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Vol 48, No 44
Unprovoked assault at Botany By JIM BIRCHALL
Inauguration – Collings ousted as board chair Adele White (at lecturn) was elected the chair of the Howick Local Board.
By JIM BIRCHALL
T
he Howick Local Board has a new chair. The inauguration of the recently elected Howick Local board was held on Tuesday at Uxbridge in Howick. Incumbents, former chair David Collings and deputy chair Katrina Bungard, have been joined on the board by newcomer Bruce Kendall, a former Olympic gold medallist in boardsailing, and local business owner Bo Burns. Returning members from Botany and Pakuranga subdivi-
sions included John Spiller, Mike Turinsky, Adele White, Bob Wichman and Peter Young. Bungard was notable by her absence on the night, having chosen to spend her evening pressing her claims for selection for the vacant National party nomination for Botany. This proved to be in vain as ex-Air New Zealand CEO Christophen Luxon was chosen to contest the seat, across the suburb at the National Party’s new office in Chapel Road. After an introduction of Maori protocol by a local kaumatua, the
Photo Wayne Martin
ceremony was officially opened and board members were called up one by one to be inaugurated. None of the candidates, with the exception of Adele White, chose to start their acceptance of oath without attempting to speak a few words in Te Reo. A crowd of around 70, mainly made up of family and supporters of the elected, shunned the evening sun and were given a surprise when David Collings was displaced from the chair role by a unanimous vote, installing former police officer Adele White into the top role. The vote to delay the election of
a vice chair was raised, and ultimately upheld, as the matter was adjourned to the next meeting of the board. The swearing-in ceremony three years ago was saturated with drama with one member walking out and quitting minutes after being sworn in. Lucy Schwaner, wife of Botany MP Jami-Lee Ross, walked out of the inauguration ceremony in 2016 forcing an eventual byelection. Schwaner lost the vote for board chair 5-4 to incumbent Collings, and walked out amid accusations of bullying and intimidation.
A 17-year-old local youth is alleging he was the victim of an unprovoked assault while waiting in a car at traffic lights at Botany on Sunday. Witnesses describe a gang of youths wearing black hoodies and bandanas next to the traffic lights, supposedly lingering with intent, before the assault. According to a police statement, a report was received on Sunday night about an incident earlier that afternoon at the intersection of Ti Rakau and Te Irirangi Drives in Botany. The victim was reportedly punched inside his vehicle and suffered bruising as a result. Police are making enquiries into the incident”. The Times has been in contact with the victim, who confirmed the alleged unprovoked offence and directed inquiries to his father, who had this to say: “The thugs were gathered on the grass alongside Countdown and my son and friends were waiting on Te Irirangi travelling northbound at the lights. There were around 15-20 (youths) in a large group and four walked over, quite deliberately targeting the car, shouting obscenities. “One of them opened the door and from behind him like a total coward, a young male (teenager) reached round and punched my son with a knuckle duster on his ➤➤Turn to Page 8 cheekbone.”
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