Hope Pearce has a long road to recovery after suffering "horrific" injuries when her motorcycle crashed. Photo / Alex Cairns
Hope Pearce has a long road to recovery after suffering "horrific" injuries when her motorcycle crashed. Photo / Alex Cairns
The Rotorua Daily Post is looking back at the stories of 2023. Here’s what made headlines in November
November 7
The cost-of-living crisis is hitting families hard — with one budgeting service seeing an up to 90 per cent rise in people seeking help in the past year.
Experts say rising inflation and soaring interest rates are making it difficult to save and when hit with unexpected expenses, many are forced to take on more debt.
A Centrix Credit Insights Report last month revealed consumer credit demand was up 5 per cent on last year.
A montage of people who shared their savings tips.
November 15
Controversial plans to put sports fields and housing on a Rotorua golf course have been shelved, as the council moves away from a $62 million proposal with nearly $190,000 already spent.
Rotorua Lakes Council says it is working on a “new programme” for sports fields and facilities that does not include changes to Springfield Golf Course.
Supporters of the 18-hole course — which counts one of New Zealand’s top golfers Danny Lee among its alumni — say they are relieved and the change in direction is a “big win for the Springfield community”.
The Westbrook Sports and Recreation Precinct project would have been built where the Springfield Golf Club is.
November 22
A motorcyclist who spent two days in a coma after a “horrific” crash on State Highway 5 is fuming after NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi rejected her claim the condition of the road was responsible.
The agency says the highway in Rotorua is “fit-for-purpose” and it has found “no evidence” the road condition was a major contributor to her crash.
After being thrown from her bike on to the “cheese-cutters”, Pāpāmoa mother-of-four Hope Pearce counts herself “lucky”to be alive to talk about the Labour Day accident.
“I am resisting the urge to say ‘I told you so’,” a councillor who opposed the Government mandate — and wanted to hold off on following it after New Health New Zealand sought a judicial review — said to his colleagues on Wednesday.
The decision on whether public drinking water supplies should be fluoridated was removed from local government jurisdiction in 2021.
Councillor Robert Lee wanted to postpone work on fluoridation after the High Court directive. Photo / Laura Smith
November 29
A falcon advocate is defending the species after a social media post warned of the birds wanting to “kill” perceived threats after an attack that left a woman bloodied and with stitches in her scalp.
Rotorua Trails Trust posted on social media on Monday night warning forest walkers and mountain bikers the Box of Birds track had been closed after a Falcon Watch team member, described as “well-versed in falcon safety protocols”, was attacked by a falcon and needed stitches.
The post said the falcons “mean business” and their razor-sharp talons could cause “severe bodily harm with just one strike”.
