A few bankers, KiwiSaver providers and investment advisers could expect ‘please explain’ phone calls Monday morning in the wake of today’s ethical investment discussion in Tamahere.
Specialist ethical investment adviser Janet Natta, of Tamahere, surprised many in the audience with the revelation that their savings or investments were unlikely to be in ethical funds.
It is a common misconception that investment funds are covered by regulations that rule out “sin stocks” such as tobacco, armaments and gambling, Natta told the Green Party-hosted event in the St Stephen’s Tamahere hall.
The long running saga of the controversial, hostel-style Hart Rd houses is having a sequel in a mortgage fraud case in the Auckland High Court.
The Serious Fraud Office has accused property developer Kang (Thomas) Huang and Yan (Jenny) Zhang of being involved in a ring that fraudulently obtained at least $50 million to buy 76 properties around Auckland and Hamilton.
The husband and wife duo, otherwise known as Gang Wang and Kang Xu, were behind the now defunct company LV Park, which developed the Hart Rd houses in Tamahere.
Author and social commentator Gordon McLauchlan brought his acute wit and humour to Tamahere today, enthralling his audience with a life’s worth of observations.
Over his lifetime, he’d seen some dramatic and desirable advances in human rights from campaigns against homophobia, racism and patronising anti-feminism, he told an audience of around 45 in the St Stephen’s Tamahere hall.
“But in that same time I’ve also seen the abandonment of the human right for people to have a decent home and an adequate income,” McLauchlan said.
It’s Plastic Free July and we can think of no better example of rubbish reduction than Annette Taylor of our sister site Number 8 Network.
“I might well put out a rubbish bag this week, the first in over a year,” writes Annette, editor of Number 8 Network.
“When Waikato District Council introduced changes to its collection a friend [that would be me: Tamahere Forum Ed] challenged us to a little friendly rubbish rivalry – who could produce the least amount of trash.
Construction of Tamahere’s commercial hub looks set to start in mid September, a much delayed beginning for a centre that was at one time expected to be reality by now.
Resource consent has now been issued for the boutique shopping centre to be built by Fosters Develop on the corner of Devine Rd and Wiremu Tamihana Drive, the Tamahere Community Committee heard recently at its monthly meeting.
Getting firm commitments from prospective tenants had been slower than expected and as a result construction may be a staged process, the committee was told.
The Waikato District Council is in informal discussions with Watercare Services and Waikato-Tainui on potentially forming a company to manage the district’s water and wastewater services.
Mayor Allan Sanson said talks were at an early stage with other options to manage water services still on the table.
The council already works with Watercare in Pokeno and Tuakau.
State Highway 1 through Tamahere central is festooned with orange cones as tarsealing of the former median strip is carried out between the Airport Rd turn off and Bollard Rd.
This will allow traffic to be shifted from the road proper while trees are felled, phone and electricity cables are relocated, and the connection to the expressway constructed.
Some of the many cones will be replaced with permanent ‘SafeHits’.
A proposal to commemorate Anzac Day locally, in Tamahere, in years to come is gaining support.
The Tamahere Lions Club and Tamahere councillor Aksel Bech are two who have backed the idea after it was raised here last week.
The proponents of the idea, St Stephen’s Tamahere Vicar Ellen Bernstein and Waikato Green Party candidate and Tamahere resident Philippa Stevenson, are delighted.
Is it time for the Tamahere community to commemorate ANZAC Day in Tamahere?
Tamahere men who fought and died in World War I number 27, as recorded on the roll of honour displayed in the Tamahere Community Centre (pictured). Twenty-one served in World War II.
The question of whether Tamahere could hold a dedicated ANZAC commemoration service arose in a chance conversation on this year’s ANZAC Day between two locals who are now seeking more views.
