TE NUPEPA O TE TAIRAWHITI WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23, 2021 HOME-DELIVERED $1.90, RETAIL $2.20 PAGE 3 • Wellington lockdown option COVID-19 • Visitor from Sydney infectious PAGE 6 • Four places of interest identified • Traveller visited Te Papa • Virus variant to be confirmed WELFARE NEEDS SKILLED PROFESSIONAL A PRIORITY OF THE YEAR FEATURE INSIDE TODAY BEN MACARTHUR by Sophie Rishworth But the 73-year-old’s plans have “I had already done my been halted by compliance issues research and knew it didn’t fall PEOPLE trying to bridge and she is losing sleep over this under the Building Act.” Gisborne’s housing gap with tiny and possibly losing her $150,000. Mrs Gate referred to a homes have encountered big “I feel sick,” she said. Christchurch District Court problems. Mrs Lloyd was expecting to decision in 2020 that ruled a Two Gisborne women who have already moved her tiny home man’s tiny house, 8.1x 3.1x4.2, bought tiny homes are facing to her daughter’s property in was a vehicle. TINY thousands of dollars of costs to Ormond Road. Judge Mark Callaghan was comply with Gisborne District Instead it sits stranded on a satisfied the structure was a Council’s (GDC) enforcement of Stanley Road property, with all vehicle because it was registered New Zealand’s Building Act. her belongings in storage at a cost and warranted, and was The situation shows the need of $280 a month. moveable. HOMES to contact the council before these Meanwhile, another Gisborne The case was taken to court tiny homes are bought. woman has been given until July by the tiny home owner who had The women bought the tiny 28 by the council to move her been asked by his regional council homes as a solution to out-of-reach family’s tiny home off their land to demolish it or comply with the house and rental prices. on Lytton Road, or attach it to Building Act. Sally Lloyd sank savings of the ground, for earthquake safety In a warning to others, the $150,000 into a 12-metre-by-four- reasons. council encourages anyone metre tiny home because she Candace Gate said if she looking at buying or building a could not afford Gisborne house attached it to the ground, she tiny house to get in touch first for prices. faced a raft of costs. clarity. A tiny home seemed a good “They (GDC) believe it has to GDC building services manager temporary solution. It could be be put on top of piles to make it Ian Petty said the council could BIG placed on her daughter’s backyard healthy and safe for earthquake help on whether a structure is until house prices came down. purposes,” she said, deemed a vehicle or a building under the Building Act. “We’d rather advise than enforce,” he said. ISSUES CONTINUED ON PAGE 5 LOSING SLEEP: Sally Lloyd bought a tiny home for $150,000. It is on wheels and measures 12 metres by four metres. However, it sits stranded on a Stanley Road property, unable to be shifted to her daughter’s property as transport operators risk a fine from the district council if they move it. Picture by Paul Rickard GISBORNE RUATORIA WAIROA Local News ...... 1-5 Business ............10 Farming ........ 14-17 Racing ................23 Births & Deaths ...4 Opinion ..............11 Television ...........20 Sport ............ 24-28 9 771170 043005 TOMORROW National ......6, 8, 19 World............12, 18 Classifieds ... 21-22 Weather .............27 > 2 NEWS The Gisborne Herald • Wednesday, June 23, 2021 VETS ON THE ROAD Preventing thousands of unwanted litters through Coast campaign by Sophie Rishworth East Coast, she said. “Nobody misses out. Anyone who cannot storm on the Coast).” Ms Draaisma, 31, is from the fit into the caravan will be brought to Mrs Magee said volunteers had stacked AN SPCA campaign covering the Netherlands and has been in New Gisborne. wood on the side of the road and every East Coast has been extended by two Zealand for two-and-a-half years. “And we will continue to come up the driveway access to homes had been weeks, such is the demand for the This trip means she is also seeing more Coast and bring the animals back to cleared. desexing service. of the country. Gisborne for treatment. “When I drove around by the school “Bessie”, the SPCA’s mobile vet “It’s amazing,” she said. “I’ve absolutely “We won’t forget about this region. The (Hatea a Rangi in Tokomaru Bay), which clinic, has been based in coastal loved it up here, especially the sunrise support has been amazing.” was pretty badly hit, they were backing towns on State Highway 35 since the beach walks.” Mrs Magee drove up the Coast up a trailer with what looked like 100 beginning of May. SPCA Gisborne centre manager yesterday to visit the mobile clinic, which shovels on the back of it. More than 600 animals will Lindy Magee said the mobile clinic was is based in Te Araroa this week. “You can just tell a village has come have been desexed, microchipped, also sending animals to Gisborne to be “I saw teams of people cleaning up together — such beautiful people up there, vaccinated and given flea and worm desexed. in every village (following the weekend such beautiful animals.” treatments — all for free — by the end of the campaign. Thousands of unwanted litters have been prevented. SPCA vet Hannah Draaisma said the locals had been “absolutely lovely”. “This morning I got a basket full of sweet soaps and everyone has been giving koha towards the project.” Locals also came to the rescue during a recent power cut, keeping the mobile clinic operating by bringing in a generator by tractor. The caravan weathered the last weekend’s storm and was carrying on today in Te Araroa. “It’s really nice being here,” Ms Draaisma said. “I would love to come back with my boyfriend and dog. They are a little jealous of the morning beach walks.” ON THE JOB: SPCA vet Hannah Draaisma (left) and SPCA Ms Draaisma is part of teams of vet nurse Heidi Olsen hard at work during the first week vets and veterinary nurses rostered of the SPCA’s East Coast mobile desexing campaign. Ms on from around the country to help Draaisma said everyone had been grateful and given koha the East Coast. for the services provided. She has travelled from Wellington to work one week in Tolaga Bay and one week in Te Araroa. They stay in motor camps along the way. The hours are long, the work intense, but there is immense satisfaction from the difference they are making. They have been averaging around 55 animals a week — about eight cats and few dogs each day. “I hope we can do it again,” Ms Draaisma said. “There are still so many animals left. It’s great to be able to help people who are so far away from town. “It’s funny to see how everyone knows each other. They are either family or neighbours and they recognise the dogs that got their dogs pregnant. “It’s definitely a small community so it is having a bigger impact here than it would in the city.” CATATONIC: Inside the SPCA desexing caravan, vet nurse Katie Ms Draaisma said most of the dogs Pedersen tends to three anaesthetised East Coast cats ready to and cats were in good shape. be de-sexed. Thousands of unwanted litters have been prevented “People are looking after their by the mobile clinic, which has been up the Coast for five weeks. animals very well.” It is staying for two more weeks due to the popularity and demand It was great to give them a hand, for the service. It is estimated more than 600 cats and dogs will INSIDE ‘BESSIE’: The SPCA’S vet clinic caravan, named since accessing vet services was a have been desexed by the end of the seven-week mission. “Bessie”, is clocking up the k’s and the spays along State long drive when you lived on the Pictures supplied Highway 35. Get your Gisborne Herald • Conor Jeory talks about his Verve Cafe exhibition Objects 2021, and Cargo — a significant home-delivered work recently submitted to the inaugural Richard T Nelson sculpture award. • Cast as Laura Wingfield in Evolution Theatre Company’s production of Tennessee Williams’ play The Glass Menagerie, Scarlett Fawcett has taken on one of her most challenging roles, and she is loving it, as she explains to The Guide. • Anti-vaxxers, trolls, Karens and snowflakes . look away. Comedian Heath Franklin’s Chopper is about to return to Gisborne. TOMORROW PLUS: MUSIC GUIDE • FILM REVIEWS • GUIDE GOSSIP 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 • Wednesday, June 23, 2021 NEWS 3 Titirangi closed ‘Brutal, unprovoked attack’ to traffic Call for stronger action after pet dog mauled on Titirangi until Friday by Murray Robertson STRONGER action against dog QUEENS Drive on Titirangi/ owners whose animals attack other Kaiti Hill is closed to all vehicles dogs has been called for following until Friday while contractors do an incident on Titirangi/Kaiti Hill on geotechnical testing in preparation Monday. for the next phase of improvement Kelli Mason, whose dog Lola works.