10 November Independent Herald

Phone: (04) 587 1660

The Independent Herald celebrated a major milestone in the paper’s history on 6 November. It celebrated 50 years of delivering news to residents of Wellington’s northern and western suburbs.

Current and former staff and contributors, along with long-standing supporters of the paper gathered for the 50th birthday celebration, organised by the Onslow Historical Society.

Continued on page 2.

The Independent Herald’s first Editor, Judith Holloway, with the first edition of the paper. Photo: Frank Neill.

Independent Herald celebrates 50 years

The Independent Herald first hit the streets on 1 November 1972.

The now 50-year-old community newspaper had its genesis in the demise of the Times-Herald, which served the northern suburbs from 1961 until its demise in 1972.

Two local residents, Bronwyn Gray and Judith Holloway, moved with speed to plan a replacement. With the help of local organiser Egan Ogier and financial backing from the Johnsonville Community Licensing Trust, the new Independent Herald was launched.

Judith was the paper’s first Editor while Bronwyn became the Business and Advertising Manager. They led the paper for just a short while, however.

Ruth Thomas took over as Editor shortly after the paper was launched, beginning her 20-year service with the Independent Herald.

Ruth quickly developed a reputation for “crusading journalism”, culminating in several journalistic excellence awards.

“What the Independent Herald was all about could be summed up in one word – community. It was all about community,” Ruth said at the 50th birthday celebration.

“We were getting great stories because we were out there in the community. People knew us and would talk to us.”

Her reporters were a network of mostly young mothers, or friends, who represented the suburb they lived in..

Advertisers and community leaders were enthusiastic and so support quickly grew, and the paper moved from publishing fortnightly to coming out every week.

“A good local paper was also an excellent first stepping stone for journalism students preparing to make their mark in the business”, Ruth said.

Martin de Ruyter, then aged 17, credits his work for the Independent Herald as “the basis of my future career”. A career as a top news photographer culminated in 35 years with the Nelson Mail.

Ruth recalls many highlights – serious, funny, such as choosing a team for the council, some involving the threat of closure to the railway line or local children – who knitted enough peggy squares to wrap around the Beehive.

“I need to impress upon all of you the importance of a newspaper as a resource for information,” the Onslow Historical Society President Judy Siers said at the 50th celebration.

“It is like no other.

“I hereby acknowledge all those who have worked with the Independent Herald over the last 50 years, those who ensured its longevity right through to the present ownership.”

Judy noted the words of Sir Bernard Fergusson, when he was touring New Zealand as Governor General in 1965. “Suburban newspapers have enormous value, playing a part out of all proportion to their circulation.”

I recently hosted a meeting which included local property developers and representatives from the City and Regional Councils. The background for the meeting was the need to ensure all people involved in providing more housing in our electorate, whether it be those building them or those regulating and permitting that building, understand the issues which govern the ability to build the houses everyone agrees we need.

Often I have to turn down invitations to attend events in the electorate because Parliament is sitting and as your MP, naturally I am required to be in there.

Fortunately, last week was recess and so I was able to attend Prizegiving at Onslow and Tawa Colleges and even the renowned and highly sought after Melbourne Cup fundraiser for Breast Cancer at the Johnsonville Club. Obviously these events bought me into contact with a wide variety of people, from students, parents, club patrons and plenty of others. People approach me concerned about what they are reading and hearing, and it’s good to be able to explain the rationale behind our Government’s decisions.

There are essentially two types of development; greenfields and brownfields. Greenfields means building on currently undeveloped land, typically ex farmland on the edges of current urban areas, where infrastructure like sewers, water supply and other essential services don’t exist are usually built by the developer.

Brownfields development means rebuilding on existing sites, and there has been considerable discussion in recent times around how much intensification should be allowed in existing suburbs, especially changing of height limits to allow for more apartments.

A good example is the scheme to price agricultural emissions, currently exempt from the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) which means every other business must pay for their emissions, but not agriculture currently, despite producing around 50% of our CO2 emissions.

Both have their advantages and disadvantages; the Regional Council in particular see their role to prevent more

Government sat down with the

runoff and other material ending up in our harbours, especially the Porirua harbour in the case of development north of Johnsonville and Newlands. The Wellington City Council are concerned that the existing infrastructure cannot handle the pressure it comes under when new housing areas are developed. Existing infrastructure is aging and needs upgrading across our city, as evidenced by recent pipe failures. An advantage of intensification of existing areas means more people, therefore more ratepayers to pay for those upgrades.

Developers of course need to make a profit, and wish to keep their compliance costs as low as possible. Many believe the Resource Management Act is too cumbersome. We as government for our part have undertaken to rewrite that act.

farming industry to work out a scheme whereby they would account for these emissions, and an agreed paper, He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN) was produced. While there were some extra features in the final proposal, it was essentially what the farming industry agreed, especially as any revenue would go in to research to make farming more carbon friendly. However many farmers have since disagreed that they should pay for their emissions so their leaders, including Federated Farmers, have pulled out. A shame as we simply won’t be able to trade with Europe especially if we don’t reduce our emissions, not to mention the impact on the planet.

The feedback was good, but the success will be when there are sufficient affordable houses to meetdemand. That is certainly my goal as your MP.

That, and of course having a vibrant and functioning Johnsonville Shopping Centre we can all be proud of.

There’s plenty to be getting on with.

Once explained, people understand that doing nothing is not an option. But back to the electorate, we had a fatal motorcycle accident in Khandallah this week. Our sympathies to the families of the deceased and the other driver, and a reminder that even suburban roads require our full attention, especially with the Christmas ‘silly season’ coming up.

Long serving Independent Herald Editor Ruth Thomas cutting the 50th anniversary cake. Photo: Frank Neill.

Surgeon makes global impact

General surgeon Burton King suspects he was shoulder-tapped for the New Zealand Army Reserve Force because of his experience with trauma surgery back home in South Africa.

The 62-year-old breast cancer specialist from Wellington joined the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) as a civilian volunteer after the horror of the 9/11 terror attacks in the United States.

Then, when he was in his 40s, he didn’t need much encouragement to take it a step further and don a uniform.

“I come from South Africa so that’s probably one of the reasons the military was interested in me, because I did a lot of trauma surgery there.”

His good friend Major Graham Sharpe, an anaesthetist, was also encouraged to enlist by then Lieutenant General Jerry Mateparae, and the pair later deployed together.

He hasn’t looked back, and on top of his day job he has now worked in many different environments, including Iraq, around the Pacific and Christchurch after the 2011 earthquakes.

His most recent task was being part of a specialist team-building activity at Whanganui Hospital, drawing together Regular Force and Reserve Force clinical specialists from NZDF Health.

Personnel, who usually operate in different hospital settings, worked together to complete some elective surgical procedures on adult patients at Te Whatu Ora, Whanganui.

The planned NZDF Light Surgical Team is a small team of 11 healthcare specialists that

provides the capability of initial surgical resuscitation and stabilisation of deployed NZDF casualties.

Major King enjoyed the weekend activity and he was disappointed he only had a few more years left to be involved with the NZDF.

Juggling his two roles wasn’t as demanding as it sounded.

“I wish more surgeons would do it,” Major King says.

The general commitment was for two weeks a year with deployments of two to four weeks intermittently, and passing an annual fitness test, he adds.

He got a lot out of being in the NZ Army Reserve Force and working with NZDF personnel.

“Some of the people that are coming and going here are some of the most exceptional people I have ever met.

“Not only do they come here

with that sense of measure and focus, they give up a lot to do it so it’s not like taking an easy way out. They want to be here and it’s an effort for them to get here as well.

“They are a highly motivated energetic group of people, and you come away feeling energised by being around them.

“They go at it with a discipline and focus that’s just a joy to be around,” Major King says.

Climate change

It’s not just New Zealand that has been experiencing the effects of climate change, such as the torrential rain that fell in the Wellington region this winter.

Extreme weather records have been broken on every continent on Earth in the 12 months since the last United Nations global climate summit, according to a new report from the Climate Council.

“The reality is that global commitments are dangerously off track to prevent a climate catastrophe,” says Climate Councillor and leading economist Nicki Hutley.

“The UN, just last week, concluded that existing targets would result in catastrophic levels of global warming of between 2.1-2.9°C.”

The Climate Council planned to highlight the report at the latest UN Conference on climate change, COP27, held in Egypt on 6 November.

Normally a breast cancer surgeon, Burton King is also a major in the NZ Army Reserve Force and has deployed around the world using his surgical skills.

Top Newlands College students

Anush Goel is Newlands College’s 2022 Dux, while two students – Jayden Kah and Mazen Khallaf – were named as Proxime Accessit (runner-up to Dux).

The three students were presented their awards at the college’s senior prizegiving on 2 November.

Cara McCully was also presented the Deb Mills Award as sportswoman of the year during the evening and Ngahau Tepaa was presented the Morris Barling Award as sportsman of the year.

As well as being named Dux, Anush won the Gifted and Talented Trophy for five consecutive years of commitment to academic related co-curricular activities.

He also won the BNZ Cup for being top in Business, was first in economics, first equal in statistics, second in physics and third in chemistry. This year he successfully completed a University of Canterbury paper – Maths 199.

Anush played a key role in the Newlands College team that entered the Space for Planet Earth Competition and was a Grand Final Winner. The presentation was judged by a field of experts working in the field of space science.

He gained Distinction in the Australian Mathematics Competition, putting him in the top 20% of participants.

Anush was part of a team of five students who competed in the North Island inter-school Ethics Olympiad and they were highly commended by the judges.

He was also the lead organiser for a hugely successful TedX Paparangi evening at Newlands College where he was able to

bring together some of the sharpest young minds for an evening of intellectual musings, challenges and celebration.

As well as being named Proxime Accessit, Jayden won both the Newlands College Senior Science Prize for being overall top in science and the Senior Chemistry Award.

He was a Space for Planet Earth Competition Grand Final Winner and gained Distinction in the Oxford University Computing Challenge. Jayden was also part of the team that organised a hugely successful TedX evening at Newlands College.

Jayden was first in digital technology and chemistry, first equal in statistics and second equal in biology.

As well as being Proxime Accessit, Mazen gained the Newlands College Grant Shayler Award to study IT at tertiary level.

During the year he completed four university courses: Computing 112 at Victoria University,

where he gained an A+, Computing 103 at Victoria University and Maths 199 at Canterbury University.

Mazen has amassed 102 Excellence level credits at Level 3, gained Merit in the Oxford University Computing Challenge and was part of the team that organised a TedX evening at Newlands College.

As well as winning the Deb Mills Award, Cara won the Athletics Trophy for the top achiever.

Cara excelled in athletics, basketball, cricket, netball and touch rugby.

She was runner-up in the shot put at the Grade 15 Wellington Junior Championship, and runner up in both the under 18 shot put and under 18 discus at Athletics Wellington Track and Field Championships.

Cara was a member of the college’s Basketball Senior A girls team and was named in the Cricket under 15 Wellington Black Pathway Squad.

A member of Netball Newlands

number one team, Cara was an under 16 Wellington Black Representative, winners of the Marjorie Jenden and Betty Steffensen Tournament and the under 16 Wellington Regional Combined Centres Tournament. The team was also runner-up in the North Island Junior Netball Championship.

She qualified for the Netball Wellington Centre Emerging Talent Programme and was also a member of the college’s senior girls touch rugby team.

Ngahau added three other awards to the Morris Barling Award he won.

He won the Hoop Club Cup for the best male contribution to the senior A basketball team, the most valuable player in the college’s first 15 rugby team and the senior boys best team contribution.

Ngahau was selected as an under 18 Wellington ori Rugby representative and was a member of the college’s senior boys touch rugby team.

Harbour City Funeral Home (56 Onepu Road, Kilbirnie) 1:00pm Miramar Library 1:10pm

Courtenay Place (Main Bus Stop) 1:30pm Karori opposite The Wilson Funeral Home, (142 Karori Road, Karori) 1:40pm Karori Library (Outside the Postshop) 1:45pm

ABOVE: The two Newlands College Proxime Accessit winners Jayden Kah (left) and Mazen Khallaf.

LEFT: The Newlands College Dux Anush Goel with his awards.

Brand new Rebel Coworking space in Johnsonville

There is something for everyone at Rebel Coworking regardless of the type of business you run or work in. If you’re a budding entrepreneur looking for a place to start your business concept, a coworker who wants to lead your team to a new place with a new sense of direction, a freelancer who is always looking for fresh ideas, or someone who wants to work outside their home in a professional environment, we have something to offer for everyone at an affordable price, no matter what your needs are.

In our newly renovated Coworking space, we have a variety of hot desks and rooms

available. In addition to meeting rooms and conference facilities, there are kitchen facilities and access to a gymnasium, not to mention free wifi. You know, all the good stuff you expect in a coworking space and Rebel Coworking is only 12 minutes from CBD’s in the Hutt Valley, Porirua and Wellington. Yep, it’s official. Rebel Coworking offers great facilities at a really affordable price.

Why not join our Rebel community. Check out our Website at www.rebelcoworking.nz.

Book a tour, check in with Debbie. We would love to be part of your business story.

Police warn about scam

If you receive an email saying your computer has explicit illegal material on it, the email is a scam, Police are warning.

An email scam is circulating that references Police and other justice sector partners, the Police say.

It claims authorities have done a search of the email recipient’s computer and located explicit illegal material.

The recipient is directed to reply within 48 hours or a warrant will be issued for their arrest.

“This email is a scam and anyone who receives it should not reply under any circumstances,” the Police say.

Although some versions of the email do not specifically reference money, other similar scams involve the recipient being issued a “fine” when they respond.

While the nature and specific details of

scams often varies, it’s important to note that Police and other government agencies will never contact you out of the blue and ask for your password, credit card or bank details.

Police have received several reports of this scam and enquires are under way.

Anyone who received this email is asked to forward it directly to the Police Cybercrime Team: cybercrime@police.govt.nz.

Police recommend taking a cautious approach to unsolicited emails.

“Trust your gut instinct – if it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t,” they say.

Information on other scams currently operating can be found on the Consumer Protection NZ website: www.consumerprotection.govt.nz/general-help/scamwatch.

Consumer Protection NZ, along with Netsafe, also provides helpful advice about keeping safe online

Chocolate mousse. It is nice and creamy

Cheesecake. I love eating cheesecake.

Onslow College celebrates success

Onslow College held its Whakanui/Celebration of Success in the college hall on 1 November.

The evening celebrated student success across academic, cultural and leadership areas of the school.

Unlike other secondary schools, Onslow College does not name a Dux or Proxime Accessit (runner-up to Dux). It did, however, make presentations to a series of winners. These included:

Anuha Som and Jude Anderson –academic group of the year; Oscar Pierson, George Patrick and Jacob Hemsley – community contribution award;

Benjy Smith – innovative, creative and critical thinker award;

Year 12 Te Reo M ori class – Onslow Spirit Award (for their work designing a fully Te Tiriti compliant and culturally sustainable leadership structure for the school); Lucy Smith – leadership award; and Maria Isaza Puerta – Prime Minister’s vocational excellence award.

Maria won the Prime Minister’s award for her outstanding commitment to her trade training, which was cookery. She studied level 3 cookery at Weltec/Whitireia’s hospitality campus

in Wellington city and gained excellent results in a Gateway Work Experience programme run by Mojo Coffee.

Lucy Smith won her award for her leadership work around the school with various groups and in particular her organisation of the school’s Pink Shirt Day celebrations.

Benjy Smith represented New Zealand at the International Young Physicists’ Tournament as captain of the team, and is a mentor to other students through helping to lead both the physics and programming clubs at Onslow College.

The guest speaker at this year’s Whakanui was Jack McGee, an alumni student, playwright and actor.

A range of student performances provided further highlights of the evening. These included Te Kapa Haka o Tarik and N Manu Tioriori/Onslow College Choir singing “E Tui”, composed by two year 11 students Tia Te Awa-Douglas and Tumanako Waa.

This year the student committee also introduced new junior values awards for years 9 and 10.

The student MCs for the evening were Laila Patchett and Lily Harward Jones.

Colin Murray

Strawberry cheesecake. It’s nice and smooth.

Bruce Mead Chocolate and pineapple ice creams and apple pie.

Anna Williams

Talanoa Tuala Ice cream.

Reginald Thomas

Sam Napier

Yoghurt. It’s good for you and I get the fruity ones, and it’s cheap.

Lucy Smith, winner of Onslow College’s leadership award, speaking after she had received her award. Photo: Supplied.

Peter Chapman, one of Onslow College’s careers managers, presenting Maria Isaza Puerta with the Prime Minister’s vocational excellence award. Photo: Supplied.

Join our birthday morning tea tour

Summerset has been bringing the best of life to our residents since 1997, which makes us 25 years young. To help celebrate, here at Summerset on the Landing in Kenepuru, we’re planning a month of birthday cake and tea, and you’re invited!

Just pop along any Thursday in November and get a taste of the Summerset life that our residents love so much. After all, we’ve had 25 years to get it right.

And what’s a birthday without a gift, so when you drop by, you’ll have a chance to enter into the draw to win an Air New Zealand Luxury Mystery Weekend for two*.

Love the life you choose

Birthday Morning Teas

Every Thursday in November, 10am – 12pm

Summerset on the Landing

1-3 Bluff Road, Kenepuru, Porirua 04 230 6722 | kenepuru.sales@summerset.co.nz

summerset.co.nz/birthdaygift

Help shape more people-friendly streets for Johnsonville and Ngā Ūranga

Gorge – Have Your Say!

Plans for bus, bike, and walking improvements around Johnsonville and Ngā Ūranga Gorge are open for feedback until 28 November. Visit lgwm.nz/home/have-your-say Wellingtonians have asked for better transport options, more housing, action on climate change, and improvements which give people more and safer options for travel as an alternative to cars.

As part of preparing our city for the future, Let’s Get Wellington Moving is planning to make improvements for people walking, riding bikes and using buses between Johnsonville and the city via Ngā Ūranga Gorge. We are asking people to tell us what they think of our ideas, how they use the area, what’s important to them. Once a preferred option is developed, the public will again be asked to feedback before design begins mid-2023. We will be keen to hear from people to see whether there are any other tweaks that could be made to make the changes even better.

Some of the options include:

• Bike lanes and improvements for buses on Moorefield Road

• Shared bike and walking paths along Ngā Ūranga Gorge

• Bike lane improvements on Johnsonville Road

• Potential morning peak bus lane in Ngā Ūranga Gorge More information can be found on our website www.lgwm.nz/citystreets and our interactive map where comments and ideas are easy to share. Or, email us at citystreets@lgwm.nz and we will send a survey to you.

Strong northern suburbs voices

Three generations of the Graham family from the northern suburbs are key players in an upcoming concert featuring classic show songs.

Wellington Comic Opera, the trading name of the Wellington Gilbert & Sullivan Society, will present the 90-minute concert on the weekend of 18-20 November.

The final show will also have a strong northern suburbs link, as it will be held in the Khandallah Town Hall at 2pm on 20 November.

Lesley Graham from Khandallah is the Musical Director and her husband Ian will join their daughter Barbara, from Wilton, grandson Donovan, from Woodridge, and niece Isabelle Pearson, from Ngaio, on stage. Called “Please sir, I want some more …” the

show will feature a concert party of 17 people. It will feature songs from such iconic shows as “Oliver!” “Show Boat” and “High Society” as well as Gilbert and Sullivan’s “HMS Pinafore” and “The Gondoliers”.

Favourite numbers include “When I was a Lad”, “Ol’ Man River”, “Can’t Help Lovin’ That Man”, “In the Still of the Night”, “As Long as He Needs Me”, “Oom-pah-pah” and “Dance a Cachucha”.

As well as the Khandallah Town Hall finale, there will be shows at Central Baptist Church, Boulcott Street, at 7.30pm on 18 November and St Marks Church, Lower Hutt at 2.30pm on 19 November.

Tickets may be purchased online at https:// wellingtoncomicopera.nz/ or at the door (cash only).

Visit our displays in Johnsonville Library and Collective Community Hub.

Come and meet the team at our drop-in this Saturday 12 November 9am to midday in the Johnsonville Library.

An artist impression of a people-friendly Johnsonville Road.

Members of the Graham family who are part of the upcoming show of classic songs (from left): Lesley Graham (Musical Director), Isabelle Pearson (soprano), Ian Graham (baritone), Barbara Graham (soprano) with Donovan Graham (treble) in front. Photo: Supplied.

Profitable Landlords?

Hey Everyone! With rising interest rates, rent levels dropping and no capital gains in sight, landlords are having to reconsider their business strategy. New Zealand needs landlords to supply rentals to survive and with the current economic and legislative environment, it is very, very hard to turn a profit when you consider true cost and opportunity loss. Being a landlord is a business and it needs to be managed that way, so decisions need to be based on profitability, especially against what other opportunities are available. Basic business dictates that profit/loss is income minus costs, however here are a few areas that I commonly see new landlords forgetting to consider.

1. Opportunity Loss – This is the potential return on your equity, so if you have $500k equity sitting in your investment property, if you had sold it this equity could have been used to pay off a mortgage (giving you 5.5%-6% return, as you won’t be paying interest on $500k anymore. If you don’t have a mortgage, then the $500k could be placed in a term deposit, giving you 4%+ yearly profit. Just because you don’t have a mortgage doesn’t mean you should lose money.

2. Maintenance Costs – Houses need to be well maintained else you will start seeing expensive issues arising. You also need to budget for other things like house wash, gutter cleans, gardens, resealing windows/ doors, etc. On some tenancy agreements the tenant could look after some of those things, but good luck with that.

3. Depreciation Costs – Not only can tenants do ‘fair wear and tear’ to your property, but you need to also budget for bigger items

$2.5k of cost per year for painting. There is no point in making positive cashflow only to lose it later on maintenance costs.

4. Vacancy – Your property may have a rental assessment of $600 per week, but if it takes 4 weeks to find a tenant, then you need to factor in a loss of $2400 per year. If it is still profitable to reduce rent, it may be a good idea to just take a hit on the weekly rent amount and find a tenant faster.

There are A LOT of properties available for rent, so your business strategy for being a landlord needs to be sound. Maybe your entire property strategy needs to be reviewed for this new market environment.

If you would like to sit down and go through a strategy session to get the most out of your property investments, get in touch –I’d love to help!

Have a great week everyone!

Vino and Anselm Martyn raise $9500 for Youthline

By Jacob Page

Khandallah’s Vino and Anselm Martyn raised $9500 for Youthline Wellington in honour of their late son.

The couple says they hope everyone enjoyed their event.

“We enjoyed doing our best for the Youthline Fundraiser and the evening.

“We hope all who joined us that

evening had a good time too.”

They began their work in Sydney, moving there just over 25 years ago after their high-performing and very well-respected son Anshan passed away.

While in Sydney, they always held a dinner party for family and friends on his birthday which doubled as a fundraiser for youth in need.

Written by William YIP

Buses wearing moustaches

Buses in the Wellington region will be wearing moustaches this month, all in a good cause.

It is part of the Movember movement’s initiative to raise funds for mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer.

To date, the Movember movement has funded more than 1,250 men’s health projects worldwide since it began in 2003.

The freshly waxed bus-staches will be seen on all NZ Bus’s Wellington City and Eastbourne bus routes, and will also make an appearance across the region, Metlink says.

“Metlink and NZ Bus are proud to back Movember and men’s health. The cause has really grown on us,” Metlink General Manager Samantha Gain said.

“The giant mos and any lip luggage grown by our front-line team will hopefully boost the fundraising effort.”

This is the second year that Metlink has supported the Movember initiative.

Ian Grose, NZ Bus Chief Financial Officer, who is co-ordinating the campaign, said they raised $20,000 for Movember last year.

This included $10,000 from the operator, who matched the total amount donated to their ‘team’.

“We’re thrilled to be supporting Movember again and will match every dollar up to ten thousand dollars raised through the NZ Bus Team on the Movember website.”

A Metlink bus wearing its moustache to help raise funds for a good cause.

Anyone wishing to donate can visit nz.movember.com and search NZ Bus to donate to their team.

Urgent support for mental health and suicide issues is available for you or someone you know by calling: 1737 Need To Talk (1737).

The Suicide Crisis Helpline (0508 828 865), or Lifeline (0800 543 354).

If you’re ever worried that someone’s life is in immediate danger, call 111 or go directly to emergency services.

Vino and Anselm Martyn hosted their annual Youthline fundraising event and raised $9500.

Some tips on growing tasty potatoes

By Dwyllis Maggs

Your potatoes, both ‘early’ and ‘main’ season, should be growing well by now. I grow mine in large tubs to free up garden space for other crops, and they are easier to harvest this way.

‘Early’ potatoes grow in a single layer spreading out from the seed potato, while ‘main‘ varieties grow upwards. I use spent potting mix or straw to mound up. Mounding ensures a bigger harvest for the latter and prevents them from going green and becoming toxic. However I still mound the earlies to stabilize the plant.

I’m also experimenting with growing daikon in tubs. I sowed the seeds in small pots at the beginning of October. They

grow very quickly and after a month I transplanted them into the tubs 5-10cm apart. They will be ready to harvest in 60 days. If successful I can sow again in March.

Water in the evening or early morning when it is cooler so the water won’t evaporate so quickly. It’s also likely to be more enjoyable for you.

Take the time to look and see which plants are doing well in their spot and which ones seem to be struggling. Are there gaps that

cuttings and sometimes I just leave them in their pots and place them around the

combinations of plants, and whether or not the conditions – for example sun, shade, shelter or dryness, suit them.

Groundplanz – time to prepare for summer living

With the days getting longer it’s time to start thinking about BBQs and outdoor entertainment areas – an attractive living space for entertaining friends and family, or for your own enjoyment.

Decks, patios and courtyards can be designed to provide an extension of your indoor living areas. A BBQ setting can be enhanced by the addition of wellpositioned seating and pergolas with attractive planting.

If you need landscaping ideas, or have your own and need guidance, we can help

- with garden layout, structural features and plant selection.

Our Groundplanz team specialises in high quality woodwork that stands the test of time. We build BBQ cabinetry and also have extensive expertise in paving and plant design.

Groundplanz provides professional landscape design and construction services. The right design for your landscaping can really add something special to your outdoor living. www. groundplanz.co.nz

Supplies for your garden as well as your animals

Sharpes Feed Barn has been the tried and true animal feed supplier for wider Wellington for more than 100 years.

Owner Mark Van Waveren has been providing his personal service for over 20 years and continues to make Sharpes Feed Barn the preferred place where animal to purchase from.

Sharpes Feed Barn has quality food for

most farm and domestic animals from horse feed, sheep feed, chicken feed and dog food for working dogs through to goat feed, rabbit feed and bird feed.

Our customers are loyal to us because they appreciate the balance struck between quality products and competitive prices.

Sharpes Feed Barn is committed to and gardening supplies available locally.

Creating ambience and style for the indoors with The Foliage Studio

ity products and exceptional customer service to shoppers from the comfort of their own homes. They know the plants and products as they use them themselves.

Owners Trav Cook and Cam Castle see the value of creating green spaces indoors, and the joy that people get from caring for their indoor collections.

The business values quality, and hands

on knowledge with a personal touch. Check out their store and enrich your houseplant experience from what they have in stock, as well as plant accessories. They also have an online shop where you can see the extensive range available.

Their services include Plant installations for homes and businesses, expert indoor plant consultations, maintenance and advice, live plant home staging, and plant gifts for events and functions.

The established cleaning products experts

Cleaning

at 58 Waione St, Petone (between the Esplanade and the Seaview bridge) for a great range of quality household and commercial cleaning products, swimming/ spa pool chemicals and accessories, and all the advice and service you could need!

Roses for Queen’s Platinum Jubilee

Three roses, donated by the Hutt Valley Rose Society, have been planted at Government House to commemorate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

The initiative began with the idea of helping to resurrect Parliament’s rose garden which was dug up by protesters.

An anti-mandate protest in February, in the grounds of Parliament, became a 23 day occupation.

Protesters set themselves up with tents, a commercial kitchen and ablution block. They dug up the lawn to plant vegetables and herbs and sowed tomatoes in the rose garden.

The protest came to a violent end when protesters lit fires

within Parliament grounds.

The clean-up task was huge. The fate of Parliament’s rose garden was unknown but it was proposed that Hutt Valley Rose Society, in collaboration with Matthews Roses, donate three roses to commemorate the Queen’s Platinum jubilee.

The Head Gardener consulted the Governor General and it was decided that the roses were best placed at Government House.

‘Glorious’ was selected to compliment the golden colour of the quince fruit on trees espaliered on Convicts Wall. They have been planted along with a golden passionfruit.

This is likely the most shel-

tered part of the garden which is at high elevation and prone to both northerly and southerly winds.

The roses were planted in August and their strong healthy canes are budding up nicely.

“We are sure visitors will enjoy the roses as they stop to reflect upon the history of Convicts Wall,” the Rose Society says.

People interested in roses can come to the rose show on 12 and 13 November at Walter Nash Centre, from noon to 4pm on the Saturday and 10am to 3.30pm on the Sunday. Entry is $3 for adults and children are free. There will be roses on display as well as roses and other plants for sale.

Peace poster winner named

Kezia Stevenson from Kelburn Normal School is the winner of the local level of the Lions International Peace Poster Contest, sponsored by the Karori Lions Club.

Her winning poster, along with the other entries in the competition, are now on display on the glass front of the Karori Public Library and are viewable from the footpath.

The display includes the four posters that won a “Merit Award”.

The four Merit Awards were won by Charlotte Robinson from Makara Model School, Adriana McHague from Karori Normal School, and Stephanie Joyce and Hani Tui Muk both from St Teresa’s School.

Kezia’s artwork, imaginatively interpreting this year’s theme “Lead with Compassion” will now proceed to the next (Lions District) stage of the competition.

If continuing to win, it may

progress to the national level, and thence to the international level. Competition will be increasingly tough, with more than half a million children, aged 11 to 13 years, expected to participate worldwide.

The International Grand Prize winner receives an award of $US5000 and a trip, accompanied by two family members, to the award ceremony in the United States.

Karori Lion Beth Anders, local Peace Poster Convenor, says “Our winner, as usual, will receive a prize of $200, and because we have received so many good entries this year, our club board decided to allocate a further $200 to be divided among four ‘Merit Award’ achievers.”

Karori Lions have sponsored two national winners in recent years, and the Peace Poster Contest is one of their treasured programmes.

“Over the past three decades or so more than ten mil-

The winning Peace Poster, Kezia Stevenson’s interpretation of “Lead with Compassion”.

Photo: Supplied.

lion children have participated in this international contest, such that many more tens of millions of parents, teachers and peers have engaged with the theme of peace,” Ms Anders says.

Toy library celebrates 30 years

By Frank Neill

The Ngaio Toy Library celebrated its 30th birthday with a morning tea and open day at the Ngaio Town Hall on 5 November.

One of those attending, Hazel Bidmead, used the toy library as a child when it first opened, and continues her association as a Ngaio toy Library committee member.

Started by Plunket/W nau hina in 1992, the toy library spent the next 17 years under the umbrella of the support service for tamariki under five.

In 2009 a group of Ngaio residents then took over the running of the toy library, establishing the Ngaio Toy Library organisation.

After serving Ngaio families for some 25 years, things looked bleak for the toy library in 2017.

The coffers were empty and membership was declining. The committee did not know whether the toy library could continue.

The committee called a special meeting to decide what to do and this meeting saw an unexpected level of community engagement.

An action plan was developed and the result was a surge in membership and a stabilisation of finances.

Five years later and the Ngaio Toy Library is not only celebrating 30 years, but also a significant growth in the number of member families.

Membership has grown from about 27 families at the start of last year to about 66 families now, the Ngaio Toy Library President, Sarah O’Sullivan, told the “Independent Herald”.

These days “it hums,” Ms O’Sullivan added.

The toy library is open every second Saturday in the Ngaio Town Hall from 9:30 to 11:30am.

Family membership is $80 a year, which gives people an option of giving their children access to toys, games and puzzles without the financial burden of having to buy them.

For more information, the toy library has a website, https:// ngaio.mibase.com.au, where people can also sign up online.

Historic planting at Halfway House

By Frank Neill

Dr Richard Davies, husband of Governor General Dame Cindy Kiro, planted a rimu tree at Glenside’s historic Halfway House to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee on 2 November.

“Earlier this year, Dame Cindy and I were honoured to travel to the United Kingdom for the Platinum Jubilee celebrations,” Dr Davies said during the planting ceremony.

“It was with great sadness that we returned three months later to join others from around the world to pay our respects at Her Majesty’s State Funeral.

“For her Platinum Jubilee year, Queen Elizabeth encouraged a global movement to ‘Plant a tree for the Jubilee’, with over 100,000 planted in New Zealand alone.

“I’m honoured to add to that impressive tally, and to commemorate her 70-year reign,” he said.

Dr Davies said he was returning a gesture made more than 150 years ago when Thomas Drake, who lived near Halfway House, provided a tree to Prince Alfred, the Duke of Edinburgh in 1869.

Prince Alfred was visiting New Zealand as part of the first ever Royal visit to Aotearoa.

Mr Drake gifted two trees – one of them a Totara – to the then Governor General, Sir George Bowen, and Prince Alfred planted the trees at the site of the former vice-regal residence.

“I am here today, over 150 years later, returning the gesture with a rimu for these historic gardens,” Dr Davies said.

“I’m glad to be joined by others who also have historic connections to this area – very fitting given it is Heritage Week.

“So the planting of trees links us to the past, and at the same time is a gift to the future.

“I like to think of this rimu towering over our descendants in 500, perhaps even a thousand years’ time.

“Not only does its planting commemorate the reign of Queen Elizabeth, it also symbolises our care for the planet,” Dr Davies said.

“The message from the husband of the Governor General really resonated with us,” said Claire Bibby, the leader for Heritage Gardeners and President of the Glenside Progressive Association.

“It was a lovely day and he [Dr Davies] is such a lovely person,” she said, adding that now was a “beautiful time” to visit the amazing gardens at Halfway House.

Rose Society members in front of Convicts Wall. Photo: Supplied.

The Governor General’s husband, Dr Richard Davies, and leader for the Heritage Gardeners Claire Bibby with the rimu Dr Davies had just planted. Photo: Supplied.

Annual General Meeting

Hutt Mana Charitable Trust gives out over $1 million in funding each year to great community groups and projects in the Hutt Valley, Porirua and Wellington North. Come along and see what we’ve been doing this year and, have a say on where we target our funding next year.

The Trustees will be presenting the financial statements for the year ending 30 June 2022 and appointing the auditor.

Friday 25 November 10am

Forsyth Barr

Level 22, NTT Tower, 157 Lambton Quay, Wellington

Financial statements will be available on our website www.hmct.org.nz or by emailing secretary@hmct.co.nz from 11 November.

For more information visit www.hmct.org.nz or phone 04 566 4399

Public Notice

Churton Park School Enrolment Out of Zone Enrolment for 2023

The Board of Trustees invites applications from parents who wish to enrol “Out of Zone” students at Churton Park School. Churton Park School is governed by an enrolment scheme, details of which are available on the school website.

The Board of Trustees have approved 12 Out of Zone vacancies in 2023 for Years 1, 2, 4 and 5. Applications are made on the official enrolment form, which is available at the school office or online enrolment on the school website. The deadline for receipt of applications for out of zone places is Wednesday 30th November 2022 at 3pm.

If a ballot for out of zone places is required, it will be held on Friday 2nd December 2022. Parents will be informed of the outcome of the ballot within three working days of the ballot being held.

If you live in the home zone and have not yet signalled your intention to enrol your child, please contact the school immediately to assist us to plan appropriately.

Please contact the school office, phone 04 4784282 for details regarding the application process or email: office@churtonpark.school.nz

Khandallah Village Market 10am-2pm

Art, Craft, Vintage and Preloved Khandallah Presbyterian Church Hall 33

Friendship Club of Johnsonville

Speaker: Janice Swan

Decluttering

Date: 17th November at 9:30am

Visitors Welcome Enquiries to Val 479 6045 or 021 164 2273

The Johnsonville Business Group

Would like to advise that as required by the Wellington City Council BID Policy (2013), a postal vote involving businesses with commercially rated premises and their landlords will be held on the formation of a Business Improvement District (BID) within a set boundary in Johnsonville. Voting papers will be mailed out on the 2nd of November 2022 and the result will be announced by Wellington City Council on 28th of November 2022.

WANTED

We’re a mature professional couple with elderly mum & house trained cat. We’re house proud, avid gardeners with excellent references, looking for a 3-4 bedroom home preferably with a separate living area (downstairs rumpus room). If you are a good landlord looking for stress free tenants to care for your home please give us a call. We’re happy to pay a fair price for a well maintained home. PHONE 021 668 453

THURSDAY FACT

If any business or commercial property owner is concerned that they may have been missed off the ballot record, please email wellingtonbid@wcc.govt.nz

The SMS concept was developed in the Franco-German GSM cooperation in 1984 by Friedhelm Hillebrand and Bernard Ghillebaert. The first text message was sent in 1992 from Neil Papworth, a former developer at Sema Group Telecoms.

William YIP Your Friend in Real Estate

Free Event Supported by:

With Jacob Page

Williamson silences social media doubters

Kane Williamson proved the doubters wrong against Ireland.

The Black Caps captain has copped it from all sides for his perceived lack of runs and slow scoring rate during the Twenty 20 World Cup in Australia.

However, his scintillating 61 off 35 balls in a must win game against Ireland was proof that form is temporary and class is permanent.

In what is likely a case of New Zealand cricket fans getting greedy and letting the last seven or eight years of success go to their heads, many wanted Williamson out of the team at any cost.

Such was the social media buzz, that many fans did not care who replaced him at No 3 in the batting order or as captain.

Williamson’s form has not been up to world class standards over

the past 18 months, thanks in part to injury, but he is the best batter New Zealand has produced and we should feel fortunate to pick him in any format he wants to play.

Cricket is not like rugby in this country, world class players are few and far between, The luxury to throw Williamson on the T20 scrap heap isn’t there.

His innings against Ireland, which ensured the Black Caps

made the semifinals, was a timely reminder for cricket fans not to get greedy.

It is always a positive, in my view, for fans to be objectively critical of players when they underperform, that shows people care and they want the team and players they support to be held to a high standard but the chatter around Williamson over the past fortnight was similar to

an ungrateful child complaining about the presents they got on Christmas Day.

Make no mistake, Williamson is a gift to cricket in this country and much like Ross Taylor, when he does retire, the hole he leaves in the team, in any format, will not be able to be replaced by one person.

Enjoy the Kane Train while it is still on the tracks, we don’t have anyone better.

Johnsonville fall to Onslow in T20 flop

By Jacob Page

Johnsonville completed a disappointing premier Twenty 20 cricket campaign with a six wicket loss to Onslow on Saturday.

After two defeats a fortnight ago and then last weekend’s two fixtures abandoned due to rain, Johnsonville had no hope of making the final heading into the fifth and final round.

Wellington defends Freyberg Masters

Wellington successfully defended the Freyberg Masters title following a masterful week at the Motueka Golf Club.

The defending champions won their second-straight title with a round to spare at the master’s event, accumulating 6.5 wins and 28 games to be three games ahead of Canterbury going into the final round on 6 November. As Canterbury had a bye, no one could catch the capital side.

They won their final match to cap off a near-perfect week, with their only minor hiccup coming against Hawke’s Bay with a half.

Wellington Manager Steve Weir says it’s been an outstanding week.

“We have a great team dynamic. The golf was quality. I’m very proud of the boys for going back-to-back.”

The capital side came into the final day today with their fate in their own hands.

They played a strong Manawatu-Wanganui team and got over the line 3.5 – 1.5 to tee their final day off.

Wellington number five Matt Pegg, number three Brad Rowland, and number one Jonno Cane all had victories, while Mark Whalen halved his match at number four.

With the title all but sewn up, they still had a job to do against a dangerous Auckland side who, unfortunately, failed to fire on all cylinders this week.

Through nine holes, Auckland had their noses in front and was up in three of the five matches.

Wellington displayed why they’re a champion side, flipping the top two matches, which got the side over the line 4 – 1.

Wins went to Wellington’s top four, meaning both Cane and Rowland went through the tournament unbeaten.

“It was a team effort. Yes, Cane and Rowland were unbeaten, but they all chimed in at the right time. I’m just super proud of the team and all they’ve achieved over the past couple of years,” Steve says.

North Harbour finished second on 6.5 wins and 25.5 games, finishing half a game better than Canterbury, who rounded out the podium.

Batting first, Johnsonville made 152 for nine thanks largely to Devan Vishvaka’s 65 off 41.

The problem was that the opener found little support.

Only two other top-order players made double figures and it was left to No 10 batter David Hudson with 25 not out to inch Johnsonville to a competitive total.

Ultimately it was an 86-run

opening stand between Onslow’s Sam Cooper (54) and Nathan Robinson (43) which proved to be a match-winning partnership.

Johnsonville, with a largely second-string bowling attack could not make in-roads and Onslow won with nine balls to spare.

Johnsonville will start their Ewen Chatfield Trophy 50-over competition at Alex Moore Park against Karori this Saturday.

Top bowling pair

Brady Amer and Adam Ryan are the Johnsonville Bowling Club’s 2022 pairs champions.

The final of the pairs was played in brilliant sunshine on 6 November.

Victory saw Brady and Adam lift the Chas Warr Cup, fi rst played for in the 1970/71 season.

The inaugural winner of the Chas Warr Cup was Johnsonville Bowling Club legend Todd Anquetil.

Todd’s son Paul was one of this

year’s fi nalists, teaming up with Steve Scoones.

Paul was not able to replicate his father’s success, however, and Brady and Adam scored a comfortable win.

The Chas Warr Cup has frequently been won multiple times by some of the club’s most experienced players. This year, however, none of the players had won the trophy before.

Devan Vishvaka’s 65 was not enough to get a win for Johnsonville in the premier twenty20 competiton against Onslow. Photo: Supplied.

The Freyberg Masters winners. Back row (from left) Brad Rowland, Steve Weir (Manager), Mark Whalen, Matt Pegg and Steve Thomson; (kneeling) Jonno Cane (left) and Captain Elton Nicholson. Photo: Supplied.

The four finalists in the Johnsonville Bowling Club’s pairs championship (from left) Paul Anquetil, Steve Scoones, Brady Amer and Adam Ryan. Photo: Supplied.