Kapiti News

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Gala time

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Your local news from Paekakariki to Otaki

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Community raises $4461 for family

Outstanding

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AROHA: An event at Waikanae’s Murphy’s Law bar on Friday night raised $4461.70 for local family the Paparas, whose home and all its contents were destroyed in a rapid late night fire just over a week ago. Jamaine Papara, who has already seen a hasty influx of community donations, said he is, “so grateful for the hundreds of people who have given to us,” with “people still pumping out donations”. Pictured from left, organiser Isaac King, Kiriana Papara, organiser Huta Thomas, Jamaine Papara, and organiser Jamie Bradbury. ■ Story and photos on page 4.

Legal high fight on DAVID HAXTON Council will fight the government’s reintroduction of legal high drugs into the district but, as a fallback position, has released a draft policy document, for public consultation, that limits the sales to a small area in Paraparaumu. At Thursday’s regulatory management committee meeting, it was decided council “opposes the sale of psychoactive substances within the Kapiti district and will lobby the government to seek legislative change to ban psychoactive substances.” But with the government developing regulations for the reintroduction of legal highs, which means it would be possible to apply for a license to sell, the committee approved the release of a draft local approved products (psychoactive substances) policy for public

consultation. A key part of the policy recommends an area in Kapiti Rd, Paraparaumu, as the most viable place for the sale of legal highs. The area is from the Four Square building [legal highs can’t be sold in food outlets] to the Repco building on one side of the road, and a bit of the Kapiti Coast Airport land on the other side. Council senior social wellbeing advisor Sam Hutcheson said no one wanted the sale of legal highs near them, when the area was canvassed for reaction. “They didn’t want it in that area but then no one wants it in their area.” The area wasn’t far from a Community Corrections facility but discussions with personnel there revealed having a legal high area closer “made them know what their people were up to and people could easily drive

to get legal highs anywhere”. And she was pleased the Student Transition and Reintegration Service, which is also nearby the area, was relocating next year. Banning legal highs in the district could open the council to a judicial review, and if council lost, the “door could be open to all of these people who are allowed to sell, to open wherever”. “That’s the idea of getting the policy in, we understand the majority of the people in our community don’t want it, but by making a restricted site available means we’re not opening up an opportunity for people to sell throughout the entire Kapiti community.” Sergeant Jacqui Muir said police backed the Kapiti Rd section. “We believe its going to be the best of a bad situation for the Kapiti community.

“It’s on a main through road, it’s highly visible and there’s no real hang out area for people. “Having a place less accessible but highly visible, in terms of density, is going to make it more safe for the Kapiti community.” Cr Gavin Welsh said: “The moment we accept this legislation [from the government], without a fight, then we are condoning the use of the product in our community.” Cr K Gurunathan said the public needed to have their say and “if we want to fight this then we need their support”. Cr Mike Cardiff said he didn’t want to “take a water pistol to a gunfight”. “We need the policy as a fallback. “Not having one is going to be detrimental, at the end of the day, if we do end up in a gunfight.”

Angel tree

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Go Black Sticks

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