THURSDAY MAY 21, 2026
King Country
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MAY 21, 2026
A solution to the gorge?
A long and winding road is being cited as the answer to the ongoing closures of the Awakino Gorge. Waitomo mayor John Robertson reveals in The News today that he and New Plymouth mayor Max Brough negotiated the Taumatamaire Road between
Awakino and State Highway 3, a short distance from Mahoenui. They plan to team up with other district mayors to put a case to Waka Kotahi – the New Zealand Transport Agency . The Awakino Gorge is vulnerable to significant slips which take
weeks to clear. The impact on the Awakino business community is crippling, and the alternate route is through Taumarunui and onto the picturesque but challenging Forgotten Highway. Taumatamaire is not fully sealed – its remoteness is highlighted by
By Dan Tasker
played in both the Taumarunui and Te Kūiti Operatic Societies’ theatre productions and local bands over the years. Locals may also remember Darrow from a recent stint with electricity distributor The Lines Company, first as a director in 2015 before he became board chairman the following year until 2021. Brown said Darrow’s expertise in finance, audit, risk and accountability made him well-suited to guide the organisation through its next phase. “Mr Darrow is an experienced board chair and director with a strong track record across both the private and public sectors, including health,” Brown said. “As we look ahead, the board will play a key role in supporting the transition to a nationally-planned, locally and regionally-delivered health system,” he said. Since officially stepping into the role, Darrow has spent considerable time meeting with Health NZ executives, board members and key Government agencies to understand the strengths and challenges facing the organisation. “My mandate is to help move us into a more normal governance
environment and create clarity about roles, responsibilities and expectations,” Darrow said. Among his priorities are strengthening workforce support, improving financial sustainability and modernising technology systems across the health sector. “The first is our people. We need to provide better support and strengthen how we manage and develop our workforce,” Darrow said. “The second is financial sustainability. We need a clear plan to manage our resources well and reduce the deficit. “The third is technology. We have work to do to improve our digital systems and tools,” he said. Darrow also signalled strong support for devolving more decision-making to local communities and frontline services — a direction likely to resonate in rural areas such as King Country, where access to healthcare has long been a challenge. “One area I am particularly interested in is how we balance investment between primary and secondary care,” Darrow said. “We also have a real opportunity to move decision-making closer
the fact Google Maps hasn’t sent its camera along the road. But the mayors will argue the value of turning it into a two-lane, sealed bypass road to take traffic when the gorge closes. • See John Robertson’s column on Page 2.
From power to health
A man raised in King Country and who recently chaired The Lines Company board has been appointed to lead Health New Zealand. New Health NZ chair Mark Darrow was recruited for the role by Health Minister Simeon Brown on a three-year term beginning this month. Darrow replaces outgoing chair Lester Levy and steps into the role at a pivotal time as the Government pushes for stronger financial discipline, improved frontline care, and more locally driven decisionmaking. Despite a career spent at the highest levels of governance across electricity, banking, transport, aviation and health, Darrow still recognises his roots in small-town King Country as central to who he is. “I grew up in Taumarunui, a small town of around 6000 people in the King Country. That upbringing has stayed with me, it keeps me grounded and shapes how I approach things,” Darrow said. Darrow lived in Taumarunui for 18 years, he was schooled at St Patrick’s Catholic School and Taumarunui High School and
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Mark Darrow has been appointed as Health New Zealand’s chair.
to where care happens. Pushing decisions closer to the frontline enables more timely, locallyinformed choices,” he said. The experienced director brings an extensive governance résumé to the role. He previously served on the board of Counties Manukau District Health Board and chaired organisations including the Civil Aviation Authority, TSB Bank, Armstrong’s and MTF Finance. He has also held governance roles with NZTA, Auckland Transport, AUT and Inland Revenue.
Memories of Harrodsville Ōtorohanga Museum is planning a 40th anniversary of a time when the town took on the might of Harrods in London. In an online post, the museum announces “in June 1986… Harrods were threatening a couple of small New Zealand businesses with the same or similar names with costly legal action, demanding that they change their business names”. The London giant took exception to Henry Harrod putting his name on his Ōtorohanga restaurant. Ōtorohanga businessman Barry Marx was annoyed enough to suggest that every business in Ōtorohanga changed their name temporarily to Harrods. “The Ōtorohanga Business Association led by Rocky Climo swung into action. Large Harrods banners were hung over 73 businesses, the Ōtorohanga District Council gave its blessing (it became the Harrodsville District Council) and the whole town and rural community had a laugh,” the post continues. Now the museum is looking for photos, souvenirs or film footage from the month when Ōtorohanga forced the Mohamed Al-Fayed owned giant to back down.