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THURSDAY JULY 24, 2025
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Clocking off, yet again...
JULY 24, 2025
Our French links
By Mary Anne Gill
Cambridge’s historic Town Clock is causing trouble once more, despite Waipā District Council spending more than $720,000 on restoration works last year. The clock stopped twice last week. The first incident followed a power cut, which resulted in the weights running to the end of their cables. After rebalancing the weights, the clock was restarted. However, it stopped again just days later, prompting the council to call in a specialist clockmaker. Staff believe the second interruption may have been caused by weather or atmospheric conditions affecting the power supply. Last year’s restoration involved a range of specialist trades, including plastering, concrete and steel work, scaffolding, electrical upgrades, and clock maintenance. At the time, the council projected annual savings of $17,000 in maintenance costs, plus an additional $7500 from eliminating manual rewinding. Originally installed atop the Post Office in 1908, the clock was moved to its current site in 1934, following the Hawke’s Bay earthquake three years earlier. While the clock continues to challenge engineers, there’s better news for the adjacent Town Hall. The second phase of its upgrade has now been completed, bringing improvements to the Victorian and Edwardian rooms. The works, which began in January, included roof repairs and replacements, as well as upgrades to catering facilities. The project was delivered on time and within budget last month. Built in 1909, the Town Hall is a heritage-listed building that anchors Cambridge’s civic piazza. It shares the space with the Town Clock, a cenotaph, memorial walls, gardens and a Mare and Foal statue - making it a central part of the town’s historical and cultural identity.
Senators Philippe Folliot (chair) left and Sébastien Pla (deputy-chair) of the France-New Zealand Interparliamentary Friendship Group of the French Sénat lay a wreath at the Cenotaph while other members of the delegation including from left Florian Grill, French Federation of Rugby president, Lauren Beau, Ambassador of France to New Zealand and the Cook Islands and Raphaël Ibañez, general manager of the French Federation of Rugby prepare to lay a wreath and present a signed French rugby team jersey. See story Page 7. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
O’Regan’s last stand By Mary Anne Gill
Waipā mayor Susan O’Regan launched her re-election campaign this week, announcing that if elected, it would be her final term in office. She revealed she nearly decided not to stand again due to the toll abuse and threats had taken on her and her family. “I was frightened for them at times over the last three years,” she said, confirming she only made the final decision to run at the Local Government New Zealand conference in Christchurch last week. “To contemplate going through that again really rocked my confidence.
It affected me in ways I don’t think people fully appreciated.” Despite those challenges, O’Regan has chosen to run again and will face long-serving councillors Mike Pettit and Clare St Pierre in the mayoral race. “I made a commitment to drive the change that’s needed, and I’ve started that work. There’s still more to do.” She said she would not promise any “short term wins” during the campaign. As mayor, she would continue to focus on making the right decisions to keep the district moving forward with “clarity, credibility and purpose”. O’Regan, 53, is the daughter of the
late National Party MP Katherine O’Regan. She was born and raised in Rukuhia, owns a dairy farm in Judge Valley with her husband John Hayward and they have a blended family of five children. “I feel really deeply connected with the Waipā community. I’ve been here my whole life. I felt I made a promise, a commitment. I feel like it’s only half done. She was first elected to Waipā’s Kakepuku ward in 2016, re-elected unopposed three years later and appointed chair of the council’s Strategic Planning and Policy committee. Continue on page 5
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