A new destination spa could sit within the Te Aroha Domain, after a council decision to develop the $18.9m complex as part of its long-term plan. After two days of public submissions and passionate deliberations, Matamata-Piako District councillors agreed with the 34 per cent of submitters who wanted to move ahead with the biggest proposal in its 2021-31 long-term plan. While the majority of submitters (41 per cent) preferred to only spend $5.3m on the complex, and 25 per cent didn’t want it to go ahead at all, councillors agreed that if it was to be done, it needed to be done properly.
Te Aroha resident Dez Maney said it’s something he just has to put up with. “There’s a way around everything, it’s not a thing that will affect your living, so you just have to adjust accordingly.” Maney has lived in Te Aroha for his entire life and moved to the block of flats four years ago. He is now 90 years old and enjoys sharing his homegrown produce with his neighbours. But deputy mayor Neil Goodger wasn’t happy with the sudden price hike during a recent meeting when the decision was made. “I thought we had made a decision to increase them slowly every year, we should have done that,” he said. “We wouldn’t be in the position we are in now.
It will remain in force for six years and remains until a further resolution takes effect. Te Aroha Councillor Russell Smith, who abstained in this week’s vote, said because he was unable to go out for consultation and follow what the people in Te Aroha want, he was unable to vote either way. “I was told to be strong, show my kia kaha,” he said. “By not going out for consultation, we’re not being transparent, consultation is important to me. “To my fellow councillors, congratulations for being strong and sticking to your beliefs on a landmark decision.”
KELLY HODEL/STUFF
Credit: University of Birmingham
Leading cancer experts at the University of Birmingham have solved a long-standing question of how various types of mutations in just one gene cause different types of diseases.
A team of scientists at the University s Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, led by Professor Constanze Bonifer, studied a gene known as RUNX1, which is responsible for providing instructions for the development of all blood cells and is frequently mutated in blood cancers.
The results of their research has shown that the balance of cells types in the blood is affected much earlier than previously thought, which is particularly important for families that carry the mutant gene.