TE NUPEPA O TE TAIRAWHITI THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2020 HOME-DELIVERED $1.70, RETAIL $2.00 DEAL ON IHUMATAO CREATING CHANGE ‘CLOSE’ DEALING WITH PAGE 7 & 14 TOGETHER CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK PAGE 5 PAGE 6 INSIDE TODAY WALKABOUT: Wairoa Mayor Craig Little (left), MP Fletcher Tabuteau and Wairoa district councillor Denise Eaglesome-Karekare on a tour of the sites set for a makeover in Wairoa’s CBD following yesterday’s $6.1m PGF announcement. Pictures by Aaron van Delden A red letter day for Wairoa by Aaron van Delden have talked about ever since Bradbury Mayor Little has been on the Jeweller owner WAIROA is starting to council from 2010. Terry Moys, believe in itself again and “We could never, ever afford whose shop used that’s what it needs to do, the $4.8m, so what has happened to be in one of district’s mayor says. here is absolutely fantastic,” the burned-out Craig Little’s comments said Mayor Little, who was full buildings, said followed yesterday’s of praise for the New Zealand he was rapt the announcement of $6.1 million First politicians at the helm eyesore that from the Provincial Growth of the PGF “who understood was his former premises would Fund (PGF) for projects to communities like Wairoa”. finally be getting a makeover. boost Wairoa’s economic, The grant represented a But he was even more tourism and employment 10-fold return on the council’s pleased to hear that $960,000 fortunes. investment in the CBD project, of the total $6.1m was going The announcement made Mayor Little said. towards a digital employment by parliamentary under- It will go towards a new programme providing secretary for regional economic business hub in place of three participants with 12 weeks of development Fletcher Tabuteau Marine Parade buildings paid IT training and 40-week drew about 200 people to ravaged by fire in 2012 and apprenticeships. Wairoa’s War Memorial Hall. a tourism centre where the At least 48 people are The funding includes town’s i-Site will be located. expected to enrol in the $4.8m to revitalise the town’s The two facilities will fill out programme, delivered by main street, Marine Parade, the corner of Marine Parade FACELIFT: Buildings on the corner of Marine Parade and something Wairoa’s leaders and Locke Street. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Locke Street will be transformed into a tourism centre and business hub. Your journey to ENROL NOW! eit.ac.nz success starts here START FEB 2020 Check out FEES-FREE STUDY* CREATIVE ARTS 28974-05 feesfree.govt.nz IT’S NOT TOO LATE * conditions apply Visual Art | Design | Fashion GISBORNE RUATORIA WAIROA Local News ...... 1-5 Business ............12 Classifieds ... 17-18 Television ...........27 Births & Deaths ...4 Opinion ..............13 Racing .......... 19-20 Sport ............ 28-32 9 771170 043005 TOMORROW National . 6-11,21-22 World............ 14-16 The Guide ... 23-26 Weather .............31 > 2 NEWS The Gisborne Herald • Thursday, January 23, 2020 Wharf yard opened up for Bay Bonanza parking EASTLAND Port and the Gisborne- Tatapouri Sports Fishing Club have worked together to find a solution to boat trailer parking at the wharf for the 2020 Bay Bonanza fishing competition this weekend. Gisborne’s inner harbour has been preparing for an influx of visitors as the bay hosts the annual fishing competition and the expected two cruise ship arrivals. PARKING SOLUTION: The port and the fishing club have worked out a plan to provide boat trailer parking during the big Bay The fishing club’s Steve Petrowski said Bonanza fishing competition this weekend. The new inner wharf yard will be used. Inset, Eastland Port commerical manager the annual Bay Bonanza, from tomorrow Hayden Green (left) and Gisborne-Tatapouri Fishing Club president Roger Faber were pictured on site. Pictures supplied to Sunday, had attracted some 120 boats and 500 anglers. They will be competing for $65,000 in and users within the inner harbour the La Laperouse, berthed on wharf 7, on Weighing of fish can be viewed at the cash prizes. precinct.” Saturday and Sunday respectively. club’s weigh station from 2pm onwards The port and the fishing club have He said the contest would be the biggest Eastland Port’s commercial manager each day. worked together to provide free boat event of the year for the club. Hayden Green said the port was delighted “We welcome the public to come along trailer parking for participants. Eastland Port is providing free boat to be able to help the fishing club by and view the weighing over these three “The club is very grateful that Eastland trailer parking in the wharf yard. making parking space available to days,” Mr Petrowski said. Port have made this parking available “We encourage all our competitors and competitors. The fishing competition parking will as many club members have expressed trailer boat owners to make use of this “It has been great to work be located at the port’s inner wharf yard concern regarding parking over the parking to free up parking for other inner collaboratively with the club, and we are with entry via the port end of the inner weekend,” Mr Petrowski said. harbour patrons,” Mr Petrowski said. also grateful for their support to reduce harbour. “This is a great result, not only for the The port will host the cruise ships congestion in the area during a busy Parking will be available from 5am–7pm fishing club but all the other businesses Explorer Dream, anchored in the bay, and weekend for the inner harbour.” on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. ‘Bringing the heart’ back to the CBD FROM PAGE 1 PLEASED: Former Wairoa-based Korou Digital Agency, in its Wairoa first two years. district Mr Moys said the programme would councillor allow Wairoa teenagers to remain in the Mike Bird district, close to their whanau, while is looking training for jobs. forward to Mr Tabuteau told the War Memorial the town’s Hall crowd it was hoped the business hub focal point and tourism centre would draw travellers returning from the state highway to Wairoa’s main to Marine street and “bring a heart back to the Parade. CBD”. Intercity buses would stop at the newly GREAT: Bradbury Jeweller owner Terry Moys said a PGF- located i-Site. funded digital employment programme was great news for The potential boost in foot traffic on Wairoa’s young people. Marine Parade sounded like good news to Rob Gemmell, who runs Angus Gemmell Ltd, a hardware store established by Parade, and the grant would mean the way in 2021. hub” in the town’s library to provide his father and another of the businesses cost burden of the CBD upgrade would The plan is for the business hub to local people and businesses with better which lost their premises in the 2012 fire. not fall on ratepayers. be a shared space for new and existing internet access. Rob Gemmell said things in Wairoa The funding decision was “huge for businesses and a place to showcase local The hub is part of CBD upgrade were looking positive. Wairoa”, Mr Bird said. products. plans that the council contracted project Also working on Marine Parade Mayor Little said the council was yet A Rocket Lab education centre is also management company Vision Projects to yesterday was barber Mike Bird, a to formally acquire the properties for part of the plan, providing a venue for develop. district councillor between 2013 and the business hub and tourism centre but people to learn about the space company’s The council set aside $200,000 in 2019 who was celebrating the impending expected to do so in the coming weeks. work. its 2017/18 annual plan for the CBD return of activity to the main street. The PGF announcement meant work to Rocket Lab spokeswoman Morgan upgrade project and called for proposals, Having the i-Site and public toilet revitalise Marine Parade could get under Bailey said the company, which has a with Vision Projects’ proposal presented away from Marine Parade was not fair way almost immediately, with the design launch site on Mahia Peninsula, was to the council in April 2018. on shopkeepers, who struggled to make a and business case to be completed this looking forward to working with the Marine Parade borders Wairoa River living in small towns, Mr Bird said. year, along with public consultation. council on the development. and plans for the riverbank to be part of But the council had been pushing to Physical works on the business hub Meanwhile, $400,000 of the $6.1m a regional park will be incorporated into bring Wairoa’s focal point back to Marine and tourism centre should then get under is going towards developing a “digital the design work completed this year. LOOKING AHEAD Get your SPORTS Gisborne Herald • Horouta get a boost with key players returning home-delivered from injury for DJ Barry Cup cricket clash. • We review the Tairawhiti under-18 men’s softball team’s performance in a national tournament. • They’re racing in Taupo this weekend but the powerboats will soon be on their way to Gisborne. • The latest from the Australian Open tennis. FOCUS ON THE LAND TOMORROw SATuRdAy 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: Grant Miller/John Gillies To nd out more call 869 0620 e-mail: [email protected] • [email protected] • [email protected] • web site: www.gisborneherald.co.nz The Gisborne Herald • Thursday, January 23, 2020 NEWS 3 Firearms seized, further arrests by Murray Robertson In a separate incident, a 25-year-old Black Power POLICE have made further associate was arrested in arrests in relation to the gang- Onekawa, Napier, about 9pm related shooting incident in on Tuesday after being stopped TAIRAWHITI CLIMATE SUMMIT: From left, MC Dayle Takitimu, Te Runanganui o Ngati Porou Ruatoria last Saturday, as by police.