New shades for Paparoa
Paparoa Village Green users can now picnic and play under brightly-coloured shade sails thanks to a collaborative effort between the Paparoa community and Kaipara District Council. New eye-catching shade sails for the picnic table area were jointly bought by the community and council, and existing shade sails over the playground have been cleaned and refreshed by council contractors. Pete Hames, chairman of community group Progressive Paparoa, says the new shade sails are the first of a series of upgrades designed and led by the community to make the Village Green an even better experience for users.
Sand dune death decision reserved
A judge has reserved his decision on the trial of a Far North tourism company laid under health and safety legislation after a Korean man died sandboarding at Te Paki Stream in the Far North in 2019. Sand Safaris 2014 Limited was on trial in the Kaitaia District Court before Judge Philip Rzepecky last week on a charge laid by Worksafe New Zealand. The charge comes after South Korean tourist Jin Chang Oh, 68, died when he was allegedly hit by a tour bus while sandboarding at Te Paki dunes on February 4, 2019. His death was witnessed by a large group of people, including his wife, son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter. The family had been planning to return to South Korea in the following days. Judge Rzepecky has reserved his decision, giving lawyers for both sides time to make further submissions before Christmas. The verdict will likely be delivered in February.
