Year in review: April 2014

The Maori King Tuheitia Paki is welcomed on to Gate Pa. Photo / John Borren

Today we continue our 2014 Year in Review with a wrap-up of the big stories that happened in April

New police tactics
Police said tougher sentencing, new technology and more officers on the frontline were behind a 4.2 per cent drop of crime in 2013 in the Western Bay, the four drop since 2009. Western Bay of Plenty Area Commander Inspector Clifford Paxton said new police tactics were making it harder for criminals to get away with offences such as rape and sexual assault, burglary, fraud and public nuisance. The results were testament to the work of police staff, partner agencies, and communities working together, he said.

Bad drivers
Tauranga motorists were accused of bad driving on the Facebook page Tauranga Bad Drivers Name And Shame which allowed people to send the administrator anonymous messages about so-called bad drivers. James Dunne, a senior associate at Chen Palmer Law practice, said from a legal stand point it was very risky practice as people could be opening themselves up to being sued.

More renters
More Bay people were choosing to rent, delaying the Kiwi dream of owning their own home. Figures for the total number of households in dwellings owned or partly owned in Tauranga City and the Western Bay of Plenty District dropped from 51.5 per cent in 2006 to 46.5 per cent in 2013.

Lifesaver
Tauranga lifeguard, Brazilian-born Claudio Abrao was being hailed a hero after helping revive a 2-year-old boy who nearly drowned at Mount Hot Pools. Mr Abrao, 30, said the mother got to her unconscious son before he did and pulled him out.

Crisp sentenced
Family members of Greg Woledge who was killed in a crash on Maungatapu Bridge on August 12, 2013 made emotional victim impact statements in court at the sentencing of Iain Stewart Crisp, 45, of Papamoa Beach whose car had collided with 24-year-old Mr Woledge's work van. Mr Woledge's parents Kevin and Vivienne Woledge told Crisp the pain of "our broken hearts" was almost too much to bear. Crisp was sentenced to 350 hours' community work, nine months' supervision, and ordered to pay $38,000 in emotional harm payments. Crisp was also disqualified for 12 months and ordered to pay $27,134.60 in reparation: $16,134.60 for repairs to the bridge and $11,000 to Corey Ogle, whose car was also damaged.

Parking U-turn
Tauranga City Council asserted its political strength and dumped an in-house staff decision that would have allowed parking wardens to issue $150 fines for cars with dangerously bald tyres.

The council instead opted for an approach in which wardens will leave friendly reminders behind the window wipers of cars. Mayor Stuart Crosby said the council needed to strike a balance between taking an ambassadorial approach and reducing risk.

Gate Pa spirit
The relative obscurity of Tauranga's historic Gate Pa battle site has been finally erased 150 years after the history-defining clash in which heavily outgunned and outnumbered Maori warriors repulsed English troops.

On April 29, 1500 people attended the dawn blessing of the pou and new flagpole at Pukehinahina Reserve, the site of the Battle of Gate Pa. It was a commemoration of the day in which so many lost lives and the emerging spirit of reconciliation a century and a half later. A damp blanket of rain shrouded proceedings, lifting briefly as if on command for the blessings of each of the eight pou or wooden carved posts facing Cameron Rd. Ngaitamarawaho kaumatua Des Tata said the pou and flagpole had lifted the profile of the hillside battle site where Tauranga started.

Historic ceremony
More than 600 Maori warriors swarmed over the historic Gate Pa site to challenge the governor general on April 29 at the commemoration powhiri, reconciliation service and ceremony. Warriors from local and central North Island tribes spread over the pa site to meet Governor General Sir Jerry Mateparae and his party. Sir Jerry said it was a great privilege to take part in the event.