Wairarapa Times-Age

27/07/2024

Two dogged blokes, bikes, and toil have brought Masterton schools one step closer to meeting nationwide attendance aspirations.
The Oneness-Heart Tears and Smiles charity gave 19 bikes to the truancy programme that former veteran principal Frazer Mailman, along with Laurence Titter of Wairarapa Youth Charitable Trust, founded last year.

Two dogged blokes, bikes and toil have brought Masterton schools a step closer to meeting nationwide attendance aspirations.

27/07/2024

Motorists travelling between Masterton and Carterton can expect up to three weeks of late night road closures for improvement works starting from next week.
From July 29 until August 25, the works are designated at night on State Highway 2 from Chester Rd to Norfolk Rd.
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https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/350356919/more-sh2-night-detours

Motorists travelling between Masterton and Carterton can expect up to three weeks of late night road closures for improvement works at the end of this month.

27/07/2024

Tonight there will be people sleeping rough in Wairarapa.
“It’s hard to know exact numbers,” Stella Lennox, a Masterton councillor who is championing a new emergency night refuge for people experiencing extreme homelessness said.
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https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/350347818/homelessness-no-longer-invisible-problem

Homelessness is the extreme end of the nation’s housing crisis, and in Wairarapa the problem is becoming more visible with people living on the streets, under bridges and in their cars.

26/07/2024

In today's WTA and on the WTA web page
• Homelessness: No longer an invisible problem
• The hard, cold facts of living rough in Masterton: Homeless speak
• More SH2 night detours
• Masterton truancy scheme gears up
• An electrifying future possible
• Wairarapa disasters: Batavian Rubber factory fire
Read them online via our new webpage: https://www.thepost.co.nz/wairarapa
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26/07/2024

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: One way to help solve Wairarapa's homelessness issue would be ... 😞🚫🏚️🚫🧔⛺😔

26/07/2024

EDITORIAL: C'MON, WAIRARAPA, LET'S GET BEHIND KIM'S WAY
By Piers Fuller
It’s easy to ‘talk, talk, talk’ in the media, but sometimes you need to ‘walk the walk’ as well.
Someone once said, "We are only three mistakes from becoming homeless."
Depends on the mistakes of course, but I see where they are coming from.
Homelessness is a growing problem in New Zealand and Wairarapa is no exception, but sometimes it feels like nothing’s being done about it.
Here in Wairarapa, something is being done about it. A great initiative called Kim’s Way Night Shelter in Masterton, driven by the likes of Lynn Tankersley, Stella Lennox and Bob Francis, is almost complete but they just need a bit more funding it get it operational.
The team here at the Wairarapa Times-Age thought, ‘Surely we can be of some help here."
Today we are very excited to launch our Give Me Shelter campaign, which aims to raise $50,000 for Kim’s Way.
That’s where you come in. We want to rev up the community and try and give this fantastic initiative a last push to help people get off the streets with a hot meal and a warm bed to go to.
Homelessness is a vast and complicated problem, but providing a few beds in a night refuge is not that complicated and can make such a huge difference to those who find themselves on the bones of their bums.
We’re not trying to solve the housing crisis, we’re just trying to help some wonderful community-minded people provide some respite for those living a hard life.
Together we can actually make a difference.
A sausage sizzle, a school m***i day, a Rotary firewood session, a church collection, a family garage sale, a charity concert, a car wash or a lemonade stand — there are a million ways we can all pitch in.
What a great way to teach our tamariki that they too can take responsibility for those less fortunate in their community.
Our reporter Lucy Cooper has really taken this initiative by the horns and is writing a series of stories to support this campaign.
We want to look at the causes of homelessness, see what the government and councils are doing, hear first-hand from the people most affected.
What’s going on with social housing in Wairarapa? Is addiction a big part of the problem and are people getting the help they need? Are we getting people out of emergency housing? How many people are dossing on couches in the suburbs or sleeping in cars down at Henley Lake?
We’ve arranged with Stella and the Kim’s Way team to channel donations to the cause through a Givealittle page.
Don’t be shy, donate, and put your name to it. Local people love seeing people they know who are willing to pitch in.
If you’re a local organisation and you can show us that you are prepared to put some money where it’s needed most, then we would be happy to give you some credit within these pages.
If you’d rather lay low and give something on the quiet, that would be great too.
C’mon Wairarapa, let’s get together and see if we can make life a little better for those who have found themselves on the bottom of the pile.
Donate online here:

Fundraising for the completion of Mastertons only night refuge for our extreme homeless

26/07/2024

An exhibition exploring the resilience, bravery and fortitude of early Chinese immigrants to New Zealand through the art of knitting is coming to Aratoi in August.
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https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/350347940/exhibition-knits-food-and-family-together

Artist Bev Moon explores her family history in a touring exhibition of knitted traditional Chinese foods which comes to Aratoi in August.

26/07/2024

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https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/350342887/whats-wairarapa-need-speed-sounds-and-stickiness

Go behind the scenes with Greytown Honey to discover what happens inside beehives on a farm and how many bees it takes to enjoy a healthy dollop of honey on your toast.

26/07/2024

More than $25 million is set to be spent across South Wairarapa’s water network this financial year.

But this still won’t bring South Wairarapa’s water infrastructure up to scratch.

26/07/2024

It began with taking a courier van in Wairarapa and went on for another nine hours.
A judge in the Wellington District Court called it a crime spree.
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https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/350354324/nine-hours-havoc-wairarapa

Christopher Puru did some outrageous things, starting with taking a courier van.

26/07/2024

Masterton District Council has promised almost $900,000 of funding across a dozen organisations as part of its Long-Term Plan.

Masterton District Council has granted money to 12 organisations in its Long-Term Plan.

26/07/2024

Commuters on the Wairarapa Line can breathe a sigh of relief after the Government championed last year's Labour-led $802.9 million rail upgrade due in 2029.
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https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/350354720/relief-802-million-rail-deal-signed

Commuters on the Wairarapa Line can breathe a sigh of relief after the Government championed last year's Labour-led $802.9 million rail upgrade due in 2029.

25/07/2024

A man whose sick wife had to spend a night sleeping in what appeared to be an office at Wairarapa Hospital says the whole health system “needs a churn up”.
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https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/350355149/health-system-needs-churn

A patient has been forced to sleep in an office and seen staff “in tears” at Wairarapa Hospital.

25/07/2024

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: My favourite family-friendly joke is ... 🤡😜😂🤭

25/07/2024

In today's WTA and on the WTA web page
• “Incredibly busy” hospital staff “in tears”
• $802 million rail upgrade is now officially on-track
• Winners and losers: Council makes tough calls on funding
• Nine hours of havoc in Wairarapa
• $25m won’t fix all water woes
• Exhibition knits food and family together
• What's on Wairarapa: Need for speed, sounds and stickiness
Read them online via our new webpage: https://www.thepost.co.nz/wairarapa
Purchase your copy today from a local retailer
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25/07/2024

Farmers are being encouraged to install crush protection devices (CPDs) on their quad bikes to help reduce harm on farm.
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https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/350345761/life-saving-quad-bike-devices-made-cheaper

Farmers are being encouraged to install crush protection devices on their quad bikes to help reduce harm on farm.

25/07/2024

All-female street brass band The Hoot ‘n’ Annies, aerial acrobatics and fire shows are what await those heading to the grand finale of Greytown’s midwinter Christmas Festival this weekend.
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https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/350345030/epic-finale-planned-greytowns-christmas-festival

A grand finale has been planned to celebrate the end of a successful, month-long Festival of Christmas in Greytown.

25/07/2024

The Wairarapa Times-Age Sports Awards is a local institution that I’ve never had the pleasure of being part of before.
What a great night.
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https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/350353337/editorial-wta-sports-awards-recognise-sports-role-society

The Wairarapa Times-Age Sports Awards is a local institution that celebrates those pursuits at the core of our social fabric.

25/07/2024

Carterton ratepayers are likely to face an 11.6% rates increase once mistakes are corrected in the council’s Long-Term Plan.

Carterton will face a smaller rates rise than what was consulted on after auditors found errors in the council’s Long-Term Plan.

25/07/2024

A prominent Wairarapa employment lawyer says she has seen a sudden spike in cases of people who have been paid illegally.
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https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/350352684/worker-exploitation-6-hour-pay-outrageous

A prominent Wairarapa employment lawyer said they have seen a sudden spike in cases of people who have been paid illegally.

24/07/2024

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: The most important social function played by sport is ... 🏃🏻🏆💪⚽️🏀🏈⚾️🎾🏐🏑🤸‍♀️🤽‍♀️🏋️🤼‍♀️🏂

24/07/2024

In today's WTA and on the WTA web page
• Worker exploitation: $6 an hour pay ‘outrageous
• Carterton’s rates rise reduced after errors found
• Editorial: WTA Sports Awards recognise sport’s role in society
• Epic finale planned for Greytown’s Christmas festival
• Life-saving quad bike devices made cheaper
Read them online via our new webpage: https://www.thepost.co.nz/wairarapa
Purchase your copy today from a local retailer
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24/07/2024

Two Wairarapa companies are among the cream of the building crop, having taken out six regional awards in the Registered Master Builders House of the Year.
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https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/350351630/two-wairarapa-homes-among-new-zealands-finest

Two Wairarapa companies are among the cream of the building crop, collectively taking out six regional awards in the Master Builders House of the Year.

24/07/2024

A Tararua-based iwi is partnering with a Singapore game developer to create interactive experiences revealing Māori heritage in popular New Zealand locations.
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https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/350351730/iwi-and-singaporean-game-developer-tell-maori-stories

A Tararua-based iwi is partnering with a Singapore game developer to create interactive experiences revealing Māori heritage in popular New Zealand locations.

24/07/2024

NZ Post’s reach to rural Wairarapa residents is shrinking, and some are feeling the squeeze.
This weekend marks four weeks since June 29, when NZ Post discontinued its Saturday rural deliveries of subscription newspapers and parcels due to “financial viability”.
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https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/350350471/rural-postage-squeezed-across-wairarapa

NZ Post’s reach to rural Wairarapa residents is shrinking, and some are feeling the squeeze.

23/07/2024

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: The aspect of the Paris Olympics I'm most anticipating is ... 🏅🥅🏋️‍♀️🚴‍♂️🏊🤾🤼‍♂️🥇

23/07/2024

In today's WTA and on the WTA web page
• Rural postage ‘squeezed’ across Wairarapa
• Iwi and Singaporean game developer to tell Māori stories
• Two Wairarapa homes among New Zealand’s finest
Read them online via our new webpage: https://www.thepost.co.nz/wairarapa
Purchase your copy today from a local retailer
Or subscribe for home delivery from Tuesday to Saturday
Click on the link below to take up our offer:
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23/07/2024

Tight economic times are seeing some retailers closing their doors, but Wairarapa’s biggest commercial landlord has a strong balance sheet thanks to its robust long-term strategy.
Community-owned Masterton Trust Lands Trust held more than 90 tenancies and gave out more than a million dollars in grants and rent concessions to education and arts initiatives every year.
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https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/350350415/trust-gives-13m-masterton-community

Tight economic times are seeing some retailers closing their doors, but Wairarapa’s biggest commercial landlord has a strong balance sheet thanks to a robust long term strategy.

23/07/2024

One Wairarapa wahine has an innovative solution for affordable homes in the face of Aotearoa’s housing crisis.
Amber Craig founded Te Whare Hangahanga social enterprise, which will offer carbon-negative, low-waste, 30m² healthy flatpack homes estimated at $90,000 for communities.
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https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/350350468/wairarapa-wahines-90k-housing-social-enterprise

One Wairarapa wahine has an innovative solution for affordable homes in the face of Aotearoa’s housing crisis.

23/07/2024

South Wairarapa’s rates have more than doubled, on average, over the past 10 years.
The ratepayers in the southern district have borne the brunt of a cumulative increase of 138% since 2015, compared to about 58% in Masterton and 70% in Carterton.

South Wairarapa ratepayers have borne the brunt of a cumulative increase of 138% since 2015.