One person has died at the scene following a crash on Flat Road in Kihikihi.
Police were alerted to the crash involving a single motorcycle at around 7.45pm yesterday (Saturday 4 May).
Serious Crash Unit have conducted a scene examination and enquiries are ongoing to determine the cause of the crash.
Facebook comments turned off
Waipā District Council has turned off comments on information-only posts on its Facebook page from today.
Garry Dyet
Chief executive Garry Dyet said Waipā District Council was seeing a few individuals dominating Facebook interactions, the majority of which were doing so in a negative way.
“We welcome healthy debate but what we have seen in recent months is an uprising of disrespect towards staff and, most recently, between the community itself. Our staff have been subjected to name calling and other nasty comments and that is simply not ok,” Dyet said.
“I’m simply not prepared to provide platforms so that staff, elected members and our contractors can be abused, ridiculed and discredited. Nor do I want to see good hearted folk who give us meaningful feedback being cut down in a vitriolic way,” he said.
“At the moment our limited resources are being sucked up into pandering to a small group of people and our time would be far better spent delivering more positive things for our community.”
The council would continue to welcome respectful interactions with the community via phone, email, or face-to-face, and would still use its social channels as a means to garner feedback alongside other channels on occasion.
“We want respectful interactions with our community. That is the very reason we are here. However, the time spent reacting to keyboard agitators is taking staff away from doing things that can really make a difference.”
Good planning
Waipā District Council says its investment into contingency planning ensured water continued to flow for Ōhaupō esidents last week, after a sixmetre-long crack in a water pipe caused a significant leak. The water team found and isolated the leaking pipe, connected to the Parallel Road water treatment plant, within minutes of receiving an alert.
Māori ward move ‘arrogant’
The coalition government is arrogant and has “over-reached” on Māori wards, Waipā mayor Susan O’Regan said this week.
She was speaking as the council discussed a government directive which would force Waipā to abandon its Māori ward or hold a binding poll – costing about $50,000 – in 2025 on the issue. Waipā has had a Māori ward for two years and the seat is held by Dale-Maree Morgan.
Councillors this week agreed to express concern to local government minister Simeon Brown.
“I’m disappointed the government has come in in such a heavy-handed way, on one hand promoting localism and on the other hand trying to dictate how local communities like ours should be represented. You can’t have it both ways,” O’Regan said. “As it stands councils, informed by their own community, can make decisions about the establishment – or not – of Māori wards without having to undertake a costly poll. That’s what we did and that’s what all councils and all communities should be able to do.”
Waipā District Council is one of 45 councils which have established Māori wards, or have resolved to, since the 2021 law change which removed the requirement for a poll. Councillors were told today the Bill confirming the change is likely to be introduced in May.
‘Disconnect’ under review
Susan O’Regan
Waipā District Council has announced an independent review of its Cambridge Connections business case in a move Mayor Susan O’Regan said will be a reset to get the project “back on track”.
The mayor announced the review on Tuesday having endured a groundswell of anger over one part – a proposed siting for a third bridge over the Waikato River.
More than 350 pieces of feedback on the draft business case have been received, and a significant number focus on the bridge issue. The feedback period runs to May 24.
Waipā riders to the fore
Tasman Wakelin (left) on the podium at Tulsa, Oklahoma. Photo: UCI.
Waipā riders have excelled in the UCI BMX Racing World Cup in the United States. A highlight in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was former Cambridge rider Tasman Wakelin making a successful return to the sharp end of the sport with a podium finish on Saturday.
And a day later fellow Cambridge products Bennett Greenough and Leila Walker excelled. Greenough finished second overall behind Australian Oliver Moran on the season standings in the UCI BMX Racing under-23 men’s World Cup.
Teenager Walker made her first elite women’s final having jumped from the junior ranks earlier this year. She placed third in her qualifying heat, and fought hard to grab the fourth and final qualifying spot in both her quarterfinal and semifinal.
After nearly four years out of the sport, Wakelin led the way for the nine-strong New Zealand riders, qualifying third fastest and then winning his eighth round, quarterfinal and semifinal races. He was second in the men’s under-23 final in the penultimate round.
Wakelin, now based in Australia, was again outstanding in the early rounds on Sunday, and made a superb snap out of the gate in his semifinal. However his rear wheel slid out from under him, and he fell while leading, to end his competition.
Finn Cogan (East City) made it to the quarterfinals in the men’s under-23 racing, while Te Awamutu’s Brooke Penny (under-23) and Rotorua’s Megan Williams (elite) went out in the last chance rounds.
Central pair win
The Cambridge Central duo of Ron Greenwood and Laurie Roycroft came out on top in Kihikihi’s last tournament ahead of the host club’s winter programme.
The Pratts Plumbing sponsored tournament format was 2-4-2 pairs and both greens were full for the occasion. There were three four winners separated by ends won and second place went to Te Kūiti’s Peter Lange and Steve Woods followed by David and Jean Goodey from the Frankton Junction. Fourth place fell to the best of the three winners, Laurie Fitzpatrick and Ken Penman from the Hillcrest.
The Kihikihi winter programme runs from May to August.
Cycle fest popular
International sprinters Olivia King and Rebecca Petch, right, ride with youngsters during last week’s festival.
Bicycle Revolution Cambridge is celebrating another successful festival, this one coinciding with Anzac Day.
Hundreds of people came to town to be part of the annual event – now in its seventh year.
The event provides an afternoon of street races, family-friendly activities and a celebration of all things cycling, as Olympic medallists and world champions share the streets with non-competitive riders and youngsters.
“It’s just great to see our community coming together and having such a great day on their bikes, Bicycle Revolution chair Tim Gudsell said.
The festival featured some of the fastest women in the world – the New Zealand women’s sprint team including world champion Ellesse Andrews, riding up the main street in a straight-line sprint race.
The sprinters and other cyclists with an eye on the Paris Olympics also rode to support youngsters in their races around a 1000 metre circuit.
Anzac at Resthaven
Resthaven Cambridge’s Village Centre was full for last week’s Anzac Day service, led by Cambridge RSA’s Brigadier Jon Broadley.
Pictured after the service were, from left, Margaret Gasquoine, Leonard Coats, Cambridge RSA vice-president Brigadier Jon Broadley MBE, Alan Scicuna, Trevor Gorham, Les Winslade QSM, RSA bugler staff sergeant (retired) Doug Rose, Wolfe Hucke and Earl Reeve. Photo: Lorraine Hargreaves.
Three on top
Hautapu, Ōtorohanga and Hamilton Marist lead the pack after four weekends of Waikato premier club rugby.
The Cambridge club overcame Matamata away 17-10 last weekend as Marist, 71-32 over Hamilton Old Boys, and Ōtorohanga, 52-14 scored thumping wins. Marist has a one point lead over the other two by virtue of an extra bonus point.
Te Awamutu, beaten the previous weekend by Ōtorohanga, was pipped 15-14 away to Melville. Someone’s “0” will have to go on Saturday when Hautapu host Marist. Ōtorohanga is at University and Te Awamutu travels again, to Morrinsville.
Milestones for young drivers
Boss Kenny driven by Zev Meredith. Photo: Angelique Bridson.
Two Waipā 21-year-old junior drivers brought up significant milestones last week at Cambridge Raceway. Zev Meredith trained his first winner when Boss Kenny led from start to finish in the IRT.Your Horse.Our Passion Trot while Emily Johnson had her first driving win in this country with the Luk Chin-trained Jasinova in the Dunstan Horsefeeds Handicap Trot.
Meredith juggles training with his full-time job working for Cambridge trainer Arna Donnelly.
Johnson’s first New Zealand win came from her 25th drive on this side of the Tasman. She recorded 65 wins when based in Western Australia for three years. She returned home earlier this year, and works for Sean McCaffrey, who trains at Luk Chin’s Tamahere property.
Jasinova’s win gave Chin a training double for the night. He earlier drove Barsukov to victory in the Gavelhouse.com Trot.
Call it in
New Zealand’s Environmental Protection Authority says plans for an incinerator plant in Te Awamutu have national significance and it supports a requests for the proposal to be “called in” and heard by a board of inquiry or the Environment Court rather than Waipā district and Waikato regional councils.
Bring out your leaves
An annual autumn collection service has started in parts of Te Awamutu, Cambridge and Kihikihi. Waipā District Council is collecting fallen leaves – and residents can place piles on grass berms to be picked up.
Upston promoted
Louise Upston
Taupō MP Louise Upston has been handed the role of disability minister in the cabinet reshuffle which saw Penny Simmonds lose the portfolio and Paul Goldsmith replace Melissa Lee in Media and Communications. The move came five days before a poll showed confidence in the coalition government had plunged.
Boundary changes
Waikato Regional Council will continue to have 14 elected members, but the boundaries may be moved. Councillors have voted 11-1 to modify the Waihou constituency to include Waihi and Paeroa rural areas – currently in the Thames-Coromandel constituency – to meet the requirements for fair representation.
Time’s up
Submissions close today (Friday) on the Waipa District Council’s annual plan.
Lions lend a hand
A warm gesture by the Lions Club of Cambridge is helping ease the lives of Waikato Cancer Society’s Lions Lodge residents. The Lions responded to a lodge request for knitted knee rugs, needed by patients, and 49 were delivered last month.
Battery n’Save
A Te Awamutu supermarket has agreed to contributed $2000 a year to keeping batteries out of landfills. The donation, which will go through the Te Awamutu and Kihikihi Community Board, comes from Pak n’Save Te Awamutu owner Jeremy Bennett. His store has a battery recycling station on site.
Foot fault
New Zealand Food Safety believes a rat’s foot found in food was introduced in the home where it was discovered. Foodstuffs recalled of the batch of garlic bread across its outlets – including Te Awamutu Pak,n Save where it was bought as a precautionary measure. Food Safety deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle said the organisation had ruled out the manufacturer, distributor, distribution centre and retailer as possible sources. While this left the home as the likely source, the complainant had raised the issue in good faith, he said.
