Mark Law has received the NZ Bravery Star for his Whakaari/White Island exploits. Photo / Whakatane Beacon
The Rotorua Daily Post is looking back at the stories of 2022. Here’s what made headlines in October:
October 1:
Jenny Tait will do “anything” to keep her son alive.
She and her husband Peter are paying $396,000 per year to fund the “miracle drug” Trikafta for their 41-year-old son Isaac Tait who has cystic fibrosis.
But the “cruel and heartless” part is $52,000 of that is GST.
The Taits are speaking out against paying GST on it, after Tauranga man Paul Cherry called for GST to be removed from the price of cancer medications that are not publicly funded. Cherry has spent $212,000 so far on a drug that is helping him fight prostate cancer.
October 2:
About 120 years’ worth of history waas “gone” after the Rotorua Brass Band rooms were destroyed in an early morning blaze.
The Rotorua Brass Band rooms went up in flames in October, destroying band equipment, instruments, photos, and honours boards.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand said crews were called to the scene on Amohau St just before 6am and found a building and a car “fully involved” in fire.
Rotorua Brass Band conductor Glen Botting said it was “pretty devastating”. He was notified of the fire by the security company at 5.55am.
“The whole building is completely gone ... we’ve pretty much lost all our percussion gear.”
October 8:
Cancer nearly killed Kelly Valk, but she fought it and the cosmetic tattooist is now setting up a charity to help breast cancer survivors who can’t afford it get ‘mana enhancing’ nipple-areola tattoos after a mastectomy. Until her charity is registered, she’s offering the service for a koha.
When she’s standing naked in front of the mirror, the scar that runs from her pelvis to her stomach brings the “trauma” all back to the surface.
“Every single time, it takes me back there,” Kelly Valk (nee Pratt) says.
A cancer diagnosis hits like a sucker punch - there is no graceful acceptance. But for the lucky ones who survive it, you’re in a club with unmatched camaraderie.
October 9:
For decades Haehaetu Barrett has hidden her disability.
She didn’t tell many teachers, friends, or colleagues what she was battling.
Barrett (Ngāti Whakaue) bravely spoke out for the first time in the hope it would help others.
The Lifewise chief executive has retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a rare genetic condition causing blindness.
The degenerative condition has been described as having a literal tunnel vision due to the breakdown and loss of cells in the retina. Barrett is legally blind. Her vision is limited, she doesn’t have peripheral vision and can’t see in the dark.
October 17:
A Rotorua tourism operator says it was “really moving” to see busloads of cruise ship passengers arrive this weekend after a two-year hiatus.
Majestic Princess kicked off the Bay of Plenty’s summer cruise season on Saturday when she became the first international cruise ship to dock at Mount Maunganui since borders closed in 2020 for the Covid-19 pandemic.
The first of its 3500 passengers - there were also 1300 crew members on board - started disembarking near Salisbury Wharf* around 7am, and those who spoke to NZME were excited to be travelling again.
Harold Ilg, from Florida, United States, was the first person off the ship, but he had no idea of the significance of his footsteps.
Speaking with NZME at the dockside, Ilg was honoured to learn he was the first passenger after the hiatus.
“That’s terrific. I didn’t realise that, that’s pretty good.”
October 26:
Alone, wading through shin-deep volcanic ash with each breath burning his airways, Mark Law had no idea whether the volcano crater he’d just landed on would erupt again.
On October 26, the Kāhu NZ chief executive wa bestowed with one of New Zealand’s highest bravery awards – the New Zealand Bravery Star.Law is one of eight people named in the 2022 Special Honours List, the New Zealand Bravery Awards.
Seven, including Law, have been recognised for their selfless heroism during the chaos of the Whakaari/White Island tragedy. The eighth awardee saved the life of a fellow soldier after a grenade misthrow.
The star is the country’s second-highest bravery award next to the New Zealand Cross. It is awarded to a person who displays “an act of outstanding bravery in a situation of danger”.
October 30:
New Zealanders were advised to spend carefully, budget and save as living costs continued to rise.
New data released in October showed the Consumers Price Index rose by 7.2 per cent in the year to the September quarter - well above Reserve Bank and market expectations of 6.4 and 6.5 per cent.
There are also predictions the Official Cash Rate (OCR) could reach 5.25 per cent - from the current 3.5 per cent.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/government-rules-out-additional-inflation-relief-as-kiwis-cost-of-living-soars/FAP45L4FCVZHTHMUIAXROWQZQU/’ target=’_blank’>Economists warned borrowers were in for a tough time with interest rates likely to be hiked by more than previously planned and said there’s increased risk of a “hard landing” – the Reserve Bank’s tightening of monetary conditions bringing the economy to a screeching halt, leaving people unemployed.
Despite the headwinds, Finance Minister Grant Robertson said the Government didn’t intend to extend the temporary removal of fuel taxes, provide another iteration of the cost of living payment, or make income tax changes to support low-income earners.
Daniel Rikiti was sentenced to three years but remains on bail during appeal.