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THURSDAY APRIL 18, 2024
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APRIL 18, 2024
Goodbye, Mr Blobby By Roy Pilott, Editor
The proposed bridge location is gone – long live the next one. Waipā district councillors held yet another behind closed doors meeting last week to finally put to rest suggestions they would bulldoze through Cambridge’s history to build a bridge over the Waikato River. Of course, they didn’t actually make a decision, because you are not allowed to make decisions away from standard meeting forums, like informal meetings, unadvertised meetings and workshops. This, we were told was a decision made to take the potential location “off the table” as a result of a “discussion” involving the mayor and councillors. But put it this way – at the start of the meeting/discussion, the blue blob on Cambridge was a route option for the next bridge and by the end of it, there were no options on offer. The News has asked the Ombudsman whether Waipā has breached the Local Government
the time frame – as in decades – before it is built. In the latest statement O’Regan said elected members had agreed it was not the right time to pin down a location. “I appreciate that this has been a very stressful time for those people in the affected zone, and I hope this decision, and the fact that all potential river crossing options will be back on the table in the future, goes someway to alleviating their concerns. So the blob is off the table, but all options are on the table – we’ll take that to mean it’s goodbye Mr Blobby. Three councillors elected in the Cambridge ward - Roger
Act by setting policies at off-camera meetings, this appears to be another potential offender. So endeth this chapter on a public relations disaster for a council which has combatted its falling profile by paying Google and Meta-Facebook to promote its own propaganda - and in the process emerge as The News’ major media rival in Waipā. Mayor Susan O’Regan and staff issued an abject apology last month for not telling the people who lived under the blue blob that their homes were in the firing line. The language around the bridge now is focussed on
Gordon, Philip Coles and Mike Pettit – sang from the same hymn sheet last Thursday – all making a point of praising a council media release then expressing hope the community would give clear feedback on the Cambridge Connections plan. The fourth, deputy mayor Liz Stolwyk told The News she supported the new approach, noting a lot more work needs to be done to look at locations. Coles did though add “people are unlikely to support changes particularly when they don’t have an opportunity to either provide constructive input, understand the changes and to learn and contribute towards the particular project in front of us all”. He might have added “or hear councillors discuss the issue”. Taking all options off the table doesn’t mean the blue blob can’t be considered again – but woe betide any future regime which looks twice at it. LEFT: The blob is gone, but not forgotten. (With acknowledgement to BBC Studios).
Indian soldiers to be remembered at Anzac
This year’s Anzac Day commemorations in Cambridge will feature acknowledgement of a relatively unknown aspect of New Zealand’s Gallipoli experience – the recognition of Indian soldiers who fought alongside Kiwis at Gallipoli.
It is thought that the honouring of those troops here next week will be a first in New Zealand. Laying a wreath on behalf of the 14th Sikh and 5th Gurkha regiments on Anzac Day will be Captain Allan Rodrigues (retired) of the Indian Navy.
He told The News that both were very old regiments. The Sikh regiment (King George’s Own 14th Ferozepur Sikhs) was raised in 1846, and the 5th Gurkha regiment (Frontier Force) was raised in 1858. Both regiments serve in the Indian Army.
He said information gleaned from the Imperial War Museum in London shows that a battalion from the 14th Sikh regiment landed at ‘V’ Beach, Cape Helles on May 1, 1915, as part of the 29th Indian Brigade. They suffered 78 casualties before they had been in
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the front line for two days. By July 6, the battalion was reduced to two officers and 117 men. After further losses suffered following a period of rest and reinforcement, they finally left Gallipoli on December 14.
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