Te Awamutu FAST RURAL BROADBAND Find out more from the team at Published Tuesday & Thursday FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 2015 Courier TE AWAMUTU Community Newspaper of the Year | APN Regional Media Awards 2014 EXTRA COPIES 40c 1/119 Alexandra Street | 07-8706031 9958256AA Waipa building boom TA College rugby tour At least one new house a day A group of 26 Te for every day of the week is now Awamutu College rugby under construction in the Waipa players, teachers and district. parents left for Canada on For the first three months of Wednesday as part of a two 2015, Waipa District Council issued week development tour. building consents for 95 brand new Months of fundraising has houses — 20 in January, 37 in February and 38 in March. gone into the trip which That equates to more than 31 includes three games against houses on average each month Vancouver high school sides. getting the green light — an The trip ends with a visit to increase of 4.4 per cent from this Disneyland and Universal time last year. Studios on the way home. Fifty four of the building consents were for new homes in Right attitude Cambridge, with a further 22 new Te Awamutu Continuing houses planned for Te Awamutu Education guest speaker for or Kihikihi. In Pirongia/ Wednesday (April 15) is Ngahinepouri consents were Barry de Geest. issued for 13 new houses, with the He recently appeared on remaining six spread across the TV programme ‘Attitude’ and district. is living proof that disability The average value of the new need not hold anyone back. homes is $340,000. The meeting begins at In 2009 over the same period 10am in Waipa only 51 consents were issued. Workingmen’s Club. Entry Council’s planning and regula- tory manager Wayne Allan said ($2) is open to the public. For his team of building inspectors and more see classified planners was ‘consistently busy’. advertisement in today’s “We have 61 building consent edition. applications just waiting on fees to TC100415CA02 be paid so they can be uplifted, NEW housing going up in Laird Place (off Cambridge Road). Local masters we’ve asked for more information for a further 55 and there’s another underway in Cambridge as well as section of the Waikato “Waipa’s GDP had grown by 2.6 rowing regatta 58 new applications in line to be a proposed new retirement village Expressway. per cent a year over the past Te Awamutu Rowing Club processed. for Cambridge Road,” he says. At a recent breakfast hosted by decade, compared to 1.4 per cent is hosting a Masters regatta “So that’s another 174 Council was also looking to Council, Infometrics senior econo- for the wider Waikato region and at Lake Ngaroto this applications in the system and update its industrial structure mist Benje Patterson said Waipa’s 1.8 per cent nationally,” he said. weekend. more coming in the door every planning for the Hautapu area, and economic growth was well above Mr Patterson said agriculture, Over 200 rowers from day,” says Mr Allan. wants to work with landowners to the national average and housing and construction, recrea- around the North Island are “There are currently three develop new industrial sites on the indicators for the district were tion and tourism were among expected to attend, joining an large residential growth areas northern side of the Cambridge good. Waipa’s key economic drivers. increased number of local crews. Racing starts at 9.45am tomorrow. Proposal to shut units at Waikeria As today’s issue was going to around 260 Corrections staff will not only provide these facilities, it reintegration, health and rehabili- press, Department of Corrections be affected and Corrections will will create the additional capacity tation services are under the direc- chief executive Ray Smith help them move to other prisons if we need to be able to close some of tion of a Prison Director. anounced proposals to close partts they wish. our oldest units that are no longer Prison Directors would have of three prisons, including The Department of Corrections fit for purpose. responsibility over the staff and Waikeria. plays a key role in driving for a 25 There are over a thousand resources they need to achieve “While overall the number of per cent reduction in re-offending prisoners from Auckland, cur- working prisons and create lasting beds for prisoners will increase by by 2017. rently housed in other prisons change in the lives of offenders. 433 this year, they’ll be modern, To achieve this, we need to around the country, and many of Supporting our staff through safe and focused on rehabilitation, change the way we operate and these will be moved back closer to these changes will be our main unlike the units in Waikeria, make all prisons places of indus- their families, aiding their priority. Tongariro/Rangipo and Rimutaka try, learning and rehabilitation. rehabilitation. Staff have been given the oppor- Prisons that are proposed for The opening of the new 960-bed The proposal also outlines a tunity to comment on the proposal closure. Auckland South Corrections new prison structure where all and a final decision will not be Over the next year we expect Facility (ASCF) next month will custodial, education, employment, made until next month. introducing the new SERIES 6 • Eye Examinations • Optometrist in practice DEUTZ FAHR • Contact lens fi tting • Prescription Sunglasses • Safety glasses Mon, Tues Wed, Fri 9-5pm Thurs 9-7pm 335 Alexandra St, Te Awamutu • 07 871 7741 Mike Whitburn: 0274 824 614 Murray Barclay: 0274 753 690 www.teawamutueyecare.co.nz 2 Te Awamutu Courier Friday, April 10, 2015 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CourierTe Awamutu Community Newspaper of the Year 2014 Destruction and evil but not much good stuff Your community newspaper for I note the number of let- The second round of millennia. We were told that On YouTube there is foot- over 100 years. ters published in response to replies were a more cour- these miracles were age of a very horrible church my last letter. teous and considered group. performed with little effort. collapse in Italy where 65 Circulated free to 13,968 homes through Te Awamutu The first lot did not Here I felt the warmth of Don’t forget Maui is not preying grandmothers were and surrounding districts. impress me as typical of the outstretched hands and evi- ‘off the hook’ if you’ll pardon all killed in only a few kindness I would have dence of people who wanted the pun. seconds. CIRCULATION 13,968* (7059 urban, 6909 rural) expected from people who to assist and share their Did he really slow down Plenty of destruction and live lives of devotion to help- faith. the sun and fish up Te Ika a evil but not much good stuff. We welcome letters - preferably via email. They ing their brothers and sisters They were more careful to Maui with a hook made from Surely if an all loving God should be under 300 words and must have the and honouring God. explain their views and they his grand-mothers jawbone? exists, we would be all given sender’s name, address and phone number. No One of particular note, showed some respect for I say that if it sounds too clear signs and some of the pseudonyms are accepted and names will only be wrongly claimed that I their fellow human beings. good to be true, well . you evil people would have faded withheld in special circumstances at the discretion acquired my right to freedom One writer touched on the know the rest. out early. I remain doubtful of the editor. Letters are not usually acknowledged of speech from Christians. question of proof and asked I would have thought that that there are angels playing and may be edited, abridged or discarded. Hardly. what level should there be? as the population has grown horns in heaven with halos They went on to demand Well if you are dealing in we would be seeing more of on their heads. I’m sticking MANAGER that you not allow me to miracles, it is reasonable to the likes of walking on with the theory that it’s all Alan Price write these letters. expect that a few more really water, parting the ocean, about people helping people [email protected] They were making big ones might have come healing people and curing while we still can. EDITORIAL unreasonable demands. our way over the last two the blind and a few new ones. JAMES PARLANE Dean Taylor (editor) [email protected] Cathy Asplin (journalist) Churches fail to give No complacency [email protected] Colin Thorsen (journalist) [email protected] value for money over race relations ADVERTISING Dorinda Williams Mr Tims believes with I agree that many religi- [email protected] no churches, God or The ous organisations provide Discussions are often held, is, how we speak, dress or what AngeSandy Holt Pepperell Bible, there would be no aid to the needy and good how do we grow, prosper, our religious convictions may be. [email protected]@teawamutucourier.co.nz law, knowledge of right for them but, bearing in improve our town making it Age, gender and outward and wrong, no hope, no mind the massive taxpayer better more desirable place to appearance can also harbor Bookings love. subsidies handed out to live? prejudices by some. [email protected] This is typical of the them via the the 33 per cent I was lucky enough to attend Ironically prejudice can des- CLASSIFIEDS arrogant nonsense spouted donations refund, I cannot an address by Dame Susan Devoy troy the very person who holds Tania Cortesi-Western, by some Christians.