Te Awamutu Panel & Paint Specialists Cars, Trucks & Machinery FREE courtesy cars available Courier Insurance Approved Repairs 1585 Alexandra St Published Tuesday & Thursday THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 2012 Te Awamutu YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER FOR OVER 100 YEARS 871 6780 CIRCULATED FREE TO 12,109 HOMES THROUGHOUT TE AWAMUTU AND SURROUNDING DISTRICTS. EXTRA COPIES 40c. BRIEFLY Fire treated as arson Scottish music this Sunday Te Awamutu & Districts Highland Pipe Band is holding its second annual Scottish Variety Concert. The open to public concert will commence at 1pm on Sunday at Te Awamutu Sports Clubrooms in Albert Park Drive. The varied programme includes singing, dancing and a haggis ceremony, followed by afternoon tea. Entrance is by gold coin donation. Signs up in Sloane Street KFC is fenced off and a sign advises the fast food store is undergoing a make-over. Across the road The Mill has a sign on its doors advising they have closed their business in Te Awamutu. Public invited to Sirocco talk National treasure ‘Sirocco the Kakapo’ will be topic of Te Awamutu Rotary’s guest speaker ecologist Chris TC020812DT01 Smuts-Kennedy at 5.30 on DETECTIVE Mark Smith (left) and Constable Scott Miller speak to the man who admitted setting fire to his own house in Kihikihi on Tuesday August 14 at Te Awamutu morning. Club. Members of the public are BY DEAN TAYLOR welcome to attend this meeting. A fire at a Rolleston Street house is For enquiries and to book a being treated as arson after the sole meal please phone Chris (872 occupant admitted setting it on fire. 7795) Emergency services were called to the address about 8.15am and found Letter to Editor fires inside the house. A reminder that we The sole occupant of the former welcome your letters to the family home was waiting outside the property when firefighters and police editor for consideration for arrived and admitted at the scene he publication — but you must had set the house alight. include your real, full name Detective Mark Smith of Te Awa- and a valid contact address mutu CIB says the 46-year-old man was and phone number. apprehended and is being assessed before a decision is made about laying Web correction charges. A previous brief inviting The fire service says the house readers to email the Te suffered significant interior damage Awamutu branch of the Green from fire, smoke and the effects of Party for information about fighting the fire — but nothing struc- events was published tural and it is repairable. incorrectly. Another house on the same property, The correct address is some 20 metres from the front house, [email protected] was undamaged. Police say the investigation is con- TC020812DT02 tinuing. THE site of the Rolleston Street house fire that is being treated as arson. 8813921AA MASCHIO DC3000P DEUTZ-FAHR AGROLUX 85 PACKER ROLLER 1ONLY Limited Numbers I 20x20 Transmission with creeper 4X4 85HP I 40kph I 2 D/A-Remotes I 2 speed PTO 540-1000rpm I Euro-loader 360 FEL, Normally $24,990 3rd service, self levelling SPECIAL $20,300 + GST $59,990 + GST 8813934AA Mike Whitburn: 0274 824 614 07 846 5554 Murray Barclay: 0274 753 690 07 872 1964 Benson Road, Te Awamutu. Phone 07 870 2411. www.powerfarming.co.nz 2 TE AWAMUTU COURIER, THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 2012 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CourierTe Awamutu CONTACTS Mayor may have done his dash Now is the time for the mayor The economics of Waipa are have the brains all right. We can Livingston’s pirates continue to MANAGER to either continue his campaign worse now than they ever were, see they don’t have any brains plunder ratepayers and make Alan Price of destruction or have a quiet with most things going on the and they don’t have much pathetic excuses, including that word with one of his proteges to slate and borrowing at an all-time information. The things they are old one about having assets they e: [email protected] give the chosen one the heads-up high. supposed to know do not get did not know they had, or finding and inside running. It will be Waipa District Council and trapped in the grey matter that ones that they lost. EDITOR interesting. staff have diligently followed the most people have between their In reality, it is the same old Dean Taylor The last three years have seen policies of Robert Muldoon, ears. assets they lost last year that they e: [email protected] the rules bent as far as they can which were never going to work. Every week in this column, found this time: a bit like hiding be, if not broken by Alan I am reminded of one of we see ordinary people pointing your own Easter eggs. Livingston. He may have done Muldoon’s famous quotes: ‘‘I can out the failure in the logic of We really do need to amalga- REPORTERS his dash and in the feudalistic give you the information but I council and the inconsistencies mate with a few other councils Cathy Asplin system that exists in Waipa, the can’t give you the brains to of its staff and that is with most of and try to find some people who e: [email protected] serfs may revolt against him. understand it with.’’ the information disguised or hid- might have some clue as to what Seeing his letter filled me with That is the same with Waipa den from them. they are doing. Colin Thorsen nausea rather than confidence. District Council. Mr Editor we Mr Dyet and Mayor JAMES PARLANE e: [email protected] ADVERTISING Footrot fun Massive rates More time needed Dorinda Courtney e: [email protected] We appreciate the ficance of this plan to us The timeless humour of Roger rise unjustified opportunities Waipa Dis- and our region, the Julie Jackson Hall is still relevant today. trict Council gives us to impact of proposed e: [email protected] While the world changes comment on the Proposed changes and that most of around us, nothing much changes This week I received my annual rate Waipa District Plan and us are lay-people/ Bookings on the farm at ‘Footrot Flats’. demand for our property at Awanui other plans. ratepayers we respect- [email protected] Three nervous sheep worry Avenue, a huge 17 per cent increase The document sets the fully encourage WDC in about what is the plan for the day. from $1655 to $1988. A near neighbour plan for our district for future to allow us a more CLASSIFIEDS Is it to be ‘shearing’, ‘dagging’, had a 21 per cent increase. our long term future. The appropriate period for ‘dosing’ or perhaps is it ‘tupping We were recently told in the news consultation period was consultation and Tania Cortesi-Western, Rhonda Bird time’ again? media, that Waipa District rates would too short for us to read, submissions, perhaps in Anna-Marie Holmes Dog basks in the sunshine, have about a 4.5 per cent increase. solicit advice and submit the order of 100 working [email protected] hoping to escape Wal’s notice. How can my rate increase and others meaningful comment. days. Wal, sometimes distracted by be justified? Considering the signi- TOM DAVIES LETTERS TO THE EDITOR the voluptuous charms of Cheeky, Why should I be charged for water worries about the weather and all treatment and supply and sewage dis- We welcome letters - preferably via email. the chores. posal when my property and all the They should be under 300 words and must Cooch worries about trees, other 20-odd residences at Awanui Contact valued have the sender’s name, address and phone Cecil the ram worries about being Avenue and Brills Road extension have number. No pseudonyms are accepted past his ‘use-by’ date (needlessly our own water supply and septic tanks? I was absolutely taken water reservoir. and names will only be withheld in special as it happens). These massive rate increases are by surprise, when I This is the first time in circumstances at the discretion of the editor. Aunt Dolly with corgi, Prince totally unjustified and unethical. opened a letter last week nine years I’ve been living Letters are not usually acknowledged and Charles, makes her scones. We are struggling to pay them, I from Waipa District here I have had a formal may be edited, abridged or discarded. I’m sure they were delicious, don’t know how families with depend- Council. response to these matters. despite being short of two or three ant children or elderly couples reliant They personally So well done Gary 8813772AA tablespoons of dough. How did on age benefits have any hope of replied to the submissions Dyet and his team for PHONE: 07 871 5151 FAX: 07 871 3675 that happen? Come and see for coping. I put in and informed me keeping the communica- 336 Alexandra St, PO Box 1, Te Awamutu 3840 yourselves! It’s a great show, with Most of the Waipa Council in my of what was happening tion channels open to Offi ce Hrs: Mon-Thu 8am-5pm, Fri 8am-4.30pm a laugh a minute. opinion, are out of touch with reality. with big issues, such as ratepayers. PAT JACKWAYS ROSS TURNER BRETT PURCHASE ISSN 1170-1099 (Print) ISSN 2253-4075 (Online) the library, museum and 8827637AA TE AWAMUTU COURIER, THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 2012 3 Kendra’s can-do entry 8828259AA AUGUST Rural Roundup BY CATHY ASPLIN Photos of Lady Gaga wearing can ‘rollers’ in SPECIAL FEATURE her hair has provided all the creative inspiration Kendra Ashford needs.