TE NUPEPA O TE TAIRAWHITI FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2021 HOME-DELIVERED $1.90, RETAIL $2.20 THE MARLIN ARE OUT THERE NZ DELIVERS AUSTRALIA FIRST COVID FURY AT JABS FACEBOOK NEWS BAN PAGE 6 PAGE 17 PAGE 3 PORT PLANS: Stage 1 of the redevelopment of Gisborne’s port), consists of work on the slipway (No.1 in image) and Wharf 7 (No.2) to start later this year. Stage 2 includes land reclamation (No.4) rebuilding the other breakwater (No.5) and dredging and deepening of the channels (No.6 and No.7) and the turning basin (No.8.) 3000 jobs to Image supplied by Wynsley Wrigley ■ Raise net household income by $65 million CONSTRUCTING a twin ■ Create 3000 additional jobs berth facility in Gisborne’s in the district (with 5500 jobs harbour has been described as currently linked to port activity). the port’s biggest infrastructure The 3000 new jobs was “the development in a century and most staggering number,” he be created the largest job creator for the said. region “by a significant margin”. It would be the biggest single Eastland Port chief operating job creation project “in our officer Andrew Gaddum region by a country mile”. yesterday updated Gisborne In the short term alone there district councillors who were would be an initial 107 jobs for sitting as the operations locals during construction while committee. 60 percent of construction costs by upgrade Mr Gaddum said the ($84m) would be spent locally. development, which is scheduled Mr Gaddum said the port to be completed by 2024, would had reached capacity and its by 2028 — core infrastructure required ■ Boost gross regional profit upgrading. Stage 1 of port development to start June-July by $250 million CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 GISBORNE RUATORIA WAIROA Local News ...... 1-5 Business ............11 Racing .......... 17-18 Television ..........23 Births & Deaths ...4 Opinion ..............12 Literature ...........19 Sport ............ 24-28 9 771170 043005 TOMORROW National .......... 6-10 World............13, 16 Classifieds ... 20-22 Weather .............27 > 2 NEWS The Gisborne Herald • Friday, February 19, 2021 Can you beat this big ’un? by Matai O’Connor melon-growing. “I’m sure there are other bigger watermelons GISBORNE earth mover and farmer Kevin around Gisborne, so come on, show us what ya Neshausen has been growing watermelons for got,” Kevin said. fun over the last 10 years and this year he has grown his biggest yet. DID YOU KNOW?... The watermelon grew to 17 kilograms and before harvesting it, he grew one that weighed Watermelon are both a fruit and a vegetable 13kg. (they are classified as part of the botanical “I don’t know what type of watermelon it is family of gourds that include cucumber, because the seeds came from a big watermelon squash and pumpkin). a friend of a friend gave me in Tauranga. You can eat the entire fruit — the rinds can “I ate the watermelon and just chucked the be stir-fried or stewed while the seeds can seeds in the garden,” Mr Neshausen said. be dried and roasted. After a Google search, he believes he found They are 92 percent water, hence the name the variety — a candy red watermelon. The They come in 1200 different varieties but flesh is deep red encased in a light green skin. are classifieds into four main categories — “The 13kg one we pulled out the other day seeded, seedless, icebox and yellow/orange. was one of the sweetest watermelons I’ve The Guiness World Record for the heaviest grown.” watermelon is 159kg, a Carolina Cross Kevin fed his watermelon a good diet of variety grown in Tennessee, USA. sheep manure, dolomite lime and normal Watermelons are a source of lycopene — an garden fertiliser. antioxidant that helps reduce the risk of He would only water the fruit when it was several types of cancer. needed. Farmers in Japan grow watermelons in “You don’t want them getting too wet or too different shapes, including cubes, hearts dry. and pyramids and sell them for big bucks. “It’s just a good bit of fun,” he said of his WATERMELON BABY: Kevin Neshausen grows watermelons at his property for fun and this year he has grown his biggest yet — a whopping 17-kilogram melon. Picture by Liam Clayton Everyone has a part to Push to reduce city’s ‘play in this — District’ council 4 Waters infrastructure manager wastewater overflow Neville West GISBORNE District Council is on a making sure homeowners fix leaking When these pipes leak, they let time to fix faults before the 10-year mission to ensure the district’s sewer sewage systems on their property, rainfall into the sewage system, which mark, with the option of fixing them pipes are in the best possible condition. including underground pipes.” then struggles to cope, leading to privately or taking part in the proposed The DrainWise team are working to It is part of a big push by the council overflows during heavy rains. council-managed repair process. identify private property sewer pipes in to reduce wastewater overflows that can “We need the community to help by “Hopefully this will take the stress bad condition and provide guidance to happen during heavy rainfall. playing their part. Wastewater overflows out of the job while making it more homeowners on repairing or replacing In the past year there have been four cannot be reduced until the privately- affordable,” says Mr West. damaged pipes. overflow events. owned underground sewage system isn’t There is legislation enabling the “This is an essential part of the “Everyone has a part to play in this,” leaking.” council to require a homeowner to repair DrainWise Programme to further reduce says Mr West. “Above ground, leaking As part of the DrainWise campaign, their private pipes, which will be used overflows to our rivers and on to private gully traps are one part of the problem the council will be assessing private where homeowners do not willingly fix property,” says 4 Waters infrastructure but it is what we can’t see underground underground pipes on all properties their issues. manager Neville West. that also needs attention.” using CCTV and smoke testing, while “We’ve had a great response so far, “The council is committed to doing Half of the city’s wastewater pipes are making repair work as affordable as with homeowners keen to help once they everything it can to help homeowners on private property and because they possible for the homeowner. are aware of an issue on their property.” through this process. We need to ensure belong to homeowners, the responsibility The programme will start soon and everyone complies with the law when it lies with them to ensure they do not Mr West anticipates it will run over the ■ Anyone needing more information comes to private property drainage and leak. next decade, with the aim of having all should email Gisborne District healthy water and ecosystems. Council inspections of these required inspections completed within Council’s DrainWise team at “We’re working hard on the most underground private pipes have shown seven years. [email protected] important part of DrainWise, which is about half are in a poor state of repair. This will give homeowners enough LOOKING AHEAD Get your FOCUS ON THE LAND Gisborne Herald • MPI has signifi cant work under way to home-delivered help farmers deal with heat stress in their “This learning animals. will no longer • Something for everyone at next week’s East Coast Farming Expo at the Wairoa be left to showgrounds. chance” • Price details and comment from today’s weekly sheep sale at Matawhero, and sale details from Tuesday’s cattle fair. TOMORROW TOMORROW 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 • Friday, February 19, 2021 NEWS 3 Prohibited fire season to continue despite rain THE region’s fire authorities have no plans to scale back fire restrictions in the wake of the solid falls of rain around the district this week. Before the rain the fire risk had continued to rise steadily across Tairawhiti. “The rain has been handy in easing the fire risk but we expect a hot weekend this weekend and dry weather into next week, so things will dry out again pretty quickly,” said principal rural fire officer Ray Dever. The region has been in a prohibited fire season, with a total fire ban, for several weeks. “It’s not going to work to go back DANCING AND SINGING: The Napier crew of Showgirl8 show off their 76.9-kilogram striped marlin caught yesterday while to a restricted fire season for just a heading to Gisborne for the Marlin and Tuna Tournament. Pictured (from left) are Mark Vesty, Mark Boys (who caught the marlin), few days,” Mr Dever said. Fanus Crous, Darren Gill and skipper David Vesty. Picture by Liam Clayton “We cannot jump around like that so the total fire ban stays in force. “People so far have been really Big one reeled in on way to contest compliant with the prohibited season.” by Andrew Ashton Mark said the fish took 20 the start,” he said. president Roger Faber said a lot of The seriousness of the fire risk minutes to reel in and was caught The striped marlin weighed anglers were waiting to see what situation prior to the rain was IT does not count towards the on a Freedom Grand Slammer lure illustrated over the Waitangi 76.9kg, which is well short of the the weather would be like and how holiday weekend, he said.