News briefs: Spill threat fades, property values up, rainfall, fire

Spill threat fades

A substance that spilled from a crashed truck near Ohakune on Tuesday was not hazardous. Multiple fire crews spent most of the day on State Highway 49 near Tohunga Junction after the 3am crash. A Fire and Emergency spokesman said there was difficulty in identifying the material and it was treated as a hazardous spill until the substance was confirmed.

Average rainfall
Temperatures and rainfall will be near average for the Whanganui region for the next three months, the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research says. Soil moisture and river levels will be average or above average. Colder El Nino conditions with southwest winds may develop over the summer, but they are unlikely to be extreme.

Smoked meat
Fire crews were called to the Mad Butcher store in Whanganui's upper Victoria Ave at 1.40pm yesterday. Senior Station Officer Jes Sorensen said an electrical fire at the shop had been put out by the time firefighters arrived.

Property value up
Property asking prices in Manawatū-Whanganui hit a record high in July, according to property website realestate.co.nz. The average asking price rose 3.3 per cent to $357,206.