Wairarapa Times-Age Thursday July 1, 2021

Thursday, July 1, 2021

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United we stand

Supporters gather to protest council’s civic centre plans Full story P3

Town Hall timeline P8-9

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PHOTO/JADE CVETKOV

Long-term plans: A mixed bag for the region’s ratepayers STAFF REPORTERS Masterton’s long-term plan [LTP] was voted in by a thread, Carterton’s plan had two representatives in opposition, and South Wairarapa councillors were all on the

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same page for theirs, passing it unanimously.

Tensions were high in Masterton in leading up to the 3pm sign-off yesterday.

Just hours before, more than 1000 residents gathered at the site of the current town hall to

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protest the council’s decisionmaking process regarding the civic centre in the LTP. After amendments to the LTP sign-off failed to pass, five councillors opposed the entire long-term plan sign-off.

 Opinion P12-14

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Six councillors gave it the green light.

Masterton rates are set to rise 4.8 per cent on average.

In Carterton, two councillors opposed the LTP due to rates affordability concerns.

Carterton rates are set to rise

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5.4 per cent on average.

South Wairarapa rates are set to rise 14.28 per cent on average.

• Carterton on page 2 • Masterton on page 3 • South Wairarapa on page 4-5

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2 LOCAL NEWS

Thursday, July 1, 2021 Wairarapa Times-Age Carterton councillors vote to adopt the long-term plan.

PHOTO/TOM TAYLOR

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Carterton adopts LTP

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TOM TAYLOR

tom.taylor@age.co.nz

After months of deliberations and public consultations, Carterton councillors signed off their 2021-2031 draft long-term plan [LTP] in a meeting yesterday.

The document did not pass unanimously, with councillors Jill Greathead and Steve Cretney voting against adoption of the LTP. Many councillors expressed dissatisfaction with local government rating systems but accepted the LTP on the basis that it was a requirement under the Local Government Act. In Carterton, rates would rise an average of 5.65 per cent.

Councillor Dale Williams said councils’ rating systems gave them limited ability to raise funds to deliver on their legal responsibilities.

Deputy Mayor Rebecca Vergunst said council needed to be prudent with money while also working towards progress.

“We need to make sure that every dollar we are spending is an investment in our community and we have tangible returns from that.”

However, she said the district’s rating system was flawed.

“I think elected members across New Zealand would say our rating systems are broken and unsustainable.”

Vergunst had previously voiced her opposition to the uniform annual general charge [UAGC] percentage included in rates.

In Carterton, the UAGC was set at 30 per cent of total rates revenues – the maximum allowed by law.

Carterton District Council.PHOTO/FILE

I think elected members across New Zealand would say our rating systems are broken and unsustainable.

- Rebecca Vergunst

Vergunst said the UAGC meant that more costs were forced onto lower-value properties in the district.

Councillor Rob Stockley said the rating system was very sensitive to any decisions the council made.

“It’s not that any one rate is going up – it’s the spread between low and high value properties. The rating system is not designed to cope with that much spread. Maximising the UAGC pulls that spread in, but it lifts the bottom up.

There’s not a lot we can do.”

Councillor Greathead, who voted against the LTP, said rates had become unaffordable.

Mayor Greg Lang said rates affordability was “a key driver of where we’ve been heading”.

Lang said the LTP reflected the affordability concern as much as possible while also addressing other priorities.

Acting chief executive Blair King said the overall driver of the plan was to provide a balanced budget for council.

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Section 100 of the Act stated that “A local authority must ensure that each year’s projected operating revenues are set at a level sufficient to meet that year’s projected operating expenses”.

“It doesn’t start from a premise of what is affordable,” King said.

Councillor Cretney, who voted against the LTP, said that to keep rates to a minimum, Carterton District Council [CDC] could have decided against the inclusion of some projects in the LTP. CDC had released a public consultation document on the draft LTP in March.

Cretney said he could not agree to adopt the final LTP due to the number of changes made to the original consultation document.

“I look at the initial document that was sent out to the community for consultation and the latest document that we were provided.

An incredible

amount of changes have been made in the financial side of the two [documents].”

Cretney said councillors and the community had not had enough time to understand the updated financial information.

Auditor John Whittal said that changes had been made to the document since the public consultation stage.

“Although the council’s preferred options were selected in each case, the plan itself is based on the latest available information,” Whittal said.

“Where some assumptions have changed, or where additional information is available, that needs to be taken into account and the financial situations adjusted for those.”

The adoption of the draft LTP was initially scheduled for a week earlier.

The date was pushed back to allow council time to update the document to include several changes, including the financial model of the council’s Eastern Growth Plan.

Since the formation of the draft LTP, the New Zealand Transport Agency had also indicated that Carterton would not receive as much funding as requested.

Due to this funding shortfall, CDC had updated its financials to reflect $100,000 less revenue for the first three years of the LTP. Lang said rates affordability had been at the front of the council’s mind throughout the entire LTP process.

He said there had been high levels of pre-engagement on the plan and the council had taken on board all submissions.

www.age.co.nz Thursday, July 1, 2021

LOCAL NEWS 3

Faithful turn out for protest MARCUS ANSELM

Will it be a casino? Will it be a Starbucks? Will it be a low-security prison for vandals and poster thieves?

- Warwick Delmonte

marcus.anselm@age.co.nz

More than 1000 supporters turned out in force to back a bid to save the Masterton Town Hall yesterday.

They circled the town’s municipal buildings in a protest to save the centuryold structures.

Masterton District Council have earmarked land further north for a new civic centre, proposing a

budget of $30.8 million.

The project leaves the future of the much-loved municipal complex in doubt.

In some shape or form, council offices have been on the same piece of land since the 1870s.

Protesters heard from speakers George Groombridge, Warwick Delmonte, and Amanda Lynn before flanking the structures.

The audience included councillor Tina Nixon, who voted for the new civic centre, and the five opponents on the district panel: Bex Johnson, Chris Peterson, David Holmes, Gary Caffell, and Tim Nelson.

Veteran campaigner Groombridge organised the Hands Around The Hospital movement in 1991, which yesterday’s demonstration echoed.

The 93-year-old, a former plumber who often worked in the buildings, paid tribute to those in attendance.

His thanks to the “genuine Masterton people” earned a round of applause from the hundreds in the Town Square.

It also earned a toot of approval from a passing logging truck.

Delmonte, a spokesperson for Masterton Action Group, which has supported the redevelopment of the existing site, referred to this week’s Local Democracy Reporting story on Kath Ross.

The Masterton District Council chief executive was caught on CCTV tearing down one of the group’s

promotional posters.

“Will it be saved? Will it be demolished? Will the facade be preserved? Will it be sold?

Will it be a casino? Will it be a Starbucks? Will it be a lowsecurity prison for vandals and poster thieves?”

“We simply don’t know.

And that is at the heart of so much contention over the last few months.

“We don’t know what is going on. What we do know is that this building could be transformed into one of the most striking, unique, stunning, and beautiful civic centres in the country.”

The crowd then circled the buildings, standing side by side.

– NZLDR

Divided district council in heated exchanges MARCUS ANSELM

marcus.anselm@age.co.nz

Divisions, revelations, and decisions were made during heated exchanges at Masterton District Council yesterday.

Masterton District Council’s long-term plan [LTP], including its contentious civic centre funding, narrowly passed.

Debate on the facility permeated every agenda item, and rose to a crescendo during LTP discussions.

The other plan details were overshadowed yet again by the $30 million pitch, and the future of the Town Hall.

The hall’s future remains inextricably linked to the new build project.

The plan allows for $4.9m in the next year for land purchase and designs.

Councillors debated the issues within hours of when more than 1000 of their constituents met in the nearby town square to demand a rethink on the proposals.

In the interim, councillors opposed to the issue had met to discuss their concerns.

Councillors Sandy Ryan, Gary Caffell, and Chris Peterson.

PHOTO/JEREMY LEVERIDGE

An amendment introduced

by Tina Nixon, and approved by the now familiar 6-5 split, made a request for an investigation of sale or lease of the municipal building, and the retention of the facade.

Auditor John Whittal gave the plan an unqualified opinion, but with concerns over funding senior housing.

Tim Nelson asked if those concerns extended to the civic facility funding.

Whittal said that civic facility project was “a lot more progressed in addressing partners to provide that funding” than the senior housing plan.

By that time, Bex Johnson had already raised her issues with

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the recommendations to proceed with the facility.

She called the council’s consultation “flawed”, and the engagement “nonsensical” because the community did not have all the information.

“We should be pushing the pause button, not push play,” she said.

Nelson agreed with Johnson that the process was “flawed”.

“About 54 per cent of people said they did not want the project to go ahead. But it was still passed 6-5. I find that astounding.”

David Holmes was the first councillor to publicly name Masterton Trust Lands Trust as the owner of the land sought by

the council for the new site.

He said worries over commercial sensitivity “could have been alleviated with one conversation”.

“Not knowing where the site is going to be has been a major problem. What happens if the Trust Lands Trust reject the offer, which may happen?

“The council offer has to be above market value and pass the Trust Lands audit. They may reject it.

“I suspect it has to be in the community interest. From what I’ve seen today, I’m damn sure its not in the public’s interest.”

The trust was not available at time of publication to comment.

Chris Peterson again stated his opposition to the plans.

Last week, Holmes, Johnson, Nelson, and Peterson backed a notice of motion by Caffell to delay the civic centre decision.

Neither Deputy Mayor Graham McClymont, nor Brent Gare spoke on the issue, but voted in favour of the plan.

Iwi representatives Tiraumaera Te Tau and Ra Smith both supported the plan.

Nixon was the most vocal of the proponents.

“I have been extremely supportive of a civic centre, and for a moderate increase in rates.

“We’re still way below the average for councils across this

country, and we can do that with the civic centre in there.”

Frazer Mailman and Sandy Ryan also backed the plan, supporting Nixon’s recommendation because it gave surety for the future of the Town Hall.

Caffell called the timing of Nixon’s amendment “interesting” and termed it an “appeasement”.

Nixon countered that she had made public statements on preserving and selling the land before.

Caffell said MDC had “to get the process right”.

“I don’t give a stuff if it takes another two years. We’re talking about $30m. We have to get it right.”

Caffell said the council had to “show a willingness to listen to public opinion”.

Summarising, Patterson said lessons had been learned from the consultation process.

She said she understood that the “information gap keeping commercially sensitive information out of the public domain was frustrating”.

“But commercial realities must be respected – we are stewards of our ratepayers’ interests.”

Tensions were palpable through the meeting.

The council will now look to secure its loan funding for the centre.

– NZLDR

4 LOCAL NEWS

Thursday, July 1, 2021 Wairarapa Times-Age

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South Wairarapa residents hoping for cash for unsealed rural roads are out of luck – council has unanimously voted to axe programme funding.

A full meeting of South Wairarapa District Council [SWDC] voted yesterday to pull cash previously set aside for sealing rural roads and instead pump funding into extending urban footpaths.

Councillor Pam Colenso said $1.2 million had been budgeted for the road sealing programme over three years.

Rural roads could still be sealed or repaired if unsafe, but the general programme would be scrapped.

As part of SWDC’s unanimously adopted long-term plan [LTP], $1.2m has now been set aside for urban walkways.

The LTP includes $400,000 per year for new town footpaths, kerbs and channels to extend the urban footpath network.”

The plan is generally reviewed every three years.

SWDC agreed to remove the previous rural sealing programme.

This means residents of mostly unsealed roads,

I believe there is a very strong case to look at it again in our annual plan.

- Brian Jephson such as Ruakokopatuna Rd, would not get any further sealed surfaces, unless there was a safety issue.

A group of residents

from Ruakokopatuna Rd, which runs past the entrance to the popular Patuna Chasm attraction, had asked council to maintain its standard

Business owners ready for double-digit rates increase GREYTOWN

TOM TAYLOR tom.taylor@age.co.nz

South Wairarapa ratepayers will be forking out an additional 14.28 per cent in rates this year, on average, following the adoption of the council’s long-term plan yesterday.

Early indications put the commercial rates increase in the district of about 10.9 per cent.

South Wairarapa business owners said the increase in commercial rates reflected a lack of investment in previous years.

“Obviously, it’s not ideal, but I understand that as a region we have a whole lot of things that we need to get done,” Greytown bicycle store Blackwell and Sons owner Adam Blackwell said.

“As much as it feels painful, I believe that we need to get on and get some of these things fixed, and we have to invest in our future. I’m not angry about it – but we’ve just got to figure out a way to make it work.”

Blackwell said business owners had become accustomed to singledigit rates increases because previous councils had aimed to keep increases to a minimum.

“I get it, politically, but it’s a bit naive to think that you can not fix things and invest in things and grow by not increasing some of your costs. It’s a short-term political gain for a longterm loss … I think we’re in catch-up mode now.”

Blackwell said incentivising more businesses to set up shop in the district would help to share the burden of rates.

“In some ways, investing in a business unit that attracts smart, sustainable, new businesses into Wairarapa is not a bad way to spend the money. If we bring in multimillion-dollar businesses that in turn pay rates, then that makes it better for everybody.”

The Offering cafe owner Bevan Morland said businesses would likely pass on the cost of rates increases to customers.

“It’s like with anything – if the minimum wage goes up, it’s reflected in the price.”

Morland said to take into account rates increases, landlords would increase the rent for commercial properties.

“Any business should be passing on the cost, so it just becomes more and more expensive.”

Morland said the biggest challenge for South Wairarapa was its small population.

The district had a population of 10,575 people at the 2018 census, spread across an area of 2,485km2.

With roughly double the land area, the Auckland supercity had a population of more than 1.5 million people.

“We have a massive area to cover, but we don’t have a mini-city inside that area,” Morland said of South Wairarapa.

“The council is only doing what it can do, but we don’t have that population.”

LOCAL NEWS 5

www.age.co.nz Thursday, July 1, 2021

axe to funding for sealing roads

Hinakura Rd.

sealing programme due to the high number of incidents there.

It is estimated that about six vehicles crash on the road a year, with many going off the road and down the bank towards the river around 40 metres below.

SWDC council members debated the funding change thoroughly, with a council member suggesting softening the blow with a unanimously

PHOTOS/SUE TEODORO

adopted amendment on time-frame.

Originally worded: “[Council] removes funding for rural road seal extensions and reviews this decision for the next LTP,” the extra words “or annual plan” were added following a request by councillor Brian Jephson.

This means the provision could theoretically be discussed again next year.

In a further blow, the

New Zealand Transport Agency [NZTA] had cut roading funding, which SWDC would not be topping up.

SWDC Mayor Alex Beijen was less than impressed with the government agency’s decision.

“I’d like to comment on our frustration with [NZTA] and their announcement of a decrease in funding for road maintenance within

the period of our LTP consultation,” he said.

SWDC chief executive Harry Wilson said the funding changes related to the regular roadsealing programme and not to safety issues or other repairs.

Wilson recognised the programme funding cut would disappoint some.

“What we are talking about with the road-seal is the regular programme of upgrades,” he said.

“It is not responding to a particular road situation.

If a particular road situation is unsafe or if there is a concern, we have always said we would deal with it.”

“Please don’t conflate those two issues.

“The issue we are talking about is a regular programme of reseal.”

Jephson asked for the timing amendment to make sure the issue was kept on the table.

“I’m not happy with the wording of this because we are taking it out of play for three years. I believe there is a very strong case to look at it again in our annual plan,” he said.

Colenso referenced Federated Farmers advice that a policy be developed around sealing rural roads.

“I think we should work on what that rural seal extension should look like,” she said.

Councillor Alistair Plimmer agreed.

“We need to have a very good plan about what our concept is for rural roads going forward. One of the big issues [discussed] out there is that we are going to stop sealing rural roads.

That’s not true. We are still going to seal roads where there is a safety issue and I think we need to show

that,” he said.

“All we are doing is taking out a kilometre of sealing for the sake of sealing.

“But we are still looking after the safety of people by speed review, by sealing, buffers and those sorts of things. That’s missing and that’s what is causing confusion,” he said.

“Rural road sealing is never as cheap as the day you are going to do it,” Colenso said.

“Anything in the future is always more expensive.

We are taking out $400,000 for three years as it stands at the moment which is $1.2 million,” she said, pointing out it would be a considerably more expensive project in the future.

“We are always going to be on the back foot,” she said.

“If we don’t do it, we are always going to be so far behind.”

A note was added to the unanimously adopted LTP that its adoption did not prevent safety sealing occurring on rural roads.

Council would also review its criteria for rural roads going forwards.

SWDC unanimously adopted the LDP.

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6 LOCAL NEWS

Thursday, July 1, 2021 Wairarapa Times-Age

Town Hall protest

WORD ON THE STREET

As thousands milled about Masterton Town Square yesterday, student journalist JEREMY LEVERIDGE checked in with and photographed those who braved the cold to make a stand.

Aliah McDowell I think it’s very important to save the town hall. There’s not that many historical buildings around Masterton that are so recognisable.

Colin Gowans Well I just hope the council takes notice of the number of people that are opposed to the pulling down of this building. That’s the main reason I’m here. It’s obvious that they seem to have their own agenda and there doesn’t appear to be any transparency, because I mean, we’re not sure where the new civic centre is going to be.

And we should know that. We’re rate payers. We’re supporting it.

I’ve lived here since 1992. Paid rates since 1992. I like to see my

rate money spent wisely, and at this stage, I don’t really think that they’re in a position to spend $30 million on a new civic centre.

This building’s sat vacant now for five years. I mean, there needs to be a decision made. This is ridiculous. What concerned me was, it was only a month prior to this building closing down that the council spent $80,000 refurbishing the inside, putting new carpet down. So if it is to be pulled down, I’d like to be able to purchase the carpet.

Graham Larsen Well you’d hope that the council will listen to us, because, I won’t see it, but my grandkids will benefit from it.

Pixie Thompson I hope we can keep the town hall.

I like the town hall, it’s a beautiful place here. It’s a nice place, where else would they put it? I think it’s quite convenient here. The shopping area’s over here, you can walk from the town area here and sit at the park. It’s very handy, I think, to the town.

Mary Kerehi I hope the difference will be, actually, to make George and his wife Mrs Groombridge happy.

Because that’s their passion. They saved the hospital for us, so I’m hoping they can help us save the town hall.

LOCAL NEWS 7

www.age.co.nz Thursday, July 1, 2021

PHOTOS/JADE CVETKOV

Roger Oakly I want to keep the town hall the way it was. I want to keep it fresh, I don’t want to waste money on a new one. We’re not getting enough information on what’s going on. So just be up front, and yeah, don’t railroad us.

Elder Napa I guess since the building’s been here for quite a while, and, you know, with the people who have lived here long enough to see this building since they’ve been growing up, I feel like it would probably mean something really special to them. And seeing it on the tables of being busted down, it’d probably be a sad story.

Vicki Dennes I think it will shake up the council, and make them more transparent.

And they need to remember that at the election, the old people vote, the young ones don’t.

Tess McRae I think it’s important to be here today to support our town’s history. And to keep something original from way back. And yeah, it’s important to Masterton, so it should stay.

George Groombridge I believe that the power of people, and the common sense, is the important thing. Common sense will prevail.

Jessica Wilson Well I’m just hoping that everyone here will actually make some sort of an impact on what the council is thinking. I’m just hoping that they will hear the people, because obviously the people want to be heard in these decisions.

Theresa Rimene I hope the council will cancel out this monstrosity of a building that they want to put in place. We’re just coming off of the back end of a pandemic, our roads are shot, water, everything. They’ve got to listen.

8 LOCAL NEWS

Thursday, July 1, 2021 Wairarapa Times-Age

The timeline

Town Hall is filled with history

The M

The fate of Masterton’s Town Hall has been taxing our minds since the offices and auditorium were closed in 2016. However, it is not the first time the town’s civic centre has concerned elected officials and ratepayers.

Local Democracy Reporter MARCUS ANSELM looks back on the 140-year history of the town’s municipal buildings.

1887-2010

1877: First town hall opens, on Lincoln Rd. 1879: Masterton Trust Lands Trust [MTLT] build a new two-storey building on the corner of Perry and Chapel Sts. 1882: Town hall destroyed by fire in October. A hall on Queen St hosts concerts and dances for the next 15 years.

1898: Third town hall built in Lincoln Rd, known as the Opera House. Survives until 2012.

1914: Borough council launches design competition for new town hall. A newspaper report from March 10 says dressing room “and other stage conveniences at the hall are “utterly inadequate to meet the requirements, or a theatrical company of any size”.

1916: After scaling back the original winning entry to cut costs, the new Municipal Buildings open.

1942: Earthquake damage closes town hall. “Time-consuming and frustrating” repairs and alterations take place over the next decade.

1949: Work finally gets underway.

1954: New buildings eventually handed over to the council, nearly 12 years after the earthquakes.

1982: A new library opens in Queen St. 1985: The northernmost portion of the municipal building is demolished.

1986: New council offices officially opened by the Governor-General, Sir Paul Reeves.

2010

A 7.1 earthquake in Darfield, Canterbury on September 4 is felt across New Zealand.

2011

FEBRUARY: A 6.3 aftershock kills 185 and causes major damage to Canterbury. Unreinforced facades were a major cause of death. Government declares a

state of national emergency for Christchurch City. The damage and fatalities lead to a government review of buildings, and existing legislation.

OCTOBER: Chris Finlayson, Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, officially opens Carterton Events Centre.

2012 Opera House demolished. MTLT builds Waiata House on the site.

2013

OCTOBER: Lyn Patterson elected Mayor.

DECEMBER: Town square unveiled. Patterson said the square was a meeting place and a passive area for people to “enjoy, use and look after”.

2014

JANUARY: A 6.2 earthquake near Eketahuna. Masterton’s Daniell Building evacuated. No reports of structural damage. Inspections of older buildings carried out.

FEBRUARY: Councillors vote to cover a $110,879 shortfall in funding for the town square.

MAY: Pim Borren appointed CEO of MDC, replacing Wes Ten Hove.

2015

JUNE: Town Hall “rated at 40 per cent of current earthquake standards and upgrading, while possible, is expensive”, says new long-term plan document.

Town Hall acoustics “are not ideal and need to be upgraded”.

Balcony seating also “in need of refurbishment”. A loan of $100,000 to address acoustics and seating approved. Some $700,000 set aside for furnishings of the hall and offices. An additional $350,000 allowed for improvements.

2016

APRIL: Engineers assess Town Hall and council offices. Borren: “If we discover that the building is earthquake-prone and in need of significant strengthening work, then we will consider what options we have, taking into account our

health and safety responsibilities.”

MAY: Annual plan process opens.

JUNE: Town Hall shut after parts of the building rated as low as 18 per cent of the building code.

JUNE: MDC sets aside $2.5 million for the strengthening of earthquake-prone buildings.

Additional funding was to be allocated through annual plan.

JULY: Thirty MDC staff moved out of Municipal Building, which is closed to the public. Borren said an assessment determined it “potentially worse” than the town hall. Demolition not ruled out. Staff shifted to the old ANZ bank building, cnr Lincoln Rd and Queen St. OCTOBER: Patterson re-elected as Mayor, unopposed. Iwi representatives Tiraumaera Te Tau and Ra Smith join council. Holmes re-joins council. Peterson, and Caffell re-elected. Bex Johnson and Frazer Mailman elected to council and MTLT. DECEMBER: Timeline laid out for revamp. Public consultation set for August. MDC’s Sam Rossiter-Stead: “The refurbished building will become the home of the council once again. It will provide modern office space and facilities, as well as a new customer service centre for our residents. The facade, which was built following the 1942 earthquake, is the strongest part of the building. So that will remain.”

2017

APRIL: Building Act updated.

National earthquake prone building register created.

OCTOBER: MDC buys Waiata House from MTLT for $4m.

DECEMBER: A report by Borren floats the idea of turning the site into a boutique hotel and events centre.

2018

FEBRUARY: Municipal Buildings added to the earthquake register.

MARCH: MDC proposes $15.5m spend to convert the Town Hall into a performing arts centre, and $8.1m on the library in its LTP consultation.

APRIL: Councillors comment on LTP proposals: Caffell: “Inside I’d like to see a major auditorium with awesome acoustics, which we haven’t had in the past, and a series of meeting rooms.”

Patterson: “It was important to listen to the community and keep an open mind until residents had had their say.” Peterson: “If all things add up, probably a logical place for it is in its current building.” Mailman: “If the community want the retention of the town hall then I’m happy with that.”

MAY: Kath Ross named as new MDC CEO, takes over from Borren in August.

Nearly 60 per cent of 241

submitters support town hall proposal. Another 27 per cent who favoured strengthening the town hall only. A further14 per cent favoured not replacing it.

JUNE: Councillors approve $15.5m funding over three years to build a new fit-for-purpose civic centre that will replace the town hall.

MDC to proceed with building a new civic centre. Future work was to be undertaken regarding what this would look like and the location. Brent Goodwin votes against adopting the plan.

AUGUST: Call for expressions of interest [EOI] into hotel and apartments options. MDC received four EOI. “The development of a new hotel as part of this project is a unique opportunity to provide a complementary facility and provide the only hotel accommodation in the Masterton town centre,” council documents read. Later, Ross said “it is fair to assume that the council is not aiming to go into the hotel business itself”.

OCTOBER: Patterson said a civic centre decision “still a long way off ”. “We haven’t got those answers yet, we have to consider all options. This may have to serve the district for the next 30 or 40 years so we are not going to rush a decision.”

NOVEMBER: Xigo [now TSD] named as project managers for civic centre. Ross said with

LOCAL NEWS 9

www.age.co.nz Thursday, July 1, 2021

Masterton Town Hall in 1930.

Masterton Opera House, 1900.

Masterton Town Hall after its 1954 redevelopment.

PHOTOS/WAIRARAPA ARCHIVE

A craft fair in Masterton Town Hall, one of the final occasions before doors closed in 2016.

$15.5m of ratepayer funds at stake, “it was imperative the council had the right people managing the project”. “This research will help us understand what elements should be included, what’s likely to get used and how we might integrate commercial and non-commercial operations.”

DECEMBER: MDC turns down idea of buying YMCA building on Queen St as a performing arts venue. Caffell: “We don’t know what is going in the Civic Centre.”

Patterson: “We want to work collaboratively with the groups in our community and we want to make sure we’re not doing what they want to do and they’re not doing what we want to do but we are working in a community partnership way.”

Waihinga Centre opens in Martinborough.

2019

FEBRUARY: MDC moves into Waiata House.

MARCH: Annual plan proposed.

No consultation. Proposes a reduced capital provision of $2m to reflect the likely timing of consultation and the start date for consequential work. Peterson: “I think this is one of the most radical and anti-democratic steps that this council has made and therefore one of the most important. I think this is a slippery slope.”

APRIL: Earthquake strengthening

of Masterton library begins. Parts of the library were found to be well under the new codes. Also, a market analysis by Horvath considers a civic centre site in five locations: the library and town hall; the MTLT-owned New World and Aratoi sites; and the Community Trust-owned Farriers Car Park.

SEPTEMBER: Documents released through official information requests show seven options for existing site. Most expensive comes in at $22m. Costings for demolishing all buildings, including the facade, and building a new centre estimated at $17.m, with annual operating costs of $1.3m, or $119 per year on urban residential rates.

OCTOBER: Current council elected. Patterson voted in for a third term as Mayor. Caffell elected to MTLT. MTLT trustee Sandy Ryan elected to council.

DECEMBER: MDC launches a survey on the future of the Town Hall.

2020

JANUARY: A civic centre concept by developer David Borman is published.

FEBRUARY: MDC receives 1300 response to a survey on the town hall. Published results say more than half of respondents back a civic facility.

Councillors vote 6-5 in favour

of demolishing the town hall auditorium, and keeping the historic facade, civic buildings, and civil defence offices, against staff recommendation. Mailman, Peterson, Tim Nelson, Johnson, Holmes, and Caffell voted for.

Patterson, McClymont, Tina Nixon, Ryan, and Brent Gare against.

MARCH: Covid Alert Level 4 causes national lockdown. Waiata House used as emergency hub.

MAY: Annual plan proposes demolition of the Town Hall, retain the facade, municipal buildings and civil defence building. Explore the design, cost, and location of a new multi-purpose facility that may include a library.

JUNE: Annual plan voted in.

Sets $250,000 budget for initial planning and design work.

JULY: Councillors visit facilities across lower North Island.

McClymont “They were all quite different. You’ve got to work out how to do it, and then do it your own way. It will be a Masterton process. It was very interesting, and all very positive.”

AUGUST: Mayor Patterson says MDC is scouting possible locations for a civic facility.

DECEMBER: Councillors vote in public exclusion to include funding for a new Civic Facility [with a black box theatre, library, archives, information hub, exhibition space, kitchen facilities, meeting rooms] in its 2021-31 LTP.

2021

FEBRUARY: MDC calls for EOI for “a suitable panel of quantity surveyors with the expertise and availability to build the council’s new civic centre”. Caffell calls for MDC to confirm town hall site.

APRIL: 2021-31 LTP consultation opens.

MAY: LTP consultation closes.

MDC receives more than 300 submissions, 191 on the civic centre. More than half of those reject council’s preferred or alternative options. Former MDC senior manager Shanna Vatselias urged councillors to reject “an unproven plan for a civic facility”. Borman presents another updated concept of the existing town hall. Documents released under official information request show MDC considered demolishing its War Memorial Stadium, replaced by a new civic facility.

JUNE: A narrow 6-5 vote at council backs building a civic centre, in an unnamed location, for $30m, including $4m in external

funding. Hands Around the Hall protest attracts more than 1000 participants.

– NZLDR The Masterton Town Hall closed in 2016. PHOTOS/FILE

10 LOCAL NEWS

Thursday, July 1, 2021 Wairarapa Times-Age

GWRC locks in climate ambitions GWRC

Trees planted at Onoke Spit.

GRACE PRIOR grace.prior@age.co.nz

Ambitious climate change action was quickly signed off at Greater Wellington Regional Council’s [GWRC] long-term plan meeting this week.

These bold targets mean council could reach its climatepositive goal sooner than 2035 while removing more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than it emits sooner than it planned.

Climate change was the centre of two of the three main public consultation topics.

The council committed to decarbonising its public transport fleet and restoring regional parks.

Metlink, managed by GWRC, will switch to electric or hydrogen-powered trains and related infrastructure in Wairarapa and Manawatu over the next 10 years, introducing electric or hydrogen trains into service by 2026.

Council said this would significantly impact carbon emissions, reducing the contribution to climate change.

Council said in its longterm plan agenda that for both climate related topics, public support for the more ambitious preferred options was high – with more than 80 per cent of responses in favour.

Through the long-term plan,

Greater Wellington Regional Council offices on Cuba St, Wellington.

PHOTOS/FILE

council will replace or convert all 320 existing busses to be run by electricity.

About 169 new buses will be added to the network to address capacity increases. These buses

will also be electric.

The council has committed to decarbonising the public transport fleet, expecting to reduce annual emissions by about 74 per cent by 2031.

The cost of electrifying all public transport is set to be $1.1b spread over 10 years, as the long-term plan details.

Council also committed to restoring regional parks to native bush, hoping to reduce annual emissions from grazing by 71 per cent by 2031.

Livestock is set to be removed from 1,350 hectares of the total 2,083 ha of grazed land in regional parks.

The restoration of regional parks will have a rates impact of $11.81 per ratepayer, per

annum over 10 years. The first three years will be funded by the government’s low carbon acceleration fund [LCAF], reducing the rates impact significantly to an average of $672k yearly.

GWRC declared a climate emergency in 2019. As part of its response, it set a carbon-neutral target by 2030.

Alongside carbon neutrality, GRWC set an even more ambitious target to become climate positive by 2035.

GWRC chair Daran Ponter said at the beginning of the submission period that climate change was no longer the elephant in the room.

“It’s out there riding on our roads and rails with emissions in its wake”.

Now, councillors are celebrating what they hope will set the region up for the future.

Councillor Penny Gaylor, who is chair of the environment committee, said she was proud council was taking a step to do the right thing.

“Over the four long-term plans I have been a part of making, I have seen a shift in how not just our councils are responding to climate change – but how our communities are understanding, accepting, and supporting the work of councils.”

She said the strong ambition within the plan came down to the fact that staff and communities believed deeply in working to mitigate climate change.

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BRIEFLY 11

www.age.co.nz Thursday, July 1, 2021

QUIZ OF THE DAY

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

The best petrol station pie is ...

Gillian Gaunt I really loved the mince and cheese pies in NZ. Grace Prior Kasia the great bacon and egg pie hunt.

Sherry Rihari Taupo BP pepper steak with a Krispy Creme donut.

Jean Cretney Bayview Petrol Station in Napier.

Rosie Harper Thai Green Curry from Gull.

Karen Roberts Mrs Macs.

Liam Wilkinson Z classic mince pie.

Maureen Mcghie Challenge.

Peter Walker BP Martinborough.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

MEANWHILE IN WAIRARAPA

CHRIS COGDALE chris.cogdale@age.co.nz

Questions

Joe ShadYy Stewart Z station.

1.

Finish the proverb: “Many hands make ... what”?

Jennie Lee Smith Caltex Solway.

2.

What is the Hawaiian word for hello and goodbye?

Robert Mackenzie Caltex Woodville.

3.

Entomology is the study of what – birds, fish, or insects?

Glen Mudgway Wild Bean Cafe at BP.

4.

Notorious gangster Al Capone was eventually convicted of what crime?

5.

What is Australia’s most northern city?

6.

Who is the Mayor of Auckland?

7.

Which form of motorsport had its origins in the prohibition era of moonshine runners, who modified cars so they could outrun police while carrying illicit alcohol?

8.

Which famous 1215 document established for the first time the principle that everybody, including the king, was subject to the law?

9.

According to a 2005 European scientific study, eight parts of sand to one part of water makes the best what?

Peter Van der Veen Maketu.

Bett Francis Taihape BP Thai chicken.

Rere Walker Bacon and egg, Caltex Waipukurau.

C

N THE T O S AB D R L A

E

In politics stupidity is not a handicap.

PHOTO/GETTY IMAGES

– Napoleon Bonaparte, French statesman [1769-1821]

10. Finish the Alexander Pope line from his famous quote “a little learning is a ...”?

Answers

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Masterton District Council was again split in its decision.

12 OPINION

EDITORIAL

We can better spend $30m elsewhere WE SAY

GRACE PRIOR grace.prior@age.co.nz

O

ur mental health system is failing, and a decaying system has left many families stranded in relative poverty. We’re letting this happen while our council parades about with constructing a civic centre for the ages.

I’m not sure if I’m alone in this thought or not, but I believe that the $30 odd million earmarked for a proposed civic centre in Masterton should be going into community support.

Social Development Ministry data shows 2268 workingaged [18-64] Masterton residents received a benefit in 2020. The biggest portion, 790, were between the ages of 25 and 39.

We have a silent epidemic going on in the background of this town. Some children are bound to be growing up in broken families, failing to get an education, and being sucked into a system of poverty they can’t always get out from.

I say this because I’ve seen, met, and lived with people who have grown up in Masterton and have been in the prison system, which stemmed from their broken upbringing.

This isn’t something I ever thought I’d experience, but it was eye-opening to how the world looks for someone who has had next to nothing their whole life.

Masterton Council wants to spend a large amount of money on a civic centre when it could be helping its community in other, more meaningful ways.

The argument shouldn’t be between keeping the old town hall or building a new facility – it should be about where priorities in spending lie.

If anything, we need community facilities that are useful, better mental health support, and better education options.

Build something for the community, sure, but make it useful.

We could have a space that is accessible to all walks of life and provides support services they need.

I just can’t fathom how we can care so much about what a $30m civic facility is going to look like while children are walking to school with no shoes and no food.

Yes, there is support in place for families and communities, but it wouldn’t be a long shot to say that it isn’t enough.

You know that “would you steal bread to feed your family?” age-old question? Well, I bet you that’s happening regularly for some people right around the corner.

We act like we know what’s going on in our communities, but I don’t think we do.

‘Progress’ in the way of building something is nothing if parts of our community are still suffering.

There is support out there, some from various government agencies, no doubt a bit from the council – but that is nowhere near enough.

The troubles that lower-income families face are often inter-generational, much like some of our wealth.

We seem to have been turning a bit of a blind eye to poverty in this country and allowing ourselves to forget because we just don’t see it.

I’m not asking everyone to become Mother Teresa, but I think it makes a damn sight more sense investing in our people and their welfare before we invest in a building, so we look prettier.

The Wairarapa Times-Age is subject to New Zealand Media Council procedures. A complaint must first be directed in writing to the editor’s email address. If not satisfied with the response, the complaint may be referred to the Media Council P.O. Box 10-879, Wellington 6143. Or use the online complaint form at www.presscouncil.org.nz. Please include copies of the article and all correspondence with the publication.

Thursday, July 1, 2021 Wairarapa Times-Age

LETTERS

Thanks for the incredible Wow, what an incredible five years of local ownership of the Times-Age. Until I opened the paper yesterday morning, I had not realised how things had gone full circle. I remember feeling devastated when circulation was removed from Masterton and people’s jobs were at risk.

Thank you, Andrew Denholm for bringing things

back to Masterton and for the superb service to Wairarapa — up to date news items, reporting both sides of important events that affect so many people.

I love the items on those whose lives can be changed for the better with help from all sources, some unexpected.

Assistance has come for so many because of the stories

your staff have sourced.

Congratulations to you all for a job well done. Special thanks to those who brave the weather in the dark of night to deliver my paper to the door.

So much appreciated.

Mrs P Palmer Masterton

Coverage appreciated

Congratulations on your fifth anniversary as a locally owned

Proper consultation In the past week, we’ve heard from Cr Tina Nixon, Mayor Lyn Patterson, and in Tuesday’s paper Teresa McClymont claiming in various states of know-allness that the people and groups opposing Masterton’s $30m civic centre project are dealing in misinformation and should be discounted as such.

Those groups and people are dealing in no such thing.

The thrust of what most of them are saying is simply that they would like further consultation done — it is widely agreed the consultation wasn’t done as well as it could have been.

Cognitive somersaults were performed when less than 30 per cent of people wanted the new $30m project was somehow accounted to 51 per cent support.

Even if you believe that nonsense, 51 per cent support in and of itself would suggest further consultation is needed for such a large project.

The Times-Age survey, while not scientific, would suggest the support has been grossly overstated too.

So, it strikes me that the real peddlers of misinformation on this topic are the aforementioned people who are howling “it’s all lies” to community-led action and democracy.

Perhaps now would be a good time to suggest Patterson and Co take themselves to Farmers department store and address the glaring issue at hand by obtaining some new clothing.

They might have to take Ross’ measurements with them though - I heard she’s not allowed back there for some reason.

Geoff Brown Masterton

Resignation call

The small deeds of people often belie more meaning than intended.

Given the immaturity and unprofessionalism shown

by Masterton Council’s chief executive Kath Ross in ripping down posters critical of her brainchild $30 million civic centre, how sure can we be that councillors get the impartial advice and facts they need to

Civic centre sites considered by Masterton District Council in a 2019 report.

govern properly and which she is duty-bound to present?

She could do the decent thing and resign. C’est la vie.

Theus Goodwin Masterton

Shame on you

I cannot believe that the Masterton District Council chief executive Kath Ross had the cheek to take down posters that did not agree with her ideals.

Shame on you.

It’s no wonder the council is in disarray if that is how its administrative leader acts.

Lorraine Burcher Masterton

CEO actions

Masterton Council’s chief executive [Kath Ross] is responsible for the smooth running of our town affairs, overseeing her staff, advising our elected council.

Sadly, only the very naive would say that she has succeeded.

Many questions need answering.

Are contracts going to the appropriate contractors?

Roading, for example, is a complete shambles and the car purchases — is it true that the council has bought two electric cars from a Wellington company rather than

supporting our local traders?

And now she has made headlines in our local paper, having been caught on security cameras tearing opposition posters down.

Is this person worthy of a salary in the hundreds of thousands? I think not.

Time for a change — in many areas.

Richard Dahlberg Masterton

Council decision-making

As you may be aware, I am opposed to the decision to construct a new Masterton civic centre, so-called.

However, although I have a lot of respect for the paper, I was somewhat appalled by the headlines in Wednesday’s edition.

I refer to the ‘Council boss revealed as a poster thief’.

The action was, of course, not only silly but gives significant insight into how disregarding this person is of public opinion.

However, it is the word ‘boss’ that concerns me.

The person in question cannot be the boss of council. The council is a committee who look after the ratepayers of Masterton on their behalf.

A poster in town also stated it was the ‘chief of council’.

OPINION 13

www.age.co.nz Thursday, July 1, 2021

HUBBARD’S VIEW

five years, team newspaper, and the fantastic coverage of the people behind the publication and distribution of the TimesAge. I really appreciate and enjoy getting the paper each morning in my letterbox.

Your coverage of the town hall/civic centre debate is excellent – an open dialogue with numerous

letters published and open to discussion.

I read in Tuesday’s paper that Teresa McClymont urged readers to wait for more information — a bit late in the debate as this is what has been asked for all along but is not forthcoming.

Cheryl Cavanagh Masterton

what we need

PHOTO/FILE

Again not accurate.

Like all chief executives, this council’s is assuming too much authority. She is but an instrument of the council’s organisation.

Here lies the real problem with this issue of town hall replacement.

Too many decisions are made without regard to legitimate opinion, typical, I believe, of how chief executives operate.

Let’s be sensible and talk about what Masterton needs now for a centre, and let’s focus on urgent matters such as viable water supply and completed sewage systems and decent everyday needs for all — not just for those with grandiose ideas.

Ross Ireland Masterton

Town hall subsoil classification

My degree qualification is in architecture and structure from first principles.

The Spencer Holmes report of 2004 said the town hall would comply with the rules if the subsoil class is C. The LGE Consulting report of 2016 said the town hall would not comply with the rules if the subsoil class is D. Likewise, the surveys on the hospital and, I expect, many

commercial buildings in town are based on conjecture, not fact.

In my opinion, it is nonsense to use a hypothetical situation and claim it as fact, then to hold the populace to ransom over it.

Until such time as a subsoil survey is done specific to the town hall to correctly determine the subsoil value — by borehole analysis, for example — then there are insufficient facts to determine whether or not these buildings meet the rules.

Whether they are safe or not depends on analysis that compliance with the rules doesn’t cover.

The LGE report comes close by addressing the risks of loss of gravity support, and the peer review by Dunning Thornton Consultants usefully adds to this by recommending additional egress from the auditorium.

Stephen Butcher Carterton

Do we feel lucky?

How many more times are we going to be told by ‘experts’ and politicians that we ‘got lucky’ or ‘dodged a bullet’ when it comes to spreading covid infections?

We have had, mainly in Auckland, but now in Wellington, many examples of supposedly infectious people travelling widely, visiting restaurants, shops, gyms, and colleges without any community spread.

However, what is the response? To argue for even more restrictive conditions regarding masks and scanning.

When I was at school, I was taught that if the facts don’t fit your theory, then it’s not the facts that are wrong.

On the other side of the coin, it is now okay to claim a ‘false positive’ result [probably correctly] when the other evidence is contradictory, or if it suits the narrative.

However, I don’t remember anyone discussing that possibility in the Carterton case at the start of the pandemic, which apparently was an important factor in starting us on this crazy never-ending lockdown sequence David Farlow Masterton

COMMENT

Eating outside your comfort zone THE LIGHTER SIDE

WYN DRABBLE I like to think I’m a reasonably adventurous eater; you certainly couldn’t tie me with the epithet “picky”.

If I’m in a classy restaurant headed by a skilled chef, I can even go so far as keeping my order very simple indeed. “Just feed me,” I might say to the waitperson and then sit back and wait for the surprises to appear.

Possibly because of that, or possibly because they looked intriguing, Mrs D came home with a packet of rosemary crackers to liven up one of our picnic-style meals. They certainly looked interesting. And healthy.

They were quite dark in colour and specked with little seeds – I could certainly identify sesame seeds – and what we supposed was some other form of compressed goodness.

I thought the flavour might be a little overpowering for the cheeses on offer so I opted for the safety of trying one by itself first.

I bit it in half – it was only small – and started my investigatory mastication.

When you do that, you’re looking for some sort of response which lies along the range bordered by “yum” at one end and “no, I don’t care for that” at the other.

This item fell outside those parameters. “This is horrible!” I said choosing blunt honesty over the softness of understatement.

Like tree bark but with less flavour.

Mrs D tried one; they couldn’t be that bad. “This is horrible!” she agreed.

Occasionally we might say that once was enough and we wouldn’t buy this or that product again. Fair enough! You can’t like everything. But right now I can’t think of any other foodstuff which has prompted a unanimous response of “horrible”.

We certainly weren’t going to eat them so they would need to be passed on to other members of the animal kingdom and here I’m not meaning to malign animals.

We have a bird-feeding station and every morning the feathered ones line up for their daily seed offering. They’ll love these, we thought. All those yummy seeds lovingly encased in … well … other stuff.

The following morning, to our surprise, we found that even though we had broken the items up into little beak-friendly pieces they remained untouched. Even the birds didn’t like them! “These are horrible!” they were probably chirping to one another.

Mother birds were possibly nudging their young away from the offending items. Well, you know how picky kids are about food.

So, this called for another

contender from the animal kingdom. Madam Dog would be a perfect candidate given that she will eat meat, grass, bugs, dirt, clothes pegs, courier parcels, hosiery, frogs, firewood. In fact, she’ll eat virtually anything classified as a noun.

She approached with caution as she knows that treats offered outside meal times can be medicinal [worm and flea tablets and the like] and they are the only noun she doesn’t like. And that’s despite the fact that the manufacturers claim to have turned them into yummy treats.

She took it cautiously in her mouth, obviously not wanting to commit too early. She then asked to go outside [dogs can do that] where she released the food item on to the lawn in front of her and sat barking at things she could see on the property.

It took a while but eventually she consumed the item. I even offered a second and, with that, she went through the same procedure. Cautious, yes, but, hey, it was food.

So, I certainly encourage you to be a little adventurous with your food purchases but, in case you purchase this item, you will need back-up in the form of a dog.

Also remember that birds may be more intelligent than you think.

• Wyn Drabble is a teacher of English, a writer, public speaker and musician

CONTACT US

f

You may share your opinion in print and online.

To comment online, visit our website www.age.co.nz or our Facebook page and feel free to comment on any of the stories.

Please email letters to news@age.co.nz or post to Wairarapa Times-Age letters, P.O. Box 445, Masterton.

Include name, address, and phone number. Noms de plume are not accepted. Letter writers’ town of origin will be published with the letter. Letters should be no more than 250 words, and may be edited for space and clarity.

14 OPINION

Thursday, July 1, 2021 Wairarapa Times-Age

COMMENT

Are we on a road to absolutism?

Once we are protecting people’s feelings, the list of groups is infinite, writes RICHARD PREBBLE.

My six-year-old grandson loves our lakeside playground.

A week ago, some scumbags stole the park equipment worth tens of thousands of dollars.

The theft would have required a gang, planning, bolt cutters, and transport.

The community has not hung back in expressing its views.

Who they are and why they did it should not matter. We should hate those who take joy from children.

If the government has its way, then who did the theft will matter.

If it was one of the groups, who the government says should be exempted from criticism, then it will be me who is the criminal. I have incited you to hate them. I will be liable for a $50,000 fine and or three years jail.

Kris Faafoi, is assuring us this will not happen. Faafoi is totally unqualified to be Justice Minister and his assurances are worthless.

The government has published a discussion paper on criminalising hate speech.

The minister’s introduction states “incitement is intolerable” because it makes “people feel unsafe and unwelcome”. This law is to protect our feelings.

The paper cites the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry recommending the existing law be clarified and the penalties

It is not the government’s role to protect us from having our beliefs challenged.

made harsh.

There is no evidence that hate speech was the motivation for the Australian terrorist.

Hate speech laws are always confusing because the concept is subjective. There is no objective test.

What makes you feel unsafe is totally subjective. Some people feel unsafe in the dark. Hate speech will be whatever the authorities decide.

The government wants to add groups that should be exempt from ridicule and has suggested “religion, gender, sexuality, and disability”. The paper does not explain why these groups.

We can easily think of others. Why not the vertically challenged? Height matters. Most US presidents have been over six feet tall.

Then what about the most misunderstood? Old white men, a group with which I feel some

affinity. There are university courses on “white privilege” that seem designed to make old white men feel “unsafe and unwelcomed”.

Once we are protecting people’s feelings, the list of groups is infinite.

The government’s second reason for having hate speech laws is even worse. New Zealand has signed some UN treaties banning hate speech.

This government has never seen a UN treaty it did not want to sign. None of these treaties has been approved by Parliament or the electorate.

Cancel culture is sweeping the West. It is identity politics — persuading voters that they are victims who need protecting.

Despite Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s denial that the hate speech ban will extend to politics, that paper asks whether the ban should include “political

PHOTO/STOCK.ADOBE.COM

opinion, which includes the lack of a particular political opinion or any political opinion”.

The proposals are ill-thoughtout and dangerous.

What the government should be doing is examining fundamental principles.

Why is free speech important?

Free speech is the building block on which democracy is constructed. Out of discussion and debate, we test ideas.

Only by allowing the advancement of false propositions can we prove they are wrong.

Faafoi’s claim we can ban some speech but still have free speech for “important issues” is nonsense.

When government decides what are the “important issues” for “public debate” we are no longer free.

Freedom is the ability to say what is not only wrong but vile.

Views we regard as “safe” today were once regarded as very “unsafe” such as having a woman as the prime minister.

It is important that the state protects religious freedom, including the right to hold no religious belief.

Religious freedom does not extend to the state giving special protection to religious opinions.

Fifty-thousand youths and maidens were slain in sacrifice to the god Huitzilopochtli in one year. If he has any believers today, we should be able to express our disgust without being threatened with imprisonment.

It is a shock for some new migrants from countries where blasphemy is a capital offence to discover New Zealanders are free to ridicule their religion.

In a democracy, it is not the role of the government to protect us from having our beliefs challenged, no matter how “unsafe and unwelcome” that may make us feel.

The risk of being offended is the cost we must pay for having the right to say what we think.

Once we empower the state to protect us from being offended, we are no longer a free society.

Free speech is our defence against tyranny. It is our ability to say that the government is wrong.

Even if I am wrong in believing that open dialogue results in better decisions and a more tolerant society, I am still in favour of free speech.

I want to live in a society where I am free to incite you to hate the scumbags who took away my grandson’s playground joy.

– NZME • Richard Prebble is a former leader of the Act Party and former member of the Labour Party.

Putting wicked plastic in New Zealand’s rear-view mirror New Zealanders of an older vintage will remember when milk was delivered in glass bottles and goods weren’t multi-layered in plastic.

Those days may be making a comeback of sorts with an official attempt to put some plastic in the rear-view mirror.

Kiwis have an ignoble record on creating waste. On average, we each throw away an estimated 159g every day. Our households go through about 1.76 billion plastic containers annually, and nearly 100 million plastic drink and milk bottles end up in rubbish bins.

And we are not great at food waste either — we bin $2.4 billion of food waste annually.

Government moves to ban hard-to-recycle products by mid2025 will cull common items such as plastic cutlery, cotton buds, PVC meat trays, and polystyrene takeaway containers.

Drink stirrers, plastic plates, and bowls, straws and fruit labels will be phased out.

It has drawn criticism from

PVC trays are to be phased out.

Greenpeace for overlooking plastic drink bottles, while supermarket chains say they are already phasing out single-use plastics.

Countdown sustainability general manager Kiri Hannifin told RNZ “we do need help with innovation ... it’s not just the packaging, we also urgently need to sort out our recycling infrastructure”.

The new programme follows

PHOTO/STOCK.ADOBE.COM

the ban on single-use plastic bags.

People have quickly got used to paper and reusable carry bags.

Environment Minister David Parker said the 2019 move meant more than a billion fewer plastic bags have ended up in landfills or the ocean.

It’s among a range of environmental actions that have fanned out to affect everyday lives.

The concept of low-traffic neighbourhoods has been

controversial both in Auckland and in Britain. A trial in Onehunga was cancelled in May after opposition by residents to street closures.

It wouldn’t meet with the approval of the Auckland man who famously likes berms to be mowed, but letting green areas resemble hay paddocks has become a growing trend in England.

The No Mow May effort to help plants, insects, and animals has, for instance, been adopted

by Salisbury Cathedral with a decision to stop mowing the lawns once a year during May. Part of the area will be left unmown yearround.

The Australian Capital Territory is also taking aim at plastic with the first phase of its single-use plastic ban starting this week.

Environmental issues are increasingly coming down to personal and mundane levels.

Plastic has long been emblematic of throwaway, disposable societies, yet the

phase-out plan is also good news for people frazzled by how much rubbish accumulates in their homes.

The quick, easy plastic option tends to stick around.

It is also welcome for those who like items with a bit of permanence and character rather than of functional but meaningless.

Even old nick-knacks our grandmothers owned tended to be made of metal, china, or wood, while finer things such as plates and cups held their good looks for generations. It takes a bit of effort to find similar items these days that are worth keeping.

As with health problems, the key to avoiding plastic is prevention — providing better alternatives to going down the cheap, thoughtless, and bad path.

Just like reusable shopping bags, the only time we’ll remember our addiction to singleuse plastics will be to wonder why we didn’t change sooner.

– NZ Herald editorial published yesterday.

EXTRA 15

www.age.co.nz Thursday, July 1, 2021

Extra TIMES PAST

READER PHOTO

100 years ago Mr Joseph Singleton, who recently retired from the police force in Masterton, notifies: that he has bought the business of the late Mr James Blackley, as Mail Contractor and General Carrier, on the Bideford-Glendonald and Westmere-Poroporo Roads. ­— Supplied by the Wairarapa Archive

Today in history

69 - Roman General Vespasian is first proclaimed Emperor by troops in Egypt, during year of the four emperors.

1690 - Army of Protestant King William III defeats deposed Roman Catholic King James II in Battle of Boyne in Ireland.

1798 - Napoleon’s fleet reaches Alexandria, Egypt.

1867 - The Dominion of Canada is formed, comprising the provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec, with John A Macdonald serving as the first Prime Minister.

1873 - Prince Edward Island becomes seventh Canadian province.

1903 - Tour de France: Inaugural race begins in Montgeron, a southeastern suburb of Paris.

1913 - Serbia and Greece declare war on Bulgaria.

1916 - First day of the Battle of the Somme: the British Army suffers its worst day, losing 19,240 men.

1933 - German Nazi regime declares that married women shouldn’t work.

1942 - German troops conquer Sebastopol.

1944 - Bretton Woods Conference starts, dominated by Harry Dexter White and John Maynard Keynes and leads to establishment

of the IMF and the World Bank.

1944 - General Eisenhower visits front in Normandy.

1945 - Allies troop land on Balikpapan.

1988 - The Government announced that it had agreed to the Waitangi Tribunal’s recommendation that Takaparawha [Bastion Point] on the southern shore of Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour be returned to iwi Ngati Whatua.

Birthdays

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, German mathematician/philosopher [1646-1716]; George Sand, French novelist [1804-1876]; Charlie Douglas, Scottish-born NZ explorer [1840-1916]; Louis Bleriot, French aviator [1872-1936]; Mason Durie, Ngati Kauwhata and Rangitane leader [1889-1971]; Charles Laughton, English actor [1899-1962]; Amy Johnson, English pilot [1903-1941]; Estee Lauder, US entrepreneur [1906-2004]; Olivia de Havilland, US actress [1916-2020]; Sydney Pollack, US director/ actor/producer [1934-2008]; Jonathan Elworthy, NZ politician [1936-2005]; Sue Bradford, NZ politician/activist [1952-]; Grant Dalton, NZ sailor [1957-]; Diana Spencer, English Princess of Wales [1961-1997]; Carl Lewis, US sprinter/ long jumper [1961-]; Pamela Anderson, Canadian-US actress [1967-]; Liv Tyler, US actress [1977-]; Katrina Devine, Northern Ireland-born NZ actress [1980-]; Hannah McLean, English-born NZ swimmer [1981-]; Kendra Cocksedge, NZ rugby player/ cricketer [1988-]; Annalie Longo, NZ footballer [1991-]; Tyla Nathan-Wong, NZ rugby player [1994-].

NOMINATIONS NOW OPEN

NOMINATIONS CLOSE FRI 16 JULY AT 5PM 

PRIMARY SCHOOL OF THE YEAR Open to any team of primary school students that has achieved a high standard of participation in any sport.

COLLEGE OF THE YEAR Recognising secondary schools for overall sporting excellence and participation.

The morning sky in Carterton on June 16. Photo by Heather Fuge.

Do you have a photo for our Reader Photo segment?

If so, email it to news@age.co.nz with “reader photo” in the subject line.

The Wairarapa Times-Age Sports Awards are back. The 18 award categories reflect the scope of sports achievements and will cover the period of recognition from 1 April 2019 - 31 March 2021.

By nominating a finalist you help to recognise and support sport in our region.

The Administrator, Volunteer and Lifetime Achievement Awards are not restricted to a specific time frame. Finalists will be announced and contacted in July. The Awards night is being held on Thursday, September 23, 2021 at the Carterton Events Centre.

JUNIOR SPORTS TEAM OF THE YEAR

YOUTH SPORTS TEAM OF THE YEAR

Open to any team of primary school students that has achieved a high standard of participation in any sport.

Open to any team of secondary school students that has achieved a high standard of participation in any sport.

Open to any senior team that has achieved a high standard of participation in any sport.

JUNIOR SPORTS PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR

YOUTH SPORTS PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR

Open to any primary/ intermediate school student who has achieved a high standard in any sport.

Open to any secondary school student who has achieved a high standard in any sport.

SENIOR SPORTS TEAM OF THE YEAR

SPORTS CLUB OF THE YEAR Recognises the progress made by clubs in promoting their sports both on and off the field.

highmarkhomes.co.nz

MASTERTON

VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR

Acknowledging people who have volunteered their time, labour and talents to improving Wairarapa sport. Recognises the volunteer’s entire career span.

ADMINISTRATOR OF THE YEAR Acknowledging people who have contributed to the administration of sport. Recognises the administrator’s entire career span.

JUNIOR OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR

Acknowledging any person under the age of 18 who acts as an umpire, referee or judge.

OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR

Acknowledging any person over the age of 18 who acts as an umpire, referee or judge.

COACH OF THE YEAR Acknowledging people who have contributed to the coaching of sport.

Recognises the coach’s successes over the two years.

SENIOR SPORTS PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR Open to anyone who has achieved a high standard of participation in any sport, defined for Senior Sports as participating in sport at national and/or international events.

PEOPLE’S PEOPLE’S CHOICE CHOICE AWARD AWARD

For Wairarapa Awardedto tohave the a residents finalist direct saywith as tothe what public fimost nalists theyvotes. believe should be recognised for their contribution to local sport.

Your locally owned newspaper

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Recognising the lifetime achievements of anyone in Wairarapa Sports.

SUPREME AWARD Recognises the Supreme Sportsperson chosen from the 15 category winners.

Open to any disabled person who has achieved a high standard of participation in any sport.

NOMINATIONS CLOSE FRI 16 JULY AT 5PM AWARD CATEGORY: I NOMINATE:

Fill in this form and return to: Wairarapa Times-Age, corner of Chapel and Perry Streets, Masterton.

Post to: Wairarapa Times-Age, PO Box 445, Masterton 5840.

Email your nomination to: sportsawards@age.co.nz

BECAUSE:

NOMINEE CONTACT DETAILS: If more room is needed attach additional pieces of paper to this form.

NOMINATION FORM

2020-2021 GREYTOWN

DISABLED SPORTS PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR

Thursday, July 1, 2021 16 NATION

Nation

www.whanganuichronicle.co.nz 7 Thursday, July 1, 2021 Wairarapa Times-Age

Vaccine supplies to get ‘tight’ 1,149,608 doses administered, more than 444,000 Kiwis have received second jab

C

ovid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says New Zealand’s supplies of the Covid vaccine are about to “get very tight”.

Stocks of vaccine available for distribution have fallen below 100,000, a chart supplied by the Ministry of Health shows.

Stock levels at DHBs were being monitored closely and deliveries over the next few days were closely aligned to bookings, Hipkins said.

The Government was expecting 1 million doses to be delivered this month.

As of midnight Tuesday, 1,149,608 doses of vaccine had been administered across New Zealand, and more than 444,000 New Zealanders had received their second dose.

“Overall we continue to track around 8 per cent ahead of plan,”

Hipkins said. he said, and that would be Ten per cent of first vacdistributed throughout NZ cine doses have gone to until next Tuesday.

Māori and 9 per cent of “We’re continuing to go second doses. That is below through the approvals prothe population for Māori cess, but plan A is still for Chris Hipkins proportionately, Hipkins everyone to be offered the said.

Pfizer vaccine by the end “We do need to see those numbers of the year,” Hipkins said. increasing for Māori, and that will be “We’re working on a Pfizer-based our focus as we get to groups 3 and vaccine campaign and that’s our fo4.” cus.”

He expected stocks to drop to their The Government’s Book My Vaclowest point on Tuesday next week. cine system would be available to the However, although supplies would wider public from the end of next run low, the Government had de- month, Hipkins said. It’s only visible cided to get supplies out the door and to those being invited to book into people’s arms rather than leaving vaccines at this point. doses in freezers, Hipkins said.

The Janssen vaccine is the next Vaccines now had a longer shelf likely vaccine to be approved in New life and could be stored for longer. Zealand.

“There is more vaccine out there, Preliminary advice is that since NZ sitting in freezers across the country,” already has the Pfizer vaccine, which

Almost a hundred inactive Pharmac medicine funding applications could be rejected. The drug-buying agency says it’s considering declining 97 requests which have been in their system a long time, most recommended to be cut by clinical experts.

Operations director Lisa Williams said Pharmac was seeking public feedback on next steps.

Imam more resolute A Christchurch mosque leader targeted in fresh online threats is concerned, but not scared. Police have confirmed they are investigating three separate reports of threats towards the Al Noor Mosque in the past fortnight. Al Noor Masjid Imam Gamal Fouda says they only act to unite the community more. He said far-right violent groups wanted to spread fear among New Zealanders, but this only pushes them to be brave.

A menacing selfie of a masked man posing outside the mosque has appeared online.

Alps kea copping it

Nats need to ‘stop sniping’

A spike in kea deaths on the east of the Southern Alps is being blamed on stoats and feral cats. DoC is carrying out a five-year study to shed more light on why they’re declining faster there than to the west. Just six per cent of monitored kea were killed in 2019, but this jumped to 40 per cent a year later after a large beech seeding. Science adviser Josh Kemp said it was the first time so many radio-tagged kea had been killed by stoats and cats.

Claire Trevett

Former National MP Chris Finlayson says if Judith Collins’ “ritual disembowelling” of Todd Muller is what it takes to stop MPs sniping about each other to media, then he fully backs it.

Finlayson has spoken out about the plight his party is in, saying former PM John Key had told them after the 2020 election to either quit leaking or quit the party, and Key was right.

Asked about Judith Collins’ move to force Todd Muller to resign after he was dobbed in for making unflattering comments about Harete Hipango to Newsroom, Finlayson told the NZ Herald that MPs had to learn “to stop sniping about your colleagues”.

“There needs to be a bit of discipline brought to the show and if there needs to be a ritual disembowelling from time to time, then that’s the way it goes. Of course everyone talks to journalists, but if you’re going to have a gripe about your colleagues say it to their faces.”

“How many times do the National Party and its caucus need to be told to stop the leaking?

“Why are they so stupid that after a cataclysmic defeat in 2020, they haven’t got that basic message?”

He said he had never seen a party self-destruct in such a way as National had and pointed the finger at bad candidate selection by the board, saying party president Peter Goodfellow should consider standing down.

is regarded as highly effective, a Pfizer-based programme should continue and any Janssen vaccines could be stored, director general of health Ashley Bloomfield said.

There are more than 200 businesses operating at borders around the country. Eighty-three per cent of workers active in the border testing register have received their second dose of the vaccine, and another 3 per cent have received their first dose, Hipkins said.

The remaining 14 per cent have not been vaccinated or are exempt.

“I’m confident these workers have access to good information. They have had and continue to have good access to vaccine,” Bloomfield said.

There is good emerging evidence the Pfizer vaccine provides protection against the Delta variant, Bloomfield said.

— NZ Herald

Pharmac wields axe

Complaints come in Several complaints have been made since the release of a Christchurch Girls’ High School survey earlier this week. More than 400 girls at the school say they’ve been harassed and 20 say they’ve been raped. The complaints are being handled by the Police Child Protection Team. Police are encouraging and supporting any student who wishes to make a report, to do so. They’re promising to treat any reports seriously, sensitively and confidentially.

New ethnic advocate

Winter wonderland A few false starts . . . but Coronet Peak is finally open. The Queenstown ski field hasn’t been able to open until now, due to a lack of snow and snow making opportunities. NZ Ski’s other fields at Mt Hutt and the Remarkables have already welcomed back visitors. Chief executive Paul Anderson says he’s thrilled to finally have enough snow. The first skiers hit the slopes at yesterday morning, after 25cm of snow settled on the mountain. Anderson expected nearly 1000 people on the piste.

Photo / Supplied

New Zealand will officially have a Ministry for Ethnic Communities from today, an elevation from being the Office of Ethnic Communities. Mervin Singham has been appointed chief executive for a five-year term. He is currently the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry executive director and previously held leadership roles at the Internal Affairs Department.

Deputy Public Service Commissioner Helene Quilter said Singham is a respected and seasoned public servant who will bring communities together.

THE COUNTRY 17

www.age.co.nz Thursday, July 1, 2021

Caring for the rural community PLUS: Capacity is the biggest hurdle

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18 THE COUNTRY

Thursday, July 1, 2021 Wairarapa Times-Age

BEEF

DAIRY NZX WMP price (US$/t)

4500

AgriHQ North Island Steer Slaughter Price ($/kgCW)

6.5

8.0

5.5

3500

7.0

5.0

3000

6.0

4.5 Jun

Sep 2018/19

Dec 2019/20

GlobalDairyTrade US$/t

WMP

15-Jun

Previous auction

3997

4062

DOWN

AMF

5687

UP

Average

DOWN

4083

5654 4128

Mar 2020/21

Jun

Year ago

v. 5yr avg

2829

+41%

3993

+9%

2979

+32%

4.0

AgriHQ North Island Lamb Slaughter Price ($/kgCW) 9.0

6.0

4000

2500

SHEEP

Oct

Dec Feb 5-yr ave

Apr Jun Last Year

Aug This Year

North Island Cattle Slaughter Prices Last week

$/kg CW

P2 Steer

UP

M2 Bull

UP

M Cow

UP

5.60 5.60 4.10

Week prior

Year ago

5.55

5.25

5.50 3.90

Oct

vs. 5yr ave

5.35 3.95

+2%

+4% -4%

5.0

Oct

Dec Feb 5-yr ave

Apr Jun Last Year

Aug This Year

North Island Sheep Slaughter Prices $/head CW

Lamb 17.5kg Lamb 19kg

UP UP

Mutton 25kg

UP

Last week

Week prior

141.80

140.00

152.50

150.00

153.90

152.00

Year ago

122.50

133.00 120.00

Oct

vs. 5yr ave

+18%

+18%

+39%

New Zealand exported more dairy products in May, with most categories seeing an increase on year-ago levels. Whole milk powder exports were up 21% year on year, with a 96% increase in volume sent to China. Infant formula exports fell 18%, driven by a 73% fall in volume sent to Australia.

The NI cow indicator has strengthened by 30c/kg due to low supply and good demand. Numbers are low in the store market, though confidence in schedules for the end of the season is underpinning interest.

Lamb throughput remains low, and the indicator is now $1.10/kg above year-ago levels. A hot store market is also hampering processor supplies and enticing vendors to offload in the yards instead of finishing. Last week the 38kg male lamb indicator was at the highest level in the past five years.

GRAIN & FEED

FORESTRY

WOOL

NZX Grain & Feed prices ($/t)

475

AgriHQ Log Price Indicator (NZ$/t)

140

6.0

120

450

5.0

100

4.0

425

80

400

60

3.0

40

2.0

375 Jul-19

20 Jan-20

Milling Wheat

Jul-20 Feed Wheat

Jan-21 Feed Barley

PGG North Island Wool Prices ($/kg Clean)

0 Jun-19

Dec-19

Jun-20

Dec-20

Jun-21

1.0 Apr-19

Oct-19 Apr-20 Coarse Fleece (37m)

Oct-20 Lamb (30m)

This information is brought to you by AgriHQ, New Zealand’s leading agricultural market intelligence and data service. For more detailed analysis across all New Zealand agricultural sectors, visit agrihq.co.nz

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www.age.co.nz Thursday, July 1, 2021

THE COUNTRY 19

IT’S TIME TO STEP UP FROM 5 IN 1 TO COGLAVAX8 VACCINE The health and welfare of our animals is really important to us, so we use products that achieve results Hayden Ashby

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STEP UP TO 8 IN 1 PROTECTION When you’re running big numbers of sheep and cattle… there’s one number you want to keep really low. And that’s unnecessary losses from Clostridial disease.

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20 THE COUNTRY

Thursday, July 1, 2021 Wairarapa Times-Age

Grace’s block

New chief highlights capacity as GRACE PRIOR

grace.prior@age.co.nz

Wairarapa’s Andrew Olsen has been appointed the new chief executive of Rural Contractors New Zealand.

A new chief executive, president, and vicepresident have begun running the ship following an annual conference that highlighted pressurised challenges in meeting industry capacity constraints.

Rural Contractors New Zealand say these are likely to impact farmers and crop production.

Olsen has become the group’s first full-time chief executive, with the retirement of long-serving Roger Parton.

He said a big task for the sector going ahead was the dire lack of staff, which could cripple the primary sector.

“Without contractors at capacity, crops are going to be left in the ground and

the country is going to lose money.”

Olsen said if the staffing situation didn’t change, New Zealand would begin to lose large amounts of export money.

He said the industry had a tough season last year, running on limited staff with no aid coming in from overseas.

“Some contractors were doing 14-hour days, on 14-hour days, on 14-hour days. They will burn out and could end up leaving the industry all together.”

Olsen said economist Tony Alexander told the conference of increasing labour shortages and competition for talent.

“His advice was for rural contractors to focus on their businesses and really consider their capacity to service customers, review pricing and how to train and retain good workers. Many at conference took this advice onboard immediately and began planning

Without contractors at capacity, crops are going to be left in the ground and the country is going to lose money.

- Andrew Olsen

Rural Contracting New Zealand’s new chief executive Andrew Olsen PHOTO/GRACE PRIOR

changes they will initiate.”

He said this could include factoring in a string of messages that

pricing of farm machinery and wrap film would rise by as much as 20 per cent.

Olsen said rural

contractors also heard that farmers were increasingly less interested in applying their own chemicals,

which was opening up new customer opportunities for spray operators.

Olsen and incoming

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www.age.co.nz Thursday, July 1, 2021

the biggest hurdle to overcome

Andrew Olsen said he would be working with the government seeking more experienced machinery operators to be allowed in from overseas. PHOTO/STOCK.ADOBE.COM

vice-president Helen Slattery said the conference reinforced the intense challenges rural

contractors were facing, as well as identifying new opportunities.

Slattery said the

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She said a survey of rural contractors showed 400 or more were needed to keep up with farmer demand.

“We accept that as a quid pro quo, we have to continue lifting our efforts to train more Kiwis.

A new round of training is underway, including four month-long courses starting at the Telford campus from July 12.

Those trainees emerge with tractor-driving skills, but it takes our members a lot longer to get them to the point they can operate complex machinery.”

Olsen said short courses were also available at Taratahi and encouraged famers and contractors in the region to help themselves to the MPIfunded courses.

Slattery said she had run a “good yarn” workshop on the conference’s opening morning where attendees heard about some of the

stress members were enduring, largely due to the ongoing shortage of skilled staff.

She said the shortages were most obvious in experienced machinery operators.

“We all work hard in the season, but these shortages are pushing some contractors to breaking point.”

“We are an industry with as big a heart as the challenges we face,” Slattery said.

Olsen said he would be working with the government seeking more experienced machinery operators to be allowed in from overseas – or face crops left in the ground.

He said if they were not willing to work with them, and fast, jobs and export dollars would be lost, businesses would fail.

Fatigue, stress, depression or worse are very real issues in the sector. The government needs to address the quota, give us

the full 400 experienced migrant workers we asked for.

“We agree training Kiwis into these roles is important, but it will take time to get that level of skill and expertise embedded.

“I also will be asking for an exemption to the unfair tax our members face when they need to replace their ute. Sure, we heard at conference of the recent launch of the electric Ford Lightning, which saw 44,500 pre-sales in two days in North America, but it’ll be years before we get them here,” he said.

He said that a contracting career wasn’t just for men and encouraged women to take up jobs within the industry.

“Covid job loss meant many changed roles and we had some real success stories with women taking up the contracting challenge.

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22 THE COUNTRY

Thursday, July 1, 2021 Wairarapa Times-Age

On Farm Story Caring for the rural community

An endless appetite for work is a feature of many young farming couples, but as NEAL WALLACE discovers, by any measure Southlanders Jono and Kayla Gardyne have shown an exceptional commitment to their futures – albeit in different areas.

T

he tribe of magpies chose the wrong time to invade the Gardyne property.

A shotgun resting against a wall was evidence Kayla could no longer handle the disruptive noise and activity outside her home office window, as she studied for her medical degree.

The pests progressively came off second best with six magpies dispatched, reinforcing that not only were they unwelcome, but that Kayla needed to focus on her studies.

“They [magpies] got cunning and knew when I was moving and going to have a pop at them. I had to be prepared,” Kayla said.

Several rabbits that attacked her prized vegetable garden as she studied suffered a similar fate.

The small dent in the pest population is symptomatic of a hectic past six years for the Gardynes.

As Kayla, 29, studied medicine, husband Jono, 31, was cementing their partnership in a large complex family livestock and arable farm near Waikaka, about 30km north of Gore.

The Gardynes farm 550ha, with Jono’s parents John and Joanne, on which they run 3000 ewes, winter 2000 dairy cows, grow cereal and winter feed crops and finish from 6000 to 7000 lambs a year.

Their farm is run in conjunction with Jono’s sister and brother-in-law’s nearby property of a similar size and diverse mix.

It is a complex and busy business.

The 480ha cropping business is based on core crops of oats, autumn and spring-sown feed barley and feed wheat, fodder beet and kale, but they have grown other crops, such as canola, on the home farm, as well as under contract on neighbouring properties.

In addition, they run a contracting business to utilise their two harvesters. Last season they harvested 1100ha.

“Cropping is a large part of our year,” Jono said.

Lamb trading is an additional busy activity.

They aim to have their own lambs killed by February and then buy replacement store

lambs which are finished and killed, with the last gone by the end of April.

For the past six years, Kayla has had an additional focus.

Since 2012, she was working as a nurse at the Gore Medical Centre but was keen to advance her career.

She started postgraduate study to become a nurse practitioner, which involved to a master’s degree.

A postgraduate degree would provide Gardyne with new skills to increase her nursing scope of practice and ultimately could have given her a choice of pursuing a more advanced clinical or research career.

But Gardyne realised this could create job security challenges locally, but also the timeframe for the qualification was similar to that for medicine.

“It became obvious that medicine was the better choice for me,” she said.

And that is what she did.

“I was incredibly well supported by my medical centre colleagues and of course by Jono, family and friends as I undertook this major career change.

“I could not have made it this far without so many of these wonderful cheerleaders.”

Kayla saw on a daily basis the struggle rural practices have recruiting general practitioners, many surviving by recruiting predominantly foreign locums.

Although short-term locums have been a regular feature of rural general practice, Kayla says they often only provide temporary solutions to long-term staffing issues.

She said information from the Royal College of General Practitioners Division of Rural Hospital Medicine highlights the perilous state of rural New Zealand practice, with an impending GP workforce shortage.

“Rural areas are likely to be disproportionately affected,” she said.

Last year, half of GPs working in rural-based practices obtained their first medical degree overseas, compared with 34 per cent of GPs in urban-based practices.

She says around 10 per cent of New Zealanders depend on rural

From left, Michael Hall, Jessica Hall, Georgia Hall [in front], Joanne Gardyne, John Gardyne, Kayla Gardyne and Jono Gardyne.

PHOTOS/SUPPLIED

I was incredibly well supported by my medical centre colleagues and of course by Jono, family and friends as I undertook this major career change.

- Kayla Gardyne

hospitals for their healthcare and half of rural hospital doctors also work in general practice, reflecting the diverse and dual training pathway for those choosing to specialise in this area.

Despite the pressures of working in rural medicine, data supplied by the Royal College has found 80 per cent of rural hospital doctors say they are likely to recommend it as a career, with only five per cent saying they were unlikely to do so.

However, succession planning for rural hospital medical staff is crucial given more than 25 per cent intend retiring in the next five years and a further 18 per cent in six to 10 years’ time.

“The medical staff shortage really adds importance to my decision to undertake further study and into the Nursing Council’s development of the nursing practitioner’s role,” she said.

“I do think it [the nursing practitioner’s role] is filling a healthcare gap and providing nursing pathways to upskill and extend practice scope.

“I think the value of nursing practitioners is being increasingly realised.

“Medicine alone won’t fix the

workforce issues, with shortages of almost all allied health professionals being a very real reality in rural areas.

“We all need one another to provide the best care.”

For five years Kayla spent Monday to Friday predominantly living in Dunedin while studying at the University of Otago Medical School, then she would return home to the farm and help out as she was needed, shifting stock or doing other farm chores.

“At weekends it was back to being a farmer’s wife,” she said.

To stay focused, she treated her studies as a job, devoting specific times when she would hit the books.

During her first year of medical studies when Kayla sat and had to pass the competitive health sciences course to progress to medical studies, it dawned on her that she could be without a job locally, as her role had been filled, if she did not make the grade for medical school.

She passed and for three years continued to work one day a week either at the Gore Medical Centre or West Otago Health at Tapanui, relying on recorded lectures to maintain her medical studies.

Kayla has enjoyed exposure to

rural medicine, which included spending five weeks of her elective assisting on the Mobile Surgical Unit, which tours rural communities around the country performing day surgery.

Last year she was placed at Clutha Health First in South Otago, part of the University of Otago Medical School’s rural medicine immersion programme.

“I spent a whole year there. It was so good because I was handson,” she said.

“On the first day, I was suturing up and treating patients.

“I had people looking out for me when they had interesting patient presentations, giving me the opportunity to see and practise what I had been taught.”

This year Kayla is based at Southland Hospital in Invercargill under the supervision and direction of senior consultants.

As an intern she says working in this centre provides variety, enabling her to rotate through various specialties every four to six weeks, gaining knowledge, experience and helping her decide if she wants to specialise in one area of medicine.

“It gives me a taste of every specialty,” she said.

She also gets more opportunity to practise her skills sooner than if she was assigned to a larger hospital, where hands-on patient care is shared among multiple students.

Kayla says knowledge, confidence and patient interaction gained from her nursing background has helped her.

“My nursing has come into its own during my

THE COUNTRY 23

www.age.co.nz Thursday, July 1, 2021



Headers at work on the Gardyne family farm in Southland.

View the video Jono & Kayla Gardyne, Waikaka - YouTube.com

Ewes and lambs graze rolling Southland hills on the Gardyne family farm.

clinical work,” she said.

“It has made me a much better and hopefully more practical clinician.”

Having to soon start applying for jobs, she hopes to continue working at Southland Hospital as a new graduate doctor for a few years before determining her specialty.

Options include working either in a regional hospital such as Invercargill, a rural hospital such as Balclutha or Gore, in which case she will be a generalist doctor, or working in a GP practice.

In a bigger hospital such as Southland, she is surrounded by specialists who can provide advice and access to quickly

turned around blood tests and imaging.

As a generalist in a rural hospital or remote practice, she may be largely on her own, able to seek advice over the telephone, but left to make key diagnosis and decisions and, in serious incidents, keep patients stable while waiting airlift to a larger hospital.

“I’m not 100 per cent sure where I will end up. I love emergency departments, hospitals and especially women’s health.

Everything really,” she said.

Jono says having Kayla commute an hour’s drive to Invercargill is also easier on

family life. When she is on night or late shift she stays with family in the city.

Having a rural upbringing makes Kayla different from many of her fellow Otago medical students, even though they all have placements in rural health centres as part of their studies.

Getting them to commit to a rural practice is complicated.

Many come from an urban background and the vast bulk of training is done in urban centres, both as under graduates and during specialty training.

The longer they stay in an urban centre, Kayla says their lives become connected to the city as they meet and need to consider their partners, have

children and become entwined in urban life.

“I think considering working rurally at that stage is really tough, uprooting partners and families,” she said.

“Many consider Dunedin too small, therefore the idea of working in the likes of Invercargill might seem too much of a contrast to other big cities.

“It’s a real shame, as these smaller centres are often overlooked.

“My experience is that they are fabulous places to learn and grow as a clinician and put down long-term roots.

“They are often highly supportive, collegial and frequently have better work-life balance.”

Kayla’s family moved to West Otago from Tauranga in 2001 to milk a newly converted dairy farm at Heriot, so her roots are well and truly with rural communities.

She loves farming and the rural lifestyle, but also the ability for rural doctors to follow families through their lives.

“You get continuity of care, seeing patients and families grow and change, seeing babies, school-age kids, teenagers, parents and grandparents,” she said.

“I find that quite satisfying that it’s possible when part of a small community.”

That degree of connection also gives rural doctors a better understanding of their influence on a patient’s health and an understanding why some

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treatments would not work for everyone.

“So many things in rural life intersect, playcentres, schools and community events,” she said.

Although uncertain exactly what medical route she will pursue, Kayla intends to continue contributing to the family farming business as she can.

Most roles in the business are shared but Jono tends to manage the livestock, harvesting and compliance, while his father looks after crop care, the drying and dressing of grain and movements in and out of the grain plant.

Last season feed wheat yielded about 12 tonnes a hectare, feed barley about 9t/ha, oats 8t/ha.

The cultivation work is shared.

Joanne oversees the bulk of the paperwork and shepherding.

“There is a lot going on. It’s a matter of being organised,” Jono said.

He says the biggest immediate challenge is keeping track of environmental and broader government legislation.

The 2019 winter was especially stressful when animal welfare critics travelled throughout Otago and Southland looking for images of stock on crops to publish.

“I worried the cows were going to get out into a wet area and I’d be on the news,” he said.

He did not, but it is symptomatic of the increasing amount of his time spent assessing their practices and systems comply with new environmental rules.

“It’s a challenge to keep up with the paper trail to prove we’re doing the right thing,” he said.

Waterways are fenced, sediment traps installed and dairy cows grazed on a flat, dry and free draining area.

The past six years have been busy for the Gardynes and the pace is unlikely to ease in the next few between their increasingly busy farming business and Kayla establishes her medical career.

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Thursday, July 1, 2021 24 NATION

Nation

Govt takes plunge on water plan

How it would work ● The four agencies would cover different

regions.

The first would cover Auckland and Northland – a population of 1.725 million – most in Auckland.

The second would cover Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, and northern ManawatūWhanganui – a population of 800,000.

The third would cover eastern and southern parts of the North Island and the top of the South Island, including Hawke’s Bay, Horowhenua, Wellington, Nelson and Marlborough – a population of 955,000.

The fourth would cover the rest of the South Island.

But at least one council finds threewaters proposal hard to swallow he Government has unveiled proposals to move the ownership and management of water infrastructure from local councils to four water services agencies, split regionally.

Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta released the long-signalled “Three Waters” decisions yesterday, saying the move on drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure would save ratepayers money.

It would also result in better services, and help ensure that the expected $120 billion to $185b in investment over the next 30 years could be made.

Mahuta said the present model was “ineffective, inefficient, and not fit for purpose”.

“Underinvestment, including deferred maintenance and renewals expenditure, has left a legacy of impending costs and poor services for future generations.

“We have seen the effects of a system in crisis: fatalities

from bacteria in drinking water, broken sewer pipes, poorly treated Nanaia Mahuta wastewater running into streams and rivers, no-swim notices at the beaches, regular boil-water notices, and lead contamination.”

Mahuta said a support package for councils would be announced in coming weeks.

However, the plan is in for a rough ride. There are 67 councils currently managing their own water infrastructure.

Northland and Auckland would be covered by the same agency, and on Tuesday Whangārei District Council voted to opt out.

Mayor Sheryl Mai said there was concern about what it would mean for the local assets ratepayers had paid for, and the risk Northland would come second to Auckland under the model. It had decided to opt out until more details were known.

● The agencies will be publicly owned, with local authorities considered the “owners” on behalf of their communities. Steps would be taken to try to ensure the assets could not be privatised in the future, such as requiring a referendum before any such move.

● A Regional Representative Group of local

authority members and tangata whenua would vote on an independent panel to appoint the board members to govern each entity.

● They would be required to consult

communities before making decisions.

An investment of up to $185b is planned for New Zealand’s water infrastructure over the next 30 years.

Photo / Stuart Whitaker

Modelling on the impact of the reforms on Whangārei shows that without the reforms, the cost of investment in water per household in Whangārei could rise from $1860 now to $4060 in 2051.

It calculated the reforms could shrink that cost to $800.

Mahuta has argued the changes are needed to ensure safe water standards, and address the estimated $120b to $185b investment needed on water infrastructure over the next 30 years.

“The data shows the case for change is compelling. With-

out these changes DIA modelling shows that even at the more conservative end of estimates, the average household bill for water services could be as high as $1900-$9000 by 2051, which would be unaffordable for many communities,” she said.

“Under our proposal for four providers those figures range from $800 to $1640, saving households thousands of dollars.”

National water spokesman Simon Bridges said he was not convinced the new model would result in the savings the

● Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta

said it would include statutory recognition of the Treaty and mana whenua would have equal rights with local authorities on the Regional Representative Groups.

government was promising.

He said National agreed some change was needed, but there were several issues with the Government’s proposal.

“Ratepayers face losing local control of the assets they’ve paid for over generations, while being asked to foot the bill for poorer-performing neighbours — all while getting no guarantee that the service will materially improve.”

Act leader David Seymour said the plan to give mana whenua equal standing with local body representatives on the Regional Representative

Groups was an unnecessary step toward a “Partnership State”.

“Co-governance should not be the priority; the priority should be fixing the pipes. We have sewage on the streets in Wellington and yet at local and central government level the priority is honouring the Treaty.

“Nanaia Mahuta’s water reforms will mean mana whenua have equal rights with councils in governing water assets. People shouldn’t have a seat at the table just because of who their ancestors were.”

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Claire Trevett

www.whanganuichronicle.co.nz 9 Thursday, July 1, 2021 Wairarapa Times-Age

www.age.co.nz Thursday, July 1, 2021 16 www.dailypost.co.nz

World

Top US general warns of civil war in Afghanistan Taliban captures key districts raising fears of new conflict

T

he United States’ top general in Afghanistan yesterday gave a sobering assessment of the country’s deteriorating security situation.

General Austin Miller said the rapid loss of districts around the country to the Taliban — several with significant strategic value — is worrisome. He also cautioned that the militias deployed to help the beleaguered national security forces could lead the country into civil war.

Miller told a small group of reporters in the Afghan capital that for now he has the weapons and the capability to aid Afghanistan’s National Defence and Security Forces.

“What I don’t want to do is speculate what General Austin Miller that [support] looks like in the future,” he said.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in meetings at the White House last week with President Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah — the Afghan official tasked with making peace with the Taliban — President Joe Biden said the US was committed to humanitarian and security assistance to Afghanistan.

But the president also said that keeping US soldiers in Afghanistan defied a peace deal the Trump administration negotiated with the Taliban and that wasn’t a risk he was prepared to take.

“Given the timeline set by the prior administration, that if we did not withdraw our troops, US men and women would be facing fire from on the ground and that was not something as the commander in chief, that he felt was acceptable,” Psaki said.

Washington signed a peace deal with the Taliban in February 2020. It laid out the promise of a US withdrawal and Taliban commitments to ensure Afghanistan does not harbour

Black Sea dispute Russian warplanes repeatedly flew low over a Dutch navy frigate in the Black Sea last week and carried out “mock attacks”, the Netherlands Defence Ministry said yesterday. The incident involving the Dutch ship Zr Ms Evertsen happened last Friday southeast of Crimea, the ministry said. It came a day after after Russia said one of its warships in the Black Sea fired warning shots and a warplane dropped bombs to force a British destroyer, the HMS Defender, out of an area near Crimea that Russia claims as its territorial waters. Britain insists its ship wasn’t fired upon. The Evertsen has been patrolling in the Black Sea with HMS Defender. Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014, a move not recognised by most countries, gaining access to its long Black Sea coast.

Samoa by-elections

Afghan militiamen join Afghan defence and security forces during a gathering in Kabul.

German troops leave Afghanistan Germany’s last troops left Afghanistan yesterday after a nearly 20-year deployment in the country, Defence Minister Annegret KrampKarrenbauer said.

Nato agreed in April to withdraw its roughly 7000 non-American forces from Afghanistan to match US President Joe Biden’s decision to pull militants that can attack the US. The details of those commitments have not been made public.

The Taliban have accused Washington of breaking the agreement, which called for all troops to be out by May 1, the date the final withdrawal began. US officials have said the Taliban has made some progress, but it’s not clear whether the insurgent group has kept its end of the deal. The insurgent group issued orders against allowing foreign

all American troops from the country starting May 1. At the time, Germany had about 1100 troops there.

Germany’s contingent, which focused on northern Afghanistan, was the second biggest in the current Resolute Support mission after the United States’. Its last bases were in Mazar-e-Sharif and Kabul.

— AP fighters among their ranks, but evidence continues to surface that nonAfghans are on the battlefield.

Still, Miller was insistent that only a political solution will bring peace to the war-tortured nation.

“It is a political settlement that brings peace to Afghanistan. And it’s not just the last 20 years. It’s really the last 42 years,” he said.

Miller was referring to not only the US war but that of Russia’s 10-year occupation that ended in 1989. That

Photo / AP

conflict was followed by a brutal civil war fought by some of the same Afghan leaders deploying militias against the Taliban. The civil war gave rise to the Taliban, who took power in 1996.

Meanwhile, Taliban fighters have been capturing districts in rapid succession, many of them in the north of the country, which is dominated

by Afghanistan’s minorities. The north is also the traditional stronghold of many former mujahedeen leaders who have been a dominant force in Afghanistan since driving the Taliban from power in 2001 together with the US-led coalition.

Several of the districts are on key roads and one is on the border with northern Tajikistan.

Miller said there are multiple reasons for the collapse of these districts, including troop fatigue and surrender, psychological defeat and military defeat. But he said the escalating violence puts the country at risk of falling into a deadly civil war.

— AP

Aussie states rebel against surprise call RATHKEALE & ST AstraZeneca MATTHEW'S State authorities are rebelling against new rules allowing the AstraZeneca vaccine to be given to young people despite a surprise change announced

by Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

Both Queensland and New South Wales have said they will not administer AstraZeneca to young people in their state vaccination clinics despite Morrison’s decision to open up these jabs to those under 60 years old.

Previously the AstraZeneca vaccine was only available to those aged over 60, following advice from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (Atagi) over the risk of rare but serious blood clots.

The health advice has not changed, but on Monday night Morrison said younger people who wanted the AstraZeneca vaccine would now be able to speak to their general practitioners about getting the jab. A no-fault indemnity scheme will be

25

WORLD Thursday, July 1, 2021

2ND - 7TH JULY Rathkeale College Trust House Theatre Willow Park Drive

provide a vac-

for people under 60 puts Queenslanders Scott Morrison at risk.”

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian also appeared to rule out vaccinating under 60s with the AstraZeneca vaccine health clinics.

She said clinics would accept those aged over 60 wanting the AstraZeneca vaccine and anyone getting their second shot.

“The important thing is to follow the health advice and the health advice in NSW says if you’re over 60, get the AstraZeneca vaccine. If you are under 40, we welcome you to get the Pfizer vaccine.”

Berejiklian said National Cabinet had agreed only that GPs would not

Jacob Zuma jailed South Africa’s top court has jailed Jacob Zuma, the former president, for “egregious” contempt after he refused to appear before a corruption investigation which he himself set up.

Zuma, 79, was told to turn himself in within five days or face arrest in a landmark victory for rule-of-law campaigners who accuse him of presiding over a culture of endemic corruption during his years as head of state. Delivering the ruling at the Constitutional Court in Johannesburg yesterday, Justice Sisi Khampepe said Zuma was guilty of an “egregious affront on judicial integrity, the rule of law and the Constitution”.

Zuma’s daughter, Duduzile, tweeted that he would hand himself in to serve his 15-month sentence.

Black hole first

Black holes have been observed engulfing a neutron star “like Pacface any legal consequences if they Man” in a world first, according to administered the vaccine to anyone. scientists. Two of the extraordinarily The Royal Australian College of rare events were witnessed by General Practitioners (RACGP) is also researchers, and the findings were calling on the Federal Government to published in the Astrophysical urgently clarify details concerning Journal Letters yesterday. On January 5 and 15, 2020, two events were the changes.

“The nation’s general practices had detected which produced new no warning of the announcements gravitational waves. Analysis and are now scrambling to figure out revealed these waves were created what this means for our patients,” by two black holes engulfing neutron black RACGP President Dr Karen Price said stars. The first was between Musicaby: hole the mass of nine Suns, and a on Tuesday.

ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER star with the mass of 1.9 Suns.

There also seems to be reluctance neutron among some GPs to recommend the The second involved slightly Lyrics smaller by: objects, with a black hole equivalent jab to young people.

TIM RICE RACGP vice president Bruce to six Suns, and the neutron star cent thanGroup our Sun. “Each Willett said he would urge patients 50 TM©per 1991 The bigger Really Useful Limited collision isn’t the coming together to wait for Pfizer.

BY ARRANGEMENT WITHjust ORiGiN™ THEATRICAL ON BEHALF USEFUL GROUPobjects.

LIMITED It’s of THE twoREALLY massive and dense “The AstraZeneca vaccination is a OF safe vaccine . . . and if it was the only really like Pac-Man, with a black hole vaccination we had available, we swallowing its companion neutron would be rolling it out to everyone,” star whole, said Professor Susan Scott he said.

— news.com.au at the Australia National University.

cine that is not SENIOR COLLEGE PRESENTS... recommended

introduced to cover GPs. The decision came as a surprise to doctors and to state authorities, with Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk telling reporters yesterday the rule change was not a decision of the National Cabinet.

“I do not think this is the time to risk the safety of our young Australians when . . . the UK will not even allow their under-40s to get the AstraZeneca vaccine,” she said.

Queensland chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young was very clear in her message: “I don’t want an 18-yearold in Queensland dying from a clotting illness who, if they got Covid probably wouldn’t die.”

Queensland deputy premier Steven Miles said the Government would only provide the vaccine that is medically recommended.

“For the Prime Minister to attempt to overrule the medical advice and

Another by-election is looming in Samoa after a further two MPs agreed to drop their electoral petitions, this time in the Falealupo seat. The caretaker HRPP government's electorate winner and the Fast Party candidate have agreed to drop claims of bribery and treating against each other. Fast's Fuiono Tenina Crichton withdrew his petition against Leota Tima Leavai on condition she would not contest a by-election. It follows a similar case on Tuesday in the Sagaga No 4 seat where both candidates dropped their petitions and agreed to return for a by-election.

The withdrawal of Leota in Falealupo reduces the number of women's seats in the new parliament to four — two short of the constitutional threshold.

The outgoing HRPP government now has 22 seats to Fast’s 26.

26 BUSINESS

Thursday, July 1, 2021 Wairarapa Times-Age

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9.30 Coronation Street PG 0 10.30 1 News Tonight 0 11pm The Apprentice Aotearoa M 3 0 Midnight Drag SOS PG 3 0 12.50 Te Karere 3 1.15 Infomercials 5.35 Te Karere 3

6am Les Mills Born To Move 0 6.25 Ricky Zoom 3 0 6.40 Care Bears: Unlock The Magic 3 0 7am Agent Binky: Pets Of The Universe 3 0 7.25 Monchhichi Tribe 3 0 7.50 The Strange Chores 0 8.15 Chuggington: Tales From The Rails 0 8.25 Code Fun 3 0 8.35 Rainbow Rangers 0 8.55 Kiri And Lou 3 0 9am Infomercials 9.30 Religious Programming 10am Les Mills Core 0 10.30 Neighbours 3 0 11am All Rise PG 3 0 11.55 N The Royals MLC 0 1.05 Judge Rinder PG 3 2.05 Murphy Brown PG 3 0 2.35 Home And Away PG 3 0 3.05 Shortland Street PGVC 3 0 3.40 Hardball 0 4.05 Brain Busters 0 4.35 Friends 3 0 5pm The Simpsons PG 3 0 5.30 The Big Bang Theory 3 0 6pm Neighbours 0 6.30 Home And Away PG 0 7pm Shortland Street PGV 0 7.30 MasterChef Australia PG 0 8.45 Police Ten 7 PG 0 9.15 A Current Affair PG 0 9.45 N Filthy House SOS 0 10.45 Kings Cross ER M 0 11.15 Police Ten 7 PG 3 0 11.45 A Very British Sex Shop 16 0 12.45 Gordon Ramsay’s 24Hrs To Hell And Back 16L 0 2.15 Shortland Street PGV 3 0 2.40 Infomercials 3.40 2 Overnight 4.15 The Middle 3 0 4.35 Neighbours 3 0 5am Infomercials

6am The AM Show 9am Infomercials 10.30 The Zoo PG 11.30 Newshub Live At 11:30am Noon Good Bones 1pm M Deadly Paradise PG 2016 Thriller. 0 A female business woman gets in over her head after inheriting some money and encountering a dangerous bad boy in Hawaii. Botti Bliss, Jacqueline Lord.

3pm Celebrity Family Feud PG 0 4pm House Crashers 4.30 Newshub Live At 4:30pm 5pm Millionaire Hot Seat 0 6pm Newshub Live At 6pm 7pm The Project 7.30 Lego Masters USA PG 0 Structural integrity and beauty come together as the teams build a structure strong enough to withstand an earthquake.

8.30 Demolition Down Under PG 0 9.30 Newshub Late 10.55 L Tennis: Wimbledon 0 Day Four. Coverage from the grass courts of Wimbledon in London.

2am Infomercials

6am Wheel Of Fortune 3 6.25 Butterbean’s Café 3 0 6.50 The Loud House 3 0 7.15 Nicky, Ricky, Dicky And Dawn 3 0 7.40 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3 0 8.05 Hunter Street PGC 3 0 8.30 Batman: The Animated Series PGVC 3 0 9am A Place In The Sun 3 10am Antiques Roadshow 3 0 11am Hot Bench PGC 3 11.30 Married With Children PG 3 12.30 The 2000s M 3 0 1.30 Just Shoot Me PG 3 0 2pm The Late Show With Stephen Colbert PG 3 3pm Wheel Of Fortune 3.30 Jeopardy 4pm American Pickers PGC 3 5pm Everybody Loves Raymond PG 3 0 5.30 Prime News 6pm First XV Rugby Revision 6.30 Pawn Stars PG 3 7pm The Crowd Goes Wild 7.30 Inside The Red Arrows ML 3 0 8.30 Prison 16VLC 0 9.35 Bad Tenants, Rogue Landlords MVLC 0 10.35 The Late Show With Stephen Colbert PG 11.35 The Crowd Goes Wild 3 12.05 Infomercials 3.05 Closedown

6am BBQ Pitmasters PGL 7am Giada Entertains 7.30 Giada At Home 8am Animal Nation With Anthony Anderson 9am Dogs With Extraordinary Jobs 10am Best Cake Wins 10.30 The Great Food Truck Race PGL 11.30 Ice Cold Gold PGCL 12.30 Forged In Fire PGC 1.30 Supertruckers PGL 2.30 Idris Elba: Fighter PGC 3.30 Big Cat Country 4.30 Hairy Bikers: Chicken And Egg 5.30 The Great Food Truck Race PGL 6.30 American Pickers 7.30 Deadliest Catch PGCL 8.30 Dual Survival PGC 9.30 Flipping Bangers 10.30 American Pickers 11.30 The Great Food Truck Race PGL The final two teams head back to Los Angeles, where their trucks have a ferry to catch to Catalina Island.

12.30 Hairy Bikers: Chicken And Egg 1.30 Best Cake Wins 2am Culinary Genius 3am Big Cat Country 4am Dual Survival PGC 5am The Great Food Truck Race PGL

7.10 Hustlers 16LSC 2019 Comedy Crime. Constance Wu, Jennifer Lopez. 8.57 Greed 16L 2020 Comedy. Caroline Flack, Steve Coogan. 10.42 The Secret: Dare To Dream PG 2020 Drama. Katie Holmes, Josh Lucas. 12.28 Motherless Brooklyn 16VLSC 2019 Drama.

Edward Norton, Bruce Willis.

2.52 Zack Snyder’s Justice League: Justice Is Gray 16VL 2021 Action. Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot.

6.50 The Crime Boss 16VLSC 2020 Drama. Liam Hemsworth, Vince Vaughn. 8.30 Baby Done MLSC 2020 Comedy. Zoe freaks out when she falls pregnant to her long-term boyfriend, Tim. As Tim embraces fatherhood, Zoe attempts to rush through her dreams.

10.05 Papillon 16VL 2019 Drama.

12.15 Bloodshot MVLSC 2020 Action. 2.01 Brahms: The Boy 2 MVLC 2020 Horror.

3.26 The Crime Boss 16VLSC 2020 Drama. 5.03 I Still Believe PGC 2020 Drama.

6am Aotearoa Rugby Pod 7am Oceania Sevens (RPL) Day Three. 8.30 First XV Rugby Revision 9am Playmakers: Rugby Stories 9.30 Ranfurly Shield (HLS) Hawke’s Bay v North Otago.

10am Currie Cup (RPL) Cheetahs v Bulls.

Noon Ranfurly Shield (RPL) Hawke’s Bay v North Otago.

2pm British And Irish Lions v Japan Brave Blossoms (RPL) 4pm Maori All Black v Manu Samoa (RPL) 6.45 British And Irish Lions v Japan Brave Blossoms (HLS) 7pm Playmakers: Rugby Stories 7.30 GrassRoots Rugby 8.30 Rugby Club 9pm All Blacks Flashback (RPL) All Blacks v Samoa.

From Eden Park, Auckland.

11pm GrassRoots Rugby Midnight Currie Cup (HLS) 12.30 Rugby Heaven 1.30 French Top 14 (RPL) Final: Toulouse v La Rochelle.

3.45 Guinness Pro14 Rainbow Cup (RPL) Final: Benetton v Bulls.

6.05 How Do They Do It? PG 6.30 How It’s Made PG 6.55 House Hunters Renovation PG 7.45 House Hunters International PG 8.10 House Hunters International PG 8.35 Top Gear 9.25 Fast N’ Loud PG 10.20 Bering Sea Gold PG 11.15 Aussie Salvage Squad PG 12.10 Mysteries At The Museum PGC 1.05 Naked And Afraid MVL 2pm Outback Opal Hunters PGL 2.55 Alaskan Bush People PG 3.50 Gold Rush PG 4.45 Fast N’ Loud PG 5.40 Outback Opal Hunters PGL 6.35 Aussie Gold Hunters PG 7.30 Aussie Gold Hunters PG 8.30 Gold Rush PG 9.30 Gold Rush: White Water PG 10.30 Bering Sea Gold PG 11.25 Naked And Afraid MVL 12.15 How It’s Made PG 12.40 How Do They Do It? PG 1.05 Mysteries At The Museum PGC 1.55 Gold Rush PG 2.45 Naked And Afraid MVL 3.35 Moonshiners: Master

6am Infomercials 10am Judge Jerry 3 10.30 Celebrity Ghost Stories PG 3 11.25 Snapped M 3 12.20 Accident, Suicide Or Murder? 16 3 1.20 The Real Housewives Of Orange County M 3 2.20 Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles PG 3 3.35 Keeping Up With The Kardashians PG 3 4.30 Love It Or List It 3 5.30 Shark Tank PG 6.30 Celebrity Ghost Stories PG 7.30 Tattoo Fixers Jay covers paramedic Anthony’s tattoo; Alice disguises Sonny’s unwanted present from his mates; Sketch tackles Alex’s drunken DIY teddy bear design.

8.30 Below Deck Sailing Yacht M The cat fight continues as the guests gut each other over lunch.

9.30 Embarrassing Bodies M 10.30 Snapped M 3 11.25 Accident, Suicide Or Murder? M 3 12.15 Infomercials 5am Infomercials

6.30 Pipi Ma 3 6.35 Takoha 3 6.45 He Paki Taonga I A Maui 3 6.50 Tamariki Haka 3 7am Kid’s Kai Kart 3 7.10 Te Nutube 3 7.20 Mahi Pai 3 7.30 Darwin + Newts 3 7.40 He Rourou 3 7.50 Kia Mau 3 8am Korero Mai 3 9am Pacific Island Food Revolution 3 10am Sidewalk Karaoke 3 10.30 Whanau Living 3 11am Tangaroa With Pio 3 11.30 Home, Land And Sea 3 Noon Billy T James PG 3 12.30 It’s In The Bag 1pm Nga Pari Karangaranga O Te Motu 3 2pm Toku Reo 3 3pm Korero Mai 3 3.30 Polyfest 4pm Haka Ngahau A-Rohe: Tamararo 3 4.30 Miharo 3 5pm Pipi Ma 3 5.05 Takoha 3 5.15 He Paki Taonga I A Maui 3 5.20 Tamariki Haka 3 5.30 Kid’s Kai Kart 3 5.40 Te Nutube 3 5.50 Mahi Pai 3 6pm Darwin + Newts 3 6.10 He Rourou 3 6.20 Kia Mau 3 6.30 Artefact 3 7.30 Easy Eats 3 8pm Lucky Dip 8.30 5 Minutes Of Fame 9.30 Ahikaroa MLC 10pm Queens Of Pangaru MLC 10.30 Mura O Te Ahi PG 3 11pm Haka Ngahau A-Rohe: Tamararo 3 11.30 Closedown

Key: 0 Closed captions; 3 Repeat; (HLS) Highlights; (RPL) Replay; (DLY) Delayed. Classifications: 16/18 Approved for persons 16/18 years or over; C Content may offend; L Language may offend; M Suitable for mature audiences; PG Parental guidance recommended for young viewers; S Sexual content may offend; V Contains violence.

1Jul21

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222

28 GARDENING Tuesday, June 28, 2022

Thursday, July 1, 2021 Wairarapa Times-Age www.northernadvocate.co.nz 141

GARDENING

Birds and bees will love you for the laetus flowers and berries.

Promiscuous pseudopanax Birds and bees? Leigh Bramwell reveals the secret, and sexy, lives of these surprising plants

M

OST PLANTS ARE described by their colour, texture, flowers and habit. Hardy, for example. Upright. Strap-like. Fleshy.

Not exactly inspiring.

But you couldn’t accuse our native pseudopanax of having a boring description. Its name actually means ‘false ginseng’; but that’s not the interesting part. What is far more titillating is that in some circles, it’s known as one of the most promiscuous plants around. Yes, I did say promiscuous.

According to the Oxford Dictionary, the word means ‘having or characterised by many transient sexual relationships; demonstrating or implying an unselective approach; indiscriminate or casual’. So much more exciting than ‘hardy’.

Despite the obviously gregarious nature of the pseudopanax, I never became intimate with them until quite recently, when the Partner brought a couple of leftover Pseudopanax laetus home from a job. They were bright (Laetus means bright), lush and subtropical-looking.

We were in the midst of a plan to thicken up the planting in an area adjoining our so-called native garden, and these looked perfect for the job. I became attracted.

I quickly looked them up and now I'm into a fullon affair — quite appropriately, since these

promiscuous plants are often to be found having affairs with each other.

Actually, the promiscuous ones are the lancewood and the coastal five-finger, which get it on whenever they occur in the same area. It’s quite encouraging to know that, because the skinny, stringy lancewood is far from pretty, and the Five Finger's not exactly gorgeous either, proving that looks aren’t everything.

My less common Pseudopanax laetus, on the other hand, are lush and voluptuous with plump green foliage and little white flowers emerging from plumcoloured buds. Pretty as, but ignored by potential lovers. Such is life.

Quite a few varieties of pseudopanax will grow in the deep south but Laetus is found naturally from Coromandel to Taranaki in forest margins and open scrub. Having said that, they’ll grow quite happily in a tub in your courtyard, provided they're given rich soil, sun or semi-shade, and shelter from the frost when they're young.

In the spot we’ve earmarked for them they should grow quite speedily to three or four metres upwards and outwards. The bright green leaves have distinctive red stems, and we'll get flowers and berries to attract birds and bees.

Not that we need more bees – happily, our neighbour has beehives and every now and then tour groups fly down to our place because, I reckon, they find it more interesting than flying around a kiwifruit orchard.

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The bright green, subtropicallooking leaves are held on dark red stems.

Pearls of wisdom Big houseplants are on the way out.

Honestly. I know this because in the past week I’ve visited three or four cafes, a couple of design shops and a hair salon where the ubiquitous Monstera, Fiddle Leaf fig and their mates have been unceremoniously ousted by …. get this ….. the String of Pearls.

These tiny succulents are well-named, although in truth they look more like peas than pearls. But let’s not be pedantic.

The round leaves are carried down long, slender stems and the best way to display them is in a hanging basket, or balanced on the edge of a tall bookcase or windowsill.

You can plant several together on your pot for a really lush display because despite its delicate appearance, this plant is a vigorous grower and will rapidly cover the surface of the pot and cascade down the sides. It might even flower — small, white trumpet-shaped flowers studded with colourful stamens.

Bright light, some direct sun, light moisture and well-draining soil are on its wishlist. If you do everything right the stems can reach up to a metre in length. If the cat chews the ends off, don’t panic — they’ll grow back.

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GARDENING 29

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RHODODENDRONS

CAMELLIAS

Rare plant stops me in my tracks Three Kings Islands climber.

PHOTOS/SUPPLIED

GARDEN TALK

GARETH WINTER

I was running through the Esplanade gardens in Palmerston North one morning last week when I stopped in my tracks, so to speak. Sitting on the path in front of me were some large trumpet-shaped flowers, pale cream in colour. I was a bit confused, and looked around to see where they had come from.

At first I thought they were maybe from a tropical rhododendron or something similar, but I could not see any shrub that had such flowers on it.

I could not see any flowers – anywhere. I was confused.

Then I looked straight up.

I could see a few clusters of flowers growing in the dark shade of a tree I suddenly recognised as a rata. That just made more confused, then I realised that the base of the tree had enormous branches circling it. I was looking at one of the world’s rarest plants growing in close to its natural way.

I was looking at an akapukaea, the Three Kings climber, Tecomanthe speciosa. This is a very vigorous climbing member of a family that otherwise only grows in the tropics. It has a remarkable history, in that it was only discovered on the Three Kings islands in 1945, and only one plant has ever been found in the wild.

It was growing on an inaccessible cliff face, safe from the goats that had eaten all its siblings. Rescued and brought into cultivation, it has become a feature of modern native gardens, even

FRUIT TREES AND DWARF FRUIT TREES

Brachyglottis hybrid.

Xeronema flowers.

though it is very intolerant of frost.

I have seen it growing before, mainly on conservatory walls, or in warm, sheltered spots, and have always noted how strongly it grew, but this is the first time I have seen it clambering through a mature tree. It has impressively large compound leaves in deep green.

It is an breathtaking sight in autumn, when clusters of cream-coloured tubular flowers appear on the stems.

Make sure you give it some good moisture retentive soil and keep it well away from frost and you’ll have a great New Zealand plant to show off.

Our offshore islands were the only known wild place for another of the most

spectacular of all native plants, the fascinating Poor Knights Lily, Xeronema callistemon. This incredible flowering plant was only discovered less than a century ago, and only has only one close relative, a similar species that grows at high altitudes in New Caledonia.

Some of you will recognise the specific name as being the generic name for a group of Australian bottlebrushes, and will quickly be able to guess at the shape of the flower. And you would be right – it is a long tube of bright red stamen looking for all the world like a one-sided bottlebrush.

The plant itself is also attractive, looking very similar to a small flax, which it was no doubt confused with, explaining why it was not botanically discovered until the 1920s. Growing as it does in cliffs on an extinct volcano, it will not come as a surprise that it needs great drainage to grow well and will not tolerate boggy conditions.

As the plants are frost tender, they are probably best grown in containers in Wairarapa, or in planter boxes in warm situations. They will grow to about a metre high, with slightly tiff upright

leaves. The flower stems also start out by growing upwards, but as the flowers open, they flatten out and grow horizontal from the base.

Truly a glorious native that puts paid to the idea that there are no colourful indigenous flowers.

Most Wairarapa gardeners do not know this, but our region has contributed one of the most popular of New Zealand’s coastal plants to the work of horticulture. Growing along the coastline from about the Pahaoa River around to Cape Turakirae, basically the shoreline of Cape Palliser and slightly further north, is the wonderful grey-leaved shrub, Brachyglottis greyi.

This is the extremely popular shrub often just called the daisy bush, because of the bright yellow flowers that are carried in abundance over the warmer months.

Borne over the grey foliage, the effect is stunning.

The plant usually grown in the nursery trade as Brachyglottis greyi is probably a hybrid, as a group of varieties were raised from this and related species, including the Castlepoint daisy, B. compacta, only found wild in the Castlepoint area. This is similar but has slightly greener leaves and is probably just a little smaller than the other species.

I grow a couple of different forms and would not be without them in the garden as they provide such a good contrast with their lightly coloured foliage. They are very hardy and can cope with drought and wind very well. Despite being coastal dwellers, they seem fully hardy to frost as well. They are amazingly easy to grow, although they do benefit from an annual trim.

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30 PUZZLES

Thursday, July 1, 2021 Wairarapa Times-Age

Puzzles and horoscopes Cryptic crossword 1

2

3

4

8

Simon Shuker’s Code-Cracker

5

6

Your Stars

7

9

10

11

12

13 15

18

16

14

17

19

20

21

22

23

24

ACROSS 1. Company to hug somehow and give a sort of bark (5) 4. Like this French facial movement, and like a hermit (7) 8. French negative in changing material (5) 9. One sped with Scotsman to find present-day Persian (7) 10. Tree lacking aspiration to give one guidance at sea (3) 11. The Lady with the Lamp – where screen version is seen? (9) 12. Such a sum as may be neatly disposed of? (4) 13. From here the Incas effected pure adaptation (4) 18. Mulish old schoolboys with money consumed (9) 20. Dead, this god, and poker-faced (3) 21. No straightforward vice had Edward thrown out (7) 22. To sit around with a composer of ballads (5) 23. Old Bob, one to make advances – but there’s not much to it (7) 24. How one will get Daisy’s bridal carriage under way (5) DOWN 1. They present a sweet counter-attraction (13) 2. Having no calling (7) 3. Hydrogen on your and my tail produces veneration (6) 4. Flaming well get off the train! (6) 5. Seats providing the church with melodies (6) 6. Tobacco-dance? (5) 7. Queen’s CO Latin finds very self-important (13) 14. Was at one time sat as a model, bare (7) 15. Was at a tilt in the catalogue (6) 16. In storeroom, there’s fat for ‘er to find (6) 17. Tapering trousers taken out for a spin? (3-3) 19. Part of a book that paradoxically faces one when shelved (5)

Quick crossword 1

2

3

4

9

5

6

7

8

10

WordWheel Insert the missing letter to complete an eight-letter word reading clockwise or anti-clockwise.

WordWheel

U R

? R O Y

1037

O C

Insert the missing letter to complete an

eight-letter word reading clockwise or Previous solution: EXISTENT anticlockwise. Previous solution: EXISTENT

11

14

19

12

15

13

16

20

18

21

22

23

24

25

ACROSS 1. Muscular contractions (6) 5. Uproar (6) 9. Reason for doing something (6) 10. Christmas decoration (6) 11. Falling out (4) 12. Of the highest quality (3-5) 14. Young swan (6) 16. Main, standard (6) 19. Travel across or over (8) 21. Push (4) 22. Have an ambition (6) 23. Absent-minded (6) 24. Sifts (6) 25. Outlays (6)

17

DOWN 2. Child genius (7) 3. Besotted (7) 4. Onlooker (9) 6. Alliance (5) 7. Roadside coach space (3,4) 8. Stroppy (7) 13. Has (9) 14. Curved sword (7) 15. Wrestle (7) 17. Mollify (7) 18. Restricted (7) 20. Spooky (5)

WordBuilder WordBuilder

R I E T D WordBuilder R I E T D

252

252

How many words of three or more letters, including plurals, can you make from the five letters, using each letter only once? No foreign words or words beginning with a capital are allowed.

There’s at least one five-letter word.

Good Verywords Good of 16 three Excellent 20 How 12 many or more letters, including plurals, can you make from the five letters, using each letter only once? No foreign words or words beginning with a capital are allowed.

There’s atsolution: least one five-letter Previous ant, ante, word. ate, eat, Goodeta, 12 Very eaten, neat,Good née, 16 net,Excellent tan, tea,20 tee, teen, ten

ARIES (Mar 21-Apr 19): You’ll get so much more done because you’re doing it for the right reasons.

Curiosity and wonder are motivators with seemingly endless fuel. They give and give.

TAURUS (Apr 20-May 20 Your own self-interest is part of what motivates you to act today, but it’s only one consideration of the many vying for your attention. You’ll carefully weigh out options to determine your next move.

GEMINI (May 21-Jun 21): A smack to the ego can be more devastating than a physical hit, and ego wounds can be as debilitating as bodily injuries. The difference is that destruction to the ego makes a person much stronger.

CANCER (Jun 22-Jul 22): You’ll say the thing you wanted to hear. You’ll give the help you wish someone would have given to you. You’ll provide the very thing you most needed. It’s good to be you. Capable!

LEO (Jul 23-Aug 22): A signal is coming from far off, barely audible, but annoying... like a drippy faucet. The question on repeat: “Can I? Can I? Can I?” Yes, you can. You can, and you will. Go down and shut off this doubt.

VIRGO (Aug 23-Sep 22): It’s OK not to understand everything right away. In fact, it’s better this way. The information assimilates in its own time, when it has relevance to you and when you’re ready to do something about it.

LIBRA (Sep 23-Oct 23): You don’t have to know what the conflict is to know that one exists. It’s not always worth getting into. One way to erase tension from your life is to use your feet to walk away.

SCORPIO (Oct 24-Nov 21): Loosen your grip on the controls and give yourself a wide berth, too, because the most interesting things are going to happen quite on their own and in the margins.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22-Dec 21): You’re performing well despite mixed feelings about the venues and institutions, and the few bad habits helping you cope. Maybe you owe your good performance to this mixed bag of influences.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22-Jan 19): Everyone is the star of their own show, though with some, you wouldn’t know it. They seem to take a seat in the audience to watch it play out. Not a bad tactic to try out today.

AQUARIUS (Jan 20-Feb 18): Get some distance between you and the problem. When you return, the solution will follow you. “Home” is not a problem, but creating a temporary distance will also bring a favourable outcome. It’s just time.

PISCES (Feb 19-Mar 20): Today’s outcome is a small bird, precariously perched, listening to the wind for answers. It could fall one way or the other. It could start building a nest where it is.

It could fly to the heavens. You are the wind.

Previous cryptic solution

Across: 1. Gross profit 8. Assam 9. Purloin 10. Counsel 11. Union 12. Stench 14. Deeper 18. Dream 19. Archaic 21. Mantova 23. Odist 24. Detrimental 2 4. Repels 6 Down: 1. Glances 2. Obscure 3. Sumps 5. Fortune 6. Too 7. Tenon 13.3Comfort 1 15.5Pianist 16. Recital 17. Salami 18. Demon 20. Clove 22. Nod

7 1 8 Previous quick solution 1 8 Across: 1. Iota 3. Tampered 9. Convent 10. Eagle 3 6 417. Ail 18. Freestanding3 11. Specifically 14. Rot 16. Ample 21. Opens 22. Dissect 23. Autonomy 24. 1 Espy9 7 Down: 1. Incisors 2. Tense 4. Act 5. Preparedness Previous solution: ant, ante, ate, eat, www.thepuzzlecompany.co.nz 9 13. Slightly 8 6. Regalia 7. Deed 8. Delicatessen 12.3Input eaten, eta, neat, née, net, tan, tea, tee, teen, ten 15. Torrent 19. Ideas 20. Rota522. Dim 8 6 1/7 6 9 5 2 3 7 4 SOLUTIONS 5 PREVIOUS Sudoku Fill the grid so that every column, every row and 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9.

4 5 2 8 7 64 9 71 3 2 34 8 1 5 2 93 7 6 4 3 5 1 2 5 9 6 3 2 99 7 6 54 3 1 8 2 45 7 1 5 6 8 3 4 9 2 9 7 4 5 8 3 5 6 4 9 7 5 2 1 3 8 2 348 1 8 9 49 5 7 6 8 5 1 1 7 3 6 2 11 6 3 9 4 5 2 38 27 4 5 2 7 3 1 8 6 4 9 4 2 6 4 9 3 7 5

3 1 7 9 1 4 2 6 3 5 7

5 6 3 2 7 6 3 5 1 9

5

2

7

1 5 9

8

6

3

9 2 1

3

7 8 HARD

EASY

4 1 2 7 5 9 6 8 3

8 9 4 2 6 7 3 5 1

2 1 7 3 6 4 8 5 9

6 8 5 4 9 7 2 1 3

3 7 9 1 2 6 4 5 8

2 4 1 8 5 3 6 9 7

9 5 3 2 7 1 8 6 4

1 6 4 3 8 5 9 7 2

8 2 7 9 6 4 1 3 5

5 3 8 6 4 9 7 2 1

7 9 2 5 1 8 3 4 6

4 1 6 7 3 2 5 8 9

4 8 9 4 1 3 2 9

PUZZLES 31

www.age.co.nz Thursday, July 1, 2021

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WORDSEARCH

GROUNDHOG DAY

BUMPER WORDFIT

Can you find all the words hidden in the grid? Read backwards or forwards, up or down, or diagonally. The words will always be in a straight line. Cross them off the list as you find them.

WORD-SEARCH WORDFIT

BLACK-OUT

M A R O P E R E B E U D I O L T U D I B N T T

SOLUTIONS

NUMBER CRUNCHER

L I D E W B H D S I A L A S D Y S G O B M U L O A T H Y M N L L Y T U S S O C K I C I E P R O D T O K E N E I D R I T G A U G E S L R N N A L A D I L U T E N C I I I E M E N T V A T I C A N S A E V E S U N P A I D Y

P R U N K I N D R L I E N V Y

G I O C A D E D D W E S A P S A S A T H A L U F E R F A E W

H S W W C F E N S G E X A S E

W L E A L E B I T E R A F L A B U N D I A G E N T I N E L S P A G E T S N U M P Y A L E N I O N E N T W E

H A M M O C K E E N T I C E D

A D D R S Y E M I U N N T D S E R A G R O O U S E

G L H U S K O C G O U K I X I

C H R A U T S E A R D E P S E C A A T R Y B T Y A T G E

B A B Y S I T H U N L I T G A

8 LETTERS FLAGRANT SENTINEL

2 digits: 40 51 58 62 3 digits: 098 143 263 549 693 710 767 958 4 digits: 2802 3425 5728 8600 5 digits: 52661 69883 85514 86741 7 digits: 1260858 3279905 8457994 9732482 8 digits: 04495256 27794793 46945827 77541480

R O A S T E D

Z G O L U L P F A Y I S A A P

7 LETTERS CRUSADE INSPIRE PUNGENT REBUILD ROASTED TORRENT UNDERGO VETERAN

Fit the numbers into the grid. Cross each one off as its position is found.

Find the threeletter sequence which will complete all these words

I N S P I R E

W I G H T Y D I G G D I V A N

6 LETTERS AROUSE GRUMPY SAFARI SPHERE

HOOCH INDIA INEPT IRATE KENYA LABEL MAINE MANOR MARCH MINTS NITTY OPERA REBUT SCARY SEDGE SONGS STEAD UNION USERS WAFTS

NUMBERCRUNCHER

S O N G S

C Y K T B E O M V W G R X P U

4 LETTERS ADDS ALMS BYTE CADS CRIB DAMN DEAL FLAB GETS LEER LIRA MORE PEAT PLOT

5 LETTERS ALLOT ALOOF ATLAS CREDO DEBIT DENSE DIARY DOUBT DROPS ESSAY ETUDE FUNGI GLARE GRASS GREAT HATER

S A F A V R E I T E C R R A E N D O H E D R A M N

E S S A Y O R E T R A C T N T

ROOM SENT SLAP SODA TINT WAGE

SEA SOH SPA TAB TAG WEE YEN YOU

H A S O D A L O O S A C S P H E K W A G E A L L F L A G T O R R S T E A S A L M S S E A K E N Y R O O R U

D S H O K M P C V J W L N Y D

3 LETTERS ADO ALE ALL APE ASK ASS AVE AWL BOO EKE EMU ERA EWE GNU HAS HER KIT NEW NOR OLD RAN RUN RYE SAC

F L C T F O R E C A S T T K N S G

I D Y L L F K S I L L N E S S

TRIO

Fit the words into the grid to create a finished crossword

TRIO

ATU

1/7

D I A R Y

I L O Q D I X V K M A M M A L C N

L A D V L F E Y R J A H M T E

F L C T F O R E C A S T T K N S G

M E L W C T K X O T G P H I L H I

G O D D E S S D A I L H R A W

I L O Q D I X V K M A M M A L C N

I T D I U S J E O A N J M O D I N

O W A Z W H P A S T A P E A E

M E L W C T K X O T G P H I L H I

PORTEND PREDICT PUNXSUTAWNEY RETREAT SHADOW SIGNAL SPRING TUNNEL UNDERGROUND WARNING WATCH WINTER

BLACKOUT F I C E D U A U G B H U F F Q

I T D I U S J E O A N J M O D I N

L E N N U T U M L T Z M U P N B R

FORETELL GROUNDHOG HIBERNATE HOLE LOOK MAMMAL MARMOT MILD MYTH OMEN OMINOUS PHIL

BAD WEATHER BURROW CHILLY CLIMATE CLOUDY COLD CONDITIONS DAY DEN EMERGE FEBRUARY FORECAST

L E N N U T U M L T Z M U P N B R

D R D T U W R O A A Y D C T U E A

D R D T U W R O A A Y D C T U E A

H O U E O A S E N T Y N L N O R W

H O U E O A S E N T Y N L N O R W

Z F O R M I R H H I B E I T R N C

Z F O R M I R H H I B E I T R N C

L E R Q G T C Z B X M L M T G A O

L E R Q G T C Z B X M L M T G A O

X U B N E T E C V B C O A P R T N

X U B N E T E C V B C O A P R T N

B E A R A J D M W K Y H T K E E D

B E A R A J D M W K Y H T K E E D

G L A W B A D W E A T H E R D S I

G L A W B A D W E A T H E R D S I

N Y A D T C I D E R P O M E N H T

N Y A D T C I D E R P O M E N H T

I J G O H D N U O R G Y K N U A I

I J G O H D N U O R G Y K N U A I

R V R T P Y R A U R B E F E Z D O

R V R T P Y R A U R B E F E Z D O

P O R T E N D C H I L L Y D O O N

P O R T E N D C H I L L Y D O O N

S T Y E N W A T U S X N U P H W S

S T Y E N W A T U S X N U P H W S

32 CLASSIFIEDS/SPORT

Thursday, July 1, 2021 Wairarapa Times-Age

Classifieds HARRISON, HORNE, MERRIN, Doreen Mary (Dee).

Lynette.

MaryAnne.

On 26th June 2021 Peacefully on 29 In loving memory of suddenly in June 2021. Dearly our dear Mum and Masterton. Aged 61. loved wife of John. Nanny.

Loved daughter of Loving mother of You will live in our Ron and Darrielle. Vesna, Stefan and hearts forever.

Loved sister of Amy. Loved sister of Susan and family.

Stephen, Trevor and Toni. Caring Nanna Warren. Messages to her seven may be posted to c/- grandchildren and Rosewood, PO Box Auntie to Alice and 2055, Masterton Emma.

5842.

A service to celebrate A service will be held MaryAnne’s life will at Rosewood 415 be held at Lychgate REPOLISH and repair antique Queen St, Funerals, 306 Willis and modern furniture.

Furniture Masterton on Street, Wellington Kilmister Friday, July 2nd at at 12pm on Friday Restoration Phone 06 1.30pm.

2nd July.

The 377 5151 or 027 230 1203. service will be followed by a private cremation.

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New Zealand’s Nick Willis with his Rio Games bronze medal.

PHOTO/GETTY IMAGES

Willis on the outer, waiting nervously OLYMPICS

CLAY WILSON Double Olympic 1500m medallist Nick Willis faces a nervous wait to find out if his hopes of an Olympic 1500m swansong have been dashed.

Willis, who claimed silver at the 2008 Beijing Games and bronze at Rio in 2016, has finished just outside the cut-off of 45 athletes for Tokyo at the end of the qualification period.

The 38-year-old, who didn’t achieve the automatic qualification standard, finished 47th on the rankings list, having slipped outside the top 45 only in the past couple of days.

But Willis’ dreams of finishing his Games career with a fifth appearance are not over.

He needs two qualified athletes to return their spots to World Athletics before tomorrow when the final list for the Games

is locked in.

Athletics New Zealand highperformance director Scott Goodman believes there is a good chance that could happen.

“In Nick’s case, there is a reasonable likelihood he will move back into the 45 because, in his event, some athletes are qualified in the 800, the 5000 metres or even the steeplechase.

“We’re relying on other countries in the world, to be honest, and declare to World Athletics where the athletes are going to be entered. He only needs two athletes to move.”

Willis isn’t the only New Zealand athlete faced with an anxious wait.

Young discus thrower Connor Bell, who needs to be top 32, slipped to finish 34th.

Goodman said the 20-yearold’s situation had changed “somewhat unexpectedly” in the past couple of weeks.

Bell needs at least two

qualified athletes to be injured or unavailable under their country’s selection process to claim a lastgasp spot for Tokyo.

Regardless of what happens with Willis, New Zealand are still guaranteed to have a representative in the men’s 1500m at the Tokyo Games.

Rising Tauranga talent Sam Tanner has a spot secured after the 20-year-old went under the automatic qualifying standard of three minutes, 35 seconds last February.

Willis and Tanner were part of the 15-strong group of athletics representatives conditionally named by the NZOC in April.

Willis was set to be the first New Zealand male to compete at five Olympics.

Willis was also a triple Commonwealth medallist, winning gold in Melbourne [2006] and bronzes at the Delhi 2010 and Glasgow 2014 Games.

– rnz.co.nz

Trinity-Waicol derbies in spotlight COLLEGE SPORT

RUGBY

CHRIS COGDALE

chris.cogdale@age.co.nz

HOCKEY

The biggest sports crowd of the week could be at Clareville tonight for the local derbies between the Trinity colleges and their Wairarapa College opponents.

The boy’s First XIs start the ball rolling at 5.15pm, with both teams coming in with winning form.

Rathkeale are second in the Intercity premier division after beating Palmerston North Boys’ High School Second XI 2-0.

Waicol are fifth after a 6-3 victory over Waiopehu College.

St Matthew’s are unbeaten in the early rounds of the girls’ premiership, and Waicol are second, five points adrift.

St Matthew’s beat Waiopehu 6-0, and Waicol dispatched Whanganui High School 5-0, in their most recent outings.

Kuranui College are making a good fist of their first foray in the Manawatu competition and lead the boys’ division one. They were to play Tararua College last night.

St Matthew’s Ocean Bartlett.

PHOTO/FILE

FOOTBALL

Rathkeale will host Wairarapa in a vital Wellington secondary schools premiership match on Saturday.

Rathkeale have shown the better form and come into the game after an impressive 2-1 win away to the previously unbeaten Scot’s College. Luca Molnar and Ollie Vincent scored for Rathkeale.

Waicol have yet to register a victory but have been competitive in all games. Their latest was a 0-2 loss away to Onslow College.

Second-five Honor Mila scored a hat-trick, and centre Hayden Cooper scored two tries in Wairarapa College’s 39-10 victory away to Naenae College last Saturday.

Hooker Conley Alexander and lock Nathan Shepard also dotted down in the seven-try rout, which moved Waicol to second in the Wellington secondary schools’ premier two championship.

Waicol host unbeaten leaders Upper Hutt College on Saturday in a match that could decide the top qualifiers for the semifinals.

NETBALL

St Matthew’s and Makoura College are the only two local teams contesting the Wellington regional championships, with both in division three.

St Matt’s have started with a win and loss, beating Scot’s College 22-19, and going down 23-32 to Upper Hutt College.

Makoura narrowly lost to Onslow College 20-24 and defaulted to Whitby College.

Wairarapa College, who were third in the 2020 division two championship, opted out of this year’s competition.

SPORT 33

www.age.co.nz Thursday, July 1, 2021

Sadd, Gibbons win the Steel Cup Carterton

Hutchby 36, Ant Gibbons 35, Greg Hilston 34, Gillies Baker 33, Ross Collings 32, David Wills 32. A great competition between the pairs of Dean Sadd/Ant Gibbons and Graham Gorham/ Don Kinnell for the Steel Cup resulted in a win for Dean Sadd and Ant Gibbons.

Women’s results: Val Edwards 75, Vicki Bain 80, Jane Brooking 80. Best gross: Nigel Bain 74. Nearest the pins: Graham Hutchby and Vicki Bain. Two: Ross Collings [2], Nigel Bain, Don Kinnell and Lance Sayer.

Our nine-hole players had a stableford competition. Results: Jennifer Armstrong 18, Craig Burt 17, Ann Richardson 14, Wayne Buck, Malcolm Steele, Bernice Parker and Nigel McGregor 13.

Our course will be closed this Sunday, July 4, as we host the Wairarapa Foursomes 36 Hole Open Tournament.

WENDY WILLS

A cold but fine day for the vets last Thursday had 25 players turn out for a par competition.

Senior vets: Results: Rob Saxton +3. Vets: Brian McKeown all square, Joe Eru, Steve Gladwell, Peter Bain -2, Wayne Taylor -3, Duncan Pincock, Cary Clark, Ron O’Neale, Ray Clarke, Mike Newport -4. Twos: Brian McKeown, Wayne Taylor, Bill Armstrong, Ray Clarke, Joe Eru and Rob Saxton. Nearest the pins: Rob Saxton and Bill Armstrong.

On Wednesday our ninehole golfers had a good round of golf, with smiles still on their faces after their game, they played a stableford competition.

Results: Maureen Coulson 20, Bernice Parker 17, Wayne buck 17, Jennifer Armstrong 15, Bill Armstrong 13 and Alma van der Tol 11.

Last Friday the Elevenses had 13 players venture out to play with some good results: Trevor Clayton 24, Ant Gibbons 24, Ron O’Neale 24, Bob Bentley 24, Bev Todd 22, Ian Brinkworth 21 and John Fricker 20.

Saturday’s weather didn’t deter our members much as

The winners of the Steel Cup, Dean Sadd, left, and Ant Gibbons.

PHOTO/SUPPLIED

a good field turned out, some hardier sorts even wearing shorts. Despite the odd wind gusts and a few spits of rain the day was quite warm. The men played a stableford competition for round one of the Tararua Cup

with four of our men playing in pairs for the final of the Steel Cup, while the women played a nett competition for round two of the Robson Cup. Men’s results: Trevor Clayton 39, Nigel Bain 37, Graham

Mahunga

Kauika 37, Malcolm Benseman 35, Peter Hawkins 34 and Zeb Livingston 33.

Sunday was a washout including the final round of Marquis Shield, and the vets were washed out on Tuesday.

This weekend is the first round of matches for Walker Fourball, and the club competition on Saturday and Sunday is a medal round.

Masterton

KIRSTEN HEWITT

Wednesday, June 23: Nine-hole women, stroke: 1 Helen Ordish 38, 2 Alex Tomlinson 40, 3 Beet Horrocks 42, 4 Jinny Small 49.

Thursday, June 24, stableford: 1 Brian Grant 40, 2 Peter Cottier 39, 3 Justin Herbert 38, 4 Sam Forrester 37.

Saturday, June 26: Club day, par round: 1 Ray Verhaart +6, 2 Andy Pottinger +4, 3 Gary Morris +3, 4 Ash Peterson +3.

MAURICE O’REILLY

Riversdale Beach

The weekend’s weather was not conducive to golf at all. A few braved the elements and played on Saturday. The club competition was a stableford round. Results: 1 Shane Hawkins 39, 2 Kris Towgood 38, 3 Damion

Saturday, June 26, 12 starters, overcast, nett competition: 1 Cindy Giles C/B, 2 Paul Coltart, 3 Sandra Greenlees. 4 Phil Patterson. Nearest the pins: Stu Ingham and Jill Brewer.

REBECCA O’NEALE

Honour and privilege for women, not so the men OLYMPICS

DOUG FERGUSON American Dustin Johnson was never going to the Olympics.

Countryman Justin Thomas was never going to miss them.

So when the final Olympic ranking was released, and 15 players decided not to go — from Johnson at No.2 to Camilo Villegas of Colombia at No.225 — it was easy to conclude the men care far more about green than gold, silver or bronze.

But it’s progress.

For Rio de Janeiro, the top

four players in the world stayed home. For Tokyo, there wasn’t even room for Nos.7, 8 and 9 — Patrick Cantlay, Brooks Koepka, and Patrick Reed of the US. They will never catch up with the women, who have made it perfectly clear by near-perfect attendance that the Olympics mean as much to them as anything they play.

“I can’t speak for what Olympics mean for a lot of people,” Danielle Kang said last week. “But for me, it’s everything.”

For the administrators who lobbied to get golf into the Olympics, they should be

Danielle Kang … Olympics are everything. PHOTO/GETTY IMAGES

encouraged by two Olympics separated by five years and two viruses.

It was largely concern and fear about the Zika virus that kept 22 eligible players from going to the 2016 Olympics. There was an unspoken pledge they would be all in for Japan.

That was before the outbreak of the new coronavirus. The Olympics not only were postponed, but covid-19 restrictions in place for the Games to go on have stripped away so much fun and activity involved with being Olympic athletes.

Wait until Paris in 2024! On to Los Angeles in 2028!

If only it were that simple.

Johnson already was planning

to skip the Olympics before the pandemic. He had not won the FedEx Cup, and it bothered him, so he didn’t want to fly halfway around the world after a major and before a World Golf Championship and then play three consecutive weeks with a $US15 million [$NZ21.43m] prize at stake. Turns out he won it last year, anyway.

There will be more players like him.

And that’s why there will be attendance issues with the men.

As long as there is a pot of gold at the end of the Olympics, the value of Olympic gold will suffer. – AP

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222 34 SPORT 304 www.northernadvocate.co.nz

Thursday, July 1, 2021 Wairarapa Times-Age Thursday, July 1, 2021

Serena has short stay as injury is the winner TENNIS

England fans went mad for their footballers after they eliminated Germany from Euro 2020.

Photo / AP

England off the chain FOOTBALL OPINION

Oliver Brown of Telegraph UK

H

appiness, an emotion suppressed throughout England for much too long, washed over Wembley like a flood tide. True, there were strong notes of triumphalism as Gareth Southgate’s team became the nation’s first since 1966 to bundle Germany out of a major tournament, winning 2-0 at the European championships’ knockout stage yesterday but this was an evening destined to be recalled above all else for pure, unalloyed elation.

Never can a stadium technically only half-occupied have felt so full to bursting.

For the millions who have waited all their lives to watch England negotiate a test of this magnitude with such a minimum of fuss, good times have never felt so good.

As this match built towards its crescendo of release, it was as if the operator of the giant Wembley screens was editing the drama through short, telling cutaways.

First there was a snatched shot of Jack Grealish smouldering on the bench, restlessly awaiting his entrance. Then came a glimpse of David Beckham next to Ed Sheeran, the English game’s most famous export alongside the man who had galvanised Southgate’s players for this game with their own private concert.

Finally, with the outcome all but sealed, the camera alighted on bereft German fans, their desolation greeted with ecstatically ironic cheers.

The country had not known a damp Tuesday night like it. From the royal box to the nosebleed seats, from the players cavorting by the corner flag to the children holding their ears against the noise, Wembley heaved with euphoria.

This, it turns out, is what it feels like when you purge a quarter of a century’s accumulated angst.

The only comparisons of which England fans cared to be reminded were with 1966, the last occasion that their side had eliminated Germany from knockout competition.

One look at the scoreline suggested Southgate could

scarcely have scripted this better.

A third goal at these Euros for Raheem Sterling, underneath the Wembley arch that he saw take shape from his old Stonebridge council estate, was poetic enough.

A first for Harry Kane, 11 minutes later, brought the manager his ultimate vindication.

Yes, you would have to give him that. Whatever happens from here, whatever roadblocks lurk along England’s precarious path ahead, he will always have June 29, 2021, the moment when a career once marked by penalty anguish had the perfect bookend.

Ukraine are next up, having beaten 10 man Sweden 2-1 after extra time. They scored their winner in the final minute as the game seemed destined to head to penalties after ending one-all at the end of 90 minutes.

That’s then and this is now.

Exhilaration for England is rarely so raw or uncomplicated. And yet this unforgettable pay-off was one for which they had to wait.

With over an hour gone, the mood was not quite turning, but it was unbearably tense. And then, with one deft nudge of Sterling’s

Federer gets break when his opponent withdraws TENNIS Roger Federer has survived a tough test at Wimbledon with an asterisk.

Adrian Mannarino, playing on his 33rd birthday, won the second and third sets before retiring with a leg injury.

The Frenchman was behind in the fourth set when he slipped on the grass and fell, grabbing his right knee in pain. He limped through two more games in the first-round match before reluctantly calling it quits. The score: 6-4, 6-7 (3), 3-6, 6-2.

Federer was sheepish about winning.

“Not like this, please,” he told the crowd. “Look, he could have won the match at the end. Obviously he was

the better player.”

An erratic forehand plagued Federer and he flirted with losing in the opening round at a Grand Slam for the first time since 2003. He committed four unforced errors with his forehand in the tiebreaker alone, including a shank.

Even so, the eight-time Wimbledon champion improved to 7-0 against Mannarino. ● No 1-ranked woman Ash Barty overcame a wobbly stretch to reach the second round.

Playing on grass for the first time in two years, Barty defeated Carla Suárez Navarro 6-1, 6-7 (1), 6-1.

Barty let the second set get away when she was two points from victory but regained command by winning the first 13 points and five games

boot, the heavy clouds above Wembley seemed to part, the breakthrough sparking the type of all-in frenzy we had just about forgotten.

Shirts were ripped off en masse.

Strangers were kissed.

Larcenously-priced lagers were tossed in the air with barely a backwards glance. Supporters surged on to blue canopies intended, laughably, to retain a measure of social distance between the pitch and the stands.

It is an immutable English trait to bottle up one’s feelings.

There is a traditional fondness for preferring messages to be mired in subtext, not shouted from the rooftops. Consider, then, the point at which the national character changed.

This was an occasion framed both by 55 years of football frustration and by 15 months of the most severe social restrictions the country has seen in peacetime. It was surely fitting, then, to close those chapters by shedding the inhibitions. For England, this was not just a victory, but a wild, intoxicating communion.

— Telegraph Group UK

Adrian Mannarino clutches his knee before withdrawing from his match against Roger Federer.

Photo / AP

of the third set. The Australian hit 13 aces and converted all five of her break-point chances.

Suárez Navarro was appearing in only her second tournament since announcing her recovery from Hodgkin lymphoma. ● Alexander Zverev had 20 aces and only 18 unforced errors as he swept qualifier Tallon Griekspoor, 6-3, 6-4, 6-1.

The result was a big improvement for Zverev after losing to a qualifier at Wimbledon in 2018 and 2019.

Zverev is seeded fourth but is only 9-5 at the All England Club.

● Sebastian Korda is looking good on grass, just like his sister.

The 20-year-old American made his Wimbledon debut and upset No 15-seeded Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5).

Korda’s sister, golfer Nelly Korda, won her first major title last week and is the first American in seven years to reach No 1 in the women’s golf world rankings.

Sebastian Korda is ranked a careerhigh 50th, and added momentum to his breakout year by beating a top 20 player at a Grand Slam for the first time.

Serena Williams’ 20th Wimbledon has ended abruptly.

Williams retired 34 minutes into the first set after she hurt her leg in an opening-round match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus.

Williams slipped on the grass while hitting a forehand in the fifth game.

She winced and began to walk gingerly, and after losing that game went to the locker room.

She returned to continue, but with the score 3-all, her leg buckled during a rally and she crumpled to the court.

Williams cried as she walked to the net to concede.

A seven-time Wimbledon champion, Williams was again seeking a record-tying 24th major title. Her most recent came in early 2017.

At 39, she was still among the tournament favourites. She was the runner-up in 2018 and 2019, and Wimbledon was cancelled last year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

It was better news for her older sister Venus.

Venus Williams accumulated 10 aces — not quite like the old days, but not too shabby, either.

She drove forehands to corners.

She made her way to the net for crisp volleys. And when it was all over, the 41-year-old American celebrated her first Wimbledon match win since 2018 by raising her arms and yelling “Come on!” before reprising her familiar smile-and-twirl wave at No 3 Court.

A five-time singles champion at the All England Club who is making her 23rd appearance here, Williams began her recordextending 90th Grand Slam tournament with Serena her 90th career Williams victory at Wimbledon, beating Mihaela Buzarnescu of Romania 7-5, 4-6, 6-3.

Williams is a former No 1-ranked player who came into this week ranked 111th, having lost in the first or second round at the past eight majors. That included a first-round exit in 2019 at the All England Club against then-15-year-old Coco Gauff; now 17, Gauff defeated Fran Jones in straight sets yesterday.

“You can’t win them all. Life is about how you handle challenges.

Each point is a challenge on the court.

No one gives you anything,” said Williams.

— AP ● The first man to represent China in the main draw at Wimbledon during the Open era has lost in the opening round.

Zhang Zhizhen was beaten by Antoine Hoang of France, 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-2. In the final set Zhang struggled with his serve, while Hoang had an 11-4 edge in winners.

The 24-year-old Zhang won three matches to qualify. He failed in three previous attempts to qualify at Grand Slam tournaments. ● Coco Gauff is making noise again.

Now 17, Gauff advanced to the second round by beating British wild card Francesca Jones 7-5, 6-4.

The last time Gauff played at Wimbledon, in 2019, she was a 15-year-old and ranked outside the Top 300. She beat Venus Williams and two other players before losing to eventual champion Simona Halep in the fourth round.

Gauff has since won two WTA singles titles and reached the French Open quarter finals. She’s seeded 20th.

SPORT/WEATHER 35

www.age.co.nz Thursday, July 1, 2021

Six in race for three semis spots Continued from page 36

champions, with an away game at East Coast, and a home clash with Carterton to wrap up the roundrobin, and they are likely to need to win both.

Strong at setpieces, Marist have been found out at the breakdown and have struggled to contain the likes of Pioneer, Greytown, and Eketahuna.

There will be no respite against East Coast, and a loss there would confine Marist to the HodderSteffert Cup. If they can pull off a victory at Whareama, they would still have to tip over Carterton to qualify.

COGGIE’S PREDICTION: Two wins will be a bridge too far.

backline, but the front eight have shown in their most recent games that they are a match for most other forward packs.

COGGIE’S PREDICTION: Good enough to go all the way to the final, and they are one team that will relish playing on the Trust House Memorial Park artificial turf.

GLADSTONE

Locked together with Carterton in third place on 14 points, Gladstone have a hard road home with an away fixture against Greytown, followed by Eketahuna at home.

Given that they will be rank underdogs to upset the competition leaders on Saturday, their future will likely come down to a winner-take-all finale with Eketahuna.

One win might be enough to grab a top-four spot, and although Gladstone has been a mixed bag, they have shown that they could beat most sides on their day. If anyone knows how to get his team firing at the business end of the season, it’s veteran coach Steve Thompson.

COGGIE’S PREDICTION: It will all come down to that Eketahuna game, and then it’s a toss of a coin.

MARTINBOROUGH

Mikey Harmon scores for Pioneer in their loss to East Coast.

gutsy 38-22 win over Pioneer.

A combative forward pack, aggressive defence, and a neversay-die attitude have been hallmarks of East Coast sides over the years, and this team is no different.

Those attributes make the Coasties one team that the others won’t want to meet in the semifinals.

A win over Marist at Whareama on Saturday, would set up a clash with struggling Martinborough in the final round.

EAST COAST

East Coast are one of three teams on 11 points, along with Eketahuna and Marist, and most likely need two wins to break into the top four.

The Coasties have been ravaged with injury, with 11 players missing for last weekend’s

COGGIE’S PREDICTION:

Possibly the kindest draw [if there is such a thing] for the final two rounds, and the Coasties are good

mIddAy TOdAy

The 2019 champions have the potential to be the spoilers, but the problem for coach James Bruce all season has been injuries and unavailabilities, especially in the forward pack.

It’s difficult to see them upsetting Eketahuna in the mud at Eke, and they will find a determined East Coast a hard nut to crack in the final round.

COGGIE’S PREDICTION: A winless round-robin

PHOTO/JADE CVETKOV

enough to win both. A top-four finish.

Eke showed character last Saturday with a determined come from behind 31-22 defeat of Marist, with only 17 players available.

With mud, mud, and more mud at Eketahuna, there will be nothing fancy about the home side’s approach against Martinborough. Keep it close to the forwards and just get the win, making for a blockbuster clash with Gladstone on the final day.

COGGIE’S PREDICTION: Have shown they are good enough on the day. If near full strength, they can make it.

EKETAHUNA

Like East Coast and Marist, Eke will probably need to win their last two games to make the ‘Moose’ Kapene semis.

That starts with the hapless Martinborough at home on Saturday, followed by a potential knockout ‘quarterfinal’ at Gladstone.

They are another team racked with injury, and coach Craig Pepperell will be hoping that some of his star players will be back for a tough final two rounds, most notably co-captain and openside flanker Johan van Vliet.

COGGIE’S SEMIFINALISTS

The competition continues to throw up surprises, and apart from Greytown, any team can beat any other on their day, so any outcome would not surprise me.

So, to avoid being accused of sitting on the fence — Greytown, Carterton, East Coast, and a toss of a coin with Gladstone or Eketahuna for the top four.

MARIST

A tough finish for the defending

WAIRARAPA WEATHER

mIdNIghT TONIghT

Masterton TODay

max

toDaY at a glance

12

WIND km/h A few showers, clearing morning. <30 Fine in the afternoon S dying out.

30-59

ThE SITuATION

high low H L

warm

cold

occluded

stationary

FRI

A ridge of high pressure continues to build over the country from the Tasman Sea. SaT

WAIRARAPA REgIONAL fORECAST Today: Scattered showers, becoming confined to the coast in the morning. Becoming fine in the afternoon and southerlies dying out.

Tomorrow: Fine with a few clouds. Morning frosts. Light winds.

Saturday: Fine with a few clouds. Morning frosts. Light winds.

Sunday: Fine with a few clouds. Morning frosts. Northerlies developing.

NEW ZEALANd TOdAy Auckland hamilton Tauranga gisborne New Plymouth

fine fine fine showers fine

14 14 16 13 14

6 1 6 6 3

Blenheim Christchurch Timaru Queenstown dunedin

fine fine fine fine fine

CASTLEPOINT COAST fORECAST Today time 9am 3pm 9pm

wind/gust SW 12kt S 10kt S 5kt

sea slight slight smooth

swell S 3.1m S 2.7m S 2.5m

wind/gust SW 9kt S 2kt N 5kt

sea slight smooth smooth

swell S 3.1m S 2.8m S 2.5m

-1 -2 -3 -1 3

SwellMap.co.nz

Tomorrow 3am W 4kt 9am NW 5kt 3pm NE 9kt 9pm N 9kt

smooth smooth slight slight

PALLISER COAST fORECAST Today time 9am 3pm 9pm

13 11 10 7 10

S 2.3m S 2.1m S 1.8m S 1.6m

SwellMap.co.nz

Tomorrow 3am N 6kt slight 9am NE 5kt smooth 3pm E 2kt smooth 9pm N 3kt smooth

S 2.2m S 2.0m S 1.7m S 1.5m

SUN

morning min

-1

max

12

60+

Fine with a few clouds. Morning frosts. Light winds. morning min

-2

max

12

-1

max

masterton Castlepoint Ngawi

Rainfall mm

ET

12

Fine with a few clouds. Morning frosts. Northerlies developing.

Tomorrow Mountain weather hazards: None issued.

Fine.

Wind 1000m and above: Light. freezing level: 2200m.

min

grass min

24hrs Total to 6pm for Jun

Av. for Jun

Year to date

Av. past 7 days

Gust to 6pm

10.6 10.4 12.1

5.0 5.1 8.1

3.3 – –

4.0 149.0 8.0 115.0 5.2 145.8

95.6 – –

379.0 275.0 315.5

0.6 – –

SW 52 SW 67 SW 69

12 -1 Featherston

Wellington

12 6

3

Sun - Moon - Tides - Fishing 1 15 6 Thursday Friday Saturday swell (m) today’s overnight 3

• CAPE PALLISER Jul 2

Jul 1

fine M E T R mE S am 3 22

Rise 7:43 am Set 5:00 pm Good few mainly fog cloudy fine showers Set 12:02 pm Rise 11:59 pm

min 3 Jul

max

Rise 7:43 am Set 5:00 pm Fair drizzle drizzle showers rain clearing Set 12:25 pm

isolated thunder

Rise 7:42 am Set 5:01 pm snow hail flurries Rise 1:00 am Set 12:46 pm

eg: SW 1m

Bad snow thunder

CASTLEPOINT TIdES + SuN, mOON & fIShINg Castlepoint tide height and movement ToDay Jul 1 TomorroW Jul 2 SaTurDay, Jul 3 6

9

noon

3

6

9 pm am 3

6

9

noon

3

6

9 pm am 3

6

9

noon

3

6

9 pm

11 00

-1 -1

Riversdale

H 10:37am L 4:29am H 10:40am L 4:33am H 10:32am 1 LJul4:24am

11:02pm

H 11:27am 11:53pm

H 12:18pm

Riversdale L 6:08am 4:46pm- Riversdale 5:20am 5:39pm Sun Moon -LH Tides - Fishing 11:06pm 11:31am 11:58pm H 12:22pm Castlepoint 4:48pm Castlepoint L 5:23am 5:41pm Castlepoint L 6:11am Thursday10:57pm Friday Saturday H 11:22am 11:48pm H 12:13pm Lake Ferry

4:41pm

©Copyright OceanFun Publishing Ltd

Rise 7:43 am Set 5:00 pm

metservice.com

• CASTLEPOINT

Masterton

11 1

tararua forest park Today Mountain weather hazards: None issued.

Mostly cloudy with a few morning showers, then becoming fine.

Wind 1000m and above: S 30 km/h, dying out in the morning. freezing level: 1400m at first, rising to 2000m.

3

13 4

Wind km/h

max

13 1

Paraparaumu

REAdINgS AT 6Pm yESTERdAy Temperature ºC on Wednesday

Palmerston North

0

Fine with a few clouds. Morning frosts. Light winds. morning min

Dannevirke

10 0

Good

2 Lake Ferry LJul5:15am

www.ofu.co.nz

Rise 7:43 am Set 5:00 pm

5:34pm

6:31pm 6:34pm

3 Lake Ferry LJul6:03am

6:26pm

Maori Fishing Guide by Bill Hohepa

Fair

Rise 7:42 am Set 5:01 pm

Set 12:25 pm Set 12:02 pm Rise 1:00 am M Rise 11:59 pm Set 12:46 pm E T Tides: © Copyright OceanFun Publishing, Ltd Maori Fishing Guide by Bill Hohepa www.ofu.co.nz R E For the latest weather information, S including am 3 Weather 6 9 Warnings noon 3 6 9 pm am 3 © 6Meteorological 9 noon 3Service 6 of9 NZ pm Limited am 3 2021 6 9 noon 3 2

Bad

Castlepoint tide height and movement

1

6

9 pm

36

Thursday, July 1, 2021 Wairarapa Times-Age

Nervous wait for Willis P32

Euros: England on a roll P34

Jostling for the top four spots starts this weekend Greytown are guaranteed a home semifinal, and six teams are in the hunt for the remaining three places.

CHRIS COGDALE looks at each team’s prospects heading into the final two rounds before the Chris ‘Moose’ Kapene Memorial Cup playoffs.

RUGBY GREYTOWN

unbeaten season is surely on their bucket list.

Let’s get the easy one out of the way first.

Greytown are undefeated on 25 points with a 10-point lead, and a for and against differential of 142.

Barring a major loss of form, they will have the Weatherstone Cup for leading after the roundrobin to add to an already bulging trophy cabinet after Saturday.

Gladstone at home on Saturday, and Pioneer away will be feisty opponents and potentially desperate for points.

But given Greytown’s depth across the paddock and growing confidence, it’s hard to see either upsetting the hot favourites.

In saying that, coaches Mark Childs and Paul Pottinger will leave no stone unturned in assuring that complacency does not creep into the competition frontrunners.

COGGIE’S PREDICTION: An

INSIDE Local ��������������1-10 Briefly ��������������� 11

PIONEER

Currently second on 15 points, one ahead of Gladstone and Carterton, the Blue and Reds have arguably the toughest route to the semifinals.

Next up is an away trip to Carterton, who are starting to realise their potential with solid wins over Martinborough, and Gladstone.

Pioneer succumbed to late pressure when losing to East Coast last weekend, their poor discipline resulting in two yellow cards, and the team bickering among themselves — traits which have generally been missing from the side this season.

They will probably need one more win to qualify for the top four, although they could sneak in with a losing bonus point or two.

It’s hard to see them upsetting Greytown in the final round, so their best hope probably lies in

Opinion ������ 12-14 Extra ����������������� 15 Nation ��������16, 24

Country ������ 17-23 World ���������������� 25 Business ����������� 26

Former All Black Zac Guildford has been outstanding in the midfield for Greytown.

toppling Carterton on Saturday.

COGGIE’S PREDICTION: Will struggle to gain points against two strong sides, so the HodderSteffert Cup semis beckon.

CARTERTON

In joint third place on 14 points, a win over Pioneer at home on Saturday should be enough

Television �������� 27 Gardening � 28-29 Puzzles ������� 30-31

to secure a ‘Moose’ Kapene Cup semifinal.

An away trip against a potentially desperate Marist follows for the final weekend, so coach Neil Rodger would like to lock in a playoff spot with a round to spare.

The Maroons have been finding form at the right

Classifieds ������� 32 Weather ����������� 35 Sport ���������� 32-36

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PHOTO/FILE

time, with solid wins over Martinborough [26-17], and Gladstone [25-7], which was their first away win in nine years against their fierce rivals.

Firm dry tracks would be ideal for unleashing their talented

Continued on page 35