News in brief

Makers Market returns to Māpua

The popular Māpua Makers Market will be held on Sunday, 18 August from 10am - 3pm at the Māpua Hall. The market is held three times a year and features local product made wherever possible from local materials, and by hand. All profits from the market stall hire, the cafe and the koha (gift) on entry go towards the upkeep of the Māpua Hall which is owned, operated and funded by the local community.

Local schools sing big

The 2024 Kids Sing festival will be held at the NCMA on 21 August and will showcase choirs from Waimea Intermediate, Wakefield, Māpua, Auckland Point and Clifton Terrace schools. Each choir will sing two contrasting songs and join together for three massed choir songs. Kath Bee will be the guest song leader for the massed songs and Tanya Nock is the guest commentator. “The kids will learn some new singing warmups and sing their two choir songs during the day session with performance feedback from Tanya,” organiser Lucy Rainey says. “The festival concert at 6pm is for family and friends to come along to hear the choirs and the massed choir singing together - and sing along if they feel like it.”

Planning for Hope Bypass

Planning on all of the Government’s Roads of National Significance, including the Hope Bypass, is expected to begin by June 2025, pending confirmation of funding from the upcoming National Land Transport Plan. The 5km route is touted as being the solution to congestion around Richmond and is expected to cost $500 million.

Nelson medical practice opens centre in Richmond

A long standing, locally owned general practice is expanding with a second site, opening in Richmond later this year, to be called Waimea Medical. Stoke Medical has responded to the urgent demand for more general practice services in Richmond, by opening a secondary site on Salisbury Rd. Waimea Medical is expected to open by the end of this year and patients can enrol now to be seen at either site. It will offer a full range of general practice services and have a fully operational theatre for minor surgery. The new centre has been endorsed by the Nelson Bays Primary Health Organisation.

Flood resilience funding

Regional Development Minister Shane Jones announced funding on Monday for flood resilience projects to bolster flood protection to farmland, industrial and residential areas in Te Tauihu (top of the South Island) at the inaugural Regional Growth Summit. The minister announced $5.4 million to provide substantial flood risk protection to Maitai and The Wood, and $3.6 million towards a range of sediment removal and flow management work on Nelson waterways.

Former council boss appointed to NZTA board

Transport Minister Simeon Brown has announced three new appointments and one reappointment to the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) Board. Warwick Isaacs, Rob Gilmore and former Nelson City Council chief executive Pat Dougherty have been appointed as board members for a three-year term ending 31 July 2027, while David Smol, who has served as a Board member since February 2019, has been reappointed for a further 18 months.

Bike repairs at Motueka Repair Café

If you’ve got a bike with soft tyres or sluggish brakes, the Motueka Repair Café may be able to help at the Motueka Library today (Saturday, 17 August). The monthly repair café has just added a bike repair service to the repair café’s list of volunteer services. The gatherings are held every third Saturday, and people are invited to bring along almost anything (electrical items, toys, clothing, tools in need of sharpening and now bikes) that can be simply repaired with a little volunteer skill and enthusiasm. David Bartle, who together with Christine Grove will undertake the bike repairs, says that often people don't have the time or money to seek a shop-repair job and end up sending their broken bike to landfill. They are offering simple repairs in the hope that this will reduce waste and help keep those who can ride, fully mobile. Members from the Nelson Bike Hub are assisting and have donated a bike stand. David says that such support between local voluntary groups is very encouraging to everyone involved.

Funding cut puts family violence services at risk

For over 30 years, Women’s Support Motueka (WSM) has provided essential counselling and support services to wāhine/women in the Motueka community affected by family violence and abuse. In the last four years, WSM has provided counselling to over 250 wāhine. WSM Manager Maluz Moreno says, in late June, Oranga Tamariki (OT) gave them three days' notice that a four-year family violence contract for funding would be terminated. This came despite an agreement requiring at least six months’ prior notice in case of such a termination. The Oranga Tamariki contract was a significant source of funding that allowed WSM to provide counselling services to 26 women and their families each year. Concerns over the decision to terminate the contract are rising, especially given a statement from Oranga Tamariki chief executive Chappie Te Kani confirming the ministry’s commitment to funding services supporting high-needs like family and sexual violence services. WSM is gratefully accepting donations to support free counselling for women and their families affected by family violence and abuse. Email admin@wsm.org.nz or call (03) 528 8161.

Flute and percussion to fill Chanel Arts Centre

On 29 August, the Motueka Music Group, in association with Chamber Music NZ, is bringing the Darroch/DeHart Duo to the Chanel Arts Centre in Motueka. Hannah Darroch, a Kiwi, is the principal flautist with the Canterbury Symphony Orchestra and a lecturer in music from the University of Canterbury. Justin DeHart, an American, is a Grammy-nominated percussionist and an associate professor of music, also at the University of Canterbury. The programme is centred around three of the most popular and well-established works of the flute and percussion repertoire: Tōru Takemitsu’s Toward the Sea, Lou Harrison’s First Concerto for Flute and Percussion, and New Zealander Gareth Farr’s Kembang Suling. Tickets are available from the Motueka Floral Studio on High St (cash only) and at the door on the evening of the concert (Eftpos available). Adults $25, school children $5.