News in brief

Donation puts high vis on night patrollers

Richmond’s Community Patrol is $1,000 better off after Nelson Building Society (NBS) made the donation to the patrol to “help keep crime down”. Branch manager Brent Williams says community patrol lines up well with NBS’s commitment to its community. The patrol’s team leader Marty Price says the money will help pay for high-vis jackets and uniforms for new patrollers. The Richmond patrol put out the call for new patrollers after numbers slipped to just 12 of the 25 needed. So far, it has had 10 people put up their hands to join the team on night patrols.

Surf life-saving gets $1.6m toward new facility

Nelson Surf Life Saving Club has been granted $1.6m from Surf Life Saving New Zealand for their new facility at Tāhunanui Beach. The grant will allow them to get work underway as soon as the plans and consents are finalised and approved, which is expected to be in late 2025. Nelson City Council also agreed through its Long Term Plan to provide $1.65m towards the project, which is contingent on the club raising the funds to cover the rest of the capital costs. There were almost 1000 submissions to the plan in support of a new facility. Club president Noah Hosie says the grant is a “game-changer” and the construction of a purpose-built facility will mean the club can expand its membership and offer new programmes.

Illuminate draws the crowds at Founders

More than 8000 people streamed through the doors of Founders Heritage Park over the weekend to see the Illuminate light show. Events Hire operations manager Michael Dewar, says Nelson turned out in support, including for a sell-out Saturday night. “The new activations were well received - including the giant butterfly swing, kinetic sculpture and the brand new Scrambler ride. We have thousands of additional lights this year and are using a larger footprint within the park to offer a brighter, larger experience,” he says. Illuminate continues this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Tickets are available here.

Richmond bridge to get $8m upgrade

The Lower Queen St bridge is getting an $8m upgrade. Borck Creek runs under the bridge next to Headingly Lane, but it’s not wide enough to pass sufficient stormwater flow. The new bridge will ensure water can flow away better during heavy rain. The current bridge is about 14 metres long and will be replaced by a new 48-metre-long structure allowing the channel under it to be widened. Work is set to start in a few months and be finished by the end of next year. Lower Queen St will largely remain open during construction, with a special vehicle bypass built around the work site. In the event of road closures, detours will be put in place.

Local WOW finalists announced

Eight entries from the Nelson Tasman region have been picked as finalists for the 34th annual World of WearableArt (WOW) Show. Richmond’s Cassandra Thomson, Coral Ellis and Gill Saunders, Nelson’s Frances Kidd, Jonty Ward and Mike Ward, Upper Moutere’s Lauren Kidd, and Collingwood’s Christine Wingels have all been named as finalists. This year, 91 finalist entries from around the world have been selected to progress following the first judging, and designers from 35 countries put forward entries this year. Finalists will undergo two further rounds of judging and winners will be announced at the WOW Awards Night on Friday, 27 September, at TSB Arena in Wellington.

Civil Defence Plan out for consultation

The Nelson Tasman Regional Group Plan has been reviewed and the draft is now open for public consultation. Every five years the regional Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Plan needs to be reviewed. Since the last plan was developed in 2018, the Nelson Tasman region has experienced several significant events, according to Joe Kennedy, Nelson Tasman Civil Defence emergency management group manager. The consultation period closes on 2 September.