TE NUPEPA O TE TAIRAWHITI TUESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2021 HOME-DELIVERED $1.90, RETAIL $2.20 STOLEN COFFEE WHO SLAMS CART ‘VACCINE FOUND UP HAZARDOUS DRINKING RISE INEQUALITIES’ COAST PAGE 2 PAGE 6 PAGE 13 HOT WHEELS Firefighters were called to the weighbridge alongside State Highway 2 at Ormond this morning after tyres on the trailer of a loaded log truck caught fire. Fire and Emergency NZ received 1-1-1 calls about it at around 8.30am. “The fire from the burning tyres had started to get into the log load when we arrived,” a senior firefighter said. “We attacked the fire with foam and while we had it out pretty quickly it took a while to cool down the damaged wheel assemblies.” The logs were offloaded on to another truck and the damaged trailer was transported to Gisborne. “It’s believed the cause was linked to the truck’s braking system.” Picture by Liam Clayton by Matai O’Connor can be put in the mail and sent to GDC with no stamp required,” Ms THOSE behind a petition in Conaglen said. support of establishing Maori wards “A stack of petitions are going to in Gisborne District Council were the Tairawhiti Environment Centre out among the public on Saturday for any local over 16 years of age to Support morning collecting signatures from sign.” locals. The in-person petition is different The petition — entitled Tairawhiti to the online one. Anyone can sign support for the establishment of the online one but only those who Maori Wards — is to counter a are Gisborne residents can sign the petition circulating that asks for in-person petition. a regional poll on whether Maori “Many people expressed their for Maori wards should be established in the disgust at Hobson’s Pledge and 2022 and 2025 local body elections. think it is wrong that they are Pakeha women Maree Conaglen interfering with Gisborne politics,” and Clare Robinson said collecting Ms Conaglen said. signatures at Kelvin Park went Hobson’s Pledge is a nationwide great. lobby group created in 2016. It has “Most people were very sponsored pink flyers to be dropped supportive,” Maree Conaglen said. in letterboxes around Gisborne “to wards gains “There is some confusion over give citizens the opportunity to what a Maori ward is. When you use support the democratic process”. the word ‘seat’ on council, people Ms Robinson said they mailed 50 seem to understand it better,” she signatures to the district council on said. Saturday. People from out of town were “Half of those who signed the supportive but only the signatures of petition took extra forms to take to locals were accepted. whanau, friends and workplaces. momentum “People took copies of the petition for friends and family to sign. They CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 GISBORNE RUATORIA WAIROA Local News ...... 1-5 Business ............11 Kids Page ..........19 Racing ...............23 Births & Deaths ...4 Opinion ..............12 Television ...........20 Sport ............ 24-28 National .. 6-7, 10, 17-18 World............ 13-16 Classifieds .........22 Weather .............27 9 771170 043005 TOMORROW > 2 NEWS The Gisborne Herald • Tuesday, January 19, 2021 by Murray Robertson “That was really good work. It was a good save.” The fire burned about a hectare of grass, scrub and FIREFIGHTERS from Tolaga Bay, Tokomaru Bay, gorse. ‘A GOOD Gisborne and the Eastland Rural Fire Service tackled “It was started by a guy cooking his lunch on a a major vegetation fire in Tolaga Bay yesterday that property next door to the Whanau Whanui Kohanga Reo threatened property. building, over an open fire. The big team of fire crews were called to the scene at “It got away from him,” Mr Dever said. around 11am. “He tried to put it out, but couldn’t do it.” The blaze was in an area of grass and scrub at the About 24 firefighters, both permanent staff and SAVE’ back of the Whanau Whanui Kohanga Reo building on the volunteers, and nine fire appliances were involved in the Tauwhareparae Road, by the Uawa River bridge. incident. “It was a serious fire because it jumped from a private “They had it under control by about 1pm, but we still property into a paddock next door and was burning quite had crews there much of the afternoon dampening down rapidly across that grassed area towards houses,” said the remaining hot spots.” principal rural fire officer Ray Dever. Mr Dever said fortunately the wind conditions were “The nearest houses were only about 100 metres away.” relatively calm when the fire broke out. The fire crews were able to cut it off at about half way “If the winds had been blowing any stronger we would across the paddock, he said. have had major problems.” ‘Great recovery’ ruined by coffee caravan thief by Sophie Rishworth patch of grass by Carpet Court, didn’t work out. and had tables and chairs to sit Despite all the upheaval, GISBORNE woman Debbie outside it as well. Ms Lamb wanted to say a big Lamb’s great recovery back into Instead of making coffees for thank you to the community the hospitality business turned the public today as planned, Ms who shared her Facebook post, into a great recovery of another Lamb is counting her losses and provided support and messaged kind. has decided enough is enough. her with information. Ms Lamb’s mint green coffee “I’m out,” she said this One person, who wished to caravan she had spent months morning. Instead of pursuing remain anonymous, said they doing up was stolen from her coffee cart dream Ms saw the coffee cart being driven Gladstone Road last week. Lamb has taken up an offer out of town towards Tatapouri Her appeals on Facebook for of employment at Lake Ohau on the back of an “old-school” information — a post shared Lodge in the South Island. There white flat deck truck with red more than 1200 times — led to she will work at the lodge, where stripes on the side. a random call yesterday from accommodation is provided. She “Despite it all, it has been a man who told her the coffee feels the hospitality work among quite beautiful to experience this caravan was on his property. the Ohau Range mountains is community support,” she said. Ms Lamb and her friends got just the tonic she needs after a Ms Lamb trialled her new the address and went to recover rough year. business at Rhythm and Vines her coffee cart. Last week’s theft has been three weeks ago. Ms Lamb spent 10 months the last straw. She said the coffee cart had painting and restoring the The mobile coffee business a wheel lock on one side of the caravan, but it now sits battered was taken from outside Carpet trailer. and bruised and fleeced of Court on Gladstone Road some Adding to the headache was everything inside. time late on Tuesday night or that she changed her insurance Gone is her $4000 coffee early Wednesday morning last provider the same day her coffee machine and water pump, the week. cart was stolen. She hopes this COFFEE CART FOUND: Debbie Lamb’s livelihood — a green coffee caravan — was door is broken after being prised It was worth $18,000, she said. won’t matter. stolen from beside Carpet Court on Gladstone Road some time on Tuesday night or open and there are scratches on Ms Lamb said the coffee cart If anyone has any information in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The caravan was recovered at a Whangara the new paint work. business was supposed to be about the theft, call police property yesterday but was minus the $4000 coffee machine and other fittings Ms Debbie had been due to open her “great recovery” after a cafe on 105 with the file number Lamb had put in. She had been due to open her new business yesterday, Instead, yesterday. She had a spot on a in town she opened last year 210115/3246. she is now leaving town. Picture by Rebecca Grunwell LOOKING AHEAD Get your FOCUS ON THE LAND Gisborne Herald • Maraekakaho’s Rowland Smith won the open shears at the Wairoa Show, despite a broken home-delivered comb in his hand piece – remarkable. • The AgriHQ report for the week beginning January 18 points to strong purchasing power from China for our lamb, and low Aussie beef slaughter rates set to continue this year. • Last year was a challenging year for venison and no big recovery is expected in 2021. TOMORROW THE GUIDE 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, January 19, 2021 NEWS 3 Petition signed by over 460 so far Hot oily FROM PAGE 1 rags, “We had a great response from the majority. Many were grinder appalled there was a petition asking for a sparks referendum and are happy and proud of GDC on this matter.” start GDC councillors on November 23 voted unanimously in favour of fires establishing Maori wards in the 2022 and 2025 local CITY firefighters were body elections. called out yesterday Ms Robinson said there afternoon to fires at two were some people who business premises. came up to them and They said it was fortunate argued that Maori wards the calls were not more were “discrimination”.