends.

If you have a good, positive attitude, ability to work in a team and you are looking for a new career,please email your CV and cover letter to care@ matakanadental.co.nz to apply.

STORAGE WANTED LOOKING FOR STORAGE for a 5.3 metre caravan in the Whangateau, Warkworth, or Matakana area please as we stay at Whangateau. Ph Rueben 021 744 810

VOLUNTEERS VOLUNTEER NOW! Our Hospice Shops need you. Make new friends, flexible hours. Call Lorna to find out more, 09 425 9535.

I lost my husband after a minor operation at Auckland Hospital on March 30. Only my son Philip and I could attend the funeral held at Minniesdale Chapel, Port Albert, on April 3, the day after our 48th wedding anniversary. Barry and I immigrated from England 11 years ago and, until recently, lived at Wharehine. Before

retiring, Barry worked in finance and spent many years with Allied Irish Finance.

I would like to say a special thank you to Jason Morrison Funeral Services who were “absolutely brilliant”.

Submitted by Barry’s wife Glennis Cavanagh, on behalf of son Philip and twin granddaughters Ella and Lauren.

We invite anyone who lost a loved one during the Covid 19 crisis to write a small tribute, which Mahurangi Matters will publish at no charge. Send to: gm@localmatters.co.nz and please include a good quality photo.

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44 Mahurangimatters June 3, 2020

localmatters.co.nz

I’d like to begin by saying a heartfelt thank you to our community, staff, parents and students. Your willingness to support each other during these challenging times has been a true testament to your walking the talk with kindness and empathy, with determination and incredible resilience.

It was really encouraging to see neighbours become more aware of each other; younger ones helping the elderly and families greeting strangers warmly while out walking. I was also proud of our senior students who volunteered to provide online mentoring sessions for some of our younger students.

However, for many this journey has been more difficult. Our thoughts are with all families who have lost loved ones and who have been more heavily affected both locally and around the world. Kia kaha.

practices, however non-contact practices resumed from the week following. This is being reviewed on a weekly basis inline with advice from Regional Sporting Associations.

Our senior Art and Technology classes have had a day per subject timetabled in which they can catch up on practical work that they were unable to do offsite. Drama, Dance and PE are all timetabled subjects and have resumed. The school canteen is open with some additional protection measures in place, and drinking fountains are only for refilling water bottles. The school pool has been open since the first day of return.

However, community use of the pool is governed by our local swim club. They have additional conditions to meet before the pool can be re-opened for community use,

groups throughout the school that will run over the next 4 weeks. These will help our students settle back in and ensure that they are still on track with their learning.

After the abrupt end to Term 1, early school holidays, and five weeks of online learning, it is wonderful to be back teaching and learning onsite again. Most of our students engaged really well with online learning, and our teachers embraced and enjoyed this new challenge - but I think almost all of us are very pleased to be back on site and able to have face-to-face conversations again.

Regular hand-washing, correct coughing etiquette and stepped up washing of all hardsurfaces are in place, but the social distancing and group size requirements for schools are different than for the community. Our main guidelines are that, where possible, students should avoid touching each other and should stay out of each other’s “moist breath zones”.

There are no social distances that must be maintained and no maximum group sizes.

Our prime concern, coming back onto the school site, has been the health and safety of our students, both in terms of their physical health and their emotional wellbeing. We warmly welcomed our students back with a special whānau class on the Monday morning.

We have also put in place small reconnection

All school buses are running and the Ministry was adamant that no additional buses are provided. We have decided not to proceed with the usual school assemblies, at this stage, and are taking a gradual approach to the resumption of school sports. During the first week back we were not allowing sports

Issue 02 2020

MAHUHUKITERANGI CHALLENGING. EXCELLING. BELONGING. OUR PLACE

If you follow us on Facebook or visit our website regularly you would have no doubt enjoyed seeing some of the work produced by our students during lockdown, particularly

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the class challenges in the junior school. The innovation and creativity was incredible. It was really nice to see families getting involved in the challenges too. Our Momentum Dance Company worked together online to create a dance specifically based on the idea of having very limited space while in isolation (above).

Our Sports Department also ran sports challenges inline with Auckland College Sport. Congratulations to the winners of the connected Mahu photo competition (see two of our prize winners below).

Hopefully, as we start to return to our new normal, we will all continue to be a bit more reflective about our lives rather than caught up in the business of life; to be more mindful and a bit kinder towards others; and to be a bit more appreciative of our families, our neighbours and our friends - and of the wonderful community we are a part of.

David Macleod PRINCIPAL

MAHURANGI.SCHOOL.NZ

localmatters.co.nz

June 3, 2020 Mahurangimatters 45

REAL WORLD LEARNING AND INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL IN LOCKDOWN Unexpected distance learning definitely provided unique challenges, but it also provided unique opportunities to connect with learning in new ways and in new and varied environments. Some of our Juniors took their learning international, visiting students and teachers in Singapore.

During lockdown, 7HOB went on a virtual trip to Singapore, to meet with some past and present teachers and their children from our sister school Dunearn Secondary.

Students took a Google Street View tour of the school before their virtual trip.

They were welcomed into homes to look out windows into deserted streets. Our students then showed them around their homes and shared views from different parts of our community. Science: Students in 8HOA had the opportunity to design their own Science Challenge to help them connect science with the world around them. They could present

their challenge and findings in anyway they wanted; video recordings, blog articles, voice recordings and drawings. A record of learning and discovery process needed to be included; the degree of difficulty was determined by each pupil. STEAM: Our junior STEAM program was able to continue during distance learning. Using materials they could find around the house, students were given a range of challenges including making wind powered “objects”, constructing a 4-event chain reaction, parachute launchers, through to creating Dances and playing music on anything they could find around home.

Photography: A number of juniors were able to complete a series of online photography lessons. They learned basic skills before exploring photographic genres. They then created a documentary portfolio of their life in lockdown. Challenges: Junior students were asked to recreate a famous piece of Art (below left) with items they could find at home for a ‘Life Imitating Art’ class challenge.

With a strong wellbeing focus, many laughs were had during a student and staff Lip Sync Battle. Please see our Facebook page or school website to view the large variety of innovative and creative student work.

ROBBIE ENNIS

ACHIEVER OF THE MONTH HEAD BOY Member of Jazz Combo Member of Boys 1st XI Football 2019 Cultural Blue 2019 Academic Blue Excellence L2 NCEA

Pictured with Marius Muller Operations Manager Mitre 10 Mega Warkworth

Proudly Supporting Mahurangi College

Cnr Woodcocks Rd & Mansel Drive WARKWORTH Phone 425 8119

MAHUHUKITERANGI CHALLENGING. EXCELLING. BELONGING. OUR PLACE

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MAHURANGI.SCHOOL.NZ

localsport

46 Mahurangimatters June 3, 2020

Colleges gearing up to play sport despite uncertainty School sport teams have been in the “get ready to play” phase as outlined by the government, and from this week will be allowed to resume full contact sports.

Mahurangi College director of sport Karlie Stanbra says the college is following strict guidelines, including contact tracing of players, cleaning of equipment before and after trainings, and no drink bottles are permitted.

Harbour Rugby’s college tournament is scheduled to start from June 27, while North Harbour basketball may resume as early as June 8.

Harbour Netball is not set to resume until Term 3, possibly starting from July 21.

A date for school hockey has not yet been set, although Harbour Hockey confirmed last week that the club competition will resume from June 20.

Mahurangi College is investigating pushing out the annual exchange with Hauraki Plains College to August and changing the format to a one-day exchange, with no billeting.

Although still to be confirmed, the Murray Jones shield annual rugby competition between Mahurangi and Orewa Colleges may be rescheduled as a pre-season game, leading into the 1A grade tournament.

While in lockdown, Mahurangi College competed in iso 3k and iso distance challenges, which required participating students to track and submit their runs with GPS apps.

More than 100 students from Mahurangi participated, covering a distance of 840km, placing the college in the top 15 of 65 competing schools.

Rodney College is also gearing up in anticipation of Sport Northland competitions resuming, although not much is yet known about dates.

Sport coordinator Maria Northin says the Sport

Most sport codes are likely to go ahead with a shortened season.

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The college is also looking to enter six teams in the Rodney Netball Centre winter competition, which will begin sometime after June 19.

The Upper North Island Secondary Schools netball tournament has been cancelled.

The 2020 AIMS Games have also been cancelled.

“We have had a huge amount of feedback from people saying the spectre of Covid-19 and the associated financial and emotional factors would make it impossible for them to attend this year,” AIMS said in a statement.

Northland hockey and rugby competitions are likely to go ahead, however the format is yet to be announced.

Rodney College has already begun basketball trainings in anticipation of the Northland competition resuming.

The Northland midweek football competition has been cancelled, but an alternative tournament is being investigated.

“Sport will be happening – it’s just a matter of how and when,” says Northin.

Don’t Delay call Mick Fay today!

021 544 769

RayWhite

Ray White SeaSea Watch Auckland Area Watch Sun

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Full Last Moon Quarter Set 3:53am Set 5:05am Set 6:17am Set 7:28am Set 8:35am Set 9:36am Set 10:28am Set 11:13am Set 11:50am Set 12:22pm Set 12:51pm Rise 12:26am Rise 1:22am Rise 2:17am Rise 3:14am Rise 4:11am Rise 5:10am Rise 3:28pm Rise 4:05pm Rise 4:47pm Rise 5:34pm Rise 6:28pm Rise 7:26pm Rise 8:28pm Rise 9:29pm Rise 10:30pm Rise 11:29pm Set 1:18pm Set 1:43pm Set 2:09pm Set 2:36pm Set 3:05pm Set 3:39pm *Not for navigational purposes.

Mick Fay

G

Good Fishing

F

Fair Fishing

B

Not So Good

www.tidewiz.com

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Licensee Agent Snells Beach 021 544 769 E. mick.fay@raywhite.com W. mickfay.raywhite.com Support the advertisers who support Mahurangi Matters.

localmatters.co.nz

June 3, 2020 Mahurangimatters 47

What’s on

WHATS ON THIS MONTH AT THE

See localmatters.co.nz/whats-on.html for a full list of upcoming events

June 5 12 20

20 21 21 21

Talk of the Town. Cinematographer Nigel Bluck introduces The Peanut Butter Falcon, Matakana Cinemas, 5pm. Info: matakanacinemas.co.nz. (See story p22) Talk of the Town. Cinematographer Crighton Bone introduces Pork Pie, Matakana Cinemas, time to be confirmed. Info: matakanacinemas.co.nz. (See story p22) Ben Hurley - Straight-out-of-lockdown tour, Leigh Sawmill Cafe, 8.30pm. Stand up comedy, with two support acts. Tickets $30 and table bookings from the Sawmill on 422 6019, or tickets only from eventfinda.co.nz (See story p20) Community planting day, Te Whau Walkway, Snells Beach, 10am-noon. Enter from end of Cornel Circle.

Kaukapakapa Village Market, 947 Kaipara Coast Highway, 8.30am-1pm. Stalls, fresh coffee, food, local produce, live music and more. Info: Sarah 027 483 1542 Kaukapakapa Library photo exhibition, 9.30am-1pm.

Revealing the history of Kaukapakapa. Info: Kaukapakapa Library Facebook page or ph Megan, 021 959 017.

Leigh Community Mid-Winter Swim. Matheson Bay, 10.15am. All welcome for a chilly dip. Hot soup, hot drinks and baking. (see story p29)

Warkworth RSA We are glad to announce that Warkworth RSA is now open Monday–Tuesday 12.30pm – 8.00pm, Wednesday 11.00 am - 9.00pm, Thursday 11.00am - 10.30pm, Friday 11.00am - 11.30pm, Saturday 11.00am - 10.00pm, Sunday 3.00pm - 7-30pm Gunners Restaurant will be open Thursday, Friday for dinner from 5.30pm-8pm.

Restaurant will be closed for lunches and Saturday night dinner during Covid-19 level 2.

Join Warkworth RSA after 1st June 2020 for 1/2 price.

28 Neville Street, Warkworth Phone 425 8568

List your event by emailing the details to online@localmatters.co.nz

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING SITUATIONS VACANT

SHEETMETAL TRADESMAN We are looking for a qualified sheetmetal tradesman to join our team. MSLightfab is a division within the company which specializes in light sheet metal engineering works, in all materials but predominantly mild steel, aluminium and stainless.

Some examples of the work completed: • Bespoke joinery items/bench tops • Flashings and Pressings • Production Machinery Items • Pressing of materials for project work • Site Works - measure and fabricate We are searching for an individual who has a well-rounded skill set, a great attitude when placed in a team environment, clean and drug free, who will become a great asset to our company.

Hours of work are generally 7.00am - 4.00pm.

The successful applicant will have good sheetmetal skills, be confident if placed in onsite situations, a good problem solver, and a hard worker.

Send your CV to Graham Buchs mse@mseng.co.nz by 20 June 2020.

PUBLIC NOTICES WARKWORTH HOCKEY CLUB AGM 23rd June 2020, 6.00pm at the Warkworth Showgrounds.

Sudoku

Solution

If it’s local, let us know!

Mahurangi Matters 425 9068

WARKWORTH

MOTORHOMES

Motorhome and Caravan repairs and maintenance

#welovetheleighsawmill

Phone Graeme 422 9339 or 027 358 0167 Support the advertisers who support Mahurangi Matters.

Limited tickets, book now

48 Mahurangimatters June 3, 2020

localmatters.co.nz

Sandspit dancer impresses on world stage During lockdown, dancer Brandon Lewis, 16, won international competitions against dancers from South Africa, Australia, Asia and New Zealand – all from his back lawn.

Brandon learned three new competition routines at the start of the year, but only had a chance to compete twice before Covid-19 put a halt to his regular dance schedule. He usually dances at Dance Dimensions in Silverdale, but during lockdown switched to practicing routines for five hours a day in his garage, in addition to completing school work and dance lessons on Zoom.

“I decided there was no point in wasting an opportunity to get fitter and stronger,” he says.

He filmed various choreography solos on the lawn at his Sandspit home and submitted them to competitions via YouTube. His biggest win was in the Asia Pacific Dance Association global challenge, where Brandon placed first in hip hop, first in student choreography, third in contemporary dance and received a judge’s encouragement cash grant.

He also competed in the Level Up Dance Competition, Expressions Dance Competition, the Impact Dance Competition and the Victorious Dance Competition during lockdown, taking titles in each of them.

“Getting these wins in overseas competitions reminds me what I’m doing it for. I dance for fun, but this reminds me I can do it for a career,” Brandon says.

He was also awarded the star power judges award in the Level Up Dance Competition. It was a proud moment for Brandon as it was judged by dance industry leader Andrew Cesan, the founder of the world champion hip hop crew Identity, from which Brandon draws inspiration for some of his own routines.

Once he’s finished school, Brandon wants to study dance at university and continue making a name for himself by entering competitions around the world.

He has set his sights on the World of Dance televised competition, as well as the Hip Hop International street dance competition.

This year Brandon has also been given the opportunity to attend the globally

renowned Palace Dance Studio in Auckland for a Level 2 NCEA dance course. The Palace is home to legendary Kiwi hip hop star Paris Goebel, and Brandon will get to learn choreography, music mixing, costume design and event planning.

Check out Brandon’s moves at localmatters.co.nz Brandon performs all kinds of dance, but is particularly successful in hip hop and contemporary styles.

You don’t want to muck around when it’s melanoma

John Beker Snells Beach resident

When I needed to have skin cancer surgery, I wanted it done quickly and properly. Rodney Surgical has leading skin cancer surgeons so I could get it done immediately without having to travel to Auckland.

I was in and out in a day, and got the best care I could hope for.

My advice is to ask your GP if you can have it done locally. Or ring RSC direct like I did when I noticed a darkening spot on my leg.

The best surgeons offering you day care surgeries right here in Warkworth.

Ask your GP if your day care surgery can be done at Rodney Surgical.

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