Whanganui news briefs: Wind farm takes shape

At Waipipi Wind Farm the foundations of 23 of its future 31 wind turbines have been poured, and six turbines are fully assembled.

Wind farm takes shape

At Waipipi Wind Farm the foundations of 23 of its future 31 wind turbines have been poured, and six turbines are fully assembled. The last shipment of turbine parts has arrived at Port Taranaki, and turbines will continue to be assembled until the end of the year, with cranes on site. The transmission line for electricity has 101 poles up and strung, and the first electricity production is expected in November.

E-waste recycled

South Taranaki District Council environment and sustainability manager Rebecca Martin says more than seven tonnes of the district's electronic waste was diverted from landfill in the 2019/20 financial year. E-waste includes small appliances, printers, televisions and computer equipment. In early 2019 the council set up an e-waste recycling subsidy, paid for by the waste minimisation levy fund, in an effort to divert hard-to-recycle electronic items from landfill by providing an affordable option for disposal. E-waste can be dropped off to the Hawera Transfer Station for a fee.

SH4 maintenance alert

On August 31 and September 1 there will be waits of 10 to 20 minutes for traffic on SH4 at a point 500m north of Field's Track, Waka Kotahi/New Zealand Transport Agency says. The essential maintenance work there will take two days, weather permitting.

Rodent reduction

The rats whose footprints were found in tracking tunnels at Bushy Park Tarapuruhi in June were probably killed within two weeks, sanctuary manager Mandy Brooke says. A rat and mouse knockdown was done after that discovery, and no rat footprints were found in the sanctuary's most recent rodent audit last week. In that audit mouse footprints in the tunnels had reduced from 46 per cent to 7 per cent.

Hunt for Hobson

Police are still appealing to the public for help to locate Joseph Hobson who has a parole recall warrant. The 26-year-old is described as 175cm tall, of thin build, and has a distinctive tattoo on his neck. Contact police on 111.

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