Whanganui Year in Review, July 2019: The month we lost the Thain's building; luckiest man alive

July 3

A Gonville resident is the "luckiest man alive" after he escaped through his bedroom window as his house burned around him.

The fire is one of two in Gonville this week.

Fire and Emergency NZ was alerted to a blaze at an Akatea St property about 3.30am on Monday.

Two appliances attended the fire which was well involved when firefighters arrived with the fire causing extensive damage to the house.

Whanganui Senior Station Officer Craig Gardiner said the sole occupant got out of the house through the window of the bedroom where he had been asleep.

"The whole end of the man's house was gone, the only place that wasn't burnt was his bedroom and that area was the next to go. He's the luckiest man alive."

July 11

The 2019 Downer New Zealand Masters Games recorded a financial loss and a 3.2 per cent drop in participants after a huge effort to turn around the event on its 30th anniversary.

The number of competitors for the 10-day event held in February was down by 137 (3.2 per cent) on the last time Whanganui hosted the event in 2017, which left the games in financial trouble and resulted in a restructure.

That was a similar decline to what was recorded between the 2015 and 2017 events.

And while there was a push to get locals on board, only 1295 people from Whanganui took part - a decrease of 22 per cent.

The preliminary financial result shows the 2019 event ran at an estimated operating loss of $19,150.

Total revenue was $741,810 and is made up of Whanganui District Council funding, sponsorship, registration fees, sundry income and commission.

The report estimated the 2019 event put $2.9 million into the local economy.

July 25

Gary Ward was at an annual event honouring the efforts of volunteer firefighters in Bulls when the call came through.

There was a fire at 1 Victoria Ave which required the assistance of the Bulls crew, so they immediately cut their evening short and began driving towards the flames.

They were not the first to do so, two on-duty Whanganui crews called a second alarm requesting extra resources when they saw the flames punching at the sky.

On arrival at the burning building, the first responders from Whanganui knew how serious the situation was and transmitted a third alarm for further assistance.

They set up on Taupo Quay and Victoria Ave, entered the burning building, advanced to the first floor and began spraying water at the fire with their hoses.

They did a good job of driving it back, but they could only do so much and, with spreading flames and structures collapsing around them, they had to exit.

They were not sure whether anyone was inside. They transmitted a fourth alarm.
Whanganui Area Commander Ward carries his response gear everywhere he goes, he turned on his lights and siren and drove.

"For Whanganui, a fourth alarm hasn't been required in the 10 years that I've been here. Possibly the last one would have been the racecourse fire in '97," Ward said.

"This was a large incident, but as senior officers we're often going to large incidents, although we haven't had one like this in Whanganui."

July 27

The passing of Ngati Rangi's claims settlement bill Rukutia Te Mana was a momentous occasion for the iwi, lead negotiator Che Wilson says.

The third and final reading of the bill happened in Parliament on July 25, with about 300 uri (people of the tribe) present to see it.

Wilson remembered the sacrifices his people had made across 178 years of the settlement journey.

"While they are not here to witness the fruits of their own labour, I hope they are proud," he said.

He warned the passing of the legislation was not the final step in the tribe's journey, and said there was a lot more work to be done.

July 31

Police are investigating a sudden death after a body was found in a car submerged in the Whanganui River.

Emergency services were called to the Anzac Parade scene near the Wanganui Motor Boat Club at 11.50am. One person was found dead in the vehicle.

Following the discovery, Taupo Quay between Wilson St and Berdeck Village was closed for much of the afternoon while police completed a decontamination process in a vehicle.

"Police were concerned about an unidentifiable box in the car that would have posed a gas risk," Senior Sergeant Neil Forlong said. The area was later cleared.