FEBRUARY
HUI-TANGURU 2025
Risk of fires grows Westpac may be leaving, but a
replacement's on its way
The Parangarahu Lakes and Baring Head/ Ōrua-pouanui sections of East Harbour Regional Park are temporarily closed to the public between 1pm and 9pm daily, due to extreme fire risk. Greater Wellington is asking visitors to avoid the areas as fire could easily ignite and spread quickly. The parks are closed between 1pm and 9pm when fire risk is at its highest. The Ridge Track in Baring Head/Ōrua-pouanui is completely closed until further notice. In Parangarahu Lakes, areas with limited options for escape remain closed. Visitors should obey local signage. Greater Wellington Eastern Parks team leader Ricky Clarkson says the Parangarahu Lakes and Baring Head/Ōrua-pouanui closures are a precautionary measure to protect staff and visitors. GWRC is regularly monitoring the risk of wildfires across all regional parks, which Ricky Clarkson says is crucial to staying ahead of evolving conditions, who is advising visitors to make note of exit routes from the park, and to report to 111 any smoke they may see.” https://www.gw.govt.nz/your-region/ news/extreme-fire-risk-in-parangarahu-lakesand-baring-headorua-pouanui-causes-parkclosure/
Westpac may have made the decision not to replace its soon-to-be withdrawn ATM, but a new bank machine is to be installed in the Village pending agreement on its location. We s tp a c ' s d e c i s i on t o remove its ageing ATM and not replace it "given the low usage", has incensed residents who rely on checking their bank balance and withdrawing cash from the machine. Heather McLean is a regular user of the ATM, which she says is an essential service for many senior citizens, and told Tuesday’s Eastbourne Community Board meeting she doubted Westpac understood the local geography. “Westpac has suggested we use the ATMs Heather McLean and Eileen Bonus are angry the Westpac ATM is in Wainui or Petone; how are we leaving Eastbourne. supposed to get there?” Having lived in Eastbourne for 61 years, its withdrawal. Ms McLean has seen the demise of Westpac’s Westpac said it was not worth replacing forerunner CBA, BNZ and ANZ, as well as the machine. the Post Office Savings Bank over the years. “Unfortunately, despite being the only “They’ve just sort of evaporated,” she says, ATM in the area, the transaction volume is still adding that the loss of an ATM would put one of the lowest in the country. In addition, pressure on local businesses to carry more cash, Westpac customers make up less than 25 per and potentially lose business from those having cent of users of this ATM.” to travel elsewhere to an ATM. Ms McLean says Thanks to ECB member Bruce Spedding's the claim on Westpac's website that its approach work in contacting an independent ATM to sustainability “starts with commitment to supplier., it looks like a new ATM will soon be service the needs of customers” is “odd”, given installed in the Village.
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