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The Weekend Sun
A selection of some local breaking stories featured this week on...
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Six injured in vehicle crash
A man suffered severe leg injuries after being trapped in a vehicle for about an hour and half when a van and car crashed head-on in Maketu. Emergency services, along with the Trustpower TECT Rescue Helicopter, were called to the crash on Maketu Road about 8.30pm Wednesday. Pilot Todd Dunham says a woman, who was the driver of the car, suffered chest injuries while the male driver of the van had to be cut from the wreckage.
Explosion drives pot into ceiling
An Arataki woman suffered burns to her face and singed hair after a gas explosion blew the windows out of her Arataki home and drove a pot into the roof. Mount Maunganui Fire Brigade was called to the house in Jasmine Place following reports of an oven fire about 10.30am Saturday. A woman had been using a butane camp gas stove to boil some water following a power cut in the area. Tauranga fire safety risk management officer Bill Rackham says the canister had been left on the stove stop when the power has come back on.
Fired over boozy night ‘unfair’
A Mount Maunganui Fish Factory has been ordered to pay more than $8500 for unjustifiably sacking an employee who called in sick following a boozy Boxing Day. The Employment Relations Authority ruled Turei Peters was unjustifiably dismissed by Bay Packers Limited on December 28, 2012 after he text his supervisor a day earlier saying he was “2 crook to mke it in”.
Horan hits back
Tauranga Independent MP Brendan Horan is ready for round two with his former leader Winston Peters after being labelled NZ's version of Jimmy Savile. Tensions reached boiling point in Parliament this week when Brendan tried to table NZ First board meeting minutes, alleging improper use of taxpayer money. “This House should not be used in that way, particularly by the Jimmy Savile of New Zealand politics,” responded Peters. Jimmy Savile is the late BBC television presenter accused of sexual crimes against children.
Man injured when tractor rolls
A 78-year-old man was seriously injured after his tractor rolled in Welcome Bay this week. Emergency services were called to the rural property on Waitao Road where the man had been mowing a paddock when the accident occurred on Tuesday evening. The Tauranga based Trustpower TECT Rescue helicopter was called to transport the man from the scene to Tauranga Hospital.
Hapu eye Gate Pa bowling site
Ngai Tamarawaho are looking to extend the Gate Pa battle site to include historic land across Cameron Road under the Gate Pa Bowling Club. Peri Kohu, a member of the trust which organised last month's 150th commemoration of the event, says Ngai Tamarawaho aspirations include the rest of the historic site.
Congestion to lighten Road works responsible for major traffic congestion along Papamoa Beach Rd during the last two months are almost complete, with the tail end of work scheduled outside of peak hours. Frustrated Papamoa residents have battled “crawling” traffic due to construction of a roundabout at the intersection with Sandhurst Drive. The situation was compounded by the increased number of motorists using Papamoa Beach Rd during construction of the Tauranga Eastern Link. Average weekday traffic counts supplied by Tauranga City Council show an extra 1100 vehicles are using the road each day, compared to one year earlier. The count was taken at the road’s intersection with Parton Rd.
The congestion caused particular concern for Mount Maunganui College Year 13 student Brandon, who was getting to school late on a near daily basis. Brandon is one of many students catching the bus to school and says the traffic caused them to be consistently between 10-30 minutes late. “At the worst point I arrived at school at 9.45am; one hour after school is supposed to start, completely missing my first lesson on the day. “I’m more concerned about the younger students, I know at Year 13 it’s not as big an issue for us missing half a lesson, but for them it’s a lot because they’re still quite young.” Brandon catches the bus at 8.15am and should arrive at 8.30am. “When they started building the roundabout, it went to custard straight
away. The traffic issues have always been somewhat bad, but when the construction started it became terrible.” Brandon says his school attendance record was being jeopardised, but the issue is being rectified by his Year 13 dean. “I understand it’s necessary, they need to build the road because it’s going to link to the TEL. I see the long-term effects will benefit it, but it’s affecting schooling, even just a simple apology to the local schools would be nice.” Mount College deputy principal Ady van der Beek says road works are an ongoing issue in causing student lateness. He says the school is aware of the attendance issues caused by the roundabout construction and staff are taking steps to improve the situation. “I have been in touch with the roading people onsite and discussed the issue. They say they’re obliged to put a 30km sign up with any works; and with the increased number of people travelling on the road, 30km can quickly turn to 5km.” He says the issue is of concern and he’s meeting with the bus company to seek their advice. “I want to listen to their take, as they are on the road. If they come up with any suggestions that’s fine; just to provide the best service we can for our students.” TCC communications manager Frank Begley confirms the bulk of the work at Sandhurst Drive is now complete. “There will still be some finishing up jobs to do [line marking, etc], much of which will happen outside peak traffic hours. The stuff that affects traffic is now done.” By Corrie Taylor