Te Awamutu Museum before it closed as an earthquake risk.
Moving on
Te Awamutu Museum staff
The doors to Te Awamutu Museum Education and Research Centre’s temporary Rickit Road site will close next week and the team move back to Roche St. The Roche Street building was deemed earthquake-prone in October 2022. Since then, extensive strengthening work has been completed, ensuring it is safe for visitors, staff and taonga. When the museum reopens in October, it will launch with the inclusion of an new touring exhibition from Te Papa – Rūaumoko: Restless Land, which explores Aotearoa’s natural hazards, including earthquakes, floods, and volcanoes.
Cutting in
Pak’n Save Te Awamutu staff Adrianna Te Aonui and Cody Burbery will compete in the finals of the Young Butcher and Anzco Foods Butcher Apprentice of the Year next month. Te Aonui was named Waikato young butcher of the year and Burbery won apprentice butcher of the year at heats in Te Awamutu.
Agenda item
A suggestion that Kenyan city Iten could be an ideal sister for Te Awamutu has been discussed by the Te Awamutu Kihikihi Community Board. It markets itself as the home of champions and its high altitude makes it a popular destination for long distance runners to train.
Kihikihi a bore
Inspection of the Church Street bore
The Church Street water bore in Kihikihi is being retired and replaced after reaching the end of its life after 50 years. Water from the two water bores in Kihikihi are treated at the Rolleston Street water treatment plant. The new bore is expected to be in place late next week.
Pre election reports
Hamilton city, Ōtorohanga and Waikato district chief executives have published their three-yearly pre-election reports under the Local Government Act. The reports offer potential candidates a look at the key issues, priorities and the councils’ future direction. Waipā and Waitomo are expected to publish their reports soon.
Calling for candidates
Local Choice
Nominations for the October local body elections have opened. No special qualifications are needed to run and anyone who is a New Zealand citizen, aged 18 or over and enrolled on the electoral roll, is eligible to stand for district and regional councils. Nominations close at 12 noon on Friday, August 1. Local elections will be held by postal vote, with voting papers sent out from Tuesday, September 9. Election Day is Saturday, October 11.
Good Local expands
The publisher of the Waikato Business News and three weekly community papers – Cambridge, Te Awamutu and King Country News – has added a fifth masthead to the family. Good Local Media owner David Mackenzie has completed the purchase of the Bay of Plenty Business News. He made the announcement soon after Stuff revealed the Cambridge Edition community newspaper would be one of several mastheads to close.
Cover story
Blankets
Hundreds of blankets, jumpers, hats and scarves were on display at the Cambridge Baptist Church last week before being packed up and shipped overseas in time for the European winter. Operation Cover-Up (OCU) links with the Christian charity Mission Without Borders to send knitted blankets and clothes to children in orphanages and struggling communities in Eastern European countries including Moldova, Romania, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Albania and Croatia.
OCU has been in New Zealand since 2000, and in Waipā, based in Cambridge from 2001. Other knitting groups in the community, including those at rest homes and retirement villages, contribute to the annual haul of knitted goods.
Underpasses in
The second of two pedestrian and cycling underpasses have gone into the Cambridge Rd roundabout outside Te Awa Lifecare. Fourteen pre-cast concrete underpass units arrived last Tuesday and were installed by Thursday. Contractors will now build a shared path through the underpasses linking Cambridge to the Velodrome and the Bridleways Estate. Work on the project will finish in September.
Toilets open
Hally’s Lane toilets
The new Hally’s Lane toilet block has opened replacing the 30 year old building previously on the site. The new toilets have three unisex cubicles and one fully accessible unit with a changing table.
Bridge work
Victoria (High Level) Bridge damage. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
Cambridge’s iconic Victoria Bridge is almost back to looking its best, with the final repairs to crash damage underway this week. To complete the work, contractors needed to work underneath the bridge for up to three days to replace one broken footpath support. The damage occurred in November, when a car and a van collided on the Cambridge town side of the bridge.
Licence hearings
A Waipā District Licensing committee hearing will be held next week to consider the renewal of licenses for India Today Ltd in Cambridge – trading as Koi Spice, Craft and Whisky Lounge. Meanwhile no decision has yet been released for Five Stags in Leamington which is facing an uncertain future due to multiple reports of intoxication and disorderly behaviour over the past three years.
Plan adopted
Waikato District Council officially adopted its 2025–2034 Long Term Plan last week setting a clear direction for the next nine years. The plan outlines how council will continue to invest in essential services and infrastructure to support its growing communities while keeping rates as affordable as possible.
Piarere speeds up
The speed limit at the new roundabout at the intersection of State Highways 1 and 29 has been lifted to 100km/h. NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi says the bulk of the work on the project, after 17 months of work, is done.
