From critical road repair to Napier Monopoly to Splash Planet tickets to Wairoa trash to Hastings youth voting rights, here are a few announcements of the past week that might be of interest.
Napier-Wairoa road
Major progress ahead, but with it various delays and closures over the next few days to be aware of. As announced by NZ Transport:
Nightworks starting at Devil’s Elbow
Overnight work begins from Sunday (29 September) at Devil’s Elbow on a variety of work including shoulder widening, culvert installation, culvert inlet and outlet works, pavement works, asphalt surfacing and guardrail works.
The nightwork is expected to last until late October, with crews aiming to finish the work in the lead up to Labour weekend.
These overnight works will take place under the existing traffic management, so people travelling will experience similar travel times as during the day – the only change will be people driving through at night will now see more crew members at various sites throughout the Devil’s Elbow area.
Crews are expecting to complete repair work at 5 sites throughout Devil’s Elbow this spring. Four more sites will begin later this year, with most likely completed by Easter next year.
Learn more about the recovery work at Devil’s Elbow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vq-fnBLv8HA
Waikare Gorge Bailey bridge work
A reminder that the Waikare Gorge Bailey bridge will be closing for two nights next week while new bridge deck panels are installed.
The bridge, on SH2 at Pūtōrino between Wairoa and Napier, will be closed to all traffic on Monday 30 September and Tuesday 1 October – between 9pm and 5am each night. There is no viable detour, so please plan ahead.
The work will be finished by 5am on Wednesday 2 October. The contingency date is the same time the following night 9pm to 5am, Wednesday 2 October.
Napier plays Monopoly
To mark Napier’s 150th, the city is getting its own edition of classic boardgame Monopoly. Only 3,000 board-sets of the game have been produced and will be available to pre-order from early October, with the sets themselves arriving in early November.
Councillor Sally Crown has been involved in planning the 150th commemorations and says the special Monopoly Edition is a fun way to tackle a big issue. “Everything we do needs to be fiscally responsible, so while we do want to throw a party, and we do want to create events that the community can enjoy, we also have to make sure we’re doing it in a financially astute way,” says Crown. “With this initiative, we’re using sales of the game to off-set the costs associated with holding community celebrations”.
Napier’s edition features custom-designed illustrations. Chance and Community Chest cards have also been written specifically for Napier. Many feature council facilities like the libraries, National Aquarium of New Zealand and Bay Skate. There are also squares dedicated to favourite buildings, gardens and landmarks across wider Napier.
Those interested in purchasing a Monopoly Napier Edition can follow Napier City Council social media channels for updates and opportunities to win a game. Pre-orders can be made through www.ourplacenapier.nz.
Splash Planet tickets on sale
Splash Planet re-opens for the season on November 18.
Tickets went on sale this week, along with memberships for Hawke’s Bay residents that entitle them to ticket discounts of almost 30 per cent if they buy their tickets online. Locals who buy their membership before November 1 will pay $25 for the season, while after that date it will cost $30.
Admission prices have increased by $5 this year, as a result of increased maintenance and operational costs, however the age for free entry has been raised to five years (from three), and there are serious discounts available to residents who register and buy their tickets on-line. Those discounts take $13 off each adult and child ticket (over five years). So, after two tickets, the membership is all-but off, and the discounts continue all summer.
Go to www.splashplanet.co.nz to find out more and buy your tickets.
Wairoa trash heading south
Over the next three years, Wairoa will be shipping 4,000 tonnes per year of mostly flooding waste to the Ōmarunui Refuse Landfill shared by Napier and Hastings.
Sounds like a heap of trash, and in the context of Wairoa’s own landfill, which normally takes about 3,000 tonnes of trash it certainly is. But in the context of the Ōmarunui Landfill, which now takes about of 70,000 tonnes of rubbish per year, it’s a temporary drop in the bucket.
The massive surge in Wairoa waste is due to ongoing clean-up of flood damage in that district.
Applause for some regional good neighbourly-ness please!
Hastings youth councillors to vote on council committees
The voice of youth will be heard at Hastings District Council committee and subcommittee tables, after councillors today voted to give them that right.
The decision was evenly split with half the councillors for the proposal. Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst used her casting vote to approve the proposal to give youth councillors voting rights on the committees.
Mrs Hazlehurst said the move reflected that young people would be the ones living with Council’s decisions over the decades to come, so having their perspective at committee tables made “absolute sense”.
What, no referendum? Wait til Government hears about this!
