25 April Independent Herald

By Frank Neill

An exciting event has happened in Ngaio. New Zealand’s smallest bird, the the titipounamu (rifleman) has been spotted. This marks a return to an area where titipounamu were once common, but have not been seen for many, many years until just recently.

Continued on page 2.

A titipounamu (rifleman). Photo: Melissa Boardman.

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Very exciting to see

Julie Alison, a member of Predator Free Ngaio’s committee, was delighted when she spotted one.

“A friend was visiting me who was familiar with them having lived across the fence from Zealandia.

“She spotted it,” Alison says, and when she looked she saw the titipounamu.

“It was about two metres from my window. I was very excited,” she says.

Among Alison’s roles with Predator Free Ngaio, she puts together the group’s newsletter.

“When I reported my sighting in the newsletter, someone who saw them in Trelissick Crescent reported they saw them.”

That was followed by people

reporting that they had seen them at the side of Ngaio Gorge Road, in Old Porirua Road and in Abbott Street.

“It would appear that they are starting to move across the eastern side of Ngaio.

“This indicates two things: the high level of trapping and the benefits of maintaining continuous corridors of bush for the birds to move through.

“It shows what you can do with good predator control,” Alison says.

Alison is encouraging people who sight a titipounamu to report it to Predator Free Ngaio, email predatorfreengaio@gmail.com, or to Predator Free New Zealand. Predator Free Ngaio is a local

group that is helping create a safe haven for native birds and animals.

It aims to remove all predators (rats, weasels, stoats, ferrets and hedgehogs) from Ngaio and has established a trapping programme to achieve this.

It offers free traps, which people can obtain by emailing the above email address.

After having been absent from Wellington, where they had once flourished, titipounamu returned to the city in 2019 when 60 of the birds were released in Zealandia Te M ra a T ne Ecosanctuary.

The sighting of titipounamu in Ngaio shows that “backyard trapping is paying off in a visible and motivational way,” Predator Free New Zealand Trust chief executive

Council spending more on water

Wellington City Council agreed on 18 April to provide an additional $8.3 million to Wellington Water for the current financial year.

The Wellington Water Capital Expenditure Budget for 2023/24 is now $69.2 million, up from $60.9 million. The increase is due to several factors including the Taranaki Street rising sewer main project progressing ahead of schedule, and contractual costs of placing other works on hold due to scarcity of supplies.

Mayor Tory Whanau and Councillors agreed:

J’ville actor starring in upcoming play

By Frank Neill

Johnsonville actor Gavin Rutherford is the star of Circa Theatre’s upcoming play

“End of Summer Time”.

Written by New Zealand’s most successful and popular playwight Roger Hall, “End of Summer Time” runs from 4 May to 9 June at Circa Theatre, 1 Taranaki Street.

What Roger Hall has written is a “fantastic piece of story telling,” Gavin says. “It is funny, it is heartwarming and there are a lot of things people will recognise.

“It’s all done with a story telling touch ... and there are lots of laughs,” Gavin says.

“End of Summer Time” tells the story of taking “the big step up into the big smoke ... the North Shore.”

The play is a solo show “so you see me for 80 minutes,” Gavin says.

It is Roger Hall’s third instalment in the journey of the lovable character Dickie Hart.

It finds an older Dickie navigating life’s twists and turns as he grapples with the vibrant chaos of Auckland.

Dickie explores a kaleidoscope of cultures and struggles to find his footing in New Zealand's rapidly changing world.

While his wife Glenda immerses herself in the comforts of North Shore life, Dickie embarks on a quest to fill his days with purpose.

Audiences will witness the realities of retirement, from filling the new found free

work happening ahead of time on the Taranaki Street project and the Karori wastewater outfall renewal project;

budgeted for project cost increases this financial year and to account for project overruns; andspent wastewater treatment plant budget be carried forward into ring-fenced.

The council approved Wellington Water’s request that the million and the $3.9 million reduction is allocated to highpriority reactive network renewals,

including $1.6m for the Aro Street rider main renewal.

“We are committed to getting on top of our water infrastructure problems,” Mayor Whanau says.

“This money has been approved with the expectation that work will be carried out ahead of time to allow certainty and stability for businesses in the area that are being impacted.

“It is our responsibility on behalf of our rate payers to also ensure there is accountability for the money we spend, particularly as we continue to invest significantly increased funds into water services.

“We will continue to work with

time to struggling with the complexities of modern technology.

Dickie’s witty observations on New Zealand Rugby and modern life both entertain and amuse.

Gavin portrayed Dickie Hart in the 2011 season of "C’mon Black," and now returns as the mature Dickie.

Most recognisable as Circa’s Pantomime Dame, Gavin boasts a rich history of collaborations, having acted in six Roger Hall pantomimes.

Director Ross Jolly has a longstanding having both performed in and directed numerous of his productions, including six sold-out seasons at Circa Theatre.

Tickets for “End of Summer Time” are www.circa.co.nz.

Jessi Morgan says.

“Wildlife is showing up in the suburbs all across Wellington thanks to the trapping efforts of individuals, groups, and council and Zealandia.

“It’s enhancing neighbourhoods and building a sense of community.

“Nature and wildlife aren’t relegated only to regional and national parks, they are right here in our cities, towns, suburbs, and backyards, and we all play a role in protecting and nurturing them.

“Every sighting of a rare bird is a reminder we’re on the right track, but there’s still work to do.

“We can make sure these beautiful species have safe places to live,” Jessi says.

WWL to ensure we are providing adequate funding and that WWL is delivering better outcomes for our ratepayers.”

The council agreed in December to provide up to $2 million in extra funding to deal with up to 880 water leaks around the city.

Since 2021, the council has provided almost $29 million in additional operational funding and above the approved 2021-31 LTP budget.

The 2023/24 Annual Plan operational budget for WWL is more than the approved LTP budget for the 2023/24 financial year.

Once again Anzac Day is a good time to remind ourselves of what we owe that generation of young men and women who, time after time last century and right up to today, put themselves in great danger to protect us and our freedom, and for too many, gave up their lives.

supporting those who did.

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.

Those names engraved on memorials and on the walls of our town halls represent lives never lived beyond those battlefields and other places where they fell. There are names on those memorials of families still living in the area; that really brings their and their sacrifices home to us. But it’s also important we remember and honour those who did come home, often with physical and psychological injuries they carried, and still carry for life. And that includes those who never made it overseas but contributed significantly to

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

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.

I am the Opposition Spokesperson for Veterans Affairs, and have publicly undertaken to work with Veterans Affairs Minister Chris Penk to ensure these veterans of lesser-known conflicts get their entitlements, which are currently at risk, restored and enhanced. When men and women join the Armed Services, they are agreeing to put their lives on the line wherever they are sent. In our volatile world, that could be anywhere.

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.

Let’s make sure Anzac Day becomes about our current service people as well.

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.

And at services we attend this week, look around at the young men present and imagine them as the soldiers who did go, and never made it home.

We shall remember them… we shall remember them!

Gavin Rutherford as Dickie Hart. Photo: Supplied.

New Predestrian crossing celebrated

By Frank Neill

Huntleigh Home recently hosted a street party for the Karori community as well as its residents to celebrate the successful completion of the Campbell Street raised crossing on 17 April.

Various groups attended the street party, including village folks, the disability community, Wellington City Council, and residents’ families.

The new crossing makes it “much easier to go to and from the shops and Public Library and finally be part of the community,” says Huntleigh Home resident Valerie Smith.

Valerie played a crucial role in advocating and organising for a safer crossing, pushing for this change since first contacting council staff in 2022.

For months residents and staff at Huntleigh Home took proactive action by writing numerous letters and a submission to the council staff regarding Campbell Street’s unsafe “dip” that affected residents with disabilities and many others when heading out into the community.

“It was hard work getting this under way, but we needed our voices heard,” Valerie says. “We want to be part of our community as much as possible, and this dip was limiting our access.

“When I came here, I could never get to the shops in my wheelchair,” she says.

As well as giving a speech at the opening, where she described the new crossing as

“very welcome”, Valerie cut a large green ribbon to mark the crossing’s opening.

The street party “was extremely successful,” Anna Roberts, Enliven’s Huntleigh Home manager, says.

“After the ribbon cutting, the community were welcomed to Huntleigh Home for afternoon tea with residents and staff members. Everyone had a wonderful time.”

The recent creation of a proper crossing not only meant easier crossing for residents, but also improved wider public safety in the community, Anna says.

“Since the change, the health and safety risk has reduced, but it’s not just for residents using walkers or wheelchairs, it’s also beneficial for people with prams or school children in the community,.

“We had invited the council to meet with the residents twice, once prior to the Karori Connection Road project and later as part of the Karori Connection proposals so that they could hear our views as to why this [crossing] needed attention and urgent custom-made changes to reduce the health and safety risks it brought to all people crossing the road,” Anna says.

“The installation changes have significantly improved accessibility for residents using wheelchairs like Valerie, enabling them to have better access to shops, malls and the Karori center.”

The crossing is a courtesy crossing, where cars have right of way.

It is part of the Karori Connections project.

Staying safe

Upcoming Staying Safe classes for older drivers will be held in Karori and Khandallah.

The Karori class will be held at the Karori Community Centre, 7 Beauchamp Street, from 10am to 2pm on 23 May.

The Khandallah class will be held at the Khandallah Community Centre, 11 Ganges Road, from 10am to 2pm on 12 June.

Staying Safe is a free classroom-based refresher workshop for senior road users.

Age Concern runs these workshops in partnership with NZTA/Waka Kotahi.

Registration is required. To register and for more information, phone 499 6646 or email events@acwellington. org.nz.

Village market

The next Khandallah Village Market will take place from 10am to 2pm on Saturday 11 May at the Khandallah Presbyterian Chuch Hall, 33 Ganges Road.

The market will feature art and crafts as well as vintage and preloved items.

Valerie Smith cuts the ribbon to mark the opening of the new crossing. Photo: Supplied.

Valerie Smith speaking during the street party to celebrate the opening of the new crossing in Campbell Street, Karori. Photo: Supplied.

Combining humour with health messages

By Frank Neill Comedian Dr Jo Prendergast

brings together two unusual aspects in her comedy show that will feature in the New Zealand International Comedy Festival next month.

She is both a cancer sufferer and a psychologist.

Brought up in Karori, a place that “definitely still feels like home”, Dr Prendergast will present “Cancer and Cartwheels” at the festival on 14 May.

Dr Prendergast was very involved in the performing arts while attending St Theresa’s School and Samuel Marsden Collegiate. Indeed she was awarded the high honour of school colours in art while at college.

After leaving school she was tossing up between attending medical school or art school, and followed the advice of her parents to study medicine.

That led on to her qualifying and practising as a psychologist.

She was still involved in the performing arts and this led, one day in around 2017, to a comedy producer suggesting that she try stand-up comedy.

“I said ‘no way’,” Dr Prendeergast says. Nevertheless she ending up giving comedy a go “and I fell in love with it.”

Then in 2021 she was diagnosed

Jo

with breast cancer.

It was, she says, “a very difficult time going through treatment”.

Despite the hard journey, Dr Prendergast decided to write a comedy show about going through cancer.

“It’s a great way of bringing together being a doctor and being a cancer sufferer.”

It also gave her the opportunity to present “quite a lot of health messages, as well as jokes.”

Not only does Dr Prendergast use comedy to bring people these health messages, she also works hard as a cancer patient advocate.

In particular she advocates strongly for a way that people can keep their hair while going through chemotherapy.

Called cold capping and scalp cooling, it involves significantly

cooling the scalp, which protects the hair follicles from damage by chemotherapy.

It is a very effective process that has a good succes rate, yet tends not to be widely promoted by doctors and specialists in New Zealand, in marked contrast to some overseas countries.

“It may well save lives of people who don’t want to lose their hair and choose not to undergo chemotherapy,” she says.

As a result of her advocacy, a cold capping machine has been been installed at St George Hospital in Christchurch.

“That was a very good result of patient advocacy,” she says.

Bowen Hospital, at 98 Churchill Drive, Crofton Downs, also has a cold capping machine.

“I’ve spent many hundres of hours making videos and making a website.”

The website she has set up is www.hairtodayandtomorrow.co.nz and it provides a series of resources including presentations on cold capping, chemotherapy tips and research.

At the three-year anniversary of her breast cancer diagnosis, Dr Prendergast is cancer-free and ready to laugh about the tough stuff.

Combining her wit, psychiatric knowledge and lived experience, “Cancer and Cartwheels” is an

Community awards now open

Nominations for the 2024 Wellington Airport Regional Community Awards are now open.

Nominations close midnight Friday 31 May.

These awards recognise community groups and organisations who have volunteers, not individual volunteers.

empowering show that is a muchneeded representation of cancer survivorship as well as being a hearty laugh.

Dr Prendergast’s humour and experience, and her informed approach to crafting comedy makes it a meaningful – and at times educational – night out for a wider audience.

Complementing her comedy tal-

ent and psychiatry practice, she is also an author, with a new release book for parents about teenage mental health, “When Life Sucks”, published by Harper Collins. Her guiding kaupapa on the page and stage is to “look after yourself and keep finding the humour in life”.

“Cancer and Cartwheels” embodies this wholeheartedly.

Nominations can be submitted under one of the following categories:

Arts and Culture – Enhance and increase participation in arts and creative leisure activities.

Health and Wellbeing – Enhancing the health and wellbeing of the community.

Heritage and Environment – Improvement or revitalising of the environment, culture or heritage.

Education and Child/Youth Development – Improvement or enhancement of the educational and social development of children/youth.

Sport and Leisure – Increase participation and enjoyment in physical sport, leisure activities and recreational pursuits.

Rising Star award – Designed to recognise and encourage emerging grassroots groups in the community.

Later in the year members of the public will have an opportunity to vote for the finalists in the regional People’s Choice award.

The regional category, People's Choice and Supreme Award winners will be announced at an awards dinner hosted by Wellington Airport.

Dr Jo Prendergast on stage. Photo: Supplied.

Dr

Prendergast on stage. Photo: Supplied.

Upgrading Grenada North Park begins

Upgrading Grenada North Park has begun, with concept work by Wellington City Council now under way.

In its “2011 Grenada North Masterplan” the council identified that “Grenada North Park could not only serve the northern suburbs of Wellington City, but due to its centricity, could also provide a major outdoor sports and recreation hub for the broader Wellington region.”

Wellington engineering firm WSP has been appointed to complete technical site investigation, including hydrological and geotechnical analysis to inform the options for future development.

They will also be working with the community to review the original plans and decide what could be included in the park’s new concept plans.

Options include:

The concept design is sheduled to take place from May to July this year.

Construction work is sheduled to take place from 2025 to 2027.

The 2011 masterplan for Grenada North Park produced by the council highlighted that artificial turf could increase sports field usage at the park, as it can extend playing time to 50 hours per week or more, regardless of weather.

Funding was allocated in the council’s 2021-31 Long Term Plan, providing $13.2 million over three years, from 2024 to 2027.

Work beyond concept design is subject to ongoing funding commitment through the council’s Long Term Plan 2024-34 consultation process.

The Long Term Plan is now open for submissions, including submissions on the upgrade of Grenada North Park.

Grenada North Park. Photo: Wellington City Council.

A very welcome surprise

By Frank Neill

Notable Karori photographer and Greater Wellington Regional Councillor Simon Woolf received a very welcome surprise this month.

He was given a copy of a very popular book on photographic masterpeices of the half century up to 1989.

Called “In Our Time: The World As Seen by Magnum Photographers” it contains more than 300 extradorinary photographs capturing half a century of human experience.

The book’s launch coincided with an exhibition of the same name, and has received the plaudit: “Not since the landmark photographic exhibition ‘The Family of Man’ have so many brilliant photographs documented such a range of human experience.”

When “In Our Time” was first published Simon immediately bought the book.

However his copy was stolen a couple of years later.

Simon tried to buy another copy, but “In Our Time” was sold out.

“I was disappointed when it got stolen,” Simon says. “Then 35 years later the book turned up on my doorstep.”

It was delivered to him by Leith Wallace for well-known Karori identity Heather Montgomery. Heather had it in her collection of books that she was downsizing and asked Leith to deliver it to Simon, knowing his involvement with photography.

“They had not idea of the significance of it to me,” says Simon, who is rapt to once again have a book that he treasures.

A career in Real Estate? YIP!

Hey Everyone! Team YIP & Collective are on the lookout for the next Community Superstar to look after people’s property interests. So, if you are keen to join the #1 team in this area or start your career in Real Estate – then we would love to hear from you.

Real Estate is not a sales or marketing job, it is a people business. Our day consists of meeting people to talk through their plans, solve problems, and give good advice that is focused on their best interests. Agents at Collective & Team YIP have the best possible support, so that you can focus on doing what’s right.

Learn from the Best: You will always be as good as those in your circle, at Collective we have the most successful agents that have ever served this community. You will have the opportunity to directly learn and be mentored by them. We host regular training and support our team with professional training workshops/conferences as well.

Financial Support: We believe in investing in our people, because the better you do, the better the company and community does. So, at Collective, you will find that the majority of your costs are covered by the company. No costs for printing, signage, flags, desk fees, etc – you will be provided with things needed to get your career off to the best start!

Admin Support: The biggest growth hurdle in this industry is having the right support staff. At Collective we pay for all agents (even new agents) to have a support team. They look after things like admin, project management, document prep, pre-market, design, marketing, client nurturing, gifts, photography and so much more!

Community Spirit: As you already know, we are big on giving back to our community. I mean, we simply wouldn’t exist if the community didn’t

support us, so it is a no-brainer to give back! We are stoked that we are regularly recognised in the National Real Estate Awards for our community service. It is great to work for a company that makes a real difference.

Plus! We are a pretty fun bunch to be around. We are motivated to do better and push each other to succeed. If you are currently a licensed agent and would love to know how we’ve helped agents double/triple their business or you are looking to enter this industry – then we need to talk!

Feel free to get in touch for a confidential chat!

Zealandia makes world headlines

By Frank Neill

by 260%, kererŪ by 200%, tūĪ by 85% and pĪwakawaka by 49%.”

Have a great week! Written

Zealandia has reached a world-wide audience, thanks to an article in “The Guardian”.

Entitled “Penguins in the pond, kiwi in the back yard: how a city brough back its birds”, the article covers, among other things, the work of Jim Lynch that got Zealandia off the ground.

“In the mid-1990s, Lynch began work to found a new bird sanctuary in a patch of native forest around a decommissioned city reservoir,” the article says.

“Dubbed ‘Zealandia’, it would become the world’s first fully fenced urban ecosanctuary.

“By 2000, all major predators – cats, possums, rats and ferrets – had been eradicated inside.

“As native species thrived within the fence, Zealandia worked as a centre from which recovered bird populations radiated out into the city’s neighbourhoods.

The Guardian article also notes the 2023 Greater Wellington Regional Council report, which shows that since 2011, the average number of native bird species in the city’s parks and reserves had risen by 41%.

“Between 2011 and 2022, k k increased

“The Zealandia sanctuary ... was having a ‘measurable halo effect’ and ‘driving spectacular recoveries in several previously rare or locally extinct native forest bird species’,” the article said.

The article quotes Zealandia’s conservation and restoration manager, Jo Ledington.

“’Wellington is one of the only cities in the world experiencing this bounce-back,’ Ledington says, adding that a healthy ecosystem ‘is more important now than ever’, not just for biodiversity but for people’s wellbeing.”

It also quotes Jack and Jo Fenaughty, who have a farm in M kara.

When they bought the farm 50 years ago, “they were lucky if they encountered an introduced bird species, let alone a native one,” the article says.

“’You saw hardly any native birds,’ Jill says.

“‘Now,’ Jack jumps in, ‘the dawn chorus is so loud, we have to shut the doors if we want a lie-in’.”

The article is available on the Guardian’s website www.theguardian.com under “New Zealand/Aotearoa”.

Zealandia founder Jim Lynch. Photo: Supplied.

New single from local band

Wellington rock quartet Seismic State will release their new single “Blinded by the Sun” on Friday 3 May.

This follows their 22 March releade of “2 Homes”, a track that has received positive reviews and airplay within New Zealand and internationally.

To celebrate the release of the new single, Seismic State is putting on a single release party at The Welsh Dragon in Wellington on Friday 3 May.

Doors open at 7pm with the first band at 7:30pm. Tickets are available for the R18 show at Under The Radar.

The band has strong Karori links. The band’s drummer Matthijs van Dijk lives in Karori and the bass player Liam Wright is a former Karori resident.

“During your youth and as you mature people around you often emphasise that anything is achievable – you can become whoever you aspire to be, regardless of the path,” explains lyricist and vocalist Rogina De Jong, in describing the origins of “Blinded by the Sun” . “However, as you age, you encounter a contrasting perspective that aligns more with the realities of the world.

“Despite these varying messages, it’s important not to get blinded by external influences and lose sight of your own aspirations.

“Instead, forge your path, set meaningful goals, and work towards realising them.”

Seismic State’s style mixes rock with elements of funk, blues, progressive and alternative; combining riff-oriented guitar with melodic bass lines and driving drum rhythms to form a foundation for creative vocal melodies and thought-provoking lyrics.

The result is an accessible and sonically pleasing brand of music not

often found in the rock scene. “Blinded By The Sun” will be available on Spotify, iTunes, Apple

Music, Google Play, YouTube, and other major streaming platforms from 3 May.

9.30am–5.30pm

Thursday 9 May

Te Rauparaha Arena Be

89A Thorndon Quay

Phone: 04 213 9435

Seismic State on stqage. Photo: Supplied.

Cherries – reducing stress and enabling a better night’s sleep

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 con-

tain no additives, preservatives or colouring agents and are 100% natural.

Tart cherry juice concentrate can be reconstituted into a single-strength beverage.

Enjoy the convenience of quick and easy shipping, ensuring your Cherryvite arrives promptly at your doorstep.

See Cherryvite at www.cherryvite.co.nz

The World Health Organisation this week launched a Patient Safety Rights Charter at the Global Ministerial Summit on Patient Safety. It is the first Charter to outline patients’ rights in the context of safety, and will support stakeholders in formulating the legislation, policies and guidelines needed to ensure patient safety.

Patient safety refers to the processes, procedures and cultures established in health systems which promote safety and minimise the risk of harm to patients. Everyone has the right

It is a simple truth that staying in your own home gives you a sense of stability, safety and independence. An important aspect of this is being able to move around freely and easily, without worry, pain, or struggle. So why let getting up and down stairs keep you from fully enjoying your home?

Your home is your refuge, where you entertain, welcome family and friends or simply relax. Your home is also where you live your life, and the place you call your own.

Acorn Stairlifts are innovative on every level, making Acorn the safest alternative for staircase use in every home.

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 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.

to safe health care, as established by international human rights standards, regardless of their age, gender, ethnicity or race, language, religion, disability, socioeconomic status or any other status.

The Charter covers 10 patient safety rights crucial to mitigate risks and prevent inadvertent harm, which includes the right to timely, effective, and appropriate care, the right to safe health care processes and practices, the right right to patient and family engagement amongst others.

Acorn Stairlifts – making your home so much more accessible!

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.

Radical Dog – looking after your canine mate

Radical Dog’s all-natural dog biscuits have been tested by Massey University’s Institute of Food Nutrition and Human Health and are approved to AAFCO International Animal Food Standards to 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.

SAFE recommends a plant-based diet

As advocates for animal rights, SAFE (Save Animals From Exploitation) invites their to join our mission to create a world where all creatures are treated with dignity and respect. By choosing plant-based living, you contribute to the protection of animals and the preservation of our planet. Visit our website to learn more about our initiatives, engage with our commu-

nity, and discover resources to support your journey towards ethical living. Whether you’re curious about veganism, passionate about animal welfare, or simply looking for delicious plantbased recipes, SAFE has something for everyone.

difference today! Visit online and join the movement for a kinder, greener future.

& HOME Gardening LIVING

May is forecast as another dry month for Wellington

Wellington is among the driest cities in the country and has a need to continue saving water. So consequently the city is still at

A few tips are: don’t need to water. your garden on calmer days, in the cool of early morning or in the evening. ground at a rate the soil can absorb. from the drying effects of wind and

Now’s the time to plant your fruit trees from Twigland

Autumn is Nature’s planting time and there are loads of new plants to choose from at Twigland!

From shrubs to trees, fruiting or flowering, native or exotic - our range is huge!

Warm soil and cooling air spell perfect growing conditions for almost everything in the garden!

weather and get planting!

Camellias

Plant camellias this autumn for some evergreen elegance in your garden.

hedging in full sun or dappled shade. They provide glossy green foliage year round

Fruit Trees

Autumn is both harvest season and planting season. With escalating prices

there is no better time to get started on planting fruit trees and bushes for your

own home-grown groceries. There is plenty of Pipfruit, Stonefruit, Citrus

It’s a great reward being able to serve up delicious desserts using your own produce for the family from your own garden! Why not get creative in the money at the same time?

Autumn – time to plant trees and shrubs and lay lawns

– when done well, it creates a special place to relax and entertain friends and family. Now is the best time of year for planting and laying new lawns – it gives trees and shrubs a good chance to establish in moist soils before the next long hot summer.

Use Groundplanz expertise to create a and native plants are our specialty – we and plants generally and can advise which location.

Groundplanz is a professional landscape design and construction business servicing the greater Wellington and Kapiti Coast regions. Our focus is on

providing the right solutions for your needs and the environment you live in - solutions that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing. www.groundplanz.co.nz

Warmth and security from Eco Doors & Windows

Eco Doors & Windows specialise in uPVC glazing. And as the cooler months you’re after at their new showroom at 29 Hutt Road, Thorndon. Their windows in summer and warmer in winter.

Combining uPVC’s natural insulating properties with double-glazing means their windows achieve thermal insulation levels

aluminium – and at a very competitive price. Their uPVC doors also offer these

Eco Doors and Windows have over 16 years’ experience in fabricating uPVC from Aluplast in Germany.

Eco Doors and Windows are centrally

The first new camellias have arrived at Twigland, with lots of gorgeous autumn and winter-flowering hybrids and sasanquas. These beauties are perfect for located on Hutt Road, Thorndon, As the windows and doors, our company has grown. They have a number of teams of installers with plenty of experience

Practitioners).

uPVC windows are perfect for heat and coolness insulation. uPVC is not a thermal conductor and by combining it with double glazing, windows can achieve first-rate insulation values.

system, windows and doors seal tightly

MANAGING HIGH CHOLESTEROL

What is cholesterol and why is high cholesterol bad for you? Find out how high cholesterol can affect your heart and how to lower it.

What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol (mat Ū ngako) is a fat-like substance in your blood. It comes from two places: some is made naturally by your liver, and some comes from the food you eat.

Cholesterol isn’t always ‘bad’. Your body needs some cholesterol to work properly. It uses it todevelop cells and hormones, and to process and digest fats. But, if the amount of cholesterol in the blood gets too high, it can cause aheart attackor stroke.

Types of cholesterol

There are two types of cholesterol: Low-density lipoprotein (LDL cholesterol) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL cholesterol).

LDL cholesterol is sometimes called ‘bad cholesterol’. When you have too much LDL cholesterol it builds up in the arteries (the blood vessels that carry blood and oxygen around the body).

blood. When we eat or drink our body turns any energy (calories) that it doesn’t need into triglycerides, which are then stored in fat cells.

Triglyceride levels normally rise after we’ve eaten, but when we consume more energy than our body needs they stay at a high level, rather than returning to normal. This is particularly true if our diet includes lots of refined sugar. This includes foods high in added sugar, like sweets, baked goods and chocolate, low fibre carbohydrates, like white bread, and alcohol and fizzy drinks, which include lots of extra sugar. Like cholesterol, high triglycerides can increase the amount of plaque (hard fat) in the artery walls.

The only way to measure cholesterol is to get a blood test. Sometimes your doctor will call this blood test a ‘lipid profile’or ‘lipid test’. Lipid is another word for fat, so this test includes your cholesterol and your triglyceride levels.

When should I get my cholesterol levels checked?

The build-up of cholesterol causes lumps of hard fat called plaque to form on the artery walls. These can break off, block the artery, and cause heart attacks and strokes.

HDL cholesterol is the ‘good’cholesterol. It works like a cleaner, carrying LDL cholesterol out of the arteries to your liver, where it is broken down and used by the body.

Triglycerides are another type of fat in your

If you haven’t had a cholesterol test before, talk to your doctor or nurse about when you should have one.

If you’re at higher risk of heart attack or stroke because of your or family’s health history, then you may need one at a younger age.

Cholesterol tests are given routinely as part of a heart health check.

New initiative to tackle waste

Wellington City Council has welcomed a new initiative aimed at tackling food waste.

Love Food Hate Waste launched its new “Eat Me First” campaign on 22 April.

Food going off before it can be finished and before ‘use by’ and ‘best before dates’ are the top reasons for food waste with bread, leftovers and fruit and vegetables listed as the top three most wasted items.

The “Eat Me First” campaign drives home the financial and environmental impact of this waste, and offers practical solutions including Eat Me First reusable stickers — a visual prompt to remind people of

food that needs to be eaten first.

The sticker is a simple and effective tool to reduce waste, Love Food Hate Waste says.

Wellington’s Deputy Mayor Laurie Foon supports the Love Food Hate Waste goal of reducing household food waste by 50% by 2030, and hopes this solution will save households money and cut back on food waste ending up at landfills.

“The mahi done by Love Food Hate Waste aligns with our Food Action Plan, which is part of Te Atakura First to Zero framework and the TŪpiki Ora strategy,” the Deputy Mayor says.

“Combined, we have a co-or-

dinated approach to addressing food resilience and sustainability – but stopping food waste starts at home.

“We are considering kerbside organic collections, but that’s an ambulance at the bottom of the cliff.

“We want food waste to be dramatically reduced before it even gets to that stage.”

At its core, the Eat Me First reusable stickers seek to instil a culture of mindfulness and conscientiousness when it comes to food consumption and storage in Kiwi households, says Love Food Hate Waste NZ’s Juno Scott-Kelly. “Helping Kiwis to identify what

Online child exploitation rising

As online child exploitation continues to rise New Zealand agencies are urging young people to be safe online.

A new interactive video has been launched online to highlight the dangers and the ease with which young people are exposed to exploitation.

Called “No Esccape Room” the videeo is at https://noescaperoom. org/.

Between 2022 and 2023 New Zealand authorities received nearly 5,000 additional referrals from the Cyber Tipline.

These include instances of sextortion, and child sexual abuse being posted online and sent via private messages.

Cyber Tipline is a reporting platform run by America’s National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).

It allows members of the public and organisations such as social media sites to notify NCMEC about sexually explicit content involving children, including child sexual abuse images located on their platforms.

NCMEC then notifies relevant

local law enforcement agencies around the world.

NCMEC has received a total of 36.2 million Cyber Tipline Reports over the last year, up from 29.3 million reports in 2021 and 32 million in 2022.

New Zealand agencies received 19,865 referrals last year, up from just over 15,000 in 2022.

“Reports from NCMEC which contain information about victims and online offenders here in New Zealand have almost quadrupled in the last five years alone,” Detective Senior Sergeant Kepal Richards,

food needs to be eaten first, our reusable Eat Me First stickers should be placed on a shelf in your fridge or pantry to highlight what items need to be eaten before they go mouldy or have to be thrown out.”

By actively identifying and consuming items that are closest to expiration, have been left-over from another meal or opened and left uneaten, individuals could save upwards of $1,510 a year according to Love Food Hate Waste NZ.

“Not only will reducing food waste benefit the environment as we decrease methane emissions from landfills, but it would save New Zealanders around $3.2 billion a year,” Juno says.

Stickers are now available for free until the end of May.

They can be ordered from the Love Food Hate Waste NZ website lovefoodhatewaste.co.nz or picked up from selected local libraries and community centres and in selected Woolworths stores around the country while stocks last.

Kiwis can also learn simple hacks and tricks to make the most of their food by keeping up with Love Food Hate Waste NZ on social media and through events happening around the city and the motu throughout May.

For more information visit www. lovefoodhatewaste.co.nz/eat-mefirst.

officer in charge of New Zealand Police Online Child Exploitation Across New Zealand Team (OCEANZ), says

“These latest statistics unfortunately are not surprising, but should be cause for increased concern.

“Police work closely with Department of Internal Affairs and the New Zealand Customs Service in an effort to prevent further victims.

“We do this by carrying out investigations, and working to inform and provide awareness of the issue and its warning signs to our young people, their parents and

guardians.”

New Zealand Police currently receives around 200 referrals per month from NCMEC.

Each referral is risk assessed by dedicated investigators in the OCEANZ team to identify cases requiring immediate action to safeguard children, or to identify and hold to account those responsible for causing harm.

Keep It Real Online, www. keepitrealonline.govt.nz, provides excellent resources to tamariki, parents, and educators about staying safe online.

E: grahamspaintersnz @gmail.com W: www.grahamspainters.nz Ph: (04) 564 9202 021 183 9492

The Community Noticeboard is for non-profit organisations. For $15.00 you can publish up to 25 words. No AGMS, sporting notices or special meetings. Community Notices must be pre-paid.

Phone (04) 587 1660 or email classifieds@wsn.co.nz

Highly successful bowls tourney

By Frank Neill

The Johnsonville Bowling Club hosted hugely successful junior tournament, for players with one to five years’ experience, on 20 and 21 April.

The inaugural BR Flooring Junior Classic attracted 16 teams from throughout the Wellington region.

The tournament followed the classic format and two pairs each day, with team positions changing for each game.

A composite team from the Wairarapa

winners.

It was a tight split for second and third Masterton just edging the Johnsonville team

“This has been a most successful event, thanks to the efforts of so many club mem-

“It would not have been possible without the BR Flooring, which allowed for significant prizes.

“The club is also most grateful for the generous support of Ken Brown of Bowls Specialists; from New World Churton Park;

Recognising the region’s volunteers

Nominations for the Mahi Aroha Awards 2024 are now open until 10 May.

The Mahi Aroha Awards are an opportunity to recognise and honour the contributions and achievements of volunteers in the community.

Funeral Directors

The awards are open to any community organisation or business in the Wellington region.

Nominations are open across three categories:

great boards of community organisations; employee volunteer teams working in the community; and

This is a special way to say “thank you” for the mahi of those in organisations volunteering across the Wellington region.

“We encourage everyone in Wellington to take this opportunity to recognise the inspiring work of volunteers by nominating them for the Mahi Aroha Awards 2024,” says Julie Thomson, Regional Manager

For more information and online nomination forms see www.volunteerwellington.nz.

celebrate excellence in governance in the not-for-profit sector.

Hutt and Porirua.

The line-up at the inaugural BR Flooring Junior Classic. Photo: Allan Galbriath.

All smiles for local footballers

By Grant Stephen

Another intriguing round of Men’s Central League football played out over the weekend and if winners are grinners, those in the western and northern suburbs of Wellington were all smiling on Saturday night.

Waterside Karori gave a good account of themselves when they travelled to Endeavour Park and came away with a 3-2 win over Western Suburbs.

Jack Parker got the first goal for the Wharfies after 35 minutes. Savio Diego Concessio came on 78 minutes into the match to make it 2 for Karori, just four minutes after his injection into the game.

Lachlan Candy made it 3 for the visitors to take the lead and the match, just five minutes from full time.

It was 3-2 in favour of TFS North Wellington when they travelled to Wakefield Park to face Island Bay.

The first goal came against the run of play courtesy of a strike to Sam Proctor for Island Bay 35 minutes into the game.

Once again Norths had the better start but did not take the opportunities on offer.

Zach Newman equalised for Norths just a few minutes later. Josh Zatorski was on hand to convert a penalty for Norths right on half time after Island Bay committed a foul in the box. It was 3-1 to Norths after Sam Staunton squeezed one under the keeper with a shot from outside the box with half an hour still to play.

The pendulum swung the other way with a second goal for Island Bay courtesy of Kieran

Shrimpton just a few minutes later.

Norths then parked the bus and endured seven minutes of injury time to secure three very valuable points in the 18-match campaign.

The Wellington Phoenix Reserves and Western Suburbs are a game ahead following a mid-week night match on 17 April.

Wests came out on top with a 1-0 win.

The young Nix then hosted a rampant Napier City Rovers on 20 April with Rovers securing a crushing 6-1 win.

The surprise of the round has to be the 1-1 draw between Miramar Rangers and Petone. Both goals came within 12 minutes of each other in the last third of the match.

No doubt Petone would be more than satisfied to come away with a point while Rangers would have wanted more with all the talent at their disposal.

Wellington Olympic had a more than satisfactory weekend with a 6-1 away win at Hutt Park against Stop Out.

Just a point separates league leaders Miramar Rangers (10 points) from the chasing pack of Wellington Olympic, Napier and Wests.

In the preseason Women’s Kelly Cup competition, Petone took out the final 4-0 over Victoria University.

Waterside Karori prevailed 2-1 over Moturoa of New Plymouth to take out the Bowl. Scorers for Karori were stalwarts Renee Bacon and Nikki Furukawa.

Mana Coach Services North Wellington could only make it to sixth place in the Bowl competition, going down 4-0 to Miramar Rangers.

Big win for Johnsonville

By Frank Neill

Johnsonville’s premier 1 Rugby team scored a very convincing 49-20 victory over the Wellington Axemen at Helston Park on 20 April. This saw them win the Mick Kenny Memorial Cup for 2024.

Johnsonville ran in seven tries while Wellington only dotted down twice.

Flanker Seamus Rowberry scored two tries for the home team, while five other Johnsonville players also dotted down.

Jacon Walmsley, Koloa Aisake, Ha’amea Ahio, Jacob Kennedy and Yuu Kurihana scored one try each.

Mark Sutton converted four of the tries and also kicked two penalties.

The victory saw Johnsonville in third place on Wellington Rugby’s Swindale Shield competition after the first three rounds. Their next match sees them play Petone at the Petone Recreation Ground on 27 April.

Johnsonville’s premier 2 team came close in their Harper Lock Shield match against Wellington. Just two points separated the teams at full time, with Wellington winning 28-26 at Newlands Park.

Like the premier 1 team they will also visit the Petone Recreation Ground and play Petone on 27 April.

BEAUTIFUL GIFTS THAT BURN BRIGHT

North Wellington keeper James Stuart making a save during the team’s match against Island Bay, who are playing in the yellow shirts. Photo: Terry Douglas.