News in Brief
Behind closed doors
Councils who have been told by the Ombudsman’s office to be more open and not hide their debates behind “workshops” appear to have been given a new tool to discuss issues in secret. The Newsroom website has reported councillors in Auckland have been told they can avoid public gaze by holding “facilitated sessions”.
Cycleway users
Pedestrians and cyclist numbers on Waipā pathways continue to rise. On Park Rd, Te Awamutu, the number for June, 2611, was up 293 on June 2023.
Site winners
Waikato manufacturing sites were successful in Fonterra’s Best Site Cup awards in Auckland, including taking top honours for Waitoa, Waitoa UHT, Tīrau, and Lichfield sites. Hautapu was runner up to Waitoa for the best medium site and second in the Sustainability Cup. The annual awards for co-op’s sites cover a range of areas from sustainability, innovation, and efficiency.
Stag poached
Police say a $20,000 stag has been shot, its head removed and the carcass left in a paddock on Hauturu Rd, Waitomo. A black double-cab ute had earlier been seen near the property.
Walker named
Waipā rider Leila Walker has been named in the New Zealand BMX team to compete in the Paris Olympics. The Cambridge rider, 19, and North Shore’s Rico Bearman, already in France, are the newest additions to the New Zealand contingent.
Vandals hit
Waipā ratepayers will pick up the tab for a second attack by vandals on a recently completed park in Cambridge. Vandals damaged the exterior of a toilet block – which will cost about $15,000 to fix – and trashed a garden and barbecue area at the Terry Came Drive playground – seven months after another attack where they tried to light fires.
