Fire crews have been battling a house fire in Paraparaumu The blaze was reported just after 8pm Wednesday at a home on the corner of Cypress Grove and Makarini Street Fire and Emergency said six fire trucks attended the fire Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday Heavy rain warnings and watches are in place across western coasts A firearm sighting was reported on Silverdale Road More than 80 stolen items were seized by police New Zealand RSS Follow RNZ News Cath Braddock and Fiona Jeffries have enjoyed their time at Paraparaumu College Two long-serving and respected Paraparaumu College teachers have departed having made a positive difference to the lives of many Fiona Jeffries had been at the college for 22 years and Cath Braddock for 15 years Her latest was as a specialist classroom teacher supporting others Asked what she enjoyed about her time at the college Jeffries said it was a positive interaction with people “Teachers are cool people and teenagers are very cool people.” and getting involved in a variety of other stuff like debating Some highlights included a study award to finish her Masters degree and a doctorate as well as a Fulbright scholarship in the United States for a term Jeffries said she loved teaching and wanted to “finish while I still love it” She had had a “great year with great students” and next year would have been 40 years since she started teaching [at Taita Central Primary School] “There were a whole lot of numbers that were falling into place so it was time to move on.” She was looking forward to international travel with her husband who next year would have been in the teaching profession for 30 years [starting in Aotea College] was the special education needs co-ordinator and was involved in careers pathway education Also asked what she enjoyed about her college time You form connections and feel like you’re making a difference “You have a responsibility to make things better and it’s a great collegial school − a real feeling of community.” Some highlights included co-curricular involvement and jumped in on school events like Relay For Life You see another side to students which is lovely “Even in the electives which we run at the end of the year “They were kids I would never have picked to have shone like they did.” the “time was right to pursue something else” How Chelsea Gill created a family-friendly business My Vaccine Pass requirements have not been set for this event The greatest Foo Fighter Tribute in this hemisphere (probably) are back in Paraparaumu for the first time in 18 months bringing with them 2 hours of the best Not happy with close enough is good enough this 4 piece work to ensure the sound and feel of the songs as well as the energy of the performance is spot on.Supporting is Irelands favourite export Dónal Gunning accompanied by the Bucks touring the EP \Born to Perform\ released in May 2024 indie and punk and delivers an energetic show you won't want to miss As a special treat we have Kapiti locals Intercite This Alternative rock band are all under 19 and despite being young have been playing and gigging locally for years They bring a fresh energy to the stage that will get you dancing Tory Whanau launches Golden Mile project yesterday Become a Wellington.Scoop Supporter » More bioluminescence may be seen in Kāpiti after a spectacular light show on Paraparaumu beach on Tuesday night Bioluminescence is a chemical reaction that takes place within some organisms causing them to emit a light known as luminescence It typically makes the water's surface appear to have a blue glow Local photographer Bruce Wang was among those who captured the phenomenon last night He said he had been out at the beach to photograph Comet C/2024 G3 (Atlas) - a once-in-a-lifetime comet that has been spotted over New Zealand skies this week Wang said he then noticed that parts of the beach were glowing Lyall Bay based photographer Bradley Saunders-Garner headed out to Paraparaumu with his wife and a friend after seeing reports of the bioluminescence online He said they initially were not able to see anything "We decided to look closer and as we walked through a puddle We moved closer to the breaking waves and they would glow in different areas with each breaking wave." The bioluminescence looked like someone had dropped "hundreds of blue dimmed LED lights in the waves" "On a par with seeing the Aurora Australis from Wellington's south coast." who has been photographing bioluminescence for years said it was rare to see bioluminescence this far south "Typically the most common sightings happen in the northern parts of the North Island typically where the waters are a little bit warmer." if the conditions were favourable the bioluminescence blooms stuck around but often they were less spectacular over subsequent nights generally you have one night where the show is amazing and then the following days tends to really sort of tail off and and disappear," he said For those hoping to see bioluminescence water Davison said seeing pink algae blooms during the daytime was a good sign He said a lot of people also sounded the alert of a bioluminescence sighting through social media But unlike the equally elusive Aurora Australis bioluminescence was much easier to see with the naked eye Davison has also developed a tool which can help identify when a bioluminescence show might next appear Agal ecologist from the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Karl Safi said the organisms people would likely see along the coastline were likely to be a part of the plankton He said the main bioluminescence species in New Zealand was the Noctiluca scintillans Warmer and more stable weather conditions in Wellington over the past few days had likely brought the organisms to the surface "If the stable conditions continue we might expect we'd see more of the same occurring." But he cautioned people against jumping into the water saying that although the bioluminescence species were most likely safe It last passed nearby 180,000 years ago and the next few nights could be your last chance to ever see it as it drifts over New Zealand skies The state's southeastern ocean is experiencing a rare bioluminescent red algal bloom that bursts into vibrant blue at night A species of native fungi has been photographed glowing with bioluminescence - a fact that has previously eluded mycologists Unusually warm waters and stable seas are creating prime conditions for stunning displays of bioluminescence along Auckland's coast Two photographers on their first foray after Covid-19 lockdown recorded a brilliant view of the Milky Way and a bioluminescence - "a fantastic surprise" Hibiscus Coast residents have photographed a stunning display of bioluminescence in Tindalls Bay Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club general manager Dylan Higgins Dylan Higgins is the new general manager at Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club Kāpiti News editor David Haxton caught up with the Australian to find out a bit about him his initial impressions of the club and some of the key priorities Can you tell us a bit about your background and what led you to Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club I turned professional at the age of 19 and like many young people I played golf fulltime for about six years before going to work for the PGA Tour of Australasia as a tournament manager comprising a restaurant and two golf stores which held me in good stead to be successful at PBGC My wife is from New Zealand and we had looked for an opportunity to move here I have family in the region and with two young children What are your general impressions of the club so far which has consistently placed inside the world’s top 100 dynamic board and is in a strong position to succeed going forward What are some of the things you enjoyed about the club’s 75th jubilee celebrations The jubilee was a great way to celebrate the club’s history from the Caltex tournaments/NZ Open era including hosting Tiger Woods to celebrating the restoration of the links Visitors and dignitaries enjoyed the clubhouse renovations and the hospitality offerings available and make sure we are all on the right path going forward How did you fare in your first round of golf at the club and what were some of the highlights My golf these days is not what it used to be I think being naïve to the dangers that lurk is the best strategy for anyone wanting to play here I still love the game more than ever and play at least once a week Are there any new initiatives or projects you’re excited to implement I would really like to focus our attention on returning the links to a definite world top 100 golf course The bones are here and a lot of it is through international exposure The course team have given us the course worthy of the honour now it’s our opportunity to market ourselves properly to the rest of the world which not only benefits us but the whole Kāpiti community The rest revolves around making us commercially and financially viable for years to come as golf club revenue streams are being tightened year-on-year What do you see as the biggest challenges facing the club Cost-of-living pressures and cost of goods in general and we need to be mindful of rate increases We are in a strong position to mitigate these issues thanks mainly to sound management over the past 10 or so years Our other key issue is our ageing membership which is a countrywide problem at most clubs So finding ways to introduce younger people women and families to the game is paramount to our long-term success How do you see the club evolving over the next five years I would love to see the club evolve a bit more to be a community hub We have an amazing vista and venue and are more than happy to share it with the Kāpiti community Can you share a memorable experience from your career so far My most memorable golfing experience was lining up with my best friend and caddy at the time at 2am to secure a tee time on the old course that day We slept in front of the golf shop with two Americans and managed to get out in the third group together What do you enjoy most about working in the golf industry Going to work is a lot easier when you are passionate and I get to work at one of the world’s best courses NEW TOUR.2025 is already glowing for In The Shallows and their first single “Do You” turning heads the indie-folk-pop band is ready to hit the road this winter on their most exciting tour yet.After a magical hometown show at St Peter’s Hall filmed for a special upcoming concert release The band is bringing their heartfelt harmonies and evolved pop-infused sound to stages around Aotearoa Check out 'Not The One' here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fp04S2lwpw0 .. Led by the ethereal voice of Welsh songwriter Danni Davis In The Shallows have grown from an intimate folk duo to a festival-ready band with 70+ nationwide shows under their belt This new tour sees Danni joined by long-time live bassist Shane Hamil and fresh talent Ben Brunskill (Guitar/Vocals) with special guests Michelle Velvin (Harp) Janet and Shona Holborow (Cello & Violin) joining in for the Auckland and Wellington shows.Expect soaring harmonies and a sneak peek at tracks from their upcoming album dropping late -2025.More about In The Shallows…Studio recordings feature Lance Shepherd (Martina Topley Bird ex Tricky Louis Baker).On their debut album release tour they made it onto the 'Top 10 Live shows of 2021' list by Kev Rowland of Muzic.net.nz and the singles that followed received glowing 5* reviews ‘Let's Not Start a War’ received a 10/10 review from UK's House of Prog ‘There You Are’ released Dec 21 premiered on ‘The Hits’ with Estelle received a 5* review from Muzic.net.nz and was placed in their ‘Top 10 Singles of 2021’ Both tracks have been reviewed enthusiastically by many media outlets around the world BuzzMusic LA and many other international blogs In The Shallows signed with Grant Hislop’s new music company ‘Mood’ NZ's & Australia’s only music television channel (Hislop founded The Rock co-founded Radioworks (now MediaWorks) and was previously head of labels and A&R at Warner Music Tadpole and Jordan Luck as manager and booking agent.The band have been working again with producer Steve Rokosh and are due to release their upcoming album mid 2025 A man charged with attempted murder after allegedly hitting a cyclist with his car has appeared in the High Court in Wellington is charged with attempted murder and failing to stop to ascertain injury Police were called to Marine Parade in Paraparaumu about 1.40am on December 28 The cyclist suffered a broken leg and other injuries and Judge Dale La Hood ordered the man be remanded in custody until April 11 when he is next scheduled to appear in court Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday Kevin Jones and Warwick Halcrow run the Paraparaumu Beach Market together The Paraparaumu Beach Market will celebrate its 25th anniversary on December 7 The anniversary marks 25 years since the first market day which was held on the Lighthouse Centre site Over the following 25 years of almost continuous operation the market has gradually moved slightly to the south and now operates on part of the carpark behind the MacLean St shops and in part of MacLean St between Seaview Rd and Marine Parade Market manager Kevin Jones said the market is now very much a part of the beach’s culture and is more than just a place to buy and sell produce and goods - it’s also a venue to come together Jones has managed the market since day one and was joined by co-manager Warwick Halcrow in 2006 “The market provides local growers and producers a means of getting their products to customers who can buy local and fresh at beneficial prices and often creates an opportunity for new small businesses to get started - a number of which have gone on to trading nationally,” said Halcrow “One of our rock star stallholders Rebecca Rolls who is the founder and owner of Thoroughbread Gluten Free and Paleo Bread started with just 11 loaves at our market and now distributes her products nationwide but still comes to this market every Saturday.” Jones said hundreds visit the market every Saturday and it is often on the “to-do list” of tourists and visitors to the Coast who also discover the great selection of boutique shops and eateries “We always try to keep a relaxed and friendly vibe and visiting stallholders quite often comment about that Lasting 25 years in any business is an achievement and we want to have a fun day with great music from a selection of our talented local musos with past stallholders and supporters joining us.” Police are at the scene of a house fire in Paraparaumu being treated as unexplained Emergency services were called to the property on Makarini Street at 8pm on Wednesday Police say the occupants are out of the home and safe They will be at the scene today alongside fire and emergency investigators this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read A skull found in the sand on a Kāpiti Coast beach likely belonged to a young woman struck by a musket ball according to an analysis by several specialists It came to light after the Herald was granted access to coronial documents regarding sets of unidentified remains discovered in New Zealand in recent years Historian Michael Belgrave said he believed the woman was most likely tangata whenua killed from about 1819 during the Musket Wars. Her death could have come as a taua (war party) involving Te Rauparaha and Ngāti Toa’s northern allies headed south in 1819 along the Kāpiti Coast or possibly during another battle in the region five years later in a written notification of her decision not to open a full inquiry into the death concluded the skull likely belonged to a female aged between 16 and 24 and born between 1660 and 1900 Her conclusion came after she received advice from several specialists including a pathologist and anthropologist Schmidt-McCleave found a full inquiry was not required The Coroners Act also only allows an inquiry to be opened if the death is likely to have happened within the last 100 years She directed police to provide the remains to local iwi The Herald sought comment from Ngāti Toa and Te Ātiawa ki Kāpiti A Ngāti Toa iwi representative did not wish to comment Police received the report of a skull found by a member of the public in the sand of Paraparaumu Beach on June 21 Forensic pathologist Len Wakefield in his initial inquiry found it was a human skull with teeth present with two holes in the skull Bone fragments indicated something had entered through the right of the skull and exited through the left Another forensic pathologist, Judy Melinek concluded the holes in the skull were consistent with a perforating gunshot wound Melinek said that given the age of the skull the defect she identified could have been caused by a projectile fired by a musket But there was no way to reliably distinguish a musket ball gunshot wound from a modern handgun wound when the projectile has perforated the body Forensic odontologist Mat Popham concluded the teeth showed no evidence of dental restoration and was of the opinion they suggested an age range of 16 to 24 years old Anthropologist Professor Judith Littleton examined the skull and noted it was found where Māori remains have previously been recorded archaeologically She concluded the skull was of a “female juvenile aged between 10 and 20 years at the time of death (12-19 years the most likely age)” “Ancestry is ambiguous and is unable to be determined particularly given the young age of the individual to whom the skull belonged.” “Because of the absence of a particular carbon found in the bones of everyone alive after 1950 due to atmospheric nuclear testing at the time Associate Professor Petchey was of the view that the individual to whom the skull belonged did not live after 1950 and has a 90.6% probability that she was last alive sometime between AD 1660 and 1900,” the coroner said “Associate Professor Petchey gave a 4.9% probability that the individual was alive between AD 1920 and 1950.” Belgrave is the author of the recently released Becoming Aotearoa: A New History of New Zealand and an Emeritus Professor of History at Massey University who has previously been a research manager at the Waitangi Tribunal He said it was “highly likely” the young woman died sometime during the Musket Wars in the Kāpiti region There were no muskets in the region in any significant numbers until the arrival of the great Ngati Toa rangatira Te Rauparaha in 1819 as part of a taua fighting its way south as there were whalers around the area who used muskets also involving some northern allies like Ngāpuhi fought their way down the coast and into Wairarapa before returning making peace arrangements as they came north so the woman was likely to have been killed during the original journey south The migration was very much a war party at that stage though the group did sometimes take captives “She’s more likely to be one of the tangata whenua who gets killed at that point.” Belgrave said that while the group would have been killing people at various villages on its way south the possibility she was shot by accident should not be discounted given the limited accuracy of muskets compared to rifles “These things were not the most reliable weapons.” Another possibility cited by Belgrave was the Battle of Waiorua in 1824, fought on Kāpiti Island in 1824 between Ngāti Toa and Ngāti Kahungunu Belgrave said the skull was not evidence of muskets being in regular use in New Zealand before the 19th century as is sometimes suggested when similar koiwi (human skeletal remains) are found and something for which he said there is no historical basis The only high-reach ladder truck in Auckland broke down last night Kāpiti Health Advisory Group chairwoman Sandra Daly A specialist advisory group advocates developing the Kāpiti Health Centre into a polyclinic The Kāpiti Health Advisory Group (KHAG) report recommends Health New Zealand and Kāpiti Coast District Council enter into a joint memorandum of understanding to expand services at the Paraparaumu-based centre The expansion would “evolve into the Kāpiti Polyclinic providing an integrated health service covering community (including primary) non-acute hospital diagnosis and treatment It said there was a “compelling need” for improved access to health services in the district “Kāpiti is the only New Zealand urban area with more than 50,000 residents where the nearest emergency and hospital services are nearly an hour’s drive away.” Relative to the rest of the Wellington region Kāpiti was “disadvantaged” including “access to preventative and higher-end needs services” The report picked up from a 2018 petition to Parliament seeking the establishment of a local hospital Parliament referred the petition to its health select committee which didn’t support a hospital but did support the availability of necessary health services be made available “The importance of the petition wasn’t that it succeeded in achieving a ‘hospital’ but that it highlighted the lack of sufficient access to necessary health services in Kāpiti,” KHAG’s report said the petition has contributed to the development of this proposal for a polyclinic.” It said the purpose of a polyclinic was to “provide a range of medical and other healthcare services in one place” tests and treatments for various health issues “The intention is to enable Kāpiti Coast residents to access different types of medical services and to see a range of health professionals by ensuring comprehensive healthcare is delivered in one facility.” The “defining feature” of a polyclinic would be to “provide health services that cross the primary/community and secondary care divide” general practice and lower level (non-acute and non-surgical) hospital services (such as outpatient clinics with visiting hospital specialists) along with relevant diagnostic capabilities It said the polyclinic would be an integral collaborative part of the wider Kāpiti health system Health New Zealand’s regional health system and would help reduce the pressure on its hospitals including emergency department presentations Several reports had been completed about health services delivery in Kāpiti “This is very much in line with recent government strategies to deliver services ‘closer to home’ and with the recently released Government Policy Statement on Health (2024-2027) to shift decision-making and resources in the health system closer to communities But change had been “very slow” and the district’s population was growing with access to services “becoming more difficult for many” “We understand the pressure our health system is under at present but developing the health centre into a modern polyclinic would deliver numerous benefits including reducing the pressure on the Wellington Hospital emergency department save on Wellington Free Ambulance trips and save costly and difficult trips for Kāpiti residents.” KHAG chairwoman Sandra Daly said each year more than 7000 people from Kāpiti had to make a 120km round to Wellington Hospital’s emergency department when they needed urgent care “Thousands more trips are made each year to Wellington Kenepuru and Hutt hospitals for outpatient appointments and inpatient treatments that could be delivered in Kāpiti if the polyclinic was developed public transport and park difficulties that these trips cause are a significant burden for many Kāpiti residents particularly young families and elderly people.” KHAG’s report will be presented to the council’s social sustainability committee on Tuesday Railway carriages that had disconnected from a freight train and blocked a road near Paraparaumu in the Lower North Island have been towed from the area Up to eight carriages came away from their tow and stopped across Otaihanga Rd just at ten thirty this morning A KiwiRail spokesperson says a coupling device malfunctioned - automatically engaging brakes which stopped the carriages across the road "A coupling device malfunctioned causing two wagons to separate near Otaihanga," a statement said which sets off alarms and immediately activates the train brakes to prevent the wagons from rolling uncontrolled We are working to rectify the situation as quickly as possible." Otaihanga Road reopened to traffic just ahead of midday It is very likely more sensitive rain monitoring systems would have stopped a train from derailing on the Kāpiti Coast in 2021 Two train units derailed last month along the Kapiti Coast may be out of action for months Flooding and debris are causing road and rail issues in the Wellington region An investigation into the derailment of a log train in Palmerston North last year has found the speed of the train and the condition of the tracks were the likely cause She’s thankful family members weren’t harmed by a house fire in Paraparaumu Beach And she’s thankful to the many people who have rallied to help her family in their time of need A fire erupted in her Nathan Ave house on Tuesday shortly before 7.30pm Her daughter and three grandsons were at home when the fire started “I got a phone call as my daughter was running down the driveway “I had a feeling of fear that my grandsons weren’t safe but she got them all out.” Wendy’s husband and their son were at squash and came back to find the devastating scene “I am just grateful and thankful that my daughter and my grandsons are still with us because it could have been a different story “A house can be rebuilt but lives can’t be replaced “I’m so blessed and grateful that they got out.” Freeman-Gray praised Wellington Free Ambulance and Fire and Emergency New Zealand for checking the children over who “gave comfort and support to my daughter and my grandsons in a time I was unable to” “Vicki also kept her phone available to my daughter so she could update me on what was going on.” who was at the family bach in Taupō at the time of the fire praised the Paraparaumu Community Group on Facebook reaching out to people and giving gifts to my daughter and grandchildren such as pyjamas and other items of clothing such as shoes “There were drop-off points at The Bookshelf in Waikanae and KS Beauty Studio in Paraparaumu “My daughter’s friend has been bringing them [donated items] to her because it has been a very unsettling time “A Givealittle page was also set up by another friend of my daughter with the outreach of people offering to help but it’s very much appreciated by all of us.” She said the house was insured but the family didn’t have contents insurance “We will make plans once we know what is happening.” She said an investigator believed the fire was started by an electrical item in the garage Local Government Minister Simeon Brown is slamming a multimillion-dollar transport hub opening this weekend A community board member has labelled the transport hub as “lavish” as a regional councillor admits it wouldn’t necessarily get approved in the current economic climate The $2.2 million hub opens in Paraparaumu on the Kāpiti Coast this Sunday complete with two “living-roof” bus shelters with plants on the roof real-time information screens on bus services and charging infrastructure for electric bikes and e-scooters Speaking to media following an appearance at the fiery Local Government New Zealand conference Brown said it was a “crazy bus stop with a garden on top” before asking: “Why on earth is money being spent on crazy things like that when all people want is a bus stop?” Paraparaumu Community Board member Bernie Randall described the two bus shelters as “gold plated” “As you shelter from the rain waiting for the bus remind yourself that this lavish expenditure is bought to you by the Regional Council via your rates,” Randall said Kāpiti Coast District Council rates have increased by 17.19% this year and Greater Wellington Regional Council rates by 20.55% Greater Wellington Regional Council transport committee chair Thomas Nash said it was “hard to tell” if the project would be signed off if proposed today Nash said: “This would’ve been signed off under a different arrangement for funding and transport settings “I don’t think that everything has to be brutal and ugly for public transport We’re in a new step of funding constraints now and I think the projects that would be signed off from now on will take those [aspects] into account “We get the message from the Government that they want to spend less on public transport infrastructure,” Nash said adding that the Paraparaumu bus hub was designed for maximum public amenity to make public transit more attractive to people Nash said they had tried to put together a transport hub to “stand the test of time for decades to come” with large bus shelters and a walkway built to last but over time it will pay itself off in benefits – we’re sure.” The New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi funded 51% of the bus shelters and surrounding infrastructure Metlink group manager Samantha Gain said the transport hub is designed to meet the demand of more than 440,000 bus and rail journeys a month she explained why they had opted for “living roofs” on the shelters we will install distinctive living-roof bus shelters they will contribute to the overall sustainability theme and green credentials of the transport hub.” She said that coupled with new signage and Real Time Information displays the outcome should be “a great customer experience” a Kāpiti Coast District Council spokesperson said the upgrade would “transform” Paraparaumu’s town centre Kāpiti Coast District Mayor Janet Holborow had previously said she was “thrilled” to see the vision of a “people-friendly safe and convenient plaza and transport hub coming to life” Construction on the two bus shelters started in September 2022 the transport hub was expected to open in March 2024 The site is now officially opening this Sunday Azaria Howell is a Wellington-based multimedia reporter with an eye across the region She joined NZME in 2022 and has a keen interest in city council decisions public service agency reform and transport Greg Turner and wife Jane at Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club's 75th jubilee Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club has celebrated its 75th jubilee The weekend (October 25-27) began on Friday night with a casual cocktail evening for 170 guests all under the roof of the newly refurbished clubrooms and the evening was held in great spirits,” club president Glen Mitchell said Saturday was a gala dinner with guest speakers such as Steve Williams (Tiger Woods’ caddy) Jeff Latch (Golf NZ chief executive) and 1989 New Zealand Open winner Greg Turner “There were visitors from all over New Zealand as well as Australia.” Mitchell said it was “a wonderful weekend of celebration with old members from afar sharing stories and reconnecting with old friends” ”The dinner was wonderful and it was great to show off our upgraded facilities to more than 200 members and guests most of the golfing competition was washed out but Sunday saw the playing of the MacKenzie-Russell shield an interclub match between Paraparaumu Beach and Titirangi with Paraparaumu being the victors 10.5 – 5.5.” the weekend was “a great success and a real celebration of a wonderful 75 years” Established in 1949 and regarded by many as one of the finest links courses in the world Paraparaumu Beach has featured regularly in many of the leading ranking lists “It has been ranked as high as 71 in the world and as the host of 12 New Zealand Opens is seen as one of our national treasures.” The body corporate of a Kāpiti Coast apartment block resorted to using a drone to wash the building after access to the place was refused Companies Office records show Crown Lease Trustees’ sole director is Andrew Sowry of Palmerston North who has featured in other media as a ‘mega landlord’ The company is owned by Palmerston North’s Tararua Trustees (2010) whose shareholders do not include Sowry The tribunal decision said the body corporate sought reimbursement of $7555.50 for a drone wash of the building “The body corporate says that it resorted to this option when Crown Lease failed to provide entry to its unit The body corporate maintains that the drone wash was not as effective as a manual wash would have been,” that said The tribunal found the company had failed to provide access as it was required to under the law That prevented the body corporate from assessing and completing maintenance work The body corporate has applied for recovery of unpaid levies relief for breaches of owner obligations and the filing fee from Crown Lease $11,000 for debt recovery and $9000 in legal costs due to the owners’ obligation breaches A phone hearing was held on March 12 but Sowry did not attend and a representative of the body corporate said he had advised that he would not do so The tribunal said he had applied for an adjournment claiming he had only been advised on March 11 of the hearing date But the tribunal rejected that application and went ahead Tribunal adjudicator R Morgan tried to contact him four times during the hearing “All attempts indicated that Mr Sowry’s phone had been turned off.” Matters were traced back to last year when the body corporate needed access to the company’s unit to perform a building wash and certify the anchor points assess and repair a broken glass balustrade and to check if any risks are posed by the fuse box The body corporate set out clear and compelling evidence and submissions as to why each of those tasks are required “Mr Sowry’s email to the body corporate purports to raise safety and other concerns with the contractor’s accessing the unit His correspondence obfuscates the main issues and seems to be an attempt to frustrate the body corporate from carrying out its obligations,” the decision said The tribunal said it had been appropriate to proceed with the hearing and that the body corporate had provided comprehensive evidence and submissions in support of its claims “The evidence included correspondence from Mr Sowry suggesting that he/Crown Lease has some unspecified and unquantified claim against the body corporate .. Crown Lease did not submit a cross-application in response to the body corporate’s claim “The correspondence I have seen does not raise any reasonably arguable defence to Crown Lease’s statutory obligation to pay the levies,” the ruling said So the body corporate was awarded the $68,000 to be paid by Crown Lease Trustees Anne Gibson has been the Herald’s property editor for 25 years written books and covered property extensively here and overseas The casino operator has downgraded its earnings guidance for the second time Sophie Pound is the Paraparaumu College dux Paraparaumu College has held its end-of-year senior prizegiving “This has been a week of celebration and one in which we have recognised the tremendous achievements of our Year 11 12 and 13 students in three award ceremonies,” principal Mark Robinson said “On behalf of the Paraparaumu College Board and all staff I would like to congratulate all our award winners and their families “We are very proud of our students and of all that they have achieved “In particular I would like to acknowledge our graduating Year 13s who were celebrated at Southwards Theatre “This was a fabulous occasion which saw over $465,000 awarded in university scholarships.” Campbell Trophy and Leslie Family Trophy for Dux – Sophie Pound Lynskey Cup for Proxime Accessit – William Hobson Principal’s Prize for being a Top Scholar in Year 13 – Georgia Grant David Tunley Trophy for All Round Excellence in the Senior School – Sylvie Minnaar Te Ako Patuia Award for Learning and Leadership – Aaliyah Thompson Te Ara Tu Matauranga (someone who has led and supported others on the pathway of Matauranga Maori) – Zahira Masters The Tuilagi-Tanielu Pasifika Island Award (an all-rounder award recognising a Pacific Islands student who has contributed significantly to Paraparaumu College and to the Pasifika community) – Odette Vaeluaga Milne Trophy and Leslie Family Scholarship for Citizenship and Contribution to College Life – Anika Kelly Freemasons Citizenship Award and Trophy for School and Community Service – Oscar Moore Paraparaumu RSA Memorial Scholarships – Jamie Brown The Timperley Family Cup for Overall Academic Excellence in Year 12 – Rosa Topliff The Johnston Family Cup for Consistent Academic Excellence in Year 12 – Manav Gandhi Principal’s Award for being a Top Scholar in Year 12 – Sid Dorling Inaugural Board of Trustees Trophy for Overall Excellence in Year 12 – Joshua Ray Torrance Trophy for All-round Excellence in Year 11 – Sophie Meikle Toka Tu Moana Award (demonstrating passion integrity and leadership in uplifting kaupapa Maori) – Isabelle Faulkner and Kyle Pomare Paraparaumu Beach School's hockey team won silver at the Aims Games A Paraparaumu Beach School hockey team impressed mightily at the Aims Games winning a silver medal thanks to a lot of dedication and a coach who got the players to reach for the stars were held in Tauranga and attracted a number of schools and thousands of athletes across a wide range of sports was approached last year by a group of enthusiastic hockey girls who wanted to participate in the competition “I agreed to coach them on the condition that they commit 100% and put in the hard work required.” And hard work was needed as Steinmetz was an ex-Black Sticks player who played more than 100 games for New Zealand including matches at the Olympic and Commonwealth Games Second place is truly remarkable for a small school like ours “I don’t think many fully appreciated the intensity of the training I demanded from these girls “We held three training sessions per week including fitness “These girls were pushed both physically and mentally and they consistently rose to the challenge the girls were moved to the junior boys’ competition in order to seek stronger opposition and develop their game further.” The team finished ninth in last year’s Aims Games hockey competition and has continued to train hard was the only full primary school in the hockey competition comprising 32 teams “The girls played 19 games losing only their first and last,” said Steinmetz “Our competition included mostly intermediate and some high schools with extensive hockey programmes and a large pool of players to select from uses the Aims Games as part of their recruitment process and has a successful history of producing many Black Sticks players and our school with honour and pride every time they donned their playing strip.” The final marked the last time the girls would play together “Our last team talk focused on playing for friendship and creating memories that will last a lifetime “Second place is truly remarkable for a small school like ours.” Steinmetz felt “privileged to have worked with such a dedicated and coachable group of girls” “In an era where junior sports often only emphasise fun and fairness the Aims Games also celebrate excellence and competitiveness “All 13,500 athletes who attend these games aspire to achieve podium finishes and this little team from Paraparaumu Beach School did just that.” The area where a new Summerset retirement village will be located in Paraparaumu Summerset Group has announced the purchase of land in Paraparaumu where it intends to build a new retirement village comprising more than 250 homes and a care centre The new complex will be Summerset’s third in the district complementing its existing Paraparaumu village and its developing Waikanae project and will be located in Ratanui Road on 12.6ha Residents in Ōtaki’s Moy Place and Sue Avenue are “over the moon” after Kāpiti Coast District Council voted by six to five not to change the status of the road reserve in Moy Pl to a legal road it would have opened the way for the road to be used as the entrance to a proposed residential subdivision of up to 137 homes had been granted resource consent by an expert independent panel under the Covid-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) Act 2020 Residents were unhappy taat Sue Ave and Moy Pl would be used to access the subdivision and felt Main Highway was a better option said residents were “over the moon” with the council’s decision “It’s been a stressful 18-month journey but the 100% support from residents the unanimous support of the Ōtaki Community Board and local iwi “We are ecstatic and going to enjoy not just the moment but our lifetimes and lifestyles forever.” A council report noted two risks with not changing the road status including the potential for a judicial review of the decision brought by the developer of Moy Estate (Wakefield Holdings) and that the developer could walk away from the development as a new consent would be likely be needed by the Environmental Protection Authority A Paraparaumu man has stunned police after he was arrested for the same offence he appeared in court charged with - on the same day The 32-year-old appeared in Porirua District Court in the morning charged with failing to stop and dangerous driving before he was observed by police doing a wheelie past a unit on Cedar Drive in the afternoon Police located the man at his address minutes later and he was subsequently taken into custody “Police will not tolerate this kind of behaviour and will always follow up to ensure dangerous drivers and riders are being held to account,” Acting Sergeant Jordan Dykes said The man faced an additional charge of failing to stop and dangerous driving A parcel of land at the intersection of Poplar Ave and Renown Rd will officially become known as the Leon Kiel Reserve a respected community member who fought for environmental protection A Kāpiti Coast District Council report said the land was currently fee simple following the vesting of it from the Crown in 1985 The declaration of the land as a reserve would give it additional protection under the Reserves Act 1977 Kāpiti-Mana police are asking for the public’s help after a number of recent incidents involving dangerous driving by dirt bike riders Some of the dangerous behaviours observed include riding on footpaths and through parks “Police’s message is clear: If you ride your dirt or off-road bike where you shouldn’t and/or in an anti-social manner you can expect that we will do everything we can to identify you and take enforcement action,” Sergeant Simon Leigh said “Police urge the community to call or report information as and when they observe this type of offending.“ Information can be provided via 111 if it is happening at the time The Lions Foodbank Appeal has resulted in 450 banana boxes of food being donated to the Kāpiti Community Foodbank was delighted with the outcome saying it was even more successful than last year when 445 boxes were donated She thanked the community for its ongoing generosity and to the Lions clubs of Kāpiti Kapakapanui and Waikanae for the efforts and energy members put into this appeal each year “Our shelves and containers are full again and we’ll be able to give families in need of a less pressured Christmas than they may have otherwise faced.” A 13-year-old who went missing from his home in Paraparaumu has been found and safe and well Police had been appealing for sightings of Jazz who hadn't been seen since 2am Monday and there were concerns for his welfare They have confirmed he has been found safe and is back with his family Officers searching for Maia Johnston, 19, who disappeared from her mother's house in Totara Park have also confirmed she has been found safe Family members and friends have embraced Maia Johnston who has been carried out of the bush by search and rescue Maia Johnston left a family address in Totara Park Firefighters are working to extinguish a house fire in Paraparaumu Beach A Fire and Emergency spokesperson said they arrived on the scene on Nathan Ave just after 7.30pm and the fire was still burning Nine crews were working to put it out initially FENZ incident commander Chris Moore said the fire was "well-involved" when they arrived the house was fully engulfed in fire - two-storey house top to bottom… All people were out and accounted for." A Wellington Free Ambulance spokesperson said they treated four patients in a minor condition at the scene - nobody was taken to hospital "We're just absolutely grateful that everyone is out - our first priority," Moore said "Make sure you've got working smoke alarms smoke alarms would have gone off with this fire and got the people out safe We can't emphasise enough how important that is." A car has smashed through the front window of a Kiwibank branch in Paraparaumu and parked itself inside the bank this evening A police spokesperson said they were responding to a single-vehicle crash just off Amohia St An image posted to social media shows police officers standing in front of the Kiwibank with shards of glass strewn across the sidewalk The vehicle can be seen still inside the bank Sarah Pou next to her underwater scene mural A new amenity block in Paraparaumu’s Maclean Park comes equipped with all the bells and whistles – including more toilets The murals, designed by Paraparaumu Beach artist Sarah Pou were showcased when the toilet block was completed last month Pou submitted two pieces of art to Kāpiti Coast District Council when it called for local artists to design works for the project and said it was exciting to have been chosen “It’s one of the highlights of my career.” The first piece she designed was a visual map of Kāpiti, with landmarks such as St Peter’s Village Hall in Paekākāriki, the Paraparaumu War Memorial Arch, Ngā Manu in Waikanae, St Andrew’s Anglican Church in Reikorangi, the Ōtaki-Māori Racing Club and more. “A few years ago, my husband and I had an idea to do a map of Kāpiti, but I’m quite busy so it’s always been at the back of my mind.” The second piece was an underwater scene, featuring fish queuing for the toilet, police officer dolphins and more. Pou said she wanted to create something that was easily recognised in both artworks so people could appreciate things they had seen so many times. “That’s what my work is all about – celebrating places you see all the time.” Council’s project management office manager Dave Hardy said in January the council invited local artists to submit concept designs for a mural on the new amenity block in Maclean Park, with a design brief requesting the project be vibrant and colourful reflecting the stories, natural environment, community or activities appropriate to the site and the local community. They also requested the designs reflect the life and soul of Maclean Park and its surroundings. “Four artists submitted designs which were considered by the Public Art Panel, resulting in the selection of Sarah’s eye-catching design which beautifully reflects the Kāpiti Coast in a fun way that appeals to the variety of age groups using the park. We’re delighted with the outcome and the many positive comments we’ve received so far.” Hardy said the new amenity block replaced the old toilet block from the 1970s which was well past its “best by” date. “The need for new toilets was identified by the community as part of extensive public engagement we did in 2017 for the Maclean Park upgrade, and the poor state of the old ones made their replacement a no-brainer.” The amenity block unit cost $1,328,938 and Hardy said it ticked all the boxes in terms of reliability, robustness suited to the high-traffic area and future growth, accessibility, ease of use and cleaning, and value. He said it had the added advantage of being the same as others the council had installed at Crystall’s Bend in Ōtaki and the Waikanae township so their contractors and community were familiar with how they worked, and they gave a cohesive look to public park amenities. “Like our other public wharepaku, they’ll be open from dawn to dusk but can also be made available at other times for events and activities held in the park.” The project was funded as part of the capital expenditure allocated towards the Maclean Park upgrade in the 2021-24 Long-Term Plan. The other part of the Maclean Park project, the skatepark upgrade, was now under construction, and Hardy said the council aimed to complete it by January. “We will soon see the new bowl take shape and the rest of the riding surfaces poured in the coming months. So that people have something to use in the meantime, we have built a ‘mini-ramp/half-pipe’ on the beach side of the skatepark which is getting plenty of use.” How Chelsea Gill created a family-friendly business. Emergency services are responding to a large house fire in Paraparaumu, north of Wellington, tonight. Emergency services are tonight battling a large house fire at Paraparaumu Beach, north of Wellington. The property in Nathan Ave has been engulfed in flames. Photos of the fire show an orange glow rising from the burning home with plumes of thick black smoke. Fire and Emergency NZ said they were called at 7.26pm to a residential property on fire in Paraparaumu Beach. The fire was “well involved” on arrival and they escalated it to a second alarm. “Four fire crews, two support vehicles and two specialist vehicles are responding and still working to put out the fire. Nobody reported in the building at the time and not aware of any evacuations nearby.” Police said they were notified of a house fire on Nathan Ave just before 7.30pm. “It looks like ambulance is checking some people from the house for smoke inhalation. The road is closed due to multiple fire engines being there,” a police spokesman said. A Wellington Free Ambulance spokesperson confirmed they attended the scene and treated four patients, all in a minor condition, for smoke inhalation. No patients were transported to hospital. A local resident posted: “Oh no how devastating. I really hope no one or no animals have been injured.” Another resident said the fire has died down now but “lots of ambulance and police and fire trucks” remain at the scene. The Herald has sought further comment from Fire and Emergency NZ. The only high-reach ladder truck in Auckland broke down last night. The boy was last seen at his Paraparaumu home at around 2am. "The 13-year-old boy reported missing in the Paraparaumu area this morning has been located safe and well," police told 1News in an update this afternoon. A 13-year-old boy reported missing from his Kāpiti Coast home this morning has been found safe and well. Search underway for Masterton man John Rafferty was last seen at Masterton Railway Station at about midday on May 4 New Zealand Victoria Uni law students to sit handwritten exams due to AI fears Professor Geoff McLay said he had become "increasingly worried that the embedding of artificial intelligence in many students' laptops" Man charged after gun allegedly fired in Masterton MSD office Police said it was believed to be an isolated incident with no wider risk to the public Crime and Justice Man's cigarette smuggling attempt stubbed out Customs said the body-packing of the more than 1600 cigarettes was "an attempt to defraud Customs revenue" Wellington Airport's giant eagles to depart terminal "They have been a huge success and travellers from around the world have loved admiring them." Wellington residents 'left in limbo' as power outages continue Thousands of homes lost power during the storm which battered the region this week 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 1Charges filed against Woolworths over pricing, misleading specials US woman who disappeared for more than six decades found safe Two men's shared name brings years of trouble and a hefty bill to one US prisons bureau has challenges — reopening Alcatraz is now another Auditor-General launches probe into school lunches 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 A 13-year-old boy reported missing from his Kāpiti Coast home this morning has been found safe and well The boy was last seen at his Paraparaumu home at around 2am "The 13-year-old boy reported missing in the Paraparaumu area this morning has been located safe and well," police told 1News in an update this afternoon 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 A law student at Victoria University of Wellington said students had been "left in the lurch" after an announcement on Monday that said next month's exams for two law subjects would have to be handwritten also said a timetable had still not been provided he said he had become "increasingly worried that the embedding of artificial intelligence (AI) in many students' laptops makes ensuring that students' work is their own very difficult" He had hoped the university would have a technical solution although he hoped one would be available at the end of the year "This means that we will not be able to allow students to use laptops for exams next month," McLay wrote "I want to make this announcement as soon as possible so students have time to prepare for handwritten examinations." McLay added that there would be an exception for students with a disability that required them to use a keyboard The situation affected the LAWS 312 Equity and LAWS 334 Ethics exams The student said the announcement was stressful during an already stressful time a representative of the Victoria University of Wellington Law Students' Society said the Council of Legal Education had to be certain that everyone who passed the exams in Equity and Ethics deserved a pass (and did not cheat) "Previously in person invigilation has been sufficient to manage these concerns due to the increasing ability and sophistication of AI the faculty were concerned about the reliability of the exams leading to their decision to make the Equity and Ethics exams handwritten." The representative said the law students' society had expressed that students' preference was for typed exams — "reflecting how our professional lives will look" once it became clear that the faculty felt they needed to proceed with handwritten exams we emphasised that students should be informed as early as possible accessibility options should be made clear and exam content and timing should reflect the fact that many students have not done handwritten exams since high school and are not used to writing for extended periods of time." The representative added it was separate from the delay to the exam timetable Victoria University Provost Professor Bryony James said students' handwriting their exams meant the university could be confident that the results truly reflected the students' own knowledge and effort — free of any suggestion of the influence of AI James said she would ensure that no student was disadvantaged and was committed to working with students — including those with disabilities — who might need further support to participate in exams and final assessments as a result "As part of this undertaking the Faculty of Law will review this Trimester's exam results to ensure this cohort's performance is in line with previous years and confirm that students are not significantly impacted by this decision." President of Victoria University's Students' Association Liban Ali told Morning Report he was aware that this could happen as early as last year "It has been on the card as of last year I feel like there was something that was going to happen." Ali said the announcement had come at the wrong time and that the Students' Association were very concerned for students He said the Students' Association had engaged the Law Society and the faculty to determine the best way to support students He added that he would make sure that any changes were communicated early in the future rnz.co.nz A 25-year-old man has appeared in court after he allegedly fired a gun at another person inside a Ministry of Social Development office in Masterton yesterday Police were called to the incident on Lincoln Rd at around 12.40pm on Monday Wairarapa Area Commander Inspector Nick Thom said there were no reports of injuries from the incident "Following police's initial enquiries one person was taken into custody a short time later nearby." Cordons were put in place around the area and some staff were armed as a precaution Thom said it was believed to be an isolated incident with no wider risk to the public "Police would like to commend Ministry of Social Development staff for their prompt actions in following their lockdown procedures as this enabled police to provide a swift response to resolve this incident quickly." A 25-year-old man appeared in Masterton District Court today charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and conducting a dangerous act with intent to cause grievous bodily harm Wellington's famous eagles will take flight from the airport this week after 12 years in the terminal They will be replaced by a new display that is currently being kept under wraps Wellington Airport chief executive Matt Clarke said that the departure of the birds (and their passenger Gandalf) will be emotional for staff "They have been a huge success and travellers from around the world have loved admiring them After 12 years it's the right time for them to fly the nest “We’re working with Wētā Workshop on some exciting plans for a unique locally themed replacement to take their place." The eagles were created by Wētā Workshop as a tie-in with the Hobbit movies and unveiled in December 2013 Each bird weighs 1.2 tonnes and has a 15-metre wingspan Wētā Workshop co-founder and chief creative officer Richard Taylor said it's a "bittersweet moment" saying goodbye to them "There are many more stories to be told and we're looking forward to working with Wellington Airport on bringing a new chapter to life."  The eagles will be taken down and disassembled on Friday May 9 and placed into storage with long-term plans for them still yet to be decided "We’ll unveil what’s next later this year so keep watching the skies," Clarke said Tolkien fans will be relieved to know that Smaug the Magnificent will remain in the check-in area Frustration is mounting among residents in Wellington who have been without power since early Thursday but Wellington Electricity says some repairs will continue until the middle of next week Natasha Eagle and her two children have been coping without electricity at their Island Bay home for four days She said communication had been muddled and sparse and it was difficult having no idea whether restoration was hours or days away That view was backed up by Brooklyn resident Sean Keaney He said he and his family of five had been without electricity since midnight Thursday He said they were the only house in the street affected and an electrician had confirmed the problem was at the pole Keaney said communication from Wellington Electricity had been appalling "However there is absolutely no information for us and others like us I've called multiple times to be told 'we have no ETA' we don't have any information on when someone will be there' and when I pushed and asked to talk to someone to escalate this was told they 'don't want to talk to you and you can make a complaint when it's all resolved' "This is appalling communication from Wellington Electricity - they will have a schedule of work and an idea of when they could be out to fix but refusing to share it as our family of five approach 60 hours without electricity not knowing how long it will be and unable to plan." venting frustration about the lack of communication and updates from Wellington Electricity Wellington Electricity said it was progressively restoring power to single-premise outages - with faults being prioritised by how long they had been out "After the strongest winds in a decade lashed the Wellington region on Thursday Wellington Electricity has restored power to the bulk of affected customers," it said in a statement to RNZ on Sunday afternoon adding that 8000 customers had been impacted "Crews have worked 14-hour days since Thursday managing safety with regular check-ins and roster rotations to manage fatigue." "Wellington Electricity anticipates restoring the bulk of its remaining customers without power by Monday evening however further repairs will be necessary including streetlight circuit restoration." Anyone without power who has not been contacted should call their electricity retailer directly so repair crews can be dispatched to restore supply "Wellington Electricity acknowledges the extended disruption these outages have caused and thanks customers for their continued patience while final restoration work is completed." rnz.co.nz 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.” Shane William Pritchard has been charged with crimes he didn’t commit and chased for debts he doesn’t owe That’s because the Dunedin man is not the only Shane William Pritchard in town While the duo’s shared name and age has sometimes been a handy loophole for one Shane for the other it has caused problems for 36 years It’s been years of fearing every knock on the door Years of wondering if he’ll be hand-cuffed and taken to jail to be honest,” says Shane William Pritchard a scout and a member of the Air Training Corp remembers getting quite a shock when her friend called one evening She'd been acting as a referee for a gun licence for Shane whose friend informed her that the police had a long list of offences against Shane’s name Not long after that the police turned up to where Shane was working at the local tannery to arrest him “You're scrambling in your head to think of ways that you can prove it's not you.” Another Shane William Pritchard had been born in Otago They were separated by just two weeks and about 50 miles – one growing up in Mosgiel the other in Milton – but also by the lives they’d been leading To watch the full video story go to TVNZ+ Shane from Milton had huge problems focusing at school He was raised in foster care and then boys’ homes I just wanted to look cool and get in trouble,” he tells Fair Go Milton Shane was used to run-ins with police he got pulled over in his car and asked about his driving licence one’s got a licence and the other hasn’t.’ And I’m like ‘obviously it must be the one with a licence’.” he went to his bank to draw out an ACC payment and was asked which bank account was his He says that at that point he was trying to figure out what was going on “I thought it was just an error.” But he took advantage of the situation and withdrew a large sum of cash Mosgiel Shane became aware of the withdrawal when a scheduled car payment was declined and when Milton Shane turned up at the bank to withdraw more money Identity fraud was considered but Milton Shane was legitimately expecting an ACC payment so the withdrawal appeared to be a genuine mistake and the police couldn’t take any action 'Anything I could get away with Mosgiel Shane thought the bank incident would have alerted police to the problem But his nemesis had cottoned on to the advantages of having a second identity to use Milton Shane acquired a suite of furniture on hire-purchase Milton-Shane clocked up more driving offences Mosgiel Shane thought about changing his name but realised he’d have to provide his previous name in the process the courts and debt collectors such as Baycorp should be able to distinguish between himself and Milton Shane The police first addressed the issue in the 1990s after Mosgiel Shane went to the media He was given a letter to carry with him should he be apprehended He and his parents felt his situation wasn’t being taken seriously Mosgiel Shane went to the media a second time in the mid-2000s the police gave their word that a record in their system would stop the misidentification from happening again This does appear to have worked as far as police action goes But while Mosgiel Shane was given the same reassurance by the Ministry of Justice he continued to receive demands from the courts for unpaid fines He’d also get stopped and questioned whenever he left the country for work trips or holidays It took a huge toll on Mosgiel Shane’s mental health not realising the constant stress it placed on his life John Pritchard says that at times his son felt his life wasn’t worth living worrying about what he was going to do to himself and that really ate me up.” he and his son were in tears as Shane admitted he was at breaking point He described going for days at a time unable to eat or sleep wondering what might happen next "Am I going to be in a position where they've got me in handcuffs or I've got debt collectors coming to the door?" ...You're spiralling into this black hole." He started taking anti-anxiety medication which helped And events regarding Milton Shane seemed to settle Milton Shane was charged for fishing without a licence in Twizel and failing to comply with fisheries officers But a court registrar incorrectly entered the birth date of Mosgiel Shane in the system both Shanes were being chased to pay the $1530 fine It was Mosgiel Shane who spotted the error and rang the court He also sent a statement from his manager saying he’d not been fishing in Twizel that day The reply he got was to say he’d been given the wrong form and that they wouldn’t accept his proof They just wanted to know how I was going to pay the fine.” The first Milton Shane knew about this was when Fair Go told him Mosgiel Shane had been chased for the fine He was told to pay up or face the consequences feeling he shouldn’t have to pay good money to correct someone else’s mistake But it cost Mosgiel Shane over $5000 in legal fees and took months of back and forth between him “Why should anybody have to pay their own money to right somebody else's wrongs and prove who they are I’m sick and tired of proving who I am all the time.” He wanted the Ministry of Justice to take responsibility and reimburse him for his legal costs saying court staff such as the registrar in this case have immunity if they make mistakes such as the one made here and if I make a mistake and it's affecting my client that it's going to cost them money to rectify a mistake that I've made.” he deserves a million apologies from those guys,” she says Milton Shane told Fair Go he still gets in trouble but wants the other Shane to know he doesn’t use his birth date anymore And he had a message for him: “We’ve got to get it sorted for you so you can have a good life with you and your family because I’m trying to get my life together with my son and my grandson” He offers to meet to see if they can sort it out together but I’m not interested in meeting him,.” says Mosgiel Shane He says he doesn’t hold any grudges and accepts Milton Shane’s apology And he believes the only way for that to happen is for the courts and the Ministry of Justice to give him a guarantee that mix-ups won’t occur in the future Fair Go asked the Ministry of Justice to appear in person to apologise and provide reassurance to Shane of its plans to guard against these mistakes The Ministry declined our request to be on camera saying any comment on an individual case would compromise the independence of the courts as the Ministry operates separately But it did send a written apology directly to Mosgiel Shane It also admitted mistakes can occur in clerical records but said instructions were clear and the importance of getting things right had been emphasised to staff Mosgiel Shane isn’t totally convinced that’s the end of it “All I want is for the Ministry of Justice and the courts to do their job I'd like to live without this hanging over me all the time his criminal check has come back showing a clean slate 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 The Auditor-General's office has announced plans for an inquiry into the school lunch programme that has drawn criticism since a revamp It will cover Ministry of Education planning procurement and contract implementation under David Seymour's alternative model Terms of reference for the inquiry set out its scope: The Auditor-General's office said it decided to investigate because of concerns raised about aspects of the revised lunch programme and what the Ministry communicated with previous providers," it said "Because of the importance of these services we have decided to carry out an inquiry." the Office noted the ministry had in October last year awarded a two-year contract to the School Lunch Collective under which lunches would be provided for $3 each The ministry was also reported to have paid a further $8.9m to the collective for Year 9 and older students which had been part of the School Lunch Collective A further $4m grant was provided to KidsCan for a food programme in Early Childhood Education services rnz.co.nz 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 Dane Coles in action for Paraparaumu reserves at the weekend Word spread quickly that Dane Coles was warming up with the Paraparaumu team for a game of senior reserve grade club rugby in Levin at the weekend. Playford Park might be a far cry from some of the packed international stadiums he has played in but a decent crowd turned up to see a former All Black in action - a rare sight in club rugby these days. For Coles, 37, it was a rare chance to play for his childhood club and with mates he hadn’t played with since his schooldays at Paraparaumu College more than 20 years ago. He played No 8 for most of the game and scored four tries in the 42-39 loss to Levin Athletic, turning up at hooker late in the game. Afterwards, he shared a beer and tucked into an after-match spread of beef stew and bread. “I loved it. It was so cool. Afterwards, there was a real community feel with kids everywhere, the changing rooms and then a feed and a couple of beers ... some of the things you miss,” he said. “It was a really good game of footy, too. Rugby is rugby. I was feeling it a bit the next day.” Coles, who played 90 test matches for the All Blacks and 141 Super Rugby games for the Hurricanes, said it was definitely his last game of rugby. With three young sons aged 9, 7, and 4 playing rugby, he wanted to put energy and time into them and was considering coaching in the future. “Ī'm done. But I’m keen to give back in any way I can and put energy into the kids,” he said. Coles played for Paraparaumu as a youngster, following his father Steve to senior training during the week and helping with the scoreboard and the goal-post pads at the weekends. He hadn’t worn a blue and yellow jersey since those junior days. So when he arrived home from playing for Kubota Spears in Japan two weeks ago, and after getting an international clearance, the opportunity to tick off a bucket-list item knocked. Paraparaumu club captain Hayden Beissel said Coles rocked up to training on Thursday night before the game. “Some of the guys in the team were mates he played with when he was younger but for the young guys in the team, they grew up watching him play on TV,” he said. Athletic club captain Danny Bruhn said anyone who took the field would remember the game for as long as they lived. “It’s not every day you get to play against an All Black. The blokes that played won’t forget it and they’ll probably tell their grandchildren,” he said. Having an All Black - current or former - play club rugby in the province was a rarity. The last All Black to play senior club rugby for Paraparaumu was Mark Shaw in the 1970s, and before that Gary Knight and Joe Karam. Christian Cullen and Hurricane Brayden Iose both played junior rugby for Paraparaumu. Bruhn said Coles spoke well at the after-match function about what it meant to create more rugby memories and play with childhood friends, and to see his kids running around. The entertaining game saw plenty of tries scored. Paraparaumu scored seven tries to Athletic’s six. In the end, it was the boots of Athletic winger Konna O’Brien that proved the difference, slotting six conversions. Alas, it was the end of the season for Paraparaumu in the Bill Muir reserve grade competition, finishing just outside the top four with the semifinals to be held this weekend. Top qualifiers in reserve grade were Rahui and Foxton, Athletic and Levin College Old Boys, who meet in respective quarter-finals this weekend. SCOREBOARD: Levin Athletic 42 (I Ulutoa, D Everitt, M Toremana, T Ulutoa, H Woodley, P Taisia tries, B O’Brien 6 con) Paraparaumu 39 (D Coles 4, J McIntyre, K Warren, J Keating tries, C Turner 2 con). There have now been three men charged with murder. Updated 5:02pm: Three young people have been arrested in relation to a Kapiti Coast school fire. The junior classrooms at Paraparaumu school were totally destroyed by the fire that ripped through last night. Detective Inspector George Faalogo says the youths will appear in the Porirua Youth Court on a date yet to be confirmed. A scene examination has been done, and police will make further inquiries as part of their wider investigation. Mr Faalogo says the school will be closed all week, but there are plans to have the school open again next Monday. Steven Caldwell says the 160 students who usually use the junior school classrooms may have to be relocated. He says they're working through a plan for what they do now. Mr Caldwell says half their teaching space is gone, so it will be difficult. Investigators have been at the scene of the fire this morning trying to find out how it started. Paraparaumu School is closed until further notice. A fire destroyed all the school's junior classrooms last night. It's being treated as suspicious, with fire safety investigators to return to the scene today. The school's Facebook page says all children will have to stay home until further notice. Dozens of messages of support for the school are also posted on the page. The school is due to celebrate its 125th anniversary this year - and says all old photos have also been destroyed. Meanwhile, one person has been taken to Middlemore Hospital after a house fire in Auckland. Police and Fire are at the scene in Otara. Take your Radio, Podcasts and Music with you A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesperson told 1News they were called to the scene near Paraparaumu Beach around 7.26pm. One person has been treated for smoke inhalation. Emergency services have been called to the scene. There is no risk to any surrounding properties, the spokesperson said. Firefighters are at the scene of a large house fire in Paraparaumu in the Kapiti Coast this evening. Firefighters are at the scene of a large house fire in Paraparaumu in the Kapiti Coast this evening A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesperson told 1News they were called to the scene near Paraparaumu Beach around 7.26pm One person has been treated for smoke inhalation Emergency services have been called to the scene There is no risk to any surrounding properties Taking on the lead roles of Paraparaumu College's production of Grease Paraparaumu College’s production of Grease is set to be electrifying The cast and crew are putting the final touches on the musical romantic comedy before five public performances Show director Natalie Taiaki said preparations were “going well” “It’s such a huge production with so many people and so many moving parts “There’s still a bit to do but we’re definitely on track “We really want to put on a good production.” The college decided on Grease after Taiaki and choreographer Cat Reid mulled over different options “They decided Grease would be fun and lots of people would know the songs,” college extracurricular arts co-ordinator Hannah Isberg said “Things like this give opportunities for students to also be involved in something like this as well.” Taking on the lead roles are Mischa O’Brien who plays Sandy Fletcher Martin (Sonny) and Leo Nicholas (Kenickie) The six auditioned for the lead roles at the end of last year before the ensemble and dancers auditioned early this year Everyone has been doing a lot of rehearsals including the college’s orchestra Mischa was rapt to get the lead role of Sandy I was off sick that day so it made me feel a bit better.” A few pre-show nerves were creeping in but she was looking forward to it He revealed the show would be different to the movie and Kenickie sings one of the songs instead of Danny.” While Mischa and Nathan had been in various shows before “I was stoked about getting a role and it has been going well.” Liz felt everyone was comfortable with the acting but “a bit more nervous about the dancing” Georgia said it was “a massive cast” so it was a matter “of blending everything together” “I feel we’ve got all the parts there now so it’s a matter of bringing it all together and polishing it.” Grease will be performed at Southward Theatre from June 19-22 Tickets via trybooking.com/nz. Student leadership team. Photo / Jack Penman The theme of Paraparaumu College’s ball held at Southward Car Museum was “Gatsby’s Underground Ball”. “Thanks to the efforts of Wambam and our dedicated ball committee, we successfully transformed the venue to reflect the elegance and ambience of the 1920s and 1930s,” deputy head students Anna Woodman-Aldridge and Daniel Oldroyd said. The ball was the largest in the college’s history, with more than 400 tickets sold. “This impressive turnout included outside partners, exchange students and head students from neighbouring colleges. “Given the number of attendees, including over 20 staff members, we ensured comprehensive catering which was executed superbly by our talented team, ensuring a memorable experience for all.” The evening was marked by an array of flashy cars, sparkling dresses, and tailored suits, with the highlight being the dancing, they said. “This lively dancing was led by the winners of the Life of the Party awards, Willow Barsley and Ryan Martin. “Several awards were presented throughout the night, including Year 12 and Year 13 Royals, Best Dressed Year 12 and Year 13, Best Dressed Teacher and Best Duo.” As deputy head students who had the privilege of organising the ball, one of their standout moments was participating in the leadership dance. “This dance, featuring iconic songs and intricate choreography, truly energised the crowd. “Special thanks to the DJ, who paused his set to allow our mix of music to play, enabling this dance to take place.” Anna and Daniel thanked everyone who attended the ball on Saturday, May 11. “Your presence made for an unforgettable evening that will be talked about for years to come. “We also want to give special recognition to all the volunteers who dedicated their time and effort to making this event possible. The highlights have been the people I've been able to help sharing just a little of their journey through various challenges It's often hard to share these deeply personal stories but here are a few comments from people who have given permission for me to use these quotes in order to help people understand what I do For the first time in a few years inflation is back in the target range mortgages cost less (once you re-fix or float) and it's easier for businesses to invest and create the growth we need Add this to our tax relief and you get more money left at the end of the week to give you just a couple more options The first thing we did as a Government was to focus the Reserve Bank on tackling inflation and added to our cutting of wasteful spending and using your taxpayer dollar wisely inflation is down and hitting targets at least a year ahead of where they were predicted to be earlier this year There have been tough decisions to make along the way This shows the difference our Government is making for you Over the last month I've had community pop-up meetings for anyone to join me in Foxton Here are three more free chances to join me: 10am, October 29th, Waikanae, RSVP to kapiti@parliament.govt.nz 10am, October 31st, Levin, RSVP to horowhenua@parliament.govt.nz I'll give an update at the Over 60s events and at all of them there will be a chance for Q&A The final morning tea will be Wednesday November 27th I won't list everything to save space but here's a typical day for you: Friday October 18th Blessing and soil turning for the new health centre in Levin Visited the new path being built around Lake Horowhenua Bush Street Business park for a coffee and chat to some businesses Met with the Services Academy at Horowhenua College Visited the Horowhenua Health Centre on Liverpool St to talk about how we could deliver more support locally Seniors morning tea at the Vintage Car Club Collecting for Pink Ribbon (Breast Cancer) Visited Mrs Zelda Beckett who turned 100 in Levin Visited Peter Jackson Plumbing in Paraparaumu who won the local Business Awards Visited Mr Bert ten Broeke who turned 100 in Paraparaumu Headed to local RSA to say hi to everyone and dinner Dropped all the girls at various youth groups If you'd like to hear more about some local highlights, have a look at this video [YouTube] from a speech in Parliament yesterday I'm so proud to represent our region and I hope that comes across I hope you've seen that from next month we're increasing the expressway to 110km/hr It was designed and built to be safe at that speed and the public support to my petition was overwhelming I'll be at all the big public events: Please feel free to share this update with others or they're welcome to subscribe (see below) Finally, remember to check out our video profile series on people form our community:  Facebook, Instagram or TikTok. By clicking subscribe you agree to receive emails from Otaki and the National Party. is probably most famous for being Tiger Woods’ Kiwi bolthole The golfer stayed at the lodge while he played at the New Zealand Open in 2001 and his life was under threat The star’s security was beefed up after a cyanide-laced letter threatening the tournament was delivered to the United States Embassy in Wellington The lodge’s former owner told OneRoof several years ago that the lodge was a fortress during Woods’ stay “The place was locked up tight with protection officers and police because it was just after September 11 and there was scuttlebutt about a potential attack on an American icon.” - 'Lady of the manor' selling the Edwardian dream home that almost killed her - Panic over Trump? The Americans desperate for a house in New Zealand - Howzat! Cricket star Sir Richard Hadlee scores with sale of luxury golf course home The ex-owner added: “He had a chef making special dishes from a sports-based diet but he got fed up with that One night he went out with an armed escort and bought food for everyone from the local McDonald’s drive-through New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty agent Suzette McArtney told OneRoof she only had to say the word “Greenmantle” and locals would instantly know who had stayed there was snapped up in 2022 for $4.1 million by current owners Jo and Mark O’Sullivan Woods was in New Zealand in 2001 and stayed at the estate The couple were looking for a challenge and saw the opportunity to push their hospitality skills to the max “We originally started hosting people through our home in Lower Hutt during the 2011 Rugby World Cup,” Mark told OneRoof “We really enjoyed it and carried on afterwards Greenmantle really was an extension of that.” When asked if he was able to name some the lodge’s famous guests Mark replied: “We’ve had everyone from business heads to Hollywood movie stars But we need to keep their identities to ourselves.” “We’ve had a few people ask about the helipad,” Mark said Originally built in the early 1940s for renowned Wellington photographer Marie Dean the home was given an extensive makeover in the late 90s exploding it in size from around 180sqm to 814sqm Since buying the property the O’Sullivans have added a boardwalk and handrail from the suites to the spa The home also has a heated outdoor pool and two cottages The dining room features a double-height ceiling massive candelabra and striking curved windows The property already had multiple income streams when the O’Sullivans bought it including overnight stays in the luxurious suites “The previous owners used to hold high teas on the weekend and that wasn’t really our thing,” Mark said “It’s fair to say we’ve spent the last three years telling people we don’t do high teas.” said they bought Greenmantle as a passion project “We always intended to run this property as a hobby rather than a full-on business.” Although the couple drew a line at high teas they have expanded the property’s wedding business holding about 12 per year – an income stream the next buyers could capitalise on although currently the table is packed away because the O’Sullivans use the room as a lounge they need to have somewhere to let their hair down including this one called the Pohutukawa Suite The O’Sullivans bought the property with an extended chattels list which meant they could hit the ground running with a fully furnished business Much of the furniture they purchased with the home is Victorian and Edwardian style The garden has Japanese elements with some of the planting The family is selling because two of the children are going off to university and Mark and Jo would like to do more travel McArtney said the property sits on two titles one of which is largely a native Nikau forest “It is beautiful and it’s over one hectare It is rare to have that in your backyard,” she said I’ve had clients who had their wedding there’ Everyone has an association with the property I can almost say with confidence that it’s the only property in Kapiti that has a name “I have got so much great engagement with it online “The thing with Greenmantle at the moment is that the price is probably not as intimidating as people think it is because the market has softened It’s quite unique because it has that potential income They charge $750 to $850 a night and they say they’re pretty good in occupancy,” McArtney told OneRoof - 214 Main Road, Otaihanga, Kapiti Coast, is for sale by way of tender, closing December 11 A Paraparaumu College teacher has returned from the Taupō Ultramarathon on Sunday with great results who works in learning support at the college placing second in the women’s category and ninth overall “I also beat all the women and men in my age group [50-59] – it was deeply satisfying to beat the men.” said she wasn’t sure how she was doing until she got to the end She said she started the race carefully and tried to appreciate the scenery as it was such a nice day There were aid stations at a couple of points through the race including at 20km where her husband Mike Reynish was waiting for her “I just knew when I started that I only had to run 20km and then I could stock up my electrolytes and my gels and stuff like that and have a bit of a chat.” She didn’t spend too much time there though – as she didn’t want the aid stations to eat up time Once she got to the last 24km her pacer runner and good friend Anesa Robinson ran alongside her to act as moral support “It was psychologically really helpful because she had a few stories for me.” Robinson couldn’t hand Braddock anything or carry anything for her but she acted as a good “head distraction” Also placed second in the Wellington Marathon this year and received a world ranking Her ranking has gone to No 103 now because of overseas marathons she couldn’t compete in Braddock was invited to run in the prestigious New York City Marathon next November The New York City Marathon is one of the “big six” races “Every year one of those majors hosts the age group who Braddock described as a very experienced trail runner Braddock said her favourite things about running are the headspace and having time for herself She also enjoys the trails on a nice day and said the views can be really beautiful Firefighters want an inquiry into a fatal house fire in Ōtaki to determine whether the fastest best-equipped fire truck went and if there is a wider problem Volunteer firefighters got to the house in 15 minutes on 21 July and pulled two people out While several other volunteer trucks got there within minutes the full-time Paraparaumu fire engine was not called until two hours later The Professional Firefighters' Union (PFU) is calling for an investigation into why the truck seems to have been sidelined "Why was the quickest/fastest appliance .. removed on certain PDAs [pre-determined attendances] on the coast and for what reasons?" a Paraparaumu officer asked on 10 September in emails RNZ has obtained when it was made and [what was] the basis for that decision?" the PFU asked Fire and Emergency National secretary Wattie Watson said it was not suggesting the fatalities could have been avoided but the stakes for the community were too high not to ask the question FENZ told the union: "There was no error in the way this call was handled." It also told RNZ on Monday: "We dispatch crews who can respond the fastest to an incident whether they are volunteer or career." The agency had analysed the Ōtaki response The volunteer and full-time brigades in Kāpiti overlap Documents show the volunteers have resisted changes to response plans - made as highway layouts changed - in 2018 and again in 2020 Volunteers had been told there was no problem with their response times or skills "We don't want paid crews anywhere near here," one volunteer Waikanae officer was quoted saying in 2020 The United Fire Brigades Association (UFBA) and it had not lobbied recently for changes to what trucks went where It rejected the PFU's call for an investigation they actually did effect a rescue and got two elderly people out of the property," UFBA chief executive Bill Butzbach said The chief fire officers at both Waikanae and Ōtaki both declined to comment FENZ said the Ōtaki volunteer brigade who made the rescue and the full-time Paraparaumu Fire Station had the same breathing apparatus for their crews But the professionals' union said an investigation had to look into if the Kāpiti response plan had been changed that should trigger a closer look "to prevent critical decisions being made on a parochial basis in the future FENZ told RNZ it had regularly reassessed the Kāpiti response plan as road layouts changed - three stretches of new highway have opened since 2017 Documents and emails around the change proposal in 2020 show one professional firefighter saying: "A few have tried to get this over the line and failed." The proposal essentially envisaged Paraparaumu's full-time engine being the routine second truck at a fire as opposed to a second volunteer fire engine The Waikanae brigade said the proposal's benefit would be "marginal - maybe a few seconds either way" getting to an emergency "It is utterly soul destroying to a trained volunteer when an emergency does occur locally and the career resource is preferred responded and utilised in preference," they said "The long-term effect is that volunteers won't offer their time in preference and will resign." Another note said: "Otaki agrees with this and there was a fear raised that if staff know a paid truck is coming they may consider not responding due to being busy at work." An assistant commander replied that the proposal was "in no way designed to belittle reduce or change what volunteers do for their communities" It was about full-time crews "enhancing" volunteer efforts Another of the region's volunteer chiefs commented: "We all need to take a good long look at ourselves to work in together and back each other up for the greater good." A firefighter told RNZ that even single minutes counted The emails show the United Fire Brigades Association complained in March 2020 but FENZ told RNZ on Monday the complaint was resolved Butzbach said full-time crews were there to support volunteers who made up 86 percent of firefighters New highways can pose problems with limited exit or u-turn points for fire engines FENZ said there had been formal talks about this at a national level fire engines were sent from either end of a highway emergency access points made things easier Ngamata-A-Tumu Stuart and Earl Robert Stuart have been named by family as those killed in the house fire A bedroom was alight when crews first arrived The building has been reduced to its frame as crews battle the third fire in the Kāpiti town this past week Smoke could be seen from several kilometres away Helen Turnbull in her Paraparaumu Beach restaurant 50-50 After working in various restaurants around the world which has established itself as a popular place on the Wellington dining scene David Haxton caught up with the hard-working head chef and business owner It was my love of working as part of a team and the pure enjoyment I get from sourcing great ingredients making them shine and then sharing that experience with others I did an apprenticeship while working at the Wellington restaurant Icon At the time that was considered a bit old-fashioned but I credit this with giving me the practical skills confidence and resilience I needed to build my career Who have been the main influences in your culinary journey Both sides of my family were keen gardeners and I learned very early on about the strong connection between the land and what goes on your plate food and culture are uniquely entwined and influence how people live their lives Of the many places I’m lucky to have visited my guests and team at 50-50 drive me to keep innovating and improving on our offering Some highlights include the Michelin-starred restaurants of Gordon Ramsay and Michel Troisgros Rātā in Queenstown and Hummingbird in Wellington were important parts of my journey as a chef What have been some of the highlights of your career 50-50 winning Best Regional Restaurant at the Wellington Hospitality Awards and receiving a hat in the Cuisine Awards were huge highlights going squid fishing with the Michel Troisgros team in Japan was a once-in-a-lifetime experience What do you enjoy about owning your restaurant strengths and passions of the individuals and helping them gain develop in the areas they want to grow in What are the main challenges of running your own business Being disciplined enough to be consistent in supporting the constant growth of my team towards our goals and not getting distracted by little things Your most memorable cooking mishap would have to be.. When I was working at Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant and I had to clarify a lobster consomme and it all went terribly wrong and I was worried for obvious reasons What are some of the things you enjoy about living on the Kāpiti Coast proximity to sea and the city make it New Zealand’s best-kept secret I’m so grateful for all of the amazing people who have supported tend to my garden - which produces a lot of fun ingredients for the restaurant - and dream up new travel adventures Cook what you like to eat and play around with making it taste even better read recipes on how others do it and constantly tweak your recipe Take more notes on how every dish I have eaten made me feel and why and it has been an incredibly invaluable part of my creative process when designing dishes for the menu - This Q&A appears in the latest Celebrating Kāpiti magazine Leo Barber will be a bit more relaxed when he plays a round of golf at Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club in the future he’s been the face of the spiritual home of golf as its superintendent and general manager and one of many key people who have been part of the club’s upward trajectory But all good things must come to an end and Barber is leaving to start a new job with PGG Wrightson Turf servicing turf managers in the Wellington region and growing business abroad His last day at the club is early next month but he plans on being a member and enjoying some “hassle-free” rounds of golf It will also mean he doesn’t have to think constantly about the course “I will now be able to enjoy a sunny day instead of thinking if the grass is drying out “I can enjoy the sound of rain on the roof without having too much emotion about if it is going to flood or create some disease “Just getting a bit of me back and being able to switch off.” as its superintendent before taking on the joint role of superintendent and general manager a few years later “It was a club that had a pretty decent history but was at a bit of a low ebb “It would be fair to say that when I joined it was on the back of the New Zealand Open that didn’t appear to go quite successfully.” But over the years Barber has overseen a lot of improvements around the course “It was nice to be part of the renaissance of the club.” He had seen membership go from “struggling to thriving” the club go from being “over $1 million in debt but effectively debt free” and a “shift from one of austerity to one of growth” “I’ve been lucky to have had good governance Barber felt “extremely privileged” to have led the golf club’s custodianship and worked with many passionate and hardworking individuals both on and off the course who shared a common vision of continual improvement and delivering an authentic links experience every day for players his time at the club had led to “so many incredible experiences and I have been fortunate to meet so many great people in the course of my job many of whom ultimately became close friends” Some of the many highlights included playing a round of golf with Sir Bob Charles (the 1963 British Open winner) and bestowing honourary membership on him as well as Steve Williams who was Woods’ caddie for a long time He enjoyed hosting a dozen people from Augusta National who were part of a wider delegation during the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship held at Royal Wellington Barber enjoyed helping host many tournaments the ability to visit other clubs around the world seeing youngsters such as Alec Prentice excel He was rapt to receive the Golf NZ Administrator of the Year award as well as the environmental award “People are pretty quick to tell you what you’re not doing right but kind of slow to celebrate what you have done right Club president Glen Mitchell said Barber’s time at the club “will certainly be remembered for the transformation of our golf course from one that had lost some of the fundamental characteristics associated with pure links golf to a course which today is again regarded as a world-class example with world rankings to match” “Working under the direction of multiple chairpersons and management committees over that time his vision for Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club is now reflected in the wonderfully restored links and high-water marks for membership and rounds of golf played.” Barber will be making a maintenance shed exit after a final course set up on Friday The treehouse is nestled among kanuka trees A Paraparaumu-based company has won four awards in the 2024 Regional ADNZ Resene Architectural Design Awards One of the awards scooped by Gil-Plans Architecture owner Ben Gilpin was an architectural spaces and structures regional award for a treehouse perched above the main dwelling of his family home in Raumati South “I’d always wanted to build something among the trees “The project was designed around leftover material from the house construction and limited what we had to buy natural materials of silver cedar and corten steel match the main dwelling and integrate and nestle the built form into its setting cedar ceilings and strip lighting finish the interiors while creating a sanctuary Gilpin estimates it took over a year to build “Its location meant all the materials had to be carried to the site and done physically by hand “There was no way of getting machinery up there.” Last year Gilpin won the national award for the same category for a Kāpiti Island structure project “To get awards two years in a row is pretty exciting.” ADNZ judges said the treehouse was tiny yet “A limited material palette and finishing keep it simple wing walls and a wide narrow deck connect it beautifully with its site extending the house and its view to the distance.” Gilpin’s other award-winning projects were a steel-and-timber home in Paraparaumu that won a highly commended award for a new home between 150sq m and 300sq m as well as a commended award for home interiors Plus a “spliced” home in Raumati Beach that won a highly commended award for a new home over 300sq m “It’s nice getting recognition for houses ranging from brand-new contempory homes Rachel and Brent Delaney with the two awards they won at Mitsubishi's annual Diamond Dealer awards A Kāpiti car dealership has come out on top winning two awards that prove it knows customer service Delaney Mitsubishi, in Te Roto Drive in Paraparaumu won two awards — the Customer Satisfaction award for their group The awards were given out as part of Mitsubishi New Zealand’s annual Diamond Dealer awards night Four Customer Satisfaction awards were presented with all the Mitsubishi dealerships in the country being organised into groups and judged separately The groups are classed by big cities such Auckland and Wellington smaller cities such as New Plymouth and Lower Hutt and places that have only a parts and service department who co-owns the dealership with her husband Brent said winning the awards was a good reflection on its customer service “We got the highest customer service score throughout the whole year When a customer comes in to buy a car or get their car serviced so over the course of the year we got top of our group.” The Diamond Dealer award is a bit harder to get The top two dealerships from each group get a Diamond Dealer award but the criteria are a bit more complicated There are three main categories — customer service market share and after sales (parts and services sales) They are also judged on other criteria such as how the dealership is presented Delaney Mitsubishi was a part of the group of locations that had only a parts and service department — no vehicle sales — and won that category five times but this is its first time winning as a dealership “It was always a goal of ours — after being a Diamond Dealer winner as a parts and service dealer we always had a goal of being a full dealer winner Delaney said she attributed the win largely to its great customer service and its team “Everyone has that goal of providing the best customer service they can Customer service is really high up on our achievements.”