TE NUPEPA O TE TAIRAWHITI MONDAY, JUNE 8, 2020 HOME-DELIVERED $1.90, RETAIL $2.20 KINGS OF THE MOUNTAIN Ready to grow and diversify FARM POND TRAGEDY CLAIMS THREE LIVES PAGE฀7 COVID-19 •฀฀ LEVEL฀1฀GREEN฀LIGHT฀EXPECTED฀ THIS AFTERNOON •฀฀ ANXIETY฀CASES฀EXPECTED฀TO฀ RISE IN LEVEL 1 •฀฀ FLOYD฀PROTESTERS฀URGED฀TO฀ ‘GET TESTED’ •฀฀ 7฀MILLION฀CASES฀WORLDWIDE,฀ 400,000฀DEATHS It was not quite the Tour de France but Gisborne brothers Caleb (left) and Mathew Ney earned “Kings of the Mountain” status with their PAGES฀2-3,฀5-7,฀10-11,฀14-15,฀20 Everest-conquering efforts as part of the World Vision 40 Hour Famine nationwide challenge. The brothers cycled up Gaddums Hill Road, where their family lives, 76-and-a-half times over 15 hours — the uphill distance being the equivalent of climbing Mount Everest (8848 metres). They ended up raising $1500. STORY ON PAGE 2 Picture by Paul Rickard READY FOR ACTION Combined forces to produce regional recovery plan AN action plan to guide the region’s aspirations as a region socially, way, the rapid roll-out of “green” training for Maori-led, community-based mental post-Covid-19 recovery was today economically and environmentally. and employment initiatives across local health and addiction intervention services. launched by Mayor Rehette Stoltz. “The plan also builds on the many catchments and reserves, and high-value The draft plan will also continue to Mayor Stoltz is co-chair of the good things we did, especially through projects from the Tairawhiti Economic maintain accommodation needs of the regional forum who oversaw the plan’s Alert Level 4, to assist our people and Action Plan. region’s homeless. development. communities.” Short-term goals in the draft plan Other proposals include improving They include chairs of local iwi Rau Tipu Rau Ora identifies crucial include the establishment of a new health literacy and the communication authorities as well as Trust Tairawhiti, issues such as housing, employment, Manaaki Tairawhiti commissioning between health, education and social Eastland Group, Eastland Institute of health — including the isolation caused by agency to steward new investment for services, and identification of retraining Technology and Hauora Tairawhiti. Covid-19 and the risk of future pandemics greatest impact, as well as a continuation and redeployment opportunities to support Mayor Stoltz said the plan, Rau Tipu — stimulating the economy, and education of work to identify and support vulnerable industries needing increased labour, Rau Ora, represented a combined effort of and training. members of the community. including the health and social sectors, many organisations and stakeholders. The plan also sets out actions to support It also notes the need to rapidly along with support for the community and “We are pleased to launch Rau Tipu industries, businesses and local people increase the supply of housing and build voluntary sector and the progressing of Rau Ora, which lays out our key recovery who lost work because of the pandemic’s new facilities and services to address the region’s community facilities strategy. challenges and opportunities,” Mayor impact. priority health and wellbeing needs, Stoltz said. Those actions include fast-tracking including mental health and addiction, “It also reaffirms our long-term infrastructure projects already under and to release already ascribed funding CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 GISBORNE RUATORIA WAIROA Local News ...... 1-4 Business ..............9 Classifieds ... 16-17 Sport ............ 20-24 Births & Deaths ...4 Opinion ..............10 Television ...........18 Weather .............23 9 771170 043005 TOMORROW National ............ 5-8 World....... 11,14-15 Racing ................19 > 2 NEWS The Gisborne Herald • Monday, June 8, 2020 WELCOME BACK SPORT KICKING OFF: Gisborne GISBORNE’S dormant competitive due to the Covid-19 pandemic and Thistle’s Sam Patterson sport scene over the Alert Level 4 and subsequent lockdown and alert levels. (above left) is tackled by 3 period took a major step back to There was contest action on the a Western Rangers player normality on Saturday afternoon. water as well, with event 1 of the as the welcome sight of Football teams Heavy Equipment Gizzy Longboard Circuit taking place competitive football returned Services Gisborne United and at Makorori yesterday. to Childers Road Reserve Gisborne Thistle were in home action The reduction to Level 2 opened on Saturday afternoon. Left, as the Pacific Premiership league, the door for many sportspeople to there was football over at involving Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne get back into their pursuits — from Harry Barker Reserve as sides, kicked off post-Covid-19. archers to golfers to crossfitters to well, with Gisborne United And it was a day to remember swimmers. taking on Port Hill United. The for both local teams, with United Major sports like netball and rugby home side’s Campbell Hall defeating Port Hill United 3-2 at are counting down to their return, (right) is pictured duelling for Harry Barker Reserve while Thistle with senior club rugby and netball possession. Both Gisborne downed Hastings side Western starting on June 20, and senior sides won their Pacific Rangers 4-1 at Childers Road Reserve. hockey players hitting the turf later Premiership season-openers. Both games were watched by this month. Match reviews in Herald good crowds keen to see competitive Junior competitions over several Sport. Picture by Paul Rickard sport return after being rescheduled codes will follow. Conquered Mt Everest by bike for 40hr challenge by Matai O’Connor The challenge took them about 15 hours to Mathew said his legs felt like jelly that made it so hard to get back on to the bike complete. afterwards. and carry on,” said Caleb. TEENAGE brothers and talented triathletes Caleb, 17, and Mathew, 15, got up at 3.30am “Walking up the stairs is hard,” he said. “It was really tough.” Caleb and Mathew Ney successfully completed on Saturday, were on their bikes by 4am, and He agreed with his brother that it was a They were grateful to all those who donated their World Vision 40 Hour Famine challenge rode up and down Gaddums Hill until 12.30am tough mental challenge. and supported them during their challenge. of scaling Gaddums Hill 76-and-a-half times at Sunday morning. “When we were getting towards the end, “Our parents were amazing. During the last the weekend. “Riding for that long was mentally tough,” it was cold and dark and we had to force couple times up the hill, Mum (Kate) stood at The distance covered equals the 8848-metre said Caleb, whose legs were sore but ourselves back on to our bikes,” Mathew said. a gate ringing a cow bell to motivate us and height of Mount Everest. otherwise OK. “We would take a break to eat and rest and Dad (Patrick) drove with us the last couple of times,” Mathew said. MORAL “It was pretty cool.” SUPPORT: The brothers raised almost $1500 to support Gaddums Hill the people of African country Malawi. Road residents Because of climate change, the weather in show their Malawi is becoming increasingly unpredictable support for and for a population that is predominantly Caleb and subsistence farmers, they face the prospect of Mathew Ney food shortage and not being able to afford to during their send children to school, or get to hospital. marathon The 40-hour famine this year was a “create cycle as part your own challenge” event, rather than the of this year’s traditional starve for 40 hours. World Vision 40 Hour Famine challenge. Picture by Paul Rickard Get your Gisborne Herald home-delivered To nd out more call 869 0620 The Gisborne Herald • Monday, June 8, 2020 NEWS 3 Increase in flight numbers AIR New Zealand has albeit with reduced recovery as Tairawhiti boosted its Gisborne frequencies. plans for a post-Covid-19 routes to almost near- Matt Todd, the chief future. ” normal levels. executive of Gisborne Air New Zealand The airline will operate Airport operator Eastland General Manager 23 weekly returns between Group, said it was Networks Scott Carr said Gisborne and Auckland encouraging to see flight the airline continued to and 11 weekly returns numbers increase after further build its domestic between Gisborne and the airline industry was schedule. Wellington. effectively grounded due “We’ve been encouraged “Pre-Covid we were to the pandemic. by demand from leisure operating approximately “While they’re still travellers recently and 34 returns per week on not back to pre-Covid-19 we’re also expecting Auckland-Gisborne and levels, we’re definitely demand for business 14 returns per week on heading in the right travel to continue to build. Wellington-Gisborne,” an direction. And, provided “As a result, we have Air NZ spokeswoman said. the services are used, they been working to add more Since the start of Alert will remain. flying to our domestic Level 2 the airline has “Being connected to the schedule from next been flying to the majority rest of New Zealand by air month and this includes of the domestic ports it is essential for supporting additional services for the serviced pre-Covid-19, regional resilience and July school holidays. Bright night aids rescue STANDING FOR EAST COAST ELECTORATE: The National Party’s East Coast candidate for the General Election is Tania Tapsell. Picture supplied Two men ‘very, very lucky’ LUCKY stars and a full moon favoured “Thanks to the full moon, smooth seas two Ruatoria men whose runabout broke and good observation they were spotted Politics in the blood down and then start to sink on Saturday and their location pinpointed,” Snr Sgt night off Port Awanui near Tikitiki. Aben said. The men called for help on a cellphone A pleasure boat from the Tikitiki area and emergency services responded with was put to sea once the precise location of National candidate police, St John ambulance, a fixed-wing of the disabled runabout had been aircraft and two rescue choppers.