FOLLOWING a long dry summer, rural property owners can now apply for permits to burn waste.

Matata chief fire officer Gavin Dennis said farmers were utilising the change in fire season and “doing what they need to do” after going through a particularly long prohibited fire season.

There have been some repercussions for the fire brigade though in the form of unnecessary call-outs.

The Matata brigade has been called to multiple burn-offs on the Thornton plains only to find on arrival that each fire has a permit in place providing consent for the blaze.

On Saturday last week, the crew attended are fire at approximately 6.55pm on Thornton Road, after reports of an orange glow.

“At the scene we saw a controlled burn-off under way on farmland. We were met by farmers who had the appropriate permits,” Mr Dennis said.

“We went for a look to make sure all was safe and these guys had done a great job making sure they met all their permit conditions and were safely disposing of dry waste wood,” he said.

The same day, however, there was an avoidable blaze with a fisherman lighting a bonfire on the beach that started a brush fire near the Pikowai Camp spanning 600 square metres.

“Just past the camp we found a small bonfire on the beach and a few metres away in the bush behind, the scrub also was on fire,” he said.

“We ran a considerable amount of hose out and attacked both fires with water and hand tools.

“With limited water on board however, we also asked the team at Edgecumbe for help by bringing their water tanker across.

“After a wee while we managed to put out the fires and make the area safe again.

Mr Dennis said nobody should be lighting fires on beaches and, in windy weather, fire risk increased considerably.

Eastern Bay fire and emergency urge anyone planning to light a fire rurally to check conditions online, and to limit the number of controlled burn-offs so those attending call-outs are not forced to break their bubbles as often.

“They are doing the right thing by calling on us, but in order to attend a call-out we need to break our bubbles.

“Just a reminder there to everyone that although fires may be allowed, you must get online and have a permit then follow the permitted conditions.”

To apply for a permit or check if your fire is allowed, head to www.checkitsalright.nz/.

THE Salvation Army has had to double the number of food parcels it gives out weekly since the lockdown.

Salvation Army Captain Nikki Mellsop said they had increased their food parcels from about 20 a week to closer to 50.

She said they had been able to secure enough food for the spike in demand, but were concerned it was not a short-term issue, but one that could continue.

“We have been incredibly blessed with community response and we have been going across to Rotorua to grab some food that the Salvation Army there have done as well,” said Ms Mellsop.

“But I think the problem is that this is going to be a long-term issue so there is going to be quite a long tail with the Covid response.

“People who are on 80 percent of their income can last for a short length of time and then all of a sudden those extra bills start getting behind and that is when they start seeking help.”

Ms Mellsop said winter usually also meant an increase in bills, so that would impact people on lower salaries.

“A decrease to 80 percent has made a massive difference, so people who were surviving previously have all of a sudden been unable to cope with the bills at the moment.

“And I think because it was really unexpected [the lockdown] so there was no time to budget or get yourself prepared.

“So we are still expecting further demand.

“We are seeing some really legitimate families, families that have never come to us for help before.”

Ms Mellsop said they were incredibly grateful for Trident High School’s help.

“Trident have always gone above and beyond for us and we just really appreciate that local support.

“Good on them to each and every person who has participated.”

ALTHOUGH people will still be limited to crowds of 100 or fewer, good news is that they can head to their favourite pub for a tipple or meet friends for dinner or a coffee under alert level two.

The new rules for alert level two were unveiled by the Government yesterday, under which bubbles will cease, students can head back to school and preschoolers to early learning centres, businesses can reopen, and domestic travel will be permitted again.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said people could head back to work under alert level two, but strict hygiene practices would need to be in place, and it would be preferable if employees to continued to work from home where possible.

The prime minister also recommended staggered starting times.
Gatherings – indoors and outdoors – will once again be limited to 100 people or fewer, so clubs, organisations and businesses will have to make provisions for that if they are planning events.

Sport and recreation can resume, including professional sports.

The prohibitions around funerals and weddings have also been dropped.

“Small religious gatherings and ceremonies can be held with public health measures in place,” Ms Ardern said.

The prime minister said distances of two metres should still be maintained between strangers, while service premises and office spaces should have “the fewer people the better” so that contact tracing was easier and faster.

Tight measures should be maintained by eateries – people have to remain seated, there must be sufficient space between tables, and they should offer a table-only service, no gathering at counters.

Public venues, including museums, food courts and markets, could also reopen again.
People will be allowed to travel around the country in their bubbles, but the borders remain closed to international travel, except for returning Kiwis.

Schools, early learning centres and tertiary institutions will open a week after the announcement is made that we are going into alert level two.

This announcement is expected to be made on May 11.

EASTRN Bay police are asking motorists to stick to the rules as traffic volume increase across the region.

Eastern Bay road policing manager Senior Sergeant Chris Howard said the increase was nearly equal to pre-lockdown numbers with people using the alert levels as an excuse to push the boundaries.

“People have been lulled into a false sense of security and they need to be following the rules,” he said.

With the increased traffic, people needed to be more vigilant in driving to the speed limit and remain aware of their surroundings and the driving conditions. Speed is a major issue road police are seeing.

“We have heard some pretty laughable excuses for speeding,” Mr Howard said.

“There has been lots of excessive speeding in level four and we have seen that trend continue through to level three.”

Hot spots for excessive speed are Ohope’s Pohutukawa Avenue and Kopeopeo’s King Street, but motorists in the region as a whole need to watch their speed.

“People need to remember that we are all working together to get back to normal … Take your time, drive to the conditions and stick to the speed limit,” he said.

Mr Howard said police had also seen an increase in drivers neglecting to wear their seatbelts and motorists overall were less attentive, and using cellphones.

With an increase in cyclists on the road, particularly in Ohope, Mr Howard asks road users to stay attentive.

TRIDENT High School’s charity challenge topped its funding target yesterday as students cycled, ran and walked the five-kilometre distance for the fundraiser.

Teacher Jon Stanhope planned the challenge for yesterday afternoon to replace the school’s Thursday elective classes – where students usually participate in a variety of sports and activities.

Instead of electives, students, in their bubbles, could donate a gold coin and raise sponsorship, and then do a 5km challenge between 1.45pm and 3pm yesterday.

All funds raised are going to the Whakatane Foodbank, run by the Salvation Army, which is experiencing a massive rise in demand for food parcels from families struggling under the impact of Covid-19. By yesterday afternoon donated funds were topping $2500, well above the goal of $2000.

Members of the public can still donate as the fundraiser ends on May 19.

WHAKATANE’S very own “firestarter” Charlie Cruse says we are in for some cold weather soon and he has good stocks of kindling to get your fire burning.

For the past four years, the 82-year-old has been keeping himself busy year-round chopping kindling. He chops the super-dry, extra-fine untreated timber for 12 months of the year and, in winter, sells it for $10 per box.

“Two to three boxes are enough to last a winter,” he said.

He said he was told by one of his best customers this week that he was selling it much too cheap. However, he said his main difficulty was finding the packing crates.

“The best wood comes from the frames that are used to pack ride-on lawnmowers in when they come into the country. But the store I used to get them from has closed down recently.”

Last year Mr Cruse sold more than 160 boxes of kindling, which take around three hours work each for him to make.

This year he has already sold over 120. He said the hardest part of the job was breaking up the pallets and crates, removing all the nails and sawing it to length rather than the actual chopping part, which is a relaxing “no-brainer job”.

He said he also chopped up pallets but not all sorts of packaging are equal.

“Some just split apart easier than others,” he said.

Mr Cruse can be contacted on 07 3080920 for contactless pick-up and would love to hear from anyone who has a good source of lawnmower packaging.

THE Rangitaiki River may be flowing crystal clear, but the regional council says this is due to the lack of rain rather than lockdown restrictions.

People living alongside the river have noticed the “significantly improved” water clarity since the country went into lockdown and are sceptical of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council’s claim that is due to low levels of rain.

Heyden Johnston said he had been living at Thornton for the past 40 years and had never seen the river this clear before.

“The change in the river has been quite dramatic and it has impacted the aquatic life also, we had a kahawai school work up inside the harbour,” he said.

“Most people who frequent Thornton will agree that when you can see the bottom of the river at high tide things have changed dramatically, especially when often you can’t see the bottom at low tide.

“It is such a great thing to see these positive changes in our awa; we now need to find out how we can keep it this way.

“We have lived with a polluted river for so long that we don’t even realise how good the water quality can be.”

Mr Johnston said he had spoken to several locals about it and they all agreed this was the clearest the water had been.

He said he was sceptical about it being caused by a lack of rainfall. If that were true, this year would have needed to be the driest on record.

He is unsure why the water quality has improved during lockdown as many essential activities are still taking place alongside the river but speculates it may be the lack of forestry.

“If it is the lack of forestry, this is up to the regional council to assess and report to the public,” Mr Johnston said.

“Let’s call Bay of Plenty Regional Council to task. They are paid by us to maintain our environment. When we see a definitive change in water quality during such an unprecedented event as the lockdown, then all of us must act and ensure we aim to maintain water quality as it is today,” he said.

“We should not revert to past practices for what are likely to be financial gains for few, to the detriment of the environment and the wider community.”

Information on Land, Air, Water Aotearoa shows that the Rangitaiki River has high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus.

When compared to the national average it is in the bottom 25 percent.

The biggest source of nitrogen in New Zealand’s waterways is urine from farm animals while phosphorus comes from farm fertiliser.

The Rangitaiki River also performed in the bottom 50 percent of rivers for turbidity. This is a measure of the cloudiness of water and high turbidity can be caused by heavy rainfall, disturbance of the riverbed or bank by heavy machinery or through direct discharges.

The awa was in the top 25 percent for e.coli.

Regional council science manager Rob Donald said his team was really pleased that people were enjoying the clarity of the Rangitaiki River and that there was more fish life visible further upstream.

He said water quality monitoring was suspended under level four, so it was not possible to provide data on any specific change under lockdown.

However, some water monitoring had picked back up under level three and he said that might provide data in the future if there had been any substantial improvements.

“However, from my experience, it seems more likely that it is the lower rainfall over the past several months that has contributed to the clarity that the member of the public has noticed,” he said.

“Certainly many of the industries that operate alongside or on the river continued throughout the lockdown, farms are still operating, the dam is still generating and most other industries – primarily the dairy factory – have continued operations as essential industries.

“However, less rain means less runoff from all industries and from urban and rural areas.

That includes less runoff from forestry areas as well.”

Mr Donald said water monitoring was a broad measure across a number of indicators including bacteria, clarity, nitrogen and phosphorus. Most of these factors wouldn’t be visible to the public.

“Water quality and making sure that our freshwater is healthy now and for future generations is a core part of Toi Moana’s work in the community,” Mr Donald said.

“What happens on land affects our waterways so our work provides funding, advice and regional co-ordination to help improve the way land, water and biodiversity habitat is cared for in our local catchments.

“We invest more than $30 million each year on work with local people to improve and protect the water in local rivers, lakes, streams and aquifers.”

• Sport NZ unveils $25m package to help cash-strapped organisations

SPORTS clubs in the Eastern Bay that rely on fees and grants to keep them operating are being hard hit by the Covid-19 restrictions.

Most have been unable to charge fees over the shutdown and many that rely on grants to cover salaries and pay for gear and new equipment have been hit by the shutdown of grant applications.

The Covid-19 shutdown from March 25 has forced the closure of gaming venues across New Zealand – resulting in an unexpected halt to applications for grants. Most clubs are funded through revenue generated by gambling machines, or pokies.

Some financial relief may be available for seriously cash-strapped clubs with the announcement yesterday of a $25 million relief package. Clubs will be able to apply for a $1000 grant from 10am on Monday. Regional recreation and sports organisations can apply for up to $40,000.

However, the Sport NZ Resilience Fund may not be available to clubs that already have a few dollars in the bank.

Clubs will be eligible for funding relief if they “cannot pay bills for fixed administration costs (excluding wages) in the three months from April 1 to June 30, 2020, even after accessing reserves and receiving other support from the national body, government and others, as a result of lost income or income that is very likely to be delayed by more than six months, because of impacts of Covid-19 restrictions”, criteria for the applications state.

The Gaming Association has told clubs that it will take applications only four to six weeks after the gaming venues open for business.

There are about 30 trusts listed on the Department of Internal Affairs website that clubs can apply to for grants, but most Eastern Bay clubs apply to about five.

“You can usually only apply to a gaming trust for funding if they have gaming machines in your geographic area,” explained EBOP Gymnastics Club committee member and accountant Catherine Aldridge.

“This stop in grant funding is huge, not just for our gymnastics club, but all sports clubs and incorporated societies that rely on grant funding to function,” she said.

“This no doubt also has implications for professional sports in New Zealand, as a lot of them rely on grant funding from gaming machine trusts too.”

The gymnastics club has had to reduce its fees for competitive gymnasts by 50 percent as it is only offering training sessions via Zoom with its competitive coach Jordan Biggs.

In addition, it is not getting fees from its many recreational classes and missed out on income over the Easter holidays for its holiday programme.

Worse still, the applications it had in with various trusts to assist with coach salaries and the purchase of equipment have been put on hold.

Operations manager Anne Gould said the club’s committee had decided to pay its three staff, including a coach it employed just before the lockdown, their full wages and had received the Government’s wage subsidy – which covered about 80 percent of salaries.

“Our income will be down because of no after-school classes, daytime classes and no holiday programme,” she said.

The club also had the opportunity to purchase new equipment at reduced rates, but that has fallen through because it cannot apply for a grant.

“So the Pacific Rim gear we are now unable to afford and we just hired the new coach and now will have to cover her wages on reduced income,” Ms Gould said.

Whakatane Swimming Club committee president Rawinia Kamau said the club had had a 100 percent loss in income since level three.

“This is from no coaching fees, though a handful of us parents have continued to support the sustainability of the club, as well as no possible opportunity for extra funding through pokies.”

Ms Kamau said the club also had applications in the pipeline for a coaching salary, lane hire and equipment, but that all came to a halt.

The club pays the Whakatane District Council tens of thousands of dollars for lane hire annually. It is hoping for some relief and that it won’t be charged for lane usage over the shutdown.

Even when the country goes to level two there will be limits on swimmer numbers in the pool.

“It looks like a maximum of 14 people will be allowed in the pool – two per lane, and we need to hire the whole pool and use it as private groups.”

Only about 50 of the club’s 100 swimmers are expected to be back in the pool at level two, and the club is concerned about the viability of this.

“We want to avoid increasing coaching fees, partly because a lot of our parents have experienced a loss of income.”

However, Ms Kamau said the upside was that the club had also received the wage subsidy for its coach.

“We’ve had a hit, but we should be okay.”

EBOP Cricket Club president Colin Rampling said their plans to ask for funding were also stalled by the lockdown.

“We were incredibly lucky that the Queen Street Cricket Club and Sport Bay of Plenty helped us.’’

Mr Rampling is disappointed the funding has been frozen.

“We were hoping we would be able to get some new equipment or look at getting an EBOP cricket development person but now we will be fighting for funds.’’

Michelle Cossey, Whakatane Surf Life Saving Club media co-ordinator, said they relied heavily on grants from gaming machines.

“Our equipment is not cheap to use, maintenance and replacement being costly.

“Funding has helped purchase ski’s kneeboards, foamies for our junior surf programme and surf lifesaving equipment like tubes, oxygen and radios. We are also very reliant on funding to maintain our IRBs and motor, of which we have three each,” she said.

“We supply all equipment to the camping ground over the peak season so use of all equipment is huge.’’

’’We, like many charitable organisations in New Zealand going forward will have to look at maintaining the equipment we have and coming up with other ways to fund our ongoing costs.”

RESURFACING work at three sites in and around Matata and Te Teko is now underway with Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency advising delays can be expected.

Motorists are asked to drive with caution on State Highway 2 at the intersection of Arawa and Pakeha streets, Matata today.

Contractors will be working between 8am and 6pm with a temporary speed limit of 30kmh in place and a detour in place via Mair Street.

From Tuesday until Friday there will be work happening at the State Highway 30/34 intersections at Military Road and Kawerau Road.

Stop-go traffic management will be in place between 8am and 6pm and a temporary speed limit of 30kmh.

The transport agency reminds motorists that work practices at alert level 3 do not look like pre-pandemic work. A range of new measures are in place to ensure this work can be done safely.

THREE new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed today as the country waits to hear when it will be going into alert level 2.

Two of the new cases are linked to the St Margaret’s Hospital and Rest Home in Auckland.

The individuals are both nurses at Waitakere Hospital.

Both had been asymptomatic throughout a stand-down period which they spent in precautionary self-isolation at home, the Ministry of Health said.

They were tested as part of routine requirements for their safe return to work and the results came back positive.

The third case is a person who has travelled back from overseas, so is an imported case.

This brings the total of confirmed and probable Covid-19 cases to 1497, which is made of 1147 confirmed cases, the number reported to the World Health Organisation, and 350 probable cases.

Of the total, 1386 people have recovered, which is 93 percent of all confirmed and probable cases.

Two people are in hospital with Covid-19 – one each in Middlemore and North Shore hospitals. Neither is in ICU.

We still have 16 significant clusters, four of which are now closed.

There are no additional deaths to report.

Restaurants, cinemas, cafes and shops will be allowed to open on Thursday when the country moves from alert level 3 into alert level 2 in the battle against Covid-19.

“Today I am announcing that Cabinet agree we are ready to move into alert level 2, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said today. “To open up the economy, but to do it as safely as possible.”

Ms Ardern explained how it would work at alert level 2.

On Thursday, retail, malls, cafes, restaurants, cinemas and other public spaces, including playground and gyms can re-open.

On Monday, May 18, schools and early learning centres will re-open. The delay is to give parents and teachers time to prepare and plan.

On Thursday, May 21, bars will be able to re-open. “Seating must be provided there must be space between tables. We have left bars until last because they do pose the most risk.

Ms Ardern referred to South Korea where when they opened bars it caused an outbreak, infecting 40 people and resulting in 1500 Covid-19 tests.

“All will be required to have physical distancing and strict hygiene measures in place.

“You can begin to move around New Zealand, but space yourself out, especially if using public transport. And of course health services will restart,” she said.

“The upshot is that in 10 days’ time we will have re-opened most businesses in New Zealand and sooner than many other counties around the world.”

The Prime Minister urged people to keep their social bubbles to 10 people or fewer when socialising; parties and big gatherings will not be permitted at level 2. People at sports events, the cinema or restaurants will all be required to be spaced out.

“When we come together to socialise in large numbers there is risk.”

Police seek info following fatal crash

POLICE are urging the public to take responsibility for their animals following a fatal crash on Te Teko Road.

Edgecumbe woman Elizabeth Edwards was killed when her car collided with a horse about 11.15pm on Saturday night.

Eastern Bay road policing manager Senior Sergeant Chris Howard said police were continuing to seek out the owner of the horse, but the task was proving very difficult.

Mr Howard said Eastern Bay police would be working with the Whakatane District Council and animal control to ensure all animals were correctly secured, mitigating any potential future risks.

“People need to make sure their animals are tethered and restrained,” Mr Howard said.

Inquiries into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing and police urge anybody with information on the crash, or ownership of the horse, to call 105 quoting file number 200510/2604.

Alternatively, information can be provided anonymously via CRIMESTOPPERS on 0800 555 111.

Recycling returns

THE move to alert level two means Whakatane District Council’s kerbside glass collection service can resume.

The first collection will take place on Monday.

Yellow-lid bin recycling can also begin again as the sorting facilities are re-opening.

However, the council will conduct one more collection cycle where the content of these bins is sent to landfill.

Many residents are currently using their yellow-lid bin as a defacto second rubbish bin.

It is hoped that the extra run will allow people to get back to a regular rubbish and recycling routine and reduce potential contamination.

The normal collection cycle will begin on June 1 and resident must revert to placing only “Big Six” items in their yellow-lid bin: paper, cardboard, tins, cans, plastics 1 and 2.

Refuse transfer stations are already accepting glass and will begin accepting paper, cardboard, tins, cans, plastics 1 and 2 for recycling on Thursday.
Social distancing measures apply.

HUNDREDS of elective surgeries that were postponed or cancelled by Bay of Plenty hospitals during the lockdown have slowly resumed under alert level three – although high-risk patients may have a longer wait.

Bay of Plenty District Health Board incident management team controller Bronwyn Anstis said there had been 462 elective surgeries deferred, 120 of them at Whakatane Hospital.

This included patient-initiated and health board-initiated deferrals.
Countrywide the backlog was about 30,000.

Ms Anstis said during alert level four urgent surgery continued and in alert level three they had been undertaking some semi-urgent cases as well.

“We have a team working together to manage elective surgeries in preparation to a move to alert level two, and we will follow Ministry of Health guidance on this.”

Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said it was important to ensure the safety of high-risk patients during the pandemic.

“If their surgery can be deferred then the advice is to defer that to avoid exposing them to any potential risk of Covid-19.”

He was referring to a health ministry directive to hospitals to hold off performing surgeries on over 70-year-olds and those who were overweight.

Ms Anstis said the health board was prioritising patients for surgery and other interventional procedures in line with guidance from the ministry, which detailed important patient factors to consider such as pre-existing health problems.

“Pre-existing health problems may place patients at a higher risk should they contract Covid-19. However, the over-riding principle guiding scheduling of patients is clinical urgency.”

Dr Bloomfield said: “There is a challenge ahead and the DHBs are focused really hard, and on working with the private sector to ensure we catch up on that backlog.”

THE community safety zones initiated by Te Whanau a Apanui on the East Coast will be lifted today.

The zones, implemented on March 25 to protect the vulnerable rural community from the spread of Covid-19, will be lifted with a karakia at Potikirua at 7am and at Hawai at noon.

Opotiki Mayor Lyn Riesterer said that the collaborative approach had demonstrated its success and relationships across agencies and leadership were stronger.

“All the voices around the table have had the same end goal in mind – the wellbeing of a remote and vulnerable community.

“A community that has suffered disproportionally through previous epidemics and illness.

And the feedback I have had from locals and visitors about the community protection zones has been largely really positive and that is something that I am proud of.”

Iwi leader Rikirangi Gage said that the actions taken to restrict movement through the rohe had provided additional security during the early phases of uncertainty about the pandemic.

In light of the national success at restricting Covid-19, Te Whanau a Apanui would be matching the national guidelines from Wednesday.

“We have been watching the national picture unfold very closely over the past weeks and we are now confident that we can lower our community-led alert levels to match central government levels from Wednesday and our traffic stops at Potaka and Hawai will close,” he said.

“I can’t thank the volunteers enough – they have manned those checkpoints night and day for many weeks and spoken to dozens of people passing through our rohe.

“Most traffic passed through after a short chat as they knew where they could stop, what facilities would be open and the risks they brought with them.

“There have been very few turned away as generally our kaupapa has been widely respected and I’d like to thank the public for their support through this process.”

Mr Gage said that the rahui was part of a bigger kaupapa that would continue and work was still under way to ensure the community had flu shots, sufficient food and medical assistance and clear guidelines of what the national levels meant for local tikanga including tangihanga and family gatherings at marae.

Eastern Bay police provided support to Te Whanau a Apanui in the establishment of the community safety zone along State Highway 35 and advised on the community-led initiative.

Acting Area Commander Stuart Nightingale said the zones had been well-led with support of police locally and nationally and the feedback had been extremely positive.

“Community policing means working in partnership and building solutions to problems in conjunction with the communities we serve.

“I don’t want Te Whanau a Apanui to feel abandoned as we move down the national alert levels and I am also confident that the relationships we have built through the Covid-19 response will continue into the future.”

THE Government’s decision to maintain tight restrictions on the number of people allowed at tangihanga during alert level two has infuriated funeral directors and iwi.

Last week the Government announced what the public could expect when the nation moved to level two, including permitting up to 100 people at social gatherings.

Gateway Funeral Home director Bradley Shaw said he was floored when that number decreased significantly for bereavement services.

“It’s just not right. It’s foul and it’s actually really bad,” he said.

Businesses including cafes and restaurants would reopen from Thursday permitting up to 100 people to gather for a “shrimp cocktail”, he said. However, people couldn’t properly grieve their loved ones.

“If they’re allowed up to 100 people on their premises, why are we restricted to 10? It’s foul,” he said.

Furthermore, Mr Shaw said all funeral directors were back at work and expecting to move bodies to the marae on Thursday, but they were now not sure what was going to happen moving forward.

“We have families who are grieving their loss and who want to lay their whanau to rest properly. I really feel for the families and whanau we work with.

“This is a problem for both Maori and non-Maori, it’s just that Maori are affected differently because they can’t apply their tikanga and do what others are doing.

“It’s a complete lack of compassion,” he said.

“We’ve written a letter to the Government and presented it to the prime minister this morning and I’m expecting a “huge uproar”.

Labour MP Kiri Allan said it had been an incredibly tough decision for all concerned including whanau Maori.

However, she said, in order to protect the good work that had been done by everyone, people needed to hold on until health experts were satisfied that the risks of Covid-19 were sufficiently contained.

“We’re not there yet, but we are on track. Maori are the most vulnerable. We are the people that were buried in mass graves in 1918 and you can go anywhere around the coastline to see the devastation following the Spanish flu pandemic.

“We are all having to make incredibly tough decisions, but we are doing it in the best interests of our whanau.”

She said multiple people were upset by the decision, including herself.

“We’ve all had to mourn our loved ones in isolation. Whilst this global pandemic is here, we will rely on the health experts and this is what they’re asking.

“If that means we have to waiho (wait) for another two weeks, well, so be it,” she said.
Opotiki councillor Louis Rapihana said iwi could maintain social distancing at tangihanga and when the nation moved to level two, so would Te Whanau a Apanui.

However, he said, Te Whanau a Apanui did not support the reduced numbers.

“With the change in the announcement [on Monday], we do not support it and will continue with what we have announced to our people.

“We agreed to manage numbers under 100 as that was what was released last week around gatherings.

“Tupapaku (deceased) will be welcomed onto the marae on the day of the burial.

“Karakia will take place with a mihimihi then burial will occur. The numbers will be managed ensuring social distancing and hygiene standards are followed.

“Our people have had to struggle alone long enough, it’s time we get back to supporting them during death of a loved one,” he said.

LOCKDOWN has seen people tapping into their creativity. No less so for the Farmer family on Henderson Street, who also decided to join the Teddy Bear Hunt.

Big Ted’s been keeping people entertained, rain and shine, since the first week of alert level four, said his person, Karen Farmer.

“When the teddy thing first started becoming a thing, we thought we would join in. But I thought it would be a bit boring if he is just sitting in the window every day … many days later I am thinking what the hell did I start,” laughed Mrs Farmer.

“He is doing something different every day. Today [Monday] he is measuring up a piece of timber ready to cut it; he has a pencil and a set square.”

Ted has ziplined, been on parade on Anzac Day, cleaned the chimney and the windows, he has played swing ball, baked, boogie boarded, been a wizard, gone off to work and been a Pied Piper.

He celebrated Mother’s Day on Sunday with a card and a bunch of flowers.

“Some days he is out on his own but others he is out there with his bubble mates. He either goes in the window or out on the driveway depending on the weather.”

Mrs Farmer said she, her 11-year-old daughter Reagan, and husband Grant came up with ideas for Ted.

“Sometimes when it needs a bit more planning and organisation, we sort it out the night before, but most of the time it is in the morning. In the morning we just get out there and get it organised.”

Passers-by have been loving seeing what Ted is up to, especially children.

One neighbour, Diana Farrell, is so impressed she takes photos of Ted and turns them into digital puzzles which are shared on the street Facebook group.

ed belonged to Reagan but was given to her by her sister Shelby who had had him since she was about five, and she was now 28, Mrs Farmer said.

A MAN not local to the Eastern Bay found himself in a spot of trouble on Friday afternoon, slipping and breaking his leg while fishing on the rocks at Ohope’s West End.

A member of the public there at the time of the rescue told the Beacon they were out for a walk when they saw a large number of people, including St John Ambulance staff, crowded around the rocks.

Trust Power TECT rescue helicopter pilot Liam Bretkelly said the 68-year-old man broke his lower leg after losing his footing and slipping on the rocks while fishing.

The helicopter arrived at approximately 3.30pm after St John staff requested assistance to winch the man from the rocks.

He was transported to the Tauranga Hospital where he was treated and discharged the following morning.

NAVIGATING “the new normal” might require a bit of patience for customers when Rhyleys Bar reopens to a new set of rules this week.

Rhys Waititi and Kelly Jones took over what was formerly The Office Bar and Restaurant just three weeks before New Zealand went into lockdown.

Originally from the East Coast, Mr Waititi and his fiance, Ms Jones, were already familiar faces at the bar, having worked for the former owner, Allan Unsworth for some time.

When Mr Unsworth decided to sell, they took on the business.

He said the new name, Rhyleys, was a blend of their names.

“It was a joint effort, we’ve both come in here as owners and we thought, we’re going to rename it. It’s been The Office for years and years.”

Mr Waititi said being shut down after just three weeks of trading was frustrating to start with.

“It’s been a strain, financially. I’ve just been very lucky I’ve got a good landlord, in Allan. If it wasn’t for that I probably would have folded. I’ve spoken to a few others and their landlords haven’t been so understanding and they’ve still had to pay rent throughout the duration.”

He said he had used the time during level three to give the bar a “bit of a facelift”, update the menu and put some rebranding in place.

Though they plan to open the doors again as soon as the Covid 19 restrictions move to level two, it will be far from business as usual.

On Monday, Prime Minister Jacinda Adern announced cafes and restaurants could open from Thursday, and bars from May 21 but that customers must remain seated and physical distancing between groups of one metre must be maintained.

Mr Waititi said while he appreciated the Government was only looking out for what was best for New Zealanders, the restrictions would limit his business substantially most likely resulting in job losses. In particular, the weekends when younger people went along for the music and nightlife would be very different.

“It’s not exactly as though I can tell 18, 19 and 20-year-olds, ‘oh, you have to sit down and listen to the DJ. Well, that isn’t going to happen, is it?

“We open up for lunch and dinner, but at this stage, it’s looking like we’re going to have to keep the kitchen open from the time we open until the time we close. You might as well call it an eatery, because people have got to be sitting down being served.

He hopes people will be patient, because it will be a new normal for everyone.

“Everybody is going to be in the same boat trying to get their health and safety guidelines on track.

“It’s going to be too hard to police on the weekend, so, staff are probably going to have to drop off the roster.

“We’ll probably have to take some tables out, which is restricting us also. At the end of the day, we can only try and open back up and make the best of the situation. I haven’t got any more power than anyone else to change that.”

The couple are planning some new activities for punters.

“We cater for the young ones on the weekend and we are looking at bringing in bingo and quiz nights and all that sort of jazz on weeknights. Just something for people to come out and have a few drinks and dinner and have a bit of a game instead of the same old gambling machines.

“For us, it’s not just about the money, its more about giving people things to do, and getting a bit of connection with the community and saying hey, look, we’re here, this is what we do.”

EASTERN Bay schools are racing this week to put in place plans that will see the bulk of students return to school next week under Covid-19 alert level two.

“The expectation is that with the exception of students who are sick, all students will be attending at alert level two. Schools are open for all children on Monday,” head of the Whakatane Community of Learning Simon Akroyd said.

Mr Akroyd, who is also principal of Apanui School, said schools had received a directive from the Ministry of Education on how they should operate at alert level two.

The directive says distance learning is available for those unable to attend school, for example those who are self-isolating.

Some schools have already put out surveys to parents asking whether their students will be coming to school next week or will be continuing with distance learning.

“The reality is that schools are required to provide distance learning for those who are not at school and, looking at our numbers, it appears that we will have about 90 percent attending,” Mr Akroyd said.

“The children who are not attending are for various reasons and that is parents’ choice under level two.”

The Whakatane Kahui Ako, or Community of Learning, consists of 11 schools based in the Whakatane area and 15 early childhood education centres.

Mr Akroyd said principals had worked together with the ministries of education and health to create a set of guidelines to ensure consistency across schools and early childhood education centres.

“The guidelines should help to put parents at ease and to create a positive and safe environment for children and staff to return to.”

Schools and ECEs will be contacting families over the next few days about the specific details of how their school will operate within the Whakatane Kahui Ako guidelines.

“It is important to note that due to the requirement for schools and ECEs to contact trace, there will be strict limits around access of people on to school sites.”

Trident High School has planned a flexible transition period for the first two weeks under alert level two in which senior and junior students will alternate days for timetabled classes in school, and continue online learning either from home or supervised in a learning hub at school on the alternate days.

Students have also been told they will need to bring their devices to school every day.

Edgecumbe College deputy principal Rene Otto said they were treating the start of school next week the same way they would treat the start of a new school year.

“It is going to be a brand new start, they have had nearly eight weeks away, so we will take it like starting the year getting the kids back, focused and take stock of how much they will be able to do online and how much they will be able to do on hard copies and just go from there.”

Mr Otto said their focus would also be to put in place the recommendations from the ministries regarding social distancing and hygiene.

Students have been informed, however, that they will not continue with distance learning.

Friday will be a teacher-only day to prepare for the school start.

Schools are aiming to reduce the risk of transmission of Covid-19 thus any person who feels unwell or who is identified as having possible signs of Covid-19 symptoms will be sent home.

Like businesses, schools will have to have a register in place for contract tracing. All classes are also required to have hand sanitiser and cleaning materials available and children will be expected to sanitise before and after play, eating and breaks.

Cleaners will thoroughly clean classes, bathrooms and all buildings daily and all school and ECE equipment can be used but will be disinfected regularly.

Level 2 but keep your space

RESTAURANTS, cinemas, cafes and shops will be allowed to open tomorrow when the country moves from alert level three into alert level two in the battle against Covid-19.

“Today I am announcing that Cabinet agree we are ready to move into alert level two, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday.

“To open up the economy, but to do it as safely as possible.”

Ms Ardern explained how it would work at alert level two, which would be in place for two weeks.

Tomorrow, retail, malls, cafes, restaurants, cinemas and other public spaces, including playground and gyms can reopen.

On Monday, May 18, schools and early learning centres will reopen. The delay is to give parents and teachers time to prepare and plan.

On Thursday, May 21, bars will be able to reopen. “Seating must be provided, there must be space between tables. We have left bars until last because they do pose the most risk.”

Ms Ardern referred to South Korea where when they opened bars it caused an outbreak, infecting 40 people and resulting in 1500 Covid-19 tests.

“All will be required to have physical distancing and strict hygiene measures in place.

“You can begin to move around New Zealand, but space yourself out, especially if using public transport. And, of course, health services will restart,” she said.

“The upshot is that in 10 days’ time we will have reopened most businesses in New Zealand and sooner than many other counties around the world.”

The prime minister urged people to keep their social bubbles to 10 people or fewer when socialising; parties and big gatherings will not be permitted at level two. People at sports events, the cinema or restaurants will all be required to be spaced out.
When we come together to socialise in large numbers there is risk.”

NEWS of victory in Europe was a pretty good reason for rejoicing in the streets of Whakatane in May of 1945.

These photos of Whakatane people celebrating VE Day on The Strand were posted on Facebook recently by Brian Morpeth.

They feature people dancing, while holding hands in a circle outside his family’s drapery store, the Whakatane Citizens Band, now called Eastern Bay of Plenty Brass, as well as some well known Whakatane landmarks such as the Whakatane and Commercial hotels, the Bank of New Zealand and Pohaturoa Rock.

“I was only six years old at the time so I don’t remember the event,” Mr Morpeth, who now lives in Katikati, said. “I inherited those photos. When I put them on Facebook, the number of Whakatane people that have responded are unbelievable.

“What prompted me to start putting them on my Facebook page was the VE Day celebrations in England. Of course, on May 8 they had all those big celebrations planned, then Covid came along and they had to scale them all back to virtually nothing.

He said the photos had served to jog a lot of memories about the various shops and other businesses that occupied The Strand at the time.

One of those stores was D C Morpeth and Sons, a drapery story started by Mr Morpeth’s grandfather.

Mr Morpeth wasn’t sure how his parents came to have the photos but could tell the Beacon that his father, former Whakatane mayor Rex Morpeth, was working in the shop at the time.

“My father came out of the bank in Tauranga to look after the shop because the boys who worked in the shop, Keith Morpeth and Doug Morpeth, were both heading overseas in the 1940s.

“He would have remembered that parade very clearly. People just came out spontaneously.

The [photo] of the ladies running along the street, with the Bank of New Zealand in the background, I would say that was when the news first came out. You could see them rejoicing.”

Mr Morpeth thought that by sharing the photos with the Beacon they might reach people who could remember attending the parade.

“There could be the odd person who could remember the day. Someone 10 years older than me would have been 16 and could well remember being at that parade.”

Mr Morpeth wasn’t sure where his parents had acquired the photos from but they were stamped on the back with the name C F Thomas, who may have been a professional photographer of the time.