Post
Tuesday • FEBRUARY 4 • 2014
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PHONE: 09 235 78 35 FAX: 09 235 78 34
Valentines Idea’s • Pages 8-9
VOL 26 • NO.04
Eyes on the prize
SUN
Surf Lifesaving Karioitahi’s Jessica Jackson, Nathan Millar and Ben Coers are totally focussed as they compete in the Northern Region IRB championships. See story page 20 this week. Photo by Sharon Jackson.
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Saving our nature
A Franklin farmer reflected on his 10-acre wetland project on World Wetland Day on Sunday.
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Mayor in the chair Auckland Mayor Len Brown met with locals, and the odd protester, at the Pukekohe Library on Friday.
Local home sought for high-risk offender
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Ready for action Waiuku Rugby’s new coaching combination for their Premier side have to cope with a slew of unavailable players, but reckon they’ll have an exciting young team
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Department of Corrections staff have been looking for a rental property in the Waiuku area to house a convicted sex offender who is rated as among the highest risk in the country. The Post Newspaper understands the man is due for release shortly, and is one of the small percentage of sex offenders who are to be tracked utilising new GPS technology. Department of Corrections staff yesterday confirmed that there were currently no other people being tracked using this form of technology in the Franklin area. Local police had last week not been contacted by Corrections in regard to the offender, but Sergeant Simon Palmer said this was not unusual, and that once any decision was made he would anticipate corrections would advise police at that time. The Post asked what other safeguards or conditions on release would be in place to protect the community, whether local schools or the community at large would be informed, and
whether the Department felt it appropriate to house a high-risk offender in an area which is some distance from the main monitoring and assessment services. Department of Corrections Acting Northern Regional Commissioner Alastair Riach said “No final decision has been made in this case. “When releasing offenders into the community there is a process the Department follows which may include community notification. “Once an address has been established we work closely with local Police to manage high risk offenders.” The Post’s questions as to why Waiuku was chosen as an area to consider housing the man were not answered by the Department. Late last year, Corrections Minister Anne Tolley said 146 offenders nationwide, many on parole or extended supervision orders for child sex offences or violent offending, have been subject to GPS monitoring since it was implemented in August 2012. The decision to impose the
tracking is made by the Parole Board. At that time, 15 high-risk offenders had been identified in exclusion zones, seven of whom were then back in prison, with the rest facing further sanctions or due to appear in court. The Department’s information regarding release of offenders states that under the Privacy and Official Information Acts communities generally cannot be notified about a person’s re-
lease from prison. However, it states, in some cases, sharing information is in everyone’s best interests, including the person released from prison and their family. ‘For example, if the person has a significant history of violent or sexual offending, the Police and Corrections may notify immediate neighbours or agencies (such as schools) that the person is being released, and provide information and guidance.’
Waitangi fire warning February is New Zealand’s warmest month and one stray spark can start a fire. Auckland’s Principal Rural Fire Officer Bryan Cartelle says even though the region has received rain in the past few weeks, it is still very dry, and says if you’re having whanau and friends over on Waitangi Day for some kai, take care when using a barbecue, hangi or umu. “People should enjoy a relaxing Waitangi Day but please check that cooking fires and braziers are lit away from anything combustible. Auckland remains in a restricted fire season. Visit www. aucklandcouncil.govt.nz ‘rural fire’ or call 09 301 0101 for more information.”
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