logo
Small town fights back against street racers

Small town fights back against street racers

RNZ News2 days ago

transport local council 27 minutes ago
Locals in the Northland town of Moerewa are taking it upon themselves to clean up burnt out cars and scorched rubber left behind from street racers. Resident Pamela-Ann Simon-Baragwanath spoke to Charlotte Cook.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Train driver taken to hospital after train, truck collide in Auckland
Train driver taken to hospital after train, truck collide in Auckland

RNZ News

time3 hours ago

  • RNZ News

Train driver taken to hospital after train, truck collide in Auckland

Photo: Supplied by Kiwirail KiwiRail says a freight train and a truck collided at a "passive crossing", which isn't controlled by bells, flashing lights or barrier arms. Emergency services were called to the incident at Kiwi Street in the suburb of Favona about 7.45pm on Wednesday. St John Ambulance said one person was taken to hospital in a minor condition. KiwiRail said its rail operator was taken to hospital for an assessment but did not receive any injuries, and has since been discharged. "The Kiwi Street rail crossing is a passive crossing in that it is controlled by signage rather than bells, flashing lights or barrier arms," it said in a statement. It confirmed that this meant it was up to drivers of vehicles to check for any oncoming trains. KiwiRail said it was too early to determine the cause of the incident, but it would be gathering information about previous incidents at that crossing as part of the investigation.

NZTA proposes State Highway 1 change through Picton for cars using Cook Strait ferries
NZTA proposes State Highway 1 change through Picton for cars using Cook Strait ferries

RNZ News

time6 hours ago

  • RNZ News

NZTA proposes State Highway 1 change through Picton for cars using Cook Strait ferries

The Bluebridge's Connemara and Interislander's Kaiarahi in Picton. Photo: RNZ / Samantha Gee The official route of State Highway 1 through Picton could change to match the route cars now take to enter and exit Cook Strait ferries. The Transport Agency was proposing making Kent Street a state highway and changing three key intersections to help traffic better flow. NZTA regional manager system design Richard Osborne said ever since the Interislander ferry terminal was relocated to Lagoon Road in 2023, all vehicles accessing the ferry terminals had been using Kent Street. "Traffic volumes have increased on Kent Street, whereas flows on State Highway 1 Nelson Square/Wairau Road have decreased," he said. "Kent Street has been acting as the de facto state highway. This is one of the key aspects the Picton -Road Network Improvements Project wants to address." The planned changes to the road network in Picton. Photo: Supplied / NZTA NZTA was also proposing making Auckland Street and Wairau Road local roads. Osborne said the designation and revocation would be subject to a Notice of Requirement under the Resource Management Act. Marlborough mayor Nadine Taylor said the changes were good news for residents and drivers in Picton. "What we want is the efficient movement of that ferry traffic into the Picton CBD but also for those vehicles and freight particularly that want to get on the road south they need to be able to get going. This is a real upgrade it'll help them exit the town and get on the road," she said. Taylor said NZTA would be consulting with the town through the rest of this year, with construction set for mid-next year after the busy summer period. "There are going to be some changes for the people of Picton and it's going to take them a little bit to get their head around some aspects of it, it's also going to change how they move around their town," she said. "I'm really keen to hear what people in Picton are going to think about this." NZTA said drop-in sessions had been planned for next week so the community could find out more about the improvements for the state highway and three intersections. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

Lawnmower racers battle it out at Fieldays: 'Cheapest motorsport you can do'
Lawnmower racers battle it out at Fieldays: 'Cheapest motorsport you can do'

RNZ News

time6 hours ago

  • RNZ News

Lawnmower racers battle it out at Fieldays: 'Cheapest motorsport you can do'

Lawnmower racing is set to draw crowds at Fieldays. Photo: Supplied / Fieldays There are several rural sporting competitions at agricultural events: shearing, wood chopping and the tractor pull. And for the first time this year, lawnmower racing is coming to Fieldays in the form of the Red Bull Cut It competition. Barry Dawe from the New Zealand Lawnmower Racing Association told First Up the sport has been gaining popularity around the country because of its accessibility. The machines are modified ride-on mowers with the cutting blades removed. Dawe said the engines range from 400cc to 1000cc. "They're pretty big engines and and people tend to think oh it's only a lawnmower engine, but you think of a 500cc motorbike, that's the sort of torque these things have got," Dawe said. "So there's some angry mowers here." Racers sit either on, in, or around the mower and they are not strapped in, Dawe said. Race day is Saturday and the mowers are on display through the week. "So we've got a slightly smaller track than we normally race on, but we've made it so we can do lots of drifting, lots of noise. We've got a jump," Dawe told First Up . "We've got some CO2 cannons that are going to go off. So it's going to be a great old day. We've got over 30 mowers here and we're going to rip up the ground." He said the track is lined with hay bales, and they have tried to make it as wide as they can to allow for passing and drifting. "You don't have to go over the jump, but obviously, if you do, you'll probably get some bonus points and maybe win a trophy." And there's enough straight to get up a bit of speed. About 50 or 60km/h, Dawe said. "We have people from Hawke's Bay, a couple from Taranaki, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty. There's a big contingent down there in Christchurch as well, but obviously it was a bit far for them to travel up. "It's the cheapest motorsport you can do in New Zealand. You don't have to spend a million bucks. You can if you want, but there's no point because the competitiveness is limited [because] you're racing on grass. "It evens everybody out, so even the big motors on certain tracks will be no faster than the small motors. It's all about how you drive and the fun of tinkering." As part of the event, hairdressing and barbering students from Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology will be there with their blades offering haircuts. "And we've got a wheel of fortune that you can spin through," Dawe said. "So once you spin the wheel, you get different haircuts ... We've got skullet, mullet, fade, buzz, undercut and a 'joker', which is the hairdresser's choice. "You walk up here, spin the wheel and you never know what you're going to get. But everyone's a winner." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store