Sport

Star first-five Beauden Barrett

Beauden Barrett has admitted he feared for his career, after experiencing the effects of concussion

Barrett hasn't played any rugby since the All Blacks' year-end tour, where he was forced from the field with concussion in New Zealand's 29-20 defeat to Ireland in Dublin. 

He has been struggling with the after effects of that concussion, making the most of his time away from rugby.

But speaking to French outlet L'Equipe, Barrett says he's only recently started to feel clear of any symptoms from the head knock, and worried it could have meant the end of his playing career.

"For two weeks, things have been much better. But throughout the off-season, I had migraines, 80 to 90 percent of the time," Barrett says.

"Today, it tends to fade, they have become rarer.”

"I thought it might be the end of my career. When you feel sluggish 99 per cent of the day, trying several ways to get better, but nothing works, you assume the worst.”

"And then you hear about teammates who have to end their careers because of concussions, it's more and more frequent. I thought it was my turn.”

Barrett also adds that he hopes to return to Super Rugby Pacific in some capacity in round three, when the Blues meet the Chiefs. 

The Blues are yet to begin their Super Rugby Pacific season, after their 2022 season opener was postponed by a covid-19 outbreak in the Moana Pasifika camp.

Barrett won the World Rugby Player of the Year award in 2016 and 2017, was also a nominee for the award in 2018, and is only the second player to win the award in back-to-back years, after former teammate Richie McCaw. 

He also won the overall Sportsperson of the Year Award in the Taranaki Sports Awards in 2013, 2016 and 2019.

Barrett holds the world record for consecutive wins since his first test (19 wins from 19 tests).

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Golden Bay

 

Tata Beach, Tarakohe Golden Bay Photo R. Therkleson

Golden Bay shops and businesses able to trade on Easter Sunday

On the recommendation of the Golden Bay Community Board, Tasman District Council has adopted its Easter Sunday Trading Policy, enabling shops and businesses throughout the Golden Bay Ward to trade on Easter Sunday if they wish. 

The decision by the Full Council meeting today Thursday 24 February, has made the  policy effective in time for Easter Sunday this year on the 17th of April. 

It comes after the Tasman District Council ran an informal community engagement together with Nelson City Council. 

A joint community survey was undertaken concerning Sunday trading and Golden Bay was the only area that supported Sunday trading by 65%.

So in May 2021, the Council delegated to the Golden Bay Community Board the power to prepare an Easter Sunday Trading Policy for the the Golden Bay ward, up to but not including its adoption, under the Shop Trading Hours Act. 

Tata Beach, Tarakohe Golden Bay Photo R Therkleson

Council advised that staff provided the Board with a draft Policy and consultation was undertaken from 29 October to 5 December 2021. Of 26 submissions received, 20 supported the change.

 

The Board acted as the Submissions Hearing and Deliberations Panel and met on 26 January 2022 to hear submitters and consider the submissions received. 

The Board voted to recommend that the policy be adopted by Council.  

At the Tasman District Council meeting on Thursday, Golden Bay ward councillor Celia Butler moved the resolution to adopt the policy, saying she believed it would help support tourism in Golden Bay.

In making the decision, the Council and the Board recognised the importance of tourism-related trade to the Golden Bay economy and enabling local businesses to choose whether they open on Easter Sunday will help attract and support visitors to the region over the Easter period.  

Golden Bay

Council will be asking for feedback around adopting a similar policy in other wards in the district during its next residents survey, which will take place in May 2022.  

While enforcement of the Shop Trading Hours Act 1990 is carried out by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, Council staff pointed out that pursuant to the Shop Trading Hours Act all shop employees will have the ability to refuse to work on Easter Sunday without any repercussions to their employment relationship. 

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Nelson homicide - name release

Name release of homicide victim

 

Washington Road Homicide Investigation

A homicide investigation, Operation Fossa, which had been launched on Tuesday after the death of a male at a Washington Road address in Nelson, has been undated by Detective Inspector Mark Chenery.

Detective Inspector Mark Chenery said today Thursday the 24th February “Police are now in a position to release the name of the man who died in Nelson on Tuesday 22 February. He was Lake Arizona Takimoana, aged 22 years of Nelson.”

Police extend their condolences to Mr Takimoana’s friends and whānau.

Police were called to the address about 1.15pm Tuesday the 22nd February following a report of a man being shot.

Emergency services conducted CPR, however the man sadly died at the scene.

Detective Inspector Mark Chenery said on Wednesday “Tasman Police have made positive progress in their investigation into the Murder”

“We are satisfied the parties involved are known to each other and that there is minimal risk to the wider community.”

The Police continue to appeal to any witnesses that may have seen anything in the Washington Road area on Tuesday 22 February from 12:45pm to 1:30pm to come forward.

The Police investigation team are also interested in hearing from people who have any CCTV footage of Washington Road.

The homicide investigation is ongoing and Police ask anyone with information that could help with enquiries to contact Police via 105 and quote file number 220222/7060, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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Update - Nelson homicide investigation

Homicide Update Wednesday, 23 February 2022 Tasman Police

A homicide investigation, Operation Fossa, which had been launched yesterday after the death of a 22-year-old male at a Washington Road address in Nelson, has been undated by Detective Inspector Mark Chenery.

Police were called to the address about 1.15pm yesterday the 22nd February following a report of a man being shot.

Emergency services conducted CPR, however the man sadly died at the scene.

Detective Inspector Mark Chenery said “Tasman Police have made positive progress in their investigation into the Murder today.”

“We are satisfied the parties involved are known to each other and that there is minimal risk to the wider community.”

The Police continue to appeal to any witnesses that may have seen anything in the Washington Road area yesterday from 12:45pm to 1:30pm to come forward.

The Police investigation team are also interested in hearing from people who have any CCTV footage of Washington Road.

Anyone with information should please contact Police via 105 and quote file number 220222/7060, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth (95) tests positive for Covid with ‘mild, cold-like symptoms’

The 95-year-old monarch is experiencing “mild, cold-like symptoms” but expects to carry out “light duties” this week.

She last visited Nelson in February 1986, with large crowds wherever she went. 

It was a short stop, lasting just two hours. Time enough for the Queen to name the "northern outlet" as Queen Elizabeth II Drive, and have "a light and luscious luncheon" with 300 invited guests.

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh who died on 9 April 2021, two months before his 100th birthday, never made a trip to Tasman.

The announcement, of the monarch now catching covid, was made just a few weeks after the nation’s longest-reigning monarch reached her platinum jubilee of 70 years on the throne on February 6.

Buckingham Palace said in a statement yesterday: “Buckingham Palace confirm that The Queen has today tested positive for Covid. Her Majesty has mild cold-like symptoms but expects to continue light duties at Windsor over the coming week. She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all the appropriate guidelines.”

Concern across the Commonwealth and the UK will be at peak levels for the queen given her advanced age, her health scare in recent months and her popularity in countries where many have known no other monarch on the throne.

She is understood to be triple-vaccinated, but she had been on doctors’ orders to rest since mid-October after cancelling a run of engagements and spending a night in hospital undergoing preliminary tests.

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Takaka Hill

Takaka Hill

No Damage to Takaka Hill with recent rains 

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency advise that the new infrastructure / culverts on Takaka Hill have coped well with the rain over the past weeks.

While there were floods and evaluations on the West Coast and very heavy rain in Tasman and Nelson, the Waka Kotahi 28 Million Dollar State Highway 60 project has survived its test of heavy rain.

The only mishap was caused by a heavy vehicle.

The guardrail at site 7 was wiped out some time during rain overnight in the last weekend of January.

NZ Transport Agency said the more they have to replace the guardrail the more inconvenience there is to the travelling road user.

 

Waka Kotahi encourage everyone to take it carefully at all times of the day around these hairpin bends on Takaka Hill Road between Riwaka and Tākaka  State Highway 60.

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Buller evacuations, flooding, slips, road closures, power outages

Karamea Highway Buller. Photo Buller Emergency Management

Everything and every one in Buller and the district have taken a battering with the tremendous amount of rain over recent days. 

Deputy Mayor Sharon Roche says “it’s been a wild ride for the community – evacuations, flooding, slips, road closures, dump exposures, power outages and more.” 

“The resiliency of the community, contractors and emergency management teams has been put to the test, but she's incredibly proud of how everyone has handled these trying times” 

Buller Emergency Management

“Over the coming weeks, it’s going to be important for the community to understand that clean-up and remediation work will take time.”

Buller has had two floods in a week to cope with and the Karamea State Highway is closed at the moment with slips.

Buller Emergency Management released a statement this afternoon that the “Buller District Council will implement from tomorrow (Monday 14 February 2022) a traffic control plan for the Karamea Highway that will allow escorted traffic to access and leave Karamea three times a day.”

Karamea Highway Buller. Photo Buller Emergency Management

Manager infrastructure delivery Eric de Boer says: “Traffic over the Karamea Bluff will initially be allowed in convoys at set times, using the “follow me” system. This is to control access through some one-lane sections of the hill on each side, to ensure peoples safety, and allow repair work to be carried out.”

 “Vehicles will be escorted over the Karamea Bluff at 9am, 1pm, and 5pm from tomorrow onwards. People who want to leave or access Karamea need to queue at the closure sites on both ends at these

times."

There are many single lane areas that traffic has to pass through and this opportunity is only be open to traffic that is present at the closure sites at the set times.

Buller Floods. Photo Buller Emergency Management

The Community need to arrange their journey plans to coincide with the scheduled opening times and allow for potential delays during the 25km escort.

To inform the public signage has been installed on State Highway 67 near the Pines Tavern as well as Mokihinui Lewis Street corner and the Little Wanganui bridge.

“Looking at the extensive damage, the Karamea Highway will not be fully repaired for some time. The highway will remain closed to free-flowing traffic for at least the next seven days to carry out repairs.”

Karamea Highway Buller. Photo Buller Emergency Management

The scheduled opening hours will enable residents and supplies to access and leave Karamea during this time,” Eric says.

An extensive rebuild programme is currently being planned based on geotechnical advice gathered over the past few days.

The section of the Karamea highway over the Karamea Bluff was severely damaged by slips triggered by heavy rain during the latest two weather events, which struck the Buller District over the past days.

Road access to and from Karamea has been cut off since Wednesday 9 February 2022.

The Buller River in flood. Photo Buller Emergency Management

WestReef staff and their contractors are currently working on removing about 30 large slips and they have widened several areas to allow escorted vehicles to safely pass through this most severely affected section of the highway.

“Apart from the many slips, at some locations the hill beneath parts of the highway dropped 30 – 40 metres and work to repair these areas is not expected to start until appropriate ground stabilization
equipment can be bought in to access these areas,” Eric says.

“The highway is safe to open to controlled traffic but a lot of work needs to be done to get this section of road back to where it was.”

The following roads are closed or have a warning as of 5pm Sunday 13 February.

Road Closure: SH 67 Mokihinui to Karamea

Updated 20 hours ago

View traffic update details

Road Closure: SH 67 Hector to Mokihinui

Updated 96 mins ago

Road Closure: SH 67 Mokihinui, from Lewis Road to Mokihinui- Seddonville Road
Updated 14 hours ago

NZ Transport Agency View traffic update details

Buller slip. Photo Buller Emergency Management

The Buller Emergency Management advised that the Karamea Highway will remain closed until 9am Monday 14 February.

Helicopters are being used to support St John Ambulance and the District Health Board to transport residents requiring medical attention to hospital. 

Helicopters moving tourists out of the area are returning with essential supplies to ensure the town does not run out.

Two slips in the July 2021 flooding that were under repair have not suffered further erosion. 

Work is expected to continue for several months, and drivers should be prepared for delays.

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