Work on a a new and improved two lane bridge across the Tūtaekurī River at Puketapu is expected to be complete by mid-2025. Photo / Hastings District Council
Work on a a new and improved two lane bridge across the Tūtaekurī River at Puketapu is expected to be complete by mid-2025. Photo / Hastings District Council
The rebuild of a better two-lane bridge over the Tūtaekurī River in Puketapu has entered the next stage.
The bridge on Vicarage Rd, sometimes known as Vicarage Bridge, was one of three bridges over the river that Cyclone Gabrielle washed away.
Hastings District Council workers finished the relocation of utilitiesincluding powerlines and fibre cables in April and May.
A statement from the council said the current schedule estimate would see the bridge complete by mid-2025.
Hastings mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said it was exciting to be making good progress on the bridge replacement.
“For the Puketapu and other rural communities in the area, restoring this access is very important for their quality of life, and their economic wellbeing,” Hazlehurst said.
She acknowledged the Crown for providing 100 per cent of the funding for the bridge rebuild through the National Resilience Plan Regional Transport package.
The original 121-metre-long, single-lane concrete bridge was built in 1963.
The rebuilt structure will be built to withstand higher-intensity earthquakes while having fewer piers in the streambed to improve resilience to debris during severe flooding.
It will have two lanes and a shared path for cyclists and pedestrians.
Three Hawke’s Bay councils win Taituarā Excellence Awards
Hastings District Council has won the Local Government Funding Agency Supreme Award at the Taituarā Excellence Awards for its work on water treatment facility Waiaroha.
It also took out the GHD Award for Excellence in Environmental Leadership, highlighting projects with significant environmental benefits.
Waiaroha - Heretaunga Water Discovery Centre - not only supplies clean and safe drinking water to Hastings but also features a unique educational component.
This innovative approach, combining cutting-edge technology with community engagement, impressed the judges and secured the Supreme Award win.
”Waiaroha is world-first for combining education, community engagement, place-making, and state-of-the-art water management in a single project,” said Taituarā Chief Advisor Raymond Horan.
Central Hawke’s Bay District Council Project Manager, Rebecca England, was recognised with the Sheffield Emerging Leader Award.
The award acknowledges an outstanding young leader who is making a significant difference in their community, and England leadership had demonstrably improved Central Hawke’s Bay, particularly in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle, Katy Anquetil, Executive Director of Sheffield Wellington said.
”Following Cyclone Gabrielle, she played a pivotal role in the cyclone recovery. Her proactive approach and forward-thinking leadership are an inspiration.”
Napier City Council Community Strategies Manager, Anne Bradbury, was selected for an overseas exchange programme to Queensland.
The AskYourTeam Overseas Manager Exchange provides a local government professional with the opportunity to develop their leadership skills and gain valuable insights from colleagues in Australia.
Work underway at Hastings’ Cornwall Park Aviary
The Cornwall Park Cockatiels can really spread their wings and take flight in the newly upgraded aviary. Photo / Warren Buckland
Access may be restricted to the Cornwall Park Aviary over the next 7-10 days while contractors complete work to areas damaged by Cyclone Gabrielle.
The works will include adding new seats and shade and improvements are being made to garden areas to provide a more pleasant space for visitors to sit and enjoy the birds.
Hastings District Council said precautions have been taken to ensure the wellbeing of the birds and turtles in the aviary during this time.
The council said the aviary is one of the few remaining free-flying aviaries in a public park in New Zealand. It is home to around 100 birds, mainly lorikeets, cockatiels and budgerigars.
Napier KFC has been closed and fenced off for roof repairs and will re-open on Saturday, June 22 - pending construction going to plan.
The Napier KFC store. Photo / NZME
A KFC spokesperson said the roof of the Napier eatery was undergoing some repairs and the store would reopen as soon as it was finished.
It is unclear if the roof repairs are routine maintenance or the result of an incident.
Staff restructure at Napier retirement village months after $50m dementia unit opens
The $50 million village centre building at Summerset Palms in Te Awa opened in November last year and includes a care centre and memory care facility for residents with dementia. Photo / Warren Buckland
The new care centre and dementia care unit at a Napier retirement village is undergoing a staff restructure eight months after opening.
Summerset management has said it will look at opportunities to retain permanent staff and that residents will still receive the same level of care.
Stuart James, Summerset group operations manager based in Hawke’s Bay, said there was now a good understanding of the mix of residents in their care and the required staffing levels.
James said that led to a change proposal to ensure the ratio of staff to residents was fit for purpose, but he did not specify what roles or how many were affected under the proposal.
“Any changes we make will not impact resident care as Summerset has a standard safe staffing model and adjustments being made currently are aligned to these increased staff-to-resident ratios,” James said.
He said that as a large operator, they were fortunate that staff affected by proposals at one site could have redeployment opportunities at other Summerset villages in the region and wider network.
“We will be looking at every opportunity to keep our permanent staff with us during these changes.”
Bunnings barbeque fundraiser for Motor Neurone Disease NZ
A national sausage sizzle across all Bunnings stores will help raise vital funds for those impacted by motor neuron disease (MND).
Barbeques will be outside stores on Saturday 15 June from 9am to 3pm in support of the charity’s annual appeal.
Donations will be used to grow support, gain information and advocate to make time count for those living with MND, as well as support research for a future free from MND.
“It causes progressive loss of mobility in the limbs, and difficulties with speech, swallowing, and breathing. At present, there is no truly effective treatment and no known cure.”
In addition to buying a sausage or drink, customers would have the option to donate via mobile payment on the day.
A new bitumen tanker will include faces of workers drawn by their children. Photo / Higgins
A new Higgins bitumen tanker and trailer are about to hit the road featuring pictures of Higgins team members drawn by their kids/whanau.
According to Higgins, the construction and roading company wraps the tankers in vinyl to keep them safe from bitumen splashes. Twelve pictures were chosen for the tanker, with three artists and their families based in Hawke’s Bay.
The tanker is being wrapped on Monday and Tuesday and will be in Hawke’s Bay on Thursday. The children who drew the works will be able to see their art and have their pictures taken beside the tanker.
Memorial Cross survived that survived 1931 quake turns 100
A granite cross outside the Waiapu Cathedral in Napier turns 100 this week. It survived the 1931 Hawke's Bay Earthquake. Photo / Waiapu Cathedral
A granite war memorial cross that has stood at the front of Napier’s Waiapu Cathedral will mark its 100th year this week.
The ‘Memorial to the Fallen of the Great War’ cross was gifted by the parish of St John’s the Evangelist Cathedral and unveiled on June 15, 1924, by the Member of Parliament Sir Douglas Maclean.
It is the only public memorial that survived the 1931 earthquake. It originally stood in front of the former cathedral, a brick building that collapsed, killing two people.
What was known as the Cross of Sacrifice became a symbol of hope for cathedral parishioners and other citizens struggling to come to terms with both the war and disaster.
A plaque commemorating the 50th anniversary of VE Day and the end of World War II in Europe was added to the cross on May 9, 1995.
When it was being shifted to its current site in 1962 to make way for the new cathedral, the almost two-tonne cross fell as its weight began to lift the wheels of the hoisting crane and the base broke.
The cross stem was shortened before it was re-erected on its pedestal.
The Cross of Sacrifice will soon stand before another new building as offices are under construction for the administration and welfare staff of the Diocese of Waiapu.
Judd, who describes himself as a recovering racist, explored the place of Te Tiriti in Aotearoa’s future at St Paul’s Church, 89 Tennyson St, at 7pm.
The series of free Treaty forums continues fortnightly on Thursday nights, alternating between Napier and Hastings.
”Our goal is education: engaging people in thoughtful and encouraging conversations about Te Tiriti o Waitangi,” said one of the organising team, Neill Gordon.
”There is a groundswell now of people who see that unless our generation does the right thing and stands up for the agreement our ancestors made, we condemn our children and grandchildren to sort it out.
”Our organising team are not so much interested in current politics as we are lifting our eyes, looking ahead to the 200th anniversary of the Treaty just 16 years away, and beyond. These can be tough conversations but they’re ones we as a region and country need to be having if we are to thrive together.”
Judd’s talk on Thursday in Napier discussed what it means to be Tangata Tiriti and how Tangata Tiriti can be proactive.
The audience will have the opportunity to put forward written questions to be addressed during a panel discussion on each of the four evenings.
Waipawa roundabout works
Crews working on the Streets for People project in Waipawa will be installing a pre-cast roundabout tonight (Monday). The roundabout will be constructed at the intersection of State Highway 2 and Ruataniwha Street, just south of the main street shops.
This is a Central Hawke’s Bay District Council-led project funded by NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). Stop/go traffic management, with a temporary lower speed limit, will be in place for road users as the pre-cast roundabout is lifted and secured into place.
A lower speed limit of 30km/h will remain in place throughout the day and night for the remainder of construction - expected to be the end of June - as people familiarise themselves with the new layout.
Public consultation on waste reduction
People are being asked for their ideas on how to reduce waste as part of the Hastings district and Napier city councils’ review of their joint Waste Minimisation and Management Plan (WMMP).
The WMMP, which was last reviewed in 2017, is legally required to be updated every six years and public input is being sought to help set the goals and priorities for the next six years.
The overarching goal is to find ways to reduce waste and extend the life of the councils’ shared Ōmarunui landfill, and public feedback is being sought on how to achieve that.
This includes people’s views on issues such as how food waste could be reduced from both homes and businesses, how to stop recycling from being put with general rubbish, and how businesses could be helped to reduce waste.
People have until June 30 to give their feedback and this early engagement process will help inform an updated draft WMMP that will be released for consultation in March 2025.
Deputy chair and Hastings district councillor Ana Apatu said as a result of the current WMMP, adopted in 2018, the new kerbside recycling and rubbish services had been introduced, and there had been increased education and support to empower residents, service users and communities to prioritise efforts in waste reduction.
