Te Awamutu COMPUTERS, NOTEBOOKS, SERVICE, SUPPORT, SOFTWARE, ACCESSORIES Published Tuesday & Thursday THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2016 407 Sloane Street, Te Awamutu Couurier P 07 871 3837 | F 07 871 3807 Your community newspaper for over 100 years EXTRA COPIES 40c E [email protected] | www.computeraid.co.nz Residents check plans BY DEAN TAYLOR More than 50 members of the public took advantage of the Department of Corrections two public consultation events in the district held last week to find out Christmas treat more about the proposal to expand Next Wednesday is the final Waikeria Prison. 2016 meeting for Te Awamutu The department has also Continuing Education Group directly consulted with occupants and will feature Magician Andre of 25 neighbouring properties. Vegas, with a spectacular On hand from the department presentation, including new were Waikeria Prison Director tricks to mystify everyone. Kevin Smith, Prison Capacity Pro- Te Awamutu Courier editor gramme Director Andrew Robert- Dean Taylor will give a resume son, RMA and Stakeholder Lead of his experiences with the Craig Erskine, plus support staff. newspaper, followed by Feedback generally indicates Christmas Luncheon. the public is positive about the Everyone is welcome — to proposal — with some localised book phone 871 6434 before issues raised. Monday. For more info see ad. These included the possible effects of increased traffic, the night-time lighting of the site, Mighty Moir effects on the landscape and waste New Zealand's future water treatment. motocross stars were on show at Mr Robertson says the depart- the KTM-sponsored 2016 New ment will now take that commun- Zealand Mini Motocross ity feedback into the examination Championships near Pukekohe. of those and other issues Te Awamutu's Taylor Moir associated with the proposed TC011216DT10 placed consistently high over development, in order to fully WAIKERIA Prison CEO Kevin Smith discusses the prison expansion project with members of the five races to finish fourth in the understand and address them. public at last Wednesday’s consultation evening in Te Awamutu. 7-8 years' 65cc class, won by Already they plan to upgrade Christchurch rider Kobe Thoms the intersection of Waikeria Road and natural colours for buildings. Between now and February By March the new information with five wins from five starts. and SH3, will use new technologies Mr Robertson says the con- next year Corrections will go back will be used to formulate and lodge to mitigate light pollution and to sultation meetings aren’t the last to a number of residents with a formal application, which will be Tree Awamutu specify non-reflective materials chance for public input. updated information. open for public submissions. A pop-up Christmas tree forest is open at North End Church this month. Families, groups and businesses construct a tree that represents what Traffic lights a first for WDC Christmas means to them. The forest is open December 12, 13 and 14, 7pm to 9pm and Waipa’s first ever council-owned set of the beginning of another in Cambridge North everyone can get used to the new layout.” December 13, 12.30pm to traffic lights will be turned on next week. with physical work on a $1.6 million project The lights are the first set in Waipa installed 2pm. Koha is appreciated. From Monday traffic lights will control the involving Swayne Road, Bowen Street and and owned by Waipa District Council. Other intersection of Norfolk Drive and Victoria Road Taylor Street now underway. traffic lights in the district are owned and in Cambridge. It includes upgrading stormwater and operated by the NZ Transport Agency and help The traffic lights are part of a wider project wastewater systems, installing a new sewer control traffic on the State Highway network. recently completed in Cambridge North. The pipe and providing new footpaths, car parks Note: Long-time Te Awamutu residents will project, which included the extension of and street lighting. recall our two sets of traffic lights. Norfolk Drive, connects Cambridge North to A mini roundabout will be built at the In pre-WDC days lights controlled a pedes- the rest of the town and also allows for forecast Bowen St-Taylor St intersection, similar to that trian crossing in Alexandra Street and more growth. at the Alpha St-Empire St intersection. recently there were light on the Alexandra/ Other work included widening Victoria Group manager service delivery Barry Arawata/Sloane Street intersection. Road, installing wastewater and storm water Bergin has acknowledged the level of ongoing Those were owned by NZTA from when SH3 infrastructure, building a shared footpath/ work in Cambridge North and has urged came through Arawata and Sloane Streets and cycleway and installing new pedestrian motorists and cyclists to take extra care when were removed in 1992 when Albert park Drive crossings, kerbing and planting. travelling on Victoria Road. opened. The lights will be turned on at 10am Monday “There are a lot of roadworks about — we As part of the Heart of Te Awamutu project, morning and Norfolk Drive will be open to acknowledge that,” he said. “We really need a study showed the lack of traffic lights was traffic at the same time. people to be mindful of the new lights in seen as a positive aspect of Te awamutu by The completion of one project has signaled particular, and to be patient with others so visitors. Caring for your eyes PROTECT YOUR EYES THIS SUMMER New Sunglasses NOW IN STOCK Prescription sunglass packages available from $299 Te Awamutu Otorohanga Putaruru 2 Livingstone Brothers Ln 12 Progress Drive 89 Tirau Street 335 Alexandra St,Te Awamutu P: 07 871 6781 P: 07 873 8500 P: 07 883 3423 T: 8717741 F: 8718555 E: [email protected] 2 Te Awamutu Courier Thursday, December 1, 2016 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CourierTe Awamutu Community Newspaper of the Year 2014 Invest in education for our own people Your community newspaper for over 100 years. The future of work in New Zealand is and watch inequality skyrocket. I’m not. The best way to upskill our population Circulated free to 14,055 homes through Te Awamutu uncertain, with 46 per cent of jobs under We have around 42,000 homeless people is to encourage them to go onto further threat from technological advancement. in New Zealand and 1/3 of Kiwi kids education, something that could be done and surrounding districts. Not to mention the fact that many of us growing up in poverty. through free or incentivised tertiary edu- CIRCULATION 14,055* (7136 urban, 6919 rural) watch with dread as prices continue to Our health service and education cation. rise while wages stagnate. It is getting sectors are facing further budget cuts, Incentivised tertiary education and We welcome letters - preferably via email. They harder and harder for the majority of New while we continue to bring in around training programmes would be a great should be under 300 words and must have the Zealanders to get ahead. People don’t want 70,000 people a year. way to decrease poverty and increase sender’s name, address and phone number. No a handout, they want a hand up. This is seriously unsustainable for our employment because work is the greatest pseudonyms are accepted and names will only be They want something to hope for, a economy. liberator from poverty. withheld in special circumstances at the discretion stake in our nation and a share in If we really want to see growth and We have to stop focusing on short-term of the editor. Letters are not usually acknowledged prosperity. positive change in our country, we have to surpluses and look at the long-term social and may be edited, abridged or discarded. But 70 per cent of our nation’s wealth start building it from the ground up, cost if we don’t invest in our own people goes straight to the top 10 per cent, brick-by-brick. There are 131,000 unem- through education and employment. MANAGER meaning that shares in prosperity are ployed people in New Zealand. Let’s give We need an economy that works for Alan Price [email protected] getting increasingly harder to find. them the skills to fill the gaps rather than everyone. Some people may be content to sit back importing workers. LUKE EAST EDITORIAL Dean Taylor (editor) [email protected] Colin Thorsen (journalist) [email protected] Few changes to council committees Bethany Tiddy (journalist) [email protected] ADVERTISING Waipa District Council has Dorinda Williams made little change to its commit- [email protected] tee structure for the coming term. Ange Holt [email protected] At Tuesday’s meeting Te Awamutu councillor Andrew Bookings Brown was reappointed chair of [email protected] the Finance and Corporate Com- CLASSIFIEDS mittee. Rhonda Oosterman, Pirongia councillor Bruce Tania Cortesi-Western, Thomas was reappointed chair Alanah Harvey of the Regulatory Committee, [email protected] with fellow Pirongia councillor Clare St Pierre reappointed ANDREW BRUCE CLARE LIZ GRAHAME DELIVERY QUERIES 0800 111 200 chair of the Audit and Risk BROWN THOMAS St PIERRE STOLWYK WEBBER POSTAL ADDRESS Committee. 97 Sloane Street, PO Box 1, Te Awamutu 3840 The Strategic Planning and allocate funds to events in the capacity to oversee the renewal and Policy Committee with any OFFICE HOURS Policy Committee is now district. and monitoring of water associated projects or activities Monday-Thursday 8am-5pm, Fri 8am-4.30pm chaired by Cambridge council- The Service Delivery Com- consents held by the Council. to be overseen by that commit- PHONE 07 871 5151 | FAX 07 871 3675 lor Liz Stolwyk.