News in Brief
School closes
Ōtorohanga College turned to online learning for two days last week as authorities investigated a brawl that started after a car full of young people drove onto school grounds. College board co-chair Duncan Coull told The News the Bledisloe Ave college had decided to pivot to online learning for two days to enable a thorough investigation after the fight broke out between 15 and 20 youths on college grounds on Monday morning last week.
Council shuffle
Deputy mayor Liz Stolwyk has been replaced as chair of the Strategic Planning and Policy by mayor Susan O’Regan and removed from the Chief Executive Performance Management committee in a Waipā District Council position reshuffle. Mike Montgomerie is promoted to chair the Finance and Corporate committee, replacing Andrew Brown, who doesn’t plan to seek re-election in October. The announcement followed the news that the council’s deputy chief executive Ken Morris had resigned
New priest
Philip Billing has taken over as St Peter’s Parish Catholic priest from Monsignor Leonard Danvers who had been in Cambridge since 2013 and recently celebrated 50 years as a priest. A Book of Memories with messages from parishioners will be presented to Danvers.
Refs issue SOS
Cambridge’s rugby referees association, which recently celebrated its centenary is warning it may not have the numbers to cover games this season. The association held its annual meeting on Monday. “The decline in on-field officials has become a critical issue, to the point where we may soon struggle to field enough referees to keep games going,” association president Gareth Coogan said.
“To help address this, we are launching a recruitment campaign aimed at attracting new referees— from retired players to young adults who want to follow in the footsteps of legends like Nigel Owens, to anyone of any age keen to give back to the game. No prior experience is necessary – just a passion for rugby and a willingness to learn.” Coogan leads the association into the 2025 season. Other posts filled this week were vice president Kelvin Scown, secretary Ivan McIntosh, treasurer Mike McLarn, executive committee and sponsor liaison John Gould, appointments officer Kevin Clarke, Cambridge High School liaison Anna Voss, media liaison Gareth Coogan, Brian Ley.
Road closure
Work to rebuild both lanes of a section of State Highway 3 between Rukuhia Road and Narrows Road will involve reducing the road to a single lane for about four weeks.
The winner of a Māori farming award is Waikato’s hope in the New Zealander of the Year Awards.
Three finalists were named in each of seven categories yesterday and include Tīrau based Ben Purua (Tainui) in the young New Zealander section.
His profile explains how he emerged from a troubled upbringing to become a leader in the agricultural sector.
As a 15 year old he served time in Waikeria Prison for manslaughter. There, he discovered a passion for farming, which fuelled a determination to turn his life around.
Purua holds the title of Ahuwhenua Young Māori Farmer of the Year and was named Dairy Manager of the Year for the Central Plateau region.
He is also supporting ex-prisoners, youth, and individuals battling addiction to find employment in agriculture.
He is also a leader on the He Tātai Rangahua Food and Fibre Youth Network, where he champions opportunities that break cycles of hardship.
2025 All Finalists
Ben Purua
