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RNZ News
2 days ago
- General
- RNZ News
Fire on historic ship The Tui most likely caused by electrical fault
Historic ship The Tui was found on fire on 4 June 2025. Photo: RNZ / Peter De Graaf The fire that destroyed a historic ship in the Bay of Islands was most likely caused by an electrical fault, not by arson, a fire investigator says. The Tui, a century-old sugar barge converted into a replica sailing ship by the late underwater explorer Kelly Tarlton, was severely damaged by fire early on Wednesday morning. Police initially treated the blaze as suspicious and, given how little remained, Northland fire investigator Craig Bain was not hopeful of being able to establish the cause. Luck was, however, on his side. "As the digger was bringing bits and pieces out, we were looking for the likes of switchboards and hard drives for the security system, and anything that might show an origin point," Bain said. "Just by pure luck, once everything had been removed, I went into what was left and looked over the side - and lying in the sand were the burnt-out remnants of the mains switchboard. Digging through that a bit further I found what was left of the mains cable that feeds the switchboard, and that had significant arcing and a fair bit of melting on it as well, indicating significant heat." That led the investigation team to conclude an electrical fault was the most likely cause of the fire. The find was even more unexpected given how quickly they had to work to beat the incoming tide. Bain said the switchboard was still warm to the touch when found, and appeared to have fallen out of the boat early in the fire. Power was live to the switchboard due to the vessel's pending restoration, and it was possible moisture had entered it during the wild weather lashing the Bay of Islands that night. Bain said the finding that the fire was most likely electrical rather than suspicious could provide some comfort to the owners, as well as to the Tarlton family. "I think it's quite a benefit to the folks starting out on this project to restore the boat that there doesn't appear to be anything malicious about the fire, that we know of." Kelly Tarlton created the Tui in the 1970s to display his collection of treasures salvaged from shipwrecks around New Zealand. Later it housed a series of restaurants and cafes but for the past decade it had been empty and increasingly derelict. It was bought last year by researchers Cat Peters and Thibaud Guerin, who planned to turn it into a centre for free community marine education. In April this year their TriOceans Education Trust received a grant from Foundation North to restore the ship. Work had just started when the fire broke out. Parts of the ship not destroyed by the blaze had to be demolished that morning, both to allow firefighters to fully extinguish the flames between its two hulls and to ensure debris did not enter the Bay of Islands on the high tide at 2.30pm. The site was blessed before dawn on Saturday in a moving ceremony led by the chairman of neighbouring Te Tii Marae, Ngāti Kawa Taituha. Fiona Tarlton took part, representing the family, and said she planned to gift the marae a framed photo of the Tui and her late father. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
4 days ago
- General
- RNZ News
Northland researcher's dream of creating marine education centre goes up in smoke
Thibaud Guerin, owner of marine research company TriOceans, and Cat Peters, chairwoman of the TriOceans Education Trust, say they haven't given up their dream of a marine education centre in the Bay of Islands. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf A Northland marine researcher's dream of creating a free community education centre has literally gone up in smoke in a devastating ship fire. Cat Peters, chairwoman of the TriOceans Education Trust, said her plans had been 10 years in the making. Last year the trust had been able to buy the Tui - a derelict ship next to Waitangi Bridge in Paihia - and at the end of April it received a substantial grant from Foundation North to restore the vessel and turn it into a community classroom . Work was just about to start when the Tui was destroyed in a fire that started just after 4am on Wednesday. Surveying the charred remains of the vessel later that morning, Peters was unsure what her next steps would be. She was, however, determined to keep her vision alive. "The dream's not going to die, we're all very committed to it. It might just take a bit of a different form now," she said. Historic ship The Tui on fire in Paihia. Photo: Supplied Peters was also upset for the Tarlton family, with the late Kelly Tarlton creating the replica three-masted barque from a vintage sugar boat in the 1970s, and turning it into a museum for treasures he had salvaged from shipwrecks. "It's gutting. Gutting for us. Gutting for the Tarltons. Gutting for the community, and everybody who came out to support this new lease of life for the boat. It's just gutting." Work had been due to start any day and some building materials had already been brought on board. "We were going to turn it into a community education centre. It's been a long lived dream of all of ours, to offer free marine education to the community so people can learn about what's going on in the Bay, and learn about how they can help and be involved." Peters said the Tui was ideal because it was right on the water and incorporated the story of Kelly Tarlton. "So it was perfect. And you can't get more inspired learning about the water than on the water." Northland fire investigator Craig Bain inspects debris pulled off the ship in the hope of identifying the cause of the fire. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf Lead contractor Darrin Hawke, of Kerikeri, said he had already carried out some interior work and was looking forward to starting the restoration in earnest. He had lost building material but no tools in the fire. "I really feel for the owners. They've put a lot of heart and soul into this project so I feel for them more than anything else. But it's sad for everyone concerned. And I'll just have to look for more work." Peters said very little could be salvaged from the wreckage. "The majority of it's gone. We had fortunately taken some old artifacts off already, just in preparation for the work. But the things that were the soul of the boat, they're all gone unfortunately." She did, however, manage to rescue the ship's wheel, which she would offer to the Tarlton family given their long connection to the Tui. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
27-05-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Māori housing developer not concerned by Budget 2025 funding change
The Te Whakaruru Hau development at Kaingahoa Marae. Photo: Te Pouahi o Te Taitokerau A Māori housing developer says if whānau are willing and ready, they can start building their own homes on their own whenua. On Monday, Kaingahoa Marae in Te Rāwhiti, Bay of Islands reopened with a new papakāinga, unveiling 10 new homes for whānau and kaumātua right behind the historic wharenui. The Te Whakaruru Hau development at the marae saw a number of funders come together to build five new homes and renovate five already on the site and significant upgrades to the marae water and wastewater infrastructure. Te Pouahi o Te Taitokerau is an iwi housing prototype initially funded through the Whai Kāinga Whai Oranga scheme, tasked with building 80-100 homes and infrastructure for 110 homes across Taitokerau. Funding for Whai Kāinga Whai Oranga was discontinued as part of Budget 2025 and funding moved to the government's new Flexible fund. Speaking to RNZ, general manager Kris MacDonald told RNZ he wasn't worried about the change in funding. "We don't have a lot of concerns. Obviously it has been good that we've been operating under Whai Kainga Whai Oranga strategy and the funding that was set aside by the previous government. "However, we've learned over the last few years since we've been in operation how we can build houses quicker, faster with a lower overhead and with whānau engagement. "When it comes to the contestable flexible fund, I think we have a model to offer that's supported by our iwi in Te Taitokerau so I think we've got a good model to be able to contest, particularly for housing needs in Te Taitokerau." MacDonald said while a funder often looks for high quality and quantity, Māori have a distinct advantage. "When working with whānau, their stake in the game is that they own their own whenua. There's a lot to be said about getting housing on Māori whenua, it's been difficult and has had a long history, but I think we've developed a lot of expertise in being able to do that. That's fair skin in the game, I guess. "We've worked out a model that's affordable. Our model works on the basis of a grant for the infrastructure because we know these shortages of infrastructure, particularly in and around Māori land, but also the cost of the vertical build is a loan, at no interest, just a few upfront fees. We receive repayment for the vertical builds and that's coming to us on a monthly basis, we're able to use that funding to invest in more and more Māori housing." There were also funding opurtunities in the philanthropic sector and Māori housing was not built with only government money, he said. "It's funds and capital that we can raise ourselves if we've got a good functional model and can guarantee that we can get repayment on it. That's more opportunity for whānau for them in terms of addressing their housing needs. "There's been a long history of Māori housing going back at least 40 or 50 years, the tap does get turned on and turned off. However, my advice to whānau, if they have aspirations to build kainga on their own whenua, is start that planning process. Start looking at what it takes to get a consent. "Talk to us, we're happy to help and give you guidance around how you get organised so when the tap is turned back on and even though policy settings have changed, if you're ready, then that's half of the challenge in terms of getting housing." Kaingahoa Marae in Te Rāwhiti, Bay of Islands. Photo: Te Pouahi o Te Taitokerau Kaingahoa Marae signed a contract in August 2024 and within seven months five new houses were built. MacDonald said good marae governance was key to a speedy build. "They've always had a vision for housing and to upgrade their marae at Rāwhiti. Rāwhiti is a beautiful bay [but] they have a number of challenges that they're dealing with up there… the Waipiro Bay Marina, Caulerpa and other conservation issues." "They have a marae there [with] five kaumatua flats, which I think they've built about 20 or 30 years ago. They were getting a bit long in the tooth and we were able to add five new builds. They were designed and chosen in terms of their colour schemes and what they would look like with our building partners Advance Build out of Waipapa - very good company that takes care of the end-to-end process." Developments like Kaingahoa Marae were important because of a growing desire for whānau to return back to their whenua, he said. "Whānau come home for Christmas [and] as families get bigger, they lose connection with their kainga and now they're able to come home. If they're working in the area, there's plenty of opportunity up in Russell and in the Bay of Islands with work and the kaumatua that are living there, keeping the home fires burning need their whānau around them, they need young kids around them." "I recall when I was growing up, my parents got a Māori Affairs loan. They were working class. There was three bedrooms. We had five kids, but that became a strong platform for all of the things that we achieved in our life through education, through our health, through sport, through our whanaungatanga. All of those good things that housing wraps itself around."
RNZ News
20-05-2025
- Climate
- RNZ News
Resident warns ratepayers could face hefty bill to save part of Waitangi's waterfront
Long-time Paihia resident Ross Robertson inspects the disappearing Waitangi waterfront. Photo: RNZ/Peter de Graaf A long-time Bay of Islands resident says ratepayers could face a hefty bill to save part of Waitangi's waterfront from disappearing into the sea - a problem that could have been averted with a few hours' work when he first raised the alarm almost a year ago. Ross Robertson, of Paihia, said a roughly 100-metre stretch of waterfront from the Waitangi roundabout toward Te Tii Marae had receded by up to six metres in places, exposing stormwater pipes, and undermining trees and benches. The eroded bank was now just a few metres from Te Karuwha Parade, Waitangi's waterfront road. Robertson said the erosion began in mid-2024 when sand mounded up by a storm blocked the outlet of a stormwater drain near the roundabout. Unable to flow directly out to sea, the stream carved a new path parallel to the shore, heading northwest towards the marae. Long-time Paihia resident Ross Robertson inspects the disappearing Waitangi waterfront. Photo: RNZ/Peter de Graaf Since then the stream had been cutting away at what used to be a grassed area above the beach. One bench had been removed when it became unsafe and its concrete base had fallen into the stream; another was set to follow, along with a couple of mature pōhutukawa. "Since July 2024 I've been fighting with the council to try and get something done," he said. The council had told him erosion was a natural part of coastal environments and could not be controlled. Robertson, however, said the erosion at Waitangi was the result of a blocked drainage channel, not natural wave action. Instead of going straight out to sea, stormwater now flows parallel to the shore towards Te Tii Marae. Photo: RNZ/Peter de Graaf "They've claimed everything from it being a regional council problem to being foreshore erosion, but it's clearly a matter of a flooding drain." He said the problem came to a head during Cyclone Tam because of the sheer volume of water gushing through the stormwater outlet. The 67-year-old, who has lived in Paihia much of his life, said storms blocked the outlet every few years. When he was younger, the council's solution was to use a backhoe to dig a direct path for stormwater to flow to the sea. "This isn't the first time something like this has happened. It's the first time it hasn't been addressed formally, and it's caused a lot of subsequent damage and likely expense." In the meantime a family from nearby Ōpua had taken it upon themselves to carry out a temporary fix. Stormwater pipes show how far the land has receded. Photo: RNZ/Peter de Graaf Robertson said the family turned up with a wheelbarrow and shovels to dig a new outlet to the sea. He said the stream's new course was not in the ideal location but was the best that could be done with hand tools, and had reduced the length of waterfront exposed to erosion by about half. Robertson said his enquiries finally appeared to be getting some traction, with the council's Climate Action team telling him it was investigating. He said Paihia's economy relied almost entirely on tourism, and tourism depended on the town's beaches. "If we're going to let the beaches erode, then really we have very little to offer, and it will impact tourism," he said. Robertson said the next storm would likely overwhelm the locals' temporary fix, and the water could revert to sweeping northwards up the beach. A pōhutukawa tree next to the stormwater outlet has been seriously undermined. Photo: RNZ/Peter de Graaf It wouldn't take much to erode another two to three metres to the road's edge, he said. The Far North District Council had not responded to requests for comment by publication time. The Northland Regional Council said it had been made aware of the erosion, which was occurring in the road reserve administered by the Far North District Council - and possibly also in land alongside the State Highway 11 roundabout managed by NZTA. Regional council regulatory services manager Colin Dall said, given the risk to roading, it was in the interest of the relevant road controlling authority to carry out erosion protection work. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
14-05-2025
- Climate
- RNZ News
Paihia's main road to be closed to fix storm damage
Huge swells triggered by ex-Cyclone Tam washed away part of the waterfront in Paihia, exposing cables and a water main. Photo: Supplied / Grant McCallum Paihia's main road will close for storm repairs for the next three weeks, as the after-effects of Cyclone Tam continue to plague the Bay of Islands. At its peak on 17 April the ex-tropical cyclone knocked out power to tens of thousands of homes across Northland, as well as flooding roads and eroding shorelines in places like Paihia and Russell. In Paihia, the storm took a large chunk out of Marsden Road/State Highway 11 near the town centre. After several days the road was partly reopened, but NZTA Waka Kotahi said it would now have to close for repairs in both directions until 6 June. Workers inspect damage to SH11/Marsden Road in Paihia during Cyclone Tam. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf The closure - between Bayview Road and Williams Road - would apply between 7am and 6pm, Monday to Friday. Traffic would be diverted through the town centre. At night and during the weekends, the southbound lane, towards Ōpua, would be open through the worksite with a reduced speed limit of 30km/h. NZTA said the footpath, a section of which disappeared into the tide, would also be repaired. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
