Otaki Mail August 2019 by Otaki Mail

ŌTAKI MAIL ©

Established in 1892

PO Box 109 Ōtaki

otakimail@xtra.co.nz

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06 364 5500

August 2019

Energise Ōtaki Announces Ōtaki Solar Farm

BY LLOYD CHAPMAN

Leigh Ramsey, Chair of Energise Ōtaki has announced a community solar farm project that will harvest energy from the sun to fund community energy projects in the town. Energise Ōtaki is a charitable trust established to develop Ōtaki as a town that is as self-sustaining as possible in energy. This includes energy conservation, renewable energy generation, innovation around technologies, energy education and working with schools, finding ways to avoid energy waste, and energy recovery from waste. Two solar farms will be built later in the year: one adjacent to the Ōtaki Wastewater Treatment Plant, the other at Ōtaki College. Six hundred photovoltaic panels, will generate over 160 kWp of electricity when the sun is shining, something which happens a lot in Ōtaki. Funding of $407,000 has come from the Wellington Community Trust for the project. The Solar Farm at Kāpiti Coast District Council’s Wastewater Treatment Plant in Riverbank Road will generate power to run the wastewater treatment process. The Council has approved the lease of nearby land to Energise Ōtaki, and agreed to purchase power generated by the solar farm. The installation at Ōtaki College will provide energy for College operations, on similar lines to the XŌtaki Foundation Trust installation which Energise Ōtaki has also supported. Excess energy over the summer months will be provided to the local grid although Energise Ōtaki will also be exploring energy storage as a further stage, collaborating with Electra. Anticipated annual income of $29,000 from electricity generation will go to the Energise Ōtaki Community Investment Fund, which will support energy projects in the town. The project is the first of its kind in New Zealand, using the sun to generate revenue for investment in a wide range of energy projects to reduce energy use, attack energy

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deprivation that exists in the town, find a range of ways for local energy generation and energy recovery, and support business development around the concepts. Energise Ōtaki reports that this is the first two of at least five possible installations it has identified, and that it has a goal of achieving an annual revenue for the community investment fund of at least $100,000. This is a major step towards that goal. Energise Ōtaki acknowledges partnerships in this ground-breaking project with the Wellington Community Trust, Kāpiti Coast District Council, Ōtaki College, and the support of Electra. “After three years developing the concept and working with the Kāpiti Coast District Council and Ōtaki College, the project is finally going to be realised thanks to funding from Wellington Community Trust. We are hugely grateful to the Trust for its willingness to invest in a model that continues to grow their initial investment while con-

tributing to the social and environmental wellbeing of the town. The town will be forever grateful for their foresight. Kāpiti Coast District Council , Ōtaki Community Board and Ōtaki College have a history of supporting innovative projects that contribute to this vision and address huge issues like climate change and energy deprivation. We thank them sincerely for being partners with us on this project (and the support of our Mayor, K Gurunathan, local Councillor James Cootes, our Ōtaki Community Board), and Electra for their willingness to support the vision,” said Leigh Ramsey, Chairperson, Energise Ōtaki. Leigh Ramsey

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Page: Ōtaki Mail —August 2019

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A rock ‘n’ rolling good time for Sponsored content Enliven elders

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Residents of Enliven’s Horowhenua homes donned their best rock ‘n’ roll outfits and headed to Manawatu last month to enjoy an evening of Elvis Presley, Bill Hayley and Buddy Holly. Levin Home for War Veterans and Reevedon Home and Village elders were hosted by Enliven sister-site Brightwater Home and Village in Palmerston North for a swinging 1950s party. Residents of Enliven’s Willard Home in Palmerston North and Coombrae Home and Village in Feilding also attended.

Reevedon Home resident Barbara Tivalu says she enjoys dressing up, and chose a nice blue blouse and black trousers to rock ‘n’ roll in. “I’d like to go again when they hold another party,” Barbara says of the Brightwater event. “The food was nice and I enjoyed dancing to Rock around the Clock.” Levin Home for War Veterans resident Hardy Voss agrees. “It was really good. I’d be quite keen to go again. The music was good and the lounge was packed. I had a wee dance and really enjoyed it.” Brightwater Home resident Joscelyn Stagg says the room was filled with balloons, records and dressed up guests. “We had disco lights flashing and it was so good to see the older people dressed up and enjoying the music.” Enliven diversional therapist Michelle Martin says the event took six months of planning and was worth every minute to see the smiles on residents’ faces. “It was such a fantastic night,” she says. “I would do it all again tomorrow if I could.” In Levin Enliven offers a full range of positive ageing services including independent retirement living, rest home, hospital and dementia care, as well as short-term respite, healthy recovery care and a day programme between its two sites - Reevedon Home and Village on Salisbury Street and Levin Home for War Veterans on Prouse Street. For more inforLevin Home for War Veterans resident mation free call 0508 ENLIVEN or Anne Christensen test drives the retro photo booth at visit www.enlivencentral.org.nz.

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an Enliven 1950s party.

What if there’s a problem with the house I’m buying? BY FLEUR HOBSON You’ve found the house you like and you’ve signed an agreement to buy it. That agreement allowed you to get a builder’s report, which you have done, and the report shows there is at least one problem. What happens now? The first step is for you to make an assessment of what you want. The issue may be quite minor, and you really, really want the house. You may decide that you won’t take any steps about the builder’s report, that you will buy the house and then fix the problem yourself. If you happen to know, or to suspect, that someone else also wants the house and is willing to pay more than you have agreed to pay, then doing nothing is an option worth considering. You can, of course, go back to the seller and ask them to fix the issue. If it’s minor, that may not be a problem.

The issue may be quite a lot more serious, however, and you definitely want it fixed. Or you may also be happy for the seller to reduce the price by the cost of a fix, and for you to organise a tradesman to fix it. In either of those cases you or your lawyer will need to raise the matter with the seller or the seller’s lawyer. As a legal contract is involved, as well as the practical issue of a problem needing a fix, you can significantly improve you chances of a successful outcome by asking your lawyer to handle this for you. What if, for example, the seller’s lawyer insists on a replacement agreement for sale and purchase. It is very important, if this happens, that the earlier agreement is properly cancelled. It is also very important that your lawyer checks out the new proposed agreement before you sign it. Following the negotiation, you will either have achieved: • a lower sale price (but you will have to

fix the problem); or • the seller agrees to fix the problem either by the settlement date, or by a later agreed date (as big problems may need a contract period extension). Another outcome of the builder’s report is that it uncovers a problem which is so big that you want the contract to be cancelled. When such a serious defect is uncovered, it is again very important that you get your lawyer to handle this. One reason for that is that what constitutes a failed building inspection varies, and the seller may want to argue that the problem can be fixed. Exactly what steps need to be taken will also go back to the wording of the agreement for sale and purchase that you signed, and that is why it is so important to have your lawyer look over it before you sign. If you are looking to buy a house, or you have made an offer and the builder’s report has uncovered an issue, we would be only

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Ōtaki Mail is produced by Lloyd, Ann & Penny at 176 Waerenga Road. Printed by Beacon Print. Delivered to every house (urban and rural) at the end of every month. If your paper doesn't arrive, please tell us and we'll sort it. For news, please tell us on 06 364 5500 or by email at otakimail@xtra.co.nz

Ōtaki Mail —August 2019

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Ōtaki’s Omeo gets Government Endorsement The recent announcement from Shane Jones’ Provincial Growth Fund of a $2.5 million loan was a ringing endorsement of Omeo and their high-tech mobility device. Ōtaki’s Kevin Halsall started developing the machine for and with his friend Marcus Thompson. After 7 years hard work the Omeo is now a thing, the intellectual property is patented, there’s a 112 page instruction manual, over 100 machines have been produced, and are in the hands of over 30 agents and users worldwide, and they’re still together, surrounded by a team of ten, with nore to come. Most of the agents are Omeo users who have undergone evaluation and rigorous training determine suitability before they order and to undertake a comprehensive induction and training programme at handover. Unlike a lot of high-tech products that require extensive marketing, Omeo’s virtually sell themselves to clients who immediately grasp their life-changing potential. Better still, ACC have paid out on a number because customers and their advocates recognise the Omeo can help users back to independence. The Australian ACC equivalent has done the same. Best of all, order books are full of people world-wide who see Omeo as their future, living life without the stigma of disability. “The PGF’s investment in Omeo Technology will create jobs in Ōtaki and give a locally-run, innovative company the boost they need to centralise its operations and accelerate its growth plans. This funding will also create positive flow-on effects for nearby businesses,” Shane Jones said. The PGF loan will enable Omeo to find a building in Ōtaki to centralise their administration, Research & Development and assembly under one roof. Currently Omeo is assembled in Lower Hutt. By Christmas, they plan to have moved assembly to Ōtaki, to employ more locals, including semi-skilled people on the enlarged assembly line as he business grows over the next year. What of the future? Chief Executive Officer Stuart Ayres talks of the potential for 3,000 units per annum with the assistance from the PGF loan. It’s hard to imagine that a machine developed in Waitohu Valley Road,

Editorial

Ōtaki Shines

In the past the Ōtaki Mail has celebrated the success of our artists, our potters, our actors and actresses. We have described Ōtaki as the Arts Centre of Kapiti. Now Ōtaki has more to celebrate. Just last week three of our community groups were awarded Civic Awards, two of our enterprises received funding from Minister Shane Jones’ Provincial Growth Fund and another received a large grant from the Wellington Community Trust. And just last week Omeo was awarded first prize in the Wellington Gold Business Awards for Innovation. Yes, Ōtaki does shine with talent and enterprise. Our volunteer groups took out the Kapiti Coast prizes for Arts and Culture – Ōtaki Promotions Group, Health and Wellbeing – Ōtaki Skill Sharing Group, Rising Star - Māoriland Charitable Trust for M.A.T.C.H. Māoriland Tech Creative Hub. Ōtaki Skills Sharing took the Supreme Award. They work in the community giving back to their hometown in ways which only enhances the lives of Ōtaki residents. Ōtaki is blessed with the calibre and commitment of our community groups. Even our students are doing well with Ōtaki College kids wowing the judges from KCDC’s Think Big Awards. Two business enterprises, Kapiti Island Tours and Omeo were successful in their applications to the Provincial Fund. And finally the biggest story of the month is the voluntary group Energise Ōtaki which has successfully gained money for the exciting project of a Solar Farm to benefit Ōtaki. There are stories about all these initiatives in our paper this month and we, the proud owners of your local paper, the Ōtaki Mail salute you all, for your success and for showing us all that living in a small town at the end of a district is no barrier to success if you have a good idea, talent and work hard. I’m sure the rest of Ōtaki will join us.

to help a disabled friend could be taking the world by storm, soon to be assembled here in Ōtaki! And to cap it all, at the Dominion Post Wellington Gold awards last Thursday, Omeo Technology won the Innovation Gold award.

Kevin Halsall strides up to collect the Innovation Gold, watched by Marcus on his Omeo

World famous in Ōtaki? You betya! Well done, Omeo.

Thumbs up • • • • •

All our award winners Mobile BNZ at the New World Supermarket Vege garden planter boxes in the library square. Daffodils Whiti Te Ra wins League semifinal

Thumbs down • Rain

Page: Ōtaki Mail —August 2019

A new life for Te Horo’s old post office Never too late: delicious tales at Springfield, Te Horo

Delicious food and tranquil surroundings may be the springboard for our community’s aspiring writers. Te Horo’s culinary personality, Ruth Pretty and Mandy Hager, a Whitireia NZ Creative Writing tutor, and Kapiti-Coast based writer, have combined their skills to offer a six-week series of ‘Wednesday Writing Workshops’ at Springfield, School Road, Te Horo. Mandy was recently awarded the Storylines Mahy Medal for life-time achievement and a distinguished contribution to New Zealand’s literature for young people. It is the latest in an impressive array of writing awards including the Katherine Mansfield Menton Fellowship (2014). The Creative Writing classes run from 24 July to 28 August. The day begins at 9:15 for tea/coffee in the Garden Room followed by 10:00 am to 12:00 pm for the Writing Workshop in the Springfield house. After that it’s time for a memorable Ruth Pretty lunch. The first two writing sessions are about structure and voice, “which really underpins any writing project” but for writers who have progressed further in their work (and who are not yet enrolled), Mandy says further sessions are also useful “as we’ll be breaking it down to craft tools to strengthen writing.” For those interested in enrolling with Mandy’s remaining “tools of writing” workshops, and are keen to indulge in a spot of Ruth’s legendary cuisine go to www.ruthpretty.co.nz or contact Mandy for further information at www.mandyhager.com

News from Te Horo Hall Society’s AGM The sterling efforts of the Te Horo Hall Society committee to keep the heritage build-

ing open to the community (and available to hire for private functions) were noted at the recent AGM. “The Society continues its work, on behalf of the community, in maintaining this valuable asset for future generations,” said Society spokesperson, Sharon Hurst. Alex Kelly, Chairman, thanked committee members for rallying to assist in staging events that bring life and funds to the hall, particularly Barbara Chatters for her organisation of the monthly Te Horo Country Market, and Sharon Hurst for her management of the hall’s bookings. The work of Desrae Ngati who resigned from the committee this year, was also mentioned. The apparent reluctance of KCDC to support Society’s efforts in retaining and promoting the hall have been disappointing, and the new committee faces challenges with “a KCDC-led piece of work that has defined the 105 year old hall as in need of earthquake strengthening.” A recent request for monetary support from KCDC had been rejected (the hall is a KCDC designated community emergency hub). Vigorous fund-raising during the past two years aimed at replacing the aged kitchen and flooring, has consequently been diverted to pay for engineering work required to define earthquake-strengthening needs. “Along with tennis court maintenance, these key projects will require additional external funding this year, hopefully from grants.” For those interested in hiring Te Horo Hall, contact Sue Brickell 06 364 2215 Drinks and Nibbles In spite of the cold you’ll find a warm welcome at Te Horo Hall. Join others at the monthly BYO gathering Friday, 2 August, 5.30 pm. All welcome, bring a plate of nibbles to share and something to drink.

BY VIVIENNE BAILEY The old Te Horo Post Office (which closed in 1988) was blistered and charred through several layers of paint as a result of the Red House Café fire (2015). It seemed the building’s glory days were behind it. But the post office (which was serving as gift shop, The Black Bach, at the time of the devastating fire) has been refurbished and repainted inside and out, wiring and electrical refitted throughout, and has a new life and beginning. It now houses the office of eHaus Kapiti (eHaus leads the New Zealand PassivHaus market). “We’d hoped to rebuild the café as a showroom and café combined, with the office beside,” says Chris Beggs, director of eHaus Kapiti. “But negotiations with the property’s landlord were unsuccessful.” Chris is still optimistic about his plans for the site, which he says will breathe much-needed life back into the now desolate site. The eHaus Kapiti team moved into the Te Horo site after the sale of their Waikanae property. Chris believes with the advent of the expressway, and the population moving further north, the Te Horo position was ideally placed, and central to the region’s growth. Born and bred on the Kapiti Coast, and a Te Horo local, Chris has been with eHaus for four years, although he’s notched up more than 30 years’ experience in the building industry. “It’s a rigorous training programme with eHaus, a pretty tough, scientific exam, on top of the building expertise I already had. But I’m now qualified in eHaus principles and design, with a certificate to prove it,” he laughs. eHaus is often referred to as “the world’s leading standard in energy efficient design,” and is a brand of ecoBuild Developments,

Two small steps from Government, two bold statements to the property market. The drop of half a percent in the Official cash rate has resulted in new low interest rates for home buyers, unprecedented 3.85% loans (or better!) immediately lit up our market, with an instant lift in activity. Allied with the death of the Capital Gains Tax, and a promise from Jacindrella not to revisit CGT, a clear signal was given to the market to buy up large. A great time to be a builder, developer, kitchenware supplier, or anyone associated with housing.

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Clearly it is also a time for young couples and first home buyers to remain prudent, to buy within their means, and with a buffer in case of a medium-term upswing in interest rates. For those in homes already, well done, but please take advantage of these low rates to increase your payments, and rapidly repay as much as you can off the Capital sum owing. It will make you mortgage free so much sooner.

238 Main Highway Otaki 06 364 8350 Grant Robertson Grant Robertson 021 660 113 grant @fnotaki.co.nz

established in 2010 by Baden and Glenda Brown, and Jon Iliffe, with the dream of creating a New Zealand-owned and operated specialist design and construction company, using PassivHaus build and design principles. PassivHaus is an internationally recognised building standard that delivers a building that requires very little energy for space heating or cooling. The result is a home that provides a warm, comfortable living environment, winter and summer. “It’s less maintenance, so less hassle – a sustainable building combined with low running costs.” The building components are selected for their ability to endure our country’s harsh environment, and Chris says although eHaus is not a budget offering, there are huge energy savings long-term, and it’s a perfect fit for semi-rural and country property owners. “We’re proud to be leading the way in PassivHaus design, architecture and construction.”

Your 2HA (approx 5 ac) of quality grazing land is sheltered, private and sunny. The brick & cedar 3 bedroom home of 240m2 has a delightful outlook, with lovely family room, ensuite plus internal access double garage view to appreciate the understated elegance & lifestyle available! Te Horo Totara tunnel location, excellent water, some sheds. This may well be the best & safest buy of the year. Offers expected around $975,000. To be sold by DEADLINE SALE, closing 11am on WEDNESDAY 14th AUGUST 2019 (if not sold prior).

Ōtaki Mail —August 2019

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EXPRESS CONNECT

Peka Peka to Ōtaki Expressway Kia ora

Other feedback has showed us that more graphics would help you understand the changes to the roading system and more of you enjoyed the electronic newsletter than the written.

I’d like to start by saying thanks very much to all of you who responded to our Stakeholder Survey. It was heartening to see that the vast majority of you are finding value in your interactions with us.

We are taking this feedback on board and are looking at ways to revamp the way we communicate with you to better meet your needs.

Our communications activities were helpful to 95% of you, compared to just 5% who didn’t find them helpful. In a further breakdown, 90% thought the information was valuable and gave a good level of information, 89% said they received information about works in their area in a timely manner and 86% said the information was professionally delivered and easy to understand. Of course, we’d like it to be 100% and will strive to continue to keep you well informed and to do better by the time the next survey rolls around.

Rāhui Road bridge construction

Rāhui Road Bridge is the first steel girder bridge to be installed on the PP2Ō project. The bridge’s steelwork has been fabricated and painted in Napier. When finished, the bridge will consist of five rows of 2m deep girders, 150 bracing members connecting the girders and they’re all locked together with approximately 3500 bolts. Once completed, it will weigh around 250 tonnes. Rāhui Road Bridge spans the new expressway lanes, two rail tracks and the shared path, with a total length of 51.3m, making it the longest single bridge span on the entire project. A number of installation methodologies were considered during the planning phase with the strong focus on reopening Rahui Road as soon as possible. For that reason, it was decided to pre-assemble the outer girders in pairs in Napier and construct a temporary prop tower on site in order to shorten the bridge construction duration as much as possible.

Our aim is to keep you well informed, safe when you are on the road, and easily able to navigate your way around the construction works and road changes. If you need any further information on the PP2Ō Expressway Project please visit our website www.nzta.govt.nz/pp2o (where you can sign up for digital updates), call us on 0800 PP2O INFO or email pp2o@nzta.govt.nz Ngā mihi, Andy Goldie, Project Manager

Protecting marine life

Looking after our indigenous aquatic species is an important part of the environmental work being undertaken during the construction of the PP2Ō Expressway. To make sure any of our native fish which may be harmed during construction are taken to safety, each of the 13 streams within the project are explored and if any of our native fish are present, these are moved to ensure their protection. So far, the team have relocated 6664 fish from 15 different species. In 2018, 5045 fish were captured and relocated and already this year, 1933 fish have been taken to new homes. Many of New Zealand’s native fish are listed as threatened. This includes the longfin eel – we’ve caught and safely relocated over 1376.

Construction update

North Zone (north of the Ōtaki River to Taylors Road) At the northern end of the project, foundation works have been completed to the southern embankment of Waitohu Bridge. Building of the abutment and pier columns will now begin. Rāhui Road has been a hive of activity with the Rāhui Road Bridge beams being delivered and erected, and embankments construction leading up to either side of the bridge underway. Construction of the last crosshead (Pier 1) on the Ōtaki River Bridge has been completed. Work is continuing on the realigned rail and the Ōtaki Station northern platform is now complete.

Ōtaki River Bridge in flood from the north bank

August 2019

We’ve also caught other threatened species such as 139 torrent fish, 195 inanga and 427 koura whose numbers are decreasing. We have also created new clean pathways for these species to insure the survival of our native aquatic life.

Koura rescued from one of the 13 streams which meander across the project

South Zone (south of the Ōtaki River to Peka Peka) Progress has been positive moving earth on the long haul between Ōtaki Gorge Road and the east side of the railway at Mary Crest. Electra have been busy with overhead relocations in the Old Hautere, School and Gear roads area. Earthworks for the local arterial road between Mary Crest and Te Kowhai Road have been substantially completed. Traffic was re-routed along a section of temporary and permanent carriageway on Otaki Gorge Road. Thank you for your continued patience in this area as the construction work progresses. The subbase construction for the Old Hautere Road southern link tie-in has been completed. The roof construction for Culvert 39 at Settlement Stream, the wall construction for Culvert 34 at Mangaone Stream, and the foundations for Culvert 35 at Gear Road have all been completed.

Work continues in all weathers south of Mary Crest

Check www.nzta.govt.nz/pp2o and subscribe to our e-newsletter

Expressway

Page: Ōtaki Mail —August 2019

By Ann Chapman

Live well, get well, stay well

Lucy Feltham Physiotherapist

Cancer Society Horowhenua • • • • • • •

Levin, Foxton and Ōtaki Diary August 2019 Thursday 1

Massage: (post treatment)– ph 06 3688624 for apt. Winchester House.

9.30am to 2.30pm

Monday 5

Foxton Support Group (St Johns Hall, Avenue Road)

11.30am

Thursday 8

Pure Breast Care. Ph 0800 259 061 for appt. Winchester House.

9am to 2pm

Wednesday 14

Otaki Support Group. Gertrude Atmore Supper Rooms.

2.30pm

Thursday 15

Lymphoedema Support. Winchester House.

5pm

Wednesday 21

Rimu Group – Men’s Support. Winchester House.

3pm

Monday 26

Natural Wear. Ph 0800 622 397 for appt. Winchester House.

Tuesday 27

Coffee Club. Women’s Support. Win- 10am chester House.

Friday 30

Daffodil Day

For further information on any of the above please contact: Jennie Wylie, Support Coordinator, Horowhenua Services 112 Winchester Street, Levin 5510 Ph 06 367 8065, Fax 06 367 8057, Mob 027 542 0066 email jennie.wylie@cancercd.org.nz

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peripheral joint pain spinal pain muscle strains sports injuries tendon injuries- advanced tendon rehab osteoarthritis manual therapy-mobilisation peripheral and spinal joints massage exercise prescription- exercise prescription course hand therapy post op rehabilitation chest physiotherapy attends annual sports medicine conference 28 years experience , all ages

16 Dunstan Street Ōtaki Ph/ fax 06 364 7027 no ACC surcharge self-referral or GP-referral Hours 9am -6pm Monday -Friday

Farewell Dr Tam and Dr Roger Like all businesses our staff, for various reasons, choose a time to leave. These are always difficult times for a business, and when health is involved, even more difficult for the community with whom the doctors have developed a relationship. So we farewell Dr Tam who at a right age, has decided it is time to retire and head home to the USA. Tam has been working for you for a number of years and has been involved in the community through the church that she supported. She was always a pleasure to have as a part of our team. Dr Roger has decided it is time to move on. We are not sure where, however a change in circumstances have allowed him the freedom to make more choices regarding his career. Dr Rogers last day with us is the 11th of August 2019. Both departures are a big loss to the medical centre and more importantly the community they served. We wish them both well!

Originally we recruited both Kars and Charlotte in response to Dr Tams impending departure as well as public demand for more practitioners and more convenient access for the community. However, the resignation of Dr Roger has deferred that convenience. We acknowledge the need for that extra practitioner and will be recruiting accordingly.

Meet Dr Kars and Dr Charlotte

Moving on, we welcome to our business Dr Kars Mud, and Dr Charlotte van Hutten. A husband and wife team who are emigrating from Holland and will be joining us as from the 26th August 2019. Between them they will be working the same amount of hours as their predecessors.

Dr Charlotte and Dr Kars will join late August

New Government strategy to reduce suicide DR VANESSA CALDWELL, CLINICAL EXECUTIVE, At the end of June, submissions closed on the Government’s proposed strategy for suicide prevention. Every year in New Zealand over 500 people take their own lives and many more are impacted profoundly by suicide. One death is too many and suicide is an alarm bell that has been ringing loudly for some time as a sign of great distress in our communities. We need to work collectively to make any real difference to the lives of people who think about suicide and those who are already impacted by these tragedies. The difference in this proposed strategy from previous iterations is that it has been developed in consultation with the public and various agencies including government agencies. It takes a broad approach to the issue and to solutions, including increasing education to address myths associated with suicidal behaviour, access to support for individuals and families, and supporting youth development as well as reducing stigma for seeking help. It also includes more specific targeted solutions to address known risk factors, which could include increasing community and cultural connectedness, and providing access to treatment for trauma and mental health issues. Following the release of the Government’s response to the Mental Health & Addiction Inquiry, the Ministry of Health was directed to establish a suicide prevention office and is about to confirm the appointment of its Director. This will provide a central point of focus on this issue and accountability for the implementation of the initiatives that were also supported in this report, including access to free counselling for people bereaved by suicide, an information service and increased

support for individuals and their families who are experiencing high levels of distress. There is an expressed commitment to track progress and make this available on their website, with a focus on reducing the number of suicides in New Zealand. The reduction of suicide is a priority across the MidCentral region and there are a number of community initiatives to support bereaved families, which focus on building connections and reducing social isolation in our communities. The Realising Waiora publication, developed by the community and available on our DHB website, outlines an action plan to improve wellbeing and increase earlier access to support for those in distress. There will continue to be a number of training opportunities available in the community including: MH101, which was hosted in Ōtaki late last year and was very well received; the new Addiction 101 course; and Lifekeepers, which will be hosted in Ōtaki on 30 October (to register visit www. lifekeepers.nz). These are opportunities to become better informed about issues and myths relating to suicidal behaviour and to have some tools to support people and to know where to go for help. There is no ‘one size fits all’ solution and it will take a comprehensive programme and collective effort to

make a difference so that every person has a healthy future and the vision of the strategy is realised: Ka kitea te pae tawhiti. Kia mau ki te ora. See the broad horizon. Hold on to life. List of national initiatives: www.health.govt.nz/our-work/mental-health-and-addictions/working-prevent-suicide/national-services-and-initiatives-contributing-preventing-suicide If you need assistance or want to talk at any time call: • 1737 Need to Talk text service (available 24/7): 1737.org.nz • Lifeline: 0800 543 354 (available 24/7) • Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) (available 24/7) • Youthline: 0800 376 633 • Kidsline: 0800 543 754 (available 24/7) • Whatsup: 0800 942 8787 (Mon-Fri 1pm to 10pm. Sat-Sun 3pm-10pm) • Depression helpline: 0800 111 757 (available 24/7) • Rainbow Youth: (09) 376 4155 • Samaritans 0800 726 666

If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111

Ōtaki Mail —August 2019

Local

We asked a selection of Ōtaki residents what they would like to hear the council candidate talking about. We made no difference between KCDC or GWRC or for that matter the district health board.

Body Janine: business owner. Keeping Ōtaki alive by getting in behind local initiatives. More community police and funding for the community patrol. More trains would be good.

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Elections

Aneta: Kuia. Transport. A train to Ōtaki. Help with housing and rents. Elderly people need support. The library is in poor condition. The books are old, the worst in the district. We need new stock not the leftovers.

Penny: Beekeeper. Protection of pippi beds on Ōtaki beach by enforcing no drive zones. Train links to Ōtaki.

Here are their views. Critical Election dates Nominations close 16th August. Voting papers arrive from 20th September. Polling Day 12th October. Trevor ambulance officer, fisherman Like Paraparaumu and Waikanae we really want to have a fishing and boating club based here. Since 2006 we have been in negotiations since then for a location we could call our own but are still no further ahead due to all sorts of reasons. The Ōtaki Boating Club has over a hundred active members and is the only body actively launching off Ōtaki Beach to fish for recreation purposes.

Duane owner of the The Telegraph in the heart of Ōtaki central business district, and sports club sponsor. For me being on the edge of CBD I think with retail being conducted on the internet, what’s going happen with the shops in Ōtaki? What is the Main Street going to look like in the future?

Joseph, sportsman, coach, Body & Soul gym owner Renèe: Writer. Transport in and out of Ōtaki and also around Ōtaki. It’s hard to get around locally. A small bus with low steps for the elderly. Shuttles to the train station. More public services in town. She’d like the rubbish collect brought back under council control.

I want to see candidates who support local sports. As a sportsman and business owner, I want to see that the council keeps providing the awesome sports facilities we have at present and keeps up with the maintenance. The latest resurfacing of the tennis courts is an example.

Clarity for Ōtaki Residents for Hospital Services Ōtaki and Te Horo residents’ access to services at Capital and Coast DHB are now clearer with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between MidCentral DHB and Capital and Coast DHB. Residents of the Ōtaki Ward of Kapiti District Council are part of MidCentral DHB and receive most of their health services from MidCentral. The MoU formalises the existing working arrangements between the neighbouring district health boards. This arrangement has been in place since the boundaries for the health districts were drawn up 19 years ago, after the Ōtaki community made it known that they wished to stay with MCDHB. Retiring MCDHB board member Ann Chapman gave a brief history of events from that time onward. On Thursday 25 July, Kathryn Cook, Chief Executive of MidCentral DHB, and Rachel Haggerty, representing Fionnagh Dougan, Chief Executive of Capital and Coast DHB, met in Ōtaki to formally sign a MoU regarding access to health services for residents of Ōtaki and Te Horo. The event was celebrated by representative of local iwi, the Ōtaki Health and Wellbeing Group

and members from the community board and council. In 2018, a close working partnership between the two DHBs was reaffirmed and it was agreed that the original arrangement, which allows Ōtaki residents to access a range of Capital and Coast services, would continue. The MoU is intended to offer greater visibility of the existing partnership and provide more confidence to people living in the Ōtaki community. A brochure has also been developed to help Ōtaki and Te Horo residents understand the available services, how to get to them, and why some boundary restrictions exist. This brochure will be made available to the community in coming weeks. Ms Cook said: “The Memorandum of Understanding signifies the positive relationship MidCentral DHB has with Capital and Coast DHB. We will now be working even more closely with Capital and Coast to ensure people in Ōtaki and Te Horo have access to the healthcare they need to live healthy lives in a well community.”

Ann Chapman, MidCentral Board member, Rachael Haggerty Capital & Coast, Rudd Ōtaki, Mayor Gurunathan, Kathryn Cook, MidCentral CEO

Barbara

Page: Ōtaki Mail —August 2019

Energise Ōtaki’s Solar Farm....continued from front page Wellington Community Trust’s support for Energise Ōtaki is incredible. Here are some comments: “One of the many appealing aspects of Energise Ōtaki’s proposal for us as a Trust was the return on our investment being reinvested back into the Ōtaki community. The establishment of a local community trust that will redistribute income earned from the solar arrays into projects that address energy hardship and sustainability in the region was innovative and very attractive to us”, Roger Palairet, Chairperson, Wellington Community Trust. “This project just made a whole lot of sense to us at the Wellington Community Trust, the return to the local community both in small grants offered in the future and in terms of CO2 emissions reduction is just a win-win proposition. We’re delighted to be first funders of this innovative and clever project. This is the most significant investment we’ve made into the Ōtaki region since our establishment as a philanthropic trust in 1988”, Georgie Ferrari, CEO, Wellington Community Trust Kāpiti Coast District Council and Ōtaki Community Board have long been supporters of Energise Ōtaki and have helped fund a range of smaller projects. “The concept of Energise Ōtaki began from within the Kāpiti Coast District Council nine years ago and it has been a huge pleasure to see dedicated members of the community take up this broad idea and drive it forward into many practical projects. This new project is immensely exciting, makes a lot of sense and shows again what local communities can do to attack big problems. We are very proud to be a partner in this project.” Mayor K Gurunathan, Kāpiti Coast District Council. This is great for Energise Ōtaki and our community. I recall

What is Energise Ōtaki?

when the group was first established hearing some criticism around its off-grid aspirations. However over the years they have continued to deliver projects that contribute to our community in a sustainable way. I’m pleased to have played a small part in helping them as they strive towards their goal of being a net producer of clean energy, and I thank the members of Energise Ōtaki for their continued efforts. James Cootes Ōtaki Ward Councillor “Ōtaki College has been an active member of Energise Ōtaki for a number of years and has received the benefit of its members working closely with our teachers and students on a range of projects. We already know the benefits of harnessing the sun for investment in school scholarships with the first array at the College. This project expands on that idea and goes out into the wider community. Our town and the environment will benefit from that and we are extremely pleased to contribute and be a partner.” Andy Fraser - Principal Ōtaki College Electra has also taken a strong interest in the initiative. “As an energy supply company we work everyday on managing peak demand and efficiently conveying energy to you while reducing environmental impacts. We see the need to engage with new technologies which empower your future and especially welcome working with an organisation which has expertise in emerging energy technologies, is working to a social wellbeing model and is open to working with us in a collegial fashion. We look forward to working with Energise Ōtaki on the details of the installations and into the future”. Max Feickert, General Manager – Lines Business, Electra

Established in 2010, Energise Ōtaki is a charitable incorporated society, working with community groups to promote awareness of renewable energy and energy saving projects. Working closely with Ōtaki College, Transition Towns, Citizens Advice Bureau and KCDC, Energise Ōtaki has contributed to the town in many ways: • supporting initiatives by KCDC to reduce energy use (e.g. early solar panels at the Civic Centre, LED street-lights) • supporting the XOtaki Foundation Trust to establish a solar array at the College for scholarships • working with local businesses to give energy use advice • establishing and running the Ōtaki Curtain Bank with the Sustainability Trust Wellington for people with community service cards and bad insulation. Energise Ōtaki have provided 614 thermally-efficient curtains in 190 Ōtaki houses. • working to do up bikes for kids and encourage cycling • Ōtaki Kindy - collaborated on energy-generaation project for children • working with the College on energy education projects. Ōtaki College students were assisted in winning the nationwide Evolocity competition, building a battery-powered bike / trolley. • at Ōtaki College, under the government’s Curious Minds initiative, students were encouraged to investigate STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths) • at Ōtaki College, Energise Ōtaki initiated solar heating of their swimming pool. • in 2015 Energise Ōtaki was instrumental in establishing Kāpiti’s first EV charging station at New World. • in 2017 it brought energy commentator Rod Oram to the town to present a challenging analysis of how New Zealand could respond to the threats of climate change • in 2017 Energise Ōtaki developed the horticulture block at Ōtaki College as a local centre of learning, ‘taking the community garden to the people’, teaching inexperienced families how to grow food.

What is the Wellington Community Trust? Since 1988, when the Wellington Community Trust (WCT) was established, it has donated over $38 million to hundreds of community groups and projects throughout the Wellington region. Its funding base came about with the amalgamation of savings banks to form Trust Bank NZ, which in 1996 was sold to Westpac, the proceeds going to 12 Community Trusts, of which the Wellington Community Trust is one. Their current assets exceed $67 million. WCT’s ‘priority populatons’ are: • Children, young people, youth at risk • Isolated elderly • Māori & Pacific • LGBTIQ+ communities • Refugee background / migrant background

• Women and girls • People with disabilities • High deprivation communities (of which Ōtaki is one) WCT divides its grants into three categories: The Participation funding category supports Arts, Culture, Sport and Recreation. (49% last year). The People funding category supports social and community services. (43% last year) The Places funding category supports initiatives that protect and preserve our natural and physical environments. (8% last year) Kāpiti applied for 6.4% of WCT’s grants last year. Disclosure: Lloyd Chapman is secretary of Energise Ōtaki

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Ōtaki Mail —August 2019

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Otaki Scholar Visits BY MARGARET ANDREWS The school holidays gave Otaki Scholar Rohan Mudkavi, an opportunity to meet people and see the sights in Ōtaki and Wellington before visiting New Zealand schools. He spent his first day indoor bowling and mountain biking before the powhiri at Raukawa Marae. It is an Ōtaki tradition to formally welcome the scholar onto the marae, to Ōtaki and to New Zealand. This was followed by a tour of Ōtaki, with College principal Andy Fraser, visiting historic places around our town. Among the dignitaries attending the powhiri were Rupene Waaka chair Nga Hapu o Ōtaki, Mayor K Gurunathan, GWRC Councillor Penny Gaylor, Ōtaki Community Board Chair Christine Papps, Councillor James Cootes, Royal NZ Navy, the Deputy British High Commissioner, representatives from the Durham Association, Merchant Navy, and the Ōtaki RSA. They all joined the formal welcome. “I first heard about the Otaki Scholar trip about a year ago – my first thoughts were; Oh Good I can get away from my parents,” he told the gathering. “Then I looked further into the history of the Otaki Scholar

Otaki Scholar Rohan Mudkavi, centre, with visiting dignitaries and local people following the powhiri at Raukawa Marae

Rohan Mudkavi, 76th Otaki Scholar at the Ōtaki College 100 year commemoration memorial of the sinking of the Merchant Navy ship SS Otaki on March 10 1917.

and the links between Robert Gordon’s College and New Zealand.” The following day he went to Wellington where he visited the National War Memorial, and the Friendship Memorial of United Kingdom, Belgium, France and United States of America, with lunch at the One Red Dog café. Rohan keen on the sciences had an afternoon’s visit to the GNS Science centre, which he found very interesting. A dinner at the Ōtaki RSA completed his day. Next day was an activity day - a ride in an Ōtaki Surf Club IRB “I felt very safe, it was a good experience and I really enjoyed it.” This was followed by a visit to the Palmerston North Laser Park. Lastly was a trip to Kapiti Island for a night among the wildlife with the College head students, Lauren Blakeley and Jack London before he finally ended his visit here and flew down to Otago Boys High School. He will then visit nine more colleges around New Zealand which have historical links to Aberdeen through the Merchant Navy ship SS Otaki and Robert Gordon’s College in. On August 6th, he will return to Wellington to visit Scot’s College, the Durham Asso-

ciation, NZ Parliament and Prime Minister Jacinda Arden with Ōtaki College students, before continuing up the North Island and returning to Aberdeen on August 25. He goes back to Robert Gordon’s College to see this year’s head boy and talk about his trip, before heading to London and Cambridge University where he will study medicine. At home Rohan 17 years has a twin sister, a 10 year old brother and little sister aged six. They are a keen sporting family; dad is from India and a Scottish mum. Dad is a cricket player and the two boys joined him on the cricket pitch. Rohan also plays badminton and was badminton captain over the last school year. His twin sister is more interested in acting and dance. “Thank you to Mr Fraser for organising everything and thank you to the Fleming family where I’m staying and the Heads of School who have showed me the wheels of New Zealand,” he said. Rohan was head boy during their 2018/19 school year and although the 76th Otaki Scholar to visit New Zealand is the 82nd Otaki Scholar. No scholar travelled to New Zealand during World War II.

The Vision of Coastlands - 50 years on BY JENNY GUTRY It started with a vision in 1963 by one man to build a shopping mall in Kapiti, which was at the time, a set of small, sleepy seaside communities. Accountant Ray Spackman, known as ‘Mr Coastlands’, bought the land in 1963 where the mall now sits. After a visit to Australia to investigate their new shopping centres, Ray returned convinced that malls were the way of the future, even though there were none in New Zealand at the time. What followed was a five-year campaign with the support of eight other local visionaries to turn Coastlands Shopping Town into reality. There were many obstacles, not least trying to convince the financial institutions of the time to invest in Paraparaumu. “It’s hard to imagine now how much a leap of faith the whole venture was for what was basically a small group of local businessmen who believed ‘if we build it, they will come’”, said the late Bruce Mansell, who at the time worked for Ray Spackman’s accountancy firm, and succeeded him as Managing Director of Coastlands in 1987. Paraparaumu, at the time, was a town of around 5,000 people and the Coastlands’ site was an overgrown farm covered in pine trees and scrub.

As well as finding investors, the group had to battle local government, (which was then Hutt City Council), to get the sub-division approved. Perseverance and faith in the Kapiti region eventually saw construction getting underway in April 1969. The mall opened on 6 November 1969 with 21 shops and 6180 m2 retail space. Ray Spackman’s faith in the region was deserved. Fast forward fifty years, and Coastlands Mall now has over 100 shops and covers an area of over 49,000m2 retail space. When Coastlands opened, the Kapiti Observer said it was “the day the whole district has been waiting for”. It was a game changer for the Kapiti Coast which has been one of the fastest growing districts in the country since, now with a population of over 53,000. The past fifty years have seen continued growth and development of the mall, and many firsts including being one of the first shopping centres to trade on Saturdays, making Coastlands a mecca for shoppers all over the Wellington region. In 1982, a unique partnership was formed between Coastlands Shopping Town and the Ngahina Trust who each have a 50% stake in the land south of the Wharemauku

Stream. This allowed for further development of Coastlands. Part of Coastland’s arrangement with the trust was that the land would never be sold, and the trust could regard it as their ancestral land forever, which is important to both parties. Buildings on the expanded site, named Ngahina Arcade, include PAK’n SAVE and The Warehouse. The $150 million investment in developments over 50 years, including Tariki House which opened in 2018, has firmly secured Coastlands as the centre of the

Coastlands in its infancy, fifty years ago in 1969

Kapiti Coast. “At the heart of the Coastlands developments is the hope to create a space in the community where people can work, connect, shop and play while enjoying pleasant surroundings. It is something we continue to develop,” says Richard Mansell, Chief Executive, who followed in his father’s footsteps managing Coastlands, after his father’s death in January 2013. Coastlands celebrates its 50th birthday on 6 November 2019.

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Ōtaki Mail —August 2019

Could you feed yourself for two weeks post earthquake? BY FRANK NEILL People having enough to eat could become a major issue in Ōtaki in the event of a crisis such as a major earthquake. This was one of the main issues that emerged at a community forum on food security in our town, run by Transition Town Ōtaki on 17 July. A lot of people came to New World’s New Brighton store wanting food following the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, Ōtaki New World owner Steven Cole told the meeting. “It took us two weeks to get that store up and running,” said Mr Cole, one of the six panelists who addressed the forum. “If you think [having enough food for] three days is enough, you’ve got to be joking. You’ve got to think two weeks,” he said. The first issue we face about food is cost, panel member Andrea Rosser said. “Food is not cheap. “Fizz is cheaper than milk. And when it comes to butter, how come it is so expensive?’ Food sovereignty, she said, was “the right of people to healthy and culturally appropriate food.” Another issue Ms Rosser raised was access to locally grown organic produce. Many people had things like fruit trees, for example lemons, which produced more fruit than the people could eat. “It would be awesome if we had a way of sharing things more easily.” That included sharing seeds, she said. She said she would also like to see more initiatives like local markets and food sharing apps. Ōtaki people growing all natural, all organic food was promoted by panel member Barb Rudd. She talked about her youth, where people grew “lines of onions, and sacks of potatoes and kumara. “We have a collective responsibility to continue that. The way we were then – we can bring that back,” she said. Food security for the medical centre relates to nutrition, said panellist Kiwa Raureti, CEO of the Ōtaki Medical Centre. Issues that arise from poor nutrition include obesity and diabetes. The medical centre aims to make sure that the people who need it get help with their issues, and that they get the nutritious food that meets their food preferences. Ōtaki people “have a lot of choices for poor food. Is it the right thing for a community our size to have so many rubbish food outlets in town?” he asked. “Our first priority is to make sure our community is fed,” said panellist and Ōtaki Foodbank Manager Lucy Tahere. The foodbank was established in 1999 following the loss of a lot of jobs in Ōtaki. Currently, the foodbank has 167 clients registered. Last year it had 171 clients, but

a lot of people have moved out of town because rents were too expensive. In the last few years, a lot of clients have been solo dads, and a lot of clients were on the minimum wage. “I would call them the working poor,” she said. Panellist and Ōtaki Ward Councillor James Cootes congratulated Lucy Tahere on the length of time the foodback has served the people of Ōtaki. “Twenty years – that’s fantastic,” he said. While the Kāpiti Coast District Council had no official position on food security and sovereignty, it did a number of things to promote it. Two of these were retaining land for primary productivity, and allowing community gardens on council-owned land. “I was really thrilled with the forum,” the facilitator Jamie Bull told the Ōtaki Mail. “This was the first forum of what could be quite a long series on food,” she said. It followed on from the waste forum that Transition Town Ōtaki ran last year, which resulted in the establishment of Zero Waste Ōtaki. The forum filled the Ōtaki College staffroom and those attending gave kohas

The facilitator of the forum on “food security in our town” Jamie Bull addressing the meeting

for the foodbank. This resulted in four boxes of food, a big bag of flour and just under $100 cash being donated.

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The panel discussing “food security in our town” Barb Rudd, Andrea Rosser, Lucy Tahere, Kiwa Raureti, Steven Cole and James Cootes.

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Ōtaki Mail —August 2019

BY MARGARET ANDREWS At the start of the July Ōtaki Community Board meeting, chair Christine Papps congratulated the Ōtaki Skills Sharing Group on winning the ‘Health and Wellbeing’ section at the Kapiti Civic Awards. They were also the Supreme winners on the night. The Ōtaki Promotions group won the ‘Arts and Culture’ section and the ‘Rising Star’ section went to the Maoriland Charitable Trust for M.A.T.C.H. Maoriland Tech Creative Hub. Congratulations to all. Also discussed were updates on two important issues for the community: the Peka Peka to Ōtaki Expressway and MidCentral District Health Board’s Ōtaki Health and Wellbeing Plan. PP2O Expressway Update: Helen Pickering reported work on the expressway has reached the halfway point. Steve Finlay reported on the koiwi find, 15 sets of remains of both child and adult. They have been carefully removed and reburied. The sand hill at Marycrest has been removed “it’s better working in sand over winter than summer – you don’t have to pour water over it all the time,” Mr Finlay said. The Rahui Road overbridge is taking shape, the longest span - 55 metre metal span is in place and the second shorter span is due to slot into the first span. The old State Highway 1 overbridge has gone and the resiting of the railway line has been completed. Care for the environment during the work has been successful with 6,500 native fish – (1933 different varieties) relocated from the construction zone since work began. New pathways have been created in some areas. Residents from the Plateau area have voiced concerns re traffic exiting Te Manuao Road - right turning traffic onto the highway can be held up for some time. There has been a request for no parking lanes to be painted both sides of the street, opposite the Baptist Church to allow better traffic movement. Councillor James Cootes said council had thought this would happen. “A merge lane was suggested but not accepted.” Mr Finlay reported Fletchers had men monitoring the intersection for a week before they made the decision not to install a merge lane, but he would take the concerns back to the works.

Page: Locality Plan MidCentral District Health Board: This was presented by Angela Rainham. From a community consultation in 2017 the Ōtaki Health and Wellbeing Plan was developed. Low cost fees for adults and fees free for children under 13 were introduced at the Ōtaki Medical Centre. She reported back on the public forum held in May, attended by 40 people. Some concerns raised there were access to health care, cross boundary issues and access to Wellington services, transport to hospital appointments. Ms Rainham reported on the 17 actions within the plan, the number competed, under action and some yet to start. Highlights included the medical telephone triage system with the doctors, online repeat prescription renewal and a nurse practitioner onsite. Ongoing work is underway to reduce impact of cross boundary issues. A Memorandum of Understanding with Capital & Coast DHB was scheduled to be signed on Thursday July 25. Mental Health and Addiction: Work was proceeding well on getting a ‘single point of contact’ working better and more support for families. Work around foetal alcohol syndrome initiatives continues and a suicide prevention local response team has been established. In 2018, trainees completed Mental Health 101 Workshop in local suicide prevention training with another Suicide Prevention worker due to commence on October 31. Better Communication and Connection: Improving communication and the need to consider locality and circumstances was discussed. Raising awareness of what is available in Ōtaki and how to access and more regular sharing of information through different channels. The Ōtaki Health and Wellbeing Group is now formed and information from the group is used in current planning for future services. Healthy Living: wider determinants of healthy housing is an issue. Active Teens and Active Family programmes give people and whanau confidence and skills needed for healthy lifestyles was highlighted as a success. Strength and balance classes have begun and are going well. Cross Boundary issues: (See page 7) Only specific needs will transfer direct to Wellington, Lower Hutt or MidCentral not emergencies Councillor Cootes said he was pleased to see lots of points had been noted and are being worked through.

Public Speaking

Community Grants:

Taki Toi, an immersion afterschool programme for children and parents was approved $500 to assist with costs. Te Atawhai Kumar spoke to the application.

Miller said they were a registered charity and provided weekly support clinics in Raumati and provided supervised court ordered contact for fathers and children. Cr Cootes asked if there was a possibility or opportunity to have an Ōtaki group. Parekura Finlay was granted $500 towards expenses to attend the National Shakespeare Drama Workshop. Ōtaki College teacher Jess Torley spoke to the application.

Sporting Grants:

Te Atawhai Kumar, Taki Toi grant, displays child’s workbook.

Ōtaki Community Expo: was granted $480 to assist with costs of organising the 7th Ōtaki Community Expo, giving Ōtaki community and sports groups the opportunity show what they do and where to contact. ŌPG‘s Carol Ward spoke to the application.

Carol Ward: Ōtaki Community Expo grant

Kidz Need Dadz: was granted $500 towards costs of third Father’s Day Funday at the Kapiti Bowling Centre for kids and noncustodial dads. Speaker Stuart

Kiri Winiata-Enoka was granted $500 to assist with costs to attend Under 16 softball tournament in USA with the Capital Diamond Sports Academy. She has a possibility to earn a scholarship to a school there. Her mother Helana spoke to the application as Kiri was at work though she joined the meeting in time to hear the results. Tahu Portini-Tirikatini: was granted $500 to assist with costs to attend the Waka Ama Trans-Tasman Championships in Australia. His mother Maia Whiterod spoke to the application. The Golden Coast Senior Golf - Ōtaki: was granted $500 towards printing costs to host the weeklong 35th Golden Coast Senior Golf Tournament. The 2018 tournament had 62 entries from around NZ. Club member Lorraine McLeavey spoke to the application.

Members Activities:

All members have attended various council and community meetings and events over June and July. Ms Papps also attended the Ōtaki RSA 100 year exhibition opening at the Ōtaki Heritage Museum and laid a wreath at the Memorial Cenotaph and attended the powhiri to welcome Rohan MudKavi the 76th Ōtaki Scholar. Councillor Cootes noted several concerns about storm surges at the beach access at the beach end of Rangiuru Road. Vehicle access and issues with vehicles on the beach causing problems for pedestrian safety and environmental damage. Shelly Warwick noted the sustainable gardens outside the Ōtaki Library are progressing, thanks to KCDC staff. Marilyn Stevens and Kerry Bevan have both attended various meetings and events. Matters Under Action: The Tasman Road footpath upgrade is progressing. The Haruatai tennis courts reseal is underway. The free Main Street Wifi installation is underway. The meeting closed at 9.03pm.

Ōtaki artist has a dream of a lantern parade on a grand scale Ōtaki artist Yvonne de Mille would one day love to see a lantern parade in her adopted town on the scale of the one she saw in the streets of the Cornish town of Truro. “I was living in Truro in 2005-06 and they had this fantastic mid-winter, low tech, lantern parade,” she said. “They had the most incredible lanterns all made from willow and paper. Some of them took six people to carry - it was just people walking with lanterns or playing musical instruments or drums.” When she moved to Ōtaki, the town was looking for promotional ideas. So she suggested a lantern parade and along with another of her ideas, a kite festival. Both events have flourished, and while it’s been the Kite Festival that has achieved the highest profile, she hasn’t given up on the Lantern Parade ambition. In the meantime, her lanterns are becoming a regular component of Mahara Gallery’s Matariki programmes. This year, she has run two workshops in the Gallery during late June and early July for people interested in learning the craft. Mahara Gallery Director Janet Bayly is

delighted that Yvonne agreed to run the workshops at the Gallery as part of the 2019 Matariki celebration. “Yvonne’s lanterns and kites have become a popular part of Matariki celebrations in the Gallery,” she says. “It’s great that she has been able to be a key figure in our programme and artist in residence this year.” Yvonne says she’s delighted to have the opportunity to run the workshops. “They bring people and children in who might otherwise not visit an art gallery – so it’s introducing them to a broader view of the world,” she says. Yvonne, who came originally from a Hampshire village in the United Kingdom, says there hasn’t been as much of a lantern -making tradition in New Zealand as in many northern hemisphere countries. “But now that Matariki is more of a celebration and coincides with winter and the solstice, lanterns are a perfect addition to the celebratory motifs,” she says. “I like to think of it as bringing light into the darkness and a celebration of the days growing longer again.” She sees the satisfaction of lantern-making

being in the simple construction that allows for different creative interpretations. “People are always so joyful when they see what they have made,” she says.

“Lanterns also go hand in hand with being outdoors in the dark and sitting around an open fire spending time with friends and family.”

Working on lanterns during one of Yvonne de Mille’s Mahara Gallery workshops are from left Piper Caldwell, Harriet Bright, Sophie Cudby and Yvonne de Mille.

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Ōtaki Mail —August 2019

Janine at the RSA – been there yet? BY ANN CHAPMAN As if she’s not busy enough running her state highway café Riverstone, seven days a week, Janine has taken on another new challenge. Since February she and her team have been running the café at the RSA providing dinner three evenings a week. And that’s not all she does, she responds to requests to cater for funerals, celebrations, race days and other events. She can’t say no, she says. She provides a service and that’s what she loves to do. The RSA is rejuvenating itself. Gone are the days when returned servicemen and women would prop up the bar and have a yarn with their mates. The RSA is now open for business to anyone who cares to join. But even then, if you’re not a member you can still rock up to the restaurant on Tuesdays for a roast, and Fridays and Saturday if you want a meal, but you won’t be able to order a drink.

But it’s easy and inexpensive to join. And who cooks roasts these days? Good nourishing family style meals with no work required, is what you’ll get in abundance at the RSA. ‘The vibe now is amazing,’ Janine says. ‘We provide over 70 meals on Tuesdays for the roast. The RSA is becoming the community hub in Ōtaki.’ The RSA has now so much more to offer than the days past. Many community groups use it for meetings and events. They are planning for future growth with the money they have received which will renovate and liven the rooms up. Young and old have a place here as to men and women. They will be creating a space where women can feel safe and welcome when they want a night out. The new all-encompassing new RSA. Come try it out. The vibe may surprise you.

Mayor Supports Ōtaki Rail BY K GURUNATHAN Last month I made an OIA request to Treasury for a copy of the business case that GWRC had put to them on their proposed $330m investment to buy 17 EDMUs to improve rail links on their Wellington to Wairarapa line and the Capital Connection’s Wellington to Palmerston North line. Their smart proposal included securing two EDMUs to replace the current end-of-life Capital Connection train. Instead of the present single return trip there would be two in the morning and two in the evening. The EDMUs are capable of using the last electrified lines and, past Waikanae, they can switch to their internal diesel engines. I think these EDMUs are the cost-effective medium term answer to Ōtaki ‘s lack of public transport access south to Waikanae, Paraparumu and Wellington. And also north to Levin and Palmerston North where we Ōtaki residents access much of our medical and social services. The reason I want access to the business case is to test the idea that, in between the two morning and two evening trips to and

from Wellington these EDMUs could be shuttled on extra trips between Waikanae, Ōtaki and Levin. Also, in a more recent development Horowhenua has expressed a desire for it to be part of the government’s massive transport investment into the Wellington Region. This would increase the cost/benefit ratio of the service. Something the business case to Treasury is unlikely to have considered. This improved GWRC solution will further reduce the number of private vehicles pouring into the already constricted roading access into Wellington through Ngauranga Gorge and the Terrace Tunnel. Last point, GWRC’s 2018 - 2028 Long Term Plan sees the units operational between the fourth and tenth years of the LTP. While there are reasons for this, I think that’s too long for Ōtaki to wait. We need the service to start earlier. GWRC has done well with this option. I think we can do better and sooner by supporting GWRC’s smart solution and politically pushing central government to commit more comprehensive funds and do this earlier.

Trinity Farm changes hands

Tuku Iho: Exhibition at the Library Ngā Wawata Art Space, Ōtaki Library Throughout August Tuku Iho is a display of personal objects that help keep family histories and memories alive. The items and objects have either been handed down from one generation to the next, or kept to remind their owners of places and people special to them. Each individual who has loaned an item has also shared a story about its significance to them. With more than 20 contributions from librarians, local genealogists and members of the Ōtaki community, the exhibition includes personal objects such as family heirlooms brought to New Zealand, fur-

niture, carvings, religious items, clothing, jewellery, photographs, and even a sketch from a German Prisoner of War camp. Many of the objects were once commonplace and used by families in their everyday life. Others were left in untouched in china cabinets or the back of wardrobes. The common denominator though is their emotional importance, and their ability to reach out across time to connect their owners to their past. This exhibition celebrates Family History Month and is the result of collaboration between Kāpiti Coast District Libraries and the Ōtaki branch of the New Zealand Society of Genealogists.

To say Trinity Farm caught Peter and Jenny-Kaye by surprise is a bit of an understatement. They were on their way to view a hundred hectares with a much wilder landscape, but a peek through the shelterbelt at the old pear orchard and the rose garden was enough to hook them. With Jenny-Kaye’s background in horticulture, community development and Permaculture teaching, and Peter having been an organic market gardener, the property seemed ideal for them to flex their green fingers. The pair met in the late eighties through their mutual interest in organics. They then joined forces to research and write the New Zealand Green Guide. Since then they have been promoting sustainable pathways in a range of ways. Trinity Farm, with its heritage plantings, workshop venue and history of organic growing will hopefully be an ideal base

where they can bring together their passions for organics, permaculture, natural building, renewable energy and sharing knowledge. They are joined on the property by their daughter, Kaylie, who is keen to put her Environmental Studies and Education degree to practical use. In terms of the future Jenny-Kaye says, “The nursery and open days will continue much as before we expect. We hope to announce a range of workshops once we have made progress with replanting and restoring the old orchard and re-wilding the stream. Meanwhile we are loving the range of colours and scents of the roses even during this wet and wintery period, and slowly discovering the many other surprises in this beautiful property. We are really enjoying settling in to this wonderful corner of New Zealand and look forward to sharing it with visitors and workshop attendees.”

National Poetry Day Friday 30th August A Gathering for Lovers of Poetry On National Poetry Day, the Ōtaki Library will again host a gathering of poets and poetry lovers. Tea, Coffee and Biscuits will be provided from 3.30pm on Friday 30 August

following by poetry reading from members of our community. Bring your own poems, or a poem you love and share it with others. This is the second event the library has hosted following last year’s very successful gathering.

Kaylie, Peter and Jenny-Kaye, finding out about organics in Waitohu Valley Road

Ōtaki Mail —August 2019

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What's ON • Ōtaki Community Expo 7th September 10am - 2pm at Memorial Hall. A great opportunity to find out what happens in our community. To book a stall, please contact Carol at otakicommunityexpo@gmail.com or ph 3647732 • Curious Cook Cheese Making Courses Feta and Mozzarella August 25th $120 per person 9am – 1.30 pm Halloumi and Ricotta September 8th $100 per person 9am – 12 pm Alexis Murti, 022 040 8046. lexis@curiouscook.co.nz. • Te Horo-Ōtaki Ukulele group, te Horo Hall. First and third Friday 10:3012 noon. From beginners to experienced, all welcome. ph. 364 3335. deeandtim@ gmail.com • Ōtaki Museum RSA exhibition Opens July 1 Thurs – Sat 10am – 2pm • Purebread Ōtaki Winter Music Festival ‘Rock the Gardens’.Free community family event. Sat 17th August 11am to 3.00pm. Memorial Gardens, Ōtaki Township in the park next to the Civic Theatre. A celebration of live local music. Weather contingent: Wet weather venue is ‘The Tele’ • Friends of the Kapiti Libraries Creative Writing Competition. Write an original story or memoir inspired by a favourite or treasured object in your life. Email mikejanetsecker@outlook.com for entry forms and details. • Viniyoga with Elise Tues mornings 11 a.m to 12 noon Ngā Purapura, elisyoganz@gmail.com • • Otaki Toy Library is looking for people who want to be part of a Te Reo Language week family fun day at the Memorial Hall on the 14th of September. • Foodbank AGM 7pm 21st August at the Foodbank, Main street

• Regular Events

• Ōtaki Women‘s Community Club market. SH1 every Sunday 9am – 3pm • Waitohu Dune Care Group Mondays, north Otaki Beach 9-11 • The Hope Cafe 19 Aotaki St Thurs 3-5 Creative workshops for the nonarty • Te Horo Market Te Horo Hall first Sunday of the month. 10am – 12.30

Winter Music Festival The public is invited to attend the free family Ōtaki community event ‘Rock the Gardens’, part of the Purebread Kapiti Winter Music Festival 2019, a local celebration of live music. The event will be held at the Memorial Gardens, Ōtaki Township (next to the Civic Theatre) on Saturday 17th August from 11am to 3.00pm. The event is on regardless of the weather, if inclement the performers will present their programme at ‘The Tele’ Ōtaki. To open the day this year, Wellington\Kapiti Band ‘Bush Faced Munkeyz’ will entertain. An originals and covers 4 piece band with a “mellow rocky mix” will perform from 11:00am to noon. At noon the ever-popular amalgamation group “Jah Boyz’ hailing from the musicians of Under the Sun and Tomorrow People will perform. This ensemble will take the stage and delight the crowd with their unique style of popular soulful reggae, funk, and New Zealand music. Featuring lead vocalist Snow Chase, and locally famous Keyboardist (multi-instrumentalist) ‘Digi Aotearoa \ D Maori Maestro (Antz). This local group has acquired a huge following on ‘The Coast and Nationally’. Ideal to listen to as the public enjoy their picnic lunch in the Park. Jah Boyz will also be hosting an evening. From 1pm to 2pm will be Kapiti Band ‘Rockface’. Performing as a three piece band. Reuniting from decades of performances locally and nationally for this Winter Ōtaki Music Festival. These ‘old buggers’ will show the crowd how traditional rock music was made ‘back in the day’. Tim L Brown’s Trio ‘The Caramellow’s Unplugged’ will be the final performance for this day event from 2pm until 3pm. This trio comprises quality professional musicians, which has gained a huge following both locally and across the extended districts. Known for their expertise in Rock and Blues, we are excited to

feature this performance. The after party to be held at ‘The Tele’ Ōtaki. Bush Faced Munkeyz and Jah Boyz will be returning to our indoor stage with their high energy sets. Live music starts at 9pm and will continue until close. Duane our friendly publican from ‘The Tele’ is delighted to be hosting this event and is looking forward to a great local Ōtaki festival of music. The entry to this after party is $10. 18+ entry only. Purebread Ōtaki Winter Music Festival 2019 organiser Chris Craddock stated the event is indebted to the One Foundation for funding. Without their generous financial support, this free community event would not occur. He added” What better way to spend an afternoon enjoying local and national musical talent in the perfect surroundings of Memorial Gardens listening to a selection of outstanding music performed by the District`s best musicians. Bring a picnic basket and blanket, come early, and enjoy 4 hours of live Rock, Blues, Soul, Reggae, and Funk. The event is on wet or fine. Wet weather venue is the ‘The Tele’ Main Street Ōtaki Township during the same performance hours of 11am to 3.00pm Saturday 17th August.

Watch out for The Caramellows

Civic and Community Awards showcases Kāpiti Coast volunteers Ōtaki picked up a bunch of awards at the recent annual ceremony. Volunteer groups and individuals gathered in the Council Chambers last week for the annual Kāpiti Coast Civic and Community Awards. Kāpiti Coast District Mayor K Gurunathan says the awards recognise and celebrate the people who make Kāpiti a great place to live. “All year round these people work tirelessly to elevate, support and throw their arms around their communities through volunteerism on so many different levels and in so many different ways. We are very fortunate to have so many incredible people in our community. “It’s an honour to host these awards on behalf of the Kāpiti Coast Community, Wellington Airport and Wellington Community Trust.” Mayor K Gurunathan presented the Civic Awards. Six groups received a Wellington Airport Regional Community Award and six more groups were acknowledged as highly commended. The Civic Awards recognise those who have contributed to the community through hard work or who have exceptional achievements as individuals in their chosen field. Sue Lusk, Peter Handford, Angelo Robinson, and Rosanne Litchford received this year’s Civic Awards. Joanne Dacombe and Fernando Figueroa were recipients of the Mayoral Awards. The Wellington Airport Regional Community Awards focus on volunteer groups in the categories of Heritage & Environment, Health & Wellbeing, Arts & Culture, Sports & Leisure, Education & Child/Youth Development, and Rising Star. Winners and those highly commended in these awards were:

Heritage & Environment Winner: Waikanae Estuary Care Group Highly commended: Kapiti Coast Museum Health & Wellbeing Winner: Ōtaki Skill Sharing Group Highly commended: Kapiti Community Foodbank Inc.

Sports & Leisure Winner: Hoop Club Kapiti Highly commended: Kapiti Boxing Club Education & Child/Youth Development Winner: Paekakariki Potty Potters Highly commended: The Independence Collective

Ōtaki winners at Kāpiti Coast Civic and Community Awards.

Arts & Culture Winner: Ōtaki Promotions Group Highly commended: Kapiti Senior Singers Rising Star Winner: Māoriland Charitable Trust for M.A.T.C.H. Māoriland Tech Creative Hub Highly commended: Waikanae Scout Group

photo credit: KCDC

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Ōtaki Mail —August 2019

Gardening with We’re now in supply of a large and diverse range of new season deciduous trees. Fruit Trees Enjoy many delicious varieties including Malus, Apricot, Nectarine, Quince, Pear, Apple, Walnut, Cherry, Peach, Plums and more!

Specimen Trees Wander through our Specimen Hebe spp. Totara Blue trees and you’ll find Fagus, Has a long flowering Magnolia, Acer, Prunus, Cornus, season into Spring Cercis, Albizia, Quercus, Aesculus, with lilac-blue blooms Hamamelis, Forsythia and more! to perk up the dullest

Winter corner. H 1m. 9 other Hebe’s available.

Citrus Trees Citrus - revitalising, refreshing and aWine’ gastronomic delight! Michelia figo ‘ Port Browse through varieties of A versatile shrub with fragrant Lime, Grapefruit, white blushed withLemon, burgundy Mandarin and Orange. blooms from Spring. A great Gift Vouchers, giftware, garden and pest products & pots are stand-alone shrub or as hedging. available year round. Monday .- Saturday 9am - 5pm closed Sundays. H 3m. 17 Bell Street Ōtaki (06) 364 8758 www.watsonsgarden.co.nz

Nandina domestica spp. A IS FOR APPLES & APRICOTS 3 varieties including ‘ Firepower’ and ‘ Pygmaea’ (both pictured) andCOLUMNAR ‘ Gulf Stream’. H up to 1m. APPLES

Perfect where space is limited. Garden edges or Ōtaki for pots. 17 Bell Street (06) 364 8758 3mts high x 30cm wide. www.watsonsgarden.co.nz 4 varieties available. Crimson Spire, Bolero, Maypole.

Gift Vouchers, giftware, garden and pest products & pots are available year round. Monday - Saturday 9am - 5pm closed Sundays.

4 varieties available. Garden Annie, Katykot, Trevatt and Sundrop. All well suited to our warmer climate and don’t require low chilling temperatures.

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Flower garden

Garden tasks for August

Continue planting new roses in rich, well-drained soil, with plenty of compost, and finish pruning existing plants in time for spring growth. Prune early flowering shrubs, such as sasanqua camellias, as soon as they have finished flowering. Jackmanii-type clematis, which flowers on new wood, can also be pruned later in the month (late winter/early spring), before the plant comes out of dormancy. Plant new perennials, and lift and divide clumps of existing plants. Keep your bulb garden free of weeds, and top-dress anemone and ranuculus beds with well-decayed manure. Keep planting gladioli, dahlia and begonia tubers for summer flowering. Sow seeds of alyssum, viola, pansy, Californian poppy, carnation, marigold, petunia, dianthus, cosmos, phlox, viscaria, verbena, nemesia, salvia, celosia, zinnia, sunflower, honesty, snapdragon and gypsophila. Plant out seedlings of hollyhock, carnations, pansies, viola, polyanthus, cineraria, stock, poppy, cornflower, delphinium and all herbaceous plants.

Fruit and vegetable garden

Continue planting autumn-sown onions, and also seedlings of cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce, broccoli, silverbeet and spinach. Sow seeds in trays ready for transplanting later – cabbage, celery, spring onion, silverbeet, spinach and lettuce. Sow or plant new asparagus into prepared beds.

Plant out main crop of Jerusalem artichokes and also seed potatoes (or purchase for sprouting). Fertilise rhubarb beds with any animal manure available – use blood and bone at 150g per plant. Lift and divide existing clumps. Prune autumn-fruiting raspberries. Plant new citrus, and transplant and fertilise existing trees – there’s still time to plant deciduous fruit trees. Plant new strawberries, and feed liberally. Keep existing strawberries clean by hoeing – don’t go too close to the plants – and give a dressing of blood and bone. Leaf curl affects peaches and nectarines in particular, and is best dealt with by a copper spray. The best time to apply this is as buds swell on peach and nectarine trees, and as blossom is about to unfold on apricots. A clean-up spray in autumn when leaves fall is also a good idea. Continue to lift and divide perennial herbs, such as chives and tarragon.

Lawns

If patches of lawn need renewing, but wear and tear from children and pets, and birds stealing seeds makes re-sowing a problem, you could try growing your patches in seed trays. When the grasses have grown enough to hold the potting mix intact, roll out your patch and plant it. You’ll need to water well twice a week in dry weather until roots have grown deep into the soil.

Second thoughts

Tidy up and prepare garden beds for spring planting, and plant up your favourite new season’s flowering annuals in containers.

Focus on growing the loquat Loquats are attractive evergreen shrubs or small trees, with large, leathery leaves and small, white, sweetly -fragrant flowers in autumn or early winter. Indigenous to south-eastern China, the plant produces clusters of small, oval, rounded or pear-shaped yellow to orange fruit in November and December. They’re great eaten fresh off the tree, or mixed in a fruit salad with banana, pineapple and coconut, the succulent, tangy flesh is white, yellow or orange, and sweet to acid depending on your variety. One of the few sub-tropical fruit species within the rosaceae family, the fruit is high in vitamin A and has good levels of potassium. The high levels of pectin make loquats great for jam, and they also produce a fine-tasting wine. Loquats are very hardy, and fairly wind and salt tolerant – they’re happy growing in a coastal spot. Extreme summer heat is detrimental (tip burn of the leaves frequently appears during a hot, dry summer as a result of soil and water salinity) but the plant grows well in sun or partial shade. Plant your loquat in a well-drained, fertile soil with access to water during the growing period. They’re not too fussy about soil but prefer good drainage, although the plant can handle periods of moderately wet soils or drought. Loquats are only moderately nutrient hungry – overfeeding will cause fewer flowers. Once your plant is established a yearly, late summer general fertiliser is adequate. Judicious pruning can be done after harvest, before summer growth. Remove crossing branches and thin dense growth to let light into the centre of the tree – they also respond well to more severe pruning.

There are few pests that bother loquats, although birds will sometimes peck at ripe fruit. Great in a container for smaller gardens, or as a specimen tree in larger plots, the round-headed trees can be used to shade a patio, and also make attractive espaliers. Varieties include ‘Kaitaia Gold,’ and ‘Thomas Pride,’ compact trees that grow to a height of 6-9m, and ‘Mogi,’ which grows to 5-6m. All produce fruit with firm flesh and a good balance between acid and sweetness – the flavour is apricot mixed with plum. These loquats take three to four years to fruit, and harvesting should be done in spring, November to December, for ‘Kaitaia Gold’ and ‘Mogi,’ and October through to December for ‘Thomas Pride’. Pick fruit when it has changed colour to a distinctive, deep, golden yellow to ensure maximum taste and sweetness.

Ōtaki Mail —August 2019

the Ōtaki Mail Scented pelargoniums

There’s much to love about the scented Pelargonium species (sometimes known as scented pelargoniums). Their strongly perfumed (yet pleasant) leaves rate high on the love list – the foliage’s distinctive aromas are thought to have evolved as a deterrent to hordes of browsing wildlife in their main homeland, South Africa. The fragrance, which varies from one species to another, comes from a mixture of volatile oils with as many 200 components. Unable to define the range of these oils, gardeners have long called the plants by the scent they remind us of (Pelargonium tomentosum is known as peppermint geranium because its leaves have a strong peppermint scent, especially when crushed). Other species are known for their almond, apple, lemon, nutmeg, coconut, rose and spicy scents. Added to these are the different aromas of the many different cultivars and hybrids produced since scented Pelargonium species were introduced to Europe in the 17th century. My favourites are those with rose or lemon scented foliage (lovely planted near an outside seating area). Scented pelargoniums love sun and suit dry, free-draining soil so are great for coastal planting and for under sunny eaves. Tough as old boots, they will thrive as long as they get sun for half the day in summer. They also like the reflected heat and shelter if planted against a wall or fence. If your garden is frost-prone, grow them under trees for shelter (they’re quite happy in dappled shade). If in the open, frost will burn off the top foliage in winter but you can trim this off in spring, once frosts are past. Plants prefer soil that is reasonably fertile and not too acidic (dig in some compost when planting). The small-leaved varieties grow well in pots (remember to regularly feed and water), and all types can be propagated easily from tip cuttings (best taken in autumn but they can be rooted at any time of year). They will grow from seed but may not always come true to form. Scented pelargoniums can be rather thuggish, so bear that in mind when selecting your planting position. However with four different types there’s sure to be one to suit your gardening needs. The low, ground-covering group has small, rounded leaves and contains the smallest varieties, including nutmeg and apple. These have tiny, white flowers, while another one, coconut, has bright, pink flowers. Upright, small-leafed types have similar leaves but taller, compact growth up to 50cm – 1m high, and include ‘Lady Scarborough’ (lime) and ‘Lady Plymouth’ (ginger). The vigorous, large, sprawling varieties such as peppermint and oak-leaf can grow up to 1m high and 2m wide, and the more upright plants, including the pretty, intensely lemon-smelling ‘Mabel Grey,’ can also grow to 2m wide in ideal conditions. The scent of scented pelargoniums can also vary in different types of soil, and at different times of the day (what you smelt with that breakfast cuppa could be quite different to the scent over your evening wine).

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BY VIVIENNE BAILEY viv.bailey@xtra.co.nz

Sweet wild and alpine strawberries Bigger doesn’t always mean better when it relates to strawberries. The large, lush hybrids (often disappointingly watery or sour) we buy at the supermarket have smaller but much sweeter relatives. Before the unplanned crossing of two American strawberry species (resulting in our modern strawberry), Europeans feasted on the fruits of the small, intensely sweet and fragrant wild European woodland strawberry, F.vesca, and its variation, the alpine strawberry, F. vesca var. semperflorens. Another more-musky flavoured, small European species was also eaten. These types of strawberry are seen in Renaissance paintings, tapestries and book illustrations, but it’s the wild and alpine strawberries that deserve a place in today’s gardens. The wild strawberry produces runners that will quickly colonise an area with new roots growing where leaf junctions touch the soil. Many of the 100 or so types have been collected and cultivated in the domestic garden. The alpine strawberry doesn’t set runners but increases at the base to form a neat clump. They have a reputation for being difficult to cultivate from seed and although I haven’t deliberately tried to grow them from seed, I’ve found they self-seed readily, happily appearing in different places around the garden. Both this and the wild strawberry grow to about 20cm in height and their flowers are small, white and yellow-centred. These can be as few as three or as many as 10 on a stem, and they are followed by the small fruit. In New Zealand, alpine varieties come in two fruit colours – yellow and red (the yellow often described as white). The fruit of both are very sweet and delicious with an intense flavour. The white ones tend to be larger than the red ones and have a hint of pineapple taste, hence their name ‘White Pineapple’ (and have the added novelty of their colour). Somehow strawberries are supposed to be red so the intensity of the strawberry flavour is a surprise the first time they’re eaten. Like all strawberries they are hungry feeders and benefit from compost or well-aged manure. They also prefer a moist and fertile soil (being woodland plants). They don’t tolerate drought well so need a moisture-retentive but free-draining soil to produce well. The wild strawberry drapes attractively in baskets and containers, the alpine strawberry with its attractive, rounded shape and absence of runners makes it a good choice for the front of a border, as a low edging plant, along paths or in a forest garden situation but they can easily be grown in large pots or planter boxes.

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Ōtaki Mail —August 2019

Final Friends Soggy Planting BY MARGARET ANDREWS Along with Bram Chrysell and Brigette Duncan from Tall Poppies, 60 or so eager planters braved a wet soggy morning for the final tree planting of the season. Planting on a site just before the arboretum, 1000 native trees, shrubs and grasses were bedded into the pre-dug holes, tamped down firmly and staked. Some holes were unusable after heavy rain overnight, but a bit of sun, a rainbow arching across the river to the hills, hot sausages and a cuppa to follow made for a good mornings work. FOTOR chair, Max Lutz thanked the Ōtaki team for their interest and sponsorship of the morning’s planting, noting Brigitte’s mother, son and daughter had joined the team for the planting.

“This is the first official planting with an Ōtaki real estate firm,” he said as he acknowledged their participation. “Six months ago this area was covered in weed and stones, but cleared and topsoil brought in and now planted, it’s another successful project finished.” Max also acknowledged Graham Winterburn and the team at the GWRC Ōtaki Flood Protection depot for their assistance in machine-digging the holes ready for planting. The depot’s team were also adding their own planting efforts with another 1000 native plants to go in. “This is a great community event,” Ms Duncan said. “Ōtaki is a very community minded, this is (us) giving back to the community. Tall Poppy Ōtaki is very community aware.”

The volunteers busy planting out the last 100 natives for this planting season, working nest the arboretum

Peter Jensen busy at the barbecue morning tea for the 60 plus workers

Bram Chrysell and Brigitte Duncan, sponsors of the Ōtaki Tall Poppy planting day

RSA Exhibition at the museum BY MARGARET ANDREWS In 1919 some returned soldiers got together and decided they needed an organisation to look after the needs of returned servicemen. And so on July 4 1919 the Ōtaki Returned Service’s Association held it inaugural meeting. This July they celebrated 100 years of the RSA in Ōtaki with the opening of their centennial exhibition at the Ōtaki Museum. A week of events included a social night, dinner and service and wreathe laying at the War Memorial Cenotaph on the Sunday. At the museum exhibition opening Judith Miller, chair of the Ōtaki Museum Trust, spoke of the collaboration with Ōtaki College media-video students to create an interactive digital display which screens in the former bank manager’s office. She also thanked Rex Kerr for his research

and organising the photo display. Among the exhibits is a display of memorabilia of Reverend Pat Gourdie including his pay books, the New Zealand flag he used to cover caskets with during burials along with his kitbox – a converted German ammunition box. There are several family heirlooms and photographs among the exhibits. RSA president, Mike Fogarty, thanked the museum trust for putting together the exhibition and allowing the RSA to use the facility. He was impressed with the video produced by the Ōtaki College students who had also videoed many of the returned services people, and acknowledged Mr Kerr for his research. The exhibition is open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10am-2pm. It will run for several weeks.

Can you name these gentlemen, at a recent Anzac Day? The Museum would love to know.

Family treasures from Padre Pat Gourdie’s World War 11 days – his kit box – a converted German ammunition box and the flag he used to drape the caskets during burials.

Ōtaki RSA president, Mike Fogarty and Kapiti Mayor K Gurunathan following the opening of the Ōtaki RSA 100 years museum exhibition.

Ōtaki Mail —August 2019

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ABC – Author’s Book Corner Creative writing at Ruth Pretty’s BY ANN CHAPMAN On a cold winter’s morning I went to meet Mandy Hager at Ruth Pretty’s for coffee and a chat. Mandy is running a Creative Writing course at Springfield this month and next, and I wanted to find out about it. Mandy is not only a lecturer in creative writing at Whiteria Polytech but is an award winning author of a substantial body of work, and a Katherine Mansfield fellow at Menton in France. Her work is mainly for young adults although she writes for adults as well. She started life as a primary school teacher and morphed into a writer and lecturer of creative writing. She is despondent that New Zealand’s only course in creative writing where she teaches part-time, is to close this year. She has the impetus now to get out and about teaching people the joys of writing. Her course focuses on the key elements of writing, structure, ‘show not tell’, dialogue, and the art of re-writing. These are skills any kind of writer can use. She will introduce topics with exercises around them. If people come with ideas they will explore them. Two hours of creative work will be rewarded with a Springfield lunch with time to chat about the day’s class. I commented that I thought the ‘show not tell’ will be the most difficult part. It’s what I find most difficult. ‘Yes,’ she said ‘Journalists have trouble with that as it’s their job to tell, not show’. In response to my question about rewriting

and editing she replied, ‘Embrace re-writing as a friend.’ In my experience that’s a lot harder than it sounds. Mandy likes writing for kids to make a difference to their lives, to expand their horizons and to build resilience, empathy and compassion. She likes to write from their point of view, turning them from inwardly focused to a more outward focus. Why Springfield? Her daughter works there and Ruth was receptive to the idea of keeping the place buzzing through the quieter winter months. If you missed out this month, Mandy may run another one here. This one started on 24th July and the contact details are on Ruth Pretty’s Website: www.ruthpretty.co.nz

THE

THIEVING MAGPIE Rossini Mozart Dvorak

Overture The Thieving Magpie

Horn Concerto No. 3

Symphony No. 6

3pm Saturday 10 August 2019 St. Paul’s Church, Kapiti Road, Paraparaumu Mandy Hager

The Civic Chat

It’s been a busy month down at the Civic, with the set from “The Father” being dismantled and then quickly turning the place into a Parisian Opera House ready for “The Phantom of the Opera”. Rehearsals are well underway for both the cast and the orchestra. The Phantom of the Opera tells the story of a masked figure who lurks beneath the catacombs of the Paris Opera House, exercising a reign of terror over all who inhabit it. He falls madly in love with an innocent young soprano, Christine, and devotes himself to creating a new star by nurturing her extraordinary talents and by employing all of the devious methods at his command. Its sensational score includes Think Of Me, Angel Of The Music, Music Of The Night, All I Ask Of You, Masquerade and the title song About The Phantom Of The Opera. By the time the Otaki Mail gets delivered to you this month, you will have a few days left to secure your early bird tickets at the reduced price. Tickets are available at www.otakiplayers.org.nz or by visiting

Conductor - Mark Carter

Soloist - Shadley van Wyk

Leader - Mary Taylor

Video-Ezy in the Main Street. The Otaki Players have also received confirmation that we are able to stage Grease Jnr at the Theatre later this year. This production is shorter and more suitable in content for teens and subteens, this abridged version retains the fun-loving spirit and immortal songs that make Grease a favourite among rock and roll fans of all ages. The School Edition eliminates all of the references and uses of cigarettes and alcohol, as well as any swearing or bad language. Practically all of the songs have undergone changes as well; the numbers are all shortened and edited for content/language. Some plot lines are missing from the school version, such as Rizzo’s pregnancy and her song, “There Are Worse Things I Could Do.” The beginning of the pyjama party in Marty’s bedroom is cut as well. In the Junior Edition, the Pink Ladies do not offer Sandy cigarettes or wine. Instead it begins directly with piercing her ears. Auditions will be held on Sunday 22nd and Monday 23rd September at the Civic Theatre.

Tickets available from: kapitico@gmail.com Otaki Vets, Otaki Lovely Living, Waikanae The Family Music Store, Paraparaumu Moby Dickens, Paraparaumu Beach

Adults $25 pre-concert $30 at the door Students $10 Under 12s Free

KAPITI CONCERT ORCHESTRA The Thieving Magpie”

Music by Rossini, Dvořák and Mozart will feature in a concert to be presented by the Kapiti Concert Orchestra with conductor Mark Carter and guest soloist, French Horn player, Shadley van Wyk, at St. Paul’s Church, Paraparaumu. The concert will open with Rossini’s lively overture to his short opera The Thieving Magpie which tells the story of a young girl about to be executed for stealing a silver spoon until it is revealed that the real culprit is a cheeky magpie. Guest soloist Shadley van Wyk will perform Mozart’s Horn Concerto No.3 in E flat major with the Orchestra. Shadley is currently Principal Horn with Orchestra Wellington and sub-principal Horn with the NZSO. Other professional and orchestral work includes playing with the National Youth Orchestra, the Auckland Philharmonia and Christchurch Symphony. Mozart’s Horn Concertos offer many delights to the listener as well as challenges to the soloist. The third is the best known and regarded as the most poetic with a richer tone than the others.

Guest soloist Shadley van Wyk

Antonin Dvořák’s Sixth Symphony is full of energy, vitality and originality. Undoubtedly influenced by Brahms and Beethoven in the style and form of the first, second and fourth movements of the symphony Dvořák’s own nationalistic Bohemian spirit shines through it all, especially in the third movement Scherzo with the powerful, driving syncopated rhythm of the Furiant (a Czech dance).

Electra Trust election results BY TOM FREWEN Voting in elections for the Electra Trust, a democratically-elected board which oversees the distribution of electricity to more than 40,000 homes and businesses in Kapiti and Horowehnua by the Electra Energy company, continues to decline despite the use of online voting. The 6,899 votes lodged in this year’s election represented 15.7% of the total of 43,789 eligible voters, down from 16.6% last year. The proportion of voters who preferred voting by email to the postal option continued to rise, reaching 57.4%, up from 53.% last year and 52.5% and 40.3% in the two

previous years. But that failed to reverse the overall downwardChart trend in voter participaTitle tion over the past 12 years. 35 % vote

The Decline in Electra Voting

30 25 20 15 10 5 0

2007 1

2009 3

2011 5

2013 7

2015 9 10

2017 11 12

2019 13

The two successful candidates elected to serve another three-year term on the six-member board were Sharon Crosbie (5,226 votes) and John Yeoman (4,805). Unsuccessful candidates were Guy Burns (2,019 and Bryan Gundersen (1,355).

Ms Crosbie was re-elected to chair the trust’s board for a second term. As well as Mr Yeoman, a former chief executive of the Electra Energy company, the other trust board members are Kapiti Coast District deputy mayor, Janet Holborow; former Horowhenua mayor, Brendan Duffy; Ray Latham, a board member for the past 16 years and fellow long-serving board member, Horizons Regional Council member Lindsay Burnell of Ohau. The Electra Trust represents the households and businesses in Kapiti and Horowhenua that are connected to the local lines company, Electra Limited. Ownership of the company entitles its customers to an an-

nual discount on their power bills. For the average household it works out as a saving equal to an average monthly power bill. Electra is one of 22 lines companies which are owned or partly owned by their customers. At the company’s annual general meeting, also held in Levin on Friday 26 July, Neil Mackay stepped aside as chairman of the company’s board, his place taken by Shelly Mitchell-Jenkins, a Levin accountant who has been on the board since 2014. The board seats vacated by Mr Mackay and retiring director John Boshier were taken by Scott Houston and Steve Armstrong, both from Kapiti.

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Ōtaki Mail —August 2019

Ōtaki Update July 2019

Ōtaki shines at this year’s Civic and Community Awards Volunteer groups and individuals have been recognised for their community dedication in this year’s Civic and Community Awards, including several groups from Ōtaki. Ōtaki was a standout again this year at the annual Civic and Community Awards, with local groups taking out three of the six award categories. Ōtaki winners were Otaki Skill Sharing Group, winner of the Health and Wellbeing category; Ōtaki Promotions Group, winner of the Arts and Culture category; and Māoriland Charitable Trust for M.A.T.C.H. Māoriland Tech Creative Hub, winner of the rising star category. For a full list of award recipients, visit kapiticoast.govt.nz/civic-awards-winners-2019.

Applications open for Waste Levy Grants

Tuku Iho exhibition at Ōtaki Library

Have you got a great idea for reducing waste? Applications for our waste levy funds, which support local waste minimisation projects and initiatives, are now open.

Ōtaki Library have opened up their Ngā Wawata Art Space for their Tuku Iho exhibition as part of Family History Month.

There are two funding categories available – community projects and new technologies/ seed funding. Visit our website for more details, including information on how to apply. > kapiticoast.govt.nz/waste-reduction-grants

Tuku Iho is a display of personal objects that help keep family histories and memories alive. Items have either been handed down from one generation to the next, or kept to remind their owners of places and people special to them. The exhibition is organised in collaboration with the Ōtaki Genealogists and contains over 20 contributions from members of the Ōtaki community. The exhibition runs for the month of August so make sure to head down and check it out.

Nominations now open for this year’s local elections Have you ever wanted to help shape where you live, work with your community, and represent the Kāpiti Coast District? Candidate nominations for this year’s local government elections are now open! As an elected member, you get to voice the opinions of your community and plan the Kāpiti Coast District’s future. Nominations close at 12 noon, 16 August 2019.

> kapiticoast.govt.nz/elections2019

kapiticoast.govt.nz

Ōtaki Mail —August 2019

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Annual Interschool Soccer at Te Horo BY MARGARET ANDREWS The annual Interschool Soccer Tournament was played with just as much skill and determination as the world championship sports we’ve been seeing on our screens lately. Teams from most of the schools took part in the games at Te Horo School just before the school holidays began. Waitohu teams were the winners of the day, taking out the A and B pool trophies, with second in the B and C pools and Te Horo C team winning the C pool final 4-3 over Waitohu. Te Horo A was A pool runner’s-up to Waitohu in a tough challenge which ended in a 1-0 finish. The B pool final was between Waitohu teams 2 and 4 with the W2 team taking the trophy 2-1. “It’s always a really good day, mixing the kids by playing sport,” said Te Horo School’s Richard Bond tournament organiser.” It’s good to see the kids running around and having fun.” For new principal, Michelle Tate, it was the introduction to the interschool sporting events calendar. She was impressed with the tournament organisation and team play, “I must comment on the support from the sidelines and as well as the players.” “Well done,” Mr Bond told the players during the awards and wind up of the day. “I love these days because I see kids running around enjoying themselves. Thanks to the referees, you did an awesome job.” The teams played through Round Robin games in three pools to find the top two teams in each to play in the finals.

Coach Oz Piddick From left; Zahrn Morgans, Jordan Tahiwi Zenith McCartney, Ezaiah Smith-Reihana, Ethan Humphries, Turongo Todd. Front row: Hamish Campbell, Giorgio Bevan, Jeremiah Qaranivalu, Tumoana Saena, Front holding trophy Kaylis Peneha.

There is magic in the taste and magic in the ease in which it is made. There are few ingredients, no definitive amounts and the cooking time can vary.

Tomatoes Onions, preferably red Red peppers, optional Olive oil Maple syrup Salt and pepper

Speedy action and tussles aplenty during the A team final between Waitohu and Te Horo, at the Interschool Soccer Tournament

Lost Dog or Cat? Technology provides a novel solution BY PHIL WALLINGTON If you have travelled overseas recently you will have been processed through Immigration Control by the latest facial recognitiontechnology. It is a simple process you put your passport, opened at the identity page, into an electronic reader. You walk up to a set of footprints stencilled on the floor and you stare into an electronic face recognition scanner. The computer programme matches your face to your passport photo. The green light flashes and you go on to board your flight. Simplicity itself. Now, would you believe the very same technology can help you find your lost dog or cat. Electronic facial recognition has come to the rescue of pet owners using the New Zealand Companion Animal Register. The Register is a well-established service for pets, which for some years now, has been providing a service to owners of lost dogs and cats. Up until now they have relied on the electronic micro-chips which all pet owners should ensure are in place when they buy a puppy or a kitten from a responsible breeder. Animal shelters and the SPCA always micro-chip dogs and cats before they go to live in their new home. Many people buying animals from pet-shops or on Trade Me, often do not realise their dogs and cats are required by law to be micro-chipped. It is a condition of their registration. This

Magic Tomato Sauce Ann Chapman

should be done when they are registered and at 3-months it becomes compulsory. Currently there are moves afoot to stop the unregulated sales of dogs or cats in pet shops or on websites because of animal welfare concerns. The NZ Companion Animal Register works alongside animal welfare shelters and the New Zealand Veterinary Association. When you lose your pet, it runs away or is stolen, it can be a very stressful and emotionally draining experience. Your local council and the animal control officers sometimes solve the problem by catching or collecting the animal from finders and then checking the microchip against the council’s register. That is good, but it fails to work when an animal is taken or strays outside your district. That’s where the Register comes into play. If your missing pet is registered, you simply call 0800 LOSTPET (567873) which sends a “vet alert” to NZCAR agents in your wider region. If you are already a customer or subscriber to NZCAR you can register your pet in the facial recognition programme by taking a good clear photo of your pet’s face and uploading it to the site. If the animal goes missing, you call the 0800 LOST PET number and the “PIP” facial recognition starts scanning photos of pets which have been found. It also sends the usual alerts to NZCAR agents to be on the lookout. With

facial recognition now being available, anyone with a cell phone can upload a photo and report a pet found. They merely upload the picture to pip.animalregister.co.nz or email it to NZCAR www.animalregister. co.nz There is no charge to the finder. Facial recognition costs a one-time fee of $30 for the life of your pet. Information on membership of NZCAR is on the “Credit Card” plastic record of your pet’s microchip details. Basic membership costs $25. It is a very worthwhile step to take when your new dog or cat joins your human family. It can save a lot of tears and heartache.

Gather together your harvest of tomatoes or buy a selection. Cut them in half and take the cores out. Place on a baking tray. Add some red onions — or brown if you’re out of reds. Add some red peppers, if you have them, chopped in thick chunks. Pour over some good olive oil, some maple syrup and salt and pepper. Use your hands to cover everything well with oil. Put in the over at 180˚C and bake until the tomato skins are browned.

Remove the skins and blitz them to a sauce.

Use on pasta, in casseroles or as a soup. Freeze if you have any left over but even that won’t last long.

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Ōtaki Mail —August 2019

KĀPITI COAST DISTRICT COUNCIL MEETINGS IN August 2019 Thursday 1 August

Public Forum

Thursday 1 August

Thursday 8 August

Strategy & Policy Meeting Waikanae Community Board Meeting Public Forum

Thursday 8 August

Council Meeting

Tuesday

ParaparaumuRaumati Community Board Meeting Public Forum

Tuesday

6 August

13 August

Thursday 15 August Thursday 15 August Thursday 22 August Thursday 29 August Thursday 29 August

Operations & Finance Meeting GAC (Community Grants) Council Meeting (Additional) GAC (Creative Communities NZ)

9:30am

Council Chambers, 175 Rimu Road, Paraparaumu 10.00 am Council Chambers, 175 Rimu Road, Paraparaumu 7.00pm Waikanae Community Centre, Utauta Street, Waikanae 9:30am Council Chambers, 175 Rimu Road, Paraparaumu 10.00 am Council Chambers, 175 Rimu Road, Paraparaumu 7.00pm Kapiti Boating Club, Kapiti Road, Paraparaumu 9:30am

Council Chambers, 175 Rimu Road, Paraparaumu 10.00 am Council Chambers, 175 Rimu Road, Paraparaumu 10.00 am Council Chambers, 175 Rimu Road, Paraparaumu 8.30 am Council Chambers, 175 Rimu Road, Paraparaumu 10.00 am Council Chambers, 175 Rimu Road, Paraparaumu

Attendance at Meetings

A new Rotary Year begins Incoming President of Ōtaki Rotary for the next 12 months is Grant Robertson. We are planning for a year of change and renewal, with a focus on new Projects, new Events, new sources of fun, and broadening our Membership. We aim to fully take our place as an anchor organisation supporting a stronger, lively, and more resilient Community. Watch this space, or come and join us for a full on year. For the next two months, Ōtaki Rotary are collecting “Books for the Cooks” which will be flown to Rarotonga by the NZ Airforce in early October. Childrens and young persons books are particularly popular, as are novels and some trade books. Watch out for our collection boxes, or drop your books to First National Ōtaki! Thank you. Grant can be contacted on 021 660 113

Vale Ian Futter About five and a half years ago Valdis Plato decided that Ōtaki could do with a men’s shed. He sought interest from the community and after a short while 15 men started the Ōtaki MenzShed, it became an incorporated society and later a registered charity. Ian was the first secretary of the club and at the first AGM became our chairman; a role he filled for most of the time since. Ian’s stewardship of the club was at all times focussed on the wellbeing of the members and the community and he led the club until only a few weeks ago when he became unwell. His leadership was always wise and he never lost sight of the purpose of the club. The Ōtaki MenzShed membership which

(1) Cancellation - Meetings are sometimes cancelled for a variety of reasons. To confirm whether a meeting is on, please ring the Democracy Services Manager on (04) 296 4700 or toll free on 0800 486 486. (2) Venue – Please note that all meetings will be held in the Council Chambers, Civic Administration Building, 175 Rimu Road, Paraparaumu, unless otherwise specified. (3) Public Forum – a 25-minute session will be held before every Council and major committee meeting (9.30 am – 9.55 am) in which you can speak on any topic. Bookings are essential. Please book ahead with the Democracy Services Advisor – online booking form can be found on website. (4) Public Speaking Time – Under Council’s Standing Orders (Appendix I) a period will be provided after the start of each meeting for Public Speaking Time to allow for oral submissions relating to agenda items, and at the end of meeting for other items not on the agenda. If you wish to address the Council or its Committees during Public Speaking Time please book ahead with the Democracy Services Advisor and you will be given an approximate timeslot. People who book ahead for Public Speaking will be given precedence over those who do not. (5) Live-streaming: Council and Standing Committee meetings are live-streamed. (6) Agendas are available two days before the meeting at: • Our website www.kapiticoast.govt.nz; • Council’s Libraries and Service Centres. Wayne Maxwell Chief Executive

PB 60601 Paraparaumu | Ph 04 296 4700 | Fx 04 296 4830 | www.kapiticoast.govt.nz PB 60601 Paraparaumu | Ph 04 296 4700 | Fx 04 296 4830 | www.kapiticoast.govt.nz

started with fifteen men is now just short of fifty men and women. We owe an enormous debt to Ian for his passion and strength. Ōtaki Menzshed will continue to follow his example and support our precious community.

Ōtaki Mail —August 2019

Media Muse

“Frustrated Feyen wants Beehive seats.” There is so much that is wrong with that headline in the Wednesday 10 July issue of the Horowhenua Chronicle that it is hard to know where to start. Okay, let’s begin with the Beehive. The only seats of any significance in the Beehive are around the Cabinet table. To sit in one of them, you first need to have a seat in the building next door. That’s Parliament House which contains a debating chamber with approximately 120 seats. To sit in one of them, you first have to be elected as a Member of Parliament. You can stand for election as an independent in any electorate. Or you can join a party and put yourself up for selection as a candidate, or get your name on the party’s list and hope to get in if your party gains enough seats in the party vote which determines the overall distribution of MPs in the House. Forgive me if you already know all this. It’s just that the Kronk’s headline would indicate that even the news media haven’t the faintest idea of how our democratic system actually works. Inherited from Britain in our colonial past which we are now being encouraged to disinherit because of retrospective guilt, our democracy is based on having elections every three years. In this way we can change leaders without bloodshed or undue fuss, something we take for granted but which is not open to the public in the majority of the world’s nations. Regular elections are essential because voters make mistakes. There is no way of predicting how a politician who seems perfectly sensible and attractive on the hustings will actually behave when in office. I could suggest some examples here but I won’t. The danger of choosing a leader who turns

Kapiti Island news BY DANIELLE BARRETT Earlier this month Provincial Growth Minister Shane Jones announced Kapiti Island Nature Tours was to receive a $635,000 grant from the Fund (PGF). Managing Director John Barrett said this grant follows years of planning and paves the way for the potential launch of a world class eco-tourism operation. John Barrett & his wider whānau who run Kapiti Island Nature Tours’ have a strong connection to the island - their tupuna arrived there almost 200 years ago. While John spent many years selling global tourism destinations in various roles in the travel industry he always hoped to to find a better way to share their tāonga with the world. 20 years ago he & sister Amo Clark took the plunge and launched Kapiti

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by Manakau’s Tom Frewen out to be a bit loose in the saddle has been greatly increased by the dominance of television as our main news medium and the more recent use of social media like Facebook and Twitter in political campaigning. Although the purpose of election campaigns is to inform voters about their choice of candidates, the media cannot resist covering the campaigns as a race, their second-favourite metaphor next to battles. A race run and won, the media move on to the next race, with progress tracked in polls which provide the political equivalent of fantasy football at the expense of reporting what the winners of the previous race actually say and do during their time in office. There is now no way of finding out though mainstream media what is being said and decided in Parliament on a daily or weekly basis. Likewise with local councils, the routine of reporting their monthly meetings has been abandoned in the interests of cost-cutting by news media companies run by accountants across the Tasman. Even when local newspapers have enough reporters to cover the meetings, their editors don’t allow them the space, instead relying on dramatic headline-hogging controversy and sensation to grab readers’ attention. With television news using the Executive Office as a backdrop for stories about the Legislature next door and vice versa, the level of ignorance rises to the point where a local newspaper prints a headline about a plan apparently based on direct election to seats in the Beehive. The plan itself is rooted in another even more fundamental misunderstanding of the electoral system. It is for mayors to form a political party — say, a mayoral party — to campaign for seats in Parliament so as to “take active and direct engagement to central government level in a co-ordinated and more direct manner.”

“This is just an idea,” its proponent, Horowhenua mayor, Michael Feyen, is reported by the Kronk as saying. “Hopefully it will start a conversation on local government, going forward. I don’t want to see it bastardised by an editor somewhere.” It’s hard to see how his idea could be bastardised any more than it already is. Why would anyone vote for a mayor who wanted to moonlight as a member of Parliament? The two positions are paid as full-time jobs and are so riven with potential conflicts of interest as to be quite incompatible. A mayor is elected as a regional spokesperson and has a seat on the council. A mayor is not like the president of the United States who has executive powers. Mr Feyen, for instance, has one of 11 seats on the Horowhenua District Council and needs at least five other councillors for a majority vote in support of his policies which, if they are adopted, are implemented by a separate, unelected and professional executive team. It is impossible to imagine how a party of mayors, representing regions as diverse as Auckland and Levin, would operate in Parliament, let alone attract support from voters naturally averse to their elected representatives double-dipping. Politicians are like journalists in having a skill set limited to reading, writing and talking and not much else. Nowadays their best hope of trousering the magic six-figures lie in consulting and communications, or “comms” as the public relations and propaganda businesses are now called. An excellent investigative story by RNZ reporter Phil Pennington, published on the public radio’s website on Wednesday 24 July, exposes the huge sums that the government is spending on singing its own praises. Digging into the numbers published in

annual reports from 24 major government departments and agencies and three district health boards, Mr Pennington discovered that public sector communications staff numbers rose by 60 percent in the five years from 2013. Their salaries increased by 45 percent, in a period when general wage inflation was 14 percent, and salaries above $100,000 were not uncommon. The dozen comms staff at the Education Ministry earn more than that. Communications salary costs for Inland Revenue doubled in five years to $4.8m. Of particular interest to Kapiti and Horowhenua residents will be the fast lane for hiring comms people opened up by NZTA which is responsible for major roading projects in the area. The transport agency is reported to have doubled its communications staff from 30 to 60 in 2018; nine of them are on $120,000-plus a year with one on $170,000-plus. The Provincial Growth Fund, which is administered by the Ministry for Business Innovation and Enterprise (MBIE), has its own communications unit. They emailed me about their new video “Making a difference”. “We want you to be among the first to see it,” they said. Just over three minutes long, the video features vox pops from people praising the Provincial Growth Fund, and the government in general, accompanied on pan pipes and harp playing the kind of mind-numbing analgesic music you get at hippie funerals. I was the 481st person to see it on YouTube. However much it cost to make, it was money intended for the provinces that never made its way out of Wellington.

The Ōtaki Mail is pleased to welcome Danielle Barrett as a regular contributor, telling us about their island, which we all proudly recognise as a tāonga

Island Nature Tours. The strength of their connection to the island & their unique perspective driven by generations of island living has resulted in a one-of-akind tourism experience. The business is based out of a simple “lodge” at the North End of the island - the bones of which were the bach built in 1975 by John & his wife Sue. Visitors describe the place as homely, welcoming and comfortable but basic. In 2015 the wider whānau began to think about the future of the business. By 2030 they wanted to be providing a nationally significant eco-tourism experience operating at the highest level of sustainability & environmental consciousness. Updating the existing building was key to achieving this goal. There was also a desire to provide employment to whānau & connection to their turanga waewae, while bringing mana

to the wider hapu, iwi & local community. The launch of the PGF in 2018 represented an unparalleled opportunity for the business to apply for funding to help accelerate the realisation of these goals. The grant will enable preparation of a very detailed business case including plans, ahead of a rebuild. The business case will demonstrate the sustainability of the business going forward over the next 10-15 years. Having lived on the island for generations the whānau are keenly aware of the special significance of this place, and have kaitiakitanga responsibilities to continue to care for the island. Local and national authorities also consider the site to have national significance and it is classified in numerous resource & development plans as an arche-

ologically & ecologically important zone. The PGF grant will cover the extensive range of expert reports required ahead of demolition & rebuilding. While Kapiti Island Nature Tours is a profitable business, without the PGF assistance their ability to fund these pre-consent requirements was virtually nil. John anticipates that the redevelopment process will ultimately lead to more employment opportunities for whānau and locals as the business moves from an 8 month operating season to a year-round operation. A fully sustainable lodge facility is expected to attract eco-conscious tourists, allow for the development of complimentary tours such was waka & diving tours, and achieve longer visitor stays on the island (and in the region). The new facility will also allow for educational delivery programmes to schools & wānanga groups - something he considers essential to encourage the next generation of rangatahi to consider and care for their environment. “At the end of the day it’s all about preparing for, and protecting the future of this tāonga”.

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Ōtaki Mail —August 2019

Ōtaki - Education Town

Minister’s Te Reo announcement In July Deputy Prime Minister and Associate Education Minister Hon Kelvin Davis was in Ōtaki to launch a $12 million government initiative to enable nearly 700 people in the education workforce to learn or progress their te reo Māori. Kelvin Davis made the announcement at an Orientation Day for Te Waananga at the Ōtaki Maori Racing Club, where he addressed 158 learners who are about to begin the 17-week programme. “Our Government has set an ambitious goal to integrate te reo Māori into education in early learning and schools by 2025. We’re now making good progress on that commitment,” Kelvin Davis said. “If we’re going to make the use of te reo Māori in the classroom normal and widespread, then first we need to strengthen the education workforce to use it correctly. “It’s encouraging to see so many people genuinely excited to learn te reo Māori. As well as Kapiti-Horowhenua, this year Te Ahu o te Reo Māori is being trialled in Waikato, Taranaki, and Ngāi Tahu in the South Island. A total of 685 people have taken up the opportunity to participate in the programme. Throughout the four regions different learning approaches are being used, including:

a learning eco-system

online self-directed learning; face-to-face weekly classes; and Noho and wānanga. “While the teaching methods vary from region-to-region, the goals remain the same: build the ability of the workforce to use te reo Māori in the classroom. “With Te Ahu o te Reo Māori, we’re creating new ambassadors for te reo. This will improve interactions and relationships with students, parents and whānau – and mean better outcomes for our kids,” Kelvin Davis said.

Manakau coping with classroom delays BY TOM FREWEN A delay in the delivery of two new classrooms has yielded unexpected benefits for Manakau School. Due in April, the two buildings are now expected to be ready for the start of the 2020 school year. Capable of accommodating approximately 50 pupils, the modular classrooms are constructed in Auckland and transported south. Their delay its attributed to higher priority being accorded to meeting demand for new school buildings in places with large populations such as Auckland and Christchurch. Manakau School, meanwhile, has coped with rapid growth in its roll, from 86 pupils in 2016 to 125 today, by putting up a wall to create space in the staff room where some children have even been working in a storage cupboard. Year 7 and 8 students, who have not had a permanent classroom of their own for two years, have been using the supper room in the nearby Manakau Community hall for the past year. The hall is not insulated and the Education Ministry has paid for the installation of two heat pumps to reduce the chill during the winter months. New carpet has been laid which will also help reduce noise levels. The delay in delivery of the new buildings has also allowed time for a review plans for

modernising the school’s historic block. “We have had a chance to re-think our approach, says principal Deb Logan. “We’re now not going to be cutting holes in it and trying to modernise it. We’re actually going to be sympathetic with that building and it will be a showpiece of historic significance.”

Manakau School’s Danielle Ruru competing in the recent Levin East regional chess championships. Danielle, who was beaten only twice on her way to coming 13th overall in the competition, was one of 18 Manakau School pupils to take part. ......... more next month

In pursuit of excellence BY KAHUKURA KEMP All tertiary providers need to ensure that study programmes on offer provide students with currency of knowledge that will be of value to them throughout the study period and upon graduation. New thinking in the knowledge continuum is critical. At our wānanga we regularly scrutinise our offerings, by both internal and external reviews, which are further enhanced by monitoring and moderation. Monitoring is carried out annually, and a full internal review undertaken every three years. Some specialist subjects require extra attention for the purposes of professional registration, notably the Toiora Whānau programme and the teacher training programmes. Very recently the Toiora Whānau programme underwent such a review, the Poutuarongo Toiora Whānau Re-recognition Review. The Poutuarongo Toiora Whānau programme is a four-year degree accredited by the Social Work Registration Board which provides a uniquely Māori perspective on whānau wellness. Common to all study programmes, te reo and studies of iwi and hapū are compulsory elements. Graduates of the programme will have gained knowledge and skills required to work effectively to improve the social wellbeing of whānau, hapū and iwi. Drawing on kaupapa tuku iho (inherited values) they are able to plan and implement measures that contribute to the wellbeing of Māaori, the communities we live in and ultimately, the nation. The panel of six comprised academics from external institutions and one from the wānanga, a member of the Social Work Registration Board and a practitioner in the toiora whānau field. They met with a wide range of staff including academic staff in teaching and research roles, current and graduate students, kaiāwhina, the programme’s external advisory committee and management and support staff. The outcome of their findings and recommendations will assist to ensure that we continue to offer a solid distinctive programme of

integrity and excellence and that our guiding kaupapa are embedded in everything that we do. Preparation for the review required an enormous amount of work that culminated in several documents covering programme structure and content; programme standards; teaching staff curriculum vitae; field education administration. This was a comprehensive review that encompassed staffing; the student/teacher relationship; whakatupu mātauranga, particularly in tying teaching practice to research; publication of written and oral literature; how guiding kaupapa are embedded in the programme; the role of kaiāwhina (voluntary contributors); assessment of assignments; succession planning to protect knowledge and relationships; provision and utilisation of library services and resources; student support; integration and synergy of the specialisation with the compulsory elements; transportability of knowledge and skills into working within different cultures; keeping up to date; contribution by staff to national forums.

Kaiāwhina were asked about the skills and experience they bring to the programme, how they support the teaching programme and support for ongoing development. There are different levels of participation. Some agree to assist because of their professional background; some see their professional and personal lives as being one and the same; others have gained qualifications through the wānanga and are of the view that it is their obligation to give something back. A definite ‘pro’ expressed by all kaiāwhina was the opportunity to contribute to our own people. The panel expressed appreciation of the kaiāwhina concept as a valuable contribution to social work through imbuement of values in practice and asked us to consider how the concept might be broadly developed and shared, to change the educational landscape. Students were invited to comment about why they chose this place of learning, what makes it distinctive, what challenges were encountered in their education journey, how the compulsory elements linked to the specialty subject-, transferability of knowledge, advantages of kaupapa to practice, their knowledge of legislation and its

The Review Panel: Heitia Raureti, Shane Edwards, Wheturangi Walsh-Tapiata, Jan Duke, Peter Mataira, Shane Walker

process, how study tied in with family life and work commitments, where the wānanga experience might be improved and their views about kaiāwhinatanga. Graduate students’ responses included that they are better practitioners due to the compulsory elements as these enrich the specialist programme and are critical to it. All of the students interviewed reported enjoying the participation by kaiāwhina because they bring different perspectives and approaches, are articulate, have the ability to connect kaupapa and are passionate about the ako process. There was general agreement that social work competencies are embedded in the degree and the qualification gives the competency to be an effective practitioner. After hearing the students’ responses panel members were of the view that the social work profession can be very proud. The External Advisory Committee discussion focused on how feedback from stakeholders about the programme is effected, strategic membership, the advisory process, the committee’s role and mode of operation, challenges for the programme, motivation to serve on the committee. The panel considered that the current enquiry into social work would be enhanced by input from this committee. Our job is to provide a quality experience for those who wish to come and study with us, to model excellence in the service that we provide, that will result in excellence for our students. There is always room for improvement, about which we need to be vigilant and active. The re-recognition panel has assisted immensely in our goal and we thank them for helping us in our work. Visit us at 144 Tasman Road, Ōtaki Phone us at 0800 WĀNANGA Visit our website at www.wananga.com Email us at tetomonga@twor-otaki.ac.nz

Ōtaki Mail —August 2019

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Ōtaki College News July 2019

www.otakicollege.school.nz

From the Principal Andy Fraser Nau mai, haere mai, whakatau mai - a very warm welcome to new staff members Lisa Missen and Lauren Smith. Lisa comes to us from Singapore International School to commence in our Performing Arts Department as Dance and Drama teacher and Lauren has arrived from Te Horo School to work in our Year 7&8 Department. We wish them all the very best as they join our team. It has been really delightful to start off Term Three knowing that our students are well placed to be achieving well in all facets of College life. Blane Watson has returned to College after representing NZU19s at Snooker in China where he has had very promising results. Stella Park has recently won a major Taekwondo tournament leading into her black belt grading and I believe that she has a very big future in this sport. I also arrived back to a letter from Otago University inviting Hetal Patel to spend time at the University campus on a fully funded scholarship. She is one of only ten Wellington students to receive this scholarship which is a real acknowledgement of her ability. Term Three is an extremely important time for our seniors and I would encourage parents/whānau to be supporting them in their studies. This can be achieved by making certain that attendance rates are up and spare time is used for reviewing previous work or completing assessments. We have had the first meeting of our new Board of Trustees who are committed to seeing the College continue to grow in its ability to provide a high quality education. In order to do this the Strategic Plan will be reviewed in the coming months and will

require your input to reflect the College community’s opinions around what is important in education for students attending the College. We do acknowledge that we wish to spend focussed time on supporting young people to grow in their ability to look after their own hauora/well-being. Week Two is the third hauora week for our Seniors and in 2020 this will become a regular part of their curriculum. I would like to acknowledge the generosity of Ms Debra Delglyn who, under the auspices of the Ōtaki Community Health Trust, donated funds to the College in

memory of her grandfather, Dr K H Gill. These funds will assist in the delivery of the College’s Senior Hauora Programme; part of the funds will go to the Manukura GPS Boys’ Leadership group, part to staff exploration of the Positive Education model and the remainder to the Āpōpō Youth Suicide Awareness programme. The College would also like to again acknowledge Stan Goodright for his very large financial contribution to the College for beautification through the Stan Joy Memorial Garden Project. As part of this project I would like to thank Mills Albert Ltd sincerely for the sponsorship they have provided to source and relocate over

25 tonnes of rocks to Ōtaki. Some rocks have been used already for placement in gardens and eight large rocks will be used down the driveway to express the College values. This part of the design is currently being worked on by the Concrete Doctors.

Mills Albert supporting Ōtaki College

Rohan Mudkavi, 76th Otaki Scholar, with Ōtaki College Heads of School at the National War Memorial Hall of Memories. They are accompanied by David Ledson, ex Chief of Navy and Paul Riley, Curator of the Hall of Memories

While students were on holiday, I have commenced working with key staff on providing the Education Review Office with their requested information pending a full external ERO Review commencing on 19 August. This was interspersed with hosting the 76th Otaki Scholar, Rohan Mudkavi, as he commenced his six-week tour of New Zealand. Rohan’s visit marked the continuation of our very close relationship with Robert Gordon’s College, Aberdeen, Scotland. This signals the rapid onset of preparation for prizegivings which will occur early in Term Four of this year and I look forward to continuing to celebrate student success. Ngā mihi nui, Andy Fraser, Principal

Te Rāhui Kura U15 Girls Undefeated Champions! BY JARROD TELFORD Te Rāhui Kura U15 Girls routed Kāpiti College in emphatic fashion 43-7 to complete their perfect undefeated season with a maiden championship title at Playford Park last week. In atrocious conditions Kāpiti College, who commanded the bulk of the possession, could find no way through an aggressive Te Rāhui Kura defensive line, marshalled impressively by try-scoring skipper Kaia Pollock and hard hitting centre Letisha Royal-Strawbridge. Tenacious defence has been a hallmark of the team all season and was the catalyst for the numerous Kāpiti errors that Te Rāhui Kura ruthlessly exploited, creating opportunities for halfback Meia Cook and five-eighth Keziah Raika to release their electric backline of Valerie Tavita, Irihapeti Rua, Pounamu MacKay and Te Rangihuia Henare. Elusive winger Te Aira Nikora was the main benefactor of unselfish passing bagging a hat-trick by halftime. While the backline was running in sizzling five-pointers, the Kāpiti forwards had no answer to the power of an uncompromising Te Rāhui Kura pack who were missing Tiari Barber with the flu. Rangy back-row-

nobody gets past three tacklers!

The back row is Autumn Royal,Tikarden Stowers, Te Rangihuia Henare, Pounamu MacKay, Sage Schlaepfer, Shentay Emke, Jarrod Telford, Irihapeti Rua, Valerie Pola, Tiari Barber, Sohela Wessel, T.J.MacKay. Kneeling in the middle row is Kaia Pollock, Hine Taiapa, Oriwia Ngatai, Meia Cook, Oriwa Jury. Kneeling in front is Letisha Strawbridge, Keziah Raika, Te Aira Nikora.

er Autumn Royal and powerhouse prop Hinerau Henare-Taiapa displayed great athleticism around the park while the ability of hard running forwards Shentay Emke, Oriwia Ngatai and Oriwa Jury to offload in contact gave the Kāpiti defence nightmares. A special mention should go to first timers Sage Schlaepfer and Solhela Wessel who showed great courage and enthusiasm to contribute to a great team win. The teams outstanding form has been rewarded with 14 members of the side earning Horowhenua-Kapiti representative honours.

Drawn from local schools Te Rito, Whakatupuranga Rua Mano and Ōtaki College, Te Rāhui Kura U15 Girls are currently the only college grade rugby side in Ōtaki. They will be competing in the 15-aside Hurricanes Tournament in September and will also be travelling to New Plymouth to compete in a National 7s tournament. The team is looking to raise funds for these trips so if anyone out there wants to sponsor a championship winning rugby team feel free to connect!

Women’s Rugby is one the fastest growing sports in the world with opportunities to not only play professionally in Europe or Japan but also showcase their talent on the World 7s circuit, Commonwealth and Olympic Games. Not only do the Te Rāhui Kura U15 Girls have the required physical attributes to achieve these dreams but more importantly demonstrate those valued traits of discipline, commitment, selflessness and humility that are necessary to do well in rugby and beyond. These young women have a bright future in our sport.

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Ōtaki Mail —August 2019

Ōtaki’s History

Contributed by Historical Society and the Otaki Contributed bythe theOtaki Otaki Historical Society and theMuseum Otaki Museum

Sir Kim Workman to speak to the Historical Society Sir Kim Workman, KNZM, QSO, Ngati Kahungunu ki Wairarapa, Rangitane o Wairarapa is the guest of honour at the Ōtaki Historical Society’s upcoming annual meeting. He will talk about his connections with the Kapiti Coast and Ōtaki. These are through his descent from Ngai Tara, the earliest iwi to live in the Kapiti area, and through his great grandfather, Scottish whaler John Stanton Workman, who first arrived in Aotearoa in 1834, and whaled at Tokomapuna Island from 1840. Sir Kim will talk about growing up with a Maori father

Do you want to make a difference to peoples’ lives?

and a Pakeha mother, and the influence of his tipuna. He is well-known for his work in criminal justice reform and in 2011 established JustSpeak, a youth-led movement for justice and social reform. His memoir, Journey Towards Justice, was published last year. Sir Kim is a great-grandfather, jazz musician and gardener, and is currently a student at Te Wananga o Raukawa. He is a cousin of Anne Thorpe, Patron of the Historical Society.

Ōtaki CAB is now recruiting for new volunteers. Do Get Involved - Be a Volunteer for CAB and connect with your community. The CAB is all about our clients – making sure that individuals do not suffer through ignorance of their rights and responsibilities and that their local and national communities are responsibly developed.. Our volunteers are from different ethnicities with a range of career experience, qualifications and involvement in other community and voluntary work. Our service is provided by more than 2,600 trained volunteers, in more than 80 locations around New Zealand. Our volunteers are supported by a comprehensive database and regular learning and development training. The greatest contribution you can make as a volunteer is the giving of your time to empower people to make a difference in their own lives. It is rewarding and gratifying. You will also be rewarded with varied interesting roles. You will acquire new skills and knowledge

AGM: Sir Kim Workman, KNZM, QSO will speak on

‘Dual heritage – shared history’ Tuesday 6 August 2018, 7.30 pm Rotary Lounge, Aotaki Street, Ōtaki Supper provided

www.otakihistoricalsociety.org.nz Preserving our heritage for over 40 years!

Quiz 1. When did the present whare runanga o Raukawa open? 2. When did the Tower Dredge work on straightening the lower Ōtaki River to protect Ōtaki from flooding? 3. When was the Ōtaki Golf Club formed? 4. What is the connection of ‘Dorset buttons’ to Ōtaki? 5. When was the present Civic Theatre built? Answers on P26

NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 5.00pm Wednesday 21 August 2019

The Trustees hereby gives notice that the Annual General Meeting of the Ōtaki College Trust Foundation Charitable Trust (also known as the XŌtaki College Alumni Trust) will be held in the College staffroom at 5.00pm on Wednesday 21 August 2019.

and use these to help others. Training and ongoing support are provided. We work by two’s in two shifts – three hours a day once a week with a regular monthly learning and development training (L&D) for all volunteers. If you are: : • Interested in helping people resolve various issues in the many situations they find themselves in • Open minded and able to listen in a non-judgmental manner • comfortable with or you have basic knowledge in using a computer • able to commit three hours a day each week Then you are a potential CAB Volunteer. Feel free to call us for more information on 06 364 8663/8664 or email us at otaki@cab.org.nz or drop in at the bureau between 9am to 3pm Monday-Friday at 65a Main St, Ōtaki Village next to the Memorial Hall. If you are interested in joining the CAB as a volunteer you are invited to its AGM (see below)

Annual General Meeting

Tuesday 20 August 2019 at 1.00 pm

Citizens Advice Bureau 65A Main St, Otaki

Speaker Vicki Black On behalf of Trade Aid All Welcome RSVP by 14th August 2018 Phone 06 364 8664 Email: otaki@cab.org.nz Refreshments at conclusion Office will be closed from 1.00 pm

Residential Tenancies: Tenants, Flatmates and Boarders At CAB, some of the enquiries we received were from those who were in a renting living situation who were not sure of what their rights and responsibilities are. They were either renting as a flatmate, boarder or tenant under the Residential Tenancies Act. Using our knowledge-based data of information, we do our best to help resolve their issues to their satisfaction. This leads them to know what these rights are and how important it is to know them. What to know about Tenancy Agreement If your name is not in the Tenancy Agreement, then you have no rights under the Tenancy Agreement Act. If you are a flatmate or a boarder, it would be a good option to have a written agreement between the tenant and you. This agreement is binding between you and the tenant but the landlord agreement is only with the tenant under the Tenancy Act. When there are two of you named on the Tenancy Agreement and the other person is leaving, the option of the remaining tenant are as follows: • end the tenancy altogether. This would be difficult if the Tenancy Agreement is a fixed tenancy; • transfer the tenancy of the outgoing tenant to a replacement tenant (provided the tenancy agreement allows it and all remaining tenants and the landlord agree); or • find a replacement flatmate (i.e. their name will not be on the tenancy agreement), provided the existing tenancy agreement allows this. If the new person will be a tenant, then a Change of tenant

form must also be completed and signed by current, incoming and outgoing tenants. This removes the outgoing tenant from the bond record and replaces it with the new tenant. You could be liable for the departing tenant’s share of the rent unless a new tenant or flatmate is found to replace the one who is leaving. What’s the difference between periodic tenancy, fixed term tenancy, service tenancy and boarding house tenancy? • A periodic tenancy is one that has no fixed date for the end of the tenancy. This sort of tenancy is easier for both the tenant and landlord to end. • A fixed term tenancy has a start date and an end date, and runs for a set period of time. Normally the tenancy can’t be ended before the agreed on end date. • A service tenancy is where an employer provides accommodation for an employee. Service tenancies have special rules relating to rent paid in advance and ending the tenancy. A boarding house tenancy is where: • the rental property is, or is intended to be, rented by at least 6 tenants • each tenant rents their own room in the property, and they share communal facilities (e.g. kitchen, laundry) • tenancies last for 28 days or more For more information and advice about the Residential Tenancies Act, visit us at CAB or email/call us. CAB has a vast data of information available to guide you to know your rights, make the right option and informed decision.

Te Pou Whakawhirinaki o Ōtaki Our advice is free and confidential. We have the information to help you with your problems, or can point you in the right direction. call, email or see us

Monday to Friday 9am – 3pm 65a Main Street, Ōtaki Village

We are next to the swing park by the Memorial Hall

tel 06 364 8664 or 0800 367 222

web www.cab.org.nz

email otaki@cab.org.nz

• • • • •

Legal & Employment Issues Benefit Entitlements Budget services Housing & tenancy issues Neighborhood & other issues

• • • •

Health, Human Rights Personal Problems Transport issues Consumer Rights

Free 20-minute Solicitor's Appointment Foodbank donations — drop in Rooms available for hire at reasonable rates

Ōtaki Mail —August 2019

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Kia ora from the Ōtaki Public Library – Te Wharepukapuka o Ōtaki

Losing the Plot

The Parisian (or Al-Barisi)

Liberation Square

by Elizabeth Coleman

by Isabella Hammad

by Gareth Rubin

Nothing Else Remains

Vanessa Rooney is a thirty-something dental hygienist who finds herself a single mum with a hole in her heart where her husband had been. Somehow she finds the courage to fulfil her childhood dream of writing a romance novel but soon discovers that her novel has been plagiarised by her idol, celebrity author Charlotte Lancaster. Vanessa reluctantly sues Charlotte with the help of suburban solicitor Dave Rendall. When gun QC Marcus Stafford agrees to join their legal team, Vanessa feels like her perfect man has stepped right out of the pages of her book and into her life. Then all hell breaks loose!

As the First World War shatters families, destroys friendships and kills lovers, a young Palestinian dreamer sets out to find himself. Midhat Kamal navigates his way across a fractured world, from the shifting politics of the Middle East to the dinner tables of Montpellier and a newly tumultuous Paris. He discovers that everything is fragile: love turns to loss, friends become enemies and everyone is looking for a place to belong.

After the disastrous failure of D-Day, Britain is occupied by Nazi Germany, and only rescued by Russian soldiers arriving from the east and Americans from the west. The two superpowers divide the nation between them, a wall running through London like a scar. When Jane Cawson calls into her husband’s medical practice and detects the perfume worn by his former wife, Lorelei, star of propaganda films for the new Marxist regime, she fears what is between them. But when Jane rushes to confront them, she finds herself instead caught up in the glamorous actress’s death.

When Max Brennan’s estranged father and then his own girlfriend go missing in quick succession, he turns to his old friend Detective Jake Porter for help. As Max is then attacked in his own home, Porter and his partner Nick Styles waste no time in investigating. But when their main suspect turns up dead, alongside a list of other targets, it seems the case is much bigger than it first appeared. With events spiralling, can Porter and Styles catch the killer before another victim is claimed?

by Robert Scragg

Ache it til you make it Arthritis – a common nuisance of getting older in us humans, it tends to be overlooked in many instances amongst our pets. The term arthritis refers to all forms of inflammatory disease processes in a joint. Degenerative joint disease (DJD) or osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of it, with an estimated 20% of adult dogs and over 60% of adult cats suffering from this condition. In most cases dogs develop OA due to some abnormality like trauma or anatomical faults, with obese dogs more likely to develop it than normal weight dogs. In cats, often no obvious cause can be found. OA is characterized by loss of joint cartilage, which is essential for normal functioning of the joint. If the joint cartilage is damaged, the rubbing of bone on bone can lead to inflammation of the capsule around the

joint. This is then followed by production of inflammatory chemicals which worsen the condition. The pain of OA varies. A major objective of treatment is to control the inflammation of the joints and the pain associated with it. Signs for you to look out for are limping or stiffness, reluctance to exercise, muscle wasting, spending more time asleep, being restless or depressed, as they can’t get comfortable to lie down and rest. OA can be diagnosed by your vet by clinical examination, x-rays and in cats often by response to treatment trials. There are many different therapy options available, starting with weight control and exercise, providing warm and soft bedding, to pain killers, joint supplements, specific diets and even surgery.

While OA is unpleasant, it is also manageable in almost every pet, so talk to your vet about the best option for you.

Ōtaki Vets

269 Mill Road 364 6941 364 7089

contact@otakivets.co.nz www.otakivets.com Come and meet our friendly team

Ōtaki Mail —August 2019

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Handy folk to know

Health

Windows

Womens Health AA Arthritis Ambulance Shuttle Cancer Support Stroke Plunket

364 6367 0800 229 6757 364 6883 368 6369 06 367 8065 364 5213 364 7261

Windows & Door Repairs

364 8886

Cobwebs Op-Shop

CENTRAL AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES

Auto Central Auto Services 368 2037 Main Street Otaki Collision Repairs 364 7495 SRS Auto Engineering 364 3322 Tuesday – Friday MAIN ROAD SOUTH, LEVIN 10 – 4pm Builders K.S. McFadyen & I.J. Buckley Ltd Dean Hoddle 64 3322 Saturday FULL DIESEL REPAIRS & Helplines Concrete Work MAINTENANCE 10 – 1pm Mental Health Crisis 0800 653 357 All C.O.F. Work Bevan Concrete 0800 427522 Depression helpline 0800 111 757 Please share your giveaways with us. Transport & General Engineering Rasmac Contractors 0274 443 041 Healthline 0800 611 116 Tel: 06/368 2037 or Every dollar goes back into the Otaki Community Koastal Kerb 027 554 0003 Lifeline 0800 543 354 06/368 1591 (24hrs) Samaritans 0800 727 666 Estate Agents 364 8350 Victim Support 0800 842 846 First National 364 5284 Youthline 0800 376 633 Harcourts 364 7720 Alcohol Drug Helpline 0800 787 797 Professionals Tall Poppies 0274 792 772 I fix all Doors, Windows Community Property Brokers 06 920 2001 SAVE & Conservatories Citizens Advice 364 8664 $$$$ Budgeting 364 6579 Funeral Directors 368 2954 Foodbank 364 0051 Harvey Bowler 368 8108 Menzshed 364 8303 I.C. Mark Ltd 04 298 5168 Community Club 364 8754 Kapiti Coast Funeral Call Mike Watson 04 293 6844 Birthright 364 5558 Waikanae Funeral Free 0800 620 720 Cobwebs 021 160 2710 Gardeni services Locks * Rollers or Otaki 364 8886 Community Patrol 027 230 8836 Anna Bradbury 022 643 979Insce Handles * Stays Amicus 364 6464 Insurance Glass * Leaks Find me at: www.windowseal.co.nz Pottery 364 8053 Inpro Draughts * Seals Or like at: facebook.com/windowseal 364 6123 BIRTHRIGHT Mainly Music 364 7099 Nurseries OP SHOP Genealogy 364 7263 364 7084 Grey Power 04 902 5680 100&1 23 Matene Street, Otaki 364 5893 Bridge 364 7771 Talisman 364 2142 Monday – Friday Museum 364 6886 Te Horo Garden Centre Watsons Garden Centre 364 8758 10am – 4pm Historical 364 6543 06 364 6001 Kapiti Coast District Council Saturday 10am – 1pm Let’s Sing 364 8731 General Inquiries 364 9301 Ōtaki Players 364 6491 Good/Used clothing for sale 0800 486 486 RSA 364 6221 Toll Free until midnight bookings essential after 10pm 364 9317 Rotary 06 927 9010 Ōtaki Library Adult shoes $3 - $5 Baby clothing $1 64 5542 Lions 021 267 3929 Ōtaki Swimming Pool Set Tarriff charges of Lots of bric-a-brac from $1 Children’s clothing $2 Lawyer Environment $10 + $5 per passenger Susie Mills Law 364 7190 FOTOR 364 8918 Assortment of antiques Adult clothing $4 364 7285 Transition Towns 364 5573 Simco Lawyers between Otaki beach & plateau (or as priced) for sale Waitohu Stream Care 364 0641 Locksmith • Further afield trips negotiable Energise Ōtaki 364 6140 Ōtaki Locksmith 021 073 5955 We are always looking for volunteers to help in our shop – • Airport & bus connections Older People Mowers please see the Shop Manager for an application form. Age Concern 0800 243 266 EFTPOS Mower & Engineering 364 5411 Kids available Scouting 364 8949 Plumbing in vehicle 364 5586 Toy Library 364 3411 About Plumbing Henderson Plumbing 364 5252 Marriage celebrants Ryan Plumbing & Gas 027 243 6451 Colleen Logue 027 688 6098 Annual General Meeting Penny Gaylor 027 664 8869 Rest Homes Ocean View 364 7399 Make a booking online at 21st August 7pm Roofer Enliven 0508 365483 www.otakishuttle.co.nz 43 Main Street Ōtaki Ryan Roofing 027 243 6451 Computers Taxi TechMan 022 315 7018 QUIZ Answers Ōtaki Shuttles 364 6001 Sports Clubs From Otaki Vets ANGLICAN To come, (when you let us know!) Ōtaki Animal Health 364 7089 Storage Historical Journals Ōtaki 9.30am 47 Te Rauparaha St 1st and 3rd Sundays Eucharist Otaki Secure Storage 0800 364 632 1. 1936 (vol 7) Te Horo St Margarets School Rd 2. 1946-1947 (vol 10) 2nd and 4th Sundays Eucharist 9.30am 3. 29 May 1901 (vol 3) Manakau St Andrews 1st Sunday, Cafe Church, 9.30am 4. The Case family’s ancestors 2nd & 4th Sundays, Eucharist 9am made cloth buttons in Dorset, England (vol 18) Ōtaki Rangiatea Church Services 37 Te Rauparaha St 5. 1938 (vol 28) Your trusted local crash repair specialist using the latest up-to-date Acts Churches The HUB Sunday Eucharist: 9am equipment and technology Tel: 364 6911

Window & Door Repairs

Otaki Shuttle Service

Seven Day a week service

Ōtaki Churches welcome you

• PPG Water Borne Paint System • (Environmentally Friendly) • Spray Booth • 3D Measuring System • Chassis Straightening Machine • Inverter Spot Welder • Crash Repairs • Rust Repairs • Plastic Welding • Free Courtesy Cars • All Insurance/Broker Work

It's your vehicle, you can tell your insurer who you want to use – Keep it local, call us today

Simon Taylor: Owner/Manager 3 Arthur St, Otaki Ph 06 36 47495

otakicr@gmail.com

www.otakicollisionrepairs.co.nz

Church viewing hours, school terms:

157 Tasman Rd, Ōtaki Mon–Fri 9.30am–1.30pm 10.15 am Family service tel ofﬁce: 364 6838 email: rangiatea.church@xtra.co.nz 10.15 am Big Wednesday

ŌTAKI Secure Storage • Secure storage • long or short-term • smoke alarms and security cameras • any size, from garden shed to house-lots 13 & 19 Riverbank Road 0800 364 632 www.otakisecurestorage.co.nz

Shannon Turongo Church, Poutu Marae Shannon/Foxton Highway 3rd Sunday 11.30am Levin Ngatokowaru Marae Hokio Beach Road 4th Sunday 11am

CATHOLIC Ōtaki

Kuku

St Mary’s “Pukekaraka” 4 Convent Road Weekend Mass Sunday Mass 10am, 5pm St Stephens 1st Sunday 8am

Baptist Tel: 364 8540 Cnr Te Manuao Road/SH1 10am service Presbyterian Rev. Peter L. Jackson Tel: 364 6346 249 Mill Rd, Ōtaki Worship: 11am Cafe Church: 2nd Sunday 10.45am

Ōtaki Mail —August 2019

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Hartley Electrical Contracting Ltd

ŌTAKI LOCKSMITH

For all your Electrical Requirements

RANCHSLIDER: Wheels & Locks - TRACKS REPAIRED

Otaki General Electrical Contractors

WINDOW: Hinges replaced & new catches fitted

Domestic Commercial Industrial Farm Mobile: After hours:

021 06

RANCHSLIDER & KEYS cut WINDOW REPAIRS

KEYS: cut LOCKS: repaired or new locks fitted

Plumbing Gasfitting • Wetbacks • Residental • Commercial • Woodburners • Solar Hot Water Systems

Phone Sam Whitt NOW

021 073 5955

418 364

751 2070

Email : hartleyelect@gmail.com

INCORPORATING WAIKANAE MEMORIALS AND KAITAWA CREMATORIUM

Specialised repair No Travel Charge

Phone: 0274 443 041 or 0274 401 738

• Earthmoving / Aggregate • Drainage Site Works / Section Clearing • Drive Ways Excavation / Tarseal / Hot Mix • Top Soil / Farm Roads

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We provide a 24 hour service, we do have standard office hours but some�mes you need us immediately. Our four funeral directors are professionally qualified and live locally in this region, Graham is from Otaki. We have purpose built facili�es, our own chapel, lounges and a crematorium, located at the cemetery. We will provide the funeral you want, we’re not here to tell you what to do, We’re here to help you with all details and make sure your loved one has a fi�ng farewell. In �mes of need we are here to help.

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Ōtaki Mail —August 2019

Winter training is in full swing BY NIKKI LUNDIE Each winter, for decades now, Ōtaki Surf Club Lifeguards have made their way out of warm houses each Sunday afternoon to head to the beach. These cold winter afternoons often bring big surf, strong winds and otherwise challenging conditions. It is these conditions that give our rescue boat crews (operating the famous orange BP IRBs) the chance to maintain and extend their rescue skills. Importantly, although the Lifeguards also see each other at swim training, beach time together makes for stronger patrols come summer time. If you’ve seen winter IRB training in action, you’ll have noticed lifeguards in the sheds preparing and checking equipment before launching craft in front of the Surf Club. Those first few moments standing knee deep in the surf are sure to wake everyone up before the training session begins. During that session, crews will often ‘parallel run’ close to shore as this is an essential manoeuvre that mimics how we might transit quickly to an incident north or south of our patrolled area. You’ll also see rapid launches through the surf and out towards unbroken waves, or larger surf, and this too is a critical skill that requires deft surf negotiation and confidence to perform safely. Practicing patient pick-ups is something we usually save until towards the end of the session as those lifeguards who have to act as patients in the water get pretty cold.

Ultimately, these winter sessions mean that by the time summer rolls around, our crews are skilled, knowledgeable and prepared to respond to any incident in pretty much any condition at Ōtaki beach. So please, while we love getting in the salt water any time, spare a thought for your Ōtaki Surf Lifeguards who are out there getting cold so we can be there for you and your whanau come the long hot summer we’re all keen to see.

An Ōtaki Silver Fern. Te Paea Selby-Rickit was recalled to the Silver Ferns in 2019. Benefitting from a full pre-season with the Steel, including specialist shooting sessions throughout the season, Selby-Rickit’s game continued on an upward trend in 2019. Able to play both shooting roles with equal effect make Selby-Rickit a valuable asset. After making her Silver Ferns debut in 2016, Selby-Rickit has become a leader in an influential Steel attack line, consistent court time over the last couple of seasons adding to her repertoire and court craft. Height, shooting nous and attacking smarts make Selby-Rickit a constant threat in the circle while her subtle court craft extends to clever off-loads and the ability to be a playmaker. A strong mover while also having the ability to play a holding role make Selby-Rickit a dangerous shooting opponent. World champions Silver Ferns!

Rebounding in style after missing out on the Northern Quad Series earlier in the year, lofty shooter Te Paea Selby-Rickit quickly earned a Silver Ferns recall for the 2019 Netball World Cup.

Aquafit Challenge Finale! After 6 weeks our Aquafit challenge finished with a ‘bang’ on 24th July. Congratulations to the winner Helen Hawea who won a fabulous 1 hour Photo Shoot with local photographer Simon Neale. Participants varied in fitness and age however a common theme was that they all loved the challenge and the benefits the regular exercise gave them. Instructors: Caroline and Shelley

Feedback from Nikki: “My daughter and I have been coming to Aqua aerobics at your Otaki pools and we are loving it. Having the 6 week challenge has been really great. I have already seen progress in my arms, one of my terrible areas to shift my extra weight. Also the instructors are so amazing they are so likable, kind and happy.” Three generations Jodie, Christine and Nikki

Gray Memorial Golf Tournament The Ōtaki Golf Club hosted the annual Gray Memorial Trophy tournament on Saturday, July 13th. This tournament attracted a top field from Wellington, Manawatu and Wanganui, and it was upgraded to a Wellington Order of Merit Tournament for this year. Fortunately the weather was kind as all players teed off at 7.45am and completed two rounds of golf just before the rain (and the darkness) arrived. The visiting golfers were lavish in their praise for the condition of the course and particularly with the consistency of the greens. Tara Raj (Whanganui) won the women’s division with a combined total of 150 and Jonathan Cane (Royal Wellington) took the men’s title with a total of 136. Both players are top performers at regional level. The Gray family has had a long and successful association with the Ōtaki Golf Club for much of its history and it is fitting that this tournament attracted such a quality field. The Club hopes to continue with this annual tournament for many years to come.

AMAZING STIHL LINETRIMMER AND BRUSHCUTTER SPECIALS FOR AUGUST

Ōtaki Mail - a community newspaper produced monthly by Ann, Lloyd & Penny, from 176 Waerenga Road, Ōtaki. Printed by Beacon Print, Whakatane. If you have any news, or don't receive your paper by the end of the month, please let us know by phoning 364 5500