News in brief

Landmark trees removed

Two towering gum trees that had long stood as local landmarks on Waimea West Rd in Brightwater have been removed due to safety concerns. Believed to be between 130 and 150 years old, the eucalyptus trees were remembered by Arthur Palmer—who would have turned 94 this year—as already being mature when he was a child, according to former landowners Denise and Kevin Palmer. The trees once stood in a grassy paddock, but the area has been converted to market gardening over the past decade. The land’s low-lying, waterlogged condition contributed to significant root and trunk rot. “While only about 30 metres tall—not especially tall for gums—they were very wide,” says Tainui Kotua from Paramount Contracting, who oversaw the removal. One tree had a trunk measuring 3.1 metres in diameter, and the other, closer to the road, measured 2.5 metres. “The one in the paddock was badly rotten and posed a serious safety risk,” Tainui says. “It’s been an honour to be part of their final chapter.”

Bus stop chair heist concludes

The high-profile “heist” of plastic lawn chairs at a Brook St eBus stop has come to a conclusion with the installation of a permanent bench. While some more plastic seats were donated to bus stop #4111 by concerned locals, a bench was removed from storage and installed at the stop last week during nearby road repair work. “It’s clear that residents of the Brook take pride in their local bus stops, and having a place to sit while waiting for the eBus will be a welcome improvement,” says Nelson City Council’s group manager infrastructure. Local resident Callum McMenamin, who alerted the city to the crimes of the “Brook Street Bus Seat Bandit”, was pleased with this “momentous occasion in Nelson’s transport history”. “I extend my sincerest gratitude… to our elected officials and council officers for this bold and magnificent investment in public transport infrastructure,” he says. “May all who wait at that bus stop do so in comfort and dignity.”

Goodbye red house

Work has begun to deconstruct the iconic red house on Rocks Rd which was severely damaged during the August 2022 weather event. The property was unable to be relocated and is being deconstructed to salvage/recycle materials when and where possible. The house was the last property to be settled as part of Nelson City Council’s plan to buy out 16 properties damaged by the storm, which was made possible with a $6 million contribution from central government. Work is scheduled to last four weeks and there will be minimal disruption to Rocks Rd traffic while the work takes place.

Change of command for air cadets

Nelson Air Cadets Squadron has had a change of command as cadet unit commander Flight Lieutenant Richard Greatrex passed on the torch after a tenor that saw the unit double in size. The ceremony was held last week where the squadron’s banner was passed to squadron leader Michael Lissant-Clayton who says his previous commander’s other major milestone during his six years in the role, was the unit taking over ownership of its building, giving them a secure foundation going forward. He says the unit is now the fifth largest cadet unit in the country, sitting around 75 cadets, which makes it the largest unit per capita.

New home info evening

A new home information evening is taking place this Thursday 8 May, 5-7pm at Golden Elm Rise subdivision for anyone wanting to find out more about the process of building a new home. Residential builders from Cunningham Construction will be onsite to answer questions about the process and discuss the benefits of new home construction.

Playspace design and build partners announced

Creo has been appointed as ‘end to end’ project lead to bring Playspace Whakatū to life, in partnership with Isthmus Group as design lead and supported by Kūmānu as the local build experts. The design process formally began in Whakatū on Friday following a robust procurement process to engage a suitable design and build partner for the project. The new playspace, which will be built in Rutherford Park, is being led by Ngā Iwi o Te Tauihu in partnership with Nelson City Council. The new playspace is expected to open during the summer of 2026/27.