Whanganui news in brief: Road safety focus

Photo / File

Road safety focus

This week is Road Safety Week, with Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency and NZ Police encouraging people across the country to call for safer streets in their own communities to reduce deaths and serious injuries. Co-ordinated by road safety charity Brake, a recent survey showed that a third of New Zealanders feel at risk from vehicles driving too fast on their streets. In 2019, 352 people, including 13 cyclists and 31 pedestrians, were killed on New Zealand roads. Thousands more people are injured each year, and the social cost of crashes is now $4.9 billion a year. As of November 8, 269 people have been killed, compared to 285 at the same time last year, despite the Covid-19 lockdowns when far less traffic was on the roads.

Power cut

Powerco is investigating the cause of a power cut that affected 100 customers in Hunterville yesterday (Tuesday) morning. The power cut occurred just before 8.30am, with power restored around 12.30pm.

Pātea bursary

Applications for the Pātea Centennial Bursary are open until 5pm on November 30. The bursary is available to eligible applicants for the first four years of their tertiary study. Applicants must be over 15 years and have normally been a resident of the Pātea Ward of the South Taranaki District for the previous two years. Full eligibility criteria and an application form are available online at southtaranaki.com

Burning car

Firefighters were called to a car fire on State Highway 1 near Hunterville at 3.25am on Monday. A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesperson said the car was well alight when fire crews arrived but the fire was quickly put out. There were no reports of injuries. Police were informed, but that was "mainly because the car was on the highway".

Rescue helicopter calls

The Palmerston North Rescue Helicopter had two call-outs on Saturday. At the request of Police Search and Rescue, the rescue helicopter dropped three search teams into the Ruahine Ranges near Iron Gate Hut to look for a male in his 20s who had been missing since Sunday, November 1. Later that evening, the crew flew to Ohakune for a 22-year-old male. The patient was treated and cared for by the onboard intensive care paramedic while being airlifted to Whanganui Hospital.

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