IN the early hours of the morning, after consuming “copious amounts” of alcohol Shannon Peri punched a woman.

He appeared in the Whakatane District Court after being transferred from the Hamilton District Court, where he pleaded guilty to one charge of male assaults female.

Lawyer Bruce Hesketh said his client had been at a party at his brother’s house on September 23 and had become irritated by the female victim.

He said the situation exploded at 3.15am with Peri hitting the woman twice in the face.

“The victim in this matter was drunk and she had been causing problems with everyone. Things became heated between Mr Peri and this woman.”

Mr Hesketh said since his appearance in the Hamilton court, Peri has moved to Kawerau to escape bad influences.

Before sentencing him, Judge Peter Rollo wanted him to talk with the court’s addictions assessor.

When Peri returned to the dock, Mr Hesketh said the addictions assessor’s opinion was that his client didn’t have a problem with alcohol.

“Stuff just happens when he drinks.”

Judge Rollo sentenced Peri to 80 hours community work and ordered him to pay $300 reparation for emotional harm.

Other court appearances

On a rampage

AFTER he was hit by a car, Isaac Manuel Karekare rampaged through a mall at Kawerau causing $2300 worth of damage.

Karekare had previously pleaded guilty to three charges of wilful damage when he appeared in the Whakatane District Court for sentencing.

The charges relate to an incident that occurred in Kawerau on October 9 when Karekare was struck by a car, believed to have been driven by his partner.

Karekare was on parole conditions at the time.

Judge Peter Rollo said it was a serious incident and the damage caused was extensive.

“The best that can be said is that you kept yourself to that damage and didn’t chase the car.”

He sentenced Karekare to nine months supervision including a curfew to be home between the hours of 10pm and 6am.

Didn’t remember

WHEN Wayne Kopane Erirangi Te Hau Kakawa Te Rire was pulled over with a suspended licence, he told police he didn’t remember it being put on hold because of excess demerit points.

However Te Rire admitted the charge of driving while suspended when he appeared in court last week.

Charges were laid after Te Rire was stopped on September 6.

Broken foot

NEEDING an operation for a broken foot, Turinga Samson Tawera was unable to complete his remaining community work hours.

Lawyer Jonathan Kay said Tawera had broken his foot and couldn’t walk on it, requiring a wheelchair.

Judge Rollo cancelled the community work and convicted Tawera, handing down a deferred sentence to come up if called upon in the next six months.

Judge Rollo said that meant if Tawera stayed out of trouble he would have a clean slate.

Just leave

TEN years into his relationship, Wiremu Paul Karepa asked his partner to marry him.

He had been granted a marriage licence but his partner called the wedding off after becoming angry that he had waited until 4am to visit her.

With a protection order in place against him, Karepa accepted that he should have left the property when she told him to go.

He pleaded guilty to contravening a protection order and speaking threateningly and received some advice from the judge.

“Get a bit of self-control and play the long game if you are going to woo this woman.

“And you have to accept that when there is a protection order in place, if she says you have to leave, well you have to leave.”

Judge Rollo convicted Karepa and ordered him to come up if called upon. He must also pay his partner $400 emotional harm reparation.

Nowhere to live

PARTNERS Joanne Thelma Barron and Ramona Zelada Thomas were both sentenced to prison after they scammed accommodation providers into allowing them to stay and then not paying their bill and stealing items.

Barron appeared for sentence having previously pleaded guilty to 11 charges related to obtaining by deception and theft.

Thomas faced 13 charges for the same offending.

The two women appeared in court one after the other, where Judge Rollo heard that between February and May, the women stayed at motels and campgrounds in Rotorua, Whakatane, Te Kaha, Opotiki and Ohope.

They left all of the businesses without paying and when they checked out of a motel in Whakatane in August they took with them a microwave, cushions, blankets and other household items.

Barron’s lawyer Bruce Hesketh said his client had experienced an “unfortunate life”.

“Her upbringing was difficult, she has been used by a number of people. None of this excuses her behavior; she accepts that she is responsible for her wrong doing but to show that this is how she has ended up in life.”

He said she was homeless at the time and had nowhere else to stay.

Kaushlynn Kumar represented Thomas and said her client also needed somewhere to stay.

Judge Rollo said while he could understand the desire to find somewhere to stay, they had acted illegally.

“It explains your offending but it does not excuse it.”

He sentenced both women to 12 months in jail and ordered them to each pay $4400 in reparation.

Four times

Notching up his fourth conviction for drink driving, Kevan Michael Papesch said he couldn’t go to jail because someone needed to support his wife and family.

Lawyer Jonathan Kay said Papesch also had job with a lot of responsibility at the Kawerau Mill and he couldn’t maintain his accountabilities if he was sent to jail.

Papesch was arrested after he stopped on Kakahoroa Drive in Whakatane with a reading of 771 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath. The legal limit is 250mcg.

Judge Rollo fined him $1000 with court costs of $130 and disqualified him from driving for three months.

Methamphetamine addiction

STEVEN David Palmer’s family said his methamphetamine addiction had severely impacted on his life.

He appeared in court last week and pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawfully carrying a gun and threatening to kill.

His lawyer Bruce Hesketh said Palmer did not have a firearm’s licence but had a sawn-off pistol in his possession when he was arrested by police after he made threats to kill.

Judge Rollo said Palmer’s family believed he was addicted to methamphetamine and it was taking its toll.

“What seems to be behind your offending is a long-standing drug addiction that has involved methamphetamine.

“Your family have a real concern about not only your well-being but their well-being too.”

He sentenced Palmer to six months home detention and told him he needed to make changes in his life.

“Change only comes from within you, no one can change for you. You must deal with the demons and make the changes in your life.”

Wyjuana Smith is serving a life sentence in prison with a minimum non-parole period of 13 years.

He won’t turn 19 for another six weeks, but Smith was sentenced to jail on Friday in the Rotorua High Court after he pleaded guilty to murdering Todd Branch in Kawerau earlier this year.

At the sentencing, Mr Branch’s mother, Elaine, said Smith had taken away a piece of her heart when he killed her son.

“Words cannot describe how much we miss our Todd, we loved him so much. He was a son, a brother, a nephew, and a friend. We are still suffering and angry at how he was taken from us. He was 23 when he was killed but he was just a big kid.

“It’s true that you don’t know how big a part your loved ones play in your life until they are gone. I called Todd my ‘everyday child’ as I had daily contact with him.

“Todd was a trusting, caring and kind person that just wanted to be accepted by others and fit in with everyone.”

She said she believed her son’s death could have been prevented if someone had told police about what had been going on between her son and Smith, and she urged others to speak up if they knew someone who was being threatened.

The court heard that Smith had previously lived at a house owned by Mr Branch’s mother on Hall Street. However, Smith and other flatmates were evicted while Branch continued to live in the house. Smith and Mr Branch were not on good terms at the time of the eviction.

On the night he killed Mr Branch, March 2, Smith had been drinking with some of the others who were also evicted. He told them that he “wanted to do something” to Mr Branch as a form of retribution, but the others convinced him that was not a good idea.

At about 10.30pm, Smith told the others he was going for a walk. He walked to the house on Hall Street, where Mr Branch was watching television.

Smith waited in the kitchen with a hammer for at least an hour. When Mr Branch entered the kitchen, Smith hit him with it.

Justice Timothy Brewer said when Smith knocked Mr Branch down, he continued to rain blows down on his head and body. He said a pathology report showed Smith had hit Mr Branch at least 24 times, “some of which left circular indentations on Mr Branch’s skull and face.”

Justice Brewer said Smith had lacked stability in his life. When he was 11, Smith and his twin sister were taken away from their mother because of her regular abuse of substances and the fact that she could not provide adequate care for them.

Smith’s childhood involved emotional, physical and sexual abuse and as a teenager he was diagnosed with an anti-social personality disorder.

Justice Brewer said as a result of his poor childhood Smith was prone to angry outbursts and he put holes in many of the walls at the Hall Street house before he moved out.

He said Smith’s criminal record started when he was 15 and included eight convictions for burglary.

“Worryingly, you seem to like carrying weapons, with three convictions for this sort of offence.”

When sentencing Smith, Justice Brewer warned him that he needed to change.

“I want to be very clear about one thing. I am not sentencing you to 13 years imprisonment, I am sentencing you to life imprisonment and that means unless you can persuade the parole board that you are safe to be let out you will spend your life in prison.

“In 13 years, the parole board will make their first assessment of you. The sort of man that they see in you will rely on the amount of effort you put into the programmes you undertake in prison. If this is still you in 13 years’ time the parole board will not let you out.”

NEW SEAL: Muriwai Drive, from Mataatua Road to the boat ramp, will be ripped up and resealed over summer. Photo Louis Klaassen D4453-03

WHAKATANE’S most iconic strip is set for a $1.2 million make-over.

Muriwai Drive, from Mataatua Road through to the boat ramp entrance, will be ripped up and resealed early in the New Year.

Whakatane District Council transportation manager Martin Taylor said the existing road pavement was cracked and showing significant signs of failing, therefore requiring renewal.

He said the high usage of the road by residential, leisure and port traffic resulted in “wear and tear”.

“The construction process will involve excavation and removal of the existing road base and strengthening of the ground beneath by mixing cement into it.

“A new road pavement layer will then be constructed over the top and sealed,” said Mr Taylor.

“In addition to this primary work, other improvements will be undertaken at the same time, including a new footpath on the north side of Muriwai Drive, from Quay Street through to the car park entrance at the eastern end of the Whakatane Fishing Club.”

The route will also be widened to provide safer car parking on both sides of the road, and the traffic lanes will also be slightly wider to better accommodate boat trailers.

A shared-use path will be constructed along the southern side of the flood wall that separates the boat ramp trailer park from the road, with featured crossing points linking across to Muriwai’s Cave.

New pedestrian crossing points will also be provided near the Mataatua street intersection; adjacent to the Mataatua Wharenui and Wairaka

Marae entrances; and at the intersection with Wairaka Road.

The main road works will start after the school holidays, but the road widening and construction of the new footpaths and kerbing is likely to start soon after Christmas. The project is expected to take 12 weeks to complete and cost $1.2 million.

Mr Taylor said concerns had been expressed by residents about the effects of dust from the construction work on the Mataatua Reserve, a known contaminated site, and about the possibility that Muriwai Drive may be closed during the project.

“The dust issue will be mitigated by a requirement in the contract for this to be carefully monitored and the work site wetted down as required to minimise any issues,” he said.

“The contract will also require Muriwai Drive to remain open as much as possible, but the nature of the works will inevitably mean the road will be closed, or reduced to one lane, during some parts of construction.

“We will ensure the contractor puts measures in place to minimise the impact of traffic delays and detours.”

Council public affairs manager Ross Boreham said the earlier scheduled maintenance work was delayed to coincide with the council’s planned Wairaka Centennial Park improvements.

karla.akuhata@whakatanebeacon.co.nz

ALARMS heard at the Whakatane Mill recently are part of scheduled safety preparedness exercises that have been taking place at the
site.

Whakatane Mill spokeswoman Rochelle Beale said the alarms were a “standard site evacuation practice”.

“We have been running some practice drills,” she said.

She said so far two practices were held, the most recent on Saturday.

Because the exercise was held to provide all employees with emergency preparedness, one more alarm will be held before the exercise will be finished.

“There will be a third just to capture the different shifts and staff to make sure everyone will get a practice,” Mrs Beale said.

AFTER three years trying to reform the meat industry, Meat Industry Excellence (MIE) is in recess, claiming patch protection, farmer apathy and a media campaign against it as the reasons.

MIE chairman Dave McGaveston said last week that its attempts to reform the industry were undermined by meat processing industry executives sitting as directors on organisations such as Beef and Lamb New Zealand.

“Sadly the anti-reform campaign prevailed, not just within farmers very own elected organisation, Beef+Lamb NZ, but across the underbelly of vested interest groups that dominate the sector,” he said.

“This was the very essence of why MIE attempted to get the processing directors sitting on the Beef+Lamb NZ board thrown off. Having the ‘fox in the hen house’ is a recipe for disaster,” he said.

But Bay of Plenty Federated Farmers president Rick Powdrell said MIE’s failure was in thinking it had backing from farmers when it didn’t exist.

“They believed they had more support than they actually did,” he said.

“I think one of the big mistakes they made right from the word go was that they assumed everyone who turned up at their meetings was a supporter, whereas a great deal of the people just went along to listen.”

Mr McGaviston said farmer-elected bodies did not properly represent their members by not standing behind MIE’s proposals.

“It has been disheartening that the co-op directors, Beef+Lamb NZ, Federated Farmers, Government and the organisations farmers trust to show leadership and direction have fought to stifle all MIE’s efforts,” he said.

Mr Powdrell said Federated Farmers did everything within its mandate to involve its members in the organisation.

“I encouraged our members to listen to MIE, read its report and to engage if they wanted to,” he said.

He said MIE expected Federated Farmers to rubber stamp its decisions.

“They always wanted us at Federated Farmers to come out and support what they were doing whole-heartedly. But as the chairman I couldn’t do that because the majority of members didn’t support it,” he said.

Manawahe beef and lamb farmer Brent Mountfort said MIE’s initial plan was to consolidate the meat processing industry. Its central objective was to amalgamate Silver Fern Farms with Alliance Group.

Discussion between Silver Fern Farms and Alliance Group had foundered and Chinese meat processing company Shanghai Maling was in negotiations with Silver Fern Farms to create a 50/50 partnership.

“I think initially a lot of farmers were supportive of what they were trying to achieve, but as time went on and it was clear it wasn’t going to happen they became less relevant [to farmers],” Mr Mountfort said.

He said amalgamation would not have guaranteed that farmers would supply their product to the new company at any rate. He said that reforming the industry required more than efforts only by processors.

“There’re lots of things that need to change in the industry to make it more efficient. It’s not just at the processor end; it’s also farmers’ behaviour [such as] how they bring their products to market. It’s not simple,” he said.

Though the future of any potential reform is unsure with the end of MIE, Mr Mountfort believed there was still an opportunity to forge a foundation for future change.

“It got the industry talking and as a result of that there are industry leaders who are trying to work together and talk through some of the issues,” he said.

mark.rieder@whakatanebeacon.co.nz

GREAT VIEWS: Sybton Farm boasts stunning views of the Bay of Plenty. It looks out to Whale Island and White Island. Photos supplied

BUOYED by increases in farm prices, a large mixed-use coastal farm with views of the bay and its own airstrip has been placed on the market near Opotiki and has attracted huge interest.

The 260-hectare Sybton Farm at Waiotahe is being sold by owners Murray and Helen Clark. It is run as a dairy and dry stock beef unit, but has the potential for horticultural crops, or could be subdivided into lifestyle blocks or rural residential properties, according to Bayleys sales agent Rhys Mischefski.

Mr Mischefski said the property had attracted huge interest. He had fielded 60 inquiries, 20 to 25 of which led to tours of the farm. The property is for sale by tender to be opened on November 10.

The real estate institute said this week that farm prices had increased in the three months leading up to September. The average price per hectare had risen $800 to an average of $26,825. Dairy farm prices had increased by 30 percent overall.

Over that same period 388 farms were sold nationwide, up by 51 sales over the same period last year, said the real estate institute. The number of lifestyle blocks sold had also increased by 155.

Sybton Farm was promoted by Bayleys as being “well placed to take advantage of the area’s growing popularity with lifestylers looking for a gentle climate, beautiful scenery and an easy pace of life”.

Mr Mischefski said there was also potential for the property as an orchard.

“Further enhancing the property’s profile is that it boasts at least 30ha of prime horticultural land with some of region’s most productive orchards neighbouring the property,” he said.

WORKING FARM: The 24-aside herring bone cowshed is the hub of the farm’s dairy operation. Photo supplied

The dairy side of the operation produced an average 105,000kg of milk solids from 320 cows.

Comprising four titles, the farm has 124 fenced paddocks spread over a mixture of flat and hilly land, with a central pumiced laneway providing access to all areas.

The dairy cows were milked off of 110ha, with the remaining 150ha used for grazing 320 mixed age beef cattle.

Mr Mischefski said the farm was well-suited as an investment property.

“It is a solid, well set-up farm, one of the Bay of Plenty’s best, and will be of huge interest to investors,” he said.

With the Whakatane and Opotiki areas increasingly becoming vacation destinations, Mr Mischefski said it was also an ideal opportunity for developing lifestyle properties.

EASTERN Bay councils have defended the cost of social media amidst claims the expenditure was for nothing more than “propaganda branding exercises”.

Figures obtained by the Taxpayer Union showed New Zealand’s district councils had spent a total of $446,513 on social media advertising in the 2015/16 financial year, with Auckland Council notching up $187,870 and Dunedin District Council incurring $65,292.

Union executive director Jordan Williams said he questioned why councils needed to spend money on social media campaigns when their core function should be providing community services.

“While no one would object to councils using Facebook to get public information to residents, such as how to vote in the local elections, these figures make it clear that councils are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on propaganda branding exercises,” he said.

“Ratepayers get absolutely no value for that.

“Councils should be more concerned with delivering essential services like rubbish collection and local infrastructure in a cost-effective manner, not spending hundreds of thousands on increasing their Facebook “reach” and promoting pictures of politicians.

He said New Zealand’s ratepayers were paying for “spin doctors” to sit on Facebook and monitor what people are saying about the council.

“For example, the tertiary qualified ‘digital media co-ordinator’ at Taranaki Regional Council is being paid a generous salary to post articles about how families can save money on groceries. Is this really what we need local government to be concerned with?”

Eastern Bay councils were well down the list in terms of their expenditure.

Whakatane District Council spent $1012 on Facebook promotions, Opotiki District Council used $2822 on LinkedIn, and Facebook costs for Kawerau District Council were $407.

Opotiki District Council chief executive Aileen Lawrie said social media was a useful tool to attract people with the necessary skills to the area.

“All this spend covered targeted advertising for job vacancies on the LinkedIn site, so it isn’t “social media propaganda” as suggested by the Taxpayers Union. It is no different to advertising jobs on Seek or Trademe Jobs or in the newspaper.

“Of course, we also advertise all our vacancies in the local paper, on our website, and on our Facebook page.

“We do additional advertising through LinkedIn as it is one of the fastest growing recruitment portals in the world.

“As a small council we are able to take advantage of access to a huge pool of potential candidates but target the right people more specifically.

“For some of our roles this can be very important – for example there is a national shortage of qualified building control officers and LinkedIn allows us to be sure that our ad is seen by candidates with the right qualifications and experience.”

Whakatane District Council public affairs manager Ross Boreham said the main purpose of the advertising was to boost the reach of district promotion and events marketing activities.

He said Facebook was also used to increase community engagement and awareness of the council’s gambling policy review and 2016-17 annual plan.

“The largest spend was on the ‘Do the Maths’ district promotion campaign, with two ad runs totalling $700. This reached over 60,000 people, targeting audiences alongside traditional print campaigns in larger regions and was extremely cost-effective compared to traditional forms of advertising.”

Do the Maths was a social media campaign designed to market the lifestyle and financial gains people living in larger centres could achieve by selling their homes and moving themselves, and potentially their businesses to Whakatane.

Kawerau District Council did not respond in time for publication.

karla.akuhata@whakatanebeacon.co.nz

CUDDLE COT: Whakatane Hospital’s maternity ward is fundraising for a cuddle cot so when a baby dies its parents can have it at home for longer before burial.
Photo supplied

EASTERN Bay Z Energy service stations are supporting Whakatane Hospital’s maternity ward to fundraise for a cuddle cot.

A cuddle cot incorporates a discrete, quiet cooling system making it possible for deceased babies to remain with families for longer periods.

The device pumps cool water through pipes in a mat under a blanket in a cot that keeps the baby’s body consistently cool, reducing stress for parents wanting to take their child home for a few days.

Fundraising begins today and will continue until Wednesday next week. The aim is to raise $5000 to purchase the device.

Bay of Plenty District Health Board midwifery leader Margret Norris said a cuddle cot at Whakatane would be a nice service to offer parents.

“Dealing with the death of a baby is clearly an incredibly difficult event for parents and bereaved parents should be given the option of spending time with their baby,” she said.

Health board spokesman James Fuller said there had been five stillbirths at Whakatane Hospital so far during 2016.

According to One More Cuddle, a website run by parents who have previously lost babies, there are seven cuddle cots in New Zealand – at Rotorua, Tauranga, Waikato, Wellington, Palmerston North, Christchurch and Greymouth hospitals.

The volunteer-based website aims to raise awareness of cuddle cot availability in New Zealand, as well as form a central hub where fundraising progress can be shared, contacts can be made and fund-raising tips swapped among the cuddle cot community.

Eastern Bay Z Energy customers can head to either Whakatane, Kawerau, Awakeri or Opotiki stations to donate.

HUNTING GROUND: Looking peaceful in this week’s spring weather, this intersection, between State Highway 2 and Waimana Valley Road, is reported to be the hunting ground of a crazed magpie. Photo Sven Carlsson OB1783-01

REINFORCEMENTS are being called in to deal with a dangerous Waimana magpie.

Waimana farmer Terry Raerino said efforts by a hunter called in to deal with a crazed magpie over the weekend had so far been unsuccessful.

“He had a few goes at it, but we’re now getting in reinforcements,” he said.

“We’ve got another couple of guys coming up now.”

The decision to take action against the magpie was taken after Mr Raerino was attacked while on his motorcycle.

“He was so busy trying to fend off the bird,” his wife Glenys Raerino said.

“He came off the bike and almost ended up under a tanker.”

Mrs Raerino said the couple has been on the farm for six years and did not own a gun themselves.

The magpie was attacking people near the intersection of State Highway 2 and Waimana Valley Road, she said.

Cycling tourists, farm workers and council staff looking at road-work plans had all been attacked in the magpie kill zone.

All motorcycle helmets used by farm staff had scratches on them.

“It’s only one bird doing the attacking,” Mrs Raerino said.

The bird had taken a “personal dislike” to one farm worker, who had since left.

“It used to attack him all the time,” she said.

Over the past fortnight, the Stuka-bombing magpie had “lost the plot”.

“It used to be that you could just give them a wide berth,” Mrs Raerino said.

“Anyone who goes down there now is fair game.”

Whakatane District Council community regulation manager Graeme Lewer said nesting magpies were a problem in many places at this time of year.

“We have exactly the same situation at the BMX track in Whakatane,” he said.

“The magpie lines people up and goes on the attack.”

Mr Lewer said he had put the Waimana couple in touch with a duck-hunting farmer, who visited them over the weekend.

“It is a real concern when a magpie creates a traffic danger like this,” he said.

“When you get too close, they will attack.”

While hunters with guns could solve a magpie problem in the countryside, the council faced a more difficult situation around the BMX track.“It gets tricky in town, in built-up areas,” Mr Lewer said.

Swooping season

MAGPIES attacking people is a problem in both New Zealand and Australia.

Wikipedia says magpies were introduced into New Zealand to control agricultural pests, and were therefore a protected species until 1951.

“It is currently illegal to breed, sell, or distribute the birds within New Zealand,” the website says.

The birds are infamous for swooping and attacking people who come too close.

The advice is for cyclists to dismount and walk if traversing known magpie territory.

In Australia a special website has been set up to track and report magpie problems.

People can visit the www.magpiealert.com website to inspect the danger lever in their area.

Red marks are used for attacks that resulted in injury, and yellow marks for the rest.

BIRD BOMB: An aggressive magpie lines up cyclist Maria Klaassen in Whakatane’s Warren Park. Photo Louis Klaassen D2631-03

Photo Louis Klaassen D4454-24

CHURCHILL Street residents were entertained last week by the sight of two relocatable houses arriving at a property on their street.

The homes, trucked overnight from Auckland on Tuesday and Friday, had to be raised high enough to pass a house at the front of the property as they were reversed down the driveway.

Nationwide Housemovers performed this feat by placing a second trailer under the house once it arrived outside the property.

Each trailer was fitted with hydraulic rams that could raise and lower the trailers and house on top of them, or tilt the house, as was required on Friday to clear the roof of the original home on the property.

Marketed by LJ Hooker, the property is for sale for $729,000 and once the two new homes have been tidied up and connected to services, and garages have been built, a rental income of $1000 a week is suggested as a reasonable expectation.

Asked why houses were being trucked from Auckland to Whakatane when Auckland is desperately short of them, a Nationwide Housemover worker said his company was “flat out” shifting suitable homes out of Auckland.

Auckland property owners were uplifting and selling them, then replacing them with much bigger and more valuable buildings, he said.

SHOW: Ronald McDonald pleases the crowd with his entertaining show. D4472-063

QUEUES to fun activities were never-ending at Monday night’s Light Party.

Light Party committee member Lori Fretwell said the evening event worked out beautifully, despite predictions of rain and hail.

“It was a popular atmos-phere for such a large event. The crowds were huge and really well behaved.”

Over 4000 people attended the annual event, many dressed in the onesie and pyjama theme.

Mrs Fretwell said there were prizes for best dressed people – 10 for individuals and two for families.

Captain Jack Sparrow, Nemo and a tiger family were stand-outs, Mrs Fretwell said.

She said organisers asked for no scary costumes to be worn and everyone complied.

Popular activities included the 30-metre world’s biggest obstacle course, archery, the Ronald McDonald show and the chair-o-plane.

“We had never ending queues. The kids would get off and then queue again.”

Trading cards were introduced this year that children could choose to collect instead of a lolly. A prize was awarded to those who collected the 12 different cards.

Mrs Fretwell said the cards were introduced to reduce the Light Party’s sugar footprint.

“[The trading cards] worked exceedingly well. At the end, children were opting for the trading cards rather than another lolly and trading amongst themselves.

“We were astounded at the buy-in. They got to take the trading cards home with them.”

Mrs Fretwell said the trading card aspect would be used at future parties and given to schools beforehand to build momentum.

The event was held at the Whakatane War Memorial Centre from 5.30pm to 7.45pm.

Everything provided to make the event a success, including the barbecue, candy floss and noodles, was free.

Mrs Fretwell said the live entertainment was popular with the crowd.

Other activities included temporary tattoos, fire engine rides, horse and pony rides, crazy hairdressers and zorbs.

haylee.king@whakatanebeacon.co.nz

Photos Louis Klaassen D4477-04, -07

BEING 2800 kilometres from Melbourne did not stop a group of Whakatane women dressing in their favourite frocks and fascinators to celebrate the Melbourne Cup at Top Shelf bar yesterday.

Jodie Hands and Lisa Butler (pictured above) and Jody Malcolm, below, were among those at the Top Shelf Bar to watch the race.

One of the favourites, Almandin, went on to take the cup with Heartbreak City and Hartnell finishing the trifecta.

With $6.2 million at stake for the 156th running of the southern hemisphere’s premier horse race, an estimated 40 people packed the Top

Shelf to watch the action live as it started at 5pm, New Zealand time.

BIZARRE: Deborah Eves and Judith Read model two “bizarre bras”, created by Maggie McKenzie from Hospice Shop treasures. Photo Paula Massey D4466-262

LAST weekend’s Annual Charity Fashion Parade and Garden Party was another sell-out with 275 people enjoying an afternoon of food, fashion and fun at the The Good Garden Company.

Organiser Kathryn Simpson said the day was very successful.

MC Christine Tulloch and celebrity guest Jackie Clarke were both “absolutely fantastic”.

“Jackie worked the crowd really well, engaged people and had them all doing things.”

The collective fashion parade, featuring clothing and shoes from Pattersons, Rositas, Envy and Stirling Sports, was also well received, and the retailers worked very well together, helping each other out after their own store had been showcased.

Food and hospitality students from Toi Ohomai (formerly Waiariki Institute of Technology) manned the bar and provided individual food crates for each person, in keeping with the picnic theme, containing homemade lemonade and delicious treats.

Another highlight was the presentation of Maggies’ Bizarre Bras. Using items from Whakatane’s Hospice Shop, Maggie McKenzie upcycled bras, transforming them from boring old underwear into something extraordinary.

Musical entertainment was provided by the EBOP -a leles.

The fashion fundraiser served as the launch of the Whakatane Floral Art Group’s fundraising calendar, featuring stunning photos shot by former Beacon photographer Troy Baker. The calendars are $15 and available from the Good Garden Company, Rositas, Pattersons and Envy.

All funds raised from the fashion parade and the calendar will go to the Eastern Bay Breast Cancer Support Network, which supports women and their families following breast cancer diagnoses.

ROAD BARRIERS: Wire ropes will be hung on these barrier posts as part of the revised $2.5 milion safety improvement plan for State Highway 30, between Awakeri and the Kawerau turn-off.
D4396-12

AFTER undertaking consultation with those living in the area then tweaking the plan accordingly, NZ Transport Agency says it will spend $2.5 million on the project aimed at making roads from Awakeri to the Kawerau turn-off safer – not the higher $3.7 million figure it intended to originally.

The project includes installing flexible road safety side barriers, a wide centreline along part of the route, shoulder widening, rumble strips on edges and upgrades to signs and line-marking.

Initially the project was to cost $3.7 million and involve installation of barriers along the entire route. However, concerns were raised by the Eastern Bay road safety committee.

Whakatane District Council transportation manager Martin Taylor said in response the NZTA told the committee that if it did not want it to undertake the project then it would use the funds elsewhere.

“It wasn’t meant as a threat, though, they just said if we were going to push back saying that we didn’t want them to do it then they would use the money for another project.

“Saying it was a threat is not the right interpretation".

Mr Taylor said after raising its concerns, the committee advised NZTA that the best way forward would be to consult with those living along the route to gain better idea of what would work.

As a result the project was modified and the budget was revised from $3.7 million to $2.5 million to reflect the changes.

NZTA Bay of Plenty highways manager Niclas Johansson said it worked with the committee to find a compromise

“Along with meeting with the committee we have consulted with residents, property owners, and businesses, including the quarries.

“Following feedback we have either modified or reduced the barrier extents, especially around access ways.

“Where we have installed barriers we’ve increased the shoulder width where possible, to provide more area for vehicles to pull over.

“We have also altered barrier lengths to accommodate farmers moving stock. The conversations we have had with these interested parties and the local people have been very useful in strengthening our design and improving the way we integrate these safety retrofitting improvements with the way people use these roads.”

Mr Johansson said head-on and run-off-road crashes accounted for 75 percent of fatal and serious injury crashes in New Zealand.

“We reviewed the State Highway 30 and State Highway 34 corridor in late 2015, and identified that although recent works had improved safety at these two specific locations, there was still a clear safety problem that warranted more investment.

Along the section of highway there had been 18 recorded run-off-road injury crashes in the past 10 years.

Fewer deaths and injuries

THE road safety treatments occurring west of Awakeri will prevent 8.5 deaths and serious injuries every 10 years, the NZ Transport Agency says.

NZ Transport Agency Bay highways manager Niclas Johansson said the roadside barriers would reduce the severity of run-off-road crashes and the frequency of head-on crashes.

He said installing flexible roadside safety barriers had been shown to significantly reduce the impact of serious accidents.

“These safety treatments are effective in reducing deaths and injuries for all types of road users. They work by acting as a net, catching vehicles before they run off the road and hit something less forgiving, like a tree or another vehicle.”

He said the cables flexed on impact, slowing the vehicle and pushing it back into its lane.

“Widening the centreline increased the gap between vehicles and therefore reduced the likelihood of head-on crashes.

“There is solid evidence to show that assumptions that flexible barriers have a ‘cheese cutter’ effect and increase risks for motorcyclists are unfounded.

“In fact, the evidence shows the opposite – installing roadside barriers can have a beneficial effect and actually reduces motorcycle casualties.

This is because motorcyclists are more likely to survive an impact with a roadside barrier than an impact with roadside hazards, such as trees and poles.”

karla.akuhata@whakatanebeacon.co.nz

NEW Zealand Customs has deployed 14 new FirstDefenders – mobile devices that enhance border protection.

Customs minister Nicky Wagner said the device used a laser to analyse substances, often without the need to open the packaging. It matched this against a database of over 11,000 illicit and legal substances to provide an accurate result within seconds.

BOTH WORLDS: The new contemporary wharemate at Tanatana Marae in Waimana sits alongside the traditional meeting house. Photo supplied

THE architect behind the contemporary-styled wharemate at Tanatana Marae in Waimana has won another award for his work.

Aladina Harunani, of APA Architects and Project Managers in Rotorua, was named the supreme winner at the ADNZ Resene Architectural Design Awards at a ceremony in Auckland on Friday night for his design of the wharemate– beating 149 other entries.

Tanatana marae is home to Tuhoe hapu Ngati Rere and according to tribal tradition the deceased are mourned in a wharemate, a building separate to the meeting house.

The brief for Tanatana Marae called for a sleeping area for immediate family members alongside the deceased and additional space for extended whanau.

Marae committee representative Martin Rakuraku said the temporary shelters used in the past were no longer suitable and a permanent building was required.

“Traditionally, the oratory takes place outside, whether it’s rain, hail or sunshine. But we do occasionally get bad weather here and it’s important for people to be warm and comfortable,” Mr Rakuraku said.

“We decided we wanted this new building to house the mourning family and to be a symbol of the future.”

Mr Rakuraku said the new wharemate was an “awesome” blend of old and new, with a look “almost spaceship like”.

“As well as offering his architectural expertise, Aladina’s background is similar to ours in terms of culture, which he also brought to the project. Now we are much better positioned to carry out our tikanga [spiritual practice] and we’ve got an incredible building as well.”

ADNZ judge Duncan Joiner said the symbolism within the building’s basic structure was particularly meaningful.

“You can see the big shallow arches, which end like fingers stretching out and grasping the land, as well as the pou (posts) reaching up to the sky. It’s simple but enables quite complex emotions to take place. Both practically and metaphorically the design is now an integral part of the marae process. It’s not something that’s hidden away – it’s there, and the idea is boldly but very sensitively presented.”

ADNZ chief executive Astrid Andersen said designing for specific and complex cultural requirements demanded considerable skill and sensitivity from an architect.

“It is inspiring to see a striking contemporary design, which is beautiful in its simplicity, fulfil the requirements of a complex brief. The design is a celebration of life, death, traditional life and a nod to the future.”

Held annually, the ADNZ Resene Architectural Design Awards celebrate the most innovative, creative and aesthetic architectural designs across the country.

Presented to architectural designers in both residential and commercial sectors, the awards acknowledge outstanding design in the categories of new homes, interiors, alterations and additions, commercial and industrial design.

Photo Sven Carlsson OB1787-01

A MAN is in a serious condition in Whakatane Hospital after being stabbed in Opotiki last night.

Opotiki police are investigating the domestic incident, understood to have taken place in the early hours of the morning at a Bridge Street property.

Little is known about the incident at this point, but a police spokeswoman said the stabbed man was 25 years old.

“He was transported to Whakatane Hospital and is reported to be in a serious condition,” she said.

Police inquiries are continuing.

CATCHING UP: Those with Parkinson’s and their carers meet on the first Wednesday of every month to swap stories and for a bit of camaraderie. Photo Louis Klaassen D4481-2

SHE did not realise at the time but Rosalind Vercoe says one of the first signs she had Parkinson’s was losing her sense of smell.

Mrs Vercoe remembers returning home with her sister and opening the door. When her sister remarked about an offending scent, Mrs Vercoe said she couldn’t smell anything. But then she remembered the raw fish accidentally left on the bench while they were out.

She said she didn’t put things together at the time, but then came the tremors and eventually a doctor’s appointment before heading off to see a neurologist.

While there are no tests to confirm Parkinson’s, Mrs Vercoe said the fact she had a positive reaction to the medication Sinemet showed she most likely had the disease.

“They can’t do a blood test, or anything like that, so sometimes people go undiagnosed or wrongly diagnosed. But Parkinson’s doesn’t kill, it affects your life.”

She said symptoms varied. Some people experienced tremors first, or others struggled to walk as the first sign, and there were those who lost their balance.

Some found it a struggle to talk, or even write.

Mrs Vercoe was diagnosed a few years ago and said she had since come to terms with having the disease, as well as learning the best way to manage her Parkinson’s.

She said the Bay of Plenty Parkinson’s Society had been an immense help.

This week has been Parkinson’s Awareness week and on Wednesday she attended the monthly catch up of the society’s Whakatane branch at White House Café on Thornton Road.

With about a dozen others, Mrs Vercoe used the time to catch up with others who have Parkinson’s.

She said sometimes people became isolated after being diagnosed with the disease because they did not want to go out, but the support group was a safe place to learn, and to swap stories.

“If I have got a query about something, I don’t have to go running off to the doctor I can just ask someone with the same disease.”

Mrs Vercoe also attends the Living Well Group get-together at the Knox Church, on Domain Road, on Wednesday mornings.

She said the Living Well Group was an avenue for those who lived with neurological conditions and their partners or carers.

Mrs Vercoe said it involved light exercises and was a way of having fun and experiencing companionship. She said exercise was an important way of managing the disease.

Anyone wanting more information on Parkinson’s is encouraged to contact the Parkinson’s Bay of Plenty Society, or attend the weekly

Living Well Group at the Knox Church on Domain Road from 10am.

karla.akuhata@whakatanebeacon.co.nz

THE ministry of justice is reminding Maori that the application deadline for recognition of customary interests under the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011 is April 3, 2017.

Applications can be made both to the High Court and directly to the Crown. Applicants are encouraged to use both pathways.

“We want to ensure that potential applicants are aware of the deadline and have all the information they need to consider making an application,” Office of Treaty Settlements director Lil Anderson said.

“A number of hui have been held across the country about the act and deadline, and people can access the same information directly from the Justice website.”

The Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act acknowledges the importance of the marine and coastal area to all New Zealanders and provides for the recognition of the customary rights of iwi, hapu and whanau in the common marine and coastal area.

Public access to the common marine and coastal area is guaranteed by the act.

SCHOOL TIME: The Taneatua Liquor Store will be able to stay open for an extra hour each day.

AN application by Taneatua Liquor Store to extend its opening hours has been successful, despite opposition from some corners of the community.

Earlier this year directors of Bir Ji Suman Traders, which owns the Taneatua Liquor Store, applied to extend its opening hours for an extra hour each weekday.

Previously, the store closed its doors between 2pm and 4pm to avoid school-age children and opened again from 4pm to 7.30pm.

In their application, directors Ram Lubhaia and Suman Sharma asked that their store be allowed to stay open until 3pm, at which time it would close for one hour while students made their way home.

However, the extension application was opposed by 33 letters, including from Tuhoe chief executive Kirsti Luke and Tuhoe Hauora general manager Pania Hetet. The application was also opposed by Bay of Plenty District Health Board.

A hearing into the application was held in August in front of the district licensing committee, comprising commissioner Russell Orr and members Jenny Mahoney and Michelle Heath. The committee rules on applications, guided by the Eastern Bay Local Alcohol Policy.

Whakatane District Council public affairs manager Ross Boreham confirmed this week that the variation to shorten the hours of closure to between 3pm and 4pm was granted by the district licensing committee.