Another member of the Kereopa Whanau has made it big on the international sports stage with Mika Kereopa getting a silver medal at the world International Va’a Sprint Championships in Singapore. Mika paddles for the J19 team Hine Ipipiri, representing Tirohanga Waka Hoe. They came second to Tahiti in a time of 2:17, in the V12 500m sprint competition. Tahiti were four seconds faster in a time of 2:13.
Mika is the third member of her whanau to grace the international stage with her brother Kai being a part of the New Zealand men’s Waka Ama distance team, and of course her uncle Daniel, a surfer who needs no introduction in Whaingaroa.
Mika is not the only competitor from Whaingaroa at the event though, Taine Drewery has also been amongst the medals, winning a bronze as a member of the Junior 19 Te Toki Asoy team in the V12 500m sprint competition.
Taines’s Junior 19 V6 team, meanwhile, had a dramatic exit from yesterday’s 1000m race flipping their canoe on a turn during a race they were expected to win. His team has a chance to redeem themselves in the next category though – the upcoming 500m sprint.
Mika will also be back in the water with the V6 1000m semifinal on tomorrow and V6 500 on Friday & Saturday.
In team news the New Zealand teams are currently ranked second to Tahiti, with Hawai’i close behind in third. Tahiti have opened up a pretty big lead though with twice as many medals as New Zealand.
Waikato Regional Council is urging landowners to check the rules before modifying waterways on their property, following reports of serious damage to a stream south of Raglan.
“Unlawful works in our natural waterways can…attract hefty penalties,” warns Regional Compliance Manager Patrick Lynch.
“People should be aware that penalties for breaching the RMA [Resource Management Act] are severe. Convictions can lead to extremely large fines for companies and individuals.”
The council mounted formal investigations following reports of extensive damage to streams in rural locations near Cambridge, Mangakino and south of Raglan.
“It appears that three separate landowners have got into a digger, or engaged a contractor with a digger, and decided to shift or modify what were once natural streams.
“Illegal works like these can increase sediment discharges and reduced water quality – generally, they will cause erosion and instability of banks and riverbeds.
“Our message is pretty clear. If you are a landowner contemplating modifying watercourses, or you are a contractor who has been asked to do this, unless you are absolutely certain that you are lawfully entitled to do the works, please don’t!”
If you are unsure, please reach out to Waikato Regional Council on 0800 800 401.
Mayor Wayne Brown says Auckland ratepayers could ultimately be worse off under the Government’s rates cap scheme announced yesterday.
“The Government’s offering a slogan, but the reality is that a rates cap won’t solve the underlying problem, in fact, could make it worse, he said.
Brown says councils across New Zealand are facing increasing costs while continuing to deal with significant infrastructure investment requirements and “a washing machine of unfunded mandates from Wellington”.
Mayor Brown also described the government as audacious after rates increased by 800 million over the past 5 years while the tax take has increased by 38 billion.
In the context of an economy where construction cost inflation is moving faster than the CPI Brown says the Government needs to be “more honest” about how a rates cap could work in practice.
