Cracks began appearing in SH4 between the Matahiwi Track and Ore Ore in the first week in October. Photo / supplied
Cracks began appearing in SH4 between the Matahiwi Track and Ore Ore in the first week in October. Photo / supplied
October 1
Mars Petcare announced it would be closing its Castlecliff factory at the end of 2020. The facility employs 152 people, and staff have struggled to keep it going. Its production is to be moved to Thailand.
Two applications to take and bottle artesian water also came to prominence.One application was to take from a bore in Whanganui's Anzac Pde, and the other to take from a coastal bore near Kai Iwi.
One sparked a protest, and no decision has been made about either so far.
The biggest story of October, for both Whanganui and Raetihi, was the closure of State Highway 4 between the two centres.
Cracks began appearing in the road in the first week of October. That stretch of road was closed by the NZ Transport Agency on October 7.
The eventual slip took out 400m of road and the agency said it would not be a quick, easy fix. However, it was committed to re-opening the road in the short term, as well as fixing other trouble spots this summer. It would also look for a possible alternative route that would avoid the Ore Ore slip.
Raetihi suffered a lack of through traffic, but its residents rallied. Drivers were advised to take a long detour on SH1, or use Field's Track or the Whanganui River Rd.
October 11
In happier SH4 news, the Chronicle reported the repair of the highway and walkway in Anzac Pde near the Whanganui City Bridge was finally finished, four years and four months after the slip there happened.
The re-opening was marked by dawn karakia on October 8.
October 16
Whanganui's local body election results were published, with only two new councillors for Whanganui District Council, and no change to the district's representatives on Horizons Regional Council.
But there were changes in Horizons representation for Ruapehu and Rangitīkei. In Ruapehu Weston Kirton replaced Bruce Rollinson, who stood down.
In Rangitīkei the highest polling candidate was newcomer John Turkington, who squeezed out former councillor Gordon McKellar.
October 26
Hundreds marched from Pākaitore/Moutoa Gardens to a vigil at Majestic Square to remember another young Whanganui woman who was killed this year.
She was Feona McKay-Patea, a mother of two boys. Her death fuelled a new wave of impetus to curb violence. A Givealittle page was set up to raise funds for her children.
The body of mother Feona McKay Patea was found at a Castlecliff property on October 3. Photo / supplied
October 25
Whanganui was named New Zealand's Most Beautiful City at the annual Beautiful awards run by Keep New Zealand Beautiful (KNZB). The award was presented on October 24 in Dunedin, with Whanganui up against Lower Hutt City.
The award is for environmental excellence, and the Whanganui Resource Recovery Centre came in for high praise. Councillor Helen Craig had also nominated Ridgway St for the Best Street category, and it won.
Pat Perry's portrait of Edith Collier contributed to Ridgway St being named New Zealand's best street. Photo / Bevan Conley
It was praised for its collection of heritage buildings, its plantings and its communal pop-up space. Ohakune's Carrot Adventure Park won the Kiwi's Choice Award, for a favourite public spot.
