TE NUPEPA O TE TAIRAWHITI SATURDAY-SUNDAY, MAY 22-23, 2021 HOME-DELIVERED $1.90, RETAIL $2.70 PAGE 3 SAVE THE RIVER, SAVE BUDGET IN BED PAGE 6 The OURSELVES KIRI CONTINUES TO INSPIRE Martin Chronicles INSIDE TODAY BIG NIGHT FOR BEN Ben MacArthur (second from left), of Speirs Logging, took home the Supreme Award for Skilled Professional of the Year at the 2021 Eastland Forestry Awards last night. He also won the award for Faller Mechanised or Manual Excellence and Speirs Logging capped a memorable night by winning Crew of the Year. Pictured with Ben are Eastland Wood Council chair Daniel Williams (left), Gisborne Mayor Rehette Stoltz and EWC chief executive Philip Hope. The awards were held in front of a full house at the Farmers Air Event Centre. STORY ON PAGE 3 Picture by Stephen Jones Photography ‘Unfair and inequitable’ Disparity of 2021-2031 LTP rating policy questioned by Alice Angeloni if you’re trying to address affordability suggested starting over. increase while rural residential was because that trend is perpetuated across District council chief executive Nedine facing an increase of 5.9 percent. “Has this landed where we wanted it all of the rural townships,” Cr Worsnop Thatcher Swann said it was not the time In actual cost, the average rates for to?” said. “The way this has fallen is hurting to be making “fundamental changes” to those in the city was $2700 compared to That was Gisborne the people that are our most vulnerable the finance policy. $1400 for those in rural townships. district councillor Kerry and helping people that are less likely to Councillors later passed the finance Affordability or ability to pay was Worsnop’s question for be vulnerable based on their house price. policy, including a contentious element one of the main principles driving the the table as elected “Has this landed where we wanted it to to transfer 10 percent of water rates council’s rates review. This involved members deliberated because for me it hasn’t.” infrastructure to the general rate. “redistributing” the rates across the the region’s rates for the Most councillors questioned the fairness Councillors Worsnop, Pat Seymour, region after it was deemed the city had next 10 years. of the rating policy at the 2021-2031 Long Bill Burdett, Faulkner and Isaac Hughes been unfairly carrying the load. She pointed to an Term Plan meeting on Wednesday. wanted their opposition to this recorded. The proposal to move 10 percent of East Coast property Cr Terry Sheldrake said the disparity Councillors also voted to up funding to the cost of drinking water, wastewater worth $95,000 facing was a “big issue”. rural township upgrades— a $7m spend and stormwater (three waters) to the a rate increase of 4.3 percent, or $62, Cr Bill Burdett said it was “unfair and over the 10-year plan. general rate received kickback from rural compared to a $1.22 million property inequitable”. The rates policy put to the public for ratepayers who have their own septic and in Gisborne’s Lytton West, where rates Cr Larry Foster acknowledged the consultation, which will differ slightly water tanks. would increase by only $55. “huge increase” for rural people. from what has been passed, said city “That just seems bizarre and ridiculous Cr Meredith Akuhata Brown even residential was facing a 2.2 percent CONTINUED ON PAGE 5 39854-05 GISBORNE RUATORIA WAIROA Local News ...... 1-5 Business ...... 11-12 Farming ........ 17-18 Television ...W9-11 Births & Deaths ...4 Opinion ..............13 Racing ................21 Sport ............ 28-32 TOMORROW National .......... 6-10 World...... 14-15, 20 Classifieds ... 22-27 Weather .............31 977 1175467004 2 NEWS The Gisborne Herald • Saturday, May 22, 2021 BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE: The Great Olympic Skate Roadshow was in the city yesterday, including a visit to Ilminster Intermediate, as part of a national tour promoting the Olympic Games. Talking to students from the deck of the world’s largest skateboard are Olympic skate ambassadors (from left) Matt Markland, James Delaney and Bowman Hansen and Gisborne’s own Olympic Games road cyclist Michelle Rennie (Athens 2004). Pictures by Liam Clayton ‘IT’S HUMUNGOUS’ by Jack Malcolm (Ride as One). sport, he said. It legitimised it as Made primarily of fibreglass, a sport, “not just a kids toy”. GISBORNE student Kingi with metal framing and a The decision to use Rakuraku summed up the wooden finish, the skateboard skateboarding to promote the world’s largest skateboard in is traversing the length of the Games was a sign of the growth one word when it visited the city country as part of the Great of action sports in general, yesterday . “it’s humungous”. Olympic Skate Roadshow to said Shane Kingsbeer, of the Kingi, 14, of Te Kura Kaupapa promote the Tokyo Games Tairawhiti Adventure group Maori o Uri A Maui, said he starting in two months. which was involved with the Eke didn’t know what his teacher Among those travelling with Tahi event. was talking about when she told the skateboard is ambassador Mr Kingsbeer said it was a OPTICAL ILLUSION: The skateboard is a tad bigger than this shot Herald the class where they were going. and professional skateboarder great opportunity to bring all photographer Liam Clayton set up with Ilminster Intermediate student and keen skater It all made sense when he Matt Markland, who said he sorts of people together at a Sol Bevins. saw the 12-metre, 800-kilogram jumped at the opportunity to be place which already had an skateboard as part of the Great involved in the project. “organic community and family Olympic Skate Roadshow “Doing this is something I vibe”. touring the country. couldn’t dream about when I “Look at the diversity of the Kingi was one of the started skateboarding. Seeing people (down here). It’s young hundreds of people from around the enjoyment on everyone’s and old. the region who headed to Alfred faces is priceless.” The roadshow visited Cox Skate Park to see the The inclusion of Ilminster Intermediate students record-breaking, fully-functional skateboarding in the Olympics yesterday morning before skateboard named Eke Tahi had been revolutionary for the heading to the skatepark. RIVER’S A WINNER: Six-year-old River Roberts took home this skateboard as part of the Great Olympic Skate Roadshow event held at Alfred Cox Skate Park yesterday. With River are (from left) professional surfer and Tairawhiti Adventure Trust trustee COMFY SPOT: Lounging on the wheels of the giant skateboard are Taina Ricardo Christie, River’s sister Willow, Olympic skate ambassadors Matt Markland and Awatere and Aria Stevens. The visit coincided with the anti-bullying Pink Shirt Bowman Hansen, and Tairawhiti Adventure Trust trustee Shane Kingsbeer. Day, hence the girls’ pink skirts. LOOKING AHEAD Get your ALL THE LATEST NEWS, INCLUDING: Gisborne Herald • Arise Sir Derek . Derek Lardelli’s investiture as a Knights home-delivered Companion of the New Zealand Order is held at Whangara. • Full results from the 2021 Eastland Forestry Awards. • Supervision, fine, disqualification for log truck driver who maintains he did not take not take meth. • Raukumara Ranges, East Coast DoC ranger feature in Fight for the Wild documentary series. • Local sports results including premier rugby, Challenge Round netball and Central Fed League football MONDAY 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, May 22, 2021 NEWS 3 ‘I am the river, the river is me’ Impassioned speech warns of repercussions of ‘sick’ awa by Alice Angeloni “EVERY time we poison the river, we poison ourselves.” In a stirring speech in Gisborne on Thursday night, Horouta Waka Hoe club paddler Mairangi Campbell described the impact of pollution on young people using the Waimata River. “Ko au te awa, ko te awa ko au. I am the river, the river is me,” the 16-year-old said, quoting a Whakatauki Maori proverb. “When the mauri (spirit) of the river is damaged, we too feel the repercussions.” Mairangi, who is Ngai Tuhoe and Ngati Porou, presented photos of infected sores which paddlers believed could be attributed to the HAVING A GO: Members of the let the river speak team had the chance to test their paddling skills yesterday. From left, unhealthy state of the awa. Mahaki Tureia, Billie Lythberg, Josiah Cook, Dr Dan Hikuroa, Siouxsie Wiles and CC Tureia. Picture by Liam Clayton “These images are actual representations of the impacts imposed on us when the mauri and when the river was dying “when that little part HEAR US: physical condition of the wai (water) is sick.” of ourselves is being poisoned”. Horouta Waka Mairangi was speaking at a meeting about His korero to about 120 people on Thursday Ama members restoring the Waimata River to a state of ora, night was a “raw account” of what the paddlers who presented at along with members of an Auckland University saw, felt and experienced on the river. the Let the River research team, including microbiologist and And what they saw was the awa being Speak meeting New Zealander of the Year Dr Siouxsie Wiles. poisoned. on Thursday. Dr Wiles this week said she expected “Whether it be discarded plastics or the From left are research to find links between untreated dumping of sewage — we are killing ourselves.