Speeds of 100km/h are returning to State Highway 6 between Nelson and Blenheim despite a local community rejecting one of the increases in northern Nelson The New Zealand Transport Agency has finished consulting on 49 sections of the state highway network that were facing potential speed limit increases The changes are the result of the coalition government's updated speed limit rule that aimed to reverse the reductions which took place under the previous Labour administration Six sections of highway in the Top of the South from Nelson's Marybank to Marlborough's Woodbourne that were lowered in December 2020 were consulted on a majority of submitters favoured raising the speed limits from a mix of 60 The increases must be implemented by 1 July Speeds through rural townships on the highway will not increase and consultation is ongoing for the proposed increases in Marybank and Wakefield But the margin of opposition was narrow for the stretch of SH6 between Marybank and the beginning of the Whangamoas About 56 per cent of respondents wanted to increase the speed limit on that section more than two thirds of the respondents from the local community wanted the speed limit to remain unchanged from 80km/h New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) confirmed that under the government's rule the speed limit decision could only consider the overall consultation response with no weighting given to particular road user groups and excluded both safety and economic considerations SH6 from Nelson to Blenheim was classified as high-risk before speeds were reduced which led to a 93 percent drop in fatal and serious crashes 20 people died and 92 were seriously injured on the route Nelson MP Rachel Boyack slammed the decision saying that a speed limit increase would result in more crashes "If they want to make choices based on public opinion rather than evidence and science and safety for people Boyack said the lack of specific consideration given to the local community was "disrespectful" because people who lived in the area knew the road the best A particular concern for her was the highway's "dangerous" intersection with Glen Road "We've had some pretty serious accidents on that corner and so I don't think it's safe for it to be put back to 100(km/h)." She lives on the intersection of Glen Road and SH6 which she described as an "absolute nightmare" She was "hugely concerned" about the speed limit increase as she and her neighbours already have trouble entering and exiting their driveways due the speed of traffic and she drives her children to their school bus stop because of safety concerns Other residents in the area are also concerned about the speed limit increase believing the change would impact safety for motorists Jenny North said housing development in Todds Valley had made the area busier and that an increase to 100km/h was "madness" while Miriam Woon had seen many near misses and thought the speed limit change was "terrifying" Todds Valley resident Debs Martin works in Marlborough and said she has encountered many crashes on the highway "It's outrageous - I'm really worried about people's lives." All the residents indicated that there should be more weight given to the local community "It's really difficult when somebody from Wellington is making decisions based on data in front of them rather than sitting in the road conditions locally," Wood said The region's joint transport committee had requested to keep the speed limits from Marybank to the Whangamoa Saddle unchanged Committee chair and Tasman's deputy mayor Stuart Bryant had concerns about the increases in that area and wondered if they were "a bit of a jump too far" he was "quite comfortable" with the changes from 90 to 100km/h in Marlborough though he didn't expect a significant economic benefit from the change Nelson mayor Nick Smith acknowledged the "natural clash" between local communities and commuter traffic as well as the "trade off" of safety and economic impacts While he thought the Labour government had gone "too far" with the reductions he said the coalition government risked overcorrecting and thought speed limits had been too politicised Smith thought it was appropriate for state highway speed limits to be set nationally Hira School principal Nic Moynihan was "relieved" the 80km/h limit was staying through the "busy" township and was looking forward to the school's government-mandated 30km/h variable speed limit being implemented next year she was concerned about the increased speed for children catching the school bus in the area If you've got school buses moving on and off the state highway when it's 100km/h the Fire and Emergency NZ district manager for Nelson Marlborough supported retaining the lower speeds specifically between Rai Valley and Hira FENZ data indicates a reduction in both total incidents attended and serious injuries since speeds were reduced "We have responded to numerous serious accidents that have caused trauma for our crews and the community," Haywood's submission said "Increasing the speed limit will likely exacerbate these risks rather than improve safety outcomes." Rai Valley fire chief Nigel Patterson was personally undecided on the speed limit changes "A lot more people are impatient because the speed limit's down Patterson did however think "it would be nice" if the windy road through the Whangamoas had been left at 60km/h managing director of general freight for Marlborough-based Renwick Transport was "really pleased" by the changes The trucking company makes about 50-60 round trips to Nelson a week "By drivers being able to consistently drive - whether that's a car or a truck - at their speed Smith said Renwick Transport was "really safety conscious" but truck cameras had recorded an increase of motorists growing impatient behind their vehicles "What it comes down to is drivers behind the wheel not so much the speed at the end of the day." chair of the Automobile Association's Nelson District Council The AA supported raising the speed limits back to 100km/h even though Lightfoot acknowledged that reaching that speed on some of the route was unsafe We encourage all drivers to drive to the conditions; we want our roads to be safe." LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air Bernie Wanden says there have been no deaths or serious injuries between Ōhau and Manakau since the speed limit was reduced Only 41 percent of 864 respondents supported keeping the speed limit at 80km/h Successful reversals to 100kph include the journey to Whakatāne Six sections of state highway will not have their earlier higher speed limits reinstated due to public opposition 38 sections of the state highway network are heading back to higher speed limits and more are being mulled Local Democracy Reporting RSS Follow RNZ News You are not permitted to download, save or email this image. Visit image gallery to purchase the image. The Classic Fighters 2025 Airshow near Blenheim over Easter weekend has been cancelled due to the severe weather forecast. The combined Classic Fighters and Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre trusts met on Monday afternoon and determined the risks involved with attempting to run the Marlborough Lines Classic Fighters Omaka show from April 18-20 were too significant. Trustee Brian Greenall said: "This decision needed to be made immediately to allow all attendees time to mitigate the effects of this decision. "We are in the process of contacting all ticketholders to advise them that the show has been cancelled and to advise when they can expect some clarity around their ticket investment." The air show is usually held every alternate Easter as the primary fundraiser for the Omaka Aviation Heritage Museum in Blenheim. "The paramount concern is one of safety. The weather event forecast for Easter indicates almost a week of rain, low clouds, lower-level winds, and turbulence that would prohibit any display flying over Easter. "The trusts must heed the general forecast conditions for safety in the air for the pilots and the audience on the ground." The event organisers say they are currently in the process of contacting all ticketholders for the event. The council wants to use an existing CBD budget to update Market St for the first time in 25 years, but it’s too early to show exactly what that will look like or how much it will cost. Minutes from a CBD subcommittee meeting, which went to a council committee last week for approval, said landscape architecture firm Kumanu Environmental was engaged to provide a draft concept design for the revitalisation of the retail street. However, when the concept was presented to the Blenheim Business Association (BBA), members felt that the costs would not be accepted in the current economic climate. "The BBA view was that a refresh similar to the recently developed areas in High and Wynen streets, adjacent to Te Kahu o Waipuna (Blenheim library), would be a better option, however, members requested that all retailers be canvassed," the minutes said. The council’s project and contract manager, Maighan Watson, said Market St had a "tired look and feel". A report with full costings would be prepared for council approval, the minutes said, and it was also agreed that a Kobus Mentz study from 2015 be used as a starting point. "The mayor is to be involved in the preparation of the draft. It was agreed that underground infrastructure be reviewed at a later stage," the minutes said. A council spokesperson said it was too early to release any concept plans as they were very early in the process. "Full redevelopment comes at significant cost and would mean prolonged disruption to retailers," the spokesperson said. "The Kobus Mentz study evaluated the Blenheim CBD streetscape, identifying opportunities like paving upgrades, future use of public spaces, and consistent street furniture. "It emphasised improving safety, accessibility and vibrancy." The tender for any improvements was unlikely to go out until at least 2026. Councillors said the council needed to get on top of seagulls in the CBD first. They were such a problem that businesses owners banded together in 2020 to look for solutions. The council also launched a "don’t feed the gulls" campaign last year. At the meeting last week, Wairau-Awatere ward councillor Gerald Hope said the "colonisation" of seagulls was appalling, and they were "crapping everywhere". "We have to do something. Move them on is the only way to do it. They're being protected, yes … but they've colonised the CBD. "They should be out at the white bluffs. That's where they should be." He said the council needed to act on its plans to refresh the CBD. "Things are being done intermittently, and they’re all budget constrained. That's not good enough. Blenheim has to look a lot better. "You ask any of the retailers in town at the moment ... Feedback is, great when it's a market on, but when it's Westwood pumping and CBD crawling, it concerns me. "The vibrancy needs to be returned and it's our responsibility to do something." Blenheim ward councillor Deborah Dalliessi said Hope was "on the money". "We've got ratepayers and business owners that are spending a lot of money on their own spikes [to deter seagulls] and things around town, they can see no end of it, so I think there is a sense of urgency," she said. Blenheim ward councillor Thelma Sowman said she wanted to see the streets cleaned. "They're absolutely filthy. I don't know how often the cleaners come through the town but you notice all the defecation from the gulls, and especially outside the food shops. "There's grease, there's food, it's disgusting and you've got to really put your head down when you walk through town. Seriously." Jamie Lyall, the council’s property and community facilities manager, said Marlborough Roads was responsible for cleaning the streets and had increased the frequency of cleans. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air. Marlborough’s main CBD street could be in for an upgrade but councillors think seagulls, and the "absolutely filthy" mess they make, need to be addressed first. Proposed Blenheim street names divide councillors againFinding the right names for new Marlborough streets remains quite a peak to summit with three new proposals dividing councillors New Zealand Big box store announces opening date in Blenheim"Everything in the new location is super modern and designed to give our customers more choice and a great experience," a store representative says Business Whale Trail: New section of Picton-Kaikōura cycleway opens Outward Bound: 21 days in the magical Marlborough Sounds 1News reporter Abbey Wakefield reflects on her experience as global representatives converge on the top of the South to learn how the Kiwis do it Environment 'Strong' 4.8 magnitude earthquake rattles top of South Island the quake struck 10km south of Seddon at a depth of 9km at around 8.24am Govt to shortlist shipyards to build new Cook Strait ferries this month It comes as Finland's ambassador tells Winston Peters shipyards from his country are very interested in the contract Drought declaration extended to more regions across NZ Agriculture Minister Todd McClay said below average rainfall was continuing to make conditions difficult for farmers Iwi loses High Court challenge against beach vehicle bylaw The East Coast Vehicle Bylaw bans vehicles on beaches from the Awatere River to south of the Waima/Ure River Te Ao Māori Film industry anxiously awaits details on Trump's 100% movie tariff 7:17pm Search underway for Masterton man, 74, missing since Sunday 7:07pm Crooks, culture first order of business for Mike Bush in Victoria 7:05pm Charges filed against Woolworths over pricing, misleading specials 6:45pm Police, experts warn 'emerging risk' of 3D-printed firearms rising 6:33pm Trade war: Sir John Key's 'optimism' on Trump's next tariff moves 7:28pm 1US woman who disappeared for more than six decades found safe Sole survivor of poisoned beef Wellington takes the stand Iwi misses out on bid to buy back ancestral mountain US prisons bureau has challenges — reopening Alcatraz is now another Photos: Lorde among stars at 2025 Met Gala A$AP Rocky and Rihanna also revealed they are expecting their third child. 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 fansSun, May 4 Lorde announces new album name, dateThu, May 1 Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris trial over 2016 armed robberyMon, Apr 28 Chubby Checker, Outkast, Cyndi Lauper join Rock & Roll Hall of FameMon, Apr 28 Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris trial over 2016 armed robberyMon Marlborough’s main CBD street could be in for an upgrade but councillors think seagulls and the "absolutely filthy" mess they make The council wants to use an existing CBD budget to update Market St for the first time in 25 years but it’s too early to show exactly what that will look like or how much it will cost which went to a council committee last week for approval said landscape architecture firm Kumanu Environmental was engaged to provide a draft concept design for the revitalisation of the retail street when the concept was presented to the Blenheim Business Association (BBA) members felt that the costs would not be accepted in the current economic climate "The BBA view was that a refresh similar to the recently developed areas in High and Wynen streets adjacent to Te Kahu o Waipuna (Blenheim library) members requested that all retailers be canvassed," the minutes said The council’s project and contract manager said Market St had a "tired look and feel" A report with full costings would be prepared for council approval and it was also agreed that a Kobus Mentz study from 2015 be used as a starting point "The mayor is to be involved in the preparation of the draft It was agreed that underground infrastructure be reviewed at a later stage," the minutes said A council spokesperson said it was too early to release any concept plans as they were very early in the process "Full redevelopment comes at significant cost and would mean prolonged disruption to retailers," the spokesperson said "The Kobus Mentz study evaluated the Blenheim CBD streetscape identifying opportunities like paving upgrades The tender for any improvements was unlikely to go out until at least 2026 Councillors said the council needed to get on top of seagulls in the CBD first They were such a problem that businesses owners banded together in 2020 to look for solutions The council also launched a "don’t feed the gulls" campaign last year Wairau-Awatere ward councillor Gerald Hope said the "colonisation" of seagulls was appalling and they were "crapping everywhere" "They should be out at the white bluffs He said the council needed to act on its plans to refresh the CBD "Things are being done intermittently "You ask any of the retailers in town at the moment .. but when it's Westwood pumping and CBD crawling Blenheim ward councillor Deborah Dalliessi said Hope was "on the money" "We've got ratepayers and business owners that are spending a lot of money on their own spikes [to deter seagulls] and things around town so I think there is a sense of urgency," she said Blenheim ward councillor Thelma Sowman said she wanted to see the streets cleaned I don't know how often the cleaners come through the town but you notice all the defecation from the gulls it's disgusting and you've got to really put your head down when you walk through town the council’s property and community facilities manager said Marlborough Roads was responsible for cleaning the streets and had increased the frequency of cleans Finding the right names for new Marlborough streets remains quite a peak to summit which is developing property in Springlands off Rose St near Blenheim’s Westwood Business Park wants to name its three new streets Blue Hills Dr The options were proposed as a nod to important geographical features in the region and near one of the most challenging sections of Te Araroa trail The application was discussed at a road naming subcommittee meeting in December the minutes of which were presented to the assets and services committee on Tuesday Name proposals were circulated with a small group of people for feedback John Orchard on behalf of the Marlborough Historical Society The subcommittee minutes said not all of the names put forward by Blue Hills Estate had been met with support When the developer was told this they did not address the concerns but indicated they would like the names to be put to the road naming subcommittee The minutes said there was “some discussion” about the road name Patriarch Cl and it was suggested to change it to Mt Patriarch Cl This was supported by members of the committee and still met the road naming policy Wairau-Awatere ward councillor Gerald Hope questioned the consistency of the names put forward by the committee “I would have thought Lake Chalice would be the most appropriate because a chalice is not Lake Chalice A chalice is something quite different,” Hope said Blenheim ward councillor Deborah Dalliessi said they felt Lake Chalice was well known enough in Marlborough that the street name could get away without the “Lake” whereas Mt Patriarch Cl needed the “Mt” to show that it was named after Mt Patriarch Hope still thought Chalice did not represent “the accuracy that's deserved” “We have got to be consistent on this stuff Blue Hills Estate co-director Mark Davis said the council had contacted him after the meeting to see if the company would mind if “Lake” was added to Lake Chalice Dr and they either adopt them or sometimes there are changes We’re not too worried if they do play around with them a bit,” Davis said He said the subdivision theme was intended to reflect the Richmond Ranges “So it does make sense to call it Lake Chalice,” he said The road naming subcommittee was formed in 2021 after criticism from councillors that developers chose names that were too English Names for the subdivision in question – Rose Manor – had included Whitehall Drive which were described by a councillor at the time as “colonial cringe” Some councillors thought the subcommittee added “another layer of bureaucracy” to the council's road-naming process A former councillor argued the council had a policy for naming roads anyway mentioned in the minutes from the December meeting stated that names should have a common or established theme if more than one road was being created Or it could be named after a historical person or given a traditional or appropriate Māori name The minutes noted that Kāinga Ora chose to meet with iwi before a road naming application was made for recent developments The committee suggested that all developers could be required to do this which the committee agreed should be completed by July 2025 The review would be done in collaboration with iwi The assets and services committee approved the minutes subject to full council approval on February 27 If a councillor wanted to challenge the names it would have to be raised at that point assets and services chairperson Brian Dawson said Noel Leeming’s new Westwood store will open on February 5 after it has moved out of Blenheim’s central business district on the corner of Charles and Queen streets was leased from the Marlborough District Council The lease was due to end in October but had been extended to the end of March Noel Leeming chief operating officer Jason Bell confirmed the central Blenheim store would be open until February 3 and the new location at Westwood Business Park set to open on February 5 The new site would feature a bigger range of technology appliances and display kitchens from the likes of Westinghouse Bell said they were excited to welcome Blenheim to the new store in just a few weeks “Everything in the new location is super modern and designed to give our customers more choice and a great experience,” he said Blenheim store manager Jonathan Cappie said the fit-out had been going really well and thanked everyone locally who had been part of the move the council spokesperson said they were in discussion with a potential new lease partner for the central Blenheim Noel Leeming site the details of that were “commercial in confidence” at this stage The property was shared with other tenants such as the Marlborough Health Hub and Civic Family Health Care Noel Leeming had been there since mid-2003 Noel Leeming had also neighboured the former civic theatre which in 2007 raised concerns that the business could move out to Westwood Business Park and draw shoppers away from the town centre first applied for resource consent to build the business park in 2004 but was turned down by an independent commissioner That decision was appealed to the Environment Court The consent originally allowed a large-format retail building for Bunnings Warehouse or similar two retail supply stores with an overall focus on the rural sector The Environment Court decision limited further development for the first five years and the business park could not provide tenancy to any business tenant or occupant of Blenheim’s central business zone for the first 10 years Noel Leeming’s new site was part of a southward expansion first consented in 2022 intended to be a two-storey “neighbourhood shopping” complex of “smaller retail spaces” with professional offices above Large-format retail was mentioned in the plans but not part of the consent application The new plan was for single-storey large-format buildings Noel Leeming would join several other retailers at Westwood Bunnings moved there in 2012 and Pak‘nSave in 2013 Chemist Warehouse in 2021 and Harvey Norman moved out of the CBD to its standalone build at Westwood last year The ribbons on the new Noel Leeming store were to be cut at 9am on February 5 The Whale Trail will mark a "significant milestone" next week as the cycle and walkway weaves its way down from Picton to Kaikōura on April 11 to mark the completion of the 39km Flaxbourne section of the cycle trail the Whale Trail was expected to cover about 200km and would take four to five days to ride Around half of the trail had now been completed Marlborough Kaikōura Trail Trust trustee Lynette Buurman who was also Destination Kaikōura deputy chairperson said the celebration of the latest section opening would bring together community to give an idea of the unique accommodation on the trail "We have six construction teams working on the trail between Picton and Ward the trust has been work closely with the Kaikōura District Council Environment Canterbury and Te Rūnanga o Kaikōura Around 3.3km of the existing Kaikōura loop track was upgraded for the trail Resource consent applications have been lodged to allow work to get under way on the remaining 10km of the Kaikōura to Hāpuku section Options were being explored for the Hāpuku River crossing including installing a suspension bridge or adding a clip-on to the State Highway 1 bridge "I like the idea of the suspension bridge because it has the potential to become an icon," Buurman said "With the clip-on you know you are on a busy highway whereas a suspension bridge would be away from the road and would be safer for cyclists." Planning for the Hāpuku to Waiau Toa Clarence section was still in the early stages while the Waiau Toa Clarence to Kekerengū section was progressing towards the resource consent stage The Whale Trail project was expected to cost around $30 million with funding from the Ministry of Business Marlborough and Kaikōura councils and the Rata Foundation community organisations and local Rūnanga have also supported the project the Whale Trail was expected to bring economic benefits to small towns like Clarence There were 23 established Ngā Haerenga Great Rides in New Zealand with an estimated 2.1 million users a year and growing with around half cyclists and half walkers MBIE estimated visitors to the Great Rides spent around $1 billion a year Around 70,000 participants have completed the challenge of Outward Bound New Zealand since the programme first set up camp in 1962 In the heart of the Marlborough Sounds is a place called Anakiwa It's a beautiful part of Aotearoa riddled with bioluminescence and scenery deserving of its own National Geographic photoshoot Those lessons are taught at a school called Outward Bound an outdoor education programme designed to equip students to reach their full potential through challenges and other comforts as I embarked one of the best adventures I’ve ever had Thirteen strangers and I formed a group called Hillary watch and overcame physical and mental challenges Here they are pictured on one of our hikes in the Richmond Ranges which I captured on my POV film camera – strictly used to photograph important people in my life Seventy thousand people have been through New Zealand’s first and only Outward Bound School since it opened in 1962 schools are set up in more than 30 countries the government’s even incorporated Outward Bound into their school curriculum The chief executive of Singapore’s Outward Bound school said it’s part of their government’s agenda to focus on social development “The intention behind it is to bring students from all walks of life to come and interact in an Outward Bound experience and resilience and confidence again to deal with the challenges of life," Conceicao said and how much your environment really does make a difference I’ve always been in awe of my colleagues with newborns who can operate on insane sleep deprivation and never thought I’d be capable of the same Whilst there are no screaming children in the bush there are screeching possums that kept me awake all night We also had to use this archaic cooking device called a trangia and can really test the patience of a group Studies on the effectiveness of Outward Bound have found that for every $1 invested in a student there is a $9 return on societal benefits to New Zealand That includes things like more productivity and lower mental and physical health costs on our systems Outward Bound bosses from across the globe have come to Anakiwa for their equivalent of a United Nations meeting They were welcomed by a powerful haka from the instructors “The welcoming and the incorporation of culture here I haven't seen that in a lot of the locations and I think that's something we need to be doing more of It was very impressive," said Outward Bound USA CEO Ginger Naylor When speaking to the representatives of Singapore and the United States they were envious of New Zealand’s environment and wished their countries had our playground With bioluminescence lighting up the water in Anakiwa at night the environment in the Marlborough Sounds is unlike anything I’ve seen before and it’s mostly e-scooters thrown into the waterfront lighting up the water The environment is a key focus of the course – it is incorporated into everything that you do One element of the course is ‘solo’ – that’s when you’re put into the bush with a ground sheet “A lot of the feedback from students is that this can be some of the most transformational time for them at Outward Bound,” instructor Nigel Watson said and no other distracting things around them no books – it’s just them and nature." Another lesson instructors instil in students is to be present "Quite often a student will ask us 'what are we having for dinner tonight?' or 'what are we doing tomorrow?' Some of us will say 'mā te wā' and 'mā te wā' is a little bit like The international meeting at Outward Bound is also an opportunity for schools to align their values and discuss any common themes One similarity all schools are facing right now is a drop in donations due to the tough economic conditions "Young people in numbers more than we've ever seen before are turning around and saying I'm up for the challenge of Outward Bound' and we actually do not have the funding to meet all of those scholarship demands we survive on the generosity of Kiwis – Kiwis who have hope for young New Zealanders,” Outward Bound NZ chief executive Malindi Maclean said It’s not just a course for young people – the oldest person in New Zealand to complete it was in their 80s the lessons I learnt at Outward Bound have already made an impact on my daily habits My phone screen time use is down significantly and my connection with the environment is the strongest it’s ever been I watch the stars at night with a hot chocolate in hand The government will narrow down the shipyards vying to build the new Cook Strait ferries by the end of the month but will only confirm a contract will be signed sometime "this year" A spokesperson for Rail Minister Winston Peters office said so far expressions of interest have been received from a large number of shipyards and issue more detailed ship specifications," the spokesperson said The Government will then look at the options before selecting a shipyard "I can’t be more specific around that timeframe Among the interested parties are shipyards from Finland with the country's ambassador Arto Haapea discussing it with Minister Peters this week "They have very strong track record of delivering different kinds of vessels for very demanding sea conditions around the world," Haapea said we informed Finnish shipyards of this possibility and we got very interested Also interested are Hyundai from South Korea who were building the iRex mega ferries until the project was axed "We know that they are seriously interested," he said But that would be for a new contract and we'd still have to pay a large break fee to get out of the iRex contract Last year the Government set up a Ministerial Advisory Group who did a market study on who might build the new ships 1News understands Stenna Roro's E-Flexor ships were one front runner Made in China it's essentially a standard design that can be customised The iRex project was axed in 2023 and Transporting New Zealand's Dom Kalasih is concerned with how long the process is taking You know there's still a lot of uncertainty we do agree that they needed to put a halt to the iRex project." Labour leader Chris Hipkins said the ships need to be rail-enabled "My concern is that if they go to two smaller ships they'd actually be reducing our capacity on the Cook Strait at a time where we probably need to be increasing it," Hipkins said Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has extended drought declarations to more regions in the North Island and the top of the South Island classifying conditions as a "medium-scale adverse event" Marlborough and Tasman regions were all experiencing "hot "Below average rainfall continues to make it difficult for farmers as soil moisture levels dry out and stock feed and water become tight in some areas." The Taranaki region had been declared as being in drought and classified as a "medium-scale adverse event" late last month McClay said the Government was making a total of $100,000 available to rural support groups and organisations working with farmers in affected areas The Ministry for Primary Industries has also been instructed to continue monitoring conditions across all regions as temperatures begin to drop and growth slows Rural Communities Minister Mark Patterson encouraged farmers and growers to seek support if required "I encourage farmers and growers to talk to their neighbours and industry representatives if they need advice or support." The classifications unlock further support for farmers and growers and enables the Ministry of Social Development to consider Rural Assistance Payments Farmers can contact their local rural support team on 0800 787 254 A Marlborough iwi has been unsuccessful in its challenge of a council bylaw restricting vehicle access on the coast aimed to protect the environment by banning vehicles on beaches from the Awatere River to south of the Waima/Ure River Te Rūnanga a Rangitāne o Wairau Trust challenged the lawfulness of the bylaw in the High Court over two days in May 2024 Rangitāne o Wairau Group kaiwhakahaere matua (general manager) Corey Hebberd said the decision was disappointing but the iwi would keep working to secure its customary rights in the area she dismissed Rangitāne’s claims that the council consulted with them differently to another iwi with interests in the area; that the council had breached Te Tiriti o Waitangi; and that the decision relied on inaccuracies in a technical report Rangitāne first expressed concerns to the council in November 2019 about the lack of iwi involvement in the bylaw process and said the council misunderstood the cultural status of the iwi in the area A technical report produced earlier that year had described Ngāti Kuri (Ngāi Tahu) as mana whenua of the area while Rangitāne was described as having a "longstanding connection" to the area The council agreed to draw up a draft bylaw in December 2020 and appointed three commissioners for a panel to hear submissions and make recommendations to the council the council offered both Rangitāne and Ngāti Kuri the opportunity to nominate a representative to the panel on the condition the iwi would not be able to make a submission Ngāi Tahu wrote a letter to the council in October 2021 expressing support for the council’s consultation with Ngāti Kuri and the way it had approached their status which went against the council’s directive that an iwi with a panel representative could not make a submission and was a breach of legitimate expectation However the letter did not have any material effect on the decision the "yellow zone" of the bylaw was more in Rangitāne’s favour The technical report was not heavily relied upon by the panel so any misrepresentation of Rangitāne’s cultural claim to the area was also immaterial She also dismissed the claim that the bylaw was a breach of Te Tiriti saying the council had met its obligations to the treaty as set out in the Local Government Act Justice McQueen agreed the council extensively consulted with Rangitāne before public notification of the bylaw process and until the bylaw was passed "It is concerning that Rangitāne had to make first contact with the council to seek information on November 29 however I consider this was cured by the council’s subsequent conduct," Justice McQueen said "The opportunities for Rangitāne to participate in the decision-making went far beyond that afforded to the rest of the community." Hebberd said legal action was never the iwi’s first choice but "We took this legal step to ensure our people’s ability to access sites of cultural significance could continue and to preserve our rights under Te Tiriti o Waitangi and we will continue to work to achieve that outcome," he said "We have fought for many years to protect our rights and interests as kaitiaki and tangata whenua of this area and it is disappointing that we still find ourselves in this position today." He said the iwi did not disagree the area was a "special place" that needed to be protected rights that have already been agreed to and litigated over many years "We are open – and have always been open – to meaningful dialogue with the council and other stakeholders to find a path forward that respects both the environment and the customary rights of tangata whenua." Marlborough mayor Nadine Taylor said it was a significant decision for the council and the protection of Marlborough’s unique and ecologically significant east coast "The judgment confirms that the council’s bylaw development process was robust and reasonable and that council did not breach its obligation to consult Rangitāne "Council can now move forward and promote the protection of this coastline through public education explaining how the bylaw works and profiling the special animal bird and plant species that call it home." A search and rescue operation is underway for a Masterton man in his 70s missing since Sunday John Rafferty was last seen at Masterton Railway Station about midday on May 4 The 74-year-old did not board a train and left on foot about 20 minutes later Matheson said it was possible Rafferty was staying with a friend but police and loved ones "want to know he’s safe" and John doesn’t have his cell phone or wallet," he said A search team and a helicopter has been out looking for the missing man "We are really keen to know that he’s safe." Police have released an image from CCTV showing Rafferty on a station platform on the day of his disappearance He was wearing a blue jacket with 'NASA' written on the back Anyone who saw him was asked to contact police on 111 or online at 105 if there was Information after the fact The next top cop of the troubled Victoria police force embraces his "outsider" status to curb its leadership malaise and has a stern warning for crooks Former New Zealand Police commissioner Mike Bush won the race to become Victoria's chief commissioner after months of top-level staffing woes The 40-year police veteran steps into the role on June 27 with a five-year contract The Kiwi conceded the job will be no picnic with Victoria's crime rate hitting an almost decade-high in 2024 everyone knows that," he told reporters today "These crime issues are actually global they are quite similar wherever you go but it's not good enough just to turn up after the act Rising youth crime and high-profile cases of alleged offenders committing crimes while on bail spurred the Victorian government to strengthen laws in March Bush said he was familiar with the crackdown but bail laws were just one part of the solution to tackling youth crime along with a "prevention mindset" He retired from the NZ police force in 2020 after joining in 1978 and spending his final six years in the top job Whakaari/White Island volcano eruption and Covid-19 pandemic were among the biggest crises Bush confronted during his tenure Bush also made headlines in 2022 after it emerged he had a past drink-driving conviction when unsuccessfully applying to become head of the UK's Metropolitan Police Former New Zealand police minister Stuart Nash describedr Bush as hard but fair He said Bush regularly met with police forces across the Tasman in his previous role and recalled travelling with him to every district across New Zealand once a year to chew the fat with communities and then we all had biscuits and a cup of tea," Nash told AAP "Mike is someone who had deep credibility in policing." The state government has not handed the reins of Victoria Police to an outsider since former NSW Police assistant commissioner Christine Nixon in 2001 The Kiwi was happy to wear the "outsider" tag and is already hatching plans to hit the ground running "I've got a lot to do to come up to speed," Bush said "Culture is a consequence of leadership." establishing relationships with community groups amid rising tensions and increasing police visibility on the beat were among his other top initial priorities Victoria Police was thrust into leadership turmoil in February with a no-confidence vote from officers costing chief commissioner Shane Patton his job Emergency Management Commissioner Rick Nugent became acting chief and expressed an interest in making the move permanent before throwing in the towel in April Deputy Commissioner Robert Hill will serve in an acting capacity until Bush takes over Bush intends to speak with Patton before starting and said he wouldn't shy away from pushing back if he disagreed with the government Premier Jacinta Allan said a recruitment agency was hired and instructed to find a leader capable of addressing the "challenges" plaguing the force "Mike Bush is the best person for the job," she said whose union led the no-confidence vote against Patton following a bitter pay dispute admitted there was a disconnect between members and leaders The state police union secretary welcomed Mr Bush's appointment and pledge to listen to the mounting workforce concerns "We have a police force that is currently under-resourced that needs fresh officers," he said The Commerce Commission has filed criminal charges against Woolworths NZ for alleged inaccurate pricing and misleading specials that may have breached the Fair Trading Act The commission filed the charges against Woolworths in the Auckland District Court It indicated in December last year that it would be filing separate criminal charges against Woolworths and two Pak'nSave supermarkets the commission said there were ongoing issues with pricing in the supermarket sector and the operators may have breached the Fair Trading Act deputy chair Anne Callinan said operators should know what the expectations were "Supermarkets have long been on notice about the importance of accurate and clear pricing and specials and we're not satisfied with the continuing issues we're seeing across the industry "Pricing accuracy is a consumer right and an expectation of a competitive market well-resourced businesses that should invest the time and effort to get pricing and promotions right." She said the charges were filed to remind all supermarkets that they are expected to fix the pricing accuracy issues and implement better processes In a statement when the charges were announced Woolworths managing director Spencer Sonn said it was important customers could trust prices advertised at their supermarkets Woolworths said it has cooperated with the Commerce Commission's pricing investigation for some time rnz.co.nz Former prime minister Sir John Key says he remains optimistic about Donald Trump's domestic economic policy despite opposing the tariff strategy that has sent global markets into turmoil in recent months who served as prime minister for eight years was the keynote speaker at an Auckland business summit earlier today Sir John told 1News he believed Trump would ultimately take a more moderate approach to tariffs than initially proposed "I'm not a fan of tariff policies I don't think they really work," he said as I think the stock market is telling you at the moment that actually there will be a more sensible landing place for the tariffs that he's wanting to impose." Sir John said he "wasn't entirely surprised" at Trump's call to go ahead with the policy "They're just a negotiating point I think he simply put on widespread and high rates of tariffs on every country to give himself a leverage point and a negotiating point "What I think he actually grossly underestimated was the stock market reaction You can actually make the case that his own strategy hasn't worked The reason the markets have recovered is because he's taken those tariffs off the most part 'I'm going to negotiate case by case'." Sir John suggested Trump's economic policies could still generally be positive for the US but the tariffs could be trickier for the global economy Asked whether he stood by his October comments that Trump would be good for the economy he said: "Do I think he's going to reduce regulatory burden in the United States It depends on where things shake down in terms of tariffs." Sir John acknowledged that for certain industries Trump's policies could be "a really negative thing" particularly if the president's proposed 100% tariff on the film industry were to be implemented "I can't see how it would be cost-competitive to make a movie in New Zealand with a 100% tariff on it," he said noting that films such as The Hobbit would not have been made in New Zealand without government subsidies who now served as a director of US tech company Palo Alto Networks said he had "always been opposed" to Trump's tariff policies but believes they won't be the "dominant part of his economic solutions" "I don't think it's perfect from New Zealand's point of view but I don't think we should panic either and America will still be a very big market for us to sell things to," he said "There are growing markets around the world It's not a great thing from New Zealand's point of view We've got a very sound economy with lots of options in front of us." Sir John suggested a belief that the Republican Trump was was better "on balance" for the US economy than Democratic opponent Kamala Harris he expressed concerns about Trump's tariff approach: "China doesn't pay those tariffs middle-income consumers or consumers in America do because when a tariff goes on a good that you bring into a country He added: "I don't agree with the massive tariffs and I don't think you'll follow through with all of that and I certainly don't agree with this view on trade." Audrey Backeberg disappeared from a small city in south-central Wisconsin after reportedly hitchhiking with her family’s babysitter and catching a bus to Indianapolis Nobody ever knew where she went or what happened to her All that changed last week when she was found alive and safe in another state thanks to the fresh eyes from a deputy who took over the case in February Detective Isaac Hanson discovered an out-of-state arrest record that matched Backeberg which triggered a series of investigative moves that led to finding her alive and safe in another state Turns out Backeberg chose to leave the town of Reedsburg on her own accord – likely due to an abusive husband safe and secure; And just kind of lived under the radar for that long,” he said Hanson was assigned the case in late February and he and other officials met with Backeberg’s family to see if they had a connection with that region They also started digging through Backeberg's sister's Ancestry.com account obituaries and marriage licenses from that region they found an address where a woman was living that Hanson said shared a lot of similarities with Backeberg including date of birth and social security number Hanson was able to get a deputy from that jurisdiction to go to the address "I was expecting the deputy to call me back and say ‘Oh nobody answered the door.’ And I thought it was the deputy calling me I could sense that she obviously had her reasons for leaving.” Most of the information he learned during that call he declined to share saying that it was still important to Backeberg that she not be found “I think it overwhelmed her of course with the emotions that she had having a deputy show up at her house and then kind of call her out and talk with her about what happened and kind of relive 62 years in 45 minutes,” he said Hanson described discovering her safe after more than six decades practically unheard of And while he doesn't know what will happen next in terms of her family reconnecting he said he was happy that she can reach out if she wants to so she has my contact number if she ever wants to reach out or needs anything any phone numbers of family members back here," he said "Ultimately she kind of holds the cards for that.” Hawke's Bay iwi Ngāti Kahungunu has been unsuccessful in its bid to buy back the mountain Kahurānaki but the iwi says its connection to the land will always remain Kahurānaki Station - a 1156 hectare sheep and beef farm south of Havelock North which includes the peak of the mountain - came up for sale earlier this year and the iwi launched a fundraising campaign to buy it The campaign to bring the Kahurānaki back into Māori ownership was called He Maunga Ka Taea and included a 10-day hīkoi from Māhia to Kahurānaki It raised more than $95,000 on crowd funding platform koha.kiwi Hastings-based post-settlement governance entity Tamatea Pōkai Whenua Trust submitted a tender on behalf of the iwi Chairman Pōhatu Paku said the trust was the only local entity to tender for the Station and they were saddened and disappointed by the outcome The trust had approached the tender on the basis it was presented Paku acknowledged the young and emerging iwi members who had generated the groundswell of support for the tender and for the longer term status of the mountain ki tēnā o tātau e titikaha nei ki tēnei kaupapa I just want to acknowledge and mihi to everybody that has connected with this kaupapa Paku said the trust would be engaging with the station's new owners at an appropriate time to convey the iwi's history and also set out their aspirations "The continuation of the protection of our wāhi tapu (sacred sites) is significantly important to us Continued access to the mountain would also be a high priority "The previous owners were quite open for Kura for people running kaupapa and also those that wished to ascend the maunga they allowed that they identified that it was culturally significant to us all." Paku said Tamatea Pōkai Whenua will need to foster the groundswell of support and leadership that the He Maunga Ka Taea campaign had generated "The whakapapa connections and taonga that is Kahurānaki maunga remain our greatest advantage is that we live in perpetuity and our maunga and our tīpuna live with us and they continue to be ours "And like all of our tūtohu whenua (landmarks) our maunga carries our traditions and our identity and our histories and we remain uncompromising to act in the best interests of our tūtohu whenua both for this generation and for future generations." Paku said the trust may look at legal personhood as another avenue to protect the mountain but ultimately he said the maunga remains an ancestor and retains its own mana which no one can ever own rnz.co.nz Eleven inmate deaths in less than two months A US$3 billion (NZ$5 billion) repair backlog a stunning directive from President Donald Trump for the crisis-plagued federal Bureau of Prisons to “REBUILD AND OPEN ALCATRAZ!” — the notorious penitentiary on an island in San Francisco Bay that last held inmates more than 60 years ago Even as the Bureau of Prisons struggles with short staffing chronic violence and crumbling infrastructure at its current facilities Trump is counting on the agency to fulfill his vision of rebooting the infamously inescapable prison known in movies and pop culture as The Rock Trump declared in a social media post that a “substantially enlarged and rebuilt” Alcatraz will house the nation’s “most ruthless and violent Offenders” Newly appointed Bureau of Prisons Director William K Marshall III said that the agency “will vigorously pursue all avenues to support and implement the President’s agenda” and that he has ordered “an immediate assessment to determine our needs and the next steps” We look forward to restoring this powerful symbol of law and justice,” Marshall said in a statement “We will be actively working with our law enforcement and other federal partners to reinstate this very important mission.” an 8.9-hectare spit of land with views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco skyline was once the crown jewel of the federal prison system and home to some of the nation’s most notorious criminals including gangsters Al Capone and George Machine Gun Kelly But skyrocketing repair and supply costs compelled the Justice Department to close the prison in 1963 and the Bureau of Prisons has long since replaced Alcatraz with modern penitentiaries including a maximum-security prison in Florence The former and perhaps future penitentiary is now a popular tourist attraction and a national historic landmark It’s controlled by the National Park Service as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area meaning the Bureau of Prisons could be in for an interagency tug of war if it tries to wrest away control of the island Trump’s Alcatraz directive is yet another challenge for the Bureau of Prisons as it struggles to fix lingering problems while responding to the president’s priorities on incarceration and immigrant detention includes taking in thousands of immigration detainees under an agreement with the Department of Homeland Security The problems at the Bureau of Prisons transcend administrations and facilities An ongoing Associated Press investigation has uncovered deep previously unreported flaws within the Bureau of Prisons over the last few years including widespread criminal activity by employees and severe understaffing that has hampered responses to emergencies then-President Joe Biden signed a law strengthening oversight of the agency It remains the Justice Department’s largest agency 155,000 inmates and an annual budget of about US$8 billion (NZ$13.4 billion) but the Trump administration’s cost-cutting measures have eliminated some pay bonuses that were credited with retaining and attracting new staff That has resulted in long overtime shifts for some workers and the continued use of a policy known as augmentation teachers and other workers are pressed into duty to guard inmates A Bureau of Prisons official told Congress at a hearing in February that more than 4000 beds within the system — the equivalent of at least two full prisons — are unusable because of dangerous conditions like leaking or failing roofs a 37-year-old Florida businessman who was found dead April 28 in a suspected suicide at a federal jail in Miami He was awaiting trial on charges that he kidnapped and killed his estranged wife in Spain inmate Ramadhan Jaabir Justice was killed in a fight at the federal penitentiary in Pollock where he was serving a nearly 11-year sentence for a conviction related to an armed robbery As Trump was ordering Alcatraz’s reopening correctional officers at the same Miami jail were fighting to curb the spread of tuberculosis and Covid-19 isolating inmates after they tested positive for the diseases immigration detainees at the facility ripped out a fire sprinkler and flooded a holding cell during a lengthy intake process the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin has sat idle for more than a year after the Bureau of Prisons cleared it of inmates in the wake of rampant sexual abuse by employees the agency made the closure permanent and idled six prison camps across the country to address “significant challenges crumbling infrastructure and limited budgetary resources” While Trump hails Alcatraz as a paragon of the federal prison system’s cherished past other facilities stand as reminders of its recent troubles They include the federal jail in Manhattan which remains idle after Jeffrey Epstein’s suicide there in 2019 exposed deep flaws in its operations where 23 inmates have been charged in recent months with crimes ranging from smuggling weapons in a Doritos bag to the stabbing last month of a man convicted in the killing of hip-hop legend Jam Master Jay 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 The man accused of murdering his mother in her Blenheim home last November has admitted he did it Blenheim cleaner Paul Thomas Armon appeared in the High Court this morning where he quietly pleaded guilty to last year’s events and was convicted before Justice Dale La Hood a homicide investigation was launched after Jennifer Phyllis Sheehan was found dead at her property in Blenheim on the morning of November 25 The police charge sheet lists the date of the offence as November 22 The 55-year-old was granted interim name suppression at an initial brief appearance in the Blenheim District Court before the order lapsed unchallenged at a later High Court appearance Armon’s lawyer Rob Harrison called earlier for detailed psychiatric reports to assess his fitness to plea or stand trial But today that date was removed from the diary with Armon’s guilty plea Harrison will still seek further reports before sentencing on June 5 Sheehan’s family said following her death they had been left feeling “shocked and utterly lost for words” “I’m shocked and utterly lost for words about what has happened to my Aunty Jenny,” he said Jarrod said he still “can’t comprehend” what happened and “probably never will understand” how it could happen He described Sheehan as having an “infectious laugh” who she loved and treated like her own grandchildren .. I genuinely felt the love she shared for our kids and that’s something I will never forget,” he said Jarrod said he felt “robbed of time that I’ll never get again” He said he would think of Sheehan every time he hears a song by Elvis and smile when something “quirky reminds me of her” “I hope to remember her stories so she continues to live through them and we can laugh for many years to come,” he said Tracy Neal is a Nelson-based Open Justice reporter at NZME She was previously RNZ’s regional reporter in Nelson-Marlborough and has covered general news including court and local government for the Nelson Mail No one knew he'd fallen after a guard rail gave way while he was loading containers Feel the unchained riff onslaught of 'Give Me A Bite' from C.O.F.F.I.N's 2023 album Australia Stops... Unfortunately you are viewing this website on an outdated browser which does not support the necessary features for us to provide an adequate experience. Please switch to a modern browser such as latest version of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari or Microsoft Edge. For his 20th birthday, Blenheim’s Dylan Guillemot found himself well out of his comfort zone, sleeping outside and doing 20 push-ups on his big day. But he was surrounded by new friends in the New Zealand Army Reserve Force as they completed six weeks learning basic soldiering skills at Waiouru Military Camp. The engineering student, who is studying at the University of Canterbury, says he experienced challenges he’d never considered. “I enjoy camping but this is a whole new level. You can have quite good facilities at a camping ground but out here it’s like you and the wild.  “Sleeping in a pit that you’ve dug is an interesting experience and not something that happens every day.” “It was a bit of a different day. We had savories and everyone sang happy birthday and I got the birthday 20 press ups too.” Private Dylan Guillemot found himself pushed out of his comfort zone during Reserve Force basic training but kept going. Private Guillemot admitted he found the Waiouru course tough. “It was out of my comfort zone and a bit of a different experience. But what helped me was the mates, the camaraderie and them helping me to push myself to be better.  “I didn’t want to let them down so I just keep going.” Reserve Force Graduation reviewing officer, Colonel Brendon Jull, Assistant Chief of Army (Reserves), takes a moment to chat with Private Guillemot, third from right, during the inspection of the parade. Private Guillemot initially thought he’d enlist in the NZ Army directly after leaving Marlborough Boys’ College, but on a friend’s advice he decided to study and pick up his passion for the Army as a part-time journey instead.  “It’s the first time I’ve used a weapon, but after a week at the range and with staff coaching I really enjoyed it.” Recruits learn a range of foundational soldiering skills, including navigation, living in field conditions, firing weapons by day and night and living in close quarters. Building resilience is a big part of the training which sets them up for a successful part-time Army career.  Private Guillemot encouraged anyone sitting on the fence about joining to just go ahead and apply. “It’s an amazing experience that you’ll never forget and you’re sharing it with awesome people, great staff and you’ll get to use really cool equipment. “We have people ranging in age up to mid 40s on this course.  It’s been great hearing their perspective with a bit more life experience under their belt.” Private Guillemot and his ‘battle buddy’ after ‘digging in’ Each Reserve Force company has its own training programme in line with its battalion’s training focus.  Company level training typically occurs one weekend a month with platoon level training occurring once a week.  Reservists from around the country also take part in annual Exercise Tauwharenikau, which is a training activity that brings many Reservists together to work as part of a NZ Army military operation.  Personnel conduct offensive and defensive operations to hone their skills in safely and effectively using all the weapons and capabilities used by the NZ Army. It includes operating in and with armoured vehicles, artillery and mortars, technology systems, logistics vehicles and if available helicopters and aircraft from the Royal New Zealand Air Force. It may also on occasion include participants from other regional armies like Australia.  This year Exercise Tauwharenikau is planned for Waiouru in July. MetService first warned of the thunderstorm in the Awatere Valley, just south of Blenheim at about 7.45pm The agency also expected it to move north, near Waihopai at about 8.15pm, adjacent to Wairau Valley and the Richmond Range. MetService said the torrential rain could result in surface and/or flash flooding about streams, gullies and urban areas, and make driving conditions "extremely hazardous". "Large hail can cause significant damage to crops, orchards, vines, glasshouses and vehicles, and make driving conditions hazardous." The warning for Awatere Valley was in place from 8.07pm to 8.45pm this evening, and was due to be updated or lifted soon after. During the warning period, one person on social media commented they could hear loud, rolling thunder in Richmond/Hope. MetService has also issued a number of other weather watches around the country for Monday. In Northland, Auckland, Great Barrier Island and Coromandel Peninsula, MetService placed a heavy rain watch from 9am to 8pm this evening. It forecast periods of heavy rain with thunderstorms and localised downpours possible. A heavy rain watch was also in place in the Wairoa District from 1am Tuesday, December 17, through to 1am on Wednesday, December 18. In the Wairoa District, MetService forecast periods of heavy rain. "[Rain] amounts may approach warning criteria. Moderate chance of upgrading to a warning." In the Kaikoura Coast, Marlborough Sounds, Wellington and coastal Wairarapa, MetService placed a strong wind watch from 5pm Monday to 3am Tuesday, December 17. "A southerly change spreads north through the region this afternoon and evening and gusts may approach warning criteria [and a] moderate chance of upgrading to a warning." The National Emergency Management Agency advised that, as storms approached: Thunderstorm warning issued. (Source: istock.com) A severe thunderstorm was expected to bring torrential rain and large hail in parts of the Marlborough region this evening. State of emergency lifted for Christchurch Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger said there were still a "couple of issues in Banks Peninsula that we need to keep an eye on" Council defends management of Lake Ellesmere during storm Environment Canterbury is being criticised for its management of Lake Ellesmere Main road to Akaroa still blocked days after flooding The highway from Christchurch has been closed from Motukarara to Little River since Wednesday night Selwyn lifts state of emergency as severe weather recovery continues Flooding from heavy rain has led to a state of emergency being declared in Christchurch (including Banks Peninsula) Publican of damaged inn says scale of flooding worst in 50 years Publican Sarah McFarland of Little River Inn is hopeful it would be back up and running soon Wellington wind warning at 'red' level MetService issues red warnings when there is extreme weather which is likely to have a significant impact or disruption A severe thunderstorm was expected to bring torrential rain and large hail in parts of the Marlborough region this evening MetService first warned of the thunderstorm in the Awatere Valley adjacent to Wairau Valley and the Richmond Range MetService said the torrential rain could result in surface and/or flash flooding about streams and make driving conditions "extremely hazardous" "Large hail can cause significant damage to crops and make driving conditions hazardous." The warning for Awatere Valley was in place from 8.07pm to 8.45pm this evening and was due to be updated or lifted soon after one person on social media commented they could hear loud MetService has also issued a number of other weather watches around the country for Monday Great Barrier Island and Coromandel Peninsula MetService placed a heavy rain watch from 9am to 8pm this evening It forecast periods of heavy rain with thunderstorms and localised downpours possible A heavy rain watch was also in place in the Wairoa District from 1am Tuesday "[Rain] amounts may approach warning criteria Moderate chance of upgrading to a warning." MetService placed a strong wind watch from 5pm Monday to 3am Tuesday The National Emergency Management Agency advised that The state of emergency put in place in response to flooding has been lifted for Christchurch but remains in place for Banks Peninsula Mayor Phil Mauger said things in Christchurch had settled down but that there were still a couple of issues in Banks Peninsula the council "need to keep an eye on" "It’s good to have access to powers under the State of Emergency if they’re required and some land instability that needs to be monitored," he said "Although we are transitioning into a recovery period we are still keeping a close eye on the stormwater basins to ensure we keep any disruption to a minimum." Lifting the state of emergency for the Banks Peninsula ward would be assessed next week which reconnected Banks Peninsula with the rest of the region but some smaller roads across the peninsula remained closed Most roads across Christchurch were now open Lower Styx Rd from number 980 to the lagoon These roads were impacted by the managed release of water from stormwater basins which continued to drain slowly The landslip at Lighthouse Rd in Akaroa continues to be regularly monitored with no changes in the past 24 hours A temporary pump installed has now stopped wastewater entering Akaroa Harbour but residents were asked to continue to limit demand on the wastewater system The Canterbury Regional Council says there was an agreement to open Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere to the sea last Tuesday but sea conditions prevented it from happening before the rain storm hit with people in Selwyn telling RNZ they are frustrated the lake was not opened to the sea earlier Taumutu farmer Tim Sanson said there had been good warning that a fairly serious weather system was on the way He was expecting around 80 millimetres of rain but received more than 150mm on Thursday which was "a fairly significant chunk of rain in a short period of time" "That is a lot more than what we were expecting from the forecast but to get more than sort of two inches in one hit here Sanson said the decision-making around opening Lake Ellesmere was a long-running "bugbear" for many locals "It's a bit like having a bucket that's full of water and potentially we should be doing that with the lake with a bit more management," he said which required heavy machinery and hard work "It did seem crazy to me watching the bulldozers head down there at high tide I think it was yesterday morning or the morning before to start preparing for opening with the southerly roaring in," he said said he thought the lake should have been opened sooner He woke at 4am on Friday to find six inches of water through his home after a nearby creek overflowed "If the council had opened the lake last weekend when it was nice and sunny then there would have been far less room for the water to move to the lake and travel on its way out to the sea," he said also questioned why officials did not act earlier to open the lake before the heavy rain caused widespread flooding She said she struggled in vain to get officials to open Lake Ellesmere to help the rising floodwaters drain away on Thursday evening She rang the Christchurch City Council and the Canterbury Regional Council after she got home to find water lapping on neighbours' doors The regional council told her it was after hours to call again in the morning and that the lake's opening was out of staff hands Adams said her property was a disaster zone with a repair bill estimated to cost tens of thousands of dollars The council used diggers to create a channel between the lake and sea at certain times governed by a 1990 water conservation order and resource consents held jointly with Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu ECan general manger of hazards Leigh Griffiths said consultation for a lake opening began on Monday and by Tuesday afternoon a joint decision had been made to open the lake "We can only open the lake once a joint decision has been made and the lake height reaches a minimum of 1.13m (from 1 April to 15 June) The lake conditions were not met until Tuesday 30 April," she said Griffiths said earthworks had begun to open the lake but in current sea conditions it would not be successful because the cut would fill in and it was unsafe for people to operate machinery in the surf zone "We are watching conditions closely and the lake will be opened to the sea as soon as weather and sea conditions allow This is likely several days away at the earliest," she said Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell said he was confident officials had made the right call not to open Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere to the sea earlier Mitchell met Environment Canterbury staff and mana whenua on Friday about the lake "It is very apparent there is a lot of work and focus on how they manage Lake Ellesmere and the fact that there was a request to put in to widen that access," he said "All the information that they had in relation to that was what informed their decisions and they're all united in the fact that they've done the right thing and they've made the right decisions and they've done what they could." Mitchell said he had full confidence in that decision but he was prepared to hear more about the community's concerns over the the lake's management rnz.co.nz The main road to Akaroa on Banks Peninsula is still blocked days after intense rainfall flooded State Highway 75 and extreme caution is still advised on the remainder of the route to Akaroa Photos and videos shared by residents on social media show fallen trees and other major damage on the highway which is the only road connecting communities like Akaroa to the rest of Canterbury Aerial footage captured by the Christchurch City Council on Thursday evening showed farmland submerged below floodwaters across the peninsula and Minister for Emergency Management Mark Mitchell noted the full extent of the damage would not be clear until the water subsided The council also reported large cracks on Lighthouse Road in Akaroa "The assessment found there [is] no immediate danger to the evacuated properties or other properties in the vicinity," the council posted on its Facebook page we may require houses further down to evacuate at short notice." Contractors opened Lake Forsyth to the ocean on Friday afternoon allowing the lake to drain excess water over the next seven days rnz.co.nz A publican on Banks Peninsula says for the first time in 50-odd years businesses on the main road of Little River have been flooded Follow updates with 1News' live blog A state of emergency remains in place in Selwyn Canterbury's civil defence and emergency management says rain is easing in the region and they will be spending the day assessing the damage Publican Sarah McFarland said a breached stream ran through the entire lower level of her Little River Inn on Thursday as well as a couple of other businesses on State Highway 75 and that sort of flooding has not been seen for half a century and farmland in the area has also borne the brunt of heavy rain and floodwaters McFarland said she was hopeful the inn would be back up and running soon A Banks Peninsula business owner says Little River is no longer an accurate description for the village there's lots of little bridges and you see the water rushing through like 20 times at the level The river is 20 times the size of what it normally is "A little river is no longer a little river." Fowler said it was the third time the settlement has flooded since he moved there in 2010 Volunteer firefighters had been flat-out trying to divert the water rnz.co.nz Wellingtonians have been urged to prepare as MetService warns "destructive" gusts of up to 140km/h may hit this afternoon with a rare red warning issued for the capital Hundreds of homes in the region are currently without power and flights have been cancelled out of the city's airport this afternoon Victoria University has suspended teaching activities from midday and urged students to get home safely Follow 1News' live updates for the latest on the severe weather impacting NZ and be prepared for possible power and communication outages "Wellington is no stranger to high winds but this is an extraordinary day in the capital," meteorologist John Law told AAP Law said the "combination of wind direction and rainfall and higher tides" prompted the warning escalation The highest gust was recorded at Mt Kaukau at 150km/h with the airport on the south coast registering 115km/h A 17-hour strong wind warning is in place from 10am today to 3am tomorrow An orange heavy rain warning is also in force until midday Friday Severe gale southwesterlies with damaging gusts would peak this afternoon especially about the south coast and exposed hilltops "Winds are expected to pick up from 10am but continuing into the afternoon," a spokesperson for Wellington Emergency Management said "We are advising people to stay indoors where possible and avoid unnecessary travel If you need to travel this afternoon or evening plan ahead as strong winds can make driving hazardous." Official warnings state there is a threat to life from flying items and falling trees with destructive winds expected to cause damage to powerlines and roofs Disruption to transport and electricity is also anticipated The official forecaster issues red warnings when there is extreme weather which is likely to have a significant impact or disruption Hunker down Wellington 💨The wind is expected to peak this afternoon and an escalation to Red Warning means there's a real risk to life.Stay home if possible and prepare for power outages.Winds are forecast to ease into the evening.https://t.co/HZ2TSD5rV7 pic.twitter.com/WRuONHWKOr The high winds are also causing travel havoc across the region Most arriving and departing flights at Wellington Airport have been cancelled this afternoon Most flights until 6pm have been cancelled "Conditions are expected to continue impacting our network throughout the day so we encourage customers travelling to check the Air New Zealand app or the arrivals and departures page on our website for the latest updates," a spokesperson said Cook Strait ferry crossings have also been cancelled this afternoon and Interislander and Bluebridge sailings face cancellations well into tomorrow as well An orange heavy rain warning for the Wellington region is also expected to bring about disruption but there is a "minimal" chance the warning will be upgraded to red "Expect 90 to 110 mm of rain about the eastern hills and ranges Peak rates of 10 to 20 mm/h expected mainly about the ranges," according to MetService Clear your drains and gutters to prepare for heavy rain Avoid low-lying areas and drive cautiously," the forecaster advised Video supplied to the Herald shows gang members bare fist fighting at a boxing gym MetService National Weather Update: May 7 - May 9 Police said emergency services were called to a Mahia Rd property just before 10am after a report of a person seriously injured Mairehau house fire: Firefighters battle two-storey house blaze 10 patients were assessed and treated by our crews in total Auckland commuters face a chaotic morning after two highways leading into the central city have been majorly disrupted by crashes NZ film industry faces uncertainty over US tariff ongoing decline in livestock numbers and questions over longer sentences reducing reoffending Reporter Sierra is at Magnificent Moa Day where experts are revealing their incredible 3.6 million year-old find Emergency services are attending the fire at a McDonald's on Pakuranga Rd A video of a dog abuse incident is circulating on social media showing a dog swinging in the air and slamming into the ground on a walk in Manurewa A memorial tree has been planted at the entrance of St John’s bush in honour of slain American entomology student Kyle Whorrall Victim of abuse is wanting a judicial review Goodman Group is upgrading Highbrook Crossing to add retail dining and public space to New Zealand’s largest business park in East Tāmaki where hip hop crews from all over the world are battling to see who’s the best and Parliament tackles alcohol and mental health The Coleman family has been melting down precious metals for more than 40 years This is the first time they've shared inside their multi-million dollar gold and silver operation The Prime Minister joins Mike Hosking in the Newstalk ZB studio to talk all the big politicial issues Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was joined by Deputy PM Winston Peters and Minister of defence Judith Collins to make a pre-budget defence announcement and 3D-printed limbs help child amputees in Gaza Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is expected to be joined by Defence Minister Judith Collins and deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters make a pre-Budget defence announcement Neighbours heard explosions as a fire ripped through a Mt Roskill house Mum pays tribute after Auckland bus stop killing Australians vote early and insurance companies brace for claims Megyn Cordner and Lucas Prince started their business from the back of a van in 2022 Andrew Che lost his life savings after sending it to the wrong account Barclays Bank has refunded his money after a prolonged battle for compensation Aerial footage reveals the scale of flooding across areas of Canterbury after a destructive weather system hit the region and prompted a state of emergency North Shore real estate agency chief responds to a Real Estate Disciplinary Tribunal decision Mark Mitchell provides an update on the state of emergency in Christchurch and Selwyn A possible mini tornado was spotted about Auckland Harbour as the latest band of wild weather hits the city Fire and Emergency NZ said it responded to more than 30 callouts overnight more Kiwis turning to methamphetamine and Drs are back at the negotiating table NZSA chief executive Oliver Mander speaks about CEO pay in 2024 Waiwhetu woman Julie Paterson heard 'a loud cracking' and saw a tree branch falling towards her during Wednesday's storm Heather Keats updates the powerful system battering New Zealand breaks down why Wellington is under a rare red warning with extreme winds and Local MP Hon Nicola Grigg speak to the media on the local state of emergency in Selwyn Gisborne locals and health workers marched to Heipipi Park where speakers highlighted what they say is a regional health crisis NZ Herald Live: Simeon Brown talks to media Three homes have been damaged by a large fire in Blenheim this morning A Fire and Emergency spokesperson said they received multiple calls at around 5.45am on Thursday Two trucks were sent from the local fire station Three more crews were dispatched after them The spokesperson said no injuries had been reported and the fires had now been extinguished The house in the middle had suffered major damage Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday New Zealand RSS A fifty-five year old man has pleaded guilty to the murder of his mother in Blenheim A homicide investigation was launched after Jennifer Phyllis Sheehan was found dead at a property in the tow Her son, Paul Thomas Armon, was arrested shortly after and charged with her murder He entered a guilty plea to the charge in the High Court at Blenheim on Friday morning A man accused of murdering a woman in her Blenheim home last month can now be identified as her son A 55-year-old man has been charged with Jennifer Phyllis Sheehan's murder Police have launched a homicide investigation after a woman was found dead at a property in Blenheim on Monday By By Tracy Neal, Open Justice multimedia journalist of A homicide investigation was launched after Jennifer Phyllis Sheehan was found dead at her property in Blenheim on the morning of November 25 The police charge sheet lists the date of the alleged offence as 22 November The 55-year-old entered no plea when he appeared via audio-video link in the High Court this morning He was granted interim name suppression at an initial brief appearance in the Blenheim District Court before name suppression lapsed unchallenged today Sheehan's family said after she was discovered that they had been left feeling "shocked and utterly lost for words" "I'm shocked and utterly lost for words about what has happened to my Aunty Jenny," he said Jarrod said he still "can't comprehend" what happened and "probably never will understand" how it could happen He described Sheehan as having an "infectious laugh" who she loved and treated like her own grandchildren.. I genuinely felt the love she shared for our kids and that's something I will never forget," he said Jarrod said he felt "robbed of time that I'll never get again" He said he would think of Sheehan every time he hears a song by Elvis and smile when something "quirky reminds me of her" "I hope to remember her stories so she continues to live through them and we can laugh for many years to come," he said Armon's lawyer Rob Harrison said detailed psychiatric reports would be needed to assess his fitness to plead or stand trial He would enter a plea at a case review scheduled for 28 March - New Zealand Herald https://pataka.rnztools.nz/media/4LTMYVF_copyright_image_291122 Police have taken a man into custody after an overnight hostage situation in Blenheim. Police were negotiating with an armed man who took a baby hostage at a house on Friday night. A man armed with a firearm turned up at the Park Terrace house in what police described as a family harm incident. Police said the man was known to the two occupants inside, with one managing to escape. In an update on Saturday night, police said a 44-year-old man was arrested around 4.35pm, and a baby was recovered safely and uninjured. “Police’s focus has been the welfare of resolving the incident safely for all concerned and we are very pleased that has now been achieved,” a spokesperson said. “Police have also deployed tactical staff and other staff to achieve this outcome, and we’ve been supported by the New Zealand Defence Force. Nearby neighbours were all asked last night to stay in temporary accommodation with police keeping them updated on developments. Tonight, police said they will be able to return to their homes this evening. “We thank them and the wider community for their patience and cooperation through what we know has been an extremely unsettling situation.” The only high-reach ladder truck in Auckland broke down last night. Blue Hills Estate, which is developing property in Springlands, off Rose St near Blenheim’s Westwood Business Park, wants to name its three new streets Blue Hills Dr, Chalice Dr and Patriarch Cl. The options were proposed as a nod to important geographical features in the region. Mt Patriarch, in the Richmond Ranges, overlooks Lake Chalice, the only alpine lake in the area, and near one of the most challenging sections of Te Araroa trail. The application was discussed at a road naming subcommittee meeting in December, the minutes of which were presented to the assets and services committee on Tuesday. Name proposals were circulated with a small group of people for feedback, such as former councillor Cynthia Brooks, John Orchard on behalf of the Marlborough Historical Society, and iwi, before being passed to the committee. The subcommittee minutes said not all of the names put forward by Blue Hills Estate had been met with support. When the developer was told this they did not address the concerns, but indicated they would like the names to be put to the road naming subcommittee. The minutes said there was “some discussion” about the road name Patriarch Cl, and it was suggested to change it to Mt Patriarch Cl. This was supported by members of the committee and still met the road naming policy, the minutes said. On Tuesday, Wairau-Awatere ward councillor Gerald Hope questioned the consistency of the names put forward by the committee. “I would have thought Lake Chalice would be the most appropriate because a chalice is not Lake Chalice. A chalice is something quite different,” Hope said. Blenheim ward councillor Deborah Dalliessi, who chaired the road naming subcommittee, said they felt Lake Chalice was well known enough in Marlborough that the street name could get away without the “Lake”, whereas Mt Patriarch Cl needed the “Mt” to show that it was named after Mt Patriarch. Hope still thought Chalice did not represent “the accuracy that's deserved”. “We have got to be consistent on this stuff. Accuracy is paramount.” Blue Hills Estate co-director Mark Davis said the council had contacted him after the meeting to see if the company would mind if “Lake” was added to Lake Chalice Dr. “You have to put up suggestions, and they either adopt them or sometimes there are changes. We’re not too worried if they do play around with them a bit,” Davis said. He said the subdivision theme was intended to reflect the Richmond Ranges. “So it does make sense to call it Lake Chalice,” he said. The road naming subcommittee was formed in 2021 after criticism from councillors that developers chose names that were too English. Names for the subdivision in question – Rose Manor – had included Whitehall Drive, Chapel Close and Bond St, which were described by a councillor at the time as “colonial cringe”. Some councillors thought the subcommittee added “another layer of bureaucracy” to the council's road-naming process. A former councillor argued the council had a policy for naming roads anyway. That policy, mentioned in the minutes from the December meeting, stated that names should have a common or established theme if more than one road was being created. Or it could be named after a historical person, as long as permission was granted, or given a traditional or appropriate Māori name. The minutes noted that Kāinga Ora chose to meet with iwi before a road naming application was made for recent developments. The committee suggested that all developers could be required to do this, the minutes said. However, this would require a policy review, which the committee agreed should be completed by July 2025. The review would be done in collaboration with iwi. The assets and services committee approved the minutes, subject to full council approval on February 27. If a councillor wanted to challenge the names it would have to be raised at that point, assets and services chairperson Brian Dawson said. The town of Blenheim. (Source: istock.com) Finding the right names for new Marlborough streets remains quite a peak to summit, with three new proposals dividing councillors. Lake Chalice sits below Mt Patriarch in the Richmond Ranges. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting) The Richmond Ranges near Lake Chalice. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting) The summit of Mt Rintoul, 1761m above sea level, looking south toward Mt Patriarch. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting) Council plans 'refresh' for Blenheim's 'tired' main street Police have formally released the name of a woman killed in Blenheim as family members and friends pay tribute on social media was found dead at a property on Muller Road on Monday A 55-year-old man charged with her murder appeared at the Blenheim District Court on Tuesday when he was remanded in custody ahead of his next appearance at the High Court at Wellington on 13 December Sheehan's nephew said he was "shocked and utterly lost for words" about what had happened to her Sad I won't hear her infectious laugh again I won't laugh about the silly things she's done or said that have no doubt made me turn bright red in public on more than one occasion I won't receive a phone call for my 40th birthday this week .. But mainly I'm sad for my kids who she loved and treated like her own grandchildren," he wrote "She always remembered their birthdays and was always one of the first to call or send a message to wish them well on all of our special occasions - I genuinely felt the love she shared for our kids and that's something I will never forget "I feel robbed of time that I'll never get again and it sucks But I'll find a way to remember the good times will think of her when I hear a song by Elvis and smile when I see a weird freaky witch or something quirky that reminds me of her and all the strange collectables she kept around her house "I hope to remember her stories so she continues to live through them and we can laugh for many years to come." Police were not seeking anyone else in connection with Sheehan's death George Junior Pikaahu during sentencing in the High Court in Blenheim for the manslaughter of a Tongan seasonal worker in June A gang member who killed a man and stabbed another during a brawl outside a nightclub is set to be released from prison after serving two and a half years of his seven-year sentence George Junior Pikaahu was sentenced in the High Court at Blenheim in September 2022 for the manslaughter of Hiko Lynch who died in June 2021 of a fatal stab wound described at the time as a key figure in the Rebels MC gang killed the Tongan seasonal worker during a mass brawl in Blenheim estimated to have involved about 50 people The court heard at sentencing of the devastating impact of his death on Lynch’s family The two were to have been married later that year A Parole Board spokesperson confirmed Pikaahu appeared before the board last Friday and parole was approved He was to be released the week of April 14 The reasons for the board’s decision will be contained in its report which will be publicly available around mid-April Pikaahu was sentenced not only for the killing but also on charges related to stabbing another man and the attempted stabbing of a third during the fight between gang members and seasonal workers Auckland-based Pikaahu was initially charged with murder but later admitted a lesser manslaughter charge On the evening of June 20, 2021, a large group of seasonal workers was at a club in central Blenheim Pikaahu was among members of the Rebels gang visiting from Auckland but the assault was said to be the catalyst for what followed Tonga and Lynch found out about the assault and “aggressively approached” a member of the Rebels as the group was leaving and punched him in the back of the head Pikaahu was in front of the man who was punched and quickly ran to help him he drew a large knife concealed in the waistband of his pants leaving him with his intestines protruding but he too was stabbed and collapsed seconds later He died at the scene from injuries caused by the single stab wound after the blade thrust violently upwards went through his stomach and punctured his heart Pikaahu hid the knife and crossed the street then hid behind another gang member who was having a fistfight with another RSE worker but he avoided being stabbed after he saw the knife and stepped back Māori Anglican bishop Te Kitohi (Kito) Wiremu Pikaahu ONZM and gave a moving apology to the family of Lynch who were watching via a video link from Tonga He relayed Pikaahu’s words in a letter to the family and that every day he regretted what had happened told NZME Pikaahu remained remorseful and had never shied away from the fact that he was responsible for taking a loved one from a family There will be a monitoring hearing in October Air New Zealand says an item inside a passenger's carry-on luggage is to blame for a flight grounded in New Plymouth on Tuesday evening The Blenheim to Auckland flight was diverted to New Plymouth with a passenger telling RNZ they could smell fuel coming through the air vents inside and said passengers were told to quickly disembark into the terminal they would clear us and we would take off," she said with not knowing what the source of smell was they grounded the [airplane] and cancelled the flight." she believed the smell was due to a passenger turning on an air vent and releasing the smell of aviation fuel Several passengers in front of her were complaining about the odour Passengers were still having their snacks when she noticed the plane was descending "We were told when we landed by the stewardess and then by the pilot that because there was a fuel smell through the air vents that they had to take precautions and the plane was landing so it could be checked." She said police spoke to some of the passengers after they had disembarked in New Plymouth Air New Zealand said the smell was revealed to be coming from an item of machinery with residual fuel that was part of a passenger's carry-on luggage McKenzie said a few passengers were put on the last flight up to Auckland this on Tuesday evening while the rest would fly out on Wednesday morning was said it was the smell of fuel that grounded them and the diversion made him miss his flight home to Hawaii and they're putting us on a flight tomorrow but we've missed our flight that only goes three times a week Eric said his next flight home was now on Thursday Another passenger who did not wish to be named said she wasn't told the source of the smell the passenger said she wasn't nervous while they were still in the air if something happens you're done," she said Air New Zealand head of flight operations Hugh Pearce said they were working to get passengers to their destination Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday My Vaccine Pass requirements have not been set for this event Join Big Scout for their last show before going on indefinite hiatus in hometown Waiharakeke-Blenheim celebrating the release of their latest single 'Push Up' Support to come from fellow Top-of-the-South hardcore noisers Shuv-It I once knew an amateur geologist who travelled to Blenheim regularly on fossicking expeditions ‘Marlborough has the best rocks’ he’d assure me excitedly Being an amateur rock enthusiast of sorts myself I’ve been down here long enough now to have kicked over more than a few stones and I have to admit - what I’ve found hiding beneath has more than impressed me We punch well above our weight in both music and the arts T’would seem the retirement capital of New Zealand has more to it than meets the eye considered kind of chaos competing for space in their sound And what a pleasure to watch this three piece grow and evolve over the years from an above average garage band into a post-punk force to be reckoned with Gigs at the much lauded and fondly remembered ‘The Plant’ where we watched them become what we’d hoped they might one day be trips further south where they rattled sabres with Christchurch’s best then all the way north to open for British act Sleaford Mods on their NZ tour - the trajectory was only ever up So it seems a shame to pen this intro for what may well be their final release Push up sees a move away from the tongue in cheek take on small town New Zealand life we heard on debut album Council Sport and comes at us with both barrels raised and cocked in a searing attack on the backward ‘harden up’ mentality still taken to mens mental health here in New Zealand ‘the lyrics are essentially a greatest hits of the bad advice that came my way whilst working through my various anxieties the tension in wanting to tell everyone and everything to fuck off I hadn’t already thought of that… ya c*nt!’ driven home like a final nail in the coffin the songs protagonist is fighting so desperately to avoid Slatters trademark angular and aggressive guitar work shapes the song punctuated by squalls of feedback and driven along without compromise by the criminally underrated rhythm section that is Jim Tannock on bass and Matt Hellriegel on drums purposeful and pounding as the song grinds and works its way toward an untethered crescendo Tannock and Hellreigel are the backbone every band wants - but few ever make it work this well Tannock carries the verse with a simple and understated efficiency while allowing the raw and almost unhinged emotion of Slatters vocal to take centre stage and really bring the message home But I don’t wanna die.’ It’s a message we’d do well to reflect on well after the songs dying note Recorded by Trevor Montgomery at his Nelson studio it was then passed off to Harry Lilley whose stripped back less-is-more production only serves to heighten the sense of tension menace and barely restrained anger that underpins the song Lilley was a smart choice for these guys both for what he brings to the table but equally for what he doesn’t He’s content to let the music and the unbridled aggression speak for themselves They’re putting it on the back burner to take care of what matters Police say they do not know what the couple’s motivation would have been but they want to find them following the “suspicious incident” The 10-year-old boy was approached on Howick Rd in the Redwoodtown area about 3.10pm on Thursday He ran back to his school and reported the incident “Police are making inquiries to establish what occurred and identify the couple,” a police spokesman said “We would like to hear from anybody who may be able to assist us.” A description of the couple: The woman appeared 30-40 years old with shoulder-length blonde hair The man was wearing a long-sleeve jacket with a hood over his head He also had black knee-length shorts with a Nike logo on the right thigh They were in a white older-model van with tinted windows "We are asking anyone who sees a vehicle or couple matching this description to call police via 111," the spokesman said “Please reference the file number 241205/5893.” reported an attempted child abduction involving one of its students The school alleged a woman had tried to lure its pupil into her vehicle as the pupil was walking to school Another parent who was nearby helped the [pupil] and supported them to get to school They are now safe at home," the school said "Please know that we are doing all we can to keep your tamariki safe while they are at school." Police were unable to substantiate the school’s report A police spokesman told the Marlborough Express child abductions were extremely rare in New Zealand and when they did happen they were usually related to custody that any report of a suspicious approach is very concerning,” police told the paper Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022 Sign up to The Daily H a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday The only high-reach ladder truck in Auckland broke down last night these Sydney-side cretins of cool been caning the floor boards & stages since they were pre-teens it’s a mix of blunt street level Ocker humour as only Aussies can deliver Thin Lizzy/Rose Tattoo twin guitar assault & a singing drummer who carries the same vibe as a young Ross Knight of the Cosmic Psychos all thrills primal rock that’s carving holes through minds & planting feet in backsides globally right now check.....Sydney's very own hard-biting rockers; C.O.F.F.I.N are a four piece boogie rock ‘n’ roll band featuring snarling lead vocals from behind the drum kit and steady rhythms that keep you stomping along.With an infectious hip-shaking groove punk live show and a commanding voice of political activism C.O.F.F.I.N has captivated a passionate following and widespread acclaim across the globe They’ve clocked hundreds of high velocity performances countless headlinetours and unforgettable festival appearances and has shared the stage with iconic and influential bands such as Amyl and the Sniffers and the Hard-Ons to name a few.Exploring song themes on their own Australian experience C.O.F.F.I.N voice their juxtaposition between the serenity and beauty of the stolen lands we walk and live as well as the harrowing social injustices and prejudice that is deeply ingrained within Australian culture Every performance is a platform and an opportunity to voice for positive cultural change and there is never a stage too large or small to challenge and confront outdated yet modern Australian-ideals.C.O.F.F.I.N have recorded and released five studio albums Their most recent LP entitled ‘Australia Stops’ debuting at #2 on the Australian ARIA Charts winning ‘Best Hard Rock/Heavy Album’ at the National Live Music Awards and an end-of-year appearance at the highly cherished Meredith Music Festival the band received higher global recognition and acclaim reaching #5 in Vive Le Rock’s top 50 albums of the year of 2023 (UK) plus features in Rolling Stone (France) and Visions Magazine (Germany).With an unquenchable thirst for adventure and discovery C.O.F.F.I.N have set out on several international tours across the USA They’ve joined esteemed international festival bills such as Wide Awake Festival (UK) Palp Festival (Switzerland) and SonicBlast Festival (Portugal) amongst many others.tags: coffin Jayme Lee Washbourne fleeing the dock of the Blenheim District Court just after she was sentenced and the judge declined her continued name suppression A woman trespassed from a chain of fuel stations sent a young person in to purchase goods from two of them with someone else’s bank card knowing she would be recognised if she tried to use it herself Jayme Lee Washbourne was banned from entering Z Energy service stations in Blenheim but sent the young person into one of them with the bank card to buy a $20 prepaid card and into another one to buy $150 worth of goods She had obtained the card after a man misplaced it while using an ATM in July It formed part of the latest batch of dishonesty offending for which Washbourne was sentenced today She was told by a judge her continued dishonesty and failure to abide by court orders meant she was on the brink of prison and running out of excuses for her non-compliance “Your future is in your own hands,” Judge Tony Snell told Washbourne, who arrived at the Blenheim District Court today hoping for a further adjournment to a scheduled sentencing was given a stern telling off by the judge who said any further delay would be “a waste of considerable resource chasing you” “This offending occurred while you were serving a sentence for dishonesty matters He noted she had failed to report as required 72 hours from the earlier sentence of intensive supervision Her lawyer John Holdaway had sought an adjournment for completion of a pre-sentence report and effort was needed to get to the heart of the offending the community will not be protected from the offending.” Judge Snell said Washbourne had failed to engage in the pre-sentence report process an at-times tearful Washbourne received a fresh sentence of intensive supervision,to be judicially monitored plus 75 hours of community work for her latest “offending spree” on four dishonesty charges she admitted earlier They involved the use of the bank card she obtained to buy goods and a charge she admitted today of breaching the earlier sentence of intensive supervision at 8pm a man misplaced his bank card after depositing money for his business at a central Blenheim ATM Washbourne used the card to buy $175 worth of food and groceries at a Blenheim dairy and takeaway A few minutes later she used the card twice about a minute apart to buy goods worth $275 from one dairy and then went to another dairy where she used the card again to buy $87 worth of items She then tried using the card to make a $1000 transaction Police said the fact she used the card so frequently over a short period showed she intended to use it as much as possible before the owner realised Reparation of $528 was sought to repay back but Judge Snell said it was up to the bank to arrange that He said while a term of imprisonment was warranted the court needed to step back and consider the consequences including the potential impact on Washbourne’s children Judge Snell said a further sentence of intensive supervision was Washbourne’s “last chance” to improve her situation there will come a time when you will go to prison because there will be no other option “Your fate is in your hands and if you choose to put your head in the sand and don’t show up you will be back in court before you know it.” Judge Snell said Judge Snell denied a request for continued name suppression for Washbourne A $25 million redress deal for Te Tiriti breaches has been agreed for land near Blenheim contaminated with 'forever chemicals' Soil polluted with the per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) at Woodbourne Air Force base prevented three Kurahaupō iwi getting land it wanted as part of the redress The iwi found out about the contamination during due diligence negotiations by Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Kuia and the Rangitāne o Wairau Settlement Trust with the Defence Force in 2019 "The discovery of PFAS contamination raised significant alarm for the Kurahaupō," the Rangitāne o Wairau Settlement Trust said on its website in May Negotiators had to go back to the drawing board Rangitane said the $25m did not "adequately acknowledge the full extent of the losses we have endured as iwi" but "is the most pragmatic and appropriate course of action given the circumstances" "I know this mahi has presented everyone involved with challenges and I particularly want to acknowledge and thank the iwi for their resolution to move forward," Māori Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka said in a statement compensates the iwi for being unable to purchase the remainder of the site due to the extent of the contamination which includes the operational land and housing block." a decade after an enabling bill was passed The iwi had bought a few hectares off Defence in 2017 after which "unforeseen contamination issues came to light" - it was "highly unlikely" it would have bought the land if it had known earlier "PFAS has the potential to enter the food chain and contaminate drinking water sources posing potentially serious health risks to humans and wildlife," it said A cash settlement with the Crown became the "only remaining viable option" The PFAS are in a plume of groundwater that extends under hundreds of hectares around the base Studies show plumes tend to spread at varying speeds and probably will last for centuries - the other major one is under Ohakea Air Force base near Bulls Recent monitoring of bores at Woodbourne has shown mostly low levels One source of PFAS was firefighting foam Two types of PFAS in foam were banned in 2006 but some airport fire crews and an oil company kept using them for years afterwards Foams with other types of PFAS in them were being by Defence and FENZ in 2018 Documents have shown that NZDF knew about PFAS contamination in 2016 though the public was not told till late 2017 The levels were over four times higher than human health guidelines Analysis - New Zealand firefighters are using foams most of Australia ditched years ago over environmental and health fears while outdated testing here also fails to pick up nasty chemicals Politics RSS A resource consent for 94 new homes to be built on Hospital Rd in Blenheim has been fast-tracked by an independent panel The six hectare stretch of grass and trees behind Hospice Marlborough including an empty building at 46 Hospital Rd was put up for sale by the former Nelson Marlborough District Health Board in 2019 It was later bought by Te Tūapapa Kura Kāinga Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (MHUD) for $4 million MHUD's head of land acquisition and development Matt Fraser said at the time the property would be developed for housing with Wairau iwi partners under the Covid-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) Act 2020 That decision outlined the application by Hāpai Development Property Limited Partnership and there was a memorandum of understanding with the MHUD and applicant to purchase the land and develop it in a way that was consistent with state housing purposes The consent was for a medium-density "mixed tenure" development that was "well-designed" with a range of lot sizes for both standalone and duplex dwellings A communal reserve would be built in the centre "There were very few issues in contention for the application due to the nature and design of the development," the decision said "Throughout the course of this application process the applicant and the Marlborough District Council reached agreement on all outstanding issues for the application." This was said to be helpful for the Wairau Housing Development Expert Consenting Panel made up of chairperson Bridget Bailey The decision said an on-site approach to tree removal meant that there were no traffic issues that would normally be associated with the removal of logs The building at 46 Hospital Rd would be demolished the key issue from the application was the potential effects of increased housing density "This includes the landscape and visual effects and the effects on residential amenity," the decision said "We consider that the development is well-designed and that careful thought has been given to minimising the impact on the existing residential area through the configuration of the varying size lots layout of roads allocation of space for recreation and landscaping." 18 of the homes met or exceeded the 400m² lot size allowed in the Proposed Marlborough Environment Plan the decision said the design ensured the more intensive development was located away from existing residential areas "The development adjoining existing residential areas will be consistent with a level of development consistent with the PMEP .. "We also consider from our inspection of the site and its surrounding area that the site is capable of absorbing the level of residential development proposed the area is dominated by residential activity contained in single lots and largely single-storey units "While there will be an increased density of development to what could occur under the PMEP overall we consider that the potential effect of the smaller lots on residential amenity can be appropriately mitigated by the design of the development." The Hospital Rd block had been considered surplus since 2001 but the sale had languished in the statutory process The health minister approved the sale in May 2020 LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ on Air Six people are injured following a rush-hour car crash in Christchurch Police were notified of a crash on Blenheim Rd Hato Hone St John responded with two ambulances and one rapid response unit Two patients were transported to Christchurch Hospital one in a serious condition and one in a moderate condition Four further patients in minor conditions were assessed and treated at the scene The incident was ongoing and three vehicles needed to be towed from the scene “The road is blocked and it sounds like there is a bit of traffic congestion,” a police spokesperson said House of Pluto presents...The Melancholy Babes (Ak/Wlgtn)withTwin Rudders (Blenheim)The Melancholy Babes have been performing and evolving their original music over the last three decades From knotty jazz compositions to elegant Ellingtonia the trio is dedicated to exploring the wide worlds of possibility within a saxophone bass and drums format.Saxophonist Jeff Henderson is renowned for his dynamic and energetic playing which incorporates all manner of sounds and techniques His long history as a player and composer has seen him perform in a huge array of situations throughout New Zealand and internationally with many renowned artists including jazz legends Marilyn Crispell Sabu Toyozumi & even country star Kenny Rogers!Double bass player Tom Callwood has a rich history in NZ music performing in well known bands The Phoenix Foundation and Little Bushman with Wellington jazz groups The Woods and Devils Gate Outfit and alongside a plethora of leading NZ and international artists including Jobic Le Masson Marilyn Crispell & Richard Nunns.Anthony Donaldson is a drummer who has made an indelible impact on New Zealand music From his beginnings with Wellington creative music pioneers Primitive Art Group and Braille collective his unique approach to rhythm and composition has seen him perpetually at the forefront of adventurous jazz in New Zealand.with Twin Rudders Abstract improvisers make head and body music for the Wairau set The duo of George Waterhouse (electric/acoustic found sounds) and Matt Hellriegel (drums) build and destroy their sonic structures at will and whimsy Kneaded melodies dunk ‘n’ distort against splayed out rhythmic episodes off Rose Street near Blenheim's Westwood Business Park wants to name its three new streets Blue Hills Drive The minutes said there was "some discussion" about the road name Patriarch Close and it was suggested to change it to Mount Patriarch Close "I would have thought Lake Chalice would be the most appropriate A chalice is something quite different," Hope said said they felt Lake Chalice was well known enough in Marlborough that the street name could get away without the "Lake" whereas Mt Patriarch Cl needed the "Mt" to show that it was named after Mount Patriarch Hope still thought Chalice did not represent "the accuracy that's deserved" "We have got to be consistent on this stuff Blue Hills Estate co-director Mark Davis said the council had contacted him after the meeting to see if the company would mind if "Lake" was added to Lake Chalice Drive We're not too worried if they do play around with them a bit," Davis said "So it does make sense to call it Lake Chalice," he said Names for the subdivision in question - Rose Manor - had included Whitehall Drive which were described by a councillor at the time as "colonial cringe" Some councillors thought the subcommittee added "another layer of bureaucracy" to the council's road-naming process subject to full council approval on 27 February "I live in Cornwall Rd but in the post it said 'Pornwall Rd' I just thought it was a joke," one local said who can suggest a new one and what's in a name anyway Papakangahorohoro Road has been rejected by Bay of Plenty residents for being too long Mayor Tory Whanau says the new street name correctly recognises chief Hōniana Te Puni Top Stories RSS Kraus performs for the first time in Blenheim with support from local duo Twin Rudders.Kraus (aka Pat Kraus he/him) is a producer of psychedelic music based in Tāmaki Makaurau Starting his musical life as a drummer in Ōtepoti bands such as The Futurians Kraus has released over twenty solo albums since the turn of the millennium and performed widely in Aotearoa Drawing on an extremely wide range of influences from contemporary West African synth music (eg Hama) to the outer limits of 70s psychedelia (Pärson Sound and from early electronic pioneers such as Laurie Spiegel to the traditional folk music of East Asia Kraus conjures a rich and evocative sound-world through vividly modal and minimal compositions for guitar His recent synth-heavy work melds sci-fi sound-design and hypnotic polyrhythms to create new forms of head-spinning electronic music.“Corrosive and masterful” (Byron Coley The Wire)“One of the most quietly important and interesting people making music in New Zealand” (Kiran Dass The Listener)https://kraussss.bandcamp.com/Twin RuddersWairau based rhythm experiments from Fam and Matt Hellreigel 5Tapped LtdAmericana and country blues artists The DeSotos are hitting the road again in March for a 5 date tour that incorporates a Wellington appearance and four upper South Island shows.This will be their sixth time touring these acoustic shows including having to abandon the March 2020 tour halfway through because of the Covid lockdown.As the name suggests these shows feature the band in acoustic mode with Paul using exclusively acoustic guitars and Stuart pinning it all down on the bass.In the words of Gary Steel “Both Gurney and McIntyre write brilliantly.The DeSotos music oozes genuine emotion and makes all the right moves”.Their live shows are defined by the quality of the vocals and instrumentation and the intimate sound landscape created by these highly experienced musicians.Their mix of country blues and folk-inflected songs includes many of the band’s original compositions and selected covers from the likes of Neil Young and Tom Petty.Some earlier American songbook pieces from Arlo Guthrie Bob Dylan and Jimmy Reed are also in the playlist.The DeSotos are:Paul Gurney (lead vocals Trees poisoned at Blenheim's Horton Park have been cut down ahead of schedule due to the risk of falling debris for people using the park The Marlborough District Council was advised earlier this year that six trees at Horton Park appeared to have had holes drilled into them an assets and services information package said an arborist had recommended three of the trees be cut down within the next 12 months Council staff and an arborist had hoped there would be more new growth after "winter hibernation" but spring inspections showed limited regeneration After a more detailed report was prepared for committee approval to remove the trees However they did not get a chance to do this before the trees became a safety risk The council's parks and open spaces manager instead used their authority to remove the trees because they were a health and safety risk The spokesperson said "sadly" there had been a rapid decline in the health of the trees "There was no sign of a 'spring bounce back' (new growth); the trees had seriously declined and would soon have become a health and safety issue for the public with increased falling debris likely," the spokesperson said it was highly unlikely the trees would recover." the arborist recommended removing any dead wood A report to the council assets and services committee in March said the "visible decline" in the health of the plane trees meant it was clear a substance had been poured into the holes Council staff had "filled and capped" the holes and a mulch was placed around the trees to keep moisture in Any heavy equipment associated with cricket activity at the park had been moved away from the base of the trees Marlborough Cricket general manager Ed Gilhooly said in March he did not know the trees had been poisoned until the council told him he just thought the trees were dropping their leaves due to the dry summer "I don't think anyone had commented on it either "But clearly now you look at them knowing they've been poisoned and realise they're not looking too healthy." He said it was disappointing someone had poisoned them The best grass is nearer those trees because they've been shaded from the sun a bit more He said trees were always important at cricket matches for spectators "You do need grounds that have got a bit of shade especially in a hot place like Marlborough in the middle of summer." neighbours had asked for the trees to be pruned and had complained about leaves dropping Four plane trees at the back of the council's building were also removed in October under authority from council staffers and the chairperson of the assets and services committee The trees were said to be causing infrastructure damage a tripping hazard and made parking difficult The "visible decline" in the health of the plane trees meant it was clear a substance had been poured into the holes Trees in Blenheim's Horton Park have been poisoned - reporter Maia Hart has the details Audio