Te Awamutu COMPUTERS, NOTEBOOKS, SERVICE, SUPPORT, SOFTWARE, ACCESSORIES CourierPublished Tuesday & ThursdayTHURSDAY FRIDAY, FEBRUARY JANUARY 8, 19, 2013 2012 407 Sloane Street, Te Awamutu P 07 871 3837 | F 07 871 3807 YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER FOR OVER 100 YEARS E [email protected] | www.computeraid.co.nz CIRCULATED FREE TO 12,109 HOMES THROUGHOUT TE AWAMUTU AND SURROUNDING DISTRICTS. EXTRA COPIES 40c. BRIEFLY Novopain continues Treaty meeting at Pukeatua John Grant from the Office of LANCE’S LOT Treaty Settlements will speak at Mistakes a public meeting at the Pukeatua Hall on Friday, February 15 at 1pm. This is an opportunity to learn spike in about the Treaty Settlement which includes the Pukeatua Cemetery and Pukeatua School and Mr Grant is prepared to first pay answer all questions raised. Everyone is welcome to BY DEAN TAYLOR attend. For more details, please phone Nigel Anderson (872 The Government has appointed 4839). a minister to be in charge of Novopay and a high profile team English classes to investigate the problems with English Language Partners the education payroll system — is running an English but that is cold comfort to the Conversation Group class at the people at the coalface. Rosetown Counselling Centre, MP Steven Joyce says Sir Racecourse Road, from next Maarten Wevers, the former chief Thursday. executive of the Department of the The course is open to all Prime Minister and Cabinet, will adults who are permanent team up with the chairman of Deloitte New Zealand, Murray residents or have working visas Jack, to carry out the ministerial and cost $3 per class or $20 per inquiry. term. Classes run from 9.30am- ‘‘The ministerial inquiry will 12.30pm. be a comprehensive fact-finding For more information contact investigation into all aspects of the Elaine or Jo (07) 853 2188 or Novopay project, from the outset tutor April (021) 184 1189. to the present day,’’ said Mr Joyce. The review will cost half a Rodeo injury million dollars of education A Te Awamutu rodeo money. competitor suffered possible In the schools, staff responsible The College has dipped into its already busy. correct paperwork, it isn’t even spinal injuries following an for dealing with Novopay are at own funds to help any staff who Mr Membery says it all takes processed in time for the next pay incident in Dunedin. their wit’s end. have been underpaid, but that is its toll on people — and that round. Cam Billing of Te Awamutu Our biggest school — Te Awa- not the main problem — it’s the doesn’t even take into account the As an example Ms Williams was competing at the Outram mutu College — has 134 staff. overpayments. toll on people who are not getting completed 45 forms last week for Rodeo competition on Waitangi In the first pay round for the Ms Williams says there have paid correctly. this week’s pay — and 30 weren’t Day when his horse reared and new year this week, about one- been overpayments since the sys- At the end of last year, holiday actioned. slammed him into the back of third of the staff were paid tem was introduced and Novopay pay was an issue, especially for To make matter’s worse on the chutes. incorrectly. Four weren’t paid at have said they won’t be addressing non-teaching staff. Tuesday, when teachers received all initially — remedied only by those issues for another two Then, although Novopay knew their payslips and the latest issues The gates opened but the strong words, three hours on the months. the start of the year would be surfaced Novopay’s email system rider came off the horse just phone and refusing to go away. ‘‘Some staff will have had the difficult, because of new staff, a wasn’t working. metres after it left the stall. On the frontline for Te Awa- money for six months before being new contract for teachers, changes Staff can’t deal directly with He was flown to Dunedin mutu College is principal Tony asked to pay it back.’’ to allowances and so on, Ms Novopay, so the burden of trying Hospital where he is reportedly Membery’s PA Rachel Williams. ‘‘It’s a nightmare, because it Williams says their staff didn’t to remedy the ever-increasing in a stable condition in an Education staff are paid fort- affects tax, student loan payments, work weekends or overtime to try number of errors is left to a few orthopaedic ward. nightly and she says there hasn’t union fees and KiwiSaver.’’ and mitigate the problems and, as people. Mr Billing was ranked fifth in been an error-free pay cycle since Te Awamutu College even had predicted, they got worse. Ms Williams says it is the saddle bronc event in the Novopay took over the payroll on a teacher on their payroll last year Ms Williams says the unpleasant to have to deal with the 2012-13 open standings. August 22 last year. whose start date was this year. frustrations are numerous. people who aren’t getting paid She says the mistakes started Then when they did join the staff ‘‘Its appears service desk staff properly when you have no faith Firing up on day one and haven’t stopped, they weren’t paid. are untrained and under-informed that it will be fixed. To mark their centenary, Te simply compounding the prob- Ms Williams says payroll and generally there is no point ‘‘We know there is to be a Awamutu Fire Brigade is staging lems. should take about 10 per cent of ringing because they can’t help Ministerial enquiry, but what we an open day tomorrow. Mr Membery is surprised Ms her time and no more than 15 per and have no answers.’’ need right now is a system that Check out the displays, Williams still comes to work. cent. She says she is often told ‘Yes, works,’’ she says. activities and appliances at the ‘‘People take pride in doing Since Novopay was introduced that is a known issue’. ■ station from 9am -2pm. their job well, but can’t when they it has taken three times as long Also, the online system doesn’t How has your school fared? Send are let down by a system that and other work is either suffering cope and when she works harder anecdotal Novopay stories to simply doesn’t work,’’ he says. or shared amongst staff who are to meet deadlines and submit the [email protected] Stay at home - NOT in a home Talk to us today about bathroom options for your needs. ■ Design and consultation service ■ Experienced and qualifi ed staff ■ Vanities, Toilets, Safety Rails, Seats ■ Full project management Your local accessible bathroom specialist. 07 870 5020 0800 772887 9075373AA 100 ROCHE ST, TE AWAMUTU www.pratts.co.nz 2 TE AWAMUTU COURIER, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2013 February LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Features Same tricks, but at least I’m honest Thursday 14th I can’t help but wonder when form of horoscope, which makes Her 2004 Dare to Believe tele- ‘spiritual phenomena such as the days of superstitious, super- it appear that they really have vision show was recorded by an orbs’, or, as you may know them, - Driveby natural, dash-of-snake-oil non- these abilities. audience member. Comparing specks of dust which reflect the - Gardening sense will end. As a psychological illusionist their live recording with what flash — for the $40 ticket price Medium Jeanette Wilson is myself — which can be seen in TV3 aired you see that separate you get a wonderful addition to Tuesday 19th filming her new show at the the ‘Mind Reader’ show — I use sound bites of two or three words any photo album. Woolshed Theatre soon. Anyone the same techniques employed she said during the reading were If she really did have these - Rural Roundup who seriously believes an ability by mediums to create the effect edited together to form new abilities I’m sure she would be to contact the dead exists is, that I can read minds, however, sentences, that were never extremely popular, everyone in Thursday 21st frankly, ignorant. unlike Jeanette, what I don’t do is spoken, but were extremely accu- the country would know about Scientific studies have proven lie to spectators about my abil- rate to the spectator — ‘poor her, and she wouldn’t need to - Weddings that nobody can talk to your ities — I openly say I use magic, editing’ can’t account for this. advertise her show in the Te To be part of these great features deceased family members. suggestion and psychology to If you do go along to the show Awamutu Courier — clearly, this phone Dorinda or Julie now to book Mediums merely use cold- influence and entertain audi- make sure you take a camera is not the case. reading techniques, a heightened ences. with a flash so you can capture HAMISH ANNAN your space - 07 871 5151 Te Awamutu Abridged responses to Coun- decisions’’ and the bulk of the Recycling on wrong day Courier cillor Hazel Barnes — Letter work is done in secret. 9089769AA to the Editor, January 31: You want me to ‘‘fess up’’. My agenda is this. In this How ironic that our duty to manage your contract Rubber stamper recession, I am passionately recycling has been picked up with your recycling sub Hazel is a rubber stamper concerned about people on a on a public holiday. contractors and it is also your along with many of the other fixed income, young families In the past it has been the duty to adequately inform the councillors.