TE NUPEPA O TE TAIRAWHITI TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 2021 HOME-DELIVERED $1.90, RETAIL $2.20 PLEA FOR INFO ON STOLEN CORVETTE HUNDREDS PAGE 6 PAGE 2 ENOUGH ENJOY PAGE 3 FIRST DAY VACCINE OF WELL FOR ALL WAHINE WEEK – PM PAYLOAD DISQUIET ‘There are some very big moral questions at stake’ by Matai O’Connor the Government to immediately rescind the Gunsmoke-J permit, CONCERNED New Zealanders pending a full review of space- and organisations have called launch regulations in concert on the Prime Minister to with the government-mandated immediately suspend Rocket lab review this year of the Outer launches that include military Space and High-Altitude payloads as these may breach the Activities (OSHA) Act 2017. country’s nuclear-free legislation. The letter asks the But Rocket Lab says none of Government to — the satellites it has launched 1. Remove the “abrogation have any nuclear capabilities. of NZ sovereignty” in the “Rocket Lab will also not launch NZ-US Technology Safeguards weapons,” said Morgan Bailey, Agreement 2016, which gives the head of communications for the US government veto rights over space company. NZ space launch activity. An open letter to the PM 2. Assign oversight for space outlining concerns refers in launch activities to the Prime particular to the planned Rocket Minister in keeping with the Lab launch of the Gunsmoke-J Nuclear Free Zone Act. payload on March 15. 3. Strengthen regulations so The letter’s demands are the Government can ensure supported by civic, peace and payloads will comply with the religious organisations as well as Nuclear Free Zone Act across residents near Mahia — the site their full operational lifetime. of Rocket Lab’s launch pad — 4. Mandate oversight by the and further afield. public advisory committee on The letter was first sent disarmament and arms control of to Prime Minister Jacinda space-launch activity and embed Ardern last week by The Peace these strengthened regulations Foundation’s International into a revised OSHA Act. Affairs and disarmament “Rocket Lab’s launch committee. programmes is increasingly It has since attracted opaque,” says Professor Kevin widespread support from Clements, Emeritus Professor of those concerned about Rocket Peace and Conflict Studies at the Lab’s strong links with the US University of Otago, and director military and nuclear weapons of the Toda Peace Institute in manufacturer Lockheed Martin. Japan. The letter says Gunsmoke-J “The precise content of each could breach the New Zealand payload seems intentionally Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament ambiguous and approvals do not and Arms Control Act 1987 and seem to take New Zealand’s anti- the Cabinet-approved definition nuclear legislation into account,” from 2019 of payloads that Stuart he said. Nash, the Minister in charge of It was “astonishing” Minister approving the launches, should Nash had said he was unaware of reject because they are contrary the specific military capabilities to New Zealand’s national of the Gunsmoke-J satellite. interest. Supporters of the letter want CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 LIFT-OFF: An early launch from the Rocket Lab site on Mahia Peninsula. Picture by Rocket Lab GISBORNE RUATORIA WAIROA Local News ...... 1-4 Business ............11 Classifieds ... 20-22 Sport ............ 24-28 Births & Deaths ...4 Opinion ..............12 Television ...........18 Weather .............27 9 771170 043005 TOMORROW National ....... 6-9,17 World............ 13-16 Racing ................23 > 2 NEWS The Gisborne Herald • Tuesday, March 9, 2021 RECORD SEASON PREDICTED: The annual kiwifruit harvest began in this region last week — the first commercial kiwis in the country to come off the vines. The forecast is for a record- breaking year, with more fruit produced than ever before. Kaiaponi Farms started its harvest last Thursday. Left, Ambi Singh (assistant manager), Al Knight (manager) and Nancy Ribbon (quality control) are pictured checking the fruit. Above, Holly Owens and Herbie Beckham on the job at Kaiaponi. Other growers started their harvest this week. The first export shipment of kiwifruit is scheduled for loading on to the ship Kakariki on Friday. Pictures by Liam Clayton Stolen Corvette upsets car lovers nationwide by Sophie Rishworth HAVE YOU SEEN THIS ONE of only three 1979 Corvettes in New CAR?: Someone, Zealand was stolen from a locked garage in somewhere must Kaiti over the weekend. have seen or know Gisborne man Steve Woolston has owned something, says the classic American muscle car for almost Steve Woolston, the owner of this 1979 20 years. Corvette stolen from He kept it locked in a garage on Turenne a locked garage Street where he has been working on it to get on Turenne Street it road-ready again. over the weekend. Mr Woolston said whoever stole the 1.5- The offender(s) also tonne, 4.7-metre classic car would have removed the camera needed a trailer to remove it. box for security “It wasn’t driveable. I had parts of the cameras running at engine off and the ignition wiring needed to the property at the be finished off, bits and pieces like that.” time. A Facebook Mr Woolston said the owners of the house post Mr Woolston where he kept his Corvette had gone away for made about the the weekend. theft has been The car was missing when they got home. shared more than The lock on the garage had been bashed 1300 times. and whoever stole the car also took the main camera box of the security cameras which Picture supplied were running the whole time. “It was a targeted thing.” Mr Woolston said his Corvette was painted The post had been shared more than 1300 Mr Woolston said he traded in his V8 boat Mr Woolston is now a log truck driver on silver and black and had side pipes which he times. There were even people looking out for to buy the car when he was 30, and used the East Cape. fitted himself. it on the inter-island ferry, he said. to drive it every day. He had it in storage in “Somebody, somewhere will have seen “It’s not a little car but who knows what “The whole country is upset that the car Auckland while he was in Western Australia something. But it depends whose hands it is condition it is in now.” has been stolen. It’s useless to whoever driving road trains. in whether I will get it back in one piece.” Mr Woolston said since he had posted stole it. They can’t register it and the serial When he returned home to Gisborne last Anyone with information is asked to call about the theft on Facebook, with his phone numbers on the chassis have been reported. year he brought the car back with him and Police on 105 with information, or Crime number, he had been inundated with calls “It’s flagged nationwide as a stolen stored it at a mate’s place while he got it Stoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, or from around New Zealand. vehicle.” roadworthy again. call Mr Woolston direct on 027 390 6948. LOOKING AHEAD Get your FOCUS ON THE LAND Gisborne Herald • Gisborne triallists featured at the small home-delivered but successful Opotiki dog trial at the weekend. • Prices and comment from today’s cattle fair at Matawhero — 750 head on offer. • The weekly AgriHQ report for the week beginning March 8 — export lamb value “resilient”, chilled beef average value THE GUIDE lifts. TOMORROw THuRSdAy 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 • Tuesday, March 9, 2021 NEWS 3 ‘Robust oversight’ FROM PAGE 1 regimes in the world for payload International Human Rights Law; “It is even worse that he is willing permitting. International obligations and to rely on the US Army alone to “This robust oversight ensures commitments relating to the use provide the information required space activity in New Zealand of nuclear, chemical, and biological by him and New Zealand’s space operates safely and securely and weapons. agency in relation to the approval preserves New Zealand’s national As part of the payload permitting process. There are some very big interests.” process, all satellite customers moral questions at stake here. With regard to the Gunsmoke-J must disclose to the NZ government “Is this current Labour payload specifically, like all other details of their mission, the purpose Government willing for New Rocket Lab payloads to date it does of the satellite, a description of the Zealand soil to be used by not contribute to nuclear capability, ultimate objectives of putting the Rocket Lab in order to assist Ms Bailey said. satellite in space, and a description US government targeting in “It is a small satellite about the of how the satellite being launched conventional and nuclear warfare?” size of a loaf of bread designed to contributes to those objectives. Academic Dr Tania Ogilvie-White test communication technologies for The payload permit also said: “Activities at Rocket Lab’s a division of the US Army. requires the disclosure of the NZ site, near Gisborne, make the “It is a test satellite only — it satellite’s capabilities, including its complex look increasingly like a is not operational. The US Army structure; how it’s powered; how joint USNZ military facility.” division responsible for this small it communicates and is able to be Dr Ogilvie-White is director of satellite, known as the SMDC, tracked in space; and any other the New Zealand Centre For Global provides satellite services relied subsystems included.