Former Waipā mayor Alan Livingston, with wife Janet, talks about the velodrome’s future plans. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
Condolences flow in
The Home of Cycling has added its tribute to Alan Livingston who died on Sunday. He was a true champion of the region and a visionary whose impact would be felt for generations, said general manager Miff Macdiarmid.
“Alan’s leadership, foresight, and unwavering commitment to the Waipā District and wider Waikato were instrumental in bringing the National Cycling Centre of Excellence to life. The Velodrome, now proudly serving the community for more than a decade, simply would not exist without his determination to turn bold ideas into reality. He had a rare ability to see not just what was needed in the moment, but what would matter for decades to come,” she said.
“His influence endures in the strength of our community, and every time the wheels turn on the track he helped create.”
Expansion mode: Home of Cycling Trust chair Graeme Maw with former Waipā mayor Alan Livingston at the Cambridge Velodrome where behind them there are plans to expand and bring three sporting halls of fame to the venue. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
Former mayor dies
Alan Livingston
Alan Livingston, Waipa mayor for four terms and Waikato Regional Council chair for one, has died aged 74.
Mayor Mike Pettit said the news was being received with great sadness across the district.
“It is with a heavy heart that we acknowledge the passing of Alan, a respected leader, friend, and dedicated member of our community. Alan brought integrity, commitment, and a strong focus on the wellbeing of our community throughout his time as mayor.”
Regional council chief executive Chris McLay said Mr Livingston’s contribution to council and local governance was significant and enduring.
“Alan Livingston was a deeply respected councillor and chair who gave many years of dedicated service to our region. His leadership, integrity and commitment to public service left a lasting impact, and he will be remembered with great respect,” McLay said.
Current Ngā Hau e Whā councillor Tipa Mahuta, who was his Waikato Regional Council deputy chair, said a great tree from Pirongia had fallen.
“Alan brought a wealth of experience as Waipā mayor, but the strength of his leadership was bringing together a Waikato-wide conversation. He worked well with iwi and was held in high regard, strengthening partnerships at the time and leaving things in good stead for future leaders.”
As a mark of respect, flags at council offices will be flown at half-mast on the day of Alan’s funeral. Details have yet to be announced.
Aussies dominate racing
Ozzzzy Ozzzzy Ozzzzy – the Australian flag flew high after Jilliby Ballerini, left, and Keayang Zahara placed second and first in TAB Mobile Trot.
Harness racing hero Leap To Fame was already the best of the best.
But those lucky enough to be at Cambridge on Friday got to see the best of his best.
The Queensland phenomenon produced the most brutal and beautiful performance of his rule-breaking career when he sat parked and smashed most of the best pacers in Australasia in the $1m The Race by Sport Nation at Cambridge’s Night of Champions.
The winning time was 2-34.5 a mile rate of 1-53 and was just outside the race and New Zealand record of 2-33.5 Leap To Fame ran last year when winning.
It was Leap To Fame’s second Race by Sport Nation win and took his record to 87 starts for 68 wins, 14 seconds and three thirds. He’s smashed the Australasian record with over $6.8 million in prize money.
Champion trotting mare Keayang Zahara cruised to victory in the other feature, the $NZ530,000 TAB Trot beating stablemate Jilliby Ballerini and Queensland star Gus in an Aussie trifecta. It was Keayang Zahara’s biggest win yet and took her record to 28 wins from 29 starts and more than $1.6 million in prize money. – Michael Guerin and Adam Hamilton.
State of Emergency
Met Service situation Saturday 11 April
A pre-emptive region-wide State of Emergency has been declared across the Waikato this morning, with Waipā District Council moving into an elevated state of readiness ahead of the potential impacts of Cyclone Vaianu.
The declaration reflects ongoing uncertainty around the cyclone’s track, with the entire Waikato region remaining in scope for severe weather, including strong winds and heavy rain.
Mike Pettit
Waipā mayor Mike Pettit said the declaration was a practical step to ensure the district is ready to act quickly if conditions worsen.
The pre-emptive declaration allows councils to take precautionary steps during daylight hours and provides flexibility to respond quickly to emerging risks if the cyclone shifts direction or intensifies.
“This is not about panicking – it’s about being prepared and putting safety first,” he said. “There’s still uncertainty about exactly where the worst of this system will land, but we know parts of the region are already vulnerable.
“Declaring a State of Emergency gives us the ability to move early if we need to - whether that’s supporting precautionary evacuations, closing areas, or responding quickly to changing conditions.
“It’s really important to prepare now by clearing gutters and drains, securing loose outdoor items, checking emergency supplies and staying up to date with official information.”
Land in many parts of the wider Waikato is saturated from recent weather events, with land instability at a heightened level of risk. Further heavy rain could increase the likelihood of slips, particularly around the Pirongia maunga, and localised flooding.
Despite the region-wide declaration, the response remains locally led. Waipā will be establishing an Emergency Operations Centre based at Te Awamutu but operating for the entire Western Waikato area including Ōtorohanga District and Waitomo District, with decisions based on local conditions and community needs.
“This is still very much a local response for Waipā,” Pettit said.
“We know our communities, we understand the areas that may be more exposed, and we’re ready to make decisions that prioritise people’s safety.”
The region-wide approach allows resources to be coordinated efficiently across the Waikato and avoids the need for multiple individual State of Emergency declarations.
Slip sliding away
A middle-aged male pedestrian suffered a head injury when he slipped on wet pavers outside Alpino Restaurant in Cambridge last week. Bystanders said the footpath pavers around the CBD can be treacherous after rain.
Waipā District Council Transportation manager Bryan Hudson said some paver surfaces in Cambridge, including the horse mosaics, can become slippery when wet particularly after dry periods.
“We regularly clean these areas to reduce dirt and grime that can make surfaces more slippery. While we carry out this maintenance regularly, we have asked Eco-Maintenance to carry out further inspections and treat affected areas as needed.”
Hudson said the council would explore ways to keep footpaths safe. “We also encourage people to take extra care in wet conditions.”
Look… there’s another VeeDub
The 1979 Golf, left, on Victoria Square in Cambridge with one of its much younger cousins. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
Waipā was awash with Volkswagens over Easter as more than 150 of them came for the Cambridge nationals over four days.
The event, based at Karāpiro, celebrated decades of VW culture brought together a lineup of vehicles ranging from restored classics to modern performance.
Hosted by the Auckland and Waikato VW owners clubs, the show highlights included a show and shine display and a cruise to the Waikato to the classics museum in Railside Place, Hamilton. The event has run for more than 30 years.
Among the cars on display The 1979 Volkswagen Golf GTI driven by Sir Stirling Moss and Denny Hulme is a historic New Zealand race car, imported by Sir Colin Giltrap for the Benson & Hedges 500 endurance race at Pukekohe. The recent restoration to its 1979 condition included a famously crooked Shell sticker.
Formula One legend Moss and 1967 World Champion Hulme finished second in their class despite a punctured front tyre and a mid-race wheel change.
Basketball first
Former St Peters School, Cambridge student Charlisse Leger-Walker has become the first New Zealander to be part of a National College Athletic Association (NCAA) title winning team. She played a key role in the University of California’s 79-51 win over South Carolina. Hamilton born Leger-Walker, 24, became the youngest Tall Fern when she debuted as a 16-year-old and her mother Leanne Walker and sister Krystal are also internationals
Hautapu lose
Hautapu lost 33-26 to Hamilton Marist at Cambridge Memorial Park in Waikato premier club rugby over the weekend. Fullback Dallas Rata-Makene grabbed two tries for Hautapu, Rui Farrant scored one and Nathan Stephens was the other scorer. New recruit Patrick Hedley kicked three conversions. Melville-Hautapu combined women, “Mel-Tap”, claimed a 22-15 win against Ōtorohanga at Island Reserve. The visitors
scored four tries to three. Hautapu, Pirongia, Leamington and Te Awamutu Sports will all feature when the colts competition gets underway this Saturday.
Last serve
Karāpiro Mobil Service Station is now closed and being dismantled. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
It’s served generations of drivers – and now it’s closed. The Karāpiro Mobil Service Station has pumped its last litre of fuel ahead of work starting on the Waikato Expressway extension south to the new Piarere roundabout. The closure has produced emotions ranging from sentiment to relief – social media posts noted the positioning of the station close to a bend was an issue – others lamented the loss of a conveniently placed State Highway One station and “no more lime thick shakes- best around”.
Foot count up
The Autumn Festival’s Main Street Carnival on March 29 saw a 75 per cent uplift in foot traffic, according to Cambridge Chamber of Commerce’s Bellwether pedestrian snapshot. That brought an extra 4000 people into the CBD, a clear signal that when reasons are created for people to come together, to linger and experience Cambridge, it pays dividends, says the Chamber.
Chasing glory
Leap to Fame wins at the Night of Champions, Cambridge Raceway in 2025. Photo: Megan Liefting.
Champion Aussie trotting mare Keayang Zahara is a key part of Australia’s record eight raiders chasing the two marquee races at Cambridge’s Night of Champions tomorrow (Friday) night. The $1 million main race has attracted 10 starters. Each slot is worth $60,000 and the winning horse will take home $420,000. One of the country’s most successful modern acts, Drax Project will be playing the Night of Champions after party.
Owl Farm Day
St Peter’s School will host its annual Owl Farm Open Day on Saturday where the school’s working farm is opened to the public. The event attracted more than 800 people in 2025.
Protest success
Cambridge-based home support workers were among hundreds demonstrating. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
Cambridge-based home support workers were among hundreds demonstrating last week who persuaded the government to increase their travelling allowance in response to the fuel crisis. Health minister Simeon Brown announced a temporary 12 month increase in the allowance from 63.5 cents to 82.5 cents per kilometre. The rate had been frozen since March 2022. The support workers’ union, the PSA, is continuing legal action in the Employment Relations Authority, arguing that requiring home support workers to use their own vehicles as a tool of the trade breaches the Wages Protection Act 1983.
Cambridge-based home support workers were among hundreds demonstrating. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
Web stats
Liz Stolwyk – top columnist
A News in Brief posting topped our Cambridge News website statistics last month and showed the benefit of having a news vehicle for readers in between print editions.
The posting included a call from police for help in identifying offenders to a serious assault in Mātangi.
Visits were up 12 per cent on February. The top page was e-Editions where we post full pdf versions of the newspaper for those who cannot wait for the printed version.
Coverage from the Waipā Fun Run, work starting on Waikato Expressway, an old story about James McDonald winning the Melbourne Cup in 2021 and Fieldays’ news about its new village centre rounded out the top five.
The top columnist for the month was Waikato Regional councillor Liz Stolwyk talking about how fresh thinking is needed around public transport issues.
Dog Show
The Cambridge Kennel Association stages its annual pedigree show this weekend at the Karapiro Domain. Club secretary-treasurer Sue Chaytor is encouraging the public to attend “but please do not bring your family pet”.
Rie hits 101 at pace
Rie de Haan takes pride of place for her 101st birthday photo with family. They are, from left, Steve and Sara Snookes, Jeff and Joanna Fitzgerald, Robert and Jackie Fitzgerald and Alex Fitzgerald.
Te Awamutu’s Rie de Haan celebrated her 101st birthday on March 27 with a schedule that would leave many far younger people in her wake.
The Te Ata Rest Home resident spent her birthday morning playing housie, then enjoyed an afternoon of high tea and music with family and rest-home residents. The following day, the celebrations continued on the farm with family and friends.
Rie remains impressively active. She is often out and about using her walker and joining in games. From time to time, she still pops into local creative fibre group meetings.
Rie was born in Holland in 1925. After studying nursing then marrying Joe de Haan in 1947, the couple migrated to New Zealand where Rie’s brother Pieter had settled. Their farming life took them around the region, and after Joe’s death in 1992, Rie finally learned to drive at age 65. She carried on farming for several years.
At her centenary celebration last year, she told The News that the secret to a long life was quite simple … “hard work”.
Rie de Haan celebrating her 101st birthday with a hug from daughter Joanna Fitzgerald.
Daylight Saving
Clocks went back on Sunday. Daylight saving officially starts again on Sunday, September 27 at 2am, when clocks move forward to 3am. New Zealand observes 27 weeks of daylight saving to maximise evening light.
Firefighters compete
More than 140 firefighters will converge on Havelock North this weekend to compete in the United Fire Brigades’ Association North Island Firefighter Challenge.
