Saturday, December 26, 2020
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TE NUPEPA O TE TAIRAWHITI SATURDAY-SUNDAY, DECEMBER 26-27, 2020 HOME-DELIVERED $1.90, RETAIL $2.70 INSIDE TODAY OUT IN FORCE FOR R&V SILENT NIGHT PAGE 16 COVID QUIETENS CHRISTMAS AROUND THE WORLD PAGE 3 FAMILY FOREVER: Gisborne Girls’ High students (above from left) Lesieli Tonga, Eseta Vaomotou, Nenisi Tolu and Sinitalela Vaomotou, performing as the band Lei Lows, have released a professionally-produced music video of Family Forever — a competition-winning original song composed by Eseta. Dressed in matching outfits, right, as part of the video are Nenisi, Sinitalela, Eseta and Lesieli. The video can be viewed on the Gisborne Girls’ High Facebook page. STORY ON PAGE 4 Picture by Uniquely Tink Photography Resurgence-ready Reinforcing core Covid message over ‘unstoppable summer’ by Wynsley Wrigley The vaccination programme could start “The ‘unstoppable summer’ campaign Tairawhiti had teams available to create in March but that is yet to be confirmed. intentionally continues to drum the public an emergency response team and to step A “MAKE Summer Unstoppable” Hauora Tairawhiti chief executive Jim health message and narrative that the up testing and contact tracing. campaign followed by the largest Green told district health board members Ministry of Health has promoted all year. “We have planned for the required vaccination programme in the country’s at their last meeting of 2020 that the “These have purposely not departed two-thirds of planning scenario capacity history is the immediate agenda ahead of summer would be like no other in terms of from the core message of testing, hygiene, — that is for four people diagnosed with Tairawhiti’s health providers. ensuring it was “unstoppable” for a well- contact testing and staying home if Covid-19 per day, 33 people in hospital The nationwide campaign is aimed at earned break and recharge. unwell.” and four people ventilated.” preventing a resurgence of Covid-19 in the “Unfortunately for people in health Mr Green said all health boards had to There is a team on call over Christmas/ community by reinforcing public health there will be a background level of alert have “resurgence capacity” to be able to New Year, with people identified to be part messaging. and readiness until February.” “stand up at two hours notice for a surge of a coordinated incident management It includes advertising and health A report before the board said the in Covid-19 cases” from anywhere around system team, an additional 30 people workers attending many large summer number of large festivals and gatherings the country. trained to be contact tracers and 20 people events, including the Rhythm and Vines in Tairawhiti over summer presented “an Director-General of Health Dr Ashley trained to swab. festival in Gisborne from December 29-31. additional challenge”. Bloomfield had been assured Hauora CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 GISBORNE RUATORIA WAIROA Local News ...... 1-5 Business ............12 Television ....W9-12 Classifieds ... 30-35 Births & Deaths ...4 Opinion ..............13 Racing ................29 Sport ............ 36-40 TOMORROW National .. 6,8,10-11 World...... 14-16, 27 Farming ....... 25-26 Weather .............39 977 1175467004 2 NEWS The Gisborne Herald • Saturday, December 26, 2020 THE installation of interpretation settlement in the year 900 through to The Cooks Cove Walkway provides PANELS TELL panels continue the slow but steady 1856 and the death of tribal leader Te visitors and locals alike an experience progress of upgrades to Cooks Cove Kani-a-Takirau. combining heritage, great views and Walkway — the region’s most visited The design and installation of the a good walk. Department of Conservation walkway. panels followed the upgrade of two Standing beside the waharoa The panels, erected at the sections of the track in September of featuring the new interpretation THE STORIES walkway’s waharoa (gateway), feature last year. panels are (from left) Hauiti Maori and European stories. Section three of the track (from Incorporation committee member The Maori history includes the lookout down to a bridge) and Pop Milner, Hauiti Incorporation information about the ancestors of Te section four (from the bridge to the chairman Wayne Amaru and OF COOKS COVE Aitanga-a-Hauiti at Uawa (Tolaga Bay) Hole-in-the-Wall — Te Kotere-o-te- Department of Conservation ranger — from their arrival from Hawaiki and Whenua) are also to be upgraded. David Lynn. Picture supplied Gearing up for Model A rally THE 15th National Model A Ford Rally money left over would be funnelled will bring up to 150 of these historical straight back into Gisborne, he said. cars to Gisborne from March 28 to April It will be the first time the national 4 next year. rally is hosted in Gisborne. Co-organiser Karen Thomas said she The weekend will start with was already fielding calls from people registration, a wine and cheese mingle who had never been here. and briefing on Sunday, March 28. Organisers had hoped the rally would Activities and functions over the attract international participants but ensuing days include runs to Mahia Covid put a stop to that, she said. Peninsula and Motu, a country However, they remained hopeful hoedown evening, buffet dinner, the borders would reopen in time for a grand rally at Kaikino Station in Australian participants who wanted to Tiniroto, terrier racing and an era attend. costume event. Organisers are planning for around The public will be able to view the 150 Model A cars and 250 people. cars at Showgrounds Park on Friday, Co-organiser David Mossman, April 2 , at which there will be a originally from Gisborne, said he had gymkhana and assembly challenge. TURNING BACK THE CLOCK: Up to 150 vehicles like this pair will be in Gisborne at the end of always had a desire to bring such an A kapa haka group from a local March next year for the 15th National Model A Ford Rally. Among the organisers are (from left) event to his hometown. school and a country music band and David Mossman, Tony Bartlett, Errol McAlpine and Robert Brown. Picture by Liam Clayton It was not a profit-making event. Any line dancers will be part of the events. LOOKING AHEAD Get your ALL THE LATEST NEWS, INCLUDING: Gisborne Herald • No prizes for guessing what dominated The Herald’s top 10 online stories over 2020 home-delivered • Let’s get this party started . it’s New Year, it’s Rhythm and Vines • ‘People over profit’ is the kaupapa of BDO head of Maori business Kylee Potae • Gisborne’s mayor reflects on a challenging 2020. • Photos from the ever-popular Kaiaua Beach Races. TUESDAY The Gisborne Herald, 64 Gladstone Road, P.O. Box 1143, Gisborne • Phone (06) 869 0600 • Fax (Editorial) (06) 869 0643 (Advertising) (06) 869 0644 Editor: Jeremy Muir • Chief Reporter: Andrew Ashton • Circulation: Cara Haines • Sports: Jack Malcolm/John Gillies To fi nd out more call 869 0620 e-mail: [email protected] • [email protected] • [email protected] • web site: www.gisborneherald.co.nz The Gisborne Herald • Saturday, December 26, 2020 NEWS 3 ‘Twas the morning before Christmas Joining WAIMA BEACH-goers had a Christmas are the only known cetaceans that regularly movements around New Zealand. Eve visitor of a different kind. prey upon other marine mammals. DOC also says to follow these rules when forces to A parent orca and its calf were spotted Fish species are important in their diet. sharing the ocean with orca — about 150 metres out from the Waima boat They eat anything from salmon to stingrays ■ Do not swim within 100 metre of an orca. ramp in Tokomaru Bay. to squid to sea birds. ■ Your vessel should not be within 50m of a Michelle McLeely was out on the motor Orca hunt collectively and are even killer whale. ‘ensure’ vessel Juno when she snapped this picture known to intentionally strand themselves on ■ Do not circle them, obstruct their path or of the pair hanging around at 8am on beaches temporarily in order to catch seals. cut through any group. Thursday. If you spot an Orca it is always best to ■ Operate your boat slowly and quietly at Orca often come closer to shore when report it to the Department of Conservation “no wake” speed when within 300 metres of maximum they are trying to hunt for food and teaching on 0800 DOC HOT. a killer whale. their calves important skills to survive. The information can help increase DoC’s ■ Avoid sudden noises that could startle the Orca have an extremely diverse diet and knowledge of cetacean distribution and animals. coverage’ FROM PAGE 1 “As we watch a worsening situation in so many other countries and look forward to an ‘unstoppable summer’, we can only thank those who will be on duty over the coming holiday period to keep our services running, and those staff ready to respond should an outbreak occur here or anywhere in the country.” Mr Green said Hauora Tairawhiti was working closely with iwi to ensure good vaccination coverage. Referring to a letter sent to all health boards from Dr Bloomfield, Mr Green said the Treaty of Waitangi and equity of access (to Maori, Pasifika and the disabled) were key requirements of the vaccination programme. The Government had secured access to four vaccines sufficient to immunise the entire country and Pacific “partners”. Hauora Tairawhiti would meet again with iwi and the Pacific Islands Community Trust in the new year to “begin co-design of how we will work to ensure maximum coverage”. In his letter, Dr Bloomfield said vaccines would become available in stages through 2021. “It is uncertain exactly when vaccines will be available for public use but we are working to ensure the systems and processes are in place to support a potential roll-out from March 2021”.