Five fire trucks were sent to a fire at Bremworth's Leamington St plant on Sunday evening An investigation is under way after a fire at carpet manufacturer Bremworth’s Whanganui plant in Castlecliff A Fire and Emergency NZ spokesman said five fire trucks and two support vehicles responded to an automated alarm at 5.15pm on Sunday Fire and Emergency Whanganui senior station officer Shane Dudley said the fire was contained by 5.45pm with help from the automated sprinklers inside the building “The building was 200m by 50m and the fire was 10m by 3m but because the building was so big and it was smoke weltered [thick smoke obscuring visibility] it took a long time to clear the smoke and get to the seat of the fire,” Dudley said A fire investigator and a scene guard were at the Leamington St plant on Monday morning “Any time you are not 100% sure of the outcome you should get the investigator and dot the Is and cross the Ts,” the Fire and Emergency spokesman said Bremworth chief executive Craig Woolford said the fire started in a wool holding bin and the Whanganui plant would resume production soon was likely caused by an electrical fault,” Woolford said “A full safety check has been carried out at the facility and yarn production will resume shortly.” Low temperatures are forecast to temporarily return to double digits this week Kaierau prop Raymond Salu was among the try-scorers in his side's win over Marist Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau have made another big statement in Tasman Tanning Premier club rugby as the only unbeaten side after a strong second half took them away from Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist With the Barracks Challenge Shield at stake at the Country Club Marist struck first from a penalty scrum for fullback Carliwyn Riddles to get the ball down in the corner Kaierau replied when standout prop Raymond Salu made a half-dummy and step near the line to dive across Marist first five-eighths Wiremu Morgan replied with a long-range penalty but a professional foul saw the visitors lose flanker Brett Joyes to the sin-bin and Kaierau found the gap as Salu fended through and offloaded for second five Te Rangatira Waitokia to score for a 12-8 lead at halftime The play remained scrappy early in the second stanza but then the decisive moment came when Kaierau fullback Adam Boult hared after a tactical ruck kick from first five Sheldon Pakinga snatching it and clearing two defenders to score Kaierau now looked to their deep bench and after forcing a turnover inside Marist’s 22m the reserve forwards went the direct route with hooker Joe Edwards diving under the posts for 26-8 Waitokia spied some open space for an attacking chip kick which he regathered and fired out for winger Ezra Malo to dash into the corner they attacked across the width and eventually hooker Atriane Marino drove through his tackler to score for 31-13 as Boult cut through to score a double and then after reserve winger Adrian Toia snaffled an attempted Marist clearance his team quickly spread to the clubrooms corner for Waitokia to also get a double The try to bring up 50 points was special as a Robinson chip was grabbed by Waitokia and then Malo’s cross-kick was claimed in the air by Pakinga to score It was a different story in the curtain-raiser from the senior competition as Forest 360 Marist Knights ran riot against Gemini Pepper Construction Kaierau The Whanganui Challenge Shield was successfully defended for the first time this season at Macnab Domain as McCrea Scanning Counties defeated Kelso Hunterville 26-15 Undefeated McCarthy’s Transport Rupaehu held off Direct Connect Marist Celtic 24-19 Utiku Old Boys picked up their first win despite a late score by Taihape Barracks Challenge Shield – Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau 50 (Te Rangatira Waitokia 2 Ethan Robinson con) bt Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist 13 (Carliwyn Riddles Byfords Read-Mix Taihape 30 (Tremaine Gilbert con) bt Tāmata Hauhā Rātana 25 (Rangi Kui 2 Dallison Park: Seales Winslow Pirates bt Border 29-12 Country Club: Forest 360 Marist Knights bt Gemini Pepper Construction Kaierau 83-0 Memorial Park: Utiku Old Boys bt Bennett’s Taihape 31-29 Macnab Domain – Whanganui Challenge Shield: McCrea Scanning Counties bt Kelso Hunterville 26-15 Rochfort Park: McCarthy’s Transport Ruapehu bt Direct Connect Marist Celtic 24-19 Cooks Gardens: Silks Audit Rātana bt Marton Queenbeez 94-5 Cooks Gardens: AGC Training Marist Clovers bt Hunterville 88-0 Memorial Park: Byfords Construction Taihape bt Heidi Macaulay Realty Bulls 48-10 A penalty try clinched the win for Taihape ACC’s 2024 statistics for concussions suffered in sport indicate Whanganui and surrounding districts are improving concussion prevention Since ACC launched the National Concussion Guidelines for Community Sport more than a year ago there has been a steady increase in sports-related claims across Aotearoa The guidelines provide a standardised approach to managing concussion aimed at improving the health outcomes and wellbeing of people who play community sport ACC accepted nearly 2000 more claims related to sports concussions in 2024 than the previous year The Whanganui District recorded 74 new claims in 2024 It was the lowest number of claims since Covid-impacted 2020 12% were in football and the rest were scattered across other sports The Ruapehu District recorded 16 fewer new claims in 2024 with 55 and the Rangitīkei District recorded 17 new sports-related concussion claims - two more than 2023 Blue cards were introduced in 2017 by NZ Rugby given to players suspected of suffering a concussion during a game Total claims costs for Whanganui were down nearly $238,900 from 2023’s $1.3m Rangitikei‘s total claims costs were down $6000 while Ruapehu recorded an increase of nearly $40,000 despite its fewer new claims $80m went towards helping people recover from a sports-related concussion in New Zealand It found that a build-up of iron in the brain – which can signal damaging disruption to cells and brain tissue – occurred in the early stages of a mild traumatic brain injury ACC injury prevention partner Nat Hardaker said early management of concussion could improve long-term outcomes “We’re committed to changing attitudes and understanding of concussion in sport The National Concussion Guidelines give community sport the support it needs to do this,” she said “Concussion is a brain injury and can happen in any sport - you don’t have to get knocked out or even be hit on the head to be concussed.” Taking the time to make a complete recovery from a concussion before returning to play ensured players got back to their best People who experience a concussion must be symptom-free for 14 days post-injury before a graduated return to play and complete a minimum period of 21 days away from full competition “Concussion is everyone’s responsibility – everyone can learn to recognise the signs and what to do," Hardaker said you should get the investigator and dot the Is and cross the Ts,” the spokesman said Whanganui-based forestry company Forest360 has switched to transporting its logs by rail In late January, a Whanganui forest management company switched to transporting its logs by rail taking eight truck and trailer loads off the road to New Plymouth each day Forest360 director Marcus Musson said the decision was purely financial as fuel and repairs and maintenance were all contributing to spiralling cartage costs a train will use 10% of the fuel per tonne “The switch to rail means there is less exposure to increasing fuel costs.” Forest360 provides harvesting and full forest management services to large and small forest owners throughout New Zealand The cost of transporting logs to port falls on the forest owner and Musson said it represented a significant portion of the harvesting cost structure He said rail was a more efficient method of moving logs The switch to rail provides a buffer for times when there is a hold-up at Port Taranaki (in New Plymouth) This means there is no need to pause harvesting while the port clears The company manages 12 logging crews operating around the Whanganui district and more than 50 nationwide Musson said there was potential to scale up the number of logs carted by rail the logs are transported with other cargo on the regular freight service There is a limit on the rail capacity available with the eight truck and trailer loads fitting onto six rail wagons we hope to secure more wagons so we can send a logging train to the port in New Plymouth,” Musson said The new loading operation in Whanganui East was rebuilt on an existing site in Eastown Rd with Forest360 aiming to recoup its investment in three years Musson said the setup cost had been funded by Forest360 making it more attractive to prospective forest owners Two key factors in the rail vs road economic equation are the distance to port and hilly terrain Musson said the matrix needed to be long rail cartage and short truck cartage (to the rail handling facility) Forest360 has access to multiple rail handling facilities around Whanganui and Musson said many forests were within a 30km range “It doesn’t make sense to cart logs by rail if it is less than 180km to port and rail is more efficient if there is a geographical issue like the Remutakas.” Musson said forest owners also appreciated the logs being off the roads “The biggest benefit to trucks being off the road will be to the people living and driving through the main arterial routes in Whanganui The reconfigured rail handling facility has a new and modified 20-foot container weighbridge supplied and outfitted by Container Space NZ The new shipping container workshop office is secure with two separate compartments for an office and the weighbridge “Container Space NZ transported the modified 20-foot shipping container to our Whanganui location and then HIAB-ed it into place,” Musson said Musson said the new rail yard offered supply chain efficiencies and created work for local businesses “It’s just another positive forestry story.” Peter Oskam is in his first term as a Whanganui district councillor A second district councillor will challenge incumbent Andrew Tripe for the Whanganui mayoralty Peter Oskam joins three-term councillor Josh Chandulal-Mackay in the local elections race in September Oskam was elected to the Whanganui District Council in 2022 and is a former Whanganui Rural Community Board chairman there was too much of a gap between elected members and council officers “I want a much better relationship between the two and “It’s about harnessing that collective knowledge and expertise “There is talent there and I don’t think it’s being utilised 100%.” A closer relationship between councillors and staff could be achieved through more workshops “where the actual work gets done” “There is a little bit of grandstanding that goes on.” would lead to better outcomes in suburbs such as Whanganui East home to the city’s only public outdoor pool The council has formed a 40-person citizens’ assembly to have a say on the future of outdoor swimming in the district It was saved from closure last year, following a vote from elected members. Do they really want a lap pool?” Oskam said they go there for a place to play in water His new website has a lengthy list of policies ranging from establishing a permanent Toitū te Whānau advisory committee with representation in council’s decision-making to creating a publicly available “transparency checklist” to show how projects are tracking and what is being delivered for the money spent The council’s annual plan for 2025/26 includes a $650,000 annual increase in debt repayments you’re paying a hell of a lot of interest and you’re vulnerable to interest rates.” “All councillors should have the same mana and respect the mayor does Tripe said he welcomed Oskam’s announcement “Peter and Josh bring their own views on what they want for Whanganui and I applaud both of them for that I think we are in a good place and we’ll likely have the lowest rate increase in the country “I look forward to hearing how they are going to do things differently.” Whanganui ratepayers are set to have an average 2.2% rates increase for 2025/26 Oskam said getting to that figure meant service cuts He had pushed for a far higher rate increase during council workshops but that “went down like a slap in the face with a wet fish” “We can do stuff with that [extra revenue] and put a great big proportion on your debt “We are relying on less and less [council staff] and there is no succession plan.” Oskam said he had been in the district since the age of 5 he and his wife Louise Oskam run a 52ha property near Kaiwhaiki It houses the That Place mountain bike park and the Takahuri Trust an environmental stewardship programme with 70,000 trees “I’m running [for mayor] because I care,” he said seen where the gaps are and joined them up Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle he has dabbled in everything from sport to music Whanganui Mayor Andrew Tripe says councils have been given firm direction from the Government to stick to the basics The Associate Education Minister‘s appeal for the country’s 78 mayors to drive up school attendance has failed to gain support in Whanganui David Seymour called on local leaders to pitch in on his push to keep students in school citing it as a foundation for community and national success The minister has written to all mayors across New Zealand urging them to use the Government’s new daily school attendance dashboard to raise awareness and spark local action “I’m calling on mayors to be champions for education in their regions communities are stronger and better prepared for generations to come,” Seymour said Whanganui Mayor Andrew Tripe said truancy was a nationwide issue that his community was also grappling with But he said the minister’s call to arms contradicted the Government’s own directive to stick to the basics and focus on core local government duties “To ask councils to get involved in tackling truancy is a contradiction to the directive we have been given,” Tripe said this has been the focus for Whanganui District Council to the point where now we have the lowest rates [rises] in the country are well-invested in infrastructure renewals and maintenance Seymour’s letter to mayors encouraged local councils to speak with their community about supporting schools to improve attendance “Even small steps like encouraging local businesses to be aware that school-aged children should be at school during school hours is helpful.” Seymour said 58.1% of students attended school regularly in Term 4 of 2024 up from 53% in Term 4 of 2023 – a 5.1% rise Every region saw an increase on the previous year The Whanganui Mayor said truancy in Whanganui was exacerbated in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic in the early 2020s getting to the root cause of this is complex,” Tripe said housing instability and limited access to transportation and health and wellbeing challenges including mental health issues leading to families having difficulties in supporting their children’s education Students failing to connect with the curriculum could also lead to disinterest in attending school Tripe said there had been efforts by the Ministry of Education to boost attendance in Whanganui including the Kaitakawaenga pilot programme involving primary schools Aranui “The aim has been to build relationships with students through sports and physical activities which can result in building resilience and a sense of belonging and lead to improved attendance,” Tripe said “There has also been increased funding to tackle truancy nationwide including establishing attendance officer roles we have been given firm direction to focus on the basics and deliver core local government services.” LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air Ngāti Rangi will host this year's hautapu ceremony at the base of Mt Ruapehu By Pokere Paewai, RNZ The theme for this year’s Matariki holiday is “Matariki mā Puanga” highlighting the communities who observe the star Puanga in their astronomical traditions the brightest star in the Orion constellation In the late autumn and early winter night sky Matariki is seen below Puanga and to the left of Tautoru (the three stars of Orion’s Belt) Puanga becomes especially prominent in the evening sky towards the end of autumn and in the pre-dawn sky during the first month of the Māori new year Puanga will feature at this year’s nationally broadcast hautapu ceremony hosted by Ngāti Rangi at the base of Ruapehu Ngāti Rangi spokesperson and leading Puanga expert Che Wilson said it was an honour for the iwi to host the ceremony and to be a part of the work that has been done over the past few years by Professor Rangi Mātāmua and all the host iwi – from Te Āti Awa and Ngāti Toa to Te Arawa and last year Ngāi Tahu Traditional stories related to Puanga are shared across many iwi across Aotearoa but are prominent on the western side of Te Ika a Maui, including among the iwi of Taranaki, Whanganui and Rangitīkei The North Island’s main divide of the Tararua Ruahine and Kaimanawa ranges separates the island’s weather systems so Puanga gives iwi on the western side a better read on how to prepare for the year ahead “The reason we look to Puanga isn’t because we can’t see Matariki there are parts of the region where you can’t but actually the reason we look to Puanga is because Puanga gives us a better read for the weather on the west coast,” he said Wilson said traditionally iwi on the west coast would start to observe changes in the weather during autumn while the months around Matariki were a time to wānanga “The thing is that Puanga and Matariki aren’t that different We do have a separate ceremony done the month before called Te Maru o te Tau where we send all of our mate with the setting sun to the pō Matariki and Puanga have always gone together in karakia They also look to other celestial bodies such as the Southern Cross “In our karakia we acknowledge Matariki during the mate because they become part of te huihui o Matariki So that’s our reference to Matariki but the remainder of the ceremony is actually focused in on looking at Puanga.” Wilson said it was a beautiful thing that New Zealand was starting to recognise both Matariki and Puanga “It’s a chance for everybody to go out and send intention to whoever you may call your atua and to make that connection to nature Wilson said this year’s hautapu ceremony will differ slightly from those broadcast in previous years the next step is te tākiritanga o ngā mate invoking those people who have died in the last year “We don’t call out our mate but we then invoke them to transition to become stars.” But Wilson said instead of offering food to the stars though those atua are also shown in the sky at that time.” The last part of the ceremony is the whakapūmautanga where a pou or post is placed into the ground Wilson said those reciting the karakia bind the pou with intention as they “commit ourselves to our tūpuna - RNZ Hundreds of promising basketballers from across New Zealand got to show off their skills at Hoop Nation’s Junior Showcase Whanganui Community Sports Centre hosted 84 teams the largest field for the event since its formation in 2020 Event organiser Paul Berridge said the event was designed to give exposure to basketball talent in New Zealand and to create a pathway to going professional “The beauty with this showcase is within the name itself it showcases talent that might not get a lot of exposure,” he said you need exposure and that is purely what we do “Profiling is everything with talented kids It’s understanding who they are and where you can see this kid play as you might not get to see them anywhere else.” said 41 kids who have played at the tournament are now in the college system in the US Marton and Palmerston North during the Anzac weekend event Whanganui is special to me but it has got to make sense with the other side of things with the event and its growth,” Berridge said He said the three-point contest and dunk contest were the marquee events of the tournament This year marked the highest number of female participants with 24 teams across the under-13 and under-15 grades Berridge said New Zealand must do more to keep girls involved in basketball as they get older “The growth of the participation of women is there and it is the highest participated sport at high school – you can see the fruits of that through these clubs that come,” he said The growth in the female game was evident with Mia Christensen winning the three-point contest these girls can shoot just as good as the boys and in those pressured situations she delivered,” he said Whanganui social services are bracing for the planned pullback of police from mental health callouts and Whanganui has "once in a lifetime" softball talent Mike Tweed is a Multimedia Journalist for the Whanganui Chronicle See terms of use for easy access to all your favourite programmes My Vaccine Pass requirements have not been set for this event This autumn Pitch Black are touring to celebrate the inaugural vinyl release of Rude Mechanicals Also coming out will be a new collection of remixes which features mixes from the album's original era plus contemporary reinterpretations Joining us at Porridge Watson is Ludus who has played with Pitch Black a number of times over the years Education Minister Erica Stanford with Whanganui MP Carl Bates Education Minister Erica Stanford says resource literacy teachers are “extraordinary” and any reinvestment of funding is due to the system Earlier this year, the Ministry of Education told principals that money for Resource Teachers: Literacy (RTlit) and Resource Teachers: Māori could be reinvested in “more optimised and efficient frontline supports and services for schools” That would free up $55 million over four years but what it will be spent on is yet to be revealed Stanford spoke to secondary and primary school teachers during a trip to Whanganui last week She told the Chronicle that RTLit teachers were well qualified and did an amazing job “They are responsible for a huge number of schools and they spend a lot of time driving between schools and not enough time in classrooms.” She said she was looking at using their skills differently with “some big announcements at the Budget” While the uncertainty was difficult and a tricky situation for teachers “We are trying to get resources directly into classrooms and working with children and I think [teachers] will feel very comfortable in the next month or so.” In March, Whanganui resource teacher of literacy Nicky Collins said she supported making the service more equitable “We’ll just have to see what happens but this is critical for those children that struggle the most,” Collins said “I’m still running multiple workshops every term All those sorts of programmes will just be gone.” Meanwhile, Stanford said the Government’s decision to introduce economic literacy classes for Years 1 to 10, starting next year was something parents had been calling for “You learn a lot of stuff at school that is interesting and might lead to a career but isn’t something that will help you in your everyday life,” she said “It would be nice to say that we could leave it up to parents to do but this has been ongoing for such a long time that parents haven’t had that education themselves.” Figures from January for the Manawatū-Whanganui region showed 73.4% of students stayed at school until they were 17 Stanford said students should be staying at secondary school and the Government was working to make changes to NCEA - “three years of high-stakes assessments” the Education Review Office’s head of Education Evaluation Centre said most countries did not have assessments across all three years (11 we need to reduce flexibility so there is more consistency and students don’t miss out on key knowledge and reduce variability so different subjects and assessments are an equal amount of work and difficulty,” Shinoda said Stanford said if students were going to leave after Year 11 “If you are going to leave into the workforce or into further training “Those are the considerations we are looking at.” The minister said speaking directly to teachers was her “absolute favourite thing in the world” and she would spend most of her time in Whanganui doing that and it’s all very well for me to stand up and say ‘we are going to do this’,” she said “The people who implement it on the ground are our principals and our teachers who do it every day in the classroom.” Byfords Readi-Mix Taihape slipped past a gutted Tāmata Hauhā Rātana 30-25 at Memorial Park on Saturday The Tasman Tanning Premier competition continues to provide grandstand finishes as a penalty try from a 5m scrum with no time left saw hosts Byfords Readi-Mix Taihape slip past a gutted Tāmata Hauhā Rātana 30-25 at Memorial Park on Saturday Having led from the start until all but the finish Rātana’s talented young backline had an under-strength Taihape scrambling from the opening exchanges Rātana fullback Rangi Kui was in superb form with two tries and a 17-point haul try-scoring centre Cody Hemi and winger Tex Tuvanawai looked dangerous with nearly every touch with some tenacious cover defence and the boot of their talented first-five Chad Whale having kept them in the game Taihape now called upon their cast-iron veterans Peter Travis Hay-Horton (moon boot) and Sam Reeves assistant coach and No 8 Tremaine Gilbert had a very strong 60-minute shift including driving through tacklers for Taihape’s sole first-half try His departure saw former Whanganui skipper Dane Whale move back out to second-five and take charge of battle plans Te Uhi Hakaraia and Miller Kelsey made big gains The hosts scored through lock Mitchell Overton being driven through by the pack on one side of the field and then evergreen fullback Blake James Rātana could have still sealed the match at 25-23 as they got Taihape trapped inside their 30m with first a scrum and then a lineout but proceeded to infringe at both and let the home side grind their way back up the park Getting another penalty down in the pocket Taihape opted for the scrum and drove with the ball at Sweet’s feet and as a Rātana hand reached through to rake the pill back the referee had no choice but to jog to the posts Both teams were reduced to 14 men at different times through two yellow cards each – as there were a few willing exchanges in what became a passionate country game Taihape coach Sefo Bourke acknowledged that while they are missing some key players those who remain still know how to deliver in crunch time “Especially with Dane out there and a few of those other boys really impactful – especially that last 5-10 minutes,“ he said “I thought the option to take a scrum right at the end was probably the best option especially going to a lineout ball where it’s always 50-50 “A couple of defensive lapses let them score a couple of tries but in the pressure moments right in the end there Rātana coach Jamie Hughes wanted his team to take the painful lesson about keeping composed when momentum starts to turn “Rugby’s an 80-minute game - I think we might have played 90 minutes today they come back right at the end and got it right on the death a few college kids stepping up and playing in the front row so that’s good to see those young fellas come through and get some good minutes too – they didn’t let us down.” Ballance Agri-Nutrients worker says there a lot of anxiety over potential loss of jobs Police are responding to reports of a firearms sighting in Whanganui Police say a potential firearms sighting in Whanganui was a false alarm There was a visible police presence on Guyton St and Wicksteed St about 10.30am on Thursday They were actively making inquiries to determine the validity of the report there is not believed to be any threat to the safety of the public.” police said the item sighted had been confirmed as “not a firearm” Eva de Jong is a reporter for the Whanganui Chronicle covering health stories and general news Gerrard Albert has been appointed to the Waitangi Tribunal for a three-year term Whanganui iwi leader Gerrard Albert has been appointed to the Waitangi Tribunal The appointment was confirmed by Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka on Friday is the former chair of Ngā Tāngata Tiaki o Whanganui the post-settlement governance body for Te Awa Tupua He has more than 20 years of experience in Treaty settlement negotiations including a pivotal role in the Te Awa Tupua (Whanganui River) Settlement and more than 30 years in natural resource management The minister said Albert’s expertise in these areas would make him a valuable addition to the tribunal “With his extensive experience in Treaty matters Gerrard will bring invaluable knowledge and leadership to the tribunal,” Potaka said “His appointment will ensure the tribunal continues its important work in hearing and reporting Treaty claims in a timely manner.” The minister said he was confident the appointment would support the progress of Treaty-based Māori-Crown relationships “Having a diverse range of expertise on the tribunal is key to ensuring we continue to deliver effective and timely outcomes for Māori and the Crown.” Albert has been appointed for a three-year term to fill a vacancy The Te Hue Rd site is about 32km from Raetihi A rural Whanganui rubbish site is being hit with dumping from a different district and the council is considering moving it to a secret location Whanganui District Council waste service manager Morgan Harrison told the Whanganui Rural Community Board the Te Hue Rd site about 52km northeast of the city off State Highway 4 “We have a litter team that spends half a day there once a week to clean up the site before our contractor empties those bins,” she said “It’s not an efficient use of staff time.” While some letters found in the rubbish were from Whanganui, most were from Raetihi “We have reached out to the Ruapehu District Council and are awaiting a response.” It was reported last month that Raetihi’s unmanned recycling station on SH4 was close to closure because of overflowing bins contamination and dumping of non-recyclable rubbish Ruapehu Mayor Weston Kirton said fly-tipping was a major issue in his district as well people are just throwing stuff over the bank,” he said “There are cars and all sorts of crap we have to deal with all the time Kirton said he was happy to discuss the issue with the Whanganui council “If rubbish is coming from the Ruapehu area it’s abuse of a facility set aside for residents,” he said Harrison said the council was considering moving the Te Hue Rd site to an undisclosed location or decommissioning it completely “We would inform residents about the nearest site She said there had been a washing machine in one of the bins as well as an old water tank and logging waste “There is also a large amount of recyclables that could be disposed of in a better way “Someone has caught wind [of the site] and just shared the love.” was probably more accessible from Raetihi than Whanganui Te Hue Rd is about 32km from the Ruapehu town From January to November last year, the Whanganui council spent about $80,000 cleaning up 51 tonnes of illegal waste across the district council waste operations manager John Sula said the rural rubbish site at Brunswick was being decommissioned “It has gone from a rubbish bag drop-off site to a tie where there is whiteware “This has become a health and safety concern not only for our litter team who monitor the site Sula said a rubbish collection contractor would open up more roads on its network to cover the area with an undisclosed location available for those not receiving that service the council was still in “an information gathering stage” rather than enforcement because cameras had only just been installed Dumped letters from Raetihi were usually part of household clear-outs “By the time you send them a letter [about the dumping] they’re not living in that property any more She said 161 tonnes of general rubbish were collected from Whanganui’s rural sites over the past five months Harrison told the board the council’s waste plan would be reviewed next year “Let’s work together and develop a really strong rural solution “Put your problem-solving hats on and let’s have a chat about it.” Bizen Miyake (in cap) with cafe staff Caitlyn Crawford (left) The cafe at Whanganui’s Rotokawau Virginia Lake is back up and running Bizen Miyake, owner of the Momiji restaurant on Victoria Ave He said the kitchen at the Virginia Lake Cafe was still being set up there will be a breakfast menu,” Miyake said we’ll announce longer opening hours for dinnertime.” who previously owned a restaurant in Kyoto said he had loved the lake setting since arriving in Whanganui “The property came up on a list so we thought we would give it a try.” He also operates Momiji Grab n’ Go on Maria Place. The site at Virginia Lake is owned by Whanganui District Council chief strategy officer Sarah O’Hagan said it was wonderful to see a new chapter beginning for the cafe “Virginia Lake is a special and important place for both locals and visitors,” she said “We’re really pleased to support this next step and look forward to seeing the cafe become a well-loved part of the lake experience once again.” the cafe was run by Dave Hill as the Funky Duck Hill’s lease expired in March. Miyake said he planned to continue the Funky Duck’s tradition of selling duck food “Our staff are also local and they suggested that to me,” he said They [ducks] have their food and we have our food the Virginia Lake Cafe will be open every day from 8.30am to 3.30pm Prime Minister Christopher Luxon stops by the 2PieNgatai cafe at the Whanganui Airport Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says the Government makes “no apologies” for a controversial mining project being included on its fast-track list in Whanganui to meet with farmers and tradespeople said a fast-track application from Trans-Tasman Resources (TTR) still had to go before an independent panel “We are determined that this country is going to grow and our extractive resources and critical minerals are a really important part of that growth,” Luxon said but it obviously has to go through an expert panel that looks at the economic and environmental benefits a lot closer.” green energy required access to critical minerals “There will be difficult and contentious projects and people have lots of different reactions to it but the day of this country not growing is over we’ve got a lot of things to get going with.” The Prime Minister said Whanganui District Council was in good financial shape and he was pleased to see its progress around Local Water Done Well requirements “Three district councils [Whanganui, Ruapehu and Rangitīkei] are coming together to form some kind of council-controlled organisation and I think that’s gone very well,” he said “There is plenty of capacity for the Whanganui council to borrow for infrastructure projects It’s a worry when you see debt being run up because councils are wasting it on frivolous and stupid stuff.” The project was eventually scrapped after public consultation on the council’s long-term plan for 2024-2034 That is not what ratepayers pay the council to do,” Luxon said “The core business is to deliver services to ratepayers and do the basics brilliantly.” He said all councils had submitted to the Government’s regional deal initiative which aims to establish long-term agreements between central and local government “Let’s get on to the things that both parties can support and it needs to be more in the hard infrastructure space “We are going through a process of looking at those submissions with our officials then we’ll engage with the councils and get an agreement in place.” Luxon said he had visited Whanganui “a few times now” and enjoyed being in the district His itinerary this week included a speech to Federated Farmers at the Fordell Hall and a visit to Mitre 10 Mega Whanganui to meet with tradespeople “We are trying to get houses built in this country and it’s been a challenge [in Whanganui],” he said “It takes too long and it costs too much to build in New Zealand Former Whanganui City College rugby player Waisake Naholo prepares for a head injury assessment (HIA) during the 2017 British and Irish Lions Tour ACC’s 2024 statistics for concussions suffered in sport indicate Whanganui and surrounding districts are improving concussion prevention Forty Whanganui people have been selected for a citizens' assembly that will be paid to come up with recommendations for the council on the future of outdoor pools Whanganui is ready to launch its first citizens’ assembly to shape the future of outdoor swimming in the district The initiative will test an ancient model of participatory democracy to guide Whanganui District Council toward decisions on a tricky issue 40 residents have been painstakingly selected for a diverse assembly that will be paid to discuss and debate the future of outdoor pools and come up with recommendations for the council The assembly will gather for up to five weekly workshops told Local Democracy Reporting those appointed were broadly representative of Whanganui demographics 10% from Whanganui East and a representative range of all age groups from 14 to over 80 The initiative is expected to cost $30,000 More than 300 people volunteered in February and March to participate in the assembly — first proposed by the mayor — with council promos urging residents: “Get paid to join our citizens’ assembly” Each person will receive $500 to attend a series of four to five meetings facilitated by an independent expert consider findings from a study on outdoor swimming in Whanganui and develop a recommendation on outdoor swimming pools for elected representatives to consider during the annual plan process the council proposed closing Whanganui East Pool because of upcoming capital and operating costs But strong community support for the pool and outdoor swimming in general kept the pool open for another season and councillors commissioned a study on the future of the city’s facilities council officers would assess the study’s findings and identify a preferred option to bring to the council for discussion before any community consultation the assembly will develop recommendations on behalf of the community The 40 participants were randomly selected by ballot according to demographic information to make sure those chosen reflect the Whanganui community Council chief executive David Langford said earlier in the year that citizens’ assemblies originated in ancient Rome and had been successful around the world because they brought together a diverse range of voices and allowed participants time to explore an issue in depth Accredited independent facilitator Kirsty Ferguson will support the assembly to discuss the issues and work toward developing a recommendation to present to councillors on the future of outdoor pools in Whanganui Five evening workshops have been scheduled at the Pioneer Room at the Whanganui War Memorial Centre Contractors work to replace a wastewater pipe on Nixon St in 2023 Whanganui District Council’s preferred water delivery model is facing strong opposition from parts of the community Public submissions on Whanganui’s delivery of storm, waste and drinking water numbered 222 with more than 75% preferring the council retain an in-house business model - the status quo Other options were a multi-council controlled organisation (CCO) model (with Rangitīkei and Ruapehu) the status quo or a CCO featuring numerous councils in the Horizons region During hearings this week, former civil engineer Colin Anderson said joining with the other two authorities could mean Whanganui subsidised their water infrastructure costs He said the submissions - a key part of the process - showed concerns about costs and the loss of local control “Most people believed Whanganui had been prudent over previous years in upgrading its facilities and didn’t want to pay for others who had not been so prudent support your ratepayers and vote as instructed by your community.” According to the council’s consultation document Whanganui’s water services user costs were similar for all models in the first few years of operation the three-council option became cheaper over time compared with going it alone water charges as a percentage of median household income remain at approximately 2.4%-2.6%.” The document said any CCO model could borrow up to five times its revenue for water construction projects with the status quo able to borrow only up to 2.8 times the 2.8 figure included borrowing for all council projects Whanganui resident Russell Bell said he supported the council’s preferred option and the status quo could be seen as “not politically astute” by the Government which wanted to reduce the number of authorities managing water services “Three district councils are coming together to form some kind of council-controlled organisation and I think that’s gone very well,” he said while the status quo was the riskiest option for the council’s balance sheet it meant existing jobs could be retained in Whanganui there would a be sole focus on the district and the connection between water and other council services that had to comply with the Te Awa Tupua Act would be maintained Whanganui Residents and Ratepayers Association members Tim Stubbs and Graham Holloway spoke at the hearings Both supported retaining an in-house business model Holloway said no one had helped Whanganui with its water delivery “Why should the ratepayers support parasites of other districts who haven’t maintained or upgraded their waters as well as we have Whanganui resident Renee Zyp-Vanderlaan said in her submission that she trusted the council and was happy with its preference but I see the benefit in working with other councils because of the potential to support each other “I am also on board with keeping costs down as we are a relatively low-decile city and our rates may already be hard for some to pay.” the preferred option involved harmonisation where the cost of Three Waters infrastructure is ring-fenced within each council “The delivery model is regional or sub-regional but the costs to do it are contained within each district.” Tripe said water delivery was one of the biggest decisions the council would make for years He told the Chronicle he understood submitters’ concerns we are in a fortunate position where we can revert back to status quo A person is in critical condition after a late-night crash in Whanganui A pedestrian has been taken to hospital in a critical condition after a crash in Whanganui Police said they received a report of a crash involving a vehicle and a pedestrian about 11.35pm on Sunday It happened at the intersection of State Highway 3 and Hewitts Rd in Marybank “One person was transported to hospital in a critical condition.” The road was blocked while emergency services were at the scene Fire and Emergency NZ shift manager Belinda Beets said two fire trucks from the Whanganui station attended Firefighters assisted police with the removal of the vehicle Hato Hone St John sent two ambulances and took the critically injured person to hospital Head of development at Te Whare O Rehua Sarjeant Gallery Nicki Manthel Head of development at Te Whare O Rehua Sarjeant Gallery is kept busy in her job fundraising and bringing together a community of art donors and supporters Manthel had worked for eight and a half years in a similar development role for City Gallery Wellington she worked in Melbourne for an independent art gallery and taught contemporary painting at the Malvern Art Society the City Gallery Wellington Foundation fund was established but there was no ongoing fundraising to develop it Having successfully built a community of supporters for City Gallery Wellington she has now brought her skills and knowledge to Whanganui “Arts philanthropists like to have the opportunity to make a difference and also to feel they belong to something greater than themselves to feel deeply connected to the gallery,” Manthel said “Now I’ve come to the Sarjeant Gallery where there’s this wonderful generous community of givers who gave to restore and strengthen the heritage building and build the extension; Te Pātaka o Tā Te Atawhai Archie John Taiaroa “So now I’m trying to build and expand on that sense of community amongst them.” An endowment fund has been created from private donations and is managed by Te Whare O Rehua Sarjeant Gallery Trust whose primary focus until now has been raising funds for the redevelopment project the trust is turning its attention to supporting the work that goes on inside the building and creating a legacy for future generations “The Sarjeant Gallery Endowment Fund works hard to support the core work of the gallery building the collection and ensuring its conservation,” Manthel said “The fund would also support an international or touring exhibition that could mean saying ‘yes’ to a bold curatorial decision “Those are the things that bring audiences from around New Zealand and overseas to Whanganui and to the gallery “It is also part of a strategy to encourage people to return to the gallery.” The gallery refreshes exhibitions every three months or so Te Pātaka o Tā Te Atawhai Archie John Taiaroa involvement and financial support from Whanganui businesses was crucial for the gallery opening and also demonstrated the community’s buy-in Manthel is seeking a new sponsor for the currently named Pattillo Whanganui Arts Review Pattillo has generously provided five years of sponsorship to New Zealand’s longest-running open-call “It means that artists are supported and the review also has a really high profile There are hundreds of entries and massive visitation.” The major sponsor generously provides the substantial first prize Manthel also organises events so that donors and supporters of the gallery feel engaged and informed She has recently organised a trip for a group of the Sarjeant’s supporters to visit the Aotearoa Art Fair some private collections and artist studios in Auckland She provides opportunities for supporters to learn about the behind-the-scenes complexities of maintaining and growing an art collection of national importance be an exhibition partner or align their business brand with the Sarjeant Gallery donors and supporters can advocate for the gallery both nationally and internationally “This means that people are out there in the community talking about the gallery backing it as well as contributing financially,” she said Manthel said people’s wellbeing and enrichment of community life underpin her work and that of the gallery “That’s terribly important and usually an unquantifiable thing except that 74,000 visitors have had their lives enriched in the last five months by coming to the Sarjeant.” Use the feedback function below to let us know what URL you were trying to get to Taihape's promising first five Chad Whale is one to watch this season It will be interesting to see if youth comes to the fore when Byfords Readi Mix Taihape host the unbeaten Tāmata Hauhā Rātana at Memorial Park on Saturday This third weekend of the Tasman Tanning Premier competition matches up two promising first fives who could each become the player to build the Steelform Whanganui team around in coming years a former Collegiate 1st XV player who played Manawatū Development XV level helped spark a remarkable comeback in the Pā last weekend for Rātana to draw 43-43 with Waverley Harvesting Border Running the cutter for Taihape is Chad Whale who has starred for the Heartland Hurricanes Under 20s and last season the NZ Heartland U20s Taihape won’t have the Barracks Challenge Shield to defend having surrendered it last weekend to Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau 38-26 but the inter-club Whenuaroa Shield will be at stake “We’ve just been struggling just for a real solid bench had a few guys unavailable and a few guys injured especially from the Marist game [in week one],” said Taihape coach Sefo Bourke “We went into the Kaierau game not as deep on the bench as we’d like – the reason why Tremaine [Gilbert] had to play off the bench that’s what got us as well as their fast start and our poor start.” Taihape have been reinforced in the front row by the Hakaraias – 55-game Whanganui rep Gabriel and former Development XV and Māori rep Te Uhi transferring from McCarthy’s Transport Ruapehu but him bringing Te Uhi and Jack Kinder,” said Bourke of the talented flanker Taihape’s other experienced men include Peter-Travis Hay-Horton Veteran Luke Whale is assisting Bourke and Gilbert as a backs coach as his knee injury during the warm-up for Whanganui’s game against King Country last October has not come right former Whanganui captain Dane Whale remains on the reserves bench “We just want to develop Chad into the player we think he can be – definitely got a lot of natural talent there – but just his game management stuff he needs to work on “We’ve got Dane there as a back-up at the moment Dane’s just easing his way back into footy off the bench gives us really good cover in most of the backline positions.” That backline will have to work hard to contain the likes of Rātana’s Mason fullback Rangi Kui and young skipper Brooklyn Herewini But Bourke fancies the prospects of his own bolters as well “Young Hamuera Raukawa on the wing has played two really really good games – he got a really good try against Kaierau which kept us in the game.” Taihape v Rātana Memorial Park; Kaierau v Marist Strong winds and heavy rain heralded the beginning of May in Whanganui Wild weather in the Whanganui district has caused power cuts to more than 600 properties and flight cancellations the district experienced heavy rainfall and “strong winds” MetService meteorologist Surprise Mhlongo said the district had just under 10mm rain in the past 12 hours with the majority falling from midnight to 3am-4am we haven’t been having a period of heavy falls in the early hours of the morning The district has had constant light rain throughout the day on Thursday The strong wind was likely the cause of more than 600 power outages Powerco said power was cut to 608 customers in Whanganui about 9am including more than 300 in the Fordell area The majority of customers had their power restored during the morning with just over 100 still without power at 12.30pm “Powerco thanks customers for their patience and understanding as crews worked as quickly and safely as possible to make repairs and restore power to all affected customers.” Powerco is investigating the cause of the outage Thursday morning’s Air Chathams flight from Auckland to Whanganui was cancelled because of the weather “We cancelled this morning’s flight because the crosswinds were above the ability for the aircraft to land,” Air Chathams Auckland office manager Gray Tinley said “The afternoon flights are still scheduled to depart on time but that could however change if the weather doesn’t permit it.” MetService predicts the winds will remain strong with an increasing trend heading into Friday and constant rain Whanganui District Council emergency manager Tim Crowe said there were no concerns that the rainfall would reach levels that could cause local issues so we encourage residents to stay up-to-date with official forecasts,” Crowe said “A large wave warning remains in place for our coastal areas We advise against boating or fishing today [Thursday] and ask people to take care around beaches and the South and North Moles.” Crowe advised residents to check drains and remove any rubbish or leaves that may cause blockages especially to the south and throughout the greater Wellington region The only incident the council reported was a fallen tree on State Highway 3 at Cobham Bridge that was referred to NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi A person is critically injured after a crash at Oceanview Speedway in Whanganui By RNZ A person has been cut from a car after a crash at Oceanview Speedway in Whanganui Fire and Emergency shift manager Alison Munn said they were called to the speedway just before 6pm on Saturday and a crew from Whanganui cut someone out of the car following the crash The speedway declined RNZ’s request for comment and has posted on social media asking anyone with footage of the crash to delete it “We sincerely ask that if you have footage of what happened in the hotlaps to please delete,” the speedway wrote family and friends,” one person wrote on Facebook on the post Hato Hone St John said it transported one person to Whanganui hospital in critical condition The only high-reach ladder truck in Auckland broke down last night South Taranaki and Ruapehu are packed with events for the April 2025 school holidays It’s school holiday time again and there’s plenty to keep the children entertained Here’s your guide to some of what’s happening in Whanganui, Rangitīkei, South Taranaki and Ruapehu during the April school holidays with crafts The holidays are packed with craft events but they are not all crayons and glitter Curious kids can solve crimes with their DIY walkie-talkies Whanganui Regional Museum has craft workshops to prepare for Easter including making clay keychains animal headbands and building a bunny burrow The bigger kids can try out miniature painting in a class at the Sarjeant Gallery for 12 to 18-year-olds a Whanganui-based miniature painting and 3D printing studio Painting miniature figures is a hobby often connected to Dungeons and Dragons and other tabletop games to better bring the characters to life Get out in the sun while crafting with Ruapehu Libraries’ pot painting classes available at Taumarunui and Ohakune libraries The two libraries will have a craft table open from 10am to 4pm every day of the school holidays for free form crafting Or keep away from the mess of paint and glue with the Lego club South Taranaki District Council has planned a long list of fun craft events making key rings and making planters and games from recycled materials There are plenty of non-craft activities in South Taranaki as well. For the sporty kids, there’s the ninja kid challenge, rugby skills, roller skating, tennis and a colour run. Two movie nights are scheduled at Hāwera Cinema as part of the programme with newly-released films Dog Man and Snow White The Big Day Out will feature indoor trampolines Bulls Library has different activities each week of the holidays while the second will have virtual reality Marton Library has a range of activities over the two weeks including play dough Up-and-coming soccer stars can perfect their skills with Central Football There is a three-day holiday programme in Whanganui a one-day goalkeeping programme in Whanganui and a two-day programme in Hāwera For more Easter-themed fun head to Whanganui Toy Library’s Easter Bunny Adventure supported by Little Nui More information can be found on the Whanganui District Library Facebook page For more information email cathy@centralfootball.co.nz email info@wrm.org.nz or visit wrm.org.nz/visit/events/ to buy tickets message the Whanganui Toy Library on Facebook for more information email cathy@centralfootball.co.nz Children must be accompanied by a caregiver for more information email johng@centralfootball.co.nz To see the rest of the events on South Taranaki District Council’s Happening Holidays schedule visit southtaranaki.com/our-community/events/ Olivia Reid is a multimedia journalist based in Whanganui People in Whanganui are advised to “keep a close eye on the forecast” this week with MetService predicting a mixed bag of weather MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane said the transition into May would be a “whirlwind” for Whanganui but from midweek it takes a bit of a turn with much wetter cooler and windier conditions expected,” Makgabutlane said “It is one of those weeks where it would be a good idea to keep a close eye on the forecast – the location and intensity of the expected weather will be closely tied to where the weather system is formed," she said Whanganui is expected to be warm with highs of 23C on Monday and 24C on Tuesday and Wednesday “There’s quite a few warm places in the country and it looks like Whanganui is one of them,” Makgabutlane said Tuesday would be similar to Monday with cloud and a chance of showers Wednesday was expected to be the turning point of the week with warm mornings followed by southeasterly winds in the afternoon in coastal areas Makgabutlane said the day would be split in two “Temperatures look to remain warm in the mid-20s; however a little bit of rain starting to roll through,” she said “The second half of the day is a little different from the first half.” She said Thursday was likely to “continue in a wet fashion” with southeasterly windy conditions and a high of 18C Friday was likely to be even cooler with a high of 16C and a low of 10C in addition to morning rain along with the same southerly wind blowing through Makgabutlane said the overnight temperatures across the working week were normal for this time of year with an average of 11.8C Embedding a council partnership with Māori into New Zealand law will support a "positive and necessary" shift Whanganui District Council will next month decide on proposals put forward for the Treaty of Waitangi settlement being negotiated by Whanganui iwi and hapū The proposals would embed into Treaty settlement legislation how the council partners with Takapau Whariki the proposed post-settlement governance entity (PSGE) for Whanganui Māori Around 350 people attended two information sessions co-hosted by the Whanganui Land Settlement Negotiation Trust (WLSNT) and the council in December about proposals that would legislate the council's post-Treaty settlement relationship with hapū and iwi As part of redress for breaches of Te Tiriti o Waitangi Whanganui Māori are proposing a platform for joint initiatives The three elements of the platform are to: At its meeting on 13 February, the council is to consider signing up to the binding partnership - described in December by mayor Andrew Tripe as an unprecedented opportunity and "a world-first indigenous-council partnership" Negotiations between WLSNT and the Crown are expected to be finalised early this year The council must make decisions on the proposals ahead of this the council said on its website that partnership opportunities integrated into the settlement would bring benefits to the entire community "It's clear that a one-size-fits-all approach from central government is not working "By partnering with Whanganui Land Settlement we are leading a shift towards local solutions for local issues we have a deeper understanding of our people's needs effective solutions that central government cannot we can develop approaches that truly reflect the unique needs of our community." Asked about the cost of the initiatives and who would pay the council said there were no additional costs to the council at this stage for the three initiatives "The relationship agreement focuses on working together in a values-based way to benefit the Whanganui community emphasising open communication and transparency," the council said "The direct costs to ratepayers are expected to be very small." There would be no changes in the immediate term to council costs for reserve management "The council will continue to maintain the reserves as it does now ensuring the cost to ratepayers remains minimal "Reserve management planning will flow into long term and annual budgeting processes Board fees for appointees would not be significant The council said the cost of maintaining reserves as shared public spaces would continue to be funded through rates "Moving the administrator status from the council to a joint Statutory Board will not result in any change or additional impact on ratepayers for reserve management." Ownership of reserves would remain with the Crown "The only change being proposed is that the administration of these specific reserves under the Reserves Act will shift from the council to a joint statutory board." That decision had been made through the Treaty settlement process by the Crown The Pākaitore Moutoa Gardens Historic Reserve would be transferred from Crown ownership to the PSGE and administered by the joint board The council (and/or community groups) would continue to own and maintain the buildings at Pukenamu Queen's Park and at the Gonville/ Tawhero Domain Costs for the social well-being entity Toitū te Whānau were still being determined "WLSNT are still in the early stages of developing and shaping this concept in partnership with Crown agencies," the council said "In the immediate term the Crown agencies who will work with this initiative will bring their own resourcing and cover their own costs." WLSNT would also contribute to establishment costs Asked why the proposed relationship agreement had not been made available to the public the council said the agreement was designed "to foster collaboration cooperative partnership to address issues and opportunities effectively." The concept of the relationship agreement had been in the public arena since negotiations began and was outlined in the WLSNT Agreement in Principle The council could not share the draft agreement because negotiations were still underway "Any early release would cause prejudice to the goodwill of the parties and the collaboration described above It could also affect the progress of the negotiations." The council expects the relationship agreement will be released to the public in the meeting agenda for 13 February The potential for a "world-first indigenous-council partnership" between the WDC and Māori will be on the table next week Whanganui council is going public with aspects of the Treaty settlement being negotiated by iwi before it considers signing up to a binding "world-first indigenous-council partnership" The upper Whanganui River iwi has initialled its Deed of Settlement for historical Treaty of Waitangi claims Andrew Tripe on Tuesday voted in favour of establishing two Māori wards seats in the district Gerrard Albert had a lead role in the negotiations and discusses the legal settlement with Jesse Local Democracy Reporting RSS Follow RNZ News The school's main building was built in 1927 The 98-year-old building that was once Whanganui’s St George’s Preparatory School could be demolished On March 17, Whanganui District Council secured resource consent for “partial demolition of a Class C heritage building” with remediation of asbestos-contaminated soil underneath chief strategy officer Sarah O’Hagan said the council was assessing the property’s potential in line with its six-point plan to keep rates affordable One of those points is identifying sources of non-rates revenue “We know that the older buildings on the property do not meet seismic safety standards and we have identified asbestos throughout the older parts of the buildings,” O’Hagan said Although the resource consent had been granted “no decision has been made on the site’s future” the holder has five years to implement them The former school at 125 Grey St was built in 1927 St George’s moved to the Whanganui Collegiate campus in 2011 after a decline in student numbers According to the council’s heritage inventory the “substantial two-storey school” was designed in the neo-Georgian style “The base of the building is brick with the upper floor in rough cast render “Between the two north-facing wings is a more modern single-storey building forming an entry to the school facing Grey St.” O’Hagan said the council’s assessment and resource consent did not apply to the newer administration building and the early childhood centre (Whanganui Y-Kids Early Learning Centre) at the southern corner of the site Holdings did not reveal how much the buildings were bought for because of commercial sensitivity and the council did not provide a figure when asked this week NZICPA used some of the buildings from the second half of 2019 until June 2021 Ownership of the site has since transferred from Whanganui District Holdings to the council, with Holdings currently in the process of disestablishment The joint partnership with Te Ngakinga o Whanganui ended in 2022 “Things came to a sudden halt because the world was closed down and there was no way to get the students we relied upon to get a return on that investment at St George’s,” former Holdings chairwoman Annette Main said “A major opportunity to develop the flight school was lost.” A council spokesperson said the only occupied building included in the resource consent for demolition was a two-storey classroom block built in 1969 Whanganui Mayor Andrew Tripe said his father and sister attended the school Many people had connections to St George’s but the buildings had been mostly vacant for several years “and we need to do something” “There comes a point where we have to consider all options “We are looking at ways to better utilise our assets as far as maximising a return.” Tripe said it remained a “desirable site” because of its location “Whanganui is doing its best to retain heritage where we can and it’s a real point of difference for us but we need to be pragmatic about what this site holds for the future.” St George’s School declined to comment on the council’s resource consent More than 300 people have signed up so far to participate in Whanganui city's first citizens' assembly Whanganui District Council is expecting more registrations over the next week before the cutoff at midnight on Sunday Council promos are urging residents: 'Get paid to join our citizens' assembly!' "A group of local people will be paid to discuss and debate the future of outdoor swimming in our district," an online promo says The council initiative - first proposed by the mayor - will bring together 40 residents randomly selected from those who register Each person will receive $500 to attend a series of four to five meetings facilitated by an independent expert and lasting about three hours each consider findings from a study on outdoor swimming in Whanganui and develop a recommendation on outdoor swimming pools for elected representatives to consider during this year's annual plan process Council chief executive David Langford said citizens' assemblies have been successful around the world because they bring together a diverse range of voices and allow participants time to explore an issue in depth "The strong level of interest we're seeing confirms that people want to be involved in shaping decisions that matter to them," Langford said The 40 participants will be chosen using a random selector tool and demographic information to make sure those selected reflect the Whanganui community Mayor Andrew Tripe said the council was always open to trying new and different ways of engaging with the community and he was pleased people were taking up the opportunity "I am looking forward to hearing the ideas for this important community decision," Tripe said But community feedback strongly supported the pool and outdoor swimming in general prompting a decision by elected members to keep the pool open for another season and commission a study on the future of the city's facilities council officers would assess the study's findings and identify a preferred option to bring to council for discussion before any community consultation the assembly will develop a recommendation on behalf of the community Backing the citizens' assembly proposal last month councillor Glenda Brown said it was an exciting opportunity "The community feel like we don't listen to them much of the time This is an example of democratic leadership." - LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air It's intended to set a platform for joint work between the council and the post settlement governance entity Takapau Whāriki An iwi partnership is being considered by Whanganui District Council which could encompass management of reserves and a trust to foster social well-being - and could be legally binding says a lot has changed in the 30 years since they made their stand Police guard the Whanganui Community Corrections office on Wilson St where a staff member was stabbed A 25-year-old man has appeared in Whanganui District Court today after the stabbing of a Whanganui Community Corrections staff member The man is charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm by stabbing A staff member was critically injured during an assault at the Wilson St service centre about 10am on Wednesday The defendant was granted interim name suppression and remanded without plea until May 20 The duty lawyer said psychiatric reports were “likely to be ordered” under the Mentally Impaired Persons Act The man was remanded in custody by consent until his next appearance partnerships and pathways director Glenn Morrison commended staff who showed “extreme bravery” in restraining and securing the offender until police arrived as well as giving first aid to their colleague Morrison said he understood the staff member’s injuries were “not life-threatening” “Our staff come to work every day to keep our communities safe and this sort of violence against our staff is unacceptable “We appreciate this would have been an extremely distressing incident for them and are offering them our full support.” Police said the victim was in a stable condition in hospital and was being supported Four people were flown to hospital after two jetboats crashed on the Whanganui River on Saturday Police said they were called to the accident some kilometres upriver from Whanganui City A spokesperson for Hato Hone St John said four patients were take to Whanganui Base Hospital by helicopter Several other people were treated at the scene for minor injuries Fire and Emergency and the Whanganui Coastguard all responded Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday New Zealand RSS Police guard the Whanganui Community Corrections office where a staff member was critically injured during an assault A staff member has been critically injured after an assault at Whanganui Community Corrections in the central city Corrections described how staff had “intervened and subdued the offender” during the assault at the Wilson St service centre about 10am on Wednesday partnerships and pathways director Glenn Morrison said a staff member was taken to hospital “While we are limited in the information we can provide at this stage we understand their condition is not life-threatening “I would like to acknowledge our Corrections staff who intervened and subdued the offender,” he said Morrison commended the efforts of staff who showed “extreme bravery” in restraining and securing the offender until police arrived as well as providing first aid to their colleague Police said they found the alleged offender nearby and took them into custody without incident A cordon remained outside the service centre as of 1.30pm with one officer standing guard and two police vehicles parked outside Hato Hone St John said it took the injured staff member “in a critical condition” to Whanganui Hospital Police are investigating the circumstances of the incident Whanganui has just over 1000km of water (storm Whanganui District Council has settled on a joint-council model featuring Ruapehu and Rangitīkei as its preferred option for the future of water services Public consultation will now open from March 17 to April 14 in what Deputy Mayor Helen Craig says is one of the most “important decisions with long-term impact that this community is facing” The other councils have already signed off on consultation for the model Whanganui Three Waters transition manager Kathryn Stewart told the council’s strategy and policy committee the Government was driving a tight timeline for delivery of a water services plan under its Local Water Done Well legislation Councils must submit their plans by September 3 with the Government confirming them from October implementation will begin the following month According to the consultation document, Whanganui has just over 1000km of water (storm, waste and drinking) pipeline Craig said there was a lot of information in the consultation papers “My message to the community is if you can sit down and read this as soon as it comes out,” she said “I personally think this is one of the most important decisions with long-term impact that this community is facing The council has included three other options in the consultation – a new water services council-controlled organisation (CCO) 100% owned by the council a multi-council CCO with as many councils in the Manawatū-Whanganui region as possible and an in-house business unit – the status quo A single council model would mean no significant changes to day-to-day operations but “less opportunity to attract skilled technical staff to specialist roles” Set-up costs would also be shared by the smallest number of users The preferred model would have “benefits of scale” such as cost efficiency and shared expertise but there could be less local influence due to more stakeholders involved in decision-making going with the three-council CCO model would cost Whanganui ratepayers an average of $2028 for water in 2025/6 compared with $1849 for a single-council CCO and $2091 for an in-house business model the three-council model would mean an average of $3811 per year with the single council model at $4543 and the in-house business unit at $4279 The council’s Long Term Plan includes a $35 million investment into water supply projects such as adding ultraviolet disinfection to drinking water supplies and investigating a new water bore on the south side of the Whanganui River A total of $71m will be invested in wastewater over the next 10 years Whanganui Mayor Andrew Tripe said that funding would sit in the three-council CCO if the preferred option was made official “That investment would come out of council’s balance sheet which would have everything else in it except water,” Tripe said “There are already plans in place at each council in terms of water infrastructure is they will be ring-fenced into a CCO and delivered from the CCO rather than from each council.” The council will run “community korero” events during the consultation the Hakeke St Community Centre and Library Tensions linger among iwi as the Crown pushes ahead with the Whakapapa ski field deal on Mt Ruapehu The Mayor of Ruapehu District is urging unity over the Government’s new Ruapehu ski field lease Mayor Weston Kirton is calling on “all stakeholders” to back Whakapapa Holdings Ltd as the new operator of the troubled Whakapapa ski field on the northern side of Mt Ruapehu He said the decision had brought fresh hope for the region’s tourism industry But tensions linger among iwi as the Crown pushes ahead with the deal ski company Ruapehu Alpine Lifts (RAL) went into insolvency leaving uncertainty over the future of Whakapapa amid concerns the ski field was not commercially sustainable The Government committed to a series of bailouts – a reported $50 million of public funds – to keep the ski field going Tūroa ski slopes on the southern side of the mountain are being run by new company Pure Tūroa describing it as a critical milestone in securing the future of skiing on Mt Ruapehu “This is a hugely significant step that provides much-needed certainty for our communities our businesses and the thousands of people who rely on the mountain for employment and recreation,” Kirton said “It gives confidence to the Ruapehu tourism sector underpins regional economic stability and sends a clear signal that skiing at Whakapapa on Mt Ruapehu has a future.” Kirton said the concession allowed WHL to go ahead with preparations for the 2025 season bringing fresh momentum and investment to the area “It’s now time for all stakeholders to come together behind this solution and give Whakapapa Holdings the best chance for success,” Kirton said “By collaborating and embracing a shared vision we can ensure the long-term success of the Mt Ruapehu snow industry and secure a thriving future for this cherished place and the communities that surround it.” Ruapehu District Council had worked tirelessly to support a solution that ensured continued access to the mountain while protecting the values and aspirations of the wider community “Our goal has always been to see a long-term viable future for the Ruapehu ski industry and its $100m-plus contribution to the national and regional economy,” he said central North Island iwi Ngāti Tūwharetoa has told the Government it is time to discuss the Crown’s “retreat from the maunga” Newsroom reported the iwi would not support new concessions or development until that discussion happened paramount chief Ariki Sir Tumu Te Heuheu has written to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon Minister of Justice Paul Goldsmith and Finance Minister Nicola Willis saying his people had been treated as “a mere afterthought” ahead of DoC’s concession announcement on Wednesday said the Government had neglected opportunities for partnership and collaboration and sought to create division among local iwi “The Government’s tactics of creating division between Ngāti Tūwharetoa entities as well as inappropriate disruption between us and our whanaunga iwi is unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” Te Heuheu wrote Internal restoration work has started on Whanganui Airport’s control tower with plans to create a new aviation museum and education centre The project is a partnership between Whanganui District Council and Wanganui Airport Control Tower Restoration Group with financial support from a New Zealand Lottery heritage and environment grant The upgrade of the control tower exterior has already been completed while internal fire protection and refurbishment work is under way with contractors M&D Construction The tower was opened in 1961 and closed in 1989 the Whanganui Chronicle reported: “Whanganui can now claim with pride to have the finest airport facilities of any secondary airport in the country” The project has been more than 20 years in the making with the restoration group formed in 2001 “Planning for the displays will now begin,” spokesman John Henderson said “The museum will be able to showcase Whanganui’s rich aviation history and celebrate the region’s milestones stories and innovations that have contributed to aviation in New Zealand.” The displays will include items used when the tower was in operation and visual presentations More items for display are being searched for by the restoration team and help from the public has been requested “We’d like to hear from anyone interested in volunteering making a donation or offering possible items for display,” Henderson said They are also searching for people with specialist knowledge as some of the items for display will need restoration It is hoped that the aviation museum and education centre will open on Whanganui Vintage Weekend 2026 Those willing to contribute are urged to contact John Henderson by email at wjohn.henderson@xtra.co.nz or by calling 027 315 1032 Children at a daycare near Whanganui Hospital have been moved to safety after concerns about fumes from a chemical leak Health New Zealand said the leak was discovered during a routine inspection on Wednesday afternoon It said it was still in the process of contacting the parents and caregivers of the affected children who had been moved to the Te Puna Ora building but Health New Zealand says it was quickly contained by the local fire brigade and there were no reports of injuries In a post on social media Health NZ - Whanganui said they were "grateful for the speedy actions of all involved" due to excellent planning and procedures for this type of incident the site was swiftly evacuated with the spill quickly contained by our local Fire Brigade," it said with operations at the main hospital unaffected Firefighters were still on site at 3pm on Wednesday The number of Christchurch Hospital staff who have come forward with concerns has risen to 84 Dozens in the radiology and ultrasound departments at Christchurch Hospital became unwell Whanganui District Council has closed a bridge to vehicles on a busy rural road in Whanganui East because of safety concerns with a significant number of wooden beams showing "considerable decay" A safety review has determined Wakefield Street Bridge is no longer safe for vehicles of any weight The bridge crosses a key railway corridor and links rural Okoia and Whanganui East A new bridge will take at least 18 months to build The council said it would seek funding from Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency to replace the bridge the bridge would be closed to vehicles for at least 18 months but remain open to pedestrians A detour for vehicles was in place along Eastown Road A recent traffic check showed 1800 vehicles cross the bridge on an average weekday The council closed the bridge on 15 January to allow for a safety inspection after damage was seen in the timber bracing Council transportation manager Mark Allingham said the council reallocated funding 18 months ago for Wakefield Street Bridge to Erni's Bridge "Both bridges were deteriorating rapidly but with Erni's Bridge in a more critical location - providing the only access to Kauarapaoa Road for residents and trucks transporting logs from forestry blocks - it was decided to build that one first." Allingham said the council completed geotechnical and detailed design work for Wakefield Street Bridge to get it to "shovel-ready project stage" "The council then intended for Wakefield Street Bridge to be the next cab off the rank for construction but the funding landscape changed and our 24/27 NLTP (National Land Transport Plan) application was unexpectedly turned down along with funding for numerous other Whanganui infrastructure projects including completion of the Mountains to Sea pathway." Allingham said with Wakefield Street Bridge no longer fit for vehicles the council could now apply to a Waka Kotahi fund specifically for structures that have reached the end of their life "We know this bridge is really important to our community and we will be preparing a business case for Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency to advocate strongly for its replacement." The business case would be submitted this month "The approval process on Waka Kotahi's end can take some time the council would receive 62 percent of the required funding and construction would take at least 18 months taking into consideration the consents and coordination required with KiwiRail." The council's share of funding for a replacement bridge can be considered as part of this year's Annual Plan process "Alterations to the Number 3 line intersection and Wakefield Road are planned to further improve traffic flow in this area," Allingham said Both the bridge and the detour route would be monitored to ensure the system was working well and the detour route would be adjusted as needed The bridge was built in 1954 using second-hand timber for the major components Recent testing identified a significant number of beams with "considerable decay" A business case report to the council said a bridge of this type would normally have a material life of 50 years and regular testing over the last 20 years had confirmed it was at the end of its service life The report estimated the cost of replacement at around $3 million split 60/40 between Waka Kotahi ($1.8m) and the council ($1.2m) The bridge had a posted weight limit of 4500kg gross - light vehicles only - but recent traffic surveys showed larger vehicles using the bridge on a regular basis A Whanganui councillor has revealed his historical family connection to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and how it impacts his views Whanganui's unemployment rate fell to 5.4% in 2024 Whanganui’s unemployment rate fell in the year to December 2024 But there were also fewer filled jobs in Whanganui compared to 2023 The annual average unemployment rate in Whanganui District was 5.4% in 2024 according to data from Stats NZ’s Household Labour Force Survey The national annual average unemployment rate was 4.7% which was a jump from the previous 12 months with a rate of 3.7% Whanganui’s unemployment rate has remained above the national average since 2002 Whanganui & Partners strategic lead for business said could be attributed to vulnerable industries Construction and manufacturing are two of Whanganui’s top four industries by GDP and make up 22.5% of filled jobs in the Whanganui District as of January 31 Easton said these industries were subject to employment fluctuation because of manufacturing chain structures and construction’s conditional needs Manufacturing is Whanganui’s second-largest employment industry making up 14.4% of Whanganui’s employment as of January 2025 Despite a decrease in the unemployment rate the number of filled jobs in Whanganui has also decreased with a loss of 288 jobs between January 2024 and January 2025 “We’ve got a sector breakdown that is more exposed to seasonal work,” Easton said it’s the less fixed-term people that are the first to go.” there was also a 4.3% decline in filled construction jobs compared to January 2024 The construction decline follows the national trend with construction down 6.6% across the country Infometrics principal economist Brad Olsen said it was possible for both the Whanganui unemployment rate and filled jobs to fall at the same time because of people leaving the district leaving the country or no longer seeking employment Infometrics defines unemployed as a person without a job but actively seeking employment “Movements within the region are often depending on where the jobs are and where people see different opportunities affordability or transport options,” he said Olsen said there was little concern for Whanganui’s employment market owner of Whanganui recruitment agency Outsourced Personnel said any decline in available jobs was likely a result of staff no longer being replaced often when people leave they’re not replaced so work is spread or that position may become a part-time role,” Bird said Ministry of Social Development (MSD) data shows 2391 people are on the Jobseeker Support benefit in the Whanganui District MSD regional commissioner Gloria Campbell said it was committed to continuing to help people into employment “Our number one priority as a ministry is to help people into work,” she said “Our employment teams work closely with employers local government as well as community training and employment providers “The wider economy has a big impact on how many jobs are available but I’d like to encourage them not to lose heart keep themselves competitive and keep talking to us.” Easton said consumer spending can be used as an employment and economic stability indicator if money is still being spent in the economy it’s a good thing because people aren’t running out of money or back pocket saving,” Easton said Electronic card consumer spending increased 5.3% in the Whanganui District over the year to December 2024 Whanganui has remained above the national trend The annual average rate of people aged 15 to 24 who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) is 21.1% in Whanganui Whanganui District Council is going public with aspects of the Treaty settlement being negotiated by Whanganui iwi before it considers signing up to a binding "world-first indigenous-council partnership" Negotiations between Whanganui Land Settlement Negotiations Trust (WLSNT) and the Crown are nearing their end and are expected to be finalised in early 2025 Whanganui Māori propose a platform for joint initiatives between the council and Takapau Whariki the post-settlement governance entity for the settlement The proposal was revealed at the Strategy and Policy Committee meeting on Thursday Chair Kate Joblin said it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity "to be part of something" "Sitting alongside you and your settlement process is very much a career and lifetime achievement," Joblin told WLSNT representatives at the meeting Mayor Andrew Tripe emphasised the unprecedented nature of the partnership and the need for public engagement before final decisions were made He described the proposal as a "jointly governed local plan" and said council was excited by "daring to be different" "This initiative represents an unprecedented opportunity a world-first indigenous-council partnership that benefits every individual It would foster stronger connections and achieve successful outcomes "at whānau level" The council made a commitment in December 2018 to "walk beside" Whanganui Māori in their settlement negotiations "The settlement acknowledges the wrongs of the past - and also charts a course for the future "The shift into the post-settlement era for Whanganui hapū/iwi provides a unique opportunity for the council to embark on new ways of working that will centre on local needs and local solutions The opportunity now was to engage with the community A series of information sessions will be held in December and January to encourage the community to find out more and share their thoughts "We've got two months to do it - it's an important time for all our community to come on the journey with us," Tripe said The council is being asked to decide on the proposals over the next few months so they can be included in the final settlement All councillors except Rob Vinsen supported recommendations to take the information to the community Vinsen said he could not agree to release a document to the public that had not been finalised and was only a summary "We don't know what's in it at this point in time," Vinsen said Councillor Michael Law voted against recommendations to note the status of negotiations and the 13 February meeting for a council decision saying there was not enough information in the council agenda The three proposals are for the council to: The proposal says the relationship agreement would establish a "transformative" partnership acknowledging shared and distinct responsibilities for long-term wellbeing It would enhance iwi participation in decision-making and collaborative management of lands The joint reserves board would be made up of three iwi and three council members It would manage Pukenamu/Queens Park (6.6ha) Pākaitore/Moutoa Historic Reserve (9.9ha) and specific sections of Mōwhānau Village Ngā Tūtei a Maru translates to "the guardians of Maru's domain" WLSNT project manager Tracey Waitokia told councillors the proposals embody the aspirations of hapū for a collaborative approach "This is an amazing opportunity for all of us to walk together to feed the wellbeing of our community Chief Crown Negotiator Rick Barker said it was "a remarkable opportunity" to unite the two entities to make life better for the entire community "If we want to make a difference we've got to make a change and this was one of the drivers for [the Trust]." The community could take social issues into its own hands to bend the future and make improvements "in a style which is Whanganui's alone" "To my knowledge it's not been done before "It's an opportunity which presents itself today but won't be there in the future "The council needs to make its decision ahead of iwi and ahead of the Crown Tripe said community feedback would help the council decide on the proposals at a full council meeting on 13 February when people will be able to access information and submit thoughts and questions via the council website The engagement period closes on 2 February Two public panel sessions will be held on 9 December at the Whanganui War Memorial Centre Panellists will include WLSNT chair Ken Mair project manager Waitokia and executive assistant Aimee Simon Whanganui is the last council in the Manawatū-Whanganui region to establish Māori wards Whanganui will have Māori wards if its council gives weight to a public meeting strongly in favour of guaranteeing Māori representation Te Ao Māori RSS Emergency services were called to an assault at the Wilson Street office about 10.20am on Wednesday St John said one patient was taken to Whanganui Base Hospital with critical injuries The Department of Corrections said they were now in a stable condition Violence against Corrections staff was unacceptable partnerships and pathways director Glenn Morrison said He said staff restrained the alleged attacker until police arrived and gave first aid to the injured staffer "We appreciate this would have been an extremely distressing incident for them and all staff at the site are being supported." Police said a 25-year-old man was arrested at the scene The man is due to appear in Whanganui District Court on Thursday charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm rnz.co.nz A Corrections staff member suffered critical injuries during an altercation at the department's Whanganui service centre rnz.co.nz Crooks culture first order of business for Mike Bush in Victoria Bush picked to take over as Victoria's chief commissioner after months of top-level staffing woes Crime and Justice Police experts warn 'emerging risk' of 3D-printed firearms rising Technology has outpaced a currently underway review of the Arms Act and criminals are already taking advantage US prisons bureau has challenges — reopening Alcatraz is now another Juliana Herrera's family tell inquest: 'Stop repeating avoidable mistakes' was murdered in January 2022 by her neighbour Health Arrest after person assaulted A nurse leaving her shift last month was held up at gunpoint outside the grounds of the hospital More than 25kg cocaine seizure leads to four arrests across NZ Tauranga and Auckland as a result of the six-week investigation 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 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 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 A person is in custody after an alleged theft which left a person injured on the grounds of Palmerston North Hospital Police said officers were called to a Ruahine St carpark about 1.30pm on Tuesday Police said the alleged offender left the scene and was found a short time later "Police would like to thank the members of the public who witnessed the incident and intervened to assist the victim," a police spokesperson said That same night a staff member was knocked unconscious Staff have been calling for security improvements Health NZ MidCentral operations group director Sarah Fenwick previously told RNZ it was committed to making staff feel safer She said these included a security escort to vehicles increasing security services on hospital grounds and "opening up" access to the staff carpark for people working afternoon and night shifts "Lighting has been audited in all outside carparking areas to ensure it is well maintained," she said "Interim access to well-lit parking onsite with dedicated security for staff working afternoon and night shifts while a more permanent solution for out-of-hours carparking is developed." rnz.co.nz More than 25kg of cocaine has been seized and four men arrested following an joint investigation into the importation of the drug into Christchurch Police and Customs received information about a "significant importation" of cocaine that had come through Lyttelton Port on March 29 Search warrants were then executed across the country by specialist teams to support investigators with evidence gathering including possession of cocaine for supply and burglary and will appear in various district courts across a range of dates Detective Senior Sergeant Phil Sparks said the seizure equated to more than 250,000 doses of cocaine and $9 million of harm "That is an enormous amount of damage and misery that had been heading into our communities that has now been halted through this investigation." Sparks said the success of the investigation was partly down to the "excellent partnership" between Customs and the police "We continue to have a focus on engaging with businesses and supporting their legitimate services by keeping them safe with prevention advice to deter drug trafficking organisations’ attempts to exploit their people and premises." Customs acting investigations manager Rachael Manning said the investigation resulted from quick action and close collaboration between the agencies as well as industry partners "We know that transnational and serious organised crime groups are actively targeting New Zealand to drive up both demand and supply of illegal drugs such as cocaine for maximum profit They’re using every method possible to exploit any vulnerabilities within international supply chains in secure areas or on vessels themselves." A search and rescue operation is underway for a Masterton man in his 70s missing since Sunday John Rafferty was last seen at Masterton Railway Station about midday on May 4 The 74-year-old did not board a train and left on foot about 20 minutes later Matheson said it was possible Rafferty was staying with a friend but police and loved ones "want to know he’s safe" and John doesn’t have his cell phone or wallet," he said A search team and a helicopter has been out looking for the missing man "We are really keen to know that he’s safe." Police have released an image from CCTV showing Rafferty on a station platform on the day of his disappearance He was wearing a blue jacket with 'NASA' written on the back Anyone who saw him was asked to contact police on 111 or online at 105 if there was Information after the fact The 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 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 Councillors voted unanimously to adopt the draft consultation document The average rates rise in Whanganui could be far less than expected for 2025/26 Whanganui District Council has proposed a 2.2% hike in its annual plan with the public to be consulted between April 1 and April 28 council chief executive David Langford said “incredibly hard work” had gone into reaching that figure An average rise of 6.6% had been predicted “Bringing the rates down to this level really strikes the balance between keeping rates affordable for our community as well as making sure we are investing in our core infrastructure,” Langford said The draft consultation document said savings have been made by cancelling the district’s kerbside food scraps service – a rates requirement of $1 million for 2025/26 – and a staff restructure saving $1.2m Additional costs included $700,000 in loan funding to establish a proposed housing entity and to accelerate design work for an affordable housing development There was also increases in museum funding ($100,000) sport and recreation grants ($50,000) and the reintroduction of the town centre regeneration grant ($100,000) Langford said the 2.2% rise matched inflation and allowed for a $650,000 per year increase in debt repayments and a $2m increase in core infrastructure spending compared to 2024/25 An average rise for residential properties of 2.1% is proposed Councillor Kate Joblin said she needed assurances the rates rise would not “create a bow wave” for 2026/27 Langford said he and staff had been conscious of that issue “We have gone as far as looking at and reforecasting what the rates increase would be for year three of the Long Term Plan (2026/27) and making sure we haven’t driven that up.” The council’s LTP also forecasts an average rates rise of 6.6% for 2026/27 Councillor Rob Vinsen said the rise for the next financial year would be one of the lowest in the country but elected members missed the chance to get it to zero “We had to do things like implement a door charge at the Sarjeant Gallery,” he said “There were $650,000 in cuts that the chief executive identified and said to us as councillors Langford said implementing a door charge for out-of-towners at the Sarjeant Gallery would be discussed during deliberations on the annual plan While the public would not be asked “that explicit question” during consultation A report on Sarjeant revenue would be presented in time for deliberations Councillor Josh Chandulal-Mackay said he had strong apprehension about rushing the door charge issue “We need to be really considered about this and we need to look at the experiences of galleries in this space.” He said it was important the public also engaged with consultation on the council’s proposal to join with Rangitīkei and Ruapehu on a three-council water delivery model That is part of the Government’s Local Water Done Well legislation Whanganui Mayor Andrew Tripe said if Whanganui did not have the lowest rates increase in the country “Keeping rates affordable has been a focus for this council all the way through,” he said “Early on in this triennium, we introduced a six-point plan for cost saving and efficiency Palmerston North City Council is proposing a 7.7% average rates increase for 2025/26, with New Plymouth District Council at 9.9%, Whakatāne District Council at 11.7% and Tauranga City Council at 12% The Whanganui council is proposing an unbalanced budget of $5.9m for 2025/26 due some depreciation costs not being covered and we don’t think it’s appropriate to fund the depreciation of those assets,” he said to ask them [ratepayers] to repay the debt for the current [Sarjeant] building Councillor Glenda Brown said she hoped the proposed rates increase was accepted by the community “There has been a lot of hard work to get it down to that,” she said Tripe said the lower-than-expected rates increase had nothing to with 2025 being an election year “This is about a constant pursuit of keeping rates as low as possible “We’ve looked for a streamlined and efficient council.” Councillors voted unanimously to adopt the annual plan consultation document Public consultation runs from April 1 to April 28 Femme n Bass presents DOUBLE TROUBLEThis year marks five years of Femme n Bass in our fave wee city of Pōneke taking Femme n Bass further afield - one night at our home ground of Moon in Newtown and then the next night at Porridge Watson in Whanganui!Double the bass all powered by the indomitable Bigbada BOOM Soundsystem.WHANGANUI:As well as operating the exquisite Bigbada BOOM soundsystem QUEEN BIG PUNCH will be spinning some wax for us bringing the high-quality reggae and blues flavours she is known for Up and comer RURU will bring some tasty upbeat mixes to get the d-floor going Whanganui legend THE SHADY LADY will throw down her usual eclectic but perfectly-curated selections we have MELOMANIAC bringing some delicious down-tempo dubby goodness known for bringing techno blends that absolutely send the dancefloor.The whole night will be powered by the Bigbada BOOM soundsystem in the experienced hands of Queen Big Punch.TICKETSTickets are available on Humanitix for $15/$20 unwaged/waged There may be limited door sales on the night.If money is tight and would prevent you coming get in touch with us directly by the day before the gig at the latest and we’ll see what we can do - we’re at femmenbass@gmail.comKAUPAPAFemme n Bass won’t be tolerating any of the -isms body-shaming and so on elsewhere.You create the atmosphere by making space for each other on the dancefloor and monitoring your own intoxication levels not just the sexy ones!Please respect the soundsystem and DJ booth by not putting your drinks on them.You can read more about our expectations of behaviour and how to access further support here -https://drive.google.com/file/d/186b_j0r12xT4QFAoiKtq5PPSKF1hR1XZ/view?fbclid=IwY2xjawJJ2rZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHaidni-sHP06fXJjh9mDbXAWf_gjYKWBnuFALU58j_LICvm-QYWrjy3ItQ_aem_5YhvyFLHOdPH6BzFMIjyeQCOVID-19If you reckon you might be mauiui/sick - please RAT before you come and be mindful of sharing drinks etc.If you are definitely mauiui/sick - please stay home We’ll all appreciate being able to dance with you at the next one----Femme n Bass is about showcasing the massive talent amongst the babes of the bass music community; creating spaces for femme and gender diverse DJs and producers of Aotearoa to strut their stuff while putting on an epic night of heavy tunage The Whanganui Coastguard responded after two jetboats crashed on the Whanganui River near Hipango Park Maritime NZ is making inquiries after four people were taken to hospital following a crash between two jetboats on the Whanganui River A female was seriously injured in the crash Maritime NZ said it was “making inquiries in relation to the incident which will inform our potential next steps” Whanganui Coastguard President Mike Carson said crashes on the river were “never considered normal” but he was unable to comment on the nature of the accident “I do know it was quite a narrow stretch of water where the accident happened The crash was about 500m from Hipango Park The Coastguard responded quickly with a crew of five people It took the Coastguard boat 25 and 30 minutes to reach the scene of the crash The crew took two people back to the Aramoho Boat Club and from there they were taken to Whanganui Hospital Hato Hone St John said four patients were taken to Whanganui Hospital Carson said he believed privately owned boats were involved in the crash “When we arrived on site there were two helicopters with paramedics “Our crews out of Whanganui have a very good reputation for staying calm and assessing situations as they occur.” A Grassroots Trust Rescue Helicopter spokeswoman said they were sent to the Whanganui River for a female who had sustained serious injuries following a water-related accident “The patient was stabilised on scene by the onboard critical care flight paramedic before being flown swiftly to Whanganui Hospital for further treatment,” she said Police said they were not investigating the incident and WorkSafe said it had not been notified of the jetboat crash at this stage the buildings echo the iconic shape of a wharenui and provide opportunity for hapū to connect visitors to their stories Rātana church minister Robbie Williams blessed the new structures on a dedicated trip upriver on Wednesday 11 December Department of Conservation Senior Ranger Heritage & Visitor Jim Campbell says the shelters have been a long time coming “We’ve been working with Whanganui river iwi and user groups to improve the experience for visitors,” he says “This work was first proposed in 2015 The previous rain collection structures were installed in the early 1990s and provided minimal shelter The new buildings provide shelter and cultural context while continuing to function as water catchers tohunga mahinga kai (expert in traditional fishing) expressed his gratitude for all those who committed to the project “It’s about laying down the mauri for tauiwi (non-Māori) whānau – everyone who comes down the river.” Jim says the next step is planning similar shelters at additional sites along the awa “We continue to work with iwi up and down the river to improve on design and ensure facilities reflect the manaakitanga (hospitality) we all want to share with visitors.” Visitors to the Whanganui Journey are encouraged to visit the DOC website for route information Church minister Robbie Williams blesses the new shelter at MangapuruaImage: DOC About Te Awa Tupua: Home | Ngā Tāngata Tiaki o Whanganui | Ngā Tāngata Tiaki o Whanganui Email: media@doc.govt.nz The Whanganui River winds its way from the mountains to the Tasman Sea through countless hills and valleys Lowland forest surrounds the river in its middle and lower reaches - the heart of Whanganui National Park.