Church rocks to jazz
Cambridge Big Little Jazz Band with vocalist Heather Connolly. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
The St Andrew’s Church fair attracted the crowds again on Labour Day Monday despite the squally showers with just over 140 stallholders represented. Entertainment in the church was provided by the Cambridge Brass Band and the Cambridge Big Little Jazz Band, pictured, because as singer Heather Connolly admitted “sometimes we’re big, like today, and sometimes we’re little.” The band, which will play at the Armistice Day service in the Town Hall, played a mixture of fast and slow – from Spanish Eyes to That Old Devil Called Love with a Don’t it Make Your Brown Eyes Blue and Singing in the Rain thrown in for good measure.
Cambridge Big Little Jazz Band with vocalist Heather Connolly. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
Awards open
Entries for Waipā’s business awards, which recognise accomplishments, contributions and diversity in the business community, open tomorrow. (Friday).
Population up
Waipā’s population is 62,700, Census figures released by Statistics NZ last week show. It was 55,000 in 2018. Nearly a third are in the 40-64 age bracket and the median age is 40.6. A total of 12,400 people (19.2 per cent) are 65 years and older.
Roger that
Councillors, from left Philip Coles, Roger Gordon, Marcus Gower and Mike Pettit (partially obscured)
Roger Gordon was again Waipā District Council’s lowest paid councillor receiving $41,280 for his efforts in the financial year ended June 30. Fellow Cambridge ward representative Mike Pettit earned $43,246 to be second lowest. Highest paid councillor was Claire St Pierre with $53,075 while deputy mayor Liz Stolwyk got $66,835 and mayor Susan O’Regan $145,391.
Underpass in
Cranes installing the underpass units
Camex Civil installed 16 pre-cast concrete underpass units – each weighing 32 tonnes – at the under-construction roundabout outside Te Awa Lifecare last week. Two cranes were needed, one to lift the units onto a truck on the Velodrome side of Cambridge Rd and a second to lift them into place on the town side.
Top engagement
Waikato District Council was overwhelmed by the nearly 2000 responses to its Long Term Plan prompted by the appeal to residents to tell councillors where savings could be made and which of its 33 community halls should remain ratepayer funded. The council was to consider the responses yesterday, after The News went to press.
Surplus down
Waipa council made an operating surplus of $35.5 million – down on its $48.2 million budget – in the financial year ended June 30. Development and reserve contributions were down $21.5 million. Subsidies were $9.9 million higher because of additional fundings for the Cambridge and Kihikihi Pathway projects from New Zealand Transport Agency. The council completed just under $130 million of work across 160 projects and maintained its AA- Fitch credit rating.
Karāpiro report
Lake Karapiro
Horwarth HTL have been asked by Waipā District Council to review reports the tourism consultancy company completed four years ago which identified an opportunity for standard motel style accommodation at Lake Karāpiro. The council wants to include the update in its new Karāpiro Lake Domain Reserve Management Plan.
Pay revealed
Garry Dyet in his office at Waipā District Council. Photo: Roy Pilott
When chief executive Garry Dyet left Waipā District Council in July he had earned $358,753 in the financial year ended June 30. Ten of the council’s 353 employees were earning between $180,000-$339,999, up from eight the previous year. Staff numbers rose from 288 full time equivalents in 2023 to 295 this year.
Media coverage
Waipā District Council says its communications team has significantly exceeding a target set for being “referenced” by media outlets – up from 64 the previous year to 80. Its average monthly audience reach of 683,761 people was well up on the 200,000 set as a “How we measure success” matrix in the council’s Annual Report.
Appointments made
Water skiing on Lake Karapiro
Crs Dale Maree Morgan and Mike Montgomerie will join Cambridge Community Board member Andrew Myers as council appointments to the Karāpiro Domain Reserve Management Plan review which is taking place because there have been significant changes in the number and range of facilities, activities, events and visitors.
Hall a finalist
Cambridge Town Hall Trust chair Kirsty Johnson with general manager Simon Brew. Photo: Michael Jeans.
Cambridge Town Hall has been named one of three finalists in the Entertainment Venues Association’s small venue of the year (under 1000 seats) awards. The Town Hall is up against the Globe Theatre (Palmerston North) and the Turner Centre (Kerikeri). General manager Simon Brew is also a finalist in the Team Leader of the Year award. The winners will be announced on December 4.
Award winner
Wastewater Treatment Plant Blessing
Cambridge’s new wastewater treatment plant, a partnership between the district council and iwi over the design has won an award from Ace – a non-profit organisation for consultant engineering companies – for its commitment to collaborate, embrace indigenous knowledge and honour the principles of guardianship
Wastewater Treatment Plant Blessing
Different spot
Cambridge Farmers’ Market in the northern part of Victoria Square
Cambridge Farmers’ Market has been using the northern end of Victoria Square while its more usual south home has been regrassed in time for the start of the cricket season on the square next month.
New cul de sac
The shared zone at the intersection of Grey Street and Hamilton Road Cycleway will be turned into a cul-de-sac. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
Construction of a cul de sac in Grey St at the intersection with Hamilton Rd gets underway soon. Pedestrian crossings and footpaths will be upgraded on the street up to Clare St and a new walking and cycling path built to enable safer trips by Cambridge Middle School students. The work is part of the Cambridge Pathway project funded by New Zealand Transport Agency and Waipā council.
Boundary change
Frontier Estate in the Te Awamutu T1 growth cell will move from the Pirongia-Kakepuku rural ward into urban Te Awamutu-Kihikihi for next year’s local body elections to comply with the Local Electoral Act regulations about representation. Pirongia growth means the two councillors each had a population of 6175 to represent this term compared with the 5100 the three Te Awamutu councillors had.
Ka Whawhai Tonu costumes go on show
Ka Whawhai Tonu costume on show at Te Awamutu Museum
Waipā will share a touch of movie magic when costumes from the recent New Zealand film Ka Whawhai Tonu go on show at the Te Awamutu Museum from tomorrow.
It’s the first time costumes from the historical drama, which stars Cliff Curtis and Temuera Morrison and retells the 1864 battle of Ōrākau Pā, will be showcased to the public.
Museums and heritage director Anne Blyth said it’s an honour to be the first museum to display the costumes and tell an important part of the history of Waipā.
Museum visitors will be able to immerse themselves in the story and events leading up to the siege at Ōrākau, one of the most infamous conflicts of the New Zealand Land Wars, through costumes and images from the film.
The battle site is east of Kihikihi on Arapuni Rd. The Crown forces invaded Rangiaowhia and fought defenders of the Kīngitanga (Māori King movement), led by Ngāti Maniapoto chief Rewi Maniapoto, who is played by Morrison in the film. It was the final battle of the Crown’s invasion of the Waikato.
“The story is set in the 1860s and it inspires, confronts and challenges people’s historical knowledge around Aotearoa New Zealand Land Wars,” said Blyth.
The film was directed by Michael Jonathan and has centres on two teenagers whose lives are caught up in war and colonisation.
The exhibition will run until April 30, 2025.
A scene from Ka Whawhai Tonu
