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news • business • opinion • sport Thursday, June 27, 2024
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Double digit rate rises By Andy Campbell
The King Country’s two district councils struck their rates on Tuesday, and both settled on 10 per cent-plus increases. For Ōtorohanga the rates rise across the district for 2024-25 is 10.37 per cent. That involves a split between communities of 8.04 per cent rural, 14.02 per cent Ōtorohanga, and 15 per cent Kāwhia/ Aotea based on a ‘steady as she goes’ long term plan consultation process over recent months.
Waitomo rate payers will be billed an average of 11.07 per cent more. It is not out of line with other councils, mayor John Robertson said in his report to council on Tuesday. Inflation had driven much of the increase as had the need to mitigate severe storm events. “But this is no comfort for those homeowners and farmers who struggle with today’s cost of living. Affordability needs to be at the front of our minds when we make rating decisions,” he said. For year two of the council’s long term
plan the rate increase is an additional 7.78 per cent. “I urge us to trim this back during our annual plan process next year. This means cutting costs,” Robertson said. “The Chief Executive is to do work on benchmarking to discover whether we have higher costs in some areas than like councils have.” Robertson said options included considering amalgamation with another council to spread overhead costs. He repeated a call made previously to advance an amalgamation process with
Pride of Piopio
Sigrid Christiansen
Ōtorohanga and Chiefs rugby star Cortez Ratima is now an All Black and the news has his family and friends thrilled, but not surprised. As a “motocross crazy” boy, rugby was his second sport. He learned ball skills before school age, according to his dad, rugby coach Peter Lee Ratima. “He would have excelled at motocross. But we chatted about it when he was 13, and I suggested he pick one of the two. “You can’t be good at everything, but you can be a master of one thing.” Cortez chose rugby. So they kicked off an ambitious long term plan: to become an All Black. On Monday night he was named in Scott Robertson’s first All Black Our new All Black - Cortez Ratima. Photo: Chiefs Rugby Club. squad.
They had “a pretty good idea” it would work - and 2024 was the year expected. “Ninety per cent of the new All Blacks halfbacks were picked at age 22, 23” Ratima said. Cortez turned 23 on March 22. Why is he a special player? He’s “precise” and he’s got all the attributes. “He’s physical – not shy to get in and put a big hit in on a forward.” But his speed sets him apart. “He’s got gas.” He built his running skills in his teens with athletics coach Barrie Jennings, his dad said. The halfback, “Tez” to his family, grew up in Piopio; Peter Lee Ratima has spent much of his career farming in the Waitanguru and Mairoa districts. After spending time in Taranaki and Australia, Cortez played for Hamilton Boys High - he needed the “challenge and exposure” of a bigger school. Cortez’ rugby hero was fellow Waikato and Chiefs halfback Tawera Kerr-Barlow. Throughout his playing career, Cortez was supported by excellent coaches, including Waikato and All Blacks staffer Andrew Strawbridge. Continued on page 2
Ōtorohanga. “Our overhead costs we are just spreading with 10,000 people, and Ōtorohanga is the same way,” he said. “There are some significant savings in my view in bringing both councils together including savings from the exercise we have just been through – putting together a long term plan. It was a huge exercise each council is spending significant money on. If it was one council it would probably close to halve that cost. So I do think that’s something we all need to seriously look at.
Admirals go north
The native Red Admiral was eradicated from Auckland 20 years ago. Photo: supplied
Red Admiral caterpillars from the King Country have been taken to Auckland in the hope they will revive a population devasted more than two decades ago. Moths and Butterflies NZ Trust trustee Jaqui Knight said native red admiral butterflies disappeared from the city of sails following the government’s painted apple moth eradication campaigns in 2001 and 2002 “This species is only located in New Zealand and was once widespread,” Knight said. “Development and the loss of our wild spaces also means that now the beautiful butterfly is a very infrequent visitor.” There are other red admirals in the world, but the NZ red admiral, in te Reo ‘kahukura’ (meaning “red cloak”) was definitely the most beautiful, she said. Continued on page 5
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