20 June Independent Herald

Winning choirs

By Frank Neill

Samuel Marsden Collegiate School’s two choirs each came away with a top honour in the 2024 Big Sing secondary schools choral festival.

Marsden’s number one choir, Altissime, won the Victoria University Cup with a mesmerising rendition of “I Te P ”.

Continued on page 2.

Samuel Marsden’s choir Altissime which won the Victoria University Cup at the Big Sing. Photo: Supplied.

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‘We were very proud of them’

This song was written by Rob Ruha, who gave the school permission to make its own arrangement of the work.

Marsden’s Director of Music Marian Campbell arranged “I Te P ” to make it suitable for a girls’ ensemble.

Altissime winning the Victoria University Cup made her “very, very happy,” Marian says.

“We were very proud of them.”

The song they performed “is a beautiful piece.”

It was written for the passing of a loved one.

“The words Rob used [in the song] were so beautiful.

“There was a personal reason for me selecting ‘I Te P ’,” Mar-

ian says.

“One of my great friends is dying, and it was my way of dealing with that.”

The school’s student-lead choir, Ad Summa, won the Adjudicator’s Choice Award for their performance of “Africa” by Toto.

Year 13 student Ella Christie arranged “Toto” for their winning performance.

Ella is the daughter of Maaike Christie-Beekman, who conducted Altissime, which she has now done for 11 years.

Maaike “is an amazing musician, a phenomenal singer and is so great to work with,” Marian says.

The Big Sing is a regional

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secondary schools choral festival that takes place in 10 centres involving around 8,000 students from more than 200 schools, supported by their families and communities.

The Big Sing has been taking place for over 30 years and is New Zealand’s largest choral event.

Of the 200 plus competing choirs, 60 will be selected for the area Cadenza festivals (held in the Upper North Island, Lower North Island and South Island) and the National Finale.

The 2024 Cadenza festivals will take place in three centres – one in the South Island, one in the lower North Island and one

in the upper North Island – with 12 choirs in each.

Those invited to attend Cadenza are the 12 choirs from their area ranked immediately below those selected for the Finale, with a limit of one choir per school.

The lower North Island Cadenza will be held at Toitoi – Hawke’s Bay Arts and Events Centre, Hastings, on 12 and 13 August.

The Big Sing Finale 2024, featuring 24 choirs, will be held at the Michael Fowler Centre from Thursday 29 to Saturday 31 August.

Choirs selected for cadenza and finale will be announced at 3pm on Monday 24 june.

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.

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.

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

This week in Parliament we are doing something called a Scrutiny Week, where the Cabinet Ministers are required to come to Select Committees and be questioned on how they intend to spend their budget, and more importantly this year, explain how their departments will be able to do their jobs despite hefty staff and budget cuts. Whenever I took on a new role or business, I always believed it was prudent to get a good understanding of how things operate before making changes; the risk otherwise is that the important roles and tasks get cut, while the less important ones are kept. Convincing yourself that the previous administration is to blame for everything without considering why every other country has exactly the same issues, means you are working off rhetoric and not facts. That is why these Scrutiny Weeks are useful to test Ministers’ knowledge of their portfolios.

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.

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.

There is a bit of theatre about the whole thing, as Government MPs seek to protect their Ministers, but what is important is that everyone does their best for New Zealand, and not their party. That is why there is a convention when overseas of ensuring we do not denigrate or criticise our country, and it’s been interesting that our own businesspeople have remonstrated with the current Prime Minister for doing just that. Conventions are very important, and in a world which is very volatile politically and economically at present, we must present a united front and not play politics on the world stage. Our PM could take lessons from Winston Peters who is very much the statesman when abroad, despite what he gets up to at home. We want a country our citizens are proud of and want to live in, and criticising it abroad is not how we achieve that.

Samuel Marsden’s choir Ad Summa, which won the Adjudicator’s Choice Award at the Big Sing. Photo: Supplied.

Double celebration for Aroha String Quartet

The Aroha String Quartet, half of whom live in Churton Park, celebrates a double anniversary next month.

This year marks the twentieth anniversary of the establishment of the Aroha Quartet, one of Aotearoa’s finest classical chamber music ensembles. It is also the tenth anniversary of the quartet’s mid-year ASQ International Music Academy, a week-long string orchestra and chamber ensemble course for student and adult non-professional string players. Three events in the second week of July will mark this occasion. All three will take place at St Andrew’s on The Terrace in Wellington.

On Wednesday 10 July at 12:15pm the Aroha Quartet will be joined by former quartet members along with guest tutors and players from 10 years of the ASQ Academy to perform music by Boccherini, Arensky and Mozart.

At 5:30 pm on Friday 12 July the Aroha Quartet, together with NZSO double bassist Oleksandr Gunchenko, will play three exciting works for string quintet by the French composer George Onslow, Auckland-based composer Louise Webster, and Czech composer Antonin Dvorak. Finally, at a Gala Concert on Saturday 13 July at 5pm the participants of the tenth ASQ

International Music Academy will present small ensemble works by composers such as Boccherini, Beethoven, Vivaldi, Onslow, Schubert and Dvorak.

The Academy String Orchestra, conducted by NZSO Associate Concertmaster Donald Armstrong, will play the famous “Night Music from the Streets of Madrid” by Boccherini and Elgar’s Introduction and Allegro with the members of the Aroha Quartet as soloists. Entry to all three events is by koha/donation.Founded in 2004, this versatile Wellington-based quartet is known for its passionate musicality, impressive technique, and multicultural innovation.

Churton Park residents Haihong Liu and Zhongxian Jin are original members of the Aroha Quartet.

Robert Ibell joined the group in 2009 and Konstanze Artmann in 2018. Beiyi Xue and Jiaxin Cheng were the two other original members of the ensemble.

“Back in 2004 four musicians who’d arrived in Aotearoa from China became friends and discovered their common love of playing chamber music together,” Haihong says. Haihong is the quartet’s first violinist.

“We dug into our library to find string quartets to play to John Nixon, a friend from New Caledonia.

John said to us ‘All you need is a name and a public concert’. “So on 4 July 2004 the new Aroha String Quartet gave its official debut to a full house of more than 200 people in a church in Te Aroha. “Although some of the members of the Quartet have changed over the years we still share that passion for chamber music,” Haihong says.

Ten years ago the Aroha Quartet held its first ASQ International Music Academy in Newtown, Wellington. Space was limited in the community centre where this academy was held, so some groups rehearsed in other buildings nearby, including the home of one of the

Quartet members.

“Each year the ASQ Academy seems to get more exciting than the previous one,” Cathie McCallum, Administrator of the ASQ International Music Academy, says. “It’s an amazing course, and with this year being the tenth I am certain that it will be even more special.

“I am really looking forward to the concert at St Andrew’s on the Terrace at Wednesday lunchtime with many of the former members of the quartet and previous tutors.

“The Gala Concert is always really special to all the participants and their sense of achievement is very obvious. It’s such a great night!”

Free workshops

A free business workshop will be held at Waitohi Johnsonville Library from 10:30am to 12:30pm on Saturday 22 June.

Entitled “Creating something from nothing” the workshop will be facilitated by Tony Henderson-Newport, the founder of Rebel Business School. It will explore the opportunity of going into business with little or no money.

Registration is essential and can be made in the events calendar on the Wellington City Libraries website.

Marathon coming

The Wellington Marathon will be held on Sunday 23 June.

Based at the Sky Stadium, the event sees runners and walkers cover a scenic route around Wellington’s waterfront. As well as the full marathon there are options of a half marathon, 10km and the Kid’s Magic Mile.

More than 4,000 are expected to take part.

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Participants at the 2023 ASQ International Music Academy, conducted by Donald Armstrong. Photo: Supplied.

The Aroha String Quartet (from left) Haihong Liu (first violin), Zhongxian Jin (viola), Konstanze Artmann (second violin) and Robert Ibell (cello). Photo: Supplied.

Daily walking is a key component to maintaining good mental health. Even the Greek philosophers understood the link between walking and good mental outlook. Hippocrates quoted “ If you are in a bad mood go for a walk. If still in a bad mood, go for another walk”

Socrates quoted ”Surely a person of sense would submit to anything, like exercise, so as to obtain a well functioning mind and a pleasant, happy life.”

At Active Feet Podiatry we can assist in making walking a pleasant and comfortable experience by providing excellent care of the feet and offering advice and assistance with shoes and fitting of orthotics. Active Feet Podiatry, Dr Tim Halpine can be seen at his clinic at 85 the Terrace in Wellington or at the Ngaio Medical Centre. Ph 473 8696 ActiveFeetPodiatry.com

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Karori book fair coming soon

The Karori Lions and Rotary Clubs are working again with a Community Book Fair in July to support local and regional projects.

The fair will be held at the Karori Baptist Church, Marsden Village Karori, on Friday 12 July from 12 noon to 8pm and on Saturday 13 July from 9am to 4pm.

Co-convenor Beth Anders for Karori Lions says this is always a key calendar event in Karori and the two service organisations, Lions and Rotary, enjoy working together to support significant community organisations with funding needs.

“We have been busy sorting books for this year’s event for some time and are ready to go,” Beth says.

“We don’t need any more books from the community except some more good quality children’s books which can be brought down to the fair on the day and we can put them into the books for sale.

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“We are again grateful to sponsors in support of the fair with some prizes for those who purchase over $25 in books.

“This has been a popular attraction at our previous book fairs. The prizes will be drawn at the end of the Fair on the Saturday,” Beth says.

David Watt, Karori Rotary Coconvenor, is encouraging support from the wider areas of greater Wellington who have been buyers at the Karori Community Book Fair over many years.

“We are giving funds collected at the Book Fair to organisations needing our support including the Life Flight Trust, to project support for Zealandia, and also to assist with grants to many local organisations in our catchment area.

“We want to continue to play our part in doing this”, David says. For more information contact Beth Anders, 021 264 1481 or David Watt, 027 2466 339.

Digital child exploitation guard improved

into its existing filter, Minister of Internal Affairs, Brooke van Velden says.

Level 2, 85 The Terrace, Wellington 6011 (opposite Solnet House and Aurora Terrace).

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The Department of Internal Affairs has announced a significant upgrade to its Digital Child Exploitation Filtering System, which blocks access to websites known to host child sexual abuse material.

The department will incorporate up-to-date lists of websites hosting child sexual abuse material provided by the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), a UKbased not-for-profit organisation,

This will increase the number of blocked URLs from around 700 to up to 30,000 on any given day, she says.

The IWF filter is updated daily using both human analysis and artificial intelligence to identify webpages confirmed to host this illegal material.

“This is a major step in pre-

venting children from being retraumatised by having records of their abuse shared online, as well as preventing New Zealanders from viewing this material – including unintentional access by children,” Ms van Velden says.

The department is currently implementing the filter and expects to have it fully incorporated this year.

The filter blocks criminal

content which is confirmed to contain children. Other adult content which is legal in New Zealand will not be blocked.

“This criminal material has no place in New Zealand,” Ms van Valden says.

“It is abhorrent. I am pleased that the department is taking steps to upgrade the filtering system to prevent more children from being harmed.”

At last year’s Karori Community Book Fair. Photo: Supplied.

Bigger and better trade centre

10 Crofton Downs will open its much bigger and better new trade centre next month.

It will come just after Mitre 10 celebrates its 50th year in New Zealand, which is taking place today, 20 June.

“We are very excited about our new trade centre,” Mitre 10 Crofton Downs Managing Director Brendan Hall says.

“We are now able to provide our customers with a fast and efficient service which will keep our busy tradies on the tools while still offering a specialised service and support to our DIY customers.”

“Customers, both trade and DIYers, are going to see a better environment to shop in, a wider and better range of products and more services,” Trade Manager Warren Gaylard says.

“They will have an experience that is more customer friendly rather than the cramped space we have got at the moment.”

Mitre 10 Crofton Downs has, until the new site opens, a trade yard that has been quite difficult to navigate.

“Our new site will allow customers to drive in and out at opposite ends of the yard, so we will have better flow and accessibility,” Warren says.

“We will have more stock, a wider range,

better customer access and therefore a better experience for everybody,” he adds.

“The premises themselves are going to be big and quite dominant.”

As well as providing for people in the trade, there is also plenty for the DIY customers.

From August the main store will feature a consultation area where customers can come to talk about their landscaping project and iron out the details.

“Then we can do the rest,” Brendan says.

“Whether your project is green or dry landscaping we are offering concept plans and planting plans. We can do it all.

“Where the trade site is currrently will be transformed into green and dry landscaping space. We are going to have 25% more garden space and well over 50% more landscaping space.

“More range and variety will be on offer and we will have a landscaping area with all the displays and different options available.

“It’s a one-stop shop,” Brendan adds.

“You can come in with an idea or a concept and we can make it a reality for you.”

Big ‘thank you’ to fire fighters

By Frank Neill

The Newlands and Tawa volunteer fire fighters, along with volunteers from around the country, have received a “big thank you” from Fire and Emergency Chief Executive Kerry Gregory.

Kerry’s message of thanks was delivered just before National Volunteer Week, which began on 16 June and runs to 22 June.

"Volunteers are the backbone of New Zealand’s fire response, and every day we are grateful for their commitment, skill and professionalism," Kerry says.

"Nearly 12,000 people volunteer for Fire and Emergency, protecting the communities they live in, 24/7, 365 days a year," he says.

"Volunteers make up 80% of our workforce across the motu and we couldn’t run this organisation without them,” Kerry says.

"They serve as fire fighters, operational support personnel, medical first responders and brigade support and respond to a range of emergencies, not just fires.

“They also help to spread the word about fire safety in their communities.

"They are ordinary New Zealanders from all walks of life who are totally committed to serving their communities and who frequently go above and beyond to keep their communities safe and supported.

"We see this again and again, including during the severe weather events last year, and the spate of long duration wildfires this year.”

During National Volunteer Week “we’re putting a spotlight on our volunteers,” Kerry says.

“We’re asking everyone to join us in thanking our volunteers for generously donating their time, effort and family life to serve and protect their communities.

"There's another group of people whose support is critical to our volunteers’ emergency response – their wh nau and employers, and we thank them too.

"Reach out and say thank you to Fire and Emergency volunteers and their support people. It’s so simple but it will mean a lot," Kerry says.

Mitre

Mortgage Pinch? YIP!

Hey Everyone! although there is positive movement in interest rates, they are still quite high and at the current rates there will be people struggling to keep up with repayments - especially landlords/investors. With the OCR expected to hold firm for quite some time, it may be time to look for some solutions to minimise the mortgage stress.

Refinance – A good mortgage broker can review your mortgage situation and find solutions across multiple banks / lending institutions. Just because you bank with a particular bank, it is an easy process to obtain a mortgage from other institutions. Particularly with smaller banks doing better deals, it is a good time to look at savings.

Debt management – Rather than digging into credit cards, have a look at offset / flexi facilities with your mortgage provider. If something urgent pops up, it is good to know that you can access some of the equity in your property at a much more affordable rate. This way you are continuously paying off your mortgage as best as possible.

Negotiate the Rate – The advertised mortgage rate is never the lowest possible rate, most lenders have discount margins that your broker / mortgage manager will be able to help with. You will find that a small discount on interest rates will compound your savings exponentially over time. Well worth doing.

Make extra repayment – The first half is the toughest part of paying off a mortgage, making extra repayments reduces the compounding interest and you can always access the repaid equity through your flexi/offset facility. The easiest way would be to move to fortnightly payments instead of monthly and increasing your repayments slightly.

Streamline expenses – There are always ways of saving on your living costs, you can buy groceries direct, shopping around for same

products at discounted rates, cheaper power/ utilities plans, looking at fuel savings and so much more. Even an extra $100 a week put towards your repayments, could shave years off an average mortgage in this area.

Opportunity Loss - If things get too hard, it may be time to work out if it would be better to just sell your property to pay off the debt or invest elsewhere. Based on your ownership top-up costs (mortgage, rates, maintenance, depreciation, etc), is it worth it for the potential capital gains, or it is mathematically better to just pay off the mortgage? It may be worth having a look at the numbers.

If you are feeling the pinch and would like a confidential chat about your situation, get in touch - we can do our best to kick some ideas around for you. Have a nice great week Everyone!

Written by William YIP Your friend

William.YIP@CollectiveFN.co.nz

History at KATE for school students

Old telephones, a railway lantern and old photographs of children in Khandallah were learning experiences for St Benedict's School students on their recent history field trip.

Last week three classes of students ranging in age from 5 to 7 visited the former Khandallah Automatic Telephone Exchange (KATE), now the home of the Onslow Historic Society.

They were met by Hugh Bibby, his cousin Claire Bibby, and newly elected Onslow Historic Society president Felicity Wong.

Hugh showed the children his collection of old telephones, and explained how they were once wired from people’s homes to the telephone exchange and demonstrated the meaning of telephone language by dialing, ringing, and hanging up.

He also demonstrated how coloured glass in a hand-held lantern was used to guide train drivers to stop and go.

Claire shared photographs of Khandallah children 125 years ago playing outdoors.

Felicity prepared a map for the students to take home of places to visit, such as the former Ngatoto kumara gardens, the Bridle Track, horse trough and interesting local buildings.

St Benedict’s teacher Fiona Barnett said the students learnt about the development of the need for the KATE building itself and had

an opportunity to use some of the examples of early telephones.

“The wonderful collection of photos allowed the students to get a sense of the history of settlement of the area and were challenged to be ‘detectives’ and to be curious about their local history,” she said.

Lions e-recycling fundraiser

By Frank Neill

The Karori Lions Club is running its erecycling project again this year.

It will be held at the Karori Community Centre, which is behind the library, from 9am to 1pm on Saturday 6 July.

Proceeds of the fundraiser will go to the Karori Lions Trust to support the local community.

This fundraising project is proving to be very popular with the local community and with people in adjacent suburbs because it helps people to dispose of their unwanted e-waste and it’s good for the planet, the Karori Lions Director of Projects Joanne Knight says.

Items are passed on to recycler Echo for the recovery of and reuse of precious metals and other useful material.

Karori Lions President Jo Cameron comments that every effort is made to keep the

prices charged as low as possible with all the proceeds going to supporting local and national community projects.

Joanne extended an invitation to all readers to make use of this public service on Saturday 6 July between opening hours

There is a long list of items the Lions will accept.

It includes flat screen TVs and monitors; modems and routers; servers and motherboards; laptops, tablets and PCs; printers and scanners; gaming consoles; alarm clocks; radios; batteries; mobile, land line and IP phones; DVD players; cameras; ereaders; stereos; hair driers and straighteners; keyboards and mice; and cables and wiring. Items that cannot be collected are CRT TVs and monitors; car batteries; microwaves; whiteware and speakers.

The charge for most items is $5, printers and large or oversized items are $10 and flat screen TVs are $20.

St Benedict’s pupils studying how children dressed and played 125 years ago. Photo: Supplied.

Hugh Bibby and three St Benedict’s School students – Shaun, Henry and Henry – check out a cobra phone. Photo: Supplied.

Roundabout safety improvements

Work on safety improvements to the roundabout at the intersection of Middleton Road and Westchester Drive is planned to start at the end of this month, Wellington City Council says.

The work will involve installing ramps, speed cushions, road markings and extending the traffic islands at the roundabout.

The council expects that construction will be completed by mid July.

The work is weather dependent, however. In the event of unsuitable weather or other

unforeseen circumstances the work will possibly be delayed.

Work hours will generally be between 7am and 5pm Monday to Friday.

To do the work the site will need to be clear of vehicles and other obstructions, so parking will be affected.

“We will do our best to minimise disruption as much as possible but please ensure your vehicle is parked clear of the work site,” the council says.

Residents will have access to their properties although

LETTERS to the editor

Letters on issues of community interest are welcomed. Guidelines are that they should be no longer than 150 words. They must be signed and a street address provided to show good faith, even if a nom de plume is provided for publication. The editor reserves the right to abridge letters or withhold unsuitable letters from publication. Send or fax them to the address on page two, or email them to news@wsn.co.nz. Please note that your name and street address must also be provided in e mails.

people may experience delays or diversions during some phases of the work.

Rubbish collection and public transport through the route will be unaffected for most of the construction period.

Diversions may happen during the work day when the road will be closed to through traffic to allow construction of the raised crossing.

The roundabout has been idenitifed as an intersection needing safety improvements as part of New Zealand’s Road to Zero strategy.

Concerning development

Dear Editor,

I read an item in “The Post”, stating that Wellington City Council staff were not releasing legal advice on the sale of airport shares with some significant concern.

The article quoted the council’s chief strategy and governance officer Stephen McArthur as saying that: “Public interest was outweighed by maintaining legal privilege”. I would have thought that when council officers obtained legal advice they were doing it for the council itself – that is the Mayor and councillors. That means that it is the Mayor and

councillors who actually own the “legal privilege”.

This seems to align with a quote from Dean Knight, a Victoria University expert in public and government law, which was included in “The Post” article.

“I can’t see how [legal advice] can legitimately be withheld from the governing body of that institution,” Dean McKnight was quoted as saying.

For me this siutation is raising the question “who is running the Wellington City Council?” Are the staff in charge, or are the Mayor and councillors in charge?

I would recommend that the Mayor

seeks a legal opinion on this question, and that she does it directly with a law firm, rather than going through a council officer on the basis that the opinion is about the performance of council officers. In my view the council should then meet behind closed doors, with nobody else present, including any council officers, to consider the legal opinion and the next steps to take.

I would liked to have put my name to this Letter to the Editor. However my job requirements are that I am not allowed to make any public statements.

Concerned ratepayer

PUANGA MATARIKI KI

TE MĀRA A TĀNE

With activities for the whole whānau, connect with nature, reflect on the year gone and celebrate the year to come at Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne throughout June and July!

Matai Moana transformation

Wellington residents are being asked for their feedback on designs for the redevelopment of M tai Moana – Mt Crawford.

An exhibition of designs for the transformation of M tai Moana by students from Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington is giving the public a chance to have their say on what this culturally, historically, and ecologically significant site might look like in the future.

Located at the northern tip of Te Motu Kairangi – Miramar Peninsula, M tai Moana has a rich history as the former site of a M ori settlement, military emplacements, and two prisons.

Its strategic ecological value has also been recognised by local community groups, which have started restoring the natural environment.

As part of a postgraduate Landscape Architecture course at Te Kura Waihanga –Wellington School of Architecture, students have been working on a design project that proposes transforming M tai Moana into a new eco-sanctuary and heritage reserve.

Lecturer in Landscape Architecture Carles Martinez-Almoyna Gual says considering its strategic location within Wellington harbour, and its cultural, ecological, and social value, M tai Moana presents an exceptional opportunity for Wellington city.

“M tai Moana has been at the centre of recent controversy around how it should be transformed.

“The aim of this project is to contribute to that discussion by proposing an inclusive design process, where different voices and interests have been considered,” he says.

“Many individuals as well as representatives from mana whenua and more than 20 different community groups have participated in a series of lectures, seminars, workshops, and reviews.

“The goal has been to collectively design different master plans for the whole area, as well as a wide range of site specific interventions to gradually transform M tai Moana.”

The project is contributing to the broader discussion about M tai Moana’s future, with the aim of protecting, restoring, and revealing the value of this special site, Mr Martinez-Almoyna Gual says.

“As a university, we are an institution that

SUPERIOR TREE MANAGEMENT

can bring people together, while landscape architecture is a design discipline ideally placed to connect all the various ecological, social, and cultural components that make M tai Moana so special,” he says.

“I try to connect my teaching through socially engaged practice-based education.

“This involves working with communities and moving away from the idea that it’s solely the designer and manager who are in charge of decision making.

“These types of projects need to be informed by the people who care about the site, so that’s why we’ve done so much

work engaging with mana whenua and local residents.”

The designs are on display on 22 and 23 June at the Worser Bay Life Saving Club, 251 Marine Parade, Seatoun, and they can also be viewed online at www.toi.agency/vuw-soa. Visitors to the exhibition will be able to provide feedback on the different concepts. Feedback can also be provided using the online form at 93490.aidaform.com/m-tai-moana-ecosanctuary-and-heritage-reserve . These views will be taken into account when producing a consensus design, which will go on public display in September.

Petition to help stop products going to landfill

Consumer NZ has launched a petition aimed at stopping products being thrown out rather than repaired.

The petition calls on the government to introduce a repairability label – so when people buy something they know how long it will last, and how repairable it is.

In the same way that Energy Ratings tell people how efficient a product is to use, a repairability label would tell you how easy it is to repair.

The petition is at www.consumer.org.nz/ articles/petition-to-help-stop-products-goingto-landfill.

“When we hit 20,000 signatures, we are going to head to Parliament to hand our petition over to MPs. The more people who join our call, the harder it is to ignore,” says Abby Damen campaigns adviser at Consumer Each year we throw away 97,000 tonnes of e-waste, which equates to enough toasters to fill Eden Park and the Sky Tower.

New Zealand is the only country in the OECD without e-waste regulations.

“Although New Zealand’s e-waste volume is shameful, it’s not entirely our fault,” Abby says.

"Our laws allow the sale of products that can't be repaired." In April, Marama Davidson’s Consumer Guarantees (Right to Repair) Amendment Bill was drawn from the ballot.

If passed, the bill would give consumers the right to repair their products by requiring manufacturers to make spare parts available to consumers for a reasonable period of time.

The bill also:

provide, on request, the information, spare parts and tools required to keep items in working order

rather than a replacement and requires repairs are done in a reasonable time.

“We are hopeful that MPs take time to really consider the benefits this bill offers to our planet and our pockets,” Abby says.

“Having these provisions in place would make a big difference to the quality and longevity of products available on our shelves.

“Right now, New Zealand is a magnet for poor quality appliances and electronics.

“We regularly hear people reminiscing fondly about products from the good old days, and that’s for a good reason. Things used to be built to last and could be passed on from person to person.

“We need to go back to that.”

According to Consumer, if this bill is passed it would be a great first step in the right to repair movement.

A section of Mātai Moana with the Wellington Harbour in the background. Phoot: Supplied.

New mural at Makara Peak

The M kara Peak Supporters group commissioned local mural artist Ash Sisson (aka Chimp) to paint a mural to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the park.

It can be seen on the side of the Kordia building next to the communication mast which is a landmark at the summit of the peak.

Ash was given the brief “bird, bush, and bikes” to showcase the park’s recreational and conservation values.

Over the last 25 years numerous volunteers have put thousands of hours into making the park the destination it is today.

The volunteers, with support from the

Wellington City Council, have put many hours into building and maintaining tracks, planting trees and eliminating pests and weeds.

As a result the park is seeing the return of the native flora and fauna including kiwi and karearea which are highlighted on the mural.

The mural is a way of showing the M kara Peak Supporters group’s appreciation to these wonderful people.

Walkers, runners and riders can access the peak through the numerous uphill tracks in the park.

The easiest way up is off St Alban’s Avenue up the Snake Charmer four wheeled drive track or off the M kara Road entrance up the walking and biking track called T4.

A new mural adorns the summit of M kara Peak Mountain Bike Park in Karori.

Ash Sisson (Chimp) with the mural he has painted at Mākara Peak.

Kids’ art celebrates Matariki

By Philly Wilson-Jackson

Papar rangi Kindergarten and Paparangi School have created a collaborative artwork celebrating Matariki, that will be displayed at the Newlands Community Centre from 17 to 28 June as part of a Matariki Art Exhibition.

Many children were involved in the creation of the work, and a special mention must be made of 7-year-old Jaxon Flaws, who created the wonderful central figure of T whirim tea, the M ori guardian

of wind and storms.

At the heart of the artwork is the te ao M ori concept of whanaungatanga. This is the connection we have with our family, our wider wh nau and the community that we live in.

At the beginning of term two, we began to share stories with the children – M ori pŪr kau or legends of the creation and personification of the Pleiades star cluster, known as Matariki, as well as stories about how people celebrate this time of the year with wh nau and community.

Top Right Image: Back Row (left to right)

Archer Flaws, Ria Parbhu, Jaxon Flaws, Alice Styles, Lucy Mekonnen Second row: Josiah Fontanilla, Gryffin Looi, Liam Veng, Maia Chandler, Lucy Steer.

3rd row : Pax Higham, Noah Nasrul, Isabella Allanson, Advik Chaudhari 4th row: Saki Kuboshima, Gia Reay, Ayla Richardson, Luca Adriaansen-Fink, Finn Long, Tali Harper-Hinton

Front row: Ila Hawkins , Hendrick Russell, Maia Veng, Koda Hiku, Zoey Veng, Allayah Hiku, Hana Song. Photo Supplied.

RSV is a serious virus – especially in winter

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), also called human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV) and human orthopneumovirus, is a contagious virus that causes infections of the respiratory tract. It is a negative-sense, single-stranded RNA virus. Its name is derived from the large cells known as syncytia that form when infected cells fuse.

RSV is a common cause of respiratory hospitalization in infants, and reinfection

remains common in later life though often with less severity. It is a notable pathogen in all age groups. Infection rates are typically higher during the cold winter months, causing bronchiolitis in infants, common colds in adults, and more serious respiratory illnesses, such as pneumonia, in the elderly and immunocompromised. RSV can cause outbreaks both in the community and in hospital settings. Following initial infection via the eyes or

Every day people regain their independence with an Acorn stairlift

All Acorn Stairlifts are easy to use, easy to maintain, and all feature the very best in design, engineering and safety. There are additional features built to keep you safe and provide a smooth ride around the curves of your stairs.

As people enjoy longer lives and wish to remain living independently at home, the demand for domestic stairlifts continues to grow. Acorn Stairlifts are innovative on every level, making Acorn the safest alternative for staircase use in every home.

A feature of the stairlift is an optional hinged rail. The hinge is an excellent option to avoid blocking a door or walkway at the bottom of the stairs, as well as eliminating any trip or hazard situations.

Acorn Stairlifts will help you master 'the three

Rs': Regain your independence, Retain full use of your home, and Remain in the home you love. Installing an Acorn Stairlift turns your home into a bungalow, by removing the obstacle of stairs if they become too challenging and restrict full use of yourhome.

As an example of Acorn’s commitment to excellence and safety, they are proud that their products have earned the prestigious Ease of Use Commendation from the Arthritis Foundation.

This commendation is only awarded to companies whose products have passed rigorous testing proving they are easy to use for people with arthritis.

Acorn is the world’s biggest company dedicated solely to the manufacture, direct sale, installation and maintenance of home stairlifts.

Cherries – helping support heart health and joint mobility

Diet plays a huge role in our health with foods that offer specific health

Cherryvite’s Montmorency tart cherries is one such food.

As one of nature’s richest sources of your body’s free radicals, and support heart health and joint mobility, reduce stress and enable a better night’s sleep. Montmorency tart cherries are warmed and pressed to remove the cherry juice. Cherry juice is concentrated to 68° Brix by removing water. Cherryvite products contain no additives, preservatives or colouring

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be a fully balanced dog food. Tests show that Radical Dog contains a high level of antioxidants with excellent free radical scavenging abilities as measured by ORAC and DPPH methods. Radical Dog biscuits can be fed in conjunction with your dogs standard diet, whole or broken, or added to wet food. Clean water should always be available for your dog. As a general rule, feed one biscuit for every 4-5kg of body weight.

nose, the virus infects the epithelial cells of the upper and lower airway, causing obstruction. A variety of methods are available for viral detection and diagnosis of RSV including antigen testing, molecular testing, and viral culture.

The main recommended prevention measures include hand-washing and avoiding close contact with infected individuals. The detection of RSV in respiratory aerosols, along with the during normal breathing, talking, and consensus around transmission of all

respiratory infections, airborne precautions may also be required for reliable protection. In May 2023, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the

Treatment for severe illness is primarily supportive, including oxygen therapy and more advanced breathing support with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)

In cases of severe respiratory failure, intubation and mechanical ventilation may be required. Ribavirin is an antiviral medication licensed for the treatment of RSV in children.

The optional hinged rail section

A very happy volunteer week

Volunteer Wellington Te Puna Tautoko is wishing everyone a very happy Te Wiki Tūao -Motu – National Volunteer Week.

National Volunteer Week began on 16 June and runs to 22 June. This week honours the collective energies and mana of all volunteers in Aotearoa.

“They grow our people, open minds, open hearts and create joy,” Volunteer Wellington says. “Volunteering weaves us together, strengthening the fabric of our community.

“Join us this National Volunteer Week as we recognise those who share their time, talent and energy.

“Check out what we are up to on Facebook

or Instagram and feel free to tag us if you post your celebrations too.

“If you are looking for ideas on how to celebrate the volunteers in your world this week, there are resources on Volunteering New Zealand at https://nationalvolunteerweek.nz.

“We’d love to hear what you are up to.”

The theme of this year’s National Volunteer Week is “Whiria te tangata – Weave the people together”.

Volunteer Wellington’s mission is to connect and build capacity and capability of the community and voluntary sector; and advocate for and champion volunteering in the Wellington region.

E wāhine mā, you and your children have the right to be safe and to live without fear and violence.

He tapu te tinana o te wāhine. Ngā tamariki, ko ratou hoki te Rangatiratanga o te rangi.

We offer services to women, kuia/kaumatua/elderly and for men seeking change

Wahine – 1st Floor, 12 Hagley St, Porirua Tane – 16 Hagley St, Porirua Ph: 04 237 7027 or crisis line 0800733 843 or email info@tiaki.org.nz | www.tiaki.org.nz

Te Whare Tiaki Wahine Refuge

Te Whare Tiaki acknowledges all the volunteers across the community and social sector who work with us to keep women and their children safe and loved. These include Good Bitches Baking, Poneke Aunties, Zonta Mana, Lions Mana, and Pataka Kai who all

contribute towards the excellent services we can provide in the Porirua region. Also, without volunteers who collect during Women’s Refuge National Appeal Week in July, we would miss out on valuable koha. A huge kia ora to all volunteers.

CAB volunteers’ significant contribution to community wellbeing

It’s National Volunteer Week - Te Wiki TŪao -Motu!

National Volunteer Week runs from Sunday 16th June to Saturday 22nd June. It is a time for acknowledging the contribution of all the amazing volunteers in our community.

We are so fortunate to have people in our area who freely give their time to help others, supporting and enriching the community in many different ways. Their mahi aroha is what enables us to provide our CAB service of information, advice and support to the public, and to be able to connect our clients with other free services. The volunteers in our community weave together their collective contributions to make a difference in people’s lives, and a stronger community. This week at Citizens Advice Wellington we are taking time to especially acknowledge our very own fantastic volunteers. They are the lifeblood of our CAB, they deliver our service to the public, and without them there would be no CAB. In the past year, our volunteers responded to more than 11,000 enquiries from members of the public. They helped people with questions and issues on a wide range of topics including tenancy, employment, consumer purchases, immigration

issues, the justice system, relationship issues, and more. Our volunteers help people whether they just need some quick reference information - such as where to find a form they need, or the contact details for another service – or someone to sit down with them and give more in-depth assistance. When a client needs more help, our volunteers will research and talk through the options with them and help them work out what they may want to do next. Our volunteers always work to empower clients to make their own decisions. We see every day the difference that our volunteers are making in this community – every time a member of the public walks out of the door looking happier or more hopeful than when they came in, or when one of our volunteers puts the phone down with a smile, because they know they have really helped the person they’ve just spoken with. They truly are a taonga for our community. There are five branches of CAB in Wellington: Central, Johnsonville, Karori, Kilbirnie and Newtown. Just walk in or give us a call: 04 4785698. You can also chat with us online, on our website: www.cab.org.nz If you are interested in volunteering for Citizens Advice Bureau, get in touch!

The Bible - a Life Saver’

Come, enjoy a special Bible Exhibition suitable for the whole family.

Theme: ‘The Bible - a Life Saver’. Presenting God’s message for a troubled world in a clear, easy-to-read, colourful way with 3D interactive displays and Powerpoint presentations.

Special Activities: Saturday 12-2pm –renown book repair specialist Bill Tito will give restoration quotes for old Bibles and books. Short seminars (check webpage for times).

Churton Park Community Centre, 75 Lakewood Ave. 29-30 June 10am-4pm. Entirely Free. Light refreshments. www.thebible.nz

The Christadelphians

Local actor features in upcoming play

Local actor Sarah Upston features in the New Players Theatre Company production of “When Harriet Met Sally”.

Sarah, who lives in Ngaio, plays Sally and says she has had great fun exploring her character.

Victoria Wilks, who lives in Whitby, plays Harriet and she is also enjoying exploring her character.

“When Harriet met Sally” is on Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons from 22 to 30 in the Newlands Community Centre.

Yvonne Fisher has been a member of local drama society New Players for many years but this is the first time that she has directed.

She is enjoying the challenge

of working with the small cast in what she describes as “a jewel of a one act play”, written by longtime friend Cherol Filbee.

The time is finally right for Harriet to leave her serial cheating husband.

She pays Sally, her husband’s current mistress, a visit with the intention of appraising her of his true nature and spoiling their planned luxury break away.

Harriet’s plan changes on discovering that Sally is not the dumb bimbette she anticipated, but an intelligent and likeable young woman whose allegiance could be mutually beneficial.

Bookings for “When Harriet Met Sally” can be made at www.newplayers.org.nz.

Sarah Upston (right), who plays Sally and Victoria Wilks in a scene from “When Harriet Met Sally”. Photo: Suplied.

Wartime secrets to unfold

By Frank Neill

Join us! Wellington Male Voice Choir has practice sessions every Thursday 6-9pm at Tawa Union Church, 6 Elena Place. 2nd Tenors, Bass, Baritone. Music Director: Mark Stamper, President: Les Williams lesliewills47@ gmail.com mob 022 106 1574

Wartime secrets will be the focus at the next meeting of the Onslow Historical Society. The meeting will take place at 7:15pm on Wednesday 24 July at the KATE Onslow Historical Centre, 86 Khandallah Road. Karori resident Tom McGrath will make a presentation on

the impact World War One and World War Two had on his family.

Tom’s father, Hugh, served in World War Two, and did not say much about his experiences.

One thing he did say was: “I blame that bastard Hitler for my teeth,” as his dental bills mounted up.

Because he said very little more, the full extent of his

SEASHELLS

Displays & Sales

9.30am – 3pm

Saturday 22 June

wartime story didn’t unravel until the chance discovery of hundreds of letters, photos and postcards stuffed into boxes and attaché cases and scattered throughout a suburban house.

Tom has used this find to put together his presentation. He has also written a book on the subject. Entitled “Wartime Secrets from the Family Home”.

The book will be on display at the meeting and available for sale.

Tom McGrath is a former teacher, factory inspector, union organiser, parliamentary research officer and polytechnic lecturer, and is now an author. Light refreshments will be served at the meeting. People can RSVP by emailing Onslowhistorical@gmail.com.

Helping people better prepare for severe weather

MetService is now providing additional information in its severe weather warnings to help people better understand the impact of incoming weather and what actions to take to stay safe.

It began this initiative on 12 June.

The partnership draws on the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)’s advice and expertise on how to respond to and prepare for emergencies and the real time insights about impending severe weather from the team of expert forecasters at MetService.

“We know that extreme weather will continue to strike New Zealand, and in the last two years we’ve seen just how destructive it can be,” MetService Severe Weather Manager William Nepe says.

“We hope that by providing practical advice people will feel empowered to act and be weather ready.”

The weather warnings will provide advice on preparing for weather events. The advice is tailored to different weather situations and includes advice such as clearing gutters and drains, staying out of floodwaters and

securing items that can be picked up by strong winds.

In addition to action advice, MetService Warnings will also now include impact statements to help people better understand the effects a particular level of rain, wind or snow can cause.

“Combined, these impact and action statements will give people a real sense of just how severe the forecast weather could be – whether it could be life threatening, what disruptions it may cause such as to power or transport networks, or what damage may result such as to trees or powerlines and slips,” says William.

“This lets people know the likelihood (high, moderate, low, or minimal) that the weather could become more severe or that a higher-level warning will follow. This will provide more reason to keep up to date with the forecast.”

These features are one of the steps MetService is taking to make our warning information more actionable and easier to understand, helping to support a more effective and timely response to severe weather.

Westpac Johnsonville closing

Johnsonville is about to lose its last remaining bank branch.

Westpac has announced that it will be closing its Johnsonville branch at 2pm on Thursday 18 July.

The closure, Westpac says, is because more customers are choosing to do their banking online.

Following the closure, the nearest Westpac branch will be Westpac Porirua, which is in

the North City Shopping Centre, 2 Titahi Bay Road Porirua.

People with accounts at the Johnsonville branch will have their accounts automatically transferred to the Porirua branch.

The Westpac Johnsnville branch is located at 76 Johnsonville Road.

The branch is currently open for three days a week – Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 10am and 2pm.

Local teams can park Chatham Cup dreams

By Grant Stephen

Top flight men’s and women’s football was suspended for another week around the country as a further round in the national club knock out competitions took place.

In the men’s Chatham Cup, the two local teams can park their cup dreams for another year.

Waterside Karori hosted Miramar Rangers, but the nachos tasted better for the visitors at the after-match function with Rangers prevailing 1-0 thanks to a 66 minute goal to Martin Bueno.

Both sides had their chances without doubt in an entertaining match played in good conditions.

TFS North Wellington were on the coach early on Sunday morning to face Napier City Rovers at Park Island.

The trip did not seem to disagree with Norths and they scored the opening goal on the 26th minute thanks to another fine effort

by Zach Newman.

Norths held the lead going in the sheds at half time and this was only countered with a Rovers equaliser after an hour of play.

Norths could not score another or even take the match to penalties with Rovers securing the win 2-1 due to an 85th minute winner courtesy of Liam Schofield for the hosts.

The juggernaut that is Wellington Olympic marched on in a 5-0 demolition job over Western Suburbs.

Petone and Stop Out could not be separated and stalemated at 3-3 after regulation time. It was Stop Out who prevailed in the end though, winning the penalty shoot out 4-2.

In round three of the women’s Kate Sheppard Cup, the Wellington Phoenix Reserves continued their strong run in their 4-0 victory over Petone.

Waterside Karori are still in the hunt though after they travelled to Palmerston North Marist for a 2-0 win thanks to a second half brace to Nikki Furukawa.

J’ville to contest Hardham Cup

By Frank Neill

Johnsonville’s premier Rugby team will contest the Hardham Cup this season.

The teams that will contest the top tier Jubilee Cup and the second tier Hardham Cup were confirmed following the 15 June round of matches.

The competition between the three top teams in the Hardham Cup looks likely to be closely fought, with just two points between them currently.

Poneke is on 26 points, Wainuiomata 25 points Johnsonville is on 24 points.

The other three teams in the Hardham Cup are well below these three. Northern United are on 9 points, Wellington 5 points and Avalon 3 points.

Johnsonville lost their home match, played at Helston Park against Poneke on 15 June.

The first half was closely contested, with Johnsonville leading 10-8 around half way through the spell. This was, however, to be the only time they lead in the match, and Poneke took a 16-10 lead into the break.

Poneke had much the better of the second spell, however, winning the match 42-22.

Akuso Tuitama, Finlay Sharp and Sean Rankin scored tries for Johnsonville while Mark Sutton kicked two conversions and a penalty.

As well as scoring a try, Finlay also played the match for his blazer.

Johnsonville’s next match will see them play Wainuiomata at Helston Park on 22 June.

Karori Pool maintenance

The Karori Swimming Pool will be closing for routine maintenance from 22 July to 13 October.

“All of our pool facilities require a period of closure every six years to ensure we meet our levels of service and keep our pool assets up to scratch,” Wellington City Council says.

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“No time is a good time to close the pool, so we appreciate your patience. Our other Wellington city indoor pools will be open and ready for you to keep your swimming going during this time.

“We will be doing everything we can to get our full services up and running as fast as possible during this period.”

HOME

Acorn Stairlifts will help you master ‘the three Rs’: Regain your independence, Retain full use of your home, and Remain in the home you love. Installing an Acorn Stairlift turns your home into a bungalow!

Action from the match between Waterside Karori (in the black and white) and Miramar Rangers. Photo: Wareham Sports Media.