TE NUPEPA O TE TAIRAWHITI THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2020 HOME-DELIVERED $1.90, RETAIL $2.20 1200 public FACING THE VOTERS: submissions FOUR HAVE THEIR SAY on Endeavour AT PUBLIC MEETING models Gisborne District Council has received more than 1200 public submissions on the controversial PAGE 3 Endeavour models. A consultation process ended on Sunday and council staff are working their way through the submissions that will be made publicly available when a hearings report is completed. STORY ON PAGE 3 Herald file picture COVID-19 • Masks mandatory for visitors to Gisborne Hospital • Govt accused of wasting 100 days of Covid-free communities • High Court says first nine days of lockdown was unlawful • Minister confident almost all linked to cluster contacted • NZ Defence Force brought in for border control PAGES 3, 6-12, 14, 18 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT // PAGES 19-22 ‘Game-changing opportunity’ by Murray Robertson the council to increase the width that consultation included and depth of the new 50m pool the importance of hosting A GROUP of Gisborne to cater for more water sports local, regional and national Plea to watersport leaders have called on participation opportunities, competitions and events in the Gisborne District Council to think and the hosting of national and 50m pool. again about plans for the Olympic international pool events. “Since 2017, when it Pool Complex, pointing to millions The sport leaders group have became clear that funding for of dollars in lost opportunities by put together a submission they a redeveloped pool was not not doing so. hope to present to the council in attainable, community, user group Their call centres on the design an effort to get plans for the main and stakeholder interest waned, of the new 50-metre pool in the pool changed. and understandably so,” said surf revisit complex. “The report and associated lifesaver Sonia Keepa, a member The group wants to meet with papers the council voted on at of the group. the council to discuss alternatives their meeting on August 5 were “The council decision on August they propose in the concept made available to the public via 5 relied on ‘historical’ community plans for the 50m pool in the the council website just 48 hours and pool user consultation, and redeveloped complex. before the meeting,” said group there was no new consultation At an extraordinary meeting on member Andrew Gaddum. process,” she said. August 5 the council approved a “No opportunity for further Mr Cairns said: “we believe that pool concept design report for the $46 consultation with the public was widening the 50-metre pool from million project. allowed for.” 20m to 25m, thereby creating 10 “We believe there is still time He and the other members of swimming lane, deepening the to make adjustments with this the group believed the council had remaining area to two metres and project to achieve even greater a “game-changing opportunity”. making provision for brought-in community benefit,” the group In 2017, there were 293 pool-side seating would create said. submissions received by the significantly greater participation New Zealand surf lifesaving council for the Olympic Pool in aquatic team sports by young project coach Matt Cairns made a strong Complex redevelopment project. women and men. plea at the August 5 meeting for Recurring themes from CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 GISBORNE RUATORIA WAIROA Local News ...... 1-5 Business ............10 The Guide .... 19-22 Classifieds ... 26-27 Births & Deaths ...4 Opinion ..............11 Television ...........23 Sport ............ 28-32 9 771170 043005 TOMORROW National ...6-9, 15, 18 World............ 12-14 Racing .......... 24-25 Weather .............31 > 2 NEWS The Gisborne Herald • Thursday, August 20, 2020 HELPING HAND: PROTECTING THE DOTTEREL Tolaga Bay Area School Hoturangi class students by Matai O’Connor “Be careful where you drive on the beach, This adds up to the poor old Dotterel learned about the we love our dotterels,” one students said. having a lot of obstacles to overcome on its nesting habits of the TOLAGA Bay Area School students Dotterel nest on beaches all along the way to successfully breeding. New Zealand dotterel have created signs to remind beach-goers East Coast and Tolaga Bay residents are “Some of these we can control,” Mr Quirk and made signs to warn to watch out for New Zealand dotterels/ fortunate to have them nesting on their says. “Trapping programmes help minimise beach-goers to watch tuturiwhatu while on the beach. doorstep at the mouth of the Uawa River, the risk of predation. out for the native birds. Teachers have been showing children Department of Conservation biodiversity “People can also keep their dogs under Picture supplied at the school what impacts the slash and ranger Jamie Quirk says. control and be conscious of where birds are movement on the beach have on tuturiwhatu/ New Zealand Dotterel build their nests nesting and give them space.” dotterel nesting habits. in scrapes on beaches, which makes them Tolaga Bay Area School students have “There has been a lot of mobilisation on vulnerable to an array of threats. made signs that identify the areas people the beach which has made people concerned “They are susceptible to predation from need to stay away from to maximise the for the dotterels,” Tolaga Bay Area School pests like rats, stoats and hedgehogs,” says dotterels’ opportunity to successfully breed. teacher Richard Tuhaka said. Mr Quirk. “These signs are colourful and easy to Hoturangi class has been learning the “Human behaviour can also pose a risk, spot and are a great example of local people basics about dotterels nesting and how including uncontrolled dogs or vehicles, having local solutions,” Mr Quirk says. vehicles and dogs have the biggest impact which might cause birds to abandon nests or “While we can’t do much about the tide on their nesting habits. can actually destroy them. and wind, if we manage things such as A video on the school’s Facebook page “On top of this, high tides can swamp predators and people we can continue to shows students putting signs around slash nests and, in October, equinoctial winds can enjoy the endearing New Zealand dotterel that is still on the Tolaga Bay beach. bury nests with sand,” he said. nesting on our beaches successfully.” Call to collaboratively engage on 50m pool design FROM PAGE 1 events and tournaments, and it Midway surf rescue community adapted, developed and extended an estimate of potential design could avoid the need to impose hub across the road to jointly in reponse to future demands.” changes, or an alternative “The current design allows for increased running costs on to attract national, regional, club Mr Gaddum said the group’s design.” training and playing in smaller the ratepayer and through entry and school sporting teams for proposed design review was numbers, with smaller adapted fee price increases. training, development and just that — “future-focused and ■ PETER Boyd from Mareikura sizes. “We could bid for the world education camps,” she said. multi-purpose.” Waka Ama Club and Ngati Porou Surf “We think that with a $46m surf lifesaving championships, Long-time Gisborne swim The sport leaders group wants Life Saving Club said what the group budget we should aspire to for example. That would mean coach Glen Sutton said a 50m the Olympic Pool redevelopment proposed was “absolutely” the better train, compete and host events 9000 international visitors and pool was the best training project team to pause and option for local hapu, whanau and iwi. to a high standard — not up to $13 million in economic distance for competitive and consult with the expertise, “Especially now because of the compromise on significant benefit to Tairawhiti.” recreational swimmers. practical minds and national renaissance of moana (ocean) culture. opportunities from the outset. Another member of the group, Olympian and surf lifesaving and international network of “It would be ideal, for example, as “We could host national water surf lifesaver Michelle Mitchell, great Alan Thompson said the users in the region who have a place to train waka paddlers on how polo, swimming and lifesaving said the opportunity would two-metre pool depth called for identified “this game-changing to right their craft when they are out pool championships, and that be there to have the 50m pool could be adapted easily using opportunity”. of their depth, and the depth and extra would also mean significant available for swimmers daily, a collapsible floor in the pool “We implore the council width would allow us to do that more bed nights and revenue for instead of a dividing boom that could be lowered for major project team to further engage easily,” said Mr Boyd. Tairawhiti. creating two 25m pools. events that required the two- collaboratively on this to frame “A proper deep pool is what we “It would also break the “Regular pool swimmers metre depth. the opportunity, detail the need to safely simulate offshore generational cycle of ‘exporting’ prefer having the option of the “Sport NZ strategy advises rates benefit, gain letters of paddling capsizes. Gisborne revenue, with our 50m length. Our proposal would the best long-term outcomes are support, provide a business What the group proposes would teams and families having to also provide an opportunity achieved by designing facilities case showing costs and regional also allow us to do that throughout the travel away to participate in to collaborate with the new in ways that enable them to be economic benefits, and provide year, not just seasonally.” LOOKING AHEAD Vicki Coley SPORTS Sells Real Estate • Last games of round 2 of Poverty Bay premier club rugby — Waikohu v OBM, YMP v Ngatapa, Pirates v HSOB.