Another successful Whaingaroa Talent Factory youth music event was held this weekend. The crowd was hugely supportive of the various singers and bands who were all aged between 13 and 18 with Abstract Fish Lungs wrapping up the night with a storming show that included the debut of a new track which has been written for their New Zealand National Rock Quest entry.
Some acts like Zen Lally were playing their first ever show in front of a live audience while others, like Luna Petzold De la Cruz, Stella O’Donnell and Django Bassett were old hands at the Factory. The crowd was also excited to hear from two other new and very accomplished acts; Summer who is the singer for local band Sandy Kix and Bella Alexander who opened the show with a cover and an original.
The night before Whaingaroa Talent Factory another event that is fast becoming a community institution; the Indian Cultural Night, was held in the Four Square carpark. You might think inviting the community to sit in a supermarket carpark on a July evening wouldn’t fly but a huge crowds turned up again this year despite fears of rain. A queue 20 minutes long snaked its way around the carpark as people partook in the free curry and rice.
A report on the state of the environment just completed by Waikato Regional Council shows there has been both degradation and areas of improvement.
The report identifies degradation such as increasing nitrogen levels in waterways, degraded stream ecosystems, wetlands and forests in trouble, and estuaries under pressure. But there have also been improvements – phosphorus discharges to waterways are decreasing and air quality is improving. Lake Taupō is also doing better – and sooner – than expected.
Council Deputy Chair Bruce Clarkson said it was important to councillors that issues raised in the report resulted in actions. “The Environmental Performance Committee has been charged by councillors with providing a work programme in response to the findings in the report within the next six months.
In local sport the Whaingaroa Whai rugby league team had a bye this weekend but the Raglan Roosters were in action against the Maniacs who they beat 7 goals to 2. They were playing a Scottish Cup round which is supposed to be a knockout competition but so far they have been playing in league rounds and are sitting at the top of Group A having won 4 from 4 . We think they might be getting into the knockout phase soon though with the quarterfinals on 13th August.
(listen to the full bulletin below:) https://raglanradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/wtf2023.jpg