Dutch elm disease
A second case of Dutch Elm disease has been confirmed in Waipā and an elm removed from the southeast corner of Victoria Square in Cambridge. The 100-year-old tree was vaccinated against the disease in November with other council-owned elms. Community Services manager Brad Ward said the vaccination came too late for the vulnerable tree.
Lifejacket swap
Old4New, an initiative where people can exchange their old, worn-out lifejackets for discounted new lifejackets, is on Saturday at K’aute Pasifika in Hamilton. Over the past decade, more than 22,000 old lifejackets have been traded in through Old4New.
Te Awamutu host
Te Awamutu Sports Cycling Club will host the Elite Road Cycling National Championships for two years from next year. Next month’s champs will be in Timaru and then head to the Waikato with the dates and courses to be confirmed. The Te Awamutu club has a rich heritage in the sport and hosts successful club racing throughout the year, along with their annual Te Awamutu Tour, which is based at Goodwood, near Cambridge.
Council reform
The Government has agreed to reforms that refocus local councils on delivering essential services and core infrastructure, spending responsibly, and operating under greater scrutiny, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown says. The first benchmarking report on local councils will be released in the middle of 2025 and is expected to include a number of key council performance metrics.
