Berry Tasty: Cyclone survivor takes over well-known Napier eatery
Cyclone Gabrielle washed away Mel Gale's first business.
On Friday, Gale took over her new business and eatery - Berry Tasty in Napier's Bay View - marking a big milestone for her young family.
Her family lost their home in Esk Valley during the devastating 2023
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NZ Herald
14 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Private Security Personnel Licensing Authority cancels licences for guards accused of turning up to police events
This prompted police to make a complaint to the Private Security Personnel Licensing Authority, which handles complaints about licensed security guards. Shaw and his wife Alison both had Certificates of Approval to work as employed security guards but didn't have a licence to run their own business because they couldn't afford the annual fees. Despite this, Shaw and an employee who didn't hold any kind of security licence would drive around New Plymouth in their signwritten vehicle for their unlicensed security business, House and Farm Security Service. The business advertised extensively through flyers, social media and business cards but only generated $320 worth of income in that period. According to a ruling by the authority released this week, the Shaws were found to have been running their business without a licence, and to have hired an employee to work as a security guard without a certificate of approval. 'The fact the business was not successful and earned very little money does mean House and Farm Security Service does not fit within the definition of a crowd controller or property guard …' authority head Trish McConnell said. 'Before spending money on their vehicle, uniforms, flyers and advertising Mr and Mrs Shaw should have applied for a security licence.' Part of the Shaws' argument in response to the complaint from police was that they hadn't hired an employee because they didn't get any regular work, but had him work a one-off security gig at a local festival. McConnell said this was a breach of the licensing rules and in addition, they had allowed that worker to wear a uniform for several months and hold himself out as a legitimate security worker. It's the second time Shaw has fallen foul of the authority after receiving a warning in 2017 for operating a similar business without a licence. McConnell described the Shaws' conduct as 'intentional and ongoing' and despite being warned about needing a licence, they didn't get one. McConnell cancelled both Brent and Alison Shaw's personal security licences and fined them $800, which was the cost of the annual licence for their business that they didn't pay when they set it up. Brian Shaw told NZME he denied having a scanner capable of listening to police communications, and turning up at incidents before actual police to talk to witnesses. Shaw claimed instead that on one occasion he had witnessed a car accident and taken down the details of a driver who had left the scene, which he passed on to police. Jeremy Wilkinson is an Open Justice reporter based in Manawatū, covering courts and justice issues with an interest in tribunals. He has been a journalist for nearly a decade and has worked for NZME since 2022.
Newsroom
a day ago
- Newsroom
The new trade-off between urban growth and a hostile environment
Analysis: "Other cities cope. We will cope, as well," says Auckland Transport chief executive Dean Kimpton. "I think our primary concern from the city planning level is where we're enabling housing, and communities to live." He's talking about redesigning Auckland, its transport and other infrastructure to balance the need for more housing with the heightening threat posed by ever-more-frequent severe weather events. The Auckland Anniversary Floods and Cyclone Gabrielle were eye-openers.
NZ Herald
4 days ago
- NZ Herald
Whanganui's Sarjeant Gallery redevelopment comes in at just under $80m
On July 24, the gallery ticked over 100,000 visits since reopening on November 9, with surveys indicating 60% came from outside the region. 'It is estimated to be contributing about $17m of visitor spend into our local businesses, which will, over time, offset the cost to the ratepayer many times over,' Langford said. 'I would certainly like to see us, at the very least, sustain those [visitor] numbers, and potentially increase them.' He said the council was engaging with Tourism NZ to make sure Whanganui was well promoted internationally. Batty's report said in June 2020, the project had a total budget of $55.08m. 'In line with other major projects that have had to manage the combined impact of Covid-19 on programme, staff availability, material and labour cost escalations and disruptions in the supply chain, the project has significantly exceeded the original project budget,' it said. 'There was a 28.3% total cost increase in non-residential building costs over our construction period.' Gaye Batty in the gallery's heritage building in 2022. Photo / NZME In March 2022, the Chronicle reported that the forecast cost had blown out to $64.4m, with then-mayor Hamish McDouall saying restoring and earthquake-strengthening the gallery's heritage building had presented a number of challenges for the construction team. 'It's a unique and iconic building that has to be handled with great care,' he said. The $19.67m overspend since 2020 was due to several factors, including the pandemic, work on the heritage building, ground conditions, insurances and archaeology, Batty's report said. Council-approved scope changes and extras, including the fit-out of the cafe, additional AV/ICT infrastructure, and landscaping works, made up just over $4m of the overspend. In 2015, the council committed $5m to the project and then, in 2017, it voted in favour of being a guarantor of the project to secure Government funding. The redevelopment was expected to cost $34.9m at the time. Councillor Kate Joblin said the final cost was 'a whole chunk of money' and she hoped the council did better with significant projects in the future. But the gallery had tangible benefits, she said. 'I've been around long enough to remember, not in detail, but the number of bailouts the Cooks Gardens complex needed when that was built. 'Who can imagine what Whanganui would be like if we didn't have Cooks Gardens. 'I am in no doubt the Sarjeant will become the same treasure, the taonga of this community.' Councillor Rob Vinsen said he attended the first council meeting about the redevelopment in 1998. 'It is a great facility, but it's time now to move on from talking about the capex [capital expenditure]. That is spent money,' he said. 'Our attention as council should turn to operating costs of this institution, because $200 per ratepayer [a year] is too high.' The rates requirement to operate the gallery in 2025/26 is about $4.9m. Last year, Vinsen proposed a $15 entry fee for out-of-towners. During this week's meeting, he said he hoped that would still be considered. Whanganui Mayor Andrew Tripe said significant projects of international standards cost a lot of money, but the Sarjeant would benefit the community for years to come. 'We have an incredible asset, and we are not going to unbuild it for the very few and diminishing number of detractors out there,' he said. 'Let's move forward and celebrate what we've got.' Councillor Kate Joblin says, like Cooks Gardens, the Sarjeant will be a "taonga of this community". Photo / NZME Langford said a 'broad and all-encompassing' project review was under way, with the council's executive officers already holding workshops with Batty, the project management team and review facilitators. The council would spend about $1.78m a year in loan repayments for the project, he said. Joblin asked if, with the benefit of hindsight, he still thought it was a good project. Langford, who is leaving his role in October, said it had been - 'absolutely'. 'While the cost is higher, the benefits that are being delivered are proportionately higher still,' he said. 'Could the project have been set up slightly differently and run slightly more smoothly? 'Yes, but that's probably the answer to every single project that's ever done.' Councillor Jenny Duncan said ratepayers had to be recognised for their contribution, especially those who would not use the gallery and were struggling to pay their rates. 'I also want to acknowledge Nicola [Williams, former Sarjeant Trust chair] because, if it wasn't for her, it wouldn't be $26m we were putting in," Duncan said. 'Who knows, it might have fallen over at one point or another, because we didn't have that additional funding we needed to keep going.' Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.
