Online tributes are flowing for Whakatāne businessman Wally Sutherland who passed away yesterday aged 91. Described as a great Rotarian, long-serving businessman, and a man always up for a chat, Wally ran his Whakatāne business for seven decades. I recall one interview I had with Wally to acknowledge 60 years […]
New restrictions on funerals and tangihanga
An updated set of guidelines for funeral and tangihanga has been released by the Ministry of Health, now allowing a restricted number of family members within the same bubble to visit in the funeral home. The original guidelines released by the Ministry meant families who had lost loved ones had […]
Do your part to prevent street flooding
As autumn descends, Whakatāne residents are urged to rake up leaves on their properties, and clear leaves and debris from nearby stormwater grates to avoid possible damage from surface flooding. Council Manager Three Waters Infrastructure Tomasz Krawczyk says gutters are regularly swept to remove leaves and litter, but Council teams […]
Man arrested following pursuit
A man has been arrested this morning following a Police pursuit last night. The drama unfolded around 7.30 pm when the vehicle fled from the scene of a routine traffic stop on River Road in Kawerau. A Police spokesperson said a pursuit was initiated when the vehicle failed to stop […]
Major decisions for new emergency committee
There are some major decisions ahead for the newly formed Kawerau District Council Emergency Committee. The Emergency Council comprises Mayor Malcolm Campbell, Deputy Mayor Faylene Tunui, and Regulatory and Services Chair Carolyn Ion. The COVID-19 Level 4 Alert status and the subsequent declaration of a national state of emergency have […]
Driving Programme for offenders celebrates success
Over 250 offenders and ex-prisoners have been given a second chance with a driving programme in the Eastern Bay of Plenty helping people off the pathway to prison and into work. NZ Howard League for Penal Reform Operations Manager Jenny Michie says the programme is excellent value for money and […]
Opinion: Isolation, being there – Mayor Judy Turner
My experience to date has been that most people are trying to stay informed and compliant with isolation requirements. I have observed folk going for walks around their neighbourhood keeping sensible distances from each other and working with the requirements of essential services like supermarkets to limit numbers at any […]
Report lockdown breaches
Police have today launched a new online form which the public can use to report COVID-19 Alert Level 4 restriction breaches. The online form can be found at www.105.police.govt.nz. It can be used to report isolation breaches or cases of businesses continuing to operate when they are not part of the […]