Injuction sought before fluoride added to Hastings’ water
The return of fluoride to Hastings’ drinking water this week, for the first time since 2016, has drawn some opposition.
Fluoride Free New Zealand, along with NZ Doctors Speaking Out for Science, filed for an injunction this week against Hastings District Council (HDC) in the Wellington High Court, to try and stop the move.
A HDC spokeswoman said they had received notice that an injunction was being sought.
She said the decision to add fluoride rests with the Director-General of Health who directed the council to reintroduce fluoride to the main urban water supply.
Hawke’s Bay Cup in Otaki
The historic Hawke’s Bay Cup race, first held about 150 years ago, will be run as a Hawke’s Bay Cup in little but name only tomorrow (Saturday) with the closure of the Hastings racecourse for renovation meaning the annual race will be run at Otaki.
It was not clear if the Cup, this year for stakes of $120,000 and over 2200 metres, has ever had to be staged outside Hawke’s Bay, but, along with the $80,000, 1200m City of Napier Sprint, it will be raced at a meeting staged by the Otaki Maori Racing Club.
A “phantom” race meeting - watching the races on screen - will be held at the Hastings course.
Hawke’s Bay to host 2024 UCI Pump Track National Championships
The second annual UCI Pump Track National Championships will be staged at the new Velosolutions track in Hawke’s Bay.
It will comprise the UCI Pump Track World Championship qualifying event on the first day and the Cycling New Zealand UCI Pump Track Nationals on day two.
Cycling New Zealand will again partner with Velosolutions to host the championships, which will cap a busy year for the Hawke’s Bay BMX Club, which recently hosted the BMX Racing New Zealand Championships.
Rotorua’s acclaimed international pump track star, Daniel Butterworth, won the inaugural national championships in Christchurch last year, while Australian enduro champion, Ryan Gilchrist won the UCI World Championship qualifying men’s final over compatriot Josh Jolly.
Promising BMX rider, Holly Oldham from Alexandra was the fastest female on both days.
The popularity of pump Track racing is ever-increasing with the fourth UCI Pump Track World Championships in Austria late last year attracted riders from 21 nations.
This year there are 15 qualifying events starting this month with eight events in Europe, as well as qualifiers in Africa, US, Canada, China, Australia and New Zealand.
Nominations open for Hastings District Council Civic Honours Awards.
Nominations have opened for Hastings District Council’s 2024 Civic Honours Awards.
The annual awards recognise individuals, groups or organisations that have contributed significantly to Hastings district, including people who showed exemplary leadership during and after Cyclone Gabrielle, with categories including arts and culture, health and welfare, sport and recreation, and education and youth.
Last year’s Civic Honours recipients ranged from long-standing volunteer arts boards members to volunteer firefighters, Age Concern volunteers and health advocates.
Hastings mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said the awards, which have been running for more than 30 years, were a wonderful way for people to acknowledge and celebrate others who had made a difference in their community.
People can call the Council’s Customer Service Centre to find out more, and forms are available at the Hastings, Havelock North and Flaxmere libraries and from the Customer Service Centre in Lyndon Rd or nominations can also be submitted online on the HDC website.
Georgia Hulls continues Olympics bid
Hawke’s Bay sprinter Georgia Hulls this week returns to Australia to continue her bid for a 2024 Olympic Games qualifying performance.
Two of the 24-year-old’s three best times have been in Australia, including a wind-legal 23.17s winning at the championships in Sydney two years ago, when New Zealand athletes made a clean sweep of the women’s titles from 100m to 400m.
Hulls will run the 200 metres at the Australian athletics championships in Adelaide on Sunday.
Local Lotto players win Second Division
One Hawke’s Bay and two Dannevirke Lotto players are $12,697 richer after winning Lotto Second Division in Wednesday’s live Lotto draw.
The changes mean an 80 kilometre per hour permanent speed limit and a 30 kilometre per hour variable speed during the start and finish of school times.
”We urge drivers to watch their speed in particular when near any school and to be extra alert as children can be unpredictable,” the police statement said.
Nominate Napier’s heroes
Napier residents have the opportunity to thank valuable volunteers through nominations for the 2024 Napier Civic Awards.
People are encouraged to nominate younger volunteers who demonstrate community spirit and service to Napier.
The awards return after a year’s absence as in 2023 they were paused to allow recognition of individuals and organisations who helped others during and after Cyclone Gabrielle.
The three categories include the Civic Award, the Civic Award for Meritorious Contribution to the Community, and Freedom of the City.
Napier Mayor Kirsten Wise said the awards were a way to recognise “humble heroes and their service to this city.”
”They could be the people you know who cook for others, who are out coaching on a frosty winter’s night, or driving around Napier to deliver hot meals to older people.”
Nominations close on May 3, and the awards will be held on September 5.
Now in restricted fire season for much of Hawke’s Bay
A restricted fire season is in place for parts of Hawke’s Bay and Tararua, until further notice.
Heretaunga, Ahuriri, Hawke’s Bay coast, Central Hawke’s Bay Rural and Tararua East will be restricted from 8am on Wednesday, April 10.
This means no open-air fires can be legally lit unless a fire permit has been applied for and approved by Fire and Emergency New Zealand.
Open fire season means people can light outdoor fires without a permit from Fire and Emergency New Zealand.
The rest of Hawke’s Bay remains in a restricted fire season.
Fenz District Manager Glen Varcoe said lower temperatures are forecasted for these zones and morning dew is becoming heavier.
”While the risk has reduced, people still need to be mindful when lighting any fires, and ensure they are well controlled and safe,” he said.
He suggested to keep the grass short, clean dead leaves and debris from gutters and decks, keep driveways clear of trees and hedges and make sure the rapid property number is easy for emergency services to find.
For further information visit www.checkitsalright.nz for information about outdoor and rural fire safety.
Talk and walking tour of Hastings’ Art Deco buildings
Charles Ropitini will present a free talk titled A Whakapapa of Architecture at Hastings Art Gallery on Saturday.
Join Te Whare Toi o Heretaunga Hastings Arts Gallery for a talk and walking tour of Hastings’ Art Deco buildings on Saturday April 13.
The hīkoi haere is with Charles Ropitini who is co-curator of the Foundations and Additions: Plans for the Heretaunga 100 Block exhibition.
The talk will begin at 11am with Ropitini’s presentation ‘A Whakapapa of Architecture’ followed by the walk at noon.
This is a free event and no booking is required.
Hawke’s Bay players named in U20 Rugby Champs squad
Three Hawke’s Bay players have been named in the New Zealand team for the inaugural Sanzaar Under 20 Rugby Championship tournament on the Sunshine Coast, Australia, on May 2-16.
They are Havelock North lock Tom Allen, a national representative last year when he also made his Hawke’s Bay Magpies debut, Hastings Rugby and Sports player Joshua Smith and Konradd Newland, of Napier Pirates.
New Zealand Rugby has named a squad of 31 for the matches against South Africa, Argentina and Australia.
Most are expected to then be named for the Under 20 World Rugby Championship to be played in South Africa on June 29-July 19.
Fire near Havelock North
Firefighters extinguished an unattended burnoff on a property on the outskirts of Havelock North on Wednesday afternoon.
A Fire and Emergency spokeswoman said they received a call from the council about 1.45pm about a fire.
Firefighters were at the scene for about 40 minutes, putting out and dampening down the unattended burnoff which was about 30 metres by 10m.
The burnoff included the likes of tree stumps and there was no damage to any buildings
Award winners gathering for Unity Day in Napier
The Napier Pilot City Trust has contacted more than 100 of its annual awards recipients as it prepares to mark Unity Day, the annual focus of the trust activities inspired by founder, former businessman and social justice activist Pat Magill, who died on April 30 last year, aged 96.
Pat Magill on a Unity Walk in 2021. He died on April 30 last year, aged 96, but remains a big part of Napier Pilot City Trust's annual Unity Day showpiece. Photo / Paul Taylor.
The trust was formed in the 1980s with a mission for Napier as a pilot city for social change, and about 25 years ago started the awards recognising those involved in mainly voluntary community social work. They’re being invited to a luncheon as part of the Unity Day events in Napier on April 24.
Lantern Festival at Cornwall Park this week
The annual Osmanthus Gardens Lantern Festival has returned to light up Cornwall Park in Hastings this week after a three-year hiatus.
In the evenings from 6.30pm to 9pm until Sunday April 14, classical music fills the illuminated pathways of Osmanthus Gardens and silk lanterns and large lotus lanterns float on the garden lake to celebrate the sister city relationship between Chinese province Guilin, and Hastings.
Step into a realm of enchantment as Cornwall Park comes alive with the mesmerising glow of lanterns at the Osmanthus Gardens Lantern Festival.
Tōmoana Rd will be closed between York Rd and Fitzroy Ave each evening from 5.30pm and 10.00pm and food trucks will be there.
The event had been unable to run since 2021 due to Covid and Cyclone Gabrielle.
Special performances take place from Wednesday to Saturday.
Some rules eased for Category 3 homeowners
Rules have been relaxed to make it easier for Hawke’s Bay homeowners in Category 3 areas to build a new home on land close to their original flooded homes.
An Environment Court decision was made at the end of March allowing a change to the Hastings District Plan.
The rule change makes it easier for eligible people impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle to subdivide a lifestyle site for residential purposes “within their community of interest” - which is within 5km of the boundary of that owner’s original Category 3 property.
An issue has been finding an appropriate new home for homeowners who have opted for a buyout or relocation grant.
The Environment Court decision suggests the rule change will likely help about 10 landowners in the Hastings district
Overnight road closures on stretch of SH2 north of Napier
Two nights of road closures on SH2 between Pan Pac Whirinaki and Tutira Store on Monday, April 8 and Tuesday, April 9.
Two nights of work will take place on State Highway 2 between Pan Pac Whirinaki and Tutira Store, north of Napier.
The road, between Pan Pac Whirinaki and Tutira Store, will be closed overnight on Monday April 8 and Tuesday April 9. The road will close each night at 9pm and reopen at 5am the following day.
The overnight work is weather dependant, the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi said. If weather delays the work, contingency dates are scheduled for Wednesday April 10 and Thursday April 11.
Over the two nights, crews will focus on rock removal at Devil’s Elbow; installing a new culvert at Tangoio Falls and asphalting at Te Ngarue Stream Bridge.
The worksites are too narrow for one lane closure and there is no viable detour. A full road closure will be in place at the times above so crews can complete the work as quickly, safely and efficiently as possible.
Road users should plan their journeys to take the closure into consideration, NZTA said.
Hawke’s Bay Airport’s 60th anniversary photo competition
A photo competition with monthly prizes is underway to celebrate Hawke's Bay Airport's 60th anniversary.
Monthly prizes are up for grabs in Hawke’s Bay Airport’s 60th anniversary photo competition.
Starting this month and running for the rest of the year, the Airport invites people to take a selfie in front of the ‘Big 60′ floral installation in the terminal foyer.
Entry is easy, says Clare Hollings, marketing and communications lead at the airport.
“And the prizes are really great. Just upload your photo in the comments section of our photo competition Facebook post, or via this link: rb.gy/5bz7hy
This month’s prize is a 2-night staycation for up to six people at Kiwiesque Luxury Vineyard Accommodation, valued at up to $1800.
