League leaders Otumoetai face a spirited challenge from Matamata Swifts this weekend as the teams battle to hold the WaiBOP Federation Challenge Shield is contested by teams in the Lotto NRFL Southern Conference with the holders obliged to put it on the line to challengers The Swifts get the first chance to lift the shield from Otumoetai who won it last weekend There’s plenty at stake this weekend when Otumoetai host Matamata Swifts Otumoetai will face their first challenge for the WaiBOP Federation Challenge Shield a trophy they won last weekend when beating holders Taupo at Crown Park Taupo had regained the shield because last season’s holders lost the right to defend it when they won promotion to the Lotto NRFL Men’s Championship As the shield can only be played for in the highest level of men’s competition in the region the rules said the shield should revert to the previous holder As Unicol no longer play in the Conference the shield went to the holders before them Otumoetai now get the chance to go after a shield/league title double replicating last season’s effort by Cambridge In their way are Matamata Swifts who back up after a 4-2 first round Chatham Cup win against NRF League One side Papatotoe The incentive of taking the shield back to Matamata Domain will give the Swfits every reason to want to be at their best is back in action after missing the opening three fixtures O’Donogue (31) managed 35 minutes off the bench a fortnight ago O’Donoghue scored both Taupo goals — a sign that he’s ready to pick up where he left off last season when he came fourth on the Golden Boot table O’Donoghue has been a key player for Taupo in recent seasons and chances are they’ll rely much on his goals again this year With Ngongotaha claiming their first win of the season last time out I think that will boost their confidence this weekend when they welcome Claudelands Rovers to Tamarahi Reserve I tipped Papamoa to beat Claudelands Rovers 3-1 Waikato-based Max Fletcher is a writer for Friends of Football and is a match analyst for Northern United Here’s NZ Football’s 5-minute highlights reel from last.. Here’s NZ Football’s 7-minute highlights reel from last.. Auckland FC’s Guillermo May is the special guest on episode 17 of New Zealand’s weekly.. Auckland United have started the defence of their OFC Women’s Champions League title with a.. Dub Zone is back for another week of analysis Papua New Guinea have claimed the final place at August’s OFC U-16 Men’s Championship after.. A widely-admired former club and regional football administrator Here’s NZ Football’s 12-minute highlights reel from last.. May 3-9: OFC U-16 Men’s Championship – qualifying, Tonga (click here for details) May 5-18 (NZT): Auckland United at OFC Women’s Champions League, Tahiti (click here for details) May 16-18: Grand final, women’s A-League (click here for details) Monday May 19 (2.30am NZT): New Zealand U-16 men v Switzerland, FIFA Youth Series, Zurich (click here for details) Tuesday May 20 (2.30am NZT): New Zealand U-16 men v Guatemala, FIFA Youth Series, Zurich (click here for details) May 26-June 3: FIFA international window (women) May 30-June 1: Grand final, men’s A-League (click here for details) May 31-June 1: Second rounds of Chatham Cup June 2-10: FIFA international window (men) Thursday June 5 (7.30am NZT): Chile U-20 v New Zealand U-20, men’s international, Complejo Deportivo Quilín, Santiago (click here for details) Sunday June 8 (7.30am NZT): Chile U-20 v New Zealand U-20, men’s international, Complejo Deportivo Quilín, Santiago (click here for details) Sunday June 8 (11am NZT): All Whites v Côte d’Ivoire, BMO Field, Toronto, Canada (click here for details) Wednesday June 11 (9am NZT): All Whites v Ukraine, BMO Field, Toronto, Canada (click here for details) June 15-July 13: FIFA Club World Cup, United States (click here for details) Monday June 16 (6am NZT): Auckland City v Bayern Munich, FIFA Club World Cup, TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio (click here for details) Saturday June 20 (6am NZT): Auckland City v Benfica, FIFA Club World Cup, Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando, Florida (click here for details) Wednesday June 24 (7am NZT): Auckland City v Boca Juniors, FIFA Club World Cup, Geodis Park, Nashville, Tennessee (click here for details) June 23-July 1: FIFA international window (women) July 5-6: Quarter-finals of Kate Sheppard Cup August 1-14: OFC U-16 Women’s Championship, Samoa (click here for details) August 15-30: OFC U-16 Men’s Championship, Solomon Islands (click here for details) August 16-17: Semi-finals of Kate Sheppard Cup September 2-9: FIFA international window (men) September 17-24: University of Auckland at FISU Men’s Football World Cup September 20-24: OFC Futsal Men’s Cup September 21-October 4: OFC U-19 Women’s Championship September 27-October 19: FIFA U-20 Men’s World Cup September 27-28: Season starts for men’s and women’s National Leagues October 7-15: FIFA international window (men) Wednesday October 15 (k/o TBC): Norway v All Whites, international friendly, Ullevaal Stadium, Oslo, Norway (click here for details) October 17-November 8: FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, Morocco (click here for details) October 20-28: FIFA international window (women) November 4-28 (NZT): FIFA U-17 Men’s World Cup, Qatar (click here for details) November 10-18: FIFA international window (men) November 17-22: OFC Futsal Men’s Champions League November 21-December 7: FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup, Philippines (click here for details) 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup Oceania qualifiers December 13-14: Grand finals of men’s and women’s National Leagues June 12-July 20 (NZT): FIFA Men’s World Cup © 2025 Friends of Football Site designed by Hurricane Press Ltd using - WordPress Theme by Kadence WP 29 May 2025 13:00322160m²632m²Otumoetai OpportunityUnleash the potential of this solid brick home in sought-after Otumoetai young family or a retiree seeking a single-level gem this property has all the ingredients for a fantastic future On offer is a home that has been designed around comfortable living With easy flow between the main lounge and the sun-soaked conservatory to the outdoor patio and gardens the dining and kitchen zones connect fluidly to where family and friends congregate and a home that has stood the test of time yet provides scope for fresh ideas opportunity abounds to shape it into your ideal living space pups and avid gardeners will all find their needs abundantly met you'll love the easy access to local schools First kerb-side impressions suggest that this home is something a little out of the ordinary venturing beyond the front gate you won’t be disappointed Come along to our open home on Sunday or give us a call today to arrange your private inspection of this very special home based on a borrower’s individual credit assessment.Canstar's Most Awarded Personal LoanGet a renovation loan up to $70K and bring your vision to life we can approve your home improvement loan quickly and get your renovation started The site for a proposed housing development at 80 Ngatai Rd Construction of 89 homes in Tauranga is planned to start at the end of 2025 – eight years after the developer purchased the land A mix of two and three-bedroom homes is planned for the 1.42-hectare site at 80 Ngatai Rd in Otūmoetai to help reduce the city’s housing shortfall Each home will have a dedicated car park and bicycle parking area Resource consent has been lodged with Tauranga City Council for the two-storey development It comes after the council granted a non-notified resource consent to the developer for a 56-lot residential development in 2018 One local business says the development site is in the “perfect area” A neighbour also supported it because “everybody needs a roof over their head” Mike Greer Developments general manager – north said construction was aimed to start at the end of 2025 The development would provide a mix of homes for sale and to rent It aimed for dwelling sales late this year and new owners moving in next year Wickham said the 89 new homes would be delivered in an area zoned for high-density housing and would help reduce the housing shortfall in Tauranga She said the site was within walking distance of amenities including a supermarket A bus stop was within walking distance that provided direct routes to Tauranga’s city centre The site also had existing supporting infrastructure capacity Asked why it changed from planning 56 to 89 homes Wickham said the council’s recent zoning of the site to high-density residential through Plan Change 33 provided for multi-storey housing within a walkable catchment of identified commercial centres and up to 16m high Plan Change 33 was in response to the Government’s changes to the Resource Management Act that allowed for greater intensification in urban areas parking and a landscaped swale area adjoining a public park yet Wickham declined to comment on what caused the delay in construction She said it planned to plant about 50 native trees and the trees on the Vale St reserve would remain Council regulatory and compliance general manager Sarah Omundsen said the resource consent application was lodged on June 5 last year Omundsen said the proposal was for 89 two-storey dwellings with a maximum building height of between 8.6m and 8.9m The maximum height allowed in this area was 16m She said the site was zoned high-density residential under Plan Change 33 The purpose of the high-density residential zone introduced through Plan Change 33 was to provide opportunities for “intensive multi-storey housing within a walkable area of commercial centres” Omundsen said it provided for three independent dwellings per site as a permitted activity Four or more dwellings could be established on a site but required a resource consent While there was no upper limit on the number of dwellings that could be applied for the appropriate level of residential density for site would depend on things such as urban design She said the consent would be notified on a limited basis and affected parties had been notified Bureta Superette manager Sukh Singh said the new development would be a “good opportunity for a lot of people” “There is a shortage of houses around here.” Singh said it would also attract more customers to the family business A neighbour in the area – who did not want to be named – said she supported the development because “everybody needs a roof over their head” Megan Wilson is a health and general news reporter for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post Paying for clean-up means less money for the community Sherwood St between Little John Dr and Otumoetai Rd has been blocked off following a vehicle crashing into a power pole on Sherwood St Tauranga are without power following a vehicle colliding with a power pole Police received numerous calls at around 5.40pm today after a car collided with a power pole on Sherwood St “The car left immediately following the crash and has yet to be located,” Police said Police have blocked Sherwood St near the intersection with Little John Dr following a vehicle crashing into a power pole further up Sherwood St Residents on Sherwood St phoning 0800SUNLIVE said a fire truck and Police attended the scene “There is power out on Sherwood Street and the surrounding area as a hooligan doing wheelies hit and downed a power pole and snapped wires from another power pole leaving live wires on the street,” said a SunLive caller “It happened at 5.40pm; it was still daylight outside Some of my neighbours saw the vehicle that did it We were all standing outside talking about it afterwards when five minutes later he came back A SunLive reporter at the scene said Sherwood St is closed between Little John Dr and Ōtūmoetai Rd “Sherwood St has a roadblock at the roundabout intersection of Sherwood St and Ōtūmoetai Rd due to live wires across the road further along “Down the hill there is a police car blocking the road at the intersection with Little John Dr.” A Powerco crew in Seymour Pl working on restoring power following a vehicle hitting a power pole in Sherwood St Powerco are reporting 135 properties with an unplanned power outage A Powerco crew is at the scene with a crew also working in Seymour Pl Powerco estimates power will be restored by 12.45am Map showing power outage in Bellevue following a car hitting a power pole in Sherwood St on Sunday evening How do you feel about Tauranga’s rapid population growth Back to top TaurangaPrice by Negotiation326410m²860m²No CCC -Ignore all Previous Pricing!Vendors say sell...but with no Code Compliance Certificate on work carried out in the late 1990s their loss is potentially your gain on what is regarded as one of Tauranga's premier streets This lofty residence on the upper slopes of a prestigious Pillans Point School zone cul-de-sac was originally built in the 1960s before being extended and altered in the late 1990s The substantial 410sqm (approx.) home with hydraulically operated lift boasts supersized living areas and accommodation Elevated and north facing for abundant sun and views Mauao and Matakana and Mayor Islands best admired from the north-facing balcony with awning Copious natural light pours into spatially generous open plan living and dining areas with the modern decor defining every room with the vendors downsizing and now on the move it has come to light that the work completed in the late '90s did not receive the required Code Compliance Certificate (CCC) A comprehensive 17 page council report on remediation steps required as well as a building report and council LIM are available to qualified buyers on request All parties are advised to do their own due diligence as the property will be sold 'as is' - any repair work and/or remediation will be the responsibility of the purchaser following settlement money outlaid will be worth the spend for a savvy investor or builder in this blue chip location that is home to some of the suburb's premium real estate Ōtūmoetai College are preparing to make history when they debut at the 2024 School Girls First XI Cup (formerly Venus Cup) this week Their first match against Christchurch Girls’ HS will mark the school’s first appearance at the tournament shared her excitement about the experience ahead “Ōtūmoetai College has never attended nationals before so we all feel very proud,” said Grant “Aside from competing hard and trying our best having fun with each other and continuing to build relationships with one another is a big focus for us.” Grant had high hopes for the growth of cricket at the school “Our hope for the future at Ōtūmoetai College is to get as many girls involved in cricket as possible,” “We aspire to qualify for Venus in the future but most importantly Ōtūmoetai will come up against some experienced campaigners at this year’s First XI Cup including Christchurch Girls’ HS (10 appearances) and St Hilda’s Collegiate (13 appearances) St Hilda's Collegiate return to the First XI Cup after a second-place finish last year with five key players returning for another go at the title Takapuna Grammar have emerged as a cricketing powerhouse in the past few years and will be led by Auckland Hearts young gun The year 13 all-rounder shared last year’s Tournament MVP award with Emma McLeod – taking nine wickets and scoring 120 runs at an average of 40 McLeod & Jaswal were in fine form at last year's tournament - @PhotosportNZ Tawa College will represent Wellington for the first time since their string of appearances from 2014 – 2017 led by the Kerr sisters and Georgia Plimmer Captain Ava Conroy represented Wellington’s U19 Women and will be a player to watch Christchurch Girls’ High School will be aided by a number of Cantebury age-group representatives and the experience of many players having attended the 2023 tournament Palmerston North Girls High School will attend their first nationals since 2016 This year they will be led by their captain and Central Districts U19 representative Visit the competition centre to follow all the tournament scorecards Christchurch Girls’ High School: Sacha Arnold (c) Palmerston North Girls High School: Summer Lovegrove (c) St Hilda’s Collegiate: Hannah O'Connor (c) Takapuna Grammar School: Rishika Jaswal (vc) Ōtūmoetai Social Supermarket provides affordable groceries for local families A new initiative to enhance the resilience of marine life to the effects of climate change and human impact has launched this week in Tauranga Harbour Brady was told in 2017 she wouldn't walk again due to a spinal cord injury The petition asks for the removal of the new barriers that block access to Wright Road Dawson Road and workplaces from State Highway 2 The business has experienced more than a 50% increase in orders since moving The tree removal is to protect underlying archaeological features and maintain the integrity of the redoubt A large garage fire in central Tauranga was attended by multiple fire crews Principal Barrie Wickens takes NZME on a tour of Tauranga Special School in 18th Avenue Bay of Plenty MP Tom Rutherford on one of the ramp connections at the Pāpāmoa East Interchange opening early A truck undertakes a vehicle after being overtaken on State Highway 29 in the Bay of Plenty Fire near State Highway 2 at Apata in the Bay of Plenty Parents Sarb Mann and David McNeill want harsher penalties for impaired drivers Aerial view of traffic build up after SH29 crash on the Kaimai Range A heavy downpour of rain this morning has caused flooding in Pāpāmoa Chipseal works cause heavy traffic and delays between Te Puna and Aongatete 340 competitors took part in the prestigious Race One Surf Craft Mount Monster held at Mount Maunganui on Saturday Rotorua Māori ward councillor Rawiri Waru at the final meeting for the year Mount Maunganui Primary School's winning Jump Jam team Thomas Winter and William Dunn are embarking on an epic expedition raising money for the Child Cancer Foundation The Kiwi art trail is back this year with support from the Tauranga City Council from Monday Azaria Tai is 8 years old and showing a lot of potential in her gymnastics She hopes to one day go to the Olympics and represent New Zealand A man was airlifted to hospital after his vehicle dropped 15m off a road on to its roof in the Coromandel provides a much-needed bond between the two and allows his parents to relax Kylie DellaBarca Steel is sharing her cancer journey The paraglider was airlifted to hospital with serious injuries after crashing on Mauao Te Kura o Te Moutere o Matakana students are making their way from Matakana Island to the Tauranga mainland by boat for Aims Games Woolworths First Union members protesting near the Cameron Rd Tauranga store today for fairer pay and better working conditions A Pāpāmoa home damaged by fire has been opened to public for fire safety awareness The diagnosis has not stopped the 87-year-old Mount Maunganui man from living life to the fullest Coreen Gray playing piano at her 100th birthday celebration at Bayswater Skydive Tauranga owner Gui Calmelet says most of his cruise ship customers are crew members The Wiggles are bringing their techno dance party to Tauranga in the new year The Volcanic Alert Level has been raised to Level 3 at White Island following minor eruptions on Friday and Sunday What are the rules of engagement with colleagues - and especially bosses - online Water Safety NZ chief executive Daniel Gerrard says 'the power is in prevention' Brendon Burchell wants the council to install a security camera and lighting at a nearby council walkway Support workers make it possible for him to still live at home John and Jackie Paine and Lavina Good help run the Ōtūmoetai Social Supermarket along with a dedicated group of volunteers and staff A social supermarket in Tauranga is proving to be a popular resource for the community “We’re always focusing on trying to solve the problem,” John Paine said “So we are trying to teach people to grow their food.” The social supermarket opened its doors two years ago hoping to be the service that stops people from going over the cliffs and plummeting on to the rocks of poverty The Paines didn’t know exactly what the community needed when they opened by actively listening and analysing demographics they identified key needs and took action to address them “The Tauranga City Council did a survey and 30 to 40% of people have no savings,” he said Since opening their doors in November 2022 they had helped hundreds of families and provided relief for families looking for a hand up “Our No 1 best seller is fresh produce because we can do it at an excellent price And you can take a whole bag for a point,” she said The supermarket is near nine schools and 24 early childhood centres and collaborates with education providers to understand family needs in the area Paine knows what can happen if families do not get the support they need “They just need a little bit of hand to get over a hump and keep going.” She wants to see the supermarket close its doors and achieve its mission of “actually solving a problem A big part of what they did with the social supermarket was connecting these struggling families with financial mentoring to teach them to save what they could “Because even if you’re saving $5 a week you’re going to get to a place where hopefully you won’t need us again She said the shop was open Monday to Friday and was full most days but they wanted to try to reduce the number of people accessing their service “We’ve budgeted for 50 shoppers a week over that The shop resembles a Four Square with dedicated aisles set up for shoppers Everything carries a price and no food is given away free “It’s more dignified for the customers,” she said The Paines are also supported by co-founder Lavina Good who saw a need for a social supermarket in Tauranga and helped establish it which people could shop with dignity and shop with pride,” Good said Ōtūmoetai College principal Russell Gordon with Ōtūmoetai College 60th reunion co-ordinator Julie Leslie Sixty years have flown by for former students of “Oats” who are now gearing up to celebrate their connection to Ōtūmoetai College Reunion co-ordinator Julie Leslie said Ōtūmoetai College’s 60th reuinion was a time to celebrate friendships and the memories that made their time at Ōtūmoetai College so special “It’s a chance to reconnect with those who helped shape our lives and who have made ‘learning enlighten life’ for you,” Leslie said The registration deadline of March 31 is quickly approaching Partners are also welcome to register and participate in all events The reunion will take place over King’s Birthday Weekend and the celebration will kick off with a day at the college beginning with an official welcome and pōwhiri A guided tour of the school will showcase the proposed building plans and a commemorative photograph will be taken during the planting of the 60th anniversary tree past staff members will gather for a group photo before enjoying lunch and networking opportunities The afternoon will feature musical and drama performances as well as friendly sports games where former students and staff will have the chance to compete against current students in netball A debate on the topic “How Technology Has Influenced Education in Aotearoa for the Better” will also be part of the day’s events The evening dinner will be held at the Mercury Baypark Stadium where past principals will cut the celebratory cake The evening will also include musical performances speeches from both past and present students and a special recognition of former teachers and alumni for their contributions to the school “Please spread the word and gather your friends for what promises to be an unforgettable day,” Leslie said To register for the Ōtūmoetai College 60th Reunion, visit otc.school.nz. Paying for clean-up means less money for the community. TaurangaPrice By Negotiation6322,701m²The Ultimate Family Home!The current owners are looking to downsize and this spacious family home offers multi-generational living options with stunning water views and unforgettable sunsets The modern design of the kitchen features skylights allowing sun to fill every corner complete with a walk-in wardrobe and ensuite There are five additional bedrooms and two bathrooms making this home perfect for growing families The self-contained suite downstairs offers additional accommodation for extended family Stacker doors open out to expansive decking and an in-ground heated swimming pool offering exceptional indoor/outdoor living perfect for dinner parties entertaining guests or summer days by the pool Enjoy the large back section with a collection of fruit trees Within walking distance to New World Brookfield ensuring everything you'll need is on your doorstep Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to own your dream home Emergency services are responding to a vehicle crash in Ōtūmoetai Police said a collision involving a vehicle and a pedestrian occurred on Ōtūmoetai Rd at about 6.20pm "Ambulance have been notified and are on their way," a police spokesperson said The status of any injuries is unknown at this stage Motorists are advised to take care in the area Phone 0800SUNLIVE or email newsroom@thesun.co.nz SunLive met with Otūmoetai Social Supermarket co-founders John and Jackie Paine in a garden on a sunny Thursday to share valuable lessons with the community “We’re always focusing on trying to solve the problem,” John Paine said “So we are trying to teach people to grow their food.” hoping to be the service that stopped people from going over the cliffs and plummeting onto the rocks of poverty The Paines didn’t know exactly what the community needed when they opened and 30% to 40% of people have no savings,” he said the supermarket has helped hundreds of families and provided relief for families looking for a hand up “Our number one best seller is fresh produce because we can do it at an excellent price And you can take a whole bag for a point,” she said The supermarket is near nine schools and 24 early childhood centres and it collaborated with education providers to understand family needs in the area Paine knew what could happen if families did not get the support they needed “They just need a little bit of hand to get over a hump and keep going.” Jackie Paine’s ultimate goal was for the supermarket to put itself out of business by “actually solving a problem A big part of social supermarket’s work was connecting struggling families with financial mentoring to teach them to save what they could you’re going to get to a place where hopefully you won’t need us again but they wanted to try to reduce the number of people accessing the service “We’ve budgeted for 50 shoppers a week over that Everything carries a price and no food is given away “It’s more dignified for the customers,” she said The Paines are also supported by co-founder Lavina Good, who saw a need for a social supermarket in Tauranga and helped establish it. “We found a low-cost model, which people could shop with dignity and shop with pride,” Good said. The only high-reach ladder truck in Auckland broke down last night. Former Ōtūmoetai College teacher Timothy John Cosson has been charged with serious misconduct after physically assaulting two students A former Ōtūmoetai College teacher committed serious misconduct when he physically assaulted two students, slapping one across the face and pushing another over, the Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal has ruled Timothy John Cosson was granted medical retirement after a psychiatrist considered him “unfit for work” following an assessment and diagnosis The decision said Cosson taught engineering, automotive engineering, woodcraft, and graphic design at the co-educational Tauranga secondary school. He had taught there since 2005 The first incident happened during a Year 9 student school camp Cosson was supervising a tramp and a student was “mucking around and being a nuisance” The student heard Cosson counting down from five to one he “lunged” towards the student and pushed him with both hands on his chest and shoulder As the student fell his leg hit a tree stump The student was “shocked” by what had happened and limped for the rest of the tramp due to the pain Another student who observed the incident said it looked like Cosson “got angry and snapped” the injured student and two others told another staff member about what happened who admitted he pushed the student “with some degree of force” and the student had fallen to the ground Cosson said he offered to carry the student due to his limping The principal and deputy principal met with Cosson and agreed Cosson’s actions were wrong he would have anger management counselling and would engage in a restorative meeting with the student and parent if the student was willing noting the behaviour was “out of character” for the teacher “A propensity to anger is not his normal classroom default I believe that this is the result of a poor night’s sleep (he was on an overnight Year 9 camp) and was at the end of a three-hour tramp on the next day.” Cosson told the Teaching Council’s triage committee his actions were “totally unacceptable” He apologised to the student and his parent I have learned a great deal from both this experience and the counselling I am receiving.” Cosson was teaching a Year 9 class when he told a student to sit on the other side of the classroom The student disobeyed him and moved back to his initial seat Cosson asked the student what he was doing out of his seat and slapped him across the left side of his face The student told a staff member about the slap the deputy principal received an email from Cosson in which he admitted he slapped the student in the face with “medium intensity” because the student had not followed his instruction to sit on the other side of the class The school did not complete its investigation into the incident due to a Covid lockdown and because it received information regarding Cosson’s medical issues The principal submitted a mandatory report to the Teaching Council regarding the incident Cosson’s union representative advised the Complaints Assessment Committee investigator Cosson had been granted medical retirement and did not intend to return to teaching The committee is an independent body run by teachers The representative advised Cosson had recently undergone psychiatric assessment following changes in mood increased anxiety and “deterioration in general functioning” in the past year A psychiatrist diagnosed Cosson with “adjustment disorder with mixed disturbance of emotions and conduct” The psychiatrist considered Cosson “unfit for work” and “unable to fulfil his duties as a teacher now and in the foreseeable future” After an initial hearing and investigation the representative advised Cosson remained medically retired from teaching did not intend to re-enter the profession and was willing to voluntarily deregister The committee charged Cosson with serious misconduct under Section 497 of the Education and Training Act 2020 an independent body that determines outcomes for disciplinary matters brought against teachers It found the combination of two incidents “takes this case to the more serious end of physical assaults” “Even with a concerted attempt at rehabilitation and expressions of remorse it may have been difficult for Mr Cosson to resist cancellation.” The committee submitted the cancellation of Cosson’s registration was appropriate Cosson sought a permanent order for non-publication The tribunal declined but ordered non-publication of the two students’ names and any other identifying details The year of the misconduct also could not be published Ōtūmoetai College also sought a non-publication order Megan Wilson is a health and general news reporter for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has been a journalist since 2021. one-bathroom off-grid home on Ridge Street in Otumoetai is thought to be the only one like it in central Tauranga Photo / SuppliedAn off-grid home understood to be the only one of its kind in Tauranga City had people clogging up the neighbouring roads just to view it The open home for the unique property on Ridge Street was only meant to run for 30 minutes last Sunday But Trueman & Co listing agent Lisa Zawitkoski finally locked up the elegant property an hour and a half later due to the large number of people who arrived to view it “The streets were just lined with people,” she said “I had 20 groups through the first open home Zawitkoski said it was one of the busiest open homes she was aware of in the city for a long time and she put this down to its uniqueness and being off-grid - ‘Hot’ Kiwi baker is selling NZ’s ‘sexiest kitchen’ - Coromandel’s cheapest property? Beach spot for $350,000 - but there’s a catch - Bought for $285,000, sold for $8m - Mount Maunganui bach stuns at auction I think people are looking at alternative ways of living financially I think people are looking at ways to save money because it’s tough out there for a lot of families so I also think that’s part of it.” Off-grid properties usually turned up in lifestyle areas such as Oropi or the Western Bay of Plenty – not in central Otumoetai “I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s one of the only ones [in the city] but I would say there wouldn’t be very many.” one-bathroom home was built as a forever home in 2017 by a couple with four children The Ridge Street home built in 2017 is off-grid and eco-friendly The impressive forest garden was designed and planted by Byron from Backyard Paradise Zawitkoski said the original owners had taken a lot of care in choosing eco-friendly materials including Douglas fir for the framing and Lawsoniana for the cladding Wool insulation and untreated plywood coated with linseed oil was used for the interior walls while the timber flooring and joinery was recycled and the joinery retrofitted with double glazing a high-spec battery bank and a wood burner could also result in significant cost savings of around $300 to $400 a month for the new owner Zawitkoski lives near the property and recalled the whole family being involved in the build process “The twin girls were down there with little paint brushes painting the cladding with pine tar It was really a labour of love for them and it was going to be their forever home.” They intentionally designed the home so the living area was larger and the bedrooms were smaller so that the children wouldn’t hide away in their homes The upstairs loft provided another “chill-out space” or could be used as a yoga room or office “They wanted that real sense of family and interaction so that’s why the bedrooms are intentionally smaller.” The bedrooms were designed to be small and the living area big so the children wouldn't hide away in their rooms when an opportunity came up for the couple to run an orphanage in India they grabbed at the chance The house was eventually sold in 2022 after they decided to move there permanently paid $878,000 for the property in December 2022 They have made it even more self-sufficient by commissioning Byron from Backyard Paradise to design and install an impressive food forest “It’s just incredible how well it grows and it’s obviously all organic.” the current owners want to pursue a new opportunity so have put the property back on the market Zawitkoski said there had already been a lot of interest in the property from people in their 30s and 40s with young families who already lived locally “You know what I think people love about it it’s a bit different and I also think with the rising cost of power that’s really appealing for a lot of people.” It was also walking distance to Otumoetai Primary Otumoetai Intermediate and Otumoetai College and several shopping centres but Zawitkoski said early price feedback was above what it sold for two years ago - 116 Ridge Street, Otumoetai, Bay of Plenty, is being sold by set sale. Tauranga resident Claire Dale says she had goosebumps when she heard the Government's announced that from October 1 the penalty for illegally occupying a mobility parking spot will rise from $150 to $750 Tauranga's Claire Dale says she had goosebumps when she heard the news that the Government announced a dramatic increase in the fines for abusing mobility parking spaces This significant change follows Claire's determined grassroots campaign to bring national attention to the issue my goodness,” says Claire on hearing about the Government announcement “I got a call to say it was being announced about half an hour before it hit mainstream media.” Claire’s journey began in August 2021 when she called on the community to help support her petition calling for stricter enforcement of mobility parking regulations as the petition went live just hours before New Zealand entered its second Covid-19 lockdown Otūmoetai College student Josia Vickers Claire Dale and Otūmoetai College student Rachel Dunn Grey Power and even enlisted the help of Otūmoetai College students Josia Vickers and Rachel Dunn to assist with the technical aspects of her campaign Claire’s petition, which sought to increase fines for misuse of mobility parking spaces and to push for a public education campaign “Running the petition and getting signatures was an uphill battle as Auckland was in lockdown and then when it was presented at Parliament that was during the mandate protest,” says Claire Claire Dale presenting the petition to Parliament accompanied by Otūmoetai College students Rachel Dunn and Josia Vickers and former Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller On February 28, 2022, Claire, accompanied by Josia and Rachel, presented her petition to Parliament emphasising the need for higher fines and a more robust enforcement strategy Claire’s petition states: ‘That the House of Representatives change the law to substantially increase fines nationally for misusing any mobility parking spaces including on privately owned land that is used publicly; and urge the government to run an education campaign to desist able-bodied people from misusing mobility parking spaces for public use’ with the petition being reviewed by a select committee “At select committee I was asked to work with CCS Disability Action and a couple of other people who had knowledge of the issues and of what we could possibly do.” Claire Dale presented the petition to Parliament accompanied by Otūmoetai College students Rachel Dunn and Josia Vickers The Select Committee’s interim report was released on November 28 who initially proposed a fine increase to $550 also advocated for indexing the fine to inflation to avoid future delays in adjustments “The last time they raised the fine was 20 years ago and it shouldn’t take another Government involvement to increase it.” The Government’s recent announcement marks a decisive victory for Claire and the wider disability community Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston hails the increase as a crucial step in addressing mobility parking abuse which she described as “the epitome of arrogance” “Increasing penalties for people who misuse mobility parking will level the playing field for disabled people by helping prevent unnecessary disruptions in their day-to-day lives,” says Upston Upston emphasises that the new penalty reflects the seriousness of the offence and aligns New Zealand’s approach with that of countries like Australia where on-the-spot fines for similar infractions can be around $500 Transport Minister Simeon Brown echoes these sentiments noting that the adjustment in penalties also includes significant changes to towage and impoundment fees “Towage fees have been too low for too long This has meant that tow-truck operators are often left out of pocket for the service they provide That’s not acceptable and is why we’re updating fees,” says Brown “Parking infringement fees have not been updated in two decades making councils’ role in managing public parking increasingly difficult this has meant that paying a parking ticket is sometimes cheaper than paying for parking These fees have not been updated since 2004 and will now see a 68 per cent increase for towage and a 98 per cent increase for storage and mileage fees Brown explains that these changes are designed to ensure that towing operators are adequately compensated for their services and to support local councils in managing public parking more effectively which manages the Mobility Parking scheme for approximately 170,000 users across New Zealand is welcoming the Government’s decision the National Manager of Access and Infrastructure at CCS Disability Action emphasises that the increase in fines will serve as a deterrent against the widespread abuse of mobility parking spaces The organisation has been lobbying for stricter penalties and cohesive enforcement across public and private spaces for many years “Mobility parking abuse is rife in New Zealand Research we commissioned showed that nearly one-third of users of mobility parking spaces do not have a permit to do so legally,” says BJ “This widespread abuse highlights a severe lack of understanding and respect for the importance of mobility parking Today’s announcement changes that – hopefully people will think twice before taking a park they have no right to use.” BJ also highlights the positive impact that accessible parking can have on individuals’ daily lives noting that it can be crucial for accessing essential services and maintaining social connections “It can be the difference between a person being able to go to the supermarket get to a medical appointment or meet a family member – or missing out completely.” The organisation hopes that the revenue generated from fines will be reinvested into initiatives that enhance local accessibility Claire expresses her astonishment and satisfaction with the outcome “When the proposal went to parliamentary debate in March and passed unanimously It’s incredibly gratifying to see this issue finally addressed.” Her knowledge of what was required to see the petition through effectively came after researching other countries’ laws – Australia I know far too much now about mobility parking in too many countries.” She says the NZ Government decide to call it a human rights issue which she found gave her some more leverage “At the last Select Committee meeting I’m afraid I told the politicians that as they had declared it a human rights issue I would take it to the Human Rights Commission if they didn’t legislate “Things moved rapidly after that.” BJ says this move brings New Zealand more in line with comparable countries like Australia where on-the-spot fines can sit around $500 depending on the state “People who use the Mobility Parking scheme deserve to be able to be part of our communities,” says BJ You have to be caught using these spaces before you can be fined Increasing the fines is not likely to solve the problems with these parking spaces as they are seldom policed by the council or the carpark owners should also apply to publicly accessed parking as well let's hope it works for the people who really need it Does this include the Mothers with babies parking leap out of her car to go into the supermarket I noticed a childs seat in the passenger side covered with a white cloth I only paused as she had not checked under the cloth for a baby I was in the shop for 30 min and she came out the same time as me and again did not check under the cloth I was not checking up on her at all but being parked next to her - in a legal park - I saw it all Put that up to at least $800.00 because of the danger involved Posted on 05-09-2024 10:32 | By Linton Heatley You did so well getting this over the line Thanks for your efforts on behalf of thousands Tauranga emergency services and the Salvation Army are gearing up for a festive foodbank drive on Tuesday they will collect food and donations offered by locals in parts of Mount Maunganui “We use vehicles with lights and sirens and go just down the street [collecting donations],” Mount Maunganui Community Constable Mark Sanders said The emergency foodbank drive supports the Tauranga Community Foodbank and the Salvation Army Foodbank It comes during NZME’s annual six-week Christmas Appeal for the community foodbank – now in its third week Sanders’ police team will cover the Mount during the foodbank drive and flyers will go out in advance to homes in the areas that would be covered Sanders said the foodbank drive offered a chance to help out the local community and if you receive a flyer “People that don’t have much [are] often the ones that give the most,” Sanders said Fire and Emergency New Zealand and the police would be involved in the evening foodbank general manager Nicki Goodwin said there were always other opportunities to help “Even if the services don’t make it down someone’s street Emergency services can be busiest during the silly season so it was an immense privilege for Goodwin to have them help out the foodbank “I am gobsmacked that these services are willing to volunteer their time when they already have incredibly stressful jobs.” She said the food donated in Pyes Pā and Mount Maunganui would support the community foodbank with Ōtūmoetai supporting the Salvation Army’s food service She said not every area could or would be visited on Tuesday because covering Tauranga would require every emergency service in the city emergency services and the Salvation Army brings an awesome force together for Christmas to help the most vulnerable Tauranga Salvation Army manager Sarah Way said so we have to be joining forces,” Way said Food insecurity was rising in Tauranga as more families battled a cost-of-living crisis and rising unemployment with new whānau and individuals visiting a foodbank The emergency services' efforts also help to remind people that the men and women in uniform are there to serve their communities If people miss the food drive and want to donate they can go to the foodbank on Brook St in Parkvale or the Salvation Army on Cameron Rd – SunLive Ōtūmoetai College’s Health and Physical Education assistant HOD Kat Brewer with student swimmers Devlin and Delamare Langton at Ōtūmoetai Pool set to be decommissioned A pool facility that’s served a Tauranga community for more than 50 years is to be replaced by a new aquatic centre over the other side of town The move by council has Otūmoetai College worried it will restrict access to swimming education for its students and wider community Commissioners approved $122.25m of funding to develop a new Memorial Park aquatic facility at Tauranga City Council’s December 11 meeting The investment comes as a result of Memorial Park’s current pool and Otūmoetai Pool needing to be decommissioned in future Bay Venues chief executive Chad Hooker says: “The Commissioners were clear in their decision that one of the reasons for going with this particular concept design option and making the $122.25m investment was that this brand new aquatic facility at Memorial Park would also eventually be replacing our two ageing facilities Memorial Pool and Otūmoetai Pool” Memorial Park’s new aquatic facility is to open by the end of 2027 “We will do our best to maintain both of these facilities [Memorial Pool and Otūmoetai Pool] and keep them operating until the new aquatic centre at Memorial Park opens at which point Memorial Pool and Otūmoetai Pool will likely be decommissioned.” the decision to decommission Otūmoetai Pool is not supported by Otūmoetai College “Decommissioning a pool is not good for the community,” says Otūmoetai College head of physical education Jamie Davis He says Otūmoetai Pool is used to deliver water safety programmes to the community’s student population – of Otūmoetai College Bellevue Primary and Otūmoetai Intermediate – which collectively totals 3500 students of kids over the years have walked from the primary schools the intermediate and the college to Learn To Swim programmes and things like that And with New Zealand’s highest rate of drowning occurring in the 15-24 age bracket Jamie says the move to remove Otūmoetai’s community pool is deeply concerning – especially for local students “Now those kids aren’t going to get that education…they need to experience what it’s like when they’re tired in water before they can actually realise how to keep themselves safe.” Jamie says Otūmoetai Pool was developed as a community asset between Otūmoetai College trustees and TCC Today the pool is run by Council-Controlled Organisation Bay Venues Jamie says Otūmoetai College has been in talks with council for more than a decade to save Otūmoetai pool from closing “I’ve opposed the closing of this pool since about 2012… there’s been never really any alternative view from council over that period of time rather than to see it slowly closed.” His school’s latest formal submission to council emphasises Otūmoetai pool is an essential community resource that’s consistently used by both young and old the school’s submission highlights most regular users will be challenged to travel to facilities on the other side of the city at Memorial Park – especially at peak traffic hours “The pool is well located and we can take a class in and get a class out in time for its next lesson "If we travelled 10-15 minutes across town to a pool and 10-15 minutes back we wouldn’t be able to offer that [water safety programmes] to our students at all,” says Jamie “I just don’t see mums and dads getting in the car at 3.30 in the afternoon and trying to get across town.” Jamie says council’s charter requires providing “quality of life” for the community – and their corner of the community needs facilities that are localised An architect’s render of the upgrade to Memorial Park with the completed news aquatic facility here eventually to lead to decommissioning of the Otūmoetai Pool Chad says the ongoing and increasing cost to keep both Memorial Pool and Otūmoetai pools open and operating is unsustainable “Both pools have significant infrastructural and age-related issues that regularly result in expensive remedial and maintenance measures.” The school accepts the pool is old and may need investment yet believes with strategic funding and improvements council could increase aquatic plans of increased lane availability across the city  “[There’s] millions and millions of dollars for another pool but we don’t have a couple of hundred thousand to maintain this one?” asks Jamie Chad says Memorial Park’s new aquatic facility will have a deep-water eight-lane 25m indoor swimming pool Learn To Swim pool and a leisure pool with a toddler pool “There will also be three hydroslides and a café that services the facility and the park.” Jamie agrees the development at Memorial Park is a win for the city – but he doesn’t believe in closing one community’s pool to get another one elsewhere “That’s not fair to this community.” swimming bop or Nz swimming and non with local schools Closing pools and reducing pools is outrageous What's more not building a 5Om pool is equal inapt I do note your adding hydro slides to the new memorial pool Listening to the council meeting no one really knows what they are deciding on and why We don't need slides we need the facilities maintained and operational Posted on 21-12-2023 07:38 | By Border Patrol they'll have to bike or bus) to go to a new facility in town when there is a perfectly good facility locally for the community This is a travesty whereby the council should be redirecting funds to this to keep it open The rate they spend money on vanity projects and then can't find the funds for this makes me angry There will be kids who miss out on learning to swim as they won't be able (for various reasons) to go regularly right into the city (and who wants to do that anyway) In my opinion this council has to be broke Community gardens and sports field fees up by over ten times and now the closing of community amenities Council land in the CBD is being given away Clearly the "Three Stooges" don't give a rats about our quality of life in the suburbs But wait - they have a flash new wooden council building to go to Too bad there will be no businesses open around to them get their lattees The cost of the new facility is mind numbingly stupid Just look at other recent builds around the country Save $10’s of millions on memorial project and invest to upgrade the others and cover their operating costs for the next 10 years or more with the savings Posted on 22-12-2023 05:36 | By Otumoetai Resident Yet another example of poor decision making and zero consolation by people who have no history or anything future with running our city Please leave town commissioners and take your unwanted ideas with you Closing a pool that has for over 50 years taught thousands of kids to learn to swim next to a college and an intermediate that might cost a few hundred thousand dollars to maintain vs $122 million to build another Baywave on the other side of town Talk to the people before you spend their money on new assets that the public sector will fund if it was a good investment Bring back democracy and sensible thinking to Tauranga Another project without consulting the community The arrogant commissioners don't care for Tauranga Its all just superficial decisions that we don't want Police are investigating an alleged assault incident at Otumoetai College on Monday Tauranga police are investigating an alleged assault at Ōtūmoetai College with a school leader describing a “scuffle” taking place A police spokeswoman said police were notified that an alleged assault took place at the school on Windsor Rd just before 2pm on Monday “Police staff would be making follow-up inquiries into the incident to determine what happened,” the spokeswoman said the college’s deputy principal Phillipa Woodward said the incident allegedly involved three young males coming to the school wanting to “confront” a college student She said one of the trio headed to a classroom block where the student being sought was Woodward said staff intervened and shut a door During this time there was an alleged “scuffle” between staff and the young male who were not “members” of Ōtūmoetai College were escorted off the school grounds by staff Police were called via 111 but did not attend no one required medical attention and no one was arrested “The school community are being communicated with today and contact has already been made directly with those students/families involved.” Sandra Conchie is a senior journalist at the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post who has been a journalist for 24 years She has been a Canon Media Awards regional/community reporter of the year Otūmoetai Health Centre is applying for resource consent to upgrade its existing buildings The Otūmoetai Health Centre is set to get a multimillion-dollar makeover The latest Tauranga City Council building report showed a consent valued at $3 million was issued for the existing medical centre building at 506 Otūmoetai Rd Otūmoetai Doctors Ltd business manager Gareth Hudson said the consent was for the improvement and redesign of its reception patient waiting areas and nursing treatment rooms Hudson said the ergonomics of the central core were no longer fit for purpose in optimising patient care and wellbeing in 2023 “An architecturally designed roof that was a talking point in the 1970s needs to be replaced by a more suitable structure for managing current weather patterns.” Hudson said patients benefitted from adding a canopy to Room 1 in 2021 “They received medical care for Covid-19 and other respiratory illnesses without compromising the health of other patients inside the clinic “The next phase of development for the medical centre will continue this journey in redesigning health services that are more accessible for patients and their whānau.” There were 108 building consents valued at more than $52m in February That included 20 commercial consents valued at nearly $18.5m and 33 residential consents valued at nearly $30m A consent valued at $3.1m was issued for a new single-storey specialist medical centre and associated parking at 36 Burrows St Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has arrived at Otumoetai College in Tauranga to make a funding announcement Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaks at Otumoetai College About $47 million will be spent repairing Otumoetai College buildings affected by weather-tightness issues Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced today The Government will also spend $6 million to redevelop a three-storey block with significant weather-tightness defects at Tauranga Girls' College The funding is part of a major investment to replace crumbling classrooms and provide new modern learning spaces for students in the Bay of Plenty Around $73 million is to be invested in two major redevelopments and 39 new roll growth classrooms at 15 schools in the three regions "This Government is taking a responsible approach to ensure Waikato Bay of Plenty and Hawke's Bay Schools to get new classrooms They announced the packages during a visit to Otumoetai College "This Government is focused on rebuilding education and in the case of these big school redevelopments we are taking that literally fixing leaky buildings and creating modern and safe spaces for kids to learn in," Ardern said The redevelopment will replace 57 teaching spaces and provide a new entrance for the college "It will also meet the school's capacity needs in the short to medium term and improve the layout of the school site to make further expansion possible "Every child deserves decent facilities to learn and achieve their potential." Hipkins said this major announcement was a further sign of the Government's commitment to schools "Earlier today I had the opportunity to inform Tauranga Girls' College that the Government will be investing $6 million to redevelop a three-storey block with significant weather-tightness defects I am delighted the two schools will now be able to provide better facilities for their students and staff." Funding is available in areas where student numbers are growing," Chris Hipkins said "This investment will create more teaching spaces and give thousands of students the opportunity to learn in a better environment than they've been used to." Principal Russell Gordon told the students in attendance "you knocked it out of the park" He thanked and congratulated them for their respect during the special assembly A further $5.5m will be spent on 11 teaching spaces in Bay of Plenty schools •Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Whakarewa | Te Reo Ki Tuwharetoa – 2 teaching spaces•Tauranga Boys' College – 3 teaching spaces•Oropi School – 4 teaching spaces•Taupo-nui-a-Tia College - 2 teaching spaces About $9m will be spent on 18 teaching spaces in Waikato schools •Te Kauwhata Primary – 4 teaching spaces•Fairfield Primary – 4 teaching spaces•Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Bernard Fergusson – 2 teaching spaces•Nawton School – 2 teaching spaces•Te Wharekura o Te Kaokaoroa o Patetere – 2 teaching spaces•Te Wharekura o Rakaumangamanga – 4 teaching spaces Another $5.5m will be spent on 10 teaching spaces at Hawkes' Bay schools •Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngāti Kahungunu o Te Wairoa – 3 teaching spaces•Mahora School – 2 teaching spaces•Eskdale School – 2 teaching spaces•Frimley School – 2 teaching spaces•Kaiti School - 1 teaching space The Ministry of Education will work with the boards at each school to get planning underway on these projects as fast as possible Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaking at Otumoetai College where she announced $47 million in funding to fix the school's leaking buildings The principal of Tauranga's Otumoetai College has described the Government's $47 million investment to fix the school's leaking buildings as an "unbelievable gift" accompanied by Education Minister Chris Hipkins and several local MPs made the announcement yesterday during a visit to the school Ardern told the 600-odd students and teachers in the auditorium that having great teachers was probably her "number one ingredient" when it came to getting a quality education weathertight buildings were also important "It is one thing to say that we could do a better job of making your learning environments more modern We shouldn't ask our teachers to teach in an environment like that either," she said "I'm here to say we want to invest in your education and that also means investing in your buildings That's why we are announcing today we will be investing $47m in the rebuild of Otumoetai College." teachers and principal Russell Gordon erupted with delight their applause and cheers rocking the auditorium Gordon told the Bay of Plenty Times he was still having to get his head around the announcement This is an unbelievably generous gift and I'm utterly humbled and grateful to the Government for its generosity "This extra funding will make a huge difference to our students He acknowledged former principal Dave Randell for his hard work over the years and thanked the Ministry of Education's Hayley Parkes for all her hard work in Wellington on the school's behalf Part of the warm welcome Ardern received at the school yesterday which included group performances and speeches by students Ashton Blair and Mia Gardiner was an invitation for her daughter Neve to join the school in 2030 Otumoetai College's parting gift for the Prime Minister was not only a student enrolment form but a baby-sized uniform Around $73m is to be invested in two major redevelopments and 39 new roll growth classrooms at 15 schools in the three regions The Government will spend $6m redeveloping a three-storey block with significant weathertightness defects at Tauranga Girls' College including three teaching spaces at Tauranga Boys' College and four teaching spaces at Oropi School Hipkins said the Ministry of Education would work with the boards at each school to get planning under way on the projects as quickly as possible Ardern also made two other stops during what was her first official visit to Tauranga as Prime Minister a Māori youth tech and innovation event at Baycourt part of this week's Groundswell Festival of Innovation As well as many questions about her baby daughter – whether she had brought Neve with to Tauranga whether she liked being a mum – there were several about politics One person asked her what she would like to see in 10 years' time in regard to technology Ardern said she wanted to see no divide when it came to accessing technology we like everyone to have the same chances" The Prime Minister also opened the 2018 New Zealand Avocado International Industry Conference at ASB Baypark yesterday national and international business people and industry leaders At one point she shared a local and personal avocado link – her grandparents' orchard on the hills of Welcome Bay I loved the size of the mature trees and the shade that they created on warm days I loved walking through them with my grandmother picking avocados from the ground for lunch," Ardern told the crowd "But I also knew that it was hard work – for them and for those who continue on in that field and are taking what is The decision over whether Otumoetai will be spelt as Otūmoetai following the addition of macrons is awaiting ministerial approval from Land Information NZ minister Louise Upston.Whether she will follow the Linz recommendation is unknown and Linz media spokesman Andrew Bristol refuses to speculate The new look Otumoetai is awaiting ministerial approval 'It is waiting for the Minister to make a decision,” says Andrew 'In the past couple of weeks she's received some advice from us on that.” Submissions on the proposal closed in June The Otumoetai macron issue arose through a proposed name change for Otumoetai Beach Secretary to the New Zealand Geographic Board Discussion on the correct spelling for Otumoetai emerged from public consultation over the proposal to re-name the beach Stokes Beach and also a public hui held in Tauranga on December 19 the New Zealand Geographic Board has decided to ‘correct the spelling' of Otumoetai after 150 years The intention to change Otumoetai includes Otumoetai Suburb The board has naming jurisdiction over these types of places only charts and tourist publications that refer to the suburb and the other names will be required to use the correct spelling The change will be gradual as the materials come up for renewal Organisations such as schools and businesses will not be required to use the macron if they do not wish to But the board is encouraging public agencies to adopt the correct spelling of any official name hyphens and duals in their materials as they come up for renewal There is no penalty involved for those that choose not to add the macron Macrons became an official part of the Maori language in 1987 when it became an official language of New Zealand with the passing of the Maori Language Act The agency responsible for the Act is The Maori Language Commission The NZ Geographic Board Act of 2008 requires it to seek advice from the commission on the correct spelling of any Maori name Otumoetai means Stand of the Sleeping Tide Posted on 09-12-2014 08:45 | By The Caveman ...all Maori pronounce Maori names correctly together with Anglo-Saxon and our numerous mixed cultural names then there might be a case for insisting on things being PC probably on a well paid salary finds yet another PC way to waste tax payers money lets just go with the common usage/spelling that's been around for a long timer already Put the money saved from these wasteful exercises into helping people who really are in need! Move on to more important things like interest rates perhaps IWI could subsidise all kiwi's mortgage interest rates Maori didn't have a written language so how can they now say how to spell it Over fifty years ago Merivale/Parkvale chose to be part of Tauranga and to this day we have no signage indicating where it is Perhaps the money intended for making new Otumoetai signs could be used for for this instead I'm glad I'm not a Tauranga city ratepayer - first the plastic waka now macrons How many of the New Zealand Geographic Board are Maori anyway Give the money to the lower decile schools in the area to improve reading skills We pay to educate them to get a degree of some sort then they are in a market place which has run out of real jobs so now we make em up as we go along - bureaucracy becoming larger and larger - but I suppose it keeps em off the street - what a load of hogwash Posted on 09-12-2014 12:26 | By Bill Gibson-Patmore by various committees outside of our city are doing absolutely nothing to lessen the Racial Divide that is ripping apart the solid social structure that New Zealanders (of all historic races) have been so proud of for so long Most folk will realise that I never speak on Racial matters Inserting a macaroon (sic) into various pieces of signage does not seem to me to be satisfying the needs of the majority and it's going to remain constantly devisive I certainly hope that the Board not NOT recommend going ahead with the idea Then I hope that the matter is LEFT ALONE by all citizens of our fine city I hope and pray...(I'll also ask Santa Claus) Posted on 09-12-2014 12:47 | By cptn scully Can you ask the Land Minister how I am going to type a macron when my keyboard does not have one What a crock and what a total waste of time money and resources.It's a wonder local Council hasn't instructed Priority One to do one of their famous surveys on it Posted on 09-12-2014 13:13 | By Ridiculousness if somebody wants to waste a heap of money over new signs; why not rename Otu..watsit as Cherrywood .Residents of a large proportion of the affected zone live in the Cherrywood area (and it's easier to spell too ) Posted on 09-12-2014 14:39 | By Calm Gully How does the macron change the pronunciation does that need a macron???) Nobody pronounces words correctly - Tauranga and powhari for instance are said so many different ways - will Otumoetai change It can't be Maori pushing this 'cause it is not a written language It raises lots of questions like who is pushing for this rot???? Just tell the Geographic Board to go away a macron indeed Do I assume that all your correspondents also seek the accents to be removed from French and the umlauts from German Posted on 09-12-2014 15:56 | By Major Think This is as make-it-up-as-you-go as the maori pronunciation of "Tauriko" which began life as an abbreviation for Tauranga Rimu Company (TAURICO) and got hi-jacked by the PC fools claiming it should be spelt with a 'c' I just discovered that my computer doesn't have provision to type macrons Would the idiot powers that be who want to introduce them please confirm that they are willing to pay to have all keyboards altered to accommodate their rubbish idea Posted on 09-12-2014 16:42 | By Kevin Mooney Macron use is now awaiting Ministerial approval Macrons are delicious served with whipped cream The Minister should try some before making a decision putting them om street signs would be a complete waste of time ...the people concerned refuse to implement the changes Suppose every one of us says: "This is nonsense and I won't be part of it?" I DO know how to put macrons on things Did you refuse to use accents or umlauts with those languages Or is this something you reserve solely for the Maori language And do I assume that you pronounce Maori perfectly without the need for any macrons Even easier is to ignore the whole issue and carry on with life as 'normal.' I assume then your "normal" includes being totally happy if people continually mispronounce your name and those of your family Many are the times that my names are mispronounced but I do not get all hot and bothered about it A gentle and polite correction usually does the trick this matter is about little marks over letters Then I respectfully suggest you do some research as macrons in Maori are as much about pronunciation as umlauts are in the German you know and as accents are in the French you may know there is no written language until the settlors arrived and for some reason wanted to write it all down for Maori As the population base is to small in a 100 years all of this will be meaningless discussion anyway If you do some research yourself you will see that macrons in Maori words have only been used for a relatively short time acute accents and umlauts have been in use for centuries it can be argued that they have greater historical significance than macrons in the Maori language You are correct in that they were introduced to assist in the correct pronunciation of Maori which had historically not been a written language So do I take it that you now accept they are to assist in correct pronunciation (as umlauts are in German and accents are in French) but that your dismal of them is that you consider them to be of less historical significance Since New Zealand is a relatively young country Or are you simply trying to impose your own values on us But methinks you need to do a little more research as to where/when macrons could be used or not with regard to Maori names etc There is an amount of licence in their use Macrons are here and I have never denied their use is a significant cost for something that is not no matter your interpretation of anything I have said I'm happy for people to see your comments for what they are Just as I am happy living in Otumoetai to see macrons used properly and appropriately to ensure people start to pronounce it properly The Maori Language Commission has a clear and very useful guide to macrons and the pronunciation they indicate: "all macronised vowels are pronounced LONG" I remain sorry that you are not interested in helping to ensure correct pronunciation of Maori I am indebted to you for your expression of empathy But your cynicism and inaccuracy regarding me ..."not being interested in helping to ensure correct pronunciation of Maori,” does you no justice whatsoever I have had associations with Otumoetai for years and have always pronounced the name correctly Having lived in both Germany and France for a number of years of course I use the correct decorations when typing or writing in them But you seem to have missed the fact that German allows the alternative spellings to replace the umlaut for foreign keyboards for example: Dusseldorf can be: Duesseldorf I don't know of any German or French people who would be offended by a foreigner NOT adding the correct embellishments I was taught to pronounce it properly by an elderly Maori friend when I was quite young (The vowel sounds in German and Maori are the same.) I was born and raised in NZ; my first love is English but I don't feel offended when others mis-use it People were writing Maori for many years before diacritical marks were introduced The macron in Otumoetai is actually redundant because you physically struggle to pronounce the u as short (it follows a t); it HAS to be pronounced long (Try it for yourself...) Penguin has covered the bases as far as the mechanics of changing all the signage and it is a persuasive case the REAL issue here is not a real or imagined "insult" to Maori it is that we HAVE to do it if someone we didn't elect says we have to I have no problem with others using the macron if it suits them but I don't want to do so because I think the whole business is just expensive nonsense And don't wave other languages at me; I already told you they are grown up in Europe and realise that it is not an issue worth fighting about I am pleased to hear you use umlauts and accents A FREE programme is available for your keyboard to enable you to do the same with macrons for Maori As someone who has spoken German and French I have been regularly helped when in either country to pronounce the languages correctly I'm delighted to hear you pronounce Maori correctly Most don't and hence why macrons were introduced to help people do so I am a resident of Otumoetai and contrary to your claims re the u having to be pronounced long I find people pronounce an "ah" rather than a long u pronouncing the word overall as: Ohtahmotie It is an absolute delight to read the contributions by waxing Far too many of the comments here seem to come from people who do not understand the reasons for change but who resent any change that the Maori community wants or suggests Maori dictionaries use and have used macrons for a very long time The first Williams dictionary was published in 1844 It would be an amazing step forward in our race relations if non-Maori understood that macrons have always been a part of the written Maori language and have never caused a problem at all for those writing the language However any change will be massive because many names; Omokoroa Strangely the tu part of Otumoetai has no meaning without the macron so the macron is superfluous to the meaning and pronunciation Anti-Maori writers who seem to automatically object to anything that Maori want to do should butt out They embarrass themselves with their one-eyed obsession There are two quite genuine sides to this issue and knee-jerk opposition is not one of them Posted on 15-12-2014 11:29 | By Murray.Guy So a few Maori adapted the written language of the British in an effort to convey their own .. Ever noticed how one or two become very sensitive precious when 'things Maori' are alleged to have been adapted Think we're missing a big chunk of mutual respect in our society a big chunk of 'whats good for the goose is good for the gander' Posted on 15-12-2014 15:59 | By robin bell macrons were introduced into the English language from French via Latin via Greek into Maori via English I am not sure the macron should be inserted horizontally shouldn't it be inserted vertically I think you will find that solution under the up key (^)on the computer You might find that a less painful exercise a bit akin to the Hawaiian salute(siuya) you might say Are you suggesting that the Maori language is evolving into English But what I see and read around this website is not real Maori culture looks like apartheid with a feeble attempt at hiding it such as 'culture' or something else like but it is not I have heard a saying before: if it smells like a dog YOGI BEAR is a Pakeha griever looking back to the past when Governments safely ignored injustice to Maori We have made enormous progress over the past 50 years Yogi Bear cannot write continual anti-Maori comments and then credibly claim to be pro-Maori YOGI BEAR has been provided with factual information that presents Maori in a good light and yet he has denied the facts provided Posted on 16-12-2014 16:20 | By robin bell please don't be too harsh on poor old yogi I've just found out he's got a bad case of 'mould' on the brain Probably hanging around the council offices too much I think what he meant to say is that he is PRE Maori,not pro Maori remind me again which Maori myth they all came from Despite the minority radicals about the place who are not even Maori mega millions ripped off would be nearer the truth They are the vertical and horizontal bits with the pointe ends on them the bits that show where you are to go ... That only happens when Peter and Robin run out of BS and the called up factors mean there is nothing else left to say but Posted on 17-12-2014 21:48 | By crazyhorse Voted in by the Tauranga "rate payers" promises made I'm sure you can get a job on some "racist" unelected board that keep springing up all over NZ! Posted on 18-12-2014 01:56 | By GreertonBoy Just get that graffiti dude to go around and add the macrons... might save a few million$ instead of replacing all the signs... Just realised the fascination that Robin and Peter have here with "Macrons" It should read as "Maccers Ronald McD" so MacRon is an abbreviation for the loved fooder food Wondered why thre was a growing obsession with MacRon's Posted on 20-12-2014 01:33 | By crazyhorse Don't say that we will have to fork out for free "macca's on top of everything else it will be in the treaty you know that don't you "ARTICLE 20322" Yeah I can see yet another crazed Waitangi Treaty claim here If they are not "given" it they will surely claim that it is racist .. Oh PLEASEEEEEEE Peter bring back another batch of myths that we can all hear again .. oh that's right that change every time they are recited .. Is that the dictionary written by non-Maori So when did the that dictionary get created perhaps just a 150 years ago wonder how close it looks to the genuine thing then compared to now I think more time was spent looking into heads rather than books Posted on 01-01-2015 22:27 | By crazyhorse It's amusing all the hoopla about a macron when the maori language like every thing else maori evolves and changes as it go's along lets take the word "Taonga"original meaning yes in the "maori dictionary" and all others! a part maori academic a member of the Waitangi tribunal a "claimant",talk about conflict of interest changed the meaning to "treasure" guess what the Waitangi tribunal has based all it's rulings on,yes a very shrewd "lie"told to "trough" on for ever hole in a rock.the racially operated Waitangi tribunal has to much to lose to tell the 'truth" as have the law firms involved,just as Geoffery Palmer always intended! Posted on 03-01-2015 20:56 | By crazyhorse It should always be remembered that the Lange government - advised by "HONEST "JEFF"PALMER - started this crap when they extended the Waitangi Tribunal's jurisdiction back to 1840 …Contemporary generations of Maori who've had nothing taken from them will continue demanding that free stuff be given to them will continue to pay a generation who've NEVER had ANYTHING taken from them "treaty troughers"have too much to gain from perpetuating racial hatred to let it all slip away Yes indeed now that is correct x2 and some lThe Williams dictionary in 1854 had taonga meaning treasure and quoting haka as an example So the claim that taonga means only things taken by the spear is wrong Also the financial benefits from confiscated land went in to Government coffers and present taxpayers have been enjoying that benefit ever since So present taxpayers have been and still are benefitting at the expense of the descendants of those who had land confiscated Posted on 05-01-2015 11:16 | By robin bell All land owned is a treasure,either by ownership or sale Whether gained by the spear or the gun or by theft,it remains a treasure For crazy-horse and his lap dog yogi-bore to claim they and all of us are not beneficiaries of land theft is the ultimate DENIAL perhaps a bit more productive to have a look at the destruction of the multiculturalism that was NZ and the attempts of a few race based radicals trying to create a Maori dictatorship that all others pay for the privilege of being here As my ancestors were here before Maori by thousands of years then if there is to be privilege then it should be for my culture as Maori verifying themselves by default instantly verifies mine A simple case of "now you see it now you don't" Posted on 05-01-2015 16:57 | By crazyhorse Kawharu widened the meaning of the word "taonga" away from the 1840 dictionary meaning of "property obtained at the point of a spear" to "all dimensions of a tribal group's estate material and non-material - heirlooms and wahi tapu (sacred places) ancestral lore and whakapapa (genealogies)".4 Kawharu's focus on the meaning of the treaty as he thought was understood by chiefs in 1840 shifts the mention of 'protection” in the preamble from including settlers and Maori to applying only to Maori.5 The reinterpreted treaty dramatically widened the scope for compensation Every claimant could therefore be compensated for not being permitted to carry on exercising their chieftainship even though it was clear from the debate on February 5 that chiefs understood that they would be accepting the rule of the governor and the Queen of England The widened definition of the word 'taonga” enables claims for anything!!! Posted on 05-01-2015 16:59 | By crazyhorse This blatant try-on would no doubt astonish Sir Apirana Ngata Ngata described 'taonga” as applying to 'this canoe that cultivation.” Not once did he hint that taonga included intangibles as claimed by recent racial opportunists Ngata was well-fluent in the Maori language and his explanation was consistent with Kendall and Lee's 1820 vocabulary and Frederick Maning's account of old New Zealand they would have learnt that 'taonga” meant goods or in legal terms 'personalty” [personal property] F.E.(Frederick) Maning settled in Northland in 1833 He had four children to the sister of a chief and later became a Judge of the Native Land Court In his much published account Old New Zealand Maning translates 'taonga” as 'Goods Posted on 05-01-2015 17:03 | By crazyhorse Posted on 05-01-2015 17:18 | By crazyhorse To speak of the Waitangi Tribunal's agenda is no exaggeration It's now a grandly-titled taxpayer-funded Maori lobby group whose continued existence is increasingly perilous to the country and indefensible on any rational grounds when its jurisdiction was backdated to 1840 ~ the agreed understanding of everyone was of far more modest Maori grievances than a claim that they were robbed of sovereignty No Maori at the time would have claimed such a robbery that ‘WE ARE SATISFIED THAT SOVEREIGNTY WAS" CEDED And indeed for the Tribunal to discover that the Crown did not have sovereignty would be to (deny the authority of the Tribunal itself which is derived from that very sovereignty) Posted on 05-01-2015 17:37 | By robin bell should name his ancestors he claims pre-date Maori Gees'I hope it's not them bloody Celts again crazyhorse can read the 1844 Williams dictionary in the Tauranga library He will read that taonga meaning treasured possession can include haka as an example He was an expert but obviously did not have infinite knowledge Posted on 05-01-2015 23:40 | By crazyhorse "One" example as in the "one" you have given does not make it truth you have used more or less this excuse many times to fob the "truth" off This is what you see as fair and just,Kawharu was on the Waitangi tribunal and also a "claimant" he rewrote the translation of Taonga to mean what would benefit the "cause" This is suppose to be an important document to all NZER'S wouldn't you think it would have been talked about 1 man in the tribunal and a "claimant" changes a document that completely changes the meaning of the treaty Also Kawharu's focus on the meaning of the treaty as he thought was understood by chiefs in 1840 shifts the mention of 'protection” in the preamble from including settlers and Maori Strange how nothing was said publicly at the time Posted on 05-01-2015 23:43 | By crazyhorse treaty trougher history "alteration" press release or tribal meeting using the basic principle of the Nazi propaganda machine that a lie repeated often enough becomes the new truth Posted on 06-01-2015 10:24 | By robin bell at the point of a spear,is plain and simple however "gained" are Treasure.How simple is that Alas too difficult for crazy-hoss To understand So old hoss,a possession is anything one has control of the red coats (with a lot of help from some sensible local Maori) dealt to the Gate Pa mob according to Maori custom that land now belongs tot eh victor If not that my ancestors were here in NZ before Maori so I win either way Posted on 06-01-2015 16:03 | By robin bell Your red coated ancestors,were in breach of both the treaty AND common decency.The Queen has apologised for that atrocity,so has the N.Z.government,compensation payed We can play this silly game,as long as you wish I do note however,you have STILL not given details of your pre-Maori ancestors Let me guess,Till people forget the stupid things you say Posted on 06-01-2015 16:34 | By crazyhorse Just so we know we have got this right Bell me old "mate" a Waitangi tribunal "member" who is also a "claimant"changes the TOW around so now Taonga means "treasure"now this can mean anything and everything before it was simply what a person or people owned "as in property "WHERE ELSE COULD THIS HAPPEN" while your at it can you also explain his other "little change "Also Kawharu's focus on the meaning of the treaty as he thought was understood by chiefs in 1840 shifts the mention of 'protection” in the preamble from including settlers and Maori the only thing missing from the good old days is female infanticide and Cannibalism Maori did not even have a idea or concept of "property" or ownership Maori broke the terms of the treaty and were warned repeatedly of what would happen Your verbage previously made no such "declaration of war" references that Maori made that was your feeble attempt to justify land claims by way of the point of a spear It again looks like you have fallen on your sword .. Maori had not got past the bone age so bronze steel and so on are all out of the question here right Maori had no idea what steel of Bronze was so weapons such as the rest of the world had refine thousands of years earlier means at best Maori were in an advanced stages of the "Bone Age" Some might argue that they had made it to the "Stone age" but that at best would put Maori a few thousand years before Stonehenge at that time the real indigenous ancestors of the islanders (who were dropped off in NZ) were all pacific Islanders not Maori at all for a real spear you need a metal tip and the know how on that did not exist in NZ when Maori arrived that knowledge only became aware to Maori when a bit of trading happened in the 1800's or so Hugh Kawharu simply informed people of the wider meaning of the word taonga The wider meaning 'treasure' was already available with haka as an example in the 1844 Williams dictionary available in the Tauranga City library The discredited claim that taonga had a very narrow meaning is no longer sustainable Read the Williams dictionary current version It has the same explanation of taonga that Hugh Kawharu used Posted on 06-01-2015 22:32 | By crazyhorse 'The Corruption of New Zealand Democracy puts to right his astonishing revelation that as a Waitangi Tribunal researcher he had to falsify evidence to get paid Hired to study Maori depopulation from 1850-1900 he found the main cause was a chronic shortage of potential parents The inter-tribal holocaust of the 1820s and 1830s had extinguished up to forty percent of the race and it was ""customary practice to kill newborn girls"" This was not what Dr Robinson's state masters wanted to hear They ‘encouraged' him to blame the decline on the ‘catastrophic' effects of Maori land loss He exposes the corruption within the Waitangi Tribunal to write reports to allow claims to proceed Victoria University historian Dr Giselle Byrnes also lays damning charges against the tribunal Even in the 1800's Maori still had no idea of how to make create or manufacture anything metal based This about sums up the status of a people who had degraded from well presented and able bodied pacific Islanders to become Maori that wee hopelessly unable to cope with the new found NZ environment In fact Maori would have disappeared in NZ when they were dropped off if it were not for the capable people and cultures already here that would able to assist Maori to be to survive Her scientific evidence shows no existence of anybody living in New Zealand before Maori arrived about 1250AD Stories of people living here before Maori arrived have to be imaginary because they left no evidence behind They do not make things up because all their evidence can be checked and if they make things up they just get proved wrong crazyhorse presents John Robinson's side of his story but nobody has ever presented the other side of the story Nobody told John Robinson to falsify his report He was probably told that his research was part of the truth The Waitangi Tribunal had the difficult task of trying to redress wrong in a practical way so that we can move forward in greater harmony If it had tried to write history to suit academic historians it would have taken forever and cost more billions of dollars and then crazyhorse would have complained about that Posted on 07-01-2015 15:07 | By robin bell extreme (by his own admission) right wing blogger and contributor to many anti Maori publications Mathematician,end of story.The holocaust caused by the introduction of firearms and exotic diseases caused the decline of Maori numbers.NOT the practice of female infanticide More blatant untruth from the extreme right blogger,crazy horse At best you might stretch that to perhaps also refer to the French Your Treaty reference has again been stretched to the same category as Janet's scripted (for her by her pay masters) ramblings that are best described by Peter when he referred to the truth about Maori myths The treaty only provided that the part Maori immigrants were to be covered by the same laws as the settlors (the culturally indigenous peoples of New Zealand Posted on 07-01-2015 19:24 | By crazyhorse Some Treaty of Waitangi claimants asked researchers to change findings that would be unhelpful to their cases said the Chairman of the Waitangi Tribunal Justice Durie also said that some tribes had even tried to make the payments of researchers conditional on findings being altered in their favour Justice Durie himself has come under suspicion at times! the reality is that Maori wanted desperately the assistance of our Queen Victoria to save them from themselves this is clearly show in the desperate attempts of Maori to avoid a massacre by their own felloe Maori There's something different about Dave Randell he's not typing furiously at his keyboard and he's not in his suit the retired principal is dressed in his T-shirt and shorts and the weight of managing Tauranga's largest college has been lifted off his shoulders Life has completely changed for the former Otumoetai College principal since closing the doors on 17 years at the school last December This year was his first taste of retirement Randell's alarm used to sound at 5.20am on a week day but back home by 6.30am in time for a quick breakfast and shower before the school bell rang his inbox would blink with 90-something emails His electronic address book counted about 5000 contacts 270 of those phone numbers associated with school he says he's lucky to get half a dozen messages to his personal email and his address book is much more manageable "I actually felt a little depressed because all of a sudden you're not getting at work by just after 7am and an 11-hour day is a typical day - it's a good day," he said Randell says it probably took him the first six months to get into the swing of retirement I think it was the mental strain," he said But he read up on retirement and learned to make daily goals The new Dave Randell gets to the gym at a reasonable hour has time to eat breakfast and do a quiz with his wife before she goes to work at the local health shop He walks with Jude every morning before breakfast and now has the time to read a newspaper "It is little things like that that just make a quality of life," he says The 70-year-old has even built a retaining wall for his garden where he now spends most days pruning the roses and trimming the trees He also started a coffee group with former Otumoetai College staff The principal informs me the group's name is spelt Koffee - because they don't have to worry too much about grammar any more "We don't talk about school at all," he says "We may reminisce - you talk about achievements over the years but more as a person rather than as a staff member." the majority of Randell's new-found time is dedicated to family Twice a week he goes to Rotorua to visit his 91-year-old mother his grandchildren came to stay during the school holidays Granddad Dave also now attends sports awards and got to see his granddaughter graduate from primary school to intermediate "For the first time this year I went to Granddad's Day," he says That is already one item ticked off the bucket list "We wanted to see all our grandchildren every year and we have done that this year already." Next on the list was travel - and just this year he and Jude have travelled to Fiji and taken a train ride across Australia on the Indian Pacific His browser history already has links to his next adventure But now that time was starting to suit him Randall says he will never forget the school or its students Dave Randell's education career:- Completed teacher training at the then College of Education in Auckland in 1970 - Gained his first teaching position at Rotorua Lakes High School where he spent 17 years- Held principal roles at Taihape College and Melville High School throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s - Became principal at Otumoetai College in October 2000- Retired 2017 Ram-raiders struck Tauranga's Liquorland Otumoetai store in Bureta Rd early on Thursday A ram raid at the Liquorland Otumoetai store in Tauranga has left the owner and staff reeling after more than $10,000 worth of alcohol was stolen and the store extensively damaged The burglary at the Bureta Rd store happened shortly before 4 am on Thursday Police have forensically examined the scene and the vehicle used was found the fourth time in just over a year criminals had targeted it Liquorland New Zealand chief executive Brendon Lawry told the Bay of Plenty Times the offenders were believed to have used a stolen car to ram their way through the front entrance They then crawled under the damaged security grill and stole alcohol Lawry said it was a standard ram-raid type burglary where those involved grabbed as much stock as they could in a short space of time The event was “over in a couple of minutes” and there will be a massive clean-up bill after smashed bottles were left everywhere He said just over $10,000 worth of alcohol was taken and the raiders caused thousands of dollars of damage the exact cost of which was yet to be worked out and the cost of repairs is still being worked through but I estimate it would be in the tens of thousands of dollars.” Lawry said he was unsure how many offenders were involved but those seen in the CCTV footage disguised their faces “Police have been fantastic and extremely proactive and I understand they are following strong lines of inquiry.” went “well beyond” stock loss and damage to the store and the “massive clean-up” “We are incredibly grateful that no one was physically hurt but the toll of this type of crime on the local franchise owner and her staff who work in store is significant.’' It has affected thempersonally and professionally “very hard” especially in terms of their feelings of safety “The safety and well-being of our teams in store and customers is our highest priority.” Lawry said the impacts of these events were “wide-reaching” as they also affected the wider Liquorland family of stores and the retail industry across the country and repair costs from these crimes were huge added costs for retailers who “fought hard for every dollar they earned” He said the ever-increasing retail crime statistics for these types of offences were “deeply concerning and weighed heavily on everyone’s minds” are looking forward to the $47m redevelopment We are standing just outside one of the bathrooms at Otumoetai College when the principal asks me to take a whiff Russell Gordon admits embarrassingly that is where Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern stopped to use the ladies' room on her visit to the school this week Read more: $47 million to be spent repairing Otumoetai College buildings'Unbelievable $47m gift' for Otumoetai College "I feel bad that the leading dignitary of our country has had to use that toilet - but our kids are just as important and they have to use that But the exciting thing is that we don't have to be used to it any more." A $47 million Government investment into fixing the school's leaky buildings announced by Ardern this week means the school can focus on other issues including fixing the state of its toilets the school will have brand new bathroom facilities including a new unisex toilet for children who identify as gender diverse "It opens up a lot of examples of things that we have just dreamed about that actually can become a reality," Gordon says stale smell crawls up my nostrils as we walk into the science room "That smell is endemic through all of these buildings." He is talking about the 59 soon-to-be demolished teaching spaces in the social science and business department the principal points to thick coats of paint which cover up the "ongoing" leaky building issues "As you can see there is still leaking all the way through That is a significant drain on our resources," he says "So the fact that we can rebuild will mean that it is a dream come true." I ask him to fast forward five years and describe what he sees durable and "state-of-the-art" open learning spaces in the heart of the school grounds where four leaky school buildings once stood There is a covered outdoor area for students to congregate where the leaky maths English and science blocks once backed on to a gully we would have this as kind of a beautiful congregation area for the students," Gordon says "You can just imagine this huge open area." Gordon likens the new classrooms to a new outfit "When you go out and you buy a new set of clothes and they look good on you "We put brand new classrooms for our kids; we hope they will get as excited about their learning." Gordon says the students have become accustomed to their surroundings - but they will now no longer have to learn in cold "This is their norm but actually we can create a new norm that gives them The future of the school facilities now looked bright "I am mindful we are not just building for these kids," Gordon says "We are building for the next generation; we are building for kids 20 years from now." Gordon warned his students to be on their best behaviour when Jacinda Ardern visited the school this week But it was he who struggled to contain his glee when he heard the school's pocket money would be topped up $47m "I have experienced this feeling twice," he says "The first was when my wife said she was pregnant." He admits to yelling "whoop whoop" in the school assembly Gordon inherited the school and all of its leaky buildings when he became principal at the beginning of this year "They have put a lot of energy into this and we are the lucky recipients of that," he says "It will be really good to have new buildings because it is not very nice being in a classroom where it's not homely It is not nice to work in an environment where you don't feel comfortable it will be a lot easier to work to our full potential It sometimes gets quite cold and it is hard to focus when you are shivering I hope the money will go towards making the classrooms a bit more stable and warm." "I haven't experienced leaky classrooms but they are pretty cold and pretty hot in the summer and pretty damp as well I think it would be a huge help for our education to be able to be comfortable in your learning environment." "I think some of the classrooms are definitely showing their wear and tear You've got floors that have holes in them and could be a potential danger to students It would be good to get those fixed as well as be warm so we can focus on our learning and get the best out of school." "It would be pretty nice if there were places for us to sit at lunches and morning tea times because during the wet weather there is not that much cover to sit under It would be good to have them fixed and made a little bit nicer." "The heaters do not work and in the dance room we get water coming underneath It is like a hazard when we are dancing because it can be very slippery and it gets really moist on the surface It is really cold in the winter and hot in the summer and it is hard to focus I think our school does need a bit of an upgrade." Te Puke came closer than many might have predicted to a giant-killing act in the Chatham Cup on Saturday who are sitting second in the NRFL Southern Conference to Te Puke’s next-to-bottom spot in the division below the tie pitted an on-form team against one that has not had the best start to the season But those observations can go out of the window in cup football where it’s just 11 against 11 and anything can happen Te Puke set out to disrupt and defend and it proved to be a successful strategy with Ōtūmoetai unable to take control of the game The opening goal almost came when a clearance by Te Puke goalkeeper Ethan Ramsay struck Ōtūmoetai’s Lucas Arista forcibly on the head the looping ball heading towards goal and hitting the bar the deadlock was broken when the hosts’ Jack Boland but it had taken the best part of half an hour Rather than settle the nerves for the hosts who pushed it home from a corner as the first half was drawing to a close Te Puke continued to create chances and thwart the Ōtūmoetai attack The introduction of Jonah Davies off the bench gave the visitors another attacking option on the right Ōtūmoetai retook the lead in the 67th minute through Dylan Monteiro A second Boland goal in the 83rd minute seemed to have put the game beyond doubt but a break by Davies five minutes later saw Te Puke pull one back to keep the hopes of a comeback and an upset win alive A third Te Puke goal would have sent the game into extra time but despite throwing everything they could at the Ōtūmoetai defence A BoP woman stumbled upon two giant mushrooms while on her daily walk Bay of Plenty’s Otumoetai have named men’s first team coach Ross Johnson their 2023 Club Person of the Year Johnson led the team to safety after struggling for most of their season in the newly-created Lotto NRFL Southern Conference Johnson said his highlight of the season was the team working their way up the table in the last few games “Morale stayed first class right throughout the season,” he said “We worked extremely hard on the pitch and on the training ground and found ourselves safe.” His second season highlight was the performance of Otumoetai’s youth team at the national U-17 tournament hosted by Western Springs — “a team put together quickly His third highlight was seeing junior and youth players developing at the club Please let us know what’s happening at your club Either send us your media releases or send us a link to your announcement/story on your website If we think it’ll interest football fans and our members we’ll do our best to share your news Email us at editor@friendsoffootballnz.com Please add our logo to your club’s website and invite your members and supporters to check us out Otūmoetai College Robotics Club is off to Dallas in April for the world championships after their success at the Vex Nationals in Auckland The Otūmoetai College Robotics Club promotes STEM education based on Robotic technologies skills that help within the competition.” Sarah says there are 27 students in the club and seven teams There are three club members in the team and they will all be going to the world championships Emily Aldridge and Jamie Venman are 17 years old and Troy Edhouse is 15 years old Both Emily and Jamie have been in the club for four years and joined the club in their first year of college Troy has been in the club for two years and joined in his first year of college The team joined the club because they all a hold common interest in robotics “It’s a club that accepts us all,” says Emily “It is a welcoming club where we can have fun and interact with other teams,” she says Sarah says the club was started in 2010 by current electronic teacher when he saw a demonstration of a robot by the Vex The national competition in Auckland involved “70 teams competing to get into a position of selecting alliance partners” competed in the elimination round until the last two alliances were standing “The finals are run as the best of three rounds “Otūmoetai2941X was in an alliance that made it to the finals,” says Sarah and all finalists won a place in the world championships in Dallas When asked how the team feels about the opportunity Emily says it feels amazing to have been given this opportunity.” Troy and Emily say it’s all quite overwhelming but as a team they have accomplished a big goal Otumoetai College Robotics Club wins a place to the world robotics championship in Dallas The team have not competed at the world championships before “We are all very excited to head over to Dallas and meet different people from different countries,” says Emily and Jamie Troy and Emily say they are inspired by the club mentor Garry and the teammate Jamie “We would love to give a major thanks to our club manager Sarah and our club mentor Garry who have given us this opportunity to be able to compete at the Robotics Worlds competition “2915D (Glenfield College) our alliance partners who we competed with in the elimination’s at nationals “Finally a huge thanks to Mr Wessels our club teacher in charge and major supporter,” says Emily “Robotics within Otūmoetai has become a safe haven for the odd kids who need a safe space to grow and expand their education and friendships within an inclusive “All of this is framed around the Vex and STEM principles.” The team is looking for sponsors as the opportunity to compete in Dallas is going to cost more than $30,000 and is fully funded by the students Please contact the club manager Sarah Aldridge saldridge@otc.school.nz “Sponsorship helps with the expenses and enables the students that might not be able to go due to the costs.” “Otūmoetai has been running for 14 years now and has won the world competition once and was finalists on two other occasions “Last year we won a Sportsmanship at Worlds 2023.” this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read Bruce Farthing is hanging up his hat after 45 years in the teaching profession Bruce Farthing always wanted to be a teacher He loved school growing up - from playing hockey to mixing chemicals in the science lab to researching history in the library They believed his talents would be better suited to a job as a lawyer But a tedious stint in a law firm as a teenager quickly ruled that out It was just days after this work experience that he enrolled to become a teacher and he never looked back Forty-five years later he is leaving the job sad but feeling enriched to have been able to teach thousands of Tauranga's students Farthing has spent 35 of these years at Otumoetai College "Help everyone in the school do their jobs better" - whether that be overseeing things boosting the school morale or just lending a helping hand Farthing says he has always been busy and in demand One thing that has motivated him has been watching light-bulb moments when suggesting how a perspective change could enrich a colleague's teaching style and seeing students come from the bottom to achieve highly But it's Farthing's passion in the performing arts and social sciences He directed and produced some of Tauranga's top school productions saying it is something he has always had a knack and soft spot for since a young boy His love for history developed later on when he was the Head of Department in social sciences at Waitakere College in West Auckland and Otumoetai College He loves how in history there is never "a right or wrong" and a historian is essentially "a lawyer of the past" Farthing played a huge role in shaping the way history was taught to students across the country and encouraged students to research history in their own way he has loved watching students grow and develop and even dropped in that he had taught cricketer Trent Boult He will never forget igniting a fire and love for economics for a student who later became a bank chief executive Farthing put the moral success of Otumoetai College down to having their special needs students at the centre of the school "How we look after our most vulnerable members of the school speaks volumes about the school itself." His career allowed Farthing to do some amazing things such as watching a Cambridge University organ recital in England through a connection of a past student being awarded a Woolf Fisher Fellowship and chairing a number of pivotal education-based organisations although his work was a huge part of his life and his tight-knit family would joke that it was all he did - there are a number of loves he has had outside of the workplace too who has also been a teacher for almost 40 years The pair met as junior teachers in Auckland after living there for only one week and were married not long afterward When Farthing was first offered the job in Tauranga neither of them had ever slept a night in the city with one even choosing to head into teaching alongside her parents He has a green thumb when it comes to the garden has hiked in almost every corner of the world and even regularly gets out in his kayak he says it is difficult to know as he genuinely feels as though everything in his life got him to the position he is in now Farthing says he had entered the workforce hoping to make a difference anywhere he could but says that hasn't happened with Maori student achievement rates He says the rates have not significantly improved and this is something he has always wanted to work on Farthing worked under three principals who were like "chalk and cheese" but all had the welfare of the students as their main focus Current principal Russell Gordon says Farthing insisted his farewell assembly was held the week before to not interrupt anyone's holidays Farthing's "dedication to teaching" and the way he "shaped the education landscape" is inspiring to all teachers empathy and support would be hard to match for both students and staff a past Otumoetai principal who worked with Farthing for 18 years says his former deputy would be a major loss to the school He says Farthing was his "right-hand man" and when it came to deputy principals Farthing knew everybody and has been so loved by everybody always spending time with past teachers and students who were fond of him And his heart of gold and commitment to the school will be missed Peter Malcolm was the principal of the college in 1984 and appointed Farthing as Head of the Social Sciences Department from Waitakere College He had heard plenty of good things about Farthing before hiring him and relied on this advice Malcolm says Farthing always worked hard and had such a great network of people he had formed relationships with A fond memory of Malcolm's was a story Farthing told a staff meeting one morning where he was in the toilets at the New Plymouth Airport and turned to the man next to him in the urinal and realised they knew of each other so he introduced himself right there and then Malcolm said there was shocked silence in the room before the entire staff cracked up He says "if you ever wanted something done you gave it to the busy person" and that was always Farthing A past student-teacher of Farthing's and now principal of Onslow College says "he always put the welfare of others and people first" She says she will never forget the support he gave the English Department when one of the teachers fell ill Other past colleagues described him as "unique" "a mischief-maker" and totally "irreplaceable" the school was ready for some new ideas and focus Greg Burnard now steps into the role and Farthing says the "school is in safe hands" "I'm going to take the rest of the year to myself and smell the roses for a while." But he said he will definitely jump back into his organisations and keep involved in education where he can next year Farthing is off on a four-week retirement trip around the country he will not be bored for a second as he visits past students he kept in contact with His wife and himself have over 80 years of teaching experience between them.2 He has hiked mountain ranges in both Poland and Slovakia He started learning the classical piano at the age 5.4 who have all gone into public service professions.5 One of his pride and joys is his holiday home on the shores of Lake Taupo First-place winners Sold Out from Otumoetai Intermediate School Young musicians in the Bay of Plenty have taken the spotlight at the 13th annual Rockshop Bandquest competition The nationwide live music competition for intermediate and primary students this year’s regional edition saw 15 bands perform at Baycourt on Monday representing Otumoetai Intermediate School delivering an outstanding performance that captivated both judges and audience alike L.A.B star Joel Shadbolt was a mentor at the event and said he “absolutely taken back by the talent we have here in the Bay” “Each [band] had such a unique and stylish sound It was super impressive and promising for things to come I can happily say that New Zealand music is in good hands moving forward.” “[it] was heaps of fun and I enjoyed playing together in a band with others I like being in a band because music is best played with friends.” The full line-up for Sold Out is Alafair Korohina Rockquest Promotions co-founder and director Glenn Common said the benefit of participating went far beyond just the event day ”Rockshop Bandquest is a fantastic opportunity for these young musicians each playing their part to achieve a shared goal developing not only their musical and performance skills but also their teamwork About 300 bands will participate in events held across the country from August 22 to September 3 The Bandquest online national final results will be announced on September 21 winning $400 credit with The Rockshop for their school: Sold Out - Otumoetai Intermediate School winning $200 credit with The Rockshop for their school: GrieVous - Greerton Village School winning $100 credit with The Rockshop for their school: Nonagon - Mokoia Intermediate School winning $100 cash for their school: The Hammerheads - Bethlehem College Best Song-Wrighter Award: The Hammerheads - Bethlehem College Best Keyboard Player Award: Band One - Mount Maunganui Intermediate Rocking Drummer Award: Tahatai Tribe - Tahatai Coast School Rock-Solid Bassist Award: INDIGO - Papamoa College Undisturbed - Otumoetai Intermediate School Rockstar Styles Award: Singer from Looney Tunes - Mokoia Intermediate School Musicianship Award: Slick - Tauranga Intermediate School Best Vocalist Award (jointly awarded to): Vocalists Best Vocalist Award (jointly awarded to): Lead vocalist “Soundscape” - Rotorua Intermediate School Flames coming from a front window of the Otumoetai home UPDATED 9.15AM: Firefighters have now extinguished a single-storey house fire on Otumoetai Road A reporter at the scene says while there are no flames there's still plenty of smoke after firefighters extinguished the house fire near the Bellevue Road roundabout shortly before 9.15am Firefighters are now inside looking around and pulling stuff out.” At this stage there is no indication of what caused the house fire The house which went up in flames this morning is situated next door to the Otumoetai Plunket Clinic A spokesperson for Plunket Bay of Plenty says staff had been running clinics with parents and their children at the time of the fire 'We evacuated as soon as the fire broke out and there were no issues in this regard We will not go back in until the fire service give us the okay.” Firefighters are currently battling a house fire in Otumoetai which is sending up big thick black plumes of smoke into the air The smoke can be seen from the Tauranga CBD Northern Fire Communications shift manager Jarron Phillips says three appliances from the Greerton and Tauranga stations have been dispatched to the fire on Otumoetai Road near the Belleveue Road 'We have received multiple calls from the public to alert us and our crews have just arrived at the scene It appears the house is well involved in fire.” A caller to the 0800 SUNLIVE news hotline who drove past the scene as fire crews were arriving believes it'll be very lucky if there's anything left of the house very thick smoke that was just everywhere.” Firefighters are responding to a house fire in Otumoetai A caller to the 0800 SUNLIVE news hotline says it appears to be well involved Call 0800 SUNLIVE or email photos to newsroom@thesun.co.nz You can smell it across the other side of town Posted on 14-12-2016 15:27 | By HallowesHell Hope the community rallies to help get them back on their feet lesson on the dangers of leaving cigarette lighters around Glad noone is hurt - this could have been a very sad Christmas for this family has anyone given any thought to the unfortunate person who owned the house? Shorter and Hex team members Amelia Shorter and Haylee Hextall won the $2000 Supreme Award in the yia Seniors category for their innovation Glowshield “Our problem is light pollution,” says Shorter and Hex team member Amelia Shorter.  “Light pollution is the presence of unwanted or excessive artificial light.” She is talking about what prompted her and her fellow team member Haylee Hextall to come up with an innovative idea for the Young Innovator Awards – also known as yia! Their solution to this problem has won the Otumoetai College Year 12 students the Supreme Award in the yia Seniors category with their innovation Glowshield they go on to receive valuable internship experience with some of the BOP’s top innovative businesses “It’s a growing problem here in New Zealand as you can see with the port lights from the summit of Mauao at night,” says Haylee They also point out that residential streets and urban areas are producing light pollution because they get stunned by the bright lights and crash due to confusion,” says Amelia “Light pollution also affects birds by disrupting their circadian rhythm causing them to migrate or breed in the wrong season Glowshield works by placing a shield around the light directly concentrating light from street lamps onto the road below A second red shield acts as a barrier for excess light Light that travels upwards through this barrier is dimmed and tinted red “which is a less harmful colour for birds” The Young Innovator Awards is an awards programme for school students in the Western Bay of Plenty aged nine to 18 years old who can enter individually or as a team of up to five students come up with an idea for an innovative product or service If the panel of NZ innovation legends judge theirs to be the best the winner will receive “oodles of cash Internship and look like a bit of a genius in front of their mates” The Otumoetai College students who were involved in yia Otumoetai College Head of IT Services Ros Lee says yia! “For me it's a perfect example of the many fantastic initiatives happening each year regionally and nationally that our students can take part in beyond the classroom," says Ros "These require enormous commitment from students and staff as well as the goodwill of many individuals in the community who donate their time money and expertise in sponsorship and mentorship “Real life problem solving is becoming more important in education.” Ros is also rapt about the stunning results for Otumoetai College “Our school won the Junior and the Senior Supreme awards the Sustainability Award and the Research Award And the third-place award in the Junior category.” Kale Brooking and Catelyn Evans created ‘Sunny side up’ taking out first prize in the Junior Supreme awards They receive $1000 and valuable internship experience with some of the BOP’s top innovative businesses lack of nearby volunteering opportunities and battery farming is a community chicken farm “We created a system to connect people who had food waste to chickens that need food “This will function through an app with two main features The first feature is for volunteers who want to register “Once those who want to have applied they will be judged based on their capability and space to see if they can keep a coop of chickens “If approved they will receive their coop The second feature of the app is an interactive map showing where the coops are and how many chickens are at each coop location “Chickens are required to be fed twice a day so the app will highlight the coop in need of a meal and once they’re given food we can reduce the 122,547 tonnes of food waste in New Zealand per year hinder the need of international battery farms and offer a cheap alternative to the expensive eggs in supermarkets Alexia Rogers-Hibell and Hannah Richards won third prize of $500 in the Juniors’ category Bio-lids are biodegradable milk bottle lids Plastic bottle lids are one of the top five pollutants of the ocean With 100 million animals dying from plastic pollution and at least 14 million tonnes of plastic entering the ocean yearly this is a major issue “Our lids are made from cellulose nanofibers that have been sourced from native New Zealand seaweed “They help with pollution by stopping the problem at its source.” The team say that this means that before the bottle lids find their way to the ocean “Regular bottle lids can take up to 500 years whereas our milk bottle lids will decompose within a year “The large misconception on whether milk bottle lids can be recycled in New Zealand has left citizens extremely confused This has resulted in the lids being recycled when they shouldn’t we will be able to save the lives of millions of sea life our design will be used in future ideas.” Shorter and Hex took out the Supreme Award in the senior category made up of Charlie Minshall and Kara Blackstock won the Research Award for their innovation ‘Solution seaweed’ “Once we found out that the ocean’s acidity levels have increased by 30 per cent since 1840 we knew we had to make a change,” says Charlie “No matter our age,” says Kara “Our innovation looks to decrease our ocean acidification levels while increasing bio-diversity generating lots of new eco-systems,” says Charlie “And it can even create a sustainable bio-fuel that can revolutionize our world Let’s eco-engineer our future and protect our precious New Zealand wildlife from this ocean acidification.” For Otumoetai College teacher-in-charge Kristy Lance it’s her first year as the college’s facilitator “I admire hugely the students and teachers who do these extra things,” says Kristy “I thought the innovations were incredible They’ve solved real issues that we all experience on a day-to-day basis and came up with solutions that as adults we may not consider “They go thru the design thinking process as part of YIA which is a great process And we facilitate the space for them to have a chance to explore their ideas.” “I think it’s a great initiative.” Kelvin Bennett outside St Columba Presbyterian Church in Otūmoetai Otūmoetai's first service desk for the Bay of Plenty Justices of the Peace opened earlier this month at St Columba Presbyterian Church The Otūmoetai Road site brings the total number of service desks across the Western Bay of Plenty Bay of Plenty Justices of the Peace service centre coordinator Kelvin Bennett has been a JP for 20 years and is responsible for all service desks from Katikati to Te Puke but they all have their own convenors and rosters,” says Kelvin The Tauranga courthouse is our busiest place whereas other sites operate one or two days of the week.” other locations include Tauranga City Library Te Puke's St John the Baptist Anglican Church Ōmokoroa Library and Community Centre Te Puna School Library and Katikati Resource Centre 'Otūmoetai is one area of the city where we haven't had any coverage at all,” says Kelvin 'The rest of the city is well covered by JPs.” and will operate from 10am until noon each Tuesday with four JPs rostered to work there We won't know how many we will get in Otūmoetai.” Justices of the Peace help people to obtain copies of documents statuary declarations and immigration papers As well as verifying hard copies of documents people also bring copies to verify on a mobile phone or tablet 'People can bring their devices and we can verify documents Anything that we can verify on hard copy paper we can also verify on phones or tablets.” Kelvin says being a JP can be very satisfying 'It's the people you meet and the tasks that you do for them that's the most enlightening and interesting thing about the role.” Justices of the Peace are New Zealand citizens or residents have a good command of both written and spoken English and have already been involved in other volunteer work 'While we have in excess of 70 Justices of the Peace working out of service desks there are many who choose to operate from home 'Up until the establishment of service desks we all operated from home which we still do if and when clients contact us.” The new Otūmoetai JP service desk is now open. The addresses for each JP service desk location in the Western Bay of Plenty, as well as contact details for JPs, can be found at: www.jpfed.org.nz Otumoetai have appointed Lilly Musprat as the club’s Female Development Officer “Lilly has been a part of the club for many years “Currently studying a teaching degree alongside this newly-formed role Lilly has been a big asset to the club for the past few seasons in a playing “She will be an integral part of our female programmes right the way through the club from junior to senior bringing a wealth of experience and a great role model for our female players.” Musprat is undergoing study for her coach’s C Licence “With a massive year for girls and women’s football in New Zealand and having Lilly on board with the club we are in a very good space to have a successful year with the hope for growth and success!” Email us at editor@friendsoffootballnz.com – thanks It is the end of an era for seven teachers who are putting down the books after 180 collective years of teaching at Otumoetai College who taught under four different principals at the college spent a massive 45 years teaching Tauranga teens "I had a young lady in my Year 9 science class that came up to me at the end of the lesson and said The well-liked and successful volleyball coach remembered the school in 1970 as "beautiful and green" compared with schools in Britain you see such a huge development change in the kids and to be part of that and to see it happen is just awesome Kids only want to realise that you care about them." development and evolution of IT in the school I had a young lady in my Year 9 science class that came up to me at the end of the lesson and said His highlight was his involvement with students outside the classroom especially coaching hockey and seeing four of his hockey players selected for the Black Sticks and two end up at the Olympic Games Doreen Swetman was overwhelmed by the size of the school when she first arrived but said she soon found her feet Her teaching policy entailed starting each day anew "If they've had a rotten day the day before we learn from it and we don't go back over it "You become that one stable factor for the kid in the classroom." Social studies head Larry Dixon said one of the most significant moments of his career happened last week when he bumped into two ex-pupils in Wellington When they stop and talk to you and tell you how they're doing it makes teaching worthwhile "The number of kids I've taught in this school is in the thousands While you don't always remember their names you remember them "When they stop and talk to you and tell you how they're doing it makes teaching worthwhile." Anna Shaw said it had been an interesting journey seeing the changes to the computing department She said it was the people who made Otumoetai College what it was Textiles and design teacher Julie Eagle said she enjoyed seeing how her students developed over the four years she spent with them Read more: Tauranga fire: 'I'm just thankful there was no one still inside' "You become really proud of them and really close to them." Colette Mackenzie started as a relief teacher and ended up in the careers department teaching Gateway Her highlight was being a form teacher of the Maori students "It's been fantastic to watch them grow and develop and leave with some high expectations." Principal Dave Randall said he had never seen seven permanent staff leave at the same time "One fortunate thing is the school has a good reputation but it's that experience and it's the in-school knowledge." Doreen Swetman: Young Enterprise & computing 31 years at Otumoetai College Julie Eagle: Textiles and design Alan Galletly: Assistant head digital business faculty Anna Shaw: Computing and "rowing mistress" Two pathology clinics in and near Tauranga have had temporary closures because of staff shortages Pathlab says staff sickness forced closures at its Te Puke and Ōtūmoetai collection facilities The Te Puke clinic has been closed for six days in the past month and Ōtūmoetai has been closed four times Both clinics have been closed for one day this week Pathlab chief executive Dianne McQueen said the decision to close collection facilities was difficult and not taken lightly The decision was made at 6.30am after staff advised they couldn’t work because of illness Closures occurred once all other options were exhausted The wellbeing of phlebotomists (those trained to take blood) and the health of patients was also taken into consideration All clinicians were told about the closures before 7.30am that day so they could advise patients The closures were also communicated through the Pathlab website The website also included details and opening times of the other Pathlab facilities in the area people could use as an alternative The nearest collection site to Te Puke is Pāpāmoa which McQueen said was usually only a 17-minute drive away Alternative sites for Ōtūmoetai were in Bethlehem and Second Avenue in Tauranga ”To minimise disruption to the service and ensure that we have continuity of service we continue in our efforts with ongoing recruitment to address the ongoing staff shortages and to bolster our team.” Pathlab was recruiting eight full-time employees for patient services The temporary closures come after some clinics were closed for over a year because of staff shortages retired or left Pathlab for other positions The Ōtūmoetai clinic closed in November 2021 and reopened last year The Greerton site was closed from April 2022 for a year and the Mount Maunganui facility was closed for 10 months from September 2022 During this time some patients were waiting over an hour for tests at Pathlab clinics Ōtūmoetai resident Paula Bilbe previously told Local Democracy Reporting it was “nothing unusual” to wait an hour and 20 minutes for a test Pathlab recruited more than 30 staff in order to reopen the clinics As of Wednesday all Pathlab sites are open with Ōtūmoetai closing early Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora provides funding for laboratory testing services - LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air Ōtūmoetai Primary School principals will today apologise to a local hapū for a historic decision which saw it become a "European only" school eight decades ago The apology will be made at a school assembly today in the presence of two kuia who attended the school at the time of the decision Pākehā parents sent a petition to the Ōtūmoetai School Committee asking for all 42 Māori children at the primary school to be moved to Bethlehem Native School Māori made up more than half the school roll of 77 it discussed the possibility of making the school European only and committee members asked the secretary to write to the Department of Education putting forward this proposal Deputy principal Marcus Hughes told the Bay of Plenty Times parents from the Hūria or Te Reti communities were not members of the school committee so decisions about their children were made entirely by Pākehā parents and the Department of Education the Department of Education gave the committee permission to remove all Māori children from Ōtūmoetai Primary 42 Ngāi Tamarāwaho children ranging from 6 to 13 years old were enrolled at Bethlehem Native School Ōtūmoetai Primary School was left with 35 children of European descent on its roll the school will apologise at a school assembly to Judea hapū Ngāi Tamarāwaho for the decision "Obviously the removal of hapū children from Ōtūmoetai School in 1939 is widely remembered within the hapū," Hughes said prior to the assembly "It is clear to us that if we are to learn anything from the wrongdoings of the past we need not be afraid to expose the truth of our history and to also show that it is never too late to say sorry." comes as the school celebrates its 125 anniversary Brendon Good and Willa Hand at the Otūmoetai Social Supermarket opening Walking arm-in-arm with the community is the driving force behind the opening of a social supermarket A partnership between Linkt Community Trust and Foodstuffs North Island the Otūmoetai Social Supermarket is located at 8 Claremont Terrace It enables locals experiencing financial stress to shop for their groceries in a supermarket environment for a koha (donation) "This social supermarket is needed in the Otūmoetai community It's designed to help working families cope with the strain of the rising cost of living," says Linkt Community trustee Lavinia Good "The contribution model means whānau can save some money on groceries and allocate that money to other important needs "The social supermarket will be an exciting hub owned by the community of Otūmoetai Linkt Community Trust is proud to answer the Community's needs and walk hand in hand with foodstuffs and the hapori (community)." Foodstuffs North Island membership experience head Willa Hand is 'delighted” to have partnered with Linkt Community Trust "Our social supermarket partnership model works because our team brings retail expertise we support on all the logistics of setting up a supermarket and sorting replenishment processes and the local community organisation decides exactly how things will run and what the offering will be for customers our local Foodstuffs owner operators provide ongoing support.  "Having strong local leadership who connect deeply with people in their community is what really makes a difference "Foodstuffs North Island is a 100 per cent NZ owned co-operative with individual grocers operating stores in their local community so we believe in the power of local leadership and empowering people to make decisions that are right for their community." The points system at Otūmoetai Social Supermarket Foodstuffs is committed to backing locally led projects that make a difference and this is the fifth social supermarket location for Foodstuffs North Island The Wellington City Mission Social Supermarket opened in March 2021 Te Hiku Pātaka in Kaitaia opened in June 2022– in partnership with Te Kahu Oranga Whānau the Tokoroa Social Supermarket in – in partnership with BBM opened in August and Whare Kai opened in Whangarei in September are pleased to be extending their network of support The opening of the Otūmoetai Social Supermarket is the first step for Linkt Community Trust with plans to expand and provide a wrap-around support for shoppers with a specially trained team who can refer shoppers on to social workers To find out more about Foodstuffs' commitment to be HereforNZ, visit www.foodstuffs.co.nz/here-for-nz A much loved Tauranga teacher is in stable condition and communicating after being taken to hospital following a disorder The disorder occurred at Otūmoetai College at 12.30pm yesterday Principal Russell Gordon says the event happened after 'two students not from this college” entered the premises Russell says the Otūmoetai College staff member 'suffered a medical emergency” Russell says he 'couldn't say” if the incidents were unrelated 'What we understand is there was 90 seconds between the event outside and the staff member coming into the administration block.” Russell says there have been allegations the teacher is in ICU as a result of an assault and these allegations are 'patently untrue” 'What we have learned is [the staff member] is in a stable condition in hospital and is communicating.” Russell says he would like to 'praise the quick response” of the three staff members who helped with the event he says the school needs to do more to assist with situations like this in the future 'We need to have better camera coverage so we are able to identify people if in the worst case scenario 'The police have done a thorough investigation and I am confident as a result of what they are doing this will be addressed in an appropriate manner.” Police responded to a report of a disorder at a premises on Windsor Road at 12.30pm 'One person was transported to hospital in serious condition 'Police are speaking with two youths in relation to the incident that these kids CAUSED the condition of the teacher Wet bus tickets and woke excuses are not going to cut it Serious action needs to be taken and it should involve the kids making proper reparation 8.49am: Otumoetai Road has reopened again following an earlier crash A crash occurred when a car hit parked cars on Otumoetai Road at about 7.15am on Sunday morning The road was blocked while vehicles were removed Emergency Services are at the scene of a car accident in Otumoetai Police report that a car has hit parked cars on Otumoetai Rd The crash occurred at about 7.15am on Sunday morning Otumoetai Road between Waihi Road and Bellevue Road is currently blocked until the vehicles can be removed from the road At this stage it is unknown whether there are any injuries Phone 0800 SUNLIVE or email newsroom@thesun.co.nz We are aware that some customers are having issues making payments online This is due to Visa and Mastercard now enforcing two-factor authentication on all payments in order to increase security If you are having issues making an online payment Kulim Park was first established in 1950 when Bureta Farm was subdivided for residential housing Walter Rushton and brothers George and John Sickling gifted about one hectare at the north-west corner of the farm “for children’s recreation.” We recently made some changes to make Kulim Park even better With design input from the local community construction on these changes began in September 2021 and were completed in May 2022 Shade sails will be installed over the toddler playground at a future date We will also be adding some signage telling the cultural stories of the area Check out the video below of the family fun day we held in May to celebrate the opening.  Kulim Park features a 3x3 basketball court The new playground surfaces include cultural design features Was this information helpful? Tauranga City Council, Private Bag 12022, Tauranga, 3143, New Zealand |Terms of use|Privacy statement|Site map is taking Dave Randell's role as the new principal of Otumoetai College next year "It is all a bit raw," Russell Gordon said after calling time on his role as principal of Mount Maunganui College Mr Gordon is taking over from Dave Randell who is stepping down as principal of Otumoetai College at the end of the year Both principals announced the appointment to their schools at the same time Mr Gordon said he had been brimming with emotion since announcing the news to his staff and students but when it was shared by the board chair to the staff that was when it made the 12-inch shift from the head to the heart," he said He had been at Mount Maunganui College for 12 years and served six as principal Tears ran down his face as he remembered the school's successes and sadness Mr Gordon was at the school when Year 9 student Breeze Brunton was killed after she was clipped by a logging truck outside the college He was principal when 11-year-old Harrison Mundy died after a brave battle with cancer on February 16 died after he was snatched by a rogue wave at the end of Moturiki (Leisure) Island on January 23 "To be allowed into those personal spaces was very special my awe and wonderment is in the resilience those people showed." The principal was also there when students were nationally recognised for their academic and sporting achievements and when the college won many Stage Challenges and Shakespeare competitions "The hardest goodbye will be at the final performing arts assembly at the end of the year," he said The principal was leaving to share his knowledge with other schools and said he would have regretted not applying for the role when the opportunity arose after Mr Randell announced his retirement in April "It allows me to continue my education career in the Bay." He was once head of commerce at Otumoetai College and his children have all attended the school "So I have a good understanding of that place," he said it had been a five-minute farewell with staff over an afternoon tea and he was happy with that Mr Gordon said he respected Mr Randell "a great deal" saying he had a personality that was larger than life but the shoes I want to fill is to work with the good people and staff at Otumoetai College in order to provide the best possible education we can for the young people." Mr Randell said there was a very positive reaction when he announced Mr Gordon was the school's new principal "He understands the ethos of our school," Mr Randell said Mr Randell said it had been an "absolute privilege" to be Otumoetai's principal and was looking forward to a break But he hoped to continue having some involvement with the school He wished Mr Gordon all the best for his new role Tauranga City Council would like the community's help to shape the future of the Ōtūmoetai Peninsula Tauranga City Council is asking the Ōtūmoetai Bellevue and Judea communities what they want the future of their area to look like Take me to the future: Ōtūmoetai 2050 will use interactive maps webinars and in-person community sessions to help develop a 30-year plan to support growth in the area and ensure it has enough houses suitable ways for people to get around and community spaces to support wellbeing Tauranga is projected to grow by around 78,500 residents by 2063 and will need approximately 34,400 new houses to be built 'Central Government has given us the job of facilitating growth across Tauranga This includes enabling more housing to be built at greater densities (number of houses per hectare) and heights within existing urban areas such as the city centre Te Papa Peninsula and the Ōtūmoetai Peninsula 'Population growth will occur across our city and other commercial/retail centres make it a great place to live.” This means the suburbs of Ōtūmoetai Bellevue and Judea will see big changes over the next 30 years Drop a pin directly on a location on any of the online interactive maps 'This project is about understanding what people love about this part of the city and how we can enable more people to live here while still retaining the qualities and characteristics that make it so special.” people can tell the council what they think should be better or different using online interactive maps Tauranga City Council's Programme Director of Urban Communities says people in the Ōtūmoetai Peninsula have indicated that these are some of the areas they want improved through feedback to surveys such as the Whakahou Taketake Vital Update 'We now want to look at these in more detail with Ōtūmoetai Peninsula residents people can drop a pin directly on a location on any of our online interactive maps with comments or suggestions about things they like/don't like about their neighbourhood They can also see what other people are saying,” Carl explains Residents and community groups are also welcome to email or post their feedback to the project team Feedback will be collected and fed into a draft plan – also known as a ‘spatial plan' – that people will be able to provide further feedback on later in the year A series of online webinars and in-person community sessions will be held in Matua and Brookfield in March and April to enable people to ask the project team questions For more information and to access the online interactive maps visit: www.tauranga.govt.nz/otumoetai2050 TaurangaAsking Price $2,995,0006331,121m²Waterfront 1121sqm (approx.) siteThis waterfront property has spectacular harbour and Mount Maunganui views The extra large land and unobstructed views from the ground level gives an astute purchaser the golden opportunity to build the masterpiece of their dreams on a blank canvas The existing homes are being sold 'as is where is' and the large home has been identified as a leaky building This location is close to the Cherrywood Shopping Centre and conveniently located between Fergusson Park in Matua and Kulim Park Rarely does the chance to purchase a waterfront site this size come to the market Phone Callum today to discuss on 027 279 4033 Four schools in Tauranga have new leaders this year Principals can make all the difference to the atmosphere among staff and students So what difference will these new heads make Local Focus video journalist Jaden McLeod meets the new principals and asks what passions drive them to bring out the best in their young people Russell Gordon spent six years as principal of Mount Maunganui College he took up a new role at Otumoetai College - taking over from retiring principal Dave Randell I was standing with students from my previous college," Gordon said "A tear trickled down my face as I realised I was standing there with people I love "I do this job because I love working with young people and seeing them achieve great things I realised I will learn to love my new school because my purpose will never change." He spoke to Local Focus about the challenges of transitioning from one Tauranga school to another "Otumoetai College is my family's community college I felt it was time to give back to the community that has made us feel welcome." OPINION: If our best and brightest aren’t staying the Otumoetai Pool will be closing their door for five weeks to undertake scheduled maintenance and improvements to this fond community facility During the 2022 closure improvements will be made to the change rooms including non-slip flooring to improve safety and cleanliness Planned renewals and maintenance to the pools plant room and bore pump will take place while the pools are empty Both pools will also be re-painted and a new portable user friendly grandstand will be installed Otumoetai Pool records nearly 50,000 visits per annum including Louis Liu (pictured below) who has swum at Otumoetai Pool every morning for over 18 years While Otumoetai Pool is closed Louis Liu and other patrons with an aquatic membership or visit pass will be able to access the newly re-opened Greerton Aquatic & Leisure Centre has been swimming at Otumoetai Pool since 2003 he enjoys the atmosphere and credits his daily laps with his robust health My wife (who swims with me each day) hasn't been to the GP in three years!” Otumoetai Pool is home to a 25 metre heated lap pool and a separate children's pool The pools are covered with PVC roof and walls so it can be enjoyed year-round; fully enclosed during winter and open to the fresh air in summer Otumoetai College teacher Lauren May with students Eva Griffin-Jones Talise Miller and salon director Peter Radojkovich.Photo / Supplied A group of Otumoetai College students have shown they know their way around the kitchen taking away top awards at the Waikato Culinary Fare The event took place on July 4 and 5 at the Rotokauri Campus Wintec campus in Hamilton More than 550 competitors ranging from secondary school and tertiary students to people already in the hospitality industry competed A group of students from Otumoetai College were among the competitors with four girls taking away silver and bronze awards and one student taking out the title of Top of Class in her section Student Talise Miller scored a bronze award for a her spinach and cauliflower pasta made from scratch and Alex Higgins took away a silver award for her high-quality Mexican pizza creation receiving a bronze award for her chicken and roast mushroom with spinach pie in the Savoury Pie class Eva-Griffin Jones nabbed a silver award and the title of Top of Class for her Vietnamese Pork Belly Bao Buns Otumoetai College's head of department in food technology and hospitality Lauren May said she could not be more proud of the girls and that they worked so hard under such "immense pressure" The judges were highly impressed with how the students managed to get the dishes made at such a high quality within the hour-timeframe provided Greerton and Tauranga swim clubs will merge to create a super swimming club Three Tauranga swimming clubs are merging in a bid to create one super club and become more competitive on a national scale which are two of the biggest and most successful clubs in the city along with the struggling Tauranga club will officially merge and become Evolution Aquatics Tauranga who is the Greerton Swim Club chairman and will take on the acting chairman role of the new club says the idea to merge had been around for many years and he believes it will be a way to strengthen their place nationally really competitive on a national scale," he says Pugh says Greerton and Ōtumoetai are very successful clubs that are "going in equal" and merging with Tauranga "We're really just trying to move with the times." is that one club - Evolution Aquatics Tauranga - will have a high representation of competitive athletes who will be able to have improved training sessions He says instead of Greerton or Ōtumoetai having "five or six as a very high level we'll have 10 or 15" "We do have a load of really good athletes." The merger will also provide more support for coaching staff to gain international experience with emphasis on keeping quality coaches in the city and the Ōtumoetai head coach is Mike Lee - and under the new club they will take on the joint head coaching positions "We're going to really look after our coaches." Pugh says Daniella has had a chance to coach international squads but has been forced to turn the opportunities down because there hasn't been anyone to take over his day-to-day roles The merger will provide more support to the coaches allowing them to attain international experience which will help develop their coaching abilities and feed that back into the local athletes There will also be some flexibility as to which of the three pools members can use The existing junior development coach at Greerton is Riccardo Pini and he will continue his role with the new club with a fourth junior coach also joining the team While the new Evolution Aquatics Tauranga plans to offer a national club program it also will expand their Learn to Swim program which will be introduced at the Dave Hume Pool in Katikati this coming season is looking forward to the merger and what it will be able to do for him in his sport "It should be good we're pretty close with the Otumoetai Club already but it should be good to be all together - a bigger team," the Tauranga Boys' College student said "It will be good because we'll have more support for all of our races," he said Hudson is heading off to Australia this weekend to represent New Zealand at the 2018 Australian State Teams Championships between October 3-5 in Canberra Molly Shivnan from the Mount Maunganui Swimming Club is also representing New Zealand at the competition This will be Hudson's first international competition and will be competing in the 50m "It's real exciting just competing under the flag," Hudson said "I'll be real nervous on the first day but should be good when I do good races Hudson currently holds two Bay of Plenty short course records for the 14-year-old boys in the 50m breaststroke with a time of 30.96 seconds and 200m breaststroke with a time of 2minutes and 27.16 seconds He also hopes to gain three more records for 15-year-old boys in his breaststroke events in Australia next week so hopefully I can get three Bay records in Australia." Those records currently stand at 30.35 seconds for the 50m; 1minute 25.75 seconds in the 200m race and Hudson is feeling confident who has been swimming for about five years says his goal for the competition is to "be the best I can be" A proposal to scrap Otumoetai's pool in favour of a $30m multi-purpose 'leisure hub' at Memorial Park has been met with disbelief from a local principal On Monday Tauranga City Council heard a proposal from Bay Venues to scrap Tauranga's two oldest community pools - Otumoetai and Memorial - and replace them with a new multi-purpose recreation centre featuring indoor pools courts and a fitness centre at Memorial Park the council-controlled organisation said Otumoetai Pool (built 1968) and Memorial Pool (built 1955) were reaching the end of their useful lives and would be costly to maintain Bay Venues said there was demand for a bigger multi-use recreation facility in the CBD thanks to Tauranga's growing population city centre intensification and the new tertiary campus - which had no recreation centre They asked the council for $150,000 next financial year for a detailed feasibility study on the leisure hub idea Bay Venues also asked the council to set aside provisional funding of $30m to design and build the leisure hub in four or five years Councillors agreed to put the funding into the draft Long Term Plan for 2018/28 which will go out for public consultation early next year Mayor Greg Brownless said he looked forward to the community having their say on Bay Venues' proposals He said he hoped people realised the projects would increase opportunities for the council to make money off its sports and recreation assets "We're doing things to raise revenue to make it cheaper for our citizens to play sports." Otumoetai College principal Dave Randall said: "You've got to be bloody joking" He said scrapping Otumoetai Pool would have a "major impact" on the nearby schools that used it Pools were like parks to his mind and should be there for the community without needing to generate revenue He said his school used the pool 37 out of the 39 weeks a year the school was open - for physical education classes Having to bus students to Memorial Park would severely limit the school's ability to make swimming part of PE classes especially Brookfield School acting principal Carol Burborough said they used the Otumoetai Pool for swimming sports and it was very convenient Bussing to Memorial Park would add time and cost Otumoetai Swimming Club president Graeme Blissett was concerned for the hundreds of kids who came to learn to swim classes at the pool Many were not from well-off families and might not be able to afford the extra cost of getting to Memorial Park He said Tauranga desperately needed a 50m pool and hoped one would be part of any new facility "It would be a shame if Otumoetai pool has to get scrapped to make way for that." Bay Venues wants to build a $30m multi-use sport recreation and leisure facility potentially including: - indoor aquatic centre- indoor courts- fitness centre- community centre- retail- function/meeting centre- tourist attraction such as hot pools - A new $4.9m exhibition centre at ASB Baypark- $1.3m for a Baywave expansion to add more fun activities seating and changing areas- Improving Greerton Aquatic and Leisure Centre ($879,000)- Deck conversion at the University of Waikato Adams Centre for High Performance ($125,000) Otumoetai College will blitz a suspicious mushroom patch on its fence line border A Tauranga high school has reacted swiftly and unequivocally to unconfirmed reports of students harvesting suspicious mushrooms on the banks of a gully bordering the premises 'We will do what we have to,” Otumoetai College principal Russell Gordon said this week A woman messaged SunLive this week to say she was 'bloody horrified and terrified for the kids” when she learned from her daughter that 15-year-old friends at the school had allegedly been picking the mushrooms and taking them to weekend parties 'She said all the guys are talking about it and one of her friends is doing it – what the hell?” said the school mum All reports are unconfirmed and the student herself had not seen any mushrooms 'But all the talk frightened my daughter,” added the concerned mum 'It goes without saying that we are concerned,” says Russell 'Now we know mushrooms are growing and the kids may be picking them No students at the college have presented with unexplained medical episodes 'I checked with the college nurse as soon as I heard,” adds Russell 'and certainly no-one has presented with symptoms that would suggest we have cause for concern.” As soon as the college was alerted to the reports this week a property team carried out a couple of sweeps of a 300-metre embankment bordering the college and discovered 16 mushrooms growing down the gully use of the term ‘magic mushroom' is perhaps misleading,” says Russell 'A botanist in the college science department has examined the mushrooms and certainly the majority able to be identified were just varieties of ordinary mushrooms.” Eight species of magic mushroom are known in New Zealand They can be found growing on animal dung and rotting wood Some have hallucinogenic properties and it is illegal to cultivate or prepare any magic mushrooms While all visible mushrooms have been removed there's worries about re-generation and the school is preparing for an eradication programme 'We will spray the area and we will be seen to be spraying,” says Russell 'We plan to put a dye in the spray so that it stands out and it's apparent we have sprayed We will erect signs warning that we have sprayed and that it's potentially dangerous and that we advise caution.” The principal says only a percentage of students use the gully and at the weekend there will be people walking their dogs But it could be a nuisance we could potentially have to worry about.” The principal has his property team preparing a schedule for spraying