Facilities: Bell Block Hall is one of the largest urban halls in New Plymouth District It is well equipped with two badminton courts The changing rooms have showers and the kitchen has an oven and other cooking facilities Furniture available: 18 trestle tables and 200 plastic moulded chairs Capacity: Capacity is 499 with tables and seating for 200 people Go to Google maps Floor plan Casual users: Hall users that book a hall for a one-off event; one that does not occur on a regular (weekly monthly or annual) basis.Regular users (Category 1): Hall users that have a regular (weekly monthly or annual) booking and have a membership that contains less than 60 per cent children and superannuants Regular users (Category 2): Hall users that have a regular (weekly monthly or annual) booking and have a membership that contains 60 per cent or more children and superannuants.Note: children are under 14 years of age Please note:Only children’s birthday parties are allowed 40th etc after-ball parties.Full contact details (address Contact: New Plymouth District CouncilPhone: 06 759 6060Email: enquiries@npdc.govt.nz Would you like our customer service team to get in contact with you by email 84 Liardet Street New Plymouth {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"/2025/04/30/oh-hell-no-crash-survivor-on-stretch-of-sh3-speed-limit-increase/"},"datePublished":"2025-04-29T23:35:05.575Z","dateModified":"2025-04-29T23:35:05.575Z","headline":"'Oh hell no': Crash survivor on stretch of SH3 speed limit increase","description":"Almost 40 years since he was involved in a head-on crash the car he was travelling in collided with another vehicle that had crossed the centre line on a stretch of State Highway 3 between Waitara and Urenui "I was driving along the road on a nice day happy as Larry and came around a corner and there was a car in front of me going flat out on my side of the road "It's hard to live with I tell you I couldn't read or write when I came out of hospital my whole life changed," said the former engineer who was trapped inside his wrecked vehicle for three hours the Waitara community board member was angry about a plan to reinstate a 100km/h speed limit on SH3 between Waitara and New Plymouth Mine was probably an 80km/h crash head-on and you're doing 160km/h when they're coming the other way You feel all your bones breaking and your teeth and everything are gone "Everything changes in a matter of seconds." who suffered a brain injury and has not worked since helped campaign for the construction of four roundabouts between Waitara and New Plymouth He reckoned the lower speed limit should remain in place "This should stay at 80km/h because if you're going to go up to 100km/h back to 80km/h and up to 100km/h again all the way through to New Plymouth "It's a hell of a lot safer at 80km/h than it is at 100km/h and I for one have had an experience I never thought I would have in my life and wouldn't wish that on anyone." The government's new Speed Limits Rule required lower limits set on some roads in 2020 to revert to their previous limits by July 1 The Transport Agency could retain the 80kmh limit on SH3 from Waitara to Bell Block if the public supported the lower speed But only 43% of those who took part in an online consultation process backed keeping the lower limit New Plymouth mayor Neil Holdom found the consultation method curious "Having an internet-based opinion poll to set a State Highway speed limit is certainly an interesting legislative approach "But any local person will tell you the road is a patched-up and potholed shambles with significant work needed to be done "There's no doubt once they've thrown a bit of money at it it could go back to a 100km/h speed limit but right now it's simply not safe." who described the stretch of highway as a "shooting gallery" "Since we dropped the speed limit from 100km/h to 80km/h we've seen a reduction of serious injury accidents of around 60% and given that we've had 11 people die on this section of highway in the last 12 or 13 years we don't think they should increase the speed limit to 100km/h until all the safety upgrades are done." New Zealand Transport Agency director of regional relationships Linda Stewart said for the speed-limit reinstatement process the consultation result was the only factor NZTA could take into account in its decision-making the majority of respondents submitted in opposition to retaining the lower speed limits which is why this Waitara to Bell Block stretch makes up some of the 43 locations which will return to its previous higher speed limit." Stewart said typically consultation feedback was only one factor used by NZTA to help inform the outcome of a speed review are normally weighted alongside consultation feedback to determine the outcome of a speed review "For a full speed review in the future themes from both the local community and key stakeholders from consultation will be considered alongside safety and technical data including a cost benefit disclosure statement Stewart said safety remained a key priority for NZTA and was a factor in decision making around road design She hoped new roundabouts being constructed at the intersections of Princess Street along with flexible median barrier and other improvements would improve the safety and efficiency of the highway "But we appreciate the speed change will come into force ahead of the completion of the entire project." On Waitara High Street there were mixed views on the speed limit change Bulk carrier driver David did not think putting up the speed limit was a good idea they do dumb enough shit at 80km/h let alone if you put it back up to 100km/h again I don't think it's a good thing." "I think the accidents that happen are usually through poor driving not so much the speed." Jeremy could not see the reasoning behind changing the speed limit "They've gone and put all these roundabouts in so what's the point of sticking the speed limit back up to 100km/h You're just going to get to a roundabout faster "I reckon it should go back to 100km/h because you're slowing traffic down and it's piling up and with the road works in the meantime it's just pathetic trying to go to town." rnz.co.nz Waitara community board member and head-on crash survivor Trevor Dodunski campaigned for the construction of roundabouts on SH3 between Waitara and Bell Block. He think the speed limit should stay at 80kmh. (Source: rnz.co.nz) Trevor Dodunski understands the consequences of a head-on crash better than most. In 1987, the car he was travelling in collided with another vehicle that had crossed the centre line on a stretch of State Highway 3 between Waitara and Urenui. "I was driving along the road on a nice day happy as Larry and came around a corner and there was a car in front of me going flat out on my side of the road. "It's hard to live with I tell you. It turned me into a vegetable, I couldn't read or write when I came out of hospital. "Everything was changed, my whole life changed," said the former engineer who was trapped inside his wrecked vehicle for three hours. Almost 40 years on, the Waitara community board member was angry about a plan to reinstate a 100km/h speed limit on SH3 between Waitara and New Plymouth. "Oh hell no, we don't want that. Mine was probably an 80km/h crash head-on and you're doing 160km/h when they're coming the other way. "The impact is phenomenal. Your windscreen leaves the car. You feel all your bones breaking and your teeth and everything are gone. Dodunski, who suffered a brain injury and has not worked since, helped campaign for the construction of four roundabouts between Waitara and New Plymouth. He reckoned the lower speed limit should remain in place. "This should stay at 80km/h because if you're going to go up to 100km/h back to 80km/h and up to 100km/h again all the way through to New Plymouth, what's the point? "It's a hell of a lot safer at 80km/h than it is at 100km/h, and I for one have had an experience I never thought I would have in my life and wouldn't wish that on anyone." The government's new Speed Limits Rule required lower limits set on some roads in 2020 to revert to their previous limits by July 1. The Transport Agency could retain the 80kmh limit on SH3 from Waitara to Bell Block if the public supported the lower speed. But only 43% of those who took part in an online consultation process backed keeping the lower limit. New Plymouth mayor Neil Holdom found the consultation method curious. "Having an internet-based opinion poll to set a State Highway speed limit is certainly an interesting legislative approach. "But any local person will tell you the road is a patched-up and potholed shambles with significant work needed to be done. "There's no doubt once they've thrown a bit of money at it it could go back to a 100km/h speed limit, but right now it's simply not safe." New Plymouth mayor Neil Holdom says the stretch of SH3 between Waitara and Bell Block is not safe enough for a 100kmh speed limit. (Source: rnz.co.nz) Holdom, who described the stretch of highway as a "shooting gallery", said the lower limit was saving lives. New Zealand Transport Agency director of regional relationships Linda Stewart said for the speed-limit reinstatement process, the consultation result was the only factor NZTA could take into account in its decision-making. "During consultation, the majority of respondents submitted in opposition to retaining the lower speed limits which is why this Waitara to Bell Block stretch makes up some of the 43 locations which will return to its previous higher speed limit." Stewart said typically consultation feedback was only one factor used by NZTA to help inform the outcome of a speed review. "Other factors, including safety or technical guidance, are normally weighted alongside consultation feedback to determine the outcome of a speed review. "For a full speed review in the future, as we have always done in the past, themes from both the local community and key stakeholders from consultation will be considered alongside safety and technical data, including a cost benefit disclosure statement, to help inform decision-making." Stewart said safety remained a key priority for NZTA and was a factor in decision making around road design, layout, modifications and speed. She hoped new roundabouts being constructed at the intersections of Princess Street, Waitara Road, De Havilland Drive/Airport Drive, and SH3A, along with flexible median barrier and other improvements, would improve the safety and efficiency of the highway. On Waitara High Street there were mixed views on the speed limit change. Bulk carrier driver David did not think putting up the speed limit was a good idea. "Coming through there, they do dumb enough shit at 80km/h let alone if you put it back up to 100km/h again. I don't think it's a good thing." A woman, who preferred not to give her name, thought the limit should go back up. Jeremy could not see the reasoning behind changing the speed limit. "They've gone and put all these roundabouts in, so what's the point of sticking the speed limit back up to 100km/h. You're just going to get to a roundabout faster. May as well keep it at 80km/h." Another David was in favour of the change. NZTA decelerates plans for increasing speed limits on some highways Automatic speed limit increases on some sections of state highways will now be subject to formal reviews after outcry from communities who had fought for lower speeds New Zealand Gisborne council seeks legal advice on speed limit rule changesGisborne council said its speed limits were set through a bylaw process making the new rule more complicated to implement ‘Weird wording’: Parent says Nelson speed consultation is confusingConsultation has finally opened on a proposal to retain a 60km/h limit on a stretch of Nelson highway but a local parent and low-speed advocate is concerned the survey is confusing rnz.co.nz Erica Stanford concedes use of personal email 'untidy' Stanford said her practice of forwarding Government correspondence to a personal Gmail account Politics Govt halts all current pay equity claims Workplace Minister Brooke van Velden announced the moves to raise the threshold for proving work has been historically undervalued to support a claim Iwi boss to head new board for Taranaki Maunga Wharehoka Wano will lead Te Tōpuni Ngārahu – a new body of representatives from the region’s eight iwi – to govern the park alongside the conservation minister Te Ao Māori National introduces members' bill to ban social media for under 16s Christopher Luxon announced the bill alongside Tukituki MP Catherine Wedd this morning Qantas confirms new Auckland-Perth flights Flights between Auckland and Western Australia's capital would begin in December Business Erica Stanford sent pre-Budget documents to her personal email There are multiple examples of Stanford using her personal email for ministerial business Owner prosecuted after dog starves to death 39 mins ago Erica Stanford concedes use of personal email 'untidy' 49 mins ago Blues veteran Bryce Heem announces retirement from rugby 11:39am Govt halts all current pay equity claims, makes it harder to lodge new ones 11:32am New Zealand's Cardinal John Dew prepares to go into conclave 10:54am Iwi boss to head new board for Taranaki Maunga 8 mins ago 1Two men's shared name brings years of trouble and a hefty bill to one Kiwi motorcyclist killed in 11-bike British Supersport crash National introduces members' bill to ban social media for under 16s Person dies following morning crash on Auckland motorway The 'Trump slump' boosts the left in Canada and Oz – but what about NZ? Two arrested over alleged plot targeting Lady Gaga concert in RioBrazilian police said they thwarted an alleged bomb attack planned for Lady Gaga's concert on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro. Lady Gaga rocks Copacabana Beach with free concert for over 2 million fansCries of joy rose from the tightly-packed fans who sang and danced shoulder-to-shoulder on the vast stretch of sand. Lorde announces new album name, date Thu, May 1 Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris trial over 2016 armed robbery Mon, Apr 28 Chubby Checker, Outkast, Cyndi Lauper join Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Mon, Apr 28 Lorde releases new single after weeks of cryptic teases Thu, Apr 24 Chubby Checker, Outkast, Cyndi Lauper join Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Mon Trevor Dodunski understands the consequences of a head-on crash better than most The New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) is decelerating plans to automatically revert 16 sections of state highway to their previous higher speed limits following community "feedback" The new land transport rule, campaigned on before the election by National, ordered sections of state highways classified as urban connectors and with lowered speed limits since January 1 to automatically return to their previous higher speed limits by July 1 this year NZTA said it had received "feedback" from communities who were in strong support of keeping lower speed limits and that it would be reviewing speeds on 16 stretches of state highway Some communities had spent years fighting for lower speed limits only for it to be revealed they were going back up again "Following careful consideration of this feedback and past evidence of community support we can confirm that formal speed reviews on these urban connectors will now be undertaken,” NZTA group general manager of transport services Vanessa Browne said The formal reviews will involve public consultation which will be open for six weeks starting in early April Further information will be available once consultation starts and cost-benefit analyses and make a final decision on the speed limits NZTA has also consulted on 49 state highway locations across the country on whether the current speed limit will remain This consultation closed on Thursday last week with final decisions to be made before July 1 The move to reverse speed limit drops was met with criticism by several communities up and down the country who had campaigned for years to get speed limits lowered Among them were parents and residents living near State Highway 6 near Atawhai in Nelson who spent years trying to get speed limits to drop on a stretch of the road bordered by a shared pathway used by Clifton Terrace Primary School students This is a mistake," Parents for Active Transport Atawhai member Emily Osborne told 1News She said putting speeds back up wouldn't save drivers much time and most people don't really care about saving 27 seconds in the scheme of things." worried the higher speeds could lead to the death of a child "It's just one of those things that's just an accident waiting to happen Others say higher speed limits could provide a boost to productivity "If you assume there's about 30,000 vehicles doing the freight task losing about five minutes a day," interim chief executive of Transporting New Zealand Dom Kalasih said "That's a loss of 2500 hours of productivity every day." Transport Minister Chris Bishop said the reduction reversals were “all about making it easier for people and freight to get from A to B as quickly and efficiently as possible which will help drive economic growth and improved productivity” 50km/h is used as the right speed limit to keep urban roads flowing smoothly and safely The evidence on this is clear – comparable countries with the lowest rates of road deaths and serious injuries have speed limits of 50km/h on their urban roads “These countries have strong road safety records Our Government has a clear focus on improving road safety outcomes with clear targets to ensure Police are focused on the most high-risk times Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was asked if the Government had underestimated that communities liked the lower speed limits there are some places where we need to restore those speed limits there are others where there's consultation needed," he replied "We're happy to go through that process to make sure we get it right but a blanket speed limit reduction wasn't the right approach." Gisborne District Council is seeking legal advice on the Government's new speed limit rule warning that its unique approach to speed changes puts it in a "different boat" than other councils which reverses blanket speed reductions introduced by the previous Government requires speed limits on some local roads and highways to increase by July 1 Gisborne council said its speed limits were set through a bylaw process the council is seeking clarification from the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) on which roads must be reverted and whether the new rule supersedes its bylaw Mayor Rehette Stoltz said there are several complexities facing the council in complying with the changing NZTA regulations "Our bylaw process combined with automatic NZTA speed reversals needs untangling from both sides to make sure everything is consistent and that there are no unintended consequences "In order for us to comply and follow NZTA and Government regulations we will need clarity from NZTA," she said During a regional transport meeting this month GDC strategic planning manager Charlotte Knight said Gisborne was in "a slightly different boat" compared to some other councils Gisborne council carried out most of its speed limit reversals under a bylaw which meant they followed a different process to the previous Government's rule which the current Government is revoking through the setting of speed limits rule 2024 rule "We're kind of in a bit of an odd boat," said Knight To reverse a speed limit set through the bylaw process the council would need to revoke its bylaw or amend it via a legal procedure under the Local Government Act authored by asset planning manager Tina Middlemiss "Staff have been considering the view that the 2024 rule being subordinate legislation "Setting speed limits under a bylaw rather than a plan meant that consultation was more rigorous and required a more targeted than blanket approach "Applying [the 2022 rule guidance] would have meant that nearly all of our region's roads were deemed unsafe with most 100km rural roads required to be at 60km/h and urban roads at 30km/h due to the overlapping of school areas." This prompted the council to seek a "middle ground" through the bylaw process which required and received significant community support for lower speeds around schools The council consulted to have most 100km/h roads reduced to 80km/h and most urban residential roads switch from 50km/h to 40km/h or 30km/h if located near a school Councillor Teddy Thompson asked whether national rules "trumped" bylaws and if the council was on track to meet the dates Roads that require speed reversals must be identified and registered with new speeds by May 1 Middlemiss said the council is "hedging" their bets with the query but is on track to meet the requirements "We're just asking these questions in the background," she said An NZTA spokesperson told Local Democracy reporting they are working through a high volume of queries concerning the new rule and will continue to assist GDC "We note that Schedule 2 of the Setting of Speed Limits Rule 2024 sets out a process that differs from the revocation of a bylaw "The Schedule 2 process captures relevant speed limit changes made after December 31 which will usually have been done via processes under the Setting of Speed Limits Rule 2022 The extent to which Schedule 2 applies to any speed limit set via bylaw is situation dependent." only 31% of the rural network and 73% of the urban network have been lowered so far under the bylaw process The council funding application for reversals has been estimated to cost around $300,000 with the council covering a third ($96,000) of the shared cost with NZTA Another funding application estimates the cost of variable speed limit reductions around schools will be around $700,000 61% of Gisborne schools have lowered speeds and 38% have variable speeds with 71% of these roads urban and covered by the council while 13% are on state highways and covered by NZTA The council has received funding from the National Land Transport Fund to support the new speed limit changes The report states that 61 speed area maps in the bylaw affect around 180 roads that have seen speed changes This includes lowering speeds around 31 schools beachside suburbs and some urban and industrial growth areas Some roads did implement lower speeds through the 2022 rule guidance which mainly occurred in Tolaga and Ruatōria "Some of these roads might be directly affected by the reversals," wrote Middlemiss In December NZTA announced new funding to implement the speed changes In January further revisions were made to the rule with more guidance on the reversals and how to apply for the new funding The council said there were technical issues relating to the interpretation of the 2024 rule and guidance for the reversals which they are seeking clarity on from NZTA LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air Consultation has finally opened on a proposal to retain a 60km/h limit on a stretch of Nelson highway A 1.8km section of Queen Elizabeth II Drive/State Highway 6 that passes through the city’s northern suburb of Marybank is slated to increase in speed to 80km/h The change is a result of a Coalition Government policy to reverse speed limit reductions brought in by the preceding Labour administration the mandated increase was opposed by local parents and residents and elected representatives such as the city’s MP and mayor To try and address the community’s concerns but also meet the Government’s requirement that the speed limit on the road must increase to 80km/h by July 1 the New Zealand Transport Agency has pre-emptively started a speed review to seek feedback on retaining the 60km/h limit NZTA announced on Wednesday morning that consultation had now opened and would run for six weeks until May 14 "The speed reviews include consultation and will take into consideration safety alongside community feedback to determine if we set the speed limit to a lower proposed speed limit," an agency spokesperson said Emily Osborne was part of Parents for Active Transport Atawhai which has led the community campaign to "keep it 60" She said she was "glad" that consultation had now opened but was concerned about the online survey for residents to fill out The survey was written within the context of the requirement for NZTA to increase the speed back to 80km/h but was timed to avoid the need to increase the speed limit before swapping the signs back to 60km/h provided the review favoured retaining the lower speeds survey respondents were asked about the proposal to "re-set" a "lower" speed of 60km/h Osborne thought the wording was confusing because in practicality the proposal was about keeping the current speed limit – the road was already set at 60km/h and didn’t need to be lowered from 80km/h Respondents were asked what impacts they believed the proposed speed limit of 60km/h would have on the community As the proposed 60km/h speed limit was the same as the currently-enforced speed limit Osborne was concerned that residents would tick the box which suggested the proposed speed would have "no impact" Selecting the "no impact" option didn’t open a text box where people could write in their thoughts and personal experiences "It’s just disappointing because it’s unclear There’s no space for people to say why they think that," Osborne said "It’s really important that the community is acknowledged and heard." she had concerns that the survey was difficult to find with an online search and was several pages deep on the NZTA website an 800-metre stretch of Whitby Rd/SH6 just north of Wakefield in Tasman was out for consultation to keep the 60km/h instead of raising the speed to 70km/h NZTA was consulting elsewhere in the country on retaining the speed limits on other urban connectors across the state highway network which were also mandated to increase in speed NZTA has asked that residents who have already provided feedback on the affected sections of road and would like their feedback counted as their submission to let it know at speedmanagement@nzta.govt.nz or they were free to make a new submission Nelson MP Rachel Boyack urged NZTA and the Transport Minister to allow all previous feedback to be considered as part of the consultation "Requiring people to resubmit adds unnecessary bureaucracy to this process The views of the community were very clear and that feedback must be considered." Responses to the Top of the South speed limit proposals could be submitted here Local Democracy Reporting is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air The government is making it harder to make a claim for pay equity that will cut costs There have been massive pay equity claims in recent years for nurses and resthome workers on Tuesday saying changes back in 2020 had created problems "Claims have been able to progress without strong evidence of undervaluation and there have been very broad claims where it is difficult to tell whether differences in pay are due to sex-based discrimination or other factors." Claims were concentrated in the public sector with costs to the Crown of all settlements so far totalling $1.78 billion a year "The changes I am proposing will significantly reduce costs to the Crown," she said "The changes will discontinue current pay equity claims The nurse's union has this year had at least 10 pay equity claims in play The PSA union has said pay equity claims and settlements had resulted in significant improvements in pay and working conditions for many workers rnz.co.nz A trail-blazing tribal leader today starts a new job bringing together eight iwi to look after Taranaki Maunga Iwi now have equal say with the Crown in running the former Egmont National Park The Minister of Conservation will need iwi agreement to approve management plans for what is now called Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki The arrangement is laid out in Te Ture Whakatupua mō te Kāhui Maunga, the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Act passed unanimously by Parliament in January Another group called Te Tōpuni Kōkōrangi – half appointed by iwi and half by the Crown – will develop management plans for Te Tōpuni Ngārahu and the minister to consider Wano has for nine years been the first chief executive of Te Kāhui o Taranaki the agency set up when Taranaki iwi settled its historical Treaty claims Wano has helped shape Taranaki iwi’s future and he’s also a trustee for the neighbouring iwi’s post-settlement agency Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa. He’s one of the dozen counsellors on the Kīngitanga’s Tekau-mā-rua the advisory body for Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po – as he was for her father the late Kīngi Tūheitia At Wano’s farewell from Te Kāhui o Taranaki veteran campaigner Peter Moeahu said Wano was “an ambassador a diplomat extraordinaire,” and reckoned he would need those skills “You might have thought handling one iwi was bad enough referring to South Taranaki’s Te Pakakohi and Tangahoe which are not recognised as iwi by the Crown Te Kāhui o Taranaki chair Jacqui King said Wano had dealt with arms of the Crown on many fronts really challenging because often you get so impassioned by the unjust behaviours and practices “You have to carry that in such a way that you can't be asked to leave - and Whare is an absolute expert at ensuring he says what needs to be said without being offensive.” Te Kāhui’s operations manager Mark Wipatene said he’d known many aggressive cut-throat chief executives – “silverback gorillas who have massive egos” “They wouldn’t last a day in this space because you can’t operate that way.” “Whare has the ability to navigate through that world and bring his kaimahi with him because he has no ego Liana Poutu helped negotiate the maunga settlement and said Wano’s calming influence wasn’t limited to dealings with government “And when we want to take on some whawhai (fight) Whare’s like ‘are you sure that's how you want to do it?’” Wano’s niece and former colleague Puna Wano-Bryant said he would bring impeccable communication to the Maunga job “He has the ability to open new ways for people to heal and reconcile their own relationships with each other.” Wano-Bryant said she often spotted surfboards in her uncle’s car and he would explain he was off to a “board hui” Fellow surfer and new Taranaki Regional Council chair Craig Williamson has known Wano for almost 20 years and praised his work for the betterment of Taranaki communities We’ve had three board meetings this week.” In 2016 the Crown accepted that Taranaki Maunga and the adjacent ranges would become a legal person and own itself as Te Kāhui Tupua the Crown agreed to share management of the national park Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki with iwi There's now a search on for four people to represent the iwi of Taranaki on Te Tōpuni Kōkōrangi serving as the face and voice of Te Kāhui Tupua When Parliament passed the redress law in January it officially recognised the peaks as tupuna maunga – ancestral mountains LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ on Air The National Party has introduced a new members' bill to ban social media for those aged under 16 Christopher Luxon announced the bill alongside National Tukituki MP Catherine Wedd this morning Wedd said the My Social Media Age-Appropriate Users Bill "puts the onus on social media companies to verify that someone is over the age of 16 before they access social media platforms" Key aspects of the Bill would include obligations for the social media platforms defence for providers to rely on reasonable verification measures regulatory oversight and a review after three years there are no legally enforceable age verification measures for social media platforms in New Zealand Members' bills are introduced by MPs who are not Ministers and need to be drawn from a ballot to be debated in Parliament Luxon said he was hopeful of gaining bipartisan support He had spoken with coalition partners ACT and NZ First about it but would let them speak about their position He said this was an issue he had been passionate about since 2018 and as a dad he felt the party needed to do more to keep young people safe from online harm We want to protect our kids from the harms of social media. That’s why today National has introduced a members bill to ban social media for kids under 16 years old. pic.twitter.com/TiQJs87DhQ "It's time that New Zealand acknowledged that for all the good things that come from social media it's not always a safe place for our young people to be and we need to do something about it." He said teachers and parents had raised issues with him including cyber bullying exposure to inappropriate content and exploitation and social media addiction "Social media should not be exempt from social responsibility and it is time we put the onus on these platforms," he said Wedd said social media was "an extraordinary resource" “As a mother of four children I feel very strongly that families and parents should be better supported when it comes to overseeing their children's online exposure The bill closely mirrors the approach taken in Australia which passed the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill in December 2024 At the end of last year, a 1News Verian Poll found more than two-thirds of New Zealand voters supported restricting social media access for under-16s The poll results showed that 68% backed introducing similar legislation in New Zealand as in Australia and 10% were undecided or preferred not to say National Party supporters and women showed the strongest support for the proposed restrictions while opposition was highest among 18-34-year-olds and men Wedd said "other jurisdictions are also taking action" "Texas recently passed legislation which bans under 18s from social media use and the UK the EU and Canada all have similar work in train," she said "This bill builds on National’s successful and successful cell phone ban in schools and reinforces the Government's commitment to setting our children up for success." Family First chief executive Bob McCoskrie welcomed the introduction of the Bill but questioned why it was not a government priority "or at the very least have a parliamentary and public discussion via a Select Committee process" "Family First thanks Catherine Wedd for drafting the Bill but once again calls on all the coalition parties in the Government (ACT and NZ First) to adopt the bill as a Government bill and ultimately walk the talk when it comes to protecting children online “This important discussion needs to be a priority for the Government and not left in a biscuit tin." Qantas has announced that direct flights between Perth and Auckland will take off later this year Flights between Auckland and Western Australia's capital would begin in December The airline also added flights between Perth and Johannesburg and Sundays with an approximate flight time of 8 hours Perth to Auckland flights would operate as QF111 on Monday The approximate flight time was around six hours and 45 minutes Both flights would use Qantas A330 aircraft with 27 business class seats and 224 economy seats The new flights would allow a one-stop route to London via Perth It would also allow for connections via Perth from Auckland to airports across South Africa the new flight to Auckland would also allow a one-stop connection to New York on the airline's QF3 service “We’re so excited to be launching two new international routes unlocking more options and greater choice for all Australians to connect to the world through our growing network," Qantas International chief executive Cam Wallace said “By connecting Perth directly with Auckland and Johannesburg we’re supporting the local economy by opening valuable inbound tourism opportunities for Western Australia as well as generating new jobs for the state These routes also enable further growth throughout Australia with connections across our domestic network." A Southland man whose dog was found starved to death has been sentenced to community work was found dead in his kennel by Invercargill City Council Animal Control officers in June 2023 SPCA inspectors executed a search warrant and found evidence which suggested Mike had been tethered to the same spot "for an extended period" with a rusty chain He was prosecuted for failing to seek veterinary care for the severely malnourished dog The ground Mike was restricted to was described as "worn down" "His body was in extremely poor condition and pelvis were clearly visible," SPCA said A post-mortem confirmed the dog had the lowest possible body condition score which suggested Mike had been starved over several weeks His stomach and intestines were "almost entirely empty" The offender admitted he had not checked on the dog for "about a week" The man claimed he had not contacted a vet or the SPCA because he could not afford to do so He was sentenced to 200 hours of community service at the Invercargill District Court after pleading guilty to charges relating to the treatment of Mike He was also ordered to pay reparations of $233.88 for veterinary costs and $500 towards legal costs He was disqualified from owning dogs for a period of five years SPCA chief executive Todd Westwood said Mike's death was the result of neglect that could have been avoided This case is a clear reminder that if an animal is unwell It’s a basic responsibility of pet ownership,” he said He said prolonged tethering was "unacceptable and heartbreaking", which was why the SPCA advocated for new regulations that would be released later this year "The prolonged tethering of dogs is an issue that our inspectors deal with daily While it is difficult to gather accurate numbers it is safe to say this issue impacts the lives of thousands of dogs in New Zealand." Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard said in April that the new regulations would give animal welfare inspectors the tools to intervene quickly when dogs are suffering harm from being tied up for long periods Hoggard said he had "been hearing a lot from members of the public" who want to see action taken" on the issue of dog chaining "Most dog owners in New Zealand treat their animals well and these regulations will have little to no impact upon them," he said "I’m confident these regulations will result in better outcomes for those dogs "We have a few steps to follow to get these proposals ready to become law but it is my expectation that these will be finalised by the end of the year That will be followed by a short period with a focus on education so that all dog owners understand their obligations and to allow those who need to make changes time to adapt." The changes agreed on through Cabinet included: A law change was first proposed and consulted on two years ago Nearly 30,000 people signed a petition to Parliament on the issue in 2021 the Blues' veteran midfielder whose rugby journey took him from the All Blacks sevens Toulon and back to New Zealand with the Blues has retired from the game at the age of 36 who helped the Blues win the Super Rugby championship last year He is turning his professional attentions to facts and figures in his new role as a mortgage broker it’s the people I’ve met and the memories I’ve made that stand out the most I’m grateful for the opportunity to have represented several teams on my journey and to finish here at the Blues and winning a championship last season was something special.” “I want to make special mention of my wife Jocelyn for supporting me through this entire journey holding it all down at home so I could focus on doing what I love none of this would have been possible,” he said known as "uncle" at the Blues due to his age said the franchise had helped extend his playing career “I’d like to extend my sincere thanks to the entire Blues organisation - the coaches and everyone who’s played some part in my career,” he said “You’ve all played a huge role in making this such a special time in my life I’ve learned so much and will be forever grateful for your belief in me.” “A special shout-out to the medical staff.. you’ve worked wonders on my body as I’ve gotten older..." Heem said he had been working towards becoming a mortgage broker as part of his professional development at the Blues “I’ve had the privilege of learning a lot during my time at the Blues and I’m eager to bring that knowledge and discipline to the world of finance,” Heem said Cardinal John Dew is about to go into conclave to vote for a new pope is among the 133 cardinals gathered in the Vatican to elect a successor to Pope Francis Dew and his fellow Cardinals will be locked away from the world as they participate in daily votes in the Sistine Chapel until white smoke billows from the rooftop signalling a new pope is selected Read more about how the conclave works here He follows in the footsteps of Cardinal Reginald Delargey and Cardinal Thomas Williams - Kiwis who had previously entered conclave in 1978 and 2005 Dew said cardinals had been meeting daily to share their perspectives on the needs of the church and what qualities a new pope would need to possess to address said needs “Listening to what everyone is saying and the kind of person they're looking for to hear the passion that people have for spreading the work of the Gospel,” Dew said “I think one of the things that a new pope will need to do is to continue to try and give hope to the world “But as well as being the leader of the Church he needs to be a world leader who's prepared to speak out and in this world of disinformation and misinformation and sometimes lies Dew said other cardinals who had previously participated in conclavce described the centuries-old tradition as "divinely inspired" “A couple of the cardinals actually said you can go into the conclave and even have some ideas but it's only after a vote or two that things start to clarify,” he recalled but it became very clear that he was the one They described that as the work of Holy Spirit “And the fact that you're in a place where you have no contact with anybody else – no cell phones no iPads – the whole thing becomes a bit like a retreat and a real time of prayer.” Dew said finding a successor among a sea of so many contenders also had him feeling some "apprehension" the fact that this only happens once every few years and it has incredible consequences for the Church and for the world Shane William Pritchard has been charged with crimes he didn’t commit and chased for debts he doesn’t owe That’s because the Dunedin man is not the only Shane William Pritchard in town While the duo’s shared name and age has sometimes been a handy loophole for one Shane for the other it has caused problems for 36 years It’s been years of fearing every knock on the door Years of wondering if he’ll be hand-cuffed and taken to jail to be honest,” says Shane William Pritchard a scout and a member of the Air Training Corp remembers getting quite a shock when her friend called one evening She'd been acting as a referee for a gun licence for Shane whose friend informed her that the police had a long list of offences against Shane’s name Not long after that the police turned up to where Shane was working at the local tannery to arrest him “You're scrambling in your head to think of ways that you can prove it's not you.” Another Shane William Pritchard had been born in Otago They were separated by just two weeks and about 50 miles – one growing up in Mosgiel the other in Milton – but also by the lives they’d been leading To watch the full video story go to TVNZ+ Shane from Milton had huge problems focusing at school He was raised in foster care and then boys’ homes I just wanted to look cool and get in trouble,” he tells Fair Go Milton Shane was used to run-ins with police he got pulled over in his car and asked about his driving licence one’s got a licence and the other hasn’t.’ And I’m like ‘obviously it must be the one with a licence’.” he went to his bank to draw out an ACC payment and was asked which bank account was his He says that at that point he was trying to figure out what was going on “I thought it was just an error.” But he took advantage of the situation and withdrew a large sum of cash Mosgiel Shane became aware of the withdrawal when a scheduled car payment was declined and when Milton Shane turned up at the bank to withdraw more money Identity fraud was considered but Milton Shane was legitimately expecting an ACC payment so the withdrawal appeared to be a genuine mistake and the police couldn’t take any action 'Anything I could get away with Mosgiel Shane thought the bank incident would have alerted police to the problem But his nemesis had cottoned on to the advantages of having a second identity to use Milton Shane acquired a suite of furniture on hire-purchase Milton-Shane clocked up more driving offences Mosgiel Shane thought about changing his name but realised he’d have to provide his previous name in the process the courts and debt collectors such as Baycorp should be able to distinguish between himself and Milton Shane The police first addressed the issue in the 1990s after Mosgiel Shane went to the media He was given a letter to carry with him should he be apprehended He and his parents felt his situation wasn’t being taken seriously Mosgiel Shane went to the media a second time in the mid-2000s the police gave their word that a record in their system would stop the misidentification from happening again This does appear to have worked as far as police action goes But while Mosgiel Shane was given the same reassurance by the Ministry of Justice he continued to receive demands from the courts for unpaid fines He’d also get stopped and questioned whenever he left the country for work trips or holidays It took a huge toll on Mosgiel Shane’s mental health not realising the constant stress it placed on his life John Pritchard says that at times his son felt his life wasn’t worth living worrying about what he was going to do to himself and that really ate me up.” he and his son were in tears as Shane admitted he was at breaking point He described going for days at a time unable to eat or sleep wondering what might happen next "Am I going to be in a position where they've got me in handcuffs or I've got debt collectors coming to the door?" ...You're spiralling into this black hole." He started taking anti-anxiety medication which helped And events regarding Milton Shane seemed to settle Milton Shane was charged for fishing without a licence in Twizel and failing to comply with fisheries officers But a court registrar incorrectly entered the birth date of Mosgiel Shane in the system both Shanes were being chased to pay the $1530 fine It was Mosgiel Shane who spotted the error and rang the court He also sent a statement from his manager saying he’d not been fishing in Twizel that day The reply he got was to say he’d been given the wrong form and that they wouldn’t accept his proof They just wanted to know how I was going to pay the fine.” The first Milton Shane knew about this was when Fair Go told him Mosgiel Shane had been chased for the fine He was told to pay up or face the consequences feeling he shouldn’t have to pay good money to correct someone else’s mistake But it cost Mosgiel Shane over $5000 in legal fees and took months of back and forth between him “Why should anybody have to pay their own money to right somebody else's wrongs and prove who they are I’m sick and tired of proving who I am all the time.” He wanted the Ministry of Justice to take responsibility and reimburse him for his legal costs saying court staff such as the registrar in this case have immunity if they make mistakes such as the one made here and if I make a mistake and it's affecting my client that it's going to cost them money to rectify a mistake that I've made.” he deserves a million apologies from those guys,” she says Milton Shane told Fair Go he still gets in trouble but wants the other Shane to know he doesn’t use his birth date anymore And he had a message for him: “We’ve got to get it sorted for you so you can have a good life with you and your family because I’m trying to get my life together with my son and my grandson” He offers to meet to see if they can sort it out together but I’m not interested in meeting him,.” says Mosgiel Shane He says he doesn’t hold any grudges and accepts Milton Shane’s apology And he believes the only way for that to happen is for the courts and the Ministry of Justice to give him a guarantee that mix-ups won’t occur in the future Fair Go asked the Ministry of Justice to appear in person to apologise and provide reassurance to Shane of its plans to guard against these mistakes The Ministry declined our request to be on camera saying any comment on an individual case would compromise the independence of the courts as the Ministry operates separately But it did send a written apology directly to Mosgiel Shane It also admitted mistakes can occur in clerical records but said instructions were clear and the importance of getting things right had been emphasised to staff Mosgiel Shane isn’t totally convinced that’s the end of it “All I want is for the Ministry of Justice and the courts to do their job I'd like to live without this hanging over me all the time his criminal check has come back showing a clean slate A person has died following a crash on Auckland's south-western motorway this morning The single vehicle crash was reported to police shortly before 5am the sole occupant of this vehicle died at the scene," a police spokesperson said "Earlier closures of northbound lanes have now lifted and police advise motorists to continue to expect delays as earlier backlogs clear "We appreciate motorists' understanding this morning while emergency services carried out their work." Police said the serious crash unit examined the scene this morning and an investigation was underway into this morning's crash on behalf of the Coroner This is in addition to an earlier crash on Auckland's northern motorway near the Auckland Harbour Bridge Emergency services responded to a two-truck collision on the northern motorway near the Auckland Harbour Bridge shortly after 5am New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) said all lanes south on State Highway 1 were open again following this earlier crash with five lanes available on the Harbour Bridge "Allow extra time for delays on the Northern Motorway to slowly ease this morning three lanes going south were now open again between Onewa Rd and the Harbour Bridge," NZTA said Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's landslide win at the weekend following Canadian Prime Minister's Mark Carney's victory less than a week before should indicate to our politicians that the New Zealand "Trump trend" of 2024 may have peaked Trying to capitalise on the electoral success of US President Donald Trump now that his policies are having real-world effects is proving to be a big mistake for conservative leaders Australian voters have delivered a landslide win for the incumbent Labor Party returning Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for a second term with a clear majority of seats When he said in his victory speech that Australians had “voted for Australian values” an unspoken message was that they’d firmly rejected Trumpian values opposition and Liberal Party leader Peter Dutton had such a bad election he lost his own seat While not the only reason for his electoral demise Dutton’s adoption of themes associated with Trump backfired Opinion polls were projecting Dutton’s Coalition to win and exceeded expectations in the election itself the Liberals were “reduced to a right-wing populist party that is all but exiled from the biggest cities” Commentators identified a number of reasons including his “culture wars” and being depicted by Labor as “Trump-lite” Following a Trumpian pathway turned out to be a strategic blunder And Dutton’s downfall mirrors Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre’s defeat in Canada’s election on April 28 Canada’s incumbent centre-left Liberals were heading for defeat to the Conservatives But there were two gamechangers: the Liberals switched leaders from Justin Trudeau to Mark Carney and Trump caused a national uproar with his aggressive tariffs and his call for Canada to become the 51st US state Pre-election opinion polls then did a dramatic flip in favour of the Liberals who went on to win their fourth election in a row Poilievre’s campaign had adopted elements of the Trump style such as attacking “wokeness” and using derogatory nicknames for opponents His strategy failed as soon as Trump rolled out “America First” policies contrary to Canadians’ economic interests and national pride The takeaway for serious right-wing leaders in liberal democracies is clear: let Trump do Trump; his brand is toxic Trump’s actions are harming America’s allies affirmative action and climate change have seen voters outside the US react with self-protective patriotism A perceived association with Trump’s brand has now upended the electoral fortunes of (so far) two centre-right parties that had been in line to win and had been banking on the 2024 MAGA success somehow rubbing off on them what has been dubbed the “Trump slump” isn’t a universal trend the centre-left Social Democratic-led government was ousted in February in spite of Trump ally Elon Musk’s unhelpful support for the far-right anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party the populist Reform UK party has risen above 25% while Labour has fallen from 34% in last year’s election to the low 20s in recent polls But other governing centre-left parties are seeing an upside of the Trump effect In early January it looked like the incumbent Labour Party would be trounced by the Conservatives and the right-wing Progress Party Opinion polls dramatically flipped in early February boosting Labour from below 20% back into the lead Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre will get another term in office Denmark’s governing Social Democrats have enjoyed a small polling boost since Trump declared he’d like to take Greenland off their hands The common denominator underlying these shifts to the left seems to be the Trump effect Voters in countries normally closely allied with the US are turning away from Trump-adjacent politicians people are rallying patriotically around centre-left Trump is harming leaders who could have been his allies the man himself seemed proud of the impact he had in Canada polls in mid-2024 showed support for Trump was growing – heading well above 20% Australia’s election suggests that trend may now be past its peak with debate over ACT’s contentious Treaty Principles Bill behind it and despite NZ First leader Winston Peters’ overt culture-war rhetoric (which may appeal to his 6% support base) the right-wing coalition government’s polling shows it could be on track for a second term – for the time being While the Trump effect may have benefited centre-left parties in Australia and Canada polling for New Zealand’s Labour opposition is softer than at the start of the year While “America First” policies continue to damage the global economy centre-right leaders who learn the lesson will quietly distance themselves from the Trump brand while maintaining cordial relations with the White House could do worse than follow Anthony Albanese’s example of not getting distracted by “Trump-lite” and instead promoting his own country’s values of fairness and mutual respect.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GUGWB5HTRVGGNP5PFWDLBH7SXM","content":"Grant Duncan is a teaching fellow in Politics and International Relations This story is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence ","type":"text"},{"_id":"BMPLRKQ2NRDPZOPKHPADSUD4UE","content":" Lady Gaga gave a free concert Saturday night in front of 2 million fans who poured onto Copacabana Beach for the biggest show of her career (...) Thank you for making history with me,” Lady Gaga told a screaming crowd kicked off the show at around 22.10pm local time with her 2011 song Bloody Mary Cries of joy rose from the tightly-packed fans who sang and danced shoulder-to-shoulder on the vast stretch of sand Concert organisers said 2.1 million people attended the show switching between an array of dresses including one with the colours of the Brazilian flag Some fans – many of them young – arrived on the beach at the crack of dawn to secure a good spot “Today is the best day of my life,” said Manoela Dobes a 27-year-old designer who was wearing a dress plastered with a photograph from when she met Lady Gaga in the United States in 2019 Madonna also turned Copacabana Beach into a massive dance floor last year The large-scale performances are part of an effort led by City Hall to boost economic activity after Carnival and New Years’ Eve festivities and the upcoming month-long Saint John’s Day celebrations in June “It brings activity to the city during what was previously considered the low season – filling hotels and increasing spending in bars generating jobs and income for the population,” said Osmar Lima the city’s secretary of economic development in a statement released by Rio City Hall’s tourism department last month Rio’s City Hall said in a recent report that around 1.6 million people were expected to attend Lady Gaga's concert and that the show should inject at least 600 million reais (NZ$178.3 million) into Rio’s economy Similar concerts are scheduled to take place every year in May at least until 2028 Lady Gaga arrived in Rio in the early hours of Tuesday The city has been alive with Gaga-mania since as it geared up to welcome the pop star for her first show in the country since 2012 Rio’s metro employees danced to Lady Gaga’s 2008 hit song LoveGame and gave instructions for today in a video A free exhibition celebrating her career sold out While the vast majority of attendees were from Rio the event also attracted Brazilians from across the country and international visitors More than 500,000 tourists poured into the city in the days leading up to the show according to data from the local bus station and Tom Jobim airport Rio’s City Hall said in a statement yesterday made a cross-continent trip from Colombia to Brazil to attend the show “I’ve been a 100% fan of Lady Gaga my whole life,” said Serrano who was wearing a T-shirt featuring Lady Gaga’s outlandish costumes over the years the mega-star represents “total freedom of expression – being who one wants without shame” Rio officials have a history of organising huge concerts on Copacabana Beach Madonna’s show drew an estimated 1.6 million fans last year while 4 million people flooded onto the beach for a 1994 New Year’s Eve show by Rod Stewart in 1994 that was the biggest free rock concert in history sixteen sound towers were spread along the beach Rio state’s security plan included the presence of 3300 military and 1500 police officers Among those present were Lady Gaga admirers who remember their disappointment in 2017 when the artist cancelled a performance scheduled in Rio at the last minute due to health issues “She's the best artist in the world,” the 25-year-old said I love you” in Portuguese rose from the crowd behind him whose real name is Ella Yelich O'Connor which also displayed what appears to be the album cover art — an X-ray of a pelvis "100% written in blood," the website read The new album's announcement came a week after she released her latest single What Was That The song's music video was filmed at a mysterious pop-up event in New York City's Washington Square Park that was initially shut down by police. The event ended up going ahead after all, and fans who stayed got to hear the new song for the first time. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lorde (@lorde) It was the first sign of a follow-up to Lorde's previous album Her other albums were 2013's Pure Heroine and 2017's Melodrama she collaborated with British singer Charli XCX on a remix of Girl so confusing — on a re-release of the Grammy award-winning Brat Kim Kardashian thought she was going to be raped and killed when criminals broke into her bedroom in central Paris tied her up and stole more than US$6 million in jewellery 10 people will go on trial in Paris over the robbery abduction and kidnapping of the media personality and the concierge of the residence where she was staying during Paris Fashion Week the night of October 2 Kardashian’s lawyers said she will testify in person at the trial starting Monday and scheduled to run through May 23 "Ms Kardashian is reserving her testimony for the court and jury and does not wish to elaborate further at this time," they said "She has great respect and admiration for the French justice system and has been treated with great respect by the French authorities "She wishes the trial to proceed in an orderly fashion in accordance with French law and with respect for all parties to the case." In interviews and on her family’s reality TV show Kardashian has described being terrified as robbers pointed a gun at her In a 2020 appearance on David Letterman’s Netflix show she tearfully recalled thinking: "This is the time I’m going to get raped Twelve people were originally expected in the defendants’ box and another is seriously ill and can't be tried five of the 10 defendants were present at the scene of the robbery The French press has dubbed them The Granddad Robbers because the main defendants are elderly and have careers as bank robbers with long criminal records Kardashian told investigators she was taken to a bathroom next to her bedroom and placed in the bathtub Her attackers fled on bicycles or on foot and she managed to free herself by removing the tape from her hands and mouth She had also removed the tape from her feet and rushed to her stylist’s room She called her sister Kourtney to tell her about the theft Kardashian told investigators that she had not been injured adding that she wanted to leave France as soon as possible to be reunited with her children According to her testimony and that of the concierge at least one of the suspects had a handgun The gangsters stole many pieces of jewellery estimated to be worth more than US$6 million (NZ$10 million) Only one piece of jewellery — a diamond cross on platinum that was lost during the suspects' escape — has been recovered Two of the accused have partially confessed to the crime is one of two suspected robbers who allegedly entered the apartment his genetic profile was found on the tape used to gag Kardashian who was waiting for him in a parked car at a nearby train station The second robber said he tied up the concierge with cables but did not go up to Kardashian’s apartment said he acted as a lookout in the ground-floor reception area He said he was unarmed and did not personally threaten Kardashian but admitted he shared responsibility for the crime Abbas was arrested in January 2017 and spent 21 months in prison before being released under judicial supervision he co-authored a French-language book titled I Sequestered Kim Kardashian is the second alleged robber suspected of entering the flat although he was filmed by CCTV cameras and numerous telephone contacts with the other co-defendants show his involvement The other defendants are suspected of providing information about Kardashian’s presence in the apartment Others are accused of playing a role in the resale of the jewellery in Antwerp Joe Cocker and Bad Company will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — in a class that also includes pop star Cyndi Lauper the rock duo the White Stripes and grunge masters Soundgarden the first female rap act to achieve gold and platinum status and the late singer-songwriter Warren Zevon will get the Musical Influence Award pianist Nicky Hopkins and bassist Carol Kaye will each get the Musical Excellence Award who sang at Woodstock and was best known for his cover of The Beatles’ With a Little Help From My Friends a member of Elvis Costello & The Attractions who argued that Cocker is "about as rock and roll as it gets" Soundgarden — with the late Chris Cornell as singer — get into the Hall on their third nomination They follow two other grunge acts in the Hall — Nirvana and Pearl Jam Bad Company get in having become radio fixtures with such arena-rock staples as Feel Like Makin’ Love Can’t Get Enough and Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy The Ahmet Ertegun Award — given to nonperforming industry professionals who had a major influence on music — will go to Lenny Waronker Some nominees that didn't get in this year included Mariah Carey and subsequent Let’s Twist Again are considered among the most popular songs in the history of rock 'n' roll The 83-year-old has expressed frustration that he hadn't been granted entry before including telling the AP in 2014: "I don’t want to get in there when I’m 85 years old so you better do it quick while I’m still smiling." Lauper rose to fame in the 1980s with hits such as Time After Time and Girls Just Want To Have Fun and went on to win a Tony Award for Kinky Boots have six Grammys and a reputation for pushing the boundaries of hip-hop The White Stripes — made up of Jack White and Meg White — were indie darlings in the early 2000s with such songs as Seven Nation Army Artists must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years before they’re eligible for induction The induction ceremony will take place in Los Angeles this fall Nominees were voted on by more than 1200 artists historians and music industry professionals The selection criteria include "an artist’s impact on other musicians the scope and longevity of their career and body of work as well as their innovation and excellence in style and technique" Dave Matthews Band and singer-guitarist Peter Frampton were inducted Lorde has dropped her new single What Was That after weeks of cryptic posts and teases that set fans buzzing It's the lead single from her upcoming fourth album and her first original solo release since 2021's Solar Power which is three minutes and 28 seconds in length Some fans had been lucky enough to hear the track in full earlier this week. On Wednesday, Lorde posted a picture of Washington Square Park yesterday with the caption "tonight 7pm". Fans flooded the park an hour before she was supposed to appear, with photos shared of eager fans scaling trees to catch a glimpse of the singer. Shortly before she was to perform, the Royals singer took to social media to tell fans police had shut the event down. "Omg @thepark the cops are shutting us down," the message read. "I am truly amazed by how many of you showed !!! "But they’re telling me you gotta disperse ... I’m so sorry." However, the pop-up event ended up going ahead after all, with fans who stayed getting their first full airing of Lorde's new single. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lorde (@lorde) Lorde, real name Ella Yelich O'Connor, announced the single last week sharing a headshot-style photo of her wearing a red shirt with a dripping wet face Earlier this month, she dropped a 15-second snippet of the unreleased song Lorde was seen wearing a white shirt and jeans while walking through New York City I gave you everything/Now we wake from a dream What was that?” she sings over a synth beat It was the first sign of a follow up to Lorde's previous album Scam alerts: we’ve seen an increase in scam texts and emails claiming to be from us, asking for payments.Check our example scams or report a scam to us NZTA App: our mobile app provides a simple and secure way to access your driver licence and vehicle information.Learn more and download the NZTA app one north and one south of the intersection of SH3 and Waitara Road Rebuilding the road involves removing the existing road surface and underlying road structure (pavement) and replacing it with new materials This will help maintain the road’s reliability and longevity we will also start on Stage 4 of the Waitara Road roundabout which will see the completion of the roundabout itself The southern rebuild was completed on 17 April 2025 The northern rebuild is underway and due to be completed by 28 May 2025 Once the rebuilds and Waitara Road roundabout are complete work will start on the section of Raleigh Street between SH3 and Tate Road including turning it into a cul-de-sac We will provide an update on traffic management prior to work starting From Monday 28 April to Wednesday 28 May 2025 we will rebuild a section of SH3 north of the intersection of SH3 and Waitara Road we will also complete work on Stage 4 of the Waitara Road roundabout To allow work to take place safely and efficiently we will close SH3 from the Raleigh Street intersection to south of the Nelson Street intersection 24/7 until the rebuild is complete We are unable to complete the rebuild at night as overnight temperatures will be too low in May for the rebuild to be completed successfully A detour will be in place through Waitara via Raleigh Street Homes and businesses will continue to be accessible during the closure Emergency services will also be able to travel through the site To keep the detour route through Waitara safe for everyone we will put in place temporary safety changes Once the rebuild and Waitara Road roundabout are complete View larger/downloadable map [PDF, 866 KB] During the northern rebuild access to Waitara Road will be impacted The left turn out of Waitara Road will be closed from Thursday 8 May until Monday 19 May as we complete asphalt work on State Highway 3 (SH3) south of the Waitara Road intersection We previously planned to have the left turn open during the entirety of the closure as we were unable to complete the asphalting work during the rebuilds north of the intersection earlier this month we now need to close the left turn for just under 2 weeks A detour via Richmond Road and Kairau Road East is in place for people to travel between SH3 and Waitara Road The right turn out of Waitara Road and access to Waitara Road from SH3 will remain closed during the rebuild as we previously advised We apologise for any inconvenience this change may cause We understand that this closure will be an inconvenience for the local community and everyone who uses this stretch of road We investigated if there were other options that didn’t involve road closures Closing the road is the only option to complete this work safely and efficiently We ran a successful closure and detour through Waitara over the summer of 2023-2024 and are using what we learned from that experience The Waitara detour will mean more traffic in Waitara To ensure the safety of Waitara residents and people using the road we will put in place temporary safety changes The detour route will be closely monitored by traffic management crews and will be adjusted if necessary Facilities: Designed for use by more than one group at a time the Fred Tucker Centre has a sunroom (85m²) hall with a stage at one end (175m²) and a lounge (55m²) which is attached to the main hall but separated by doors Capacity: Maximum capacity is 185 people in the hall and 50 people in the meeting room Floor plan Casual users: Hall users that book a hall for a one-off event; one that does not occur on a regular (weekly monthly or annual) basis.Regular users (Category 1): Hall users that have a regular (weekly monthly or annual) booking and have a membership that contains less than 60 per cent children and superannuants Regular users (Category 2): Hall users that have a regular (weekly monthly or annual) booking and have a membership that contains 60 per cent or more children and superannuants Phone: 021 253 8205 The by-election for the one vacancy will be held on Thursday 11 April 2024 It will be conducted by postal vote under the provisions of the Local Electoral Act 2001 and the Local Electoral Regulations 2001 and will be undertaken by Election Services under contract to New Plymouth District Council The single transferable voting (STV) electoral system will be used for the by-election Please refer to the documents below for more information The only spectre haunting Anthony Albanese’s government going into Election Day tomorrow will be the way the polls got wrong the likely 2019 election outcome the Scott Morrison government got re-elected in an upset result Opposition leader Peter Dutton is clinging to that precedent all of the prevailing signs – including the consistent theme of the polls for the past month – indicate that Albanese’s Labor government will trounce Dutton’s conservative coalition As a maritime nation we are prioritising naval capability The new helicopters will be able to go further and carry larger loads personnel and equipment – all of which is critical for Defence to protect New Zealand and New Zealanders we can prevent the worst of the climate crisis by reducing methane pollution from intensive dairy which are under threat from intensive dairy pollution Jotika will join Living Wage Aotearoa New Zealand Executive Director to explore the struggles and resilience of Fiji's garment workers and their collective fight for better pay and conditions In a significant milestone for indigenous-led conservation Hokotehi Moriori Trust has successfully carried out the first imi (Moriori tribal group) translocation of hakoakoa (muttonbird) relocating 50 juvenile birds from Mangere Island to a newly prepared site in Kaingaroa The new standard requires public service agencies to conduct a risk assessment whenever personal information is to be shared and includes robust safeguards to protect individual privacy and directs agencies to apply best practices when granting access to personal information A window to the world for our rangatahi and whānau,” says Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer “We won’t sit back while this Government shuts the door on Māori futures Our commitment is clear—we would invest more in regional tertiary education 17-year-old Te Omeka Akariri-Buckley died in the early hours of Tuesday following an altercation in Waitara A heroic neighbour has described her efforts to revive a teenage boy after he was allegedly fatally stabbed during an early morning altercation in Taranaki Te Omeka Pairana Akariri-Buckley, a promising 17-year-old rugby league player from Bell Block, Taranaki, was critically injured in the fight in Waitara about 12.45am on Tuesday He later died in hospital from his injuries was alerted to the incident after hearing cries of help coming from the pitch black-street “I was just watching TV in bed and then I just heard lots of screaming and yelling I opened the door and listened to see if it was just random people arguing or if it was serious “I heard them [a group of people with Akariri-Buckley] screaming out for help so I just got changed and ran out there.” The nearby neighbour said Akariri-Buckley was in a “real bad state” “I lay him down on the grass and just tried to find where the blood was coming out from and tried to stop the bleeding She added it was pouring with rain and there was next to no light on the street making it difficult to see if Akariri-Buckley had more than one puncture wound “He wasn’t breathing and he was really limp The only thing I thought left to do was start CPR “The life and colour just drained from him The neighbour said it felt like hours before emergency services arrived at the scene but it was about 15 minutes after she was alerted to the incident “There was nobody else that came to help until the emergency services got there.” She said she was surprised when she received a call saying Akariri-Buckley had made it to the hospital and into surgery “He was just a baby and that’s what really hurt It was just really hard to know that he was just a baby especially being a mum to three young babies She urged everyone to undergo a first aid course or some kind of training for emergency situations because “you don’t think something like this could ever happen to you until it does” The neighbour said she had been bombarded with messages of support after her efforts “Everyone has been messaging me and calling me a hero saying that I did so well and they’re proud of me but at the same time you can’t help thinking that it could have gone better She said she had planned to meet Akariri-Buckley’s family on Thursday A tribute posted to Facebook on Tuesday night by Taranaki Whānui Māori Rugby League described Akariri-Buckley as a “polite and respectful” teenager who had a love for rugby league “He loved this game and [it] showed every time he donned the jersey,” the post read “What always stuck out was how polite and respectful he was to all the adults of our game something you don’t often get from rangatahi all the time.” Akariri-Buckley’s former school in Bell Block said he was a “much loved student” and a regular visitor even after moving on to high school “Te Omeka started his schooling at Puketapu as a 5-year-old and we were privileged to be part of his learning journey at school until his graduation as a Year 8 in 2020 Our thoughts go out to his whānau and friends,” the tribute read was arrested at the scene and subsequently charged with the murder of Akariri-Buckley He briefly appeared in New Plymouth District Court on Tuesday afternoon on the charge He was remanded into custody by consent ahead of his next appearance on August 16 in the High Court said police remained at the address on Wednesday as they conducted a scene examination “A post-mortem will be completed in the coming days,” Gower said “Police would like to extend our sympathies to his family at this incredibly difficult time and we will remain in contact with them over the course of the investigation and trial “We are continuing to piece together the events that occurred and would like to hear from anyone who has information that could assist our inquiries.” Anyone who can assist is asked to contact police on 105 and reference the file number 240730/5332 Benjamin Plummer is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news The minister says she's changed her processes after admitting processes were 'untidy' Website intended for a New Zealand health professional readership zthompson@nzdoctor.co.nz Kia ora and welcome to New Zealand Doctor Rata Aotearoa Not a subscriber? Unlock this article by subscribing here. Hall discusses the evaluation of thyroid nodules which primarily aims to determine the likelihood of malignancy He then reviews the treatment of thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer New Zealand Doctor Rata Aotearoa Online is intended for a New Zealand health professional readership. Use of this site implies acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Statement New Zealand Doctor Rata Aotearoa Online is not a consumer medical advice service Consumers should seek advice from a health professional and not act in reliance on any statement contained in the information provided Michael Desrallei Shane Hutchinson was caught wearing Black Power clothing while shopping in New Plymouth A Black Power member allegedly wore shorts and a T-shirt emblazoned with his gang’s insignia while shopping on the day the new law banning patched clothing in public came into force Today, Michael Desrallei Shane Hutchinson’s attire was much more compliant as he donned a blue top, pants and a pair of socks for an appearance in court. The 51-year-old represented himself as he pleaded not guilty to a count of prohibited display of gang insignia He is the first in New Plymouth to appear in the district court on the new charge and likely to be among the “handful” of people police say they arrested across the country in the first 24 hours of the new anti-gang laws Hutchinson is accused of wearing a Black Power T-shirt and shorts while at The Warehouse Bell Block He has been bailed to a case review date in January other gang members caught displaying patched wares are also beginning to make their way before the courts One was scheduled to appear in Nelson District Court earlier this week A couple are set to go before the Waitākere District Court tomorrow and Friday and other gang members had appearances yesterday and today in Rotorua Taupō and Christchurch District Courts for displaying banned insignia Greazy Dogs and West Side were among those who were caught in breach of the Gangs Act 2024 The Hastings gang member is alleged to have been found with a Mongrel Mob bandanna tied to the steering wheel of his car after being stopped by police on Saturday The bandanna allegedly bore the words “Mongrel Mob The 20-year-old was granted bail and is due back in court next month Other more recent arrests in the past few days have included: In response to questions from NZME today about the number of arrests general compliance and whether there have been any issues while enforcing the new law a police official said figures on the first week’s breaches However, on Tuesday, Assistant Commissioner Paul Basham issued an update stating that overall police were very pleased with the level of compliance with the new laws “The fact we have taken a number of different prosecutions proves that Police will not hesitate to enforce these laws and serves as a reminder to those considering wearing or displaying gang insignia to continue making the right choices.” He said people who had so far breached the laws included a Mongrel Mob member involved in a firearms incident in Counties Manukau and a Black Power member involved in a serious assault in Christchurch One Mongrel Mob member also went to the Taumarunui Police station on an unrelated matter wearing a cap displaying his gang’s insignia This followed the president of the Head Hunters West branch having his patch and motorbike seized during an early-morning raid last week after five patched members were spotted on motorcycles The Gangs Act 2024 bans the display of gang patches in public places and provides extra tools to target gang-related crime and intimidation Courts will be able to issue non-consorting orders and police will be able to stop criminal gang members from associating and communicating A charge of prohibited display of gang insignia carries a maximum penalty of six months' imprisonment or a $5000 fine Tara Shaskey joined NZME in 2022 as a news director and Open Justice reporter She has been a reporter since 2014 and previously worked at Stuff covering crime and justice Carine Gwen Tamayo Tumapang stole money from customers at TSB Bank's Bell Block branch when she worked there as a teller A bank teller who stole more than $28,000 from customers to prop up her gambling addiction chose her victims carefully – they did not use internet banking and were either elderly or had health issues Carine Gwen Tamayo Tumapang worked at the Bell Block branch of TSB Bank in New Plymouth from May 2022 until October 2023 In the last two months of her employment, the 28-year-old stole money from four customers with the thefts only being discovered when one of them queried receiving a letter about money being withdrawn from a dormant account Inquiries were made by the bank’s financial crime and intelligence manager and Tumapang was subsequently charged with eight counts of accessing a computer system for dishonest purposes and one of using a document for pecuniary advantage Her actions were captured on the bank’s CCTV in which she was seen counting $50 notes from her teller drawer and placing them into a canvas banking bag she appeared in the New Plymouth District Court before Judge Gregory Hikaka who said Tumapang was in a trusted position at the only locally-owned bank in the country He said the bank had “a really good reputation” and the offending was so serious that it warranted a starting point of imprisonment Tumapang began pilfering cash on August 11 last year she processed a withdrawal of $350 from the account of an 84-year-old man with a long-term cognitive impairment and then set the account to “inactive” He was not in the bank when the withdrawal was made and did not give Tumapang Tumapang withdrew $1000 from another account owned by the same man the man went into the branch and was served by Tumapang He filled out a bank slip to withdraw $2000 asking for $1400 to be transferred into a relative’s account and for the remaining $600 to be paid in cash Tumapang completed those transactions but dishonestly amended the slip’s monetary figure to read $3000 an 80-year-old woman with significant health issues had $2500 stolen from her account by Tumapang on September 1 and a third target – a couple – had the most significant amount taken Tumapang withdrew $8000 from their account on October 2 But she did not transfer the money to their premier account Tumapang repeated the action on October 16 though this time she took $8602.10 from their term investment account had $834.70 stolen by Tumapang from an account he was unaware existed after opening it when he was in high school His wife had gone into the bank to query a letter sent to him stating the funds in his dormant bank account would be forwarded to Inland Revenue if unclaimed Tumapang was unable to find the account at that point and told the wife to disregard the letter but later she accessed the account and took the man’s money The victim later received a second letter from TSB Bank about the account and his wife returned to query it This time she spoke with another worker who noticed the withdrawal and referred the matter to the assistant branch manager Tumapang had left her job at TSB before the fraudulent activity was discovered The total amount she stole was $28,286.80 and the bank has since refunded all the victims Defence lawyer Sam Hunt argued for an outcome of supervision but the police prosecutor Hunt said Tumapang has no criminal history attended restorative justice with bank representatives was engaged in counselling and was genuinely remorseful She said the offending would never have happened if not for Tumapang’s gambling addiction McKenzie said a significant amount of money was taken and Tumapang’s actions were premeditated and were a breach of trust Judge Hikaka agreed with McKenzie and said Tumapang took a callous and cruel approach to her offending by “carefully selecting victims” and people who did not have online internet banking because they preferred face-to-face contact with someone they thought they could trust The judge said one of the victims was “shocked and mortified” He said supervision did “not cut it at all given the carefully planned Hunt emphasised prison was not warranted in Tumapang’s circumstances and if an electronically monitored sentence were imposed only community detention would be appropriate But she said an adjournment would be needed so an address could be found for such a sentence Judge Hikaka tossed up between sentencing Tumapang to jail with leave to apply for an electronically monitored sentence or to adjourn the matter He entered the convictions and settled on remanding her on bail for sentence in September to allow time for an address to be sorted fcassie@nzdoctor.co.nz Crossing facilities and roundabout upgrade in Bell Block With shops nearby and an increase in traffic volumes due to residential development New Plymouth District Council upgraded the intersection of Mangati Road Parklands Avenue in Bell Block to a roundabout—improving safety for everyone travelling through the area On the approach to the roundabout there are now crossing facilities and with slower travel speeds due to the roundabout it’s now safer for people walking in the area The man accused of murdering a Taranaki teenager last month has entered a not guilty plea appeared in the High Court at New Plymouth on Friday morning via audio visual link He is accused of stabbing to death 17-year-old Te Omeka Pairama Akariri-Buckley The Bell Block teenager suffered serious injuries at a Waitara address at about 12.45am on 20 July he was taken to Taranaki Base Hospital in New Plymouth The public gallery was filled with friends and family of the teenager one of whom performed karakia at the opening and closing of proceedings Thompson was remanded in custody and will reappear for a hearing in September Police were called to the scene in Taranaki after calls from neighbours Work on extending New Plymouth’s iconic Coastal Walkway to Waitara with a path created by hapū and NPDC will start at Waitara’s Otupaiia / Marine Park later this year following an $18 million dollar funding boost from Waka Kotahi NZ Transport and will extend the walkway to 23 kilometres long As well as enhancing the wellbeing of residents by encouraging healthy and active lifestyles a car free connection to help reduce emissions it is also a chance to educate users on significant cultural and historical landscape The path will take in areas of significance to tangata whenua including pā and awa /rivers a matairangi / lookout at New Plymouth Airport rest areas and an estimated 96,000 native plants will be installed as part of NPDC’s Planting our Place initiative “The walkway extension is a very important project for our hapū,” says project Co-Chairperson and Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa Pouwhakahaere “The co-design approach with NPDC has enabled our hapū to share their unique stories of the whenua with the wider community Pathways are about connection and growth and its fantastic that Waka Kotahi is supporting this important kaupapa for our region.” Mayor of New Plymouth District Neil Holdom is keen to get the next phase of the iconic walkway started “One of the most exciting things about this project is the partnership with Te Atiawa and the four hapū they will be taking in our rich history while keeping fit to grow our Sustainable Lifestyle Capital,” New Plymouth District Mayor Neil Holdom Waka Kotahi Regional Manager Sarah Downs says the funding is part of its commitment to improve safety and accessibility in the region support walking and cycling facilities that help make our towns and cities more accessible and liveable The estimated cost of project sits at approximately $39m up from around $28m approved in NPDC’s 10-year budget The increase is driven by global financial pressures fuelled by inflation supply chain issues and increased material costs and labour shortages Waka Kotahi NZTA have increased their funding from $13.1m to $18m to support the revised project cost estimate The project is due to be completed towards the end of 2027 subject to contractors Find out more about the extension project on our website Artist impression of the area between Waitara Beach and the holiday park ‘after’ the new path is built as part of stage one We have Justices of the Peace who are available at set days and times at Puke Ariki Where can I meet with a Justice of the Peace? There are also service desks at set days and times at the New Plymouth Citizens Advice Bureau and the New Plymouth District Court Download a list of Justice of the Peace service desk days and times If you need a Justice of the Peace outside of these service desk times Search for a JP in New Plymouth Mau Thack was caught masturbating in his vehicle on several occasions A migrant repeatedly caught masturbating in his publicly parked vehicle claimed he had been massaging a sore testicle saying he did it because he was lonely and homesick but did not realise people could see him a Vietnamese national in New Zealand on a three-year work visa parked at Bell Block Beach on October 26 last year and masturbated while sitting in the backseat of his car The New Plymouth beach has consistent pedestrian and vehicle traffic and when a member of the public spotted what Thach was doing he attempted to take a photo of Thach’s number plate saw the man and immediately jumped in the driver’s seat of his vehicle and sped off New Plymouth District Court heard on Wednesday Thach parked his car outside a house on a busy Bell Block street and repeated the act He was seen by another member of the public who reported the behaviour to police Thach parked his vehicle outside an accommodation complex at the Pacific International Hotel Management School A female occupant of the complex opened her curtains and saw Thach shining his phone’s torch at his crotch He began masturbating and the woman closed her curtains When she opened the curtains about 30 seconds later she saw Thach had stopped what he was doing but then observed him resume the act shortly after She pulled the curtains and left them closed he returned to the carpark outside the complex and masturbated in his car again The same woman opened her curtains and saw a repeat of the behaviour She reported it to on site security and staff at the school Thach was arrested and when spoken to by police he claimed to have been massaging a sore testicle while parked at the beach and that he had made sure no one was around He said he had been doing something similar when parked on the busy Bell Block street but admitted to watching pornography in his car and masturbating while parked outside the hotel management school’s accommodation complex Thach told police he did not think people could see him through his vehicle’s windows He was charged with two counts of offensive behaviour and two of doing an indecent act Defence lawyer Nina Laird pointed out he had no previous convictions and a pre-sentence report assessed his risk of reoffending as low The report stated he had shown insight into the offending and gave reasons as to why it may have occurred being homesick and isolated and in addition to that his family’s financial struggles,” Laird said With consideration of Thach’s personal circumstances and the “cultural factors” she submitted supervision was the least restrictive outcome Judge Gregory Hikaka asked what Laird meant by cultural factors “I don’t think it would be culturally accepted in his country,” he said “He certainly didn’t consider that it was as serious as what it indeed is in New Zealand,” Laird responded Judge Hikaka said he was mindful of Thach’s explanation for the offending but was concerned about the repetitive nature of the behaviour He sentenced him to nine months of supervision Laird told the court that Thach hoped to return to Vietnam once his sentence was complete A thanksgiving Mass at Bell Block Mass Centre in the Catholic Parish of New Plymouth on Sunday 27 November celebrated 41 years since the centre’s opening The centre was part of the Fitzroy parish with Our Lady Help of Christians Church until 2015 when New Plymouth Catholic communities were amalgamated into the Catholic Parish of New Plymouth. there was a strong sense of belonging and community Included were six of the original 13 people who helped to establish the Bell Block community as well as several parishioners who had moved away from Bell Block over the last 41 years Names of the deceased from the community were remembered during the offertory procession and prayers of the faithful were read by community members from the 1980s and 1990s as well as by current members of the parish’s ethnic communities. Bishop Peter blessed and launched a commemorative book titled The Bell Block Catholic Centre and its Community written by community member Barbara McCracken The book outlines the history of the founding community and social and Church changes over the 41 years of the centre’s history It also covers the legacy of generous and visionary couple Jack and Nora Barry who donated land to the Church in 1965 Jack had envisioned the need for housing for the elderly and a Catholic Centre when Bell Block was then a sparsely populated farming area His gifted land provided a base for the centre Housing for the elderly in Wynyard St was opened in 1985. The book also mentions Fr Wally Cooke (Co Laois Ireland) who was responsible for establishing the Bell Block Catholic community in 1981; Fr Jim Rickard (RIP) celebrated Mass at the centre until he was 90 years old; and the Assumptionist Sisters who had a prayerful and active presence in ministry in Bell Block and New Plymouth from 1983 until 2001 Srs Marion Feeney and Michelle Carter travelled from Auckland for the Mass and book launch. The local Catholic community served a delicious lunch amidst much reminiscing The celebrations of liturgy and community were a testament to the strength of the welcoming spirit that has been a characteristic of the Bell Block Catholic community for 41 years. Contact The Catholic Parish of New Plymouth at: office@catholicparishnp.nz for a copy of the book at $20 plus postage Editor: Annette Scullion Ph: 04 496 1712 welcom@wn.catholic.org.nz Advertising: Ph: 027 489 8017 welcomads@xtra.co.n