Sir Toby Curtis. Photo / NZME
The Rotorua Daily Post is looking back at the stories of 2022. Here’s what made headlines in August:
August 3:
Gang-slogan chanting trail bikers left a terrified 12-year-old girl in tears after one almost mowed her down deliberately while she was on a training run.
It came after a spate of similar incidents in which trail bike riders hooning on Rotorua sports fields were threatening children and adults and - in one case - threatening to burn one resident’s house down.
Locals fought back and wanted something done before someone was hurt or killed.
The 12-year-old was on a training run in Ray Boord Park when three men on bikes yelling gang slogans harassed and followed her while she was running.
The girl’s mother was supervising the training session and witnessed the harassment. The Rotorua Daily Post elected not to identify them for safety reasons.
August 6:
Rotorua Lakes Council said it would pursue costs over what it described as a “misconceived” judicial review case launched and now withdrawn byelection candidate Robert Lee.
The action had cost Rotorua Lakes Council almost $150,000.
Lee said he was disappointed it was necessary to withdraw his court action and he would appeal to “the highest court in the land – the court of public opinion”.
Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick said the case was, in her view, a “political stunt” - a claim Lee denies - which had caused “hurt”.
August 12:
The wellbeing of people in Rotorua was getting worse by most measures, a report showed.
An iwi leader said “you can’t put any sugar over this” - but there were ways to address the issues.
The Rotorua Lakes Council pre-election report showed that while the district and its people have been “extremely prosperous” in the past, over the past seven years an “increasing trend” of socio-economic deprivation has emerged.
The report stated it was adversely affecting the people, visitor experience and “ability to function as a thriving destination to live, work, play and invest”.
August 17:
Te Arawa’s mightiest totara fell.
Sir Nopera Tamihana Curtis (Toby) died at his Lake Rotoiti home on August 17, aged 82, surrounded by whānau.Tributes for the straight-shooting respected kaumātua and leader have come from around New Zealand, highlighting his contributions to education, Māori and to Rotorua.
Sir Toby, or Taa Toby, retired from his role as Te Arawa Lakes Trust chairman in April, saying he had ticked many of the boxes he wanted to achieve.
Piki Thomas said Sir Toby’s death was a tragedy for Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Rongomai and Te Arawa whānau.
August 20:
‘’Embarrassed, shocked and ashamed.’’
That’s how many singletons aged in their 50s feel when they turn up to foodbanks and social agencies seeking assistance.
Providers said they were seeing an increase in the number of middle-aged single people seeking assistance as they struggled to cope with the skyrocketing cost of living as well as life changing events such as marriage breakups, the death of a partner and loss of income.
August 21:
It was a graceful and elegant waltz that saw Mahia Keepa-Hale and Talor Kahu win the Harcourts Dancing for Hospice 2022 trophy.
They and nine other couples danced at the Energy Events Centre to help raise money for Rotorua Community Hospice, which cares for and supports more than 420 patients with terminal illnesses each year.
The pair danced to Michael Bublé's ‘At This Moment’ - a song which Keepa-Hale said gave her “goosebumps” when she first listened to it.
Keepa-Hale described the win as “unreal”.
“We’re still on a high from it.”
August 24:
Angela Thrupp’s legacy lives on.
It lives on through her husband and their six children; not least her namesake, born eight weeks before her death at the age of 38.
And now, it lives on in a valuable, lifesaving tool that will help other local women fighting the same battle she did.
Angela’s battle against breast cancer began in February 2018, with a stage 3 diagnosis followed by four months of chemotherapy, a mastectomy and reconstruction, and radiation in Waikato.
She was in remission from early 2019, but mid-year they discovered the cancer had spread to a node. Further treatment would not stop its spread.
In October 2020 Angela became pregnant, and her namesake Anahera was born on January 28, 2021.
Just two days later, the family was told her cancer had spread even further. Angela died on March 29 - Anahera was eight weeks old.
Eighteen months later, the family, along with the Rotorua Breast Cancer Trust, donated a machine to Te Whatu Ora - Lakes to help other women with breast cancer.
August 25:
Retirement village operator Summerset Group bought a piece of Rotorua farmland long used for tourism experiences, with plans for a $180 million development.
The 14.2-hectare site in Fairy Springs - which is home to Rotorua Heritage Farm, 3D Trick Art Gallery, and Farmside Buffet Restaurant - will be Summerset’s first site in Rotorua.
Summerset chief executive Scott Scoullar said the proposed village was in the planning stage and was expected to offer about 270 homes, including villas, cottages and serviced apartments.
“There will also be a village centre with a care centre offering rest home, hospital-level care, and recreational amenities.”
A bowling green, café, communal vegetable gardens, exercise room, library, hair salon, residents workshop, pool table, residents bar and a playground for residents’ grandchildren was also planned.
August 27:
After nine years in the role, Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick will step away, marking the end of more than 20 years in public life. What is Steve Chadwick’s political legacy, and who is the person behind the headlines? Local Democracy Reporter Felix Desmarais finds out.
August 27:
Locked out by her employer, Bay of Plenty mill worker Suzy Kotuhi was stressed and constantly checking her bank account.
She was in her third week without pay, scraping by on savings - and she did not know how long the stalemate between the company and union would continue. But she was not willing to back down.
Kotuhi and 144 of her colleagues had been locked out of their workplace, the Essity paper mill in Kawerau, since August 9.
Workers said they were stressed, losing sleep and wondering when they would next get paid, with one saying in his opinion the company was trying to “starve us out until we go back”.
Te Ngae Rd's speed limit will rise from 50km/h to 60km/h after a review.